Thinking of this, Shinichi looked up at the sky. The sun had mostly set, leaving only a dark red glow on the horizon. He quickened his pace toward home.
For now, the most important thing was still to make use of the final time before the war to solidify his foundation and improve his strength.
Orochimaru's invitation and the temptation of the first Hokage's cells would have to be set aside for now.
Only when he himself was strong enough, with sufficient bargaining chips and confidence, could those opportunities and dangers hidden in the shadows truly be controlled and turned into stepping stones forward.
...
At the same time, in the Village Hidden in the Cloud, Raikage's office.
"From the current situation, it can basically be confirmed that the third Kazekage has gone missing and may even already be dead."
The third Raikage's voice was deep and heavy, like rolling thunder.
"The Land of Wind must now be in chaos internally. The Village Hidden in the Sand has no leader; it is at its weakest and most vulnerable point. I've decided to personally lead an elite team over there to take a look!"
He turned around, his sharp, hawk-like gaze sweeping across several core assistants in the office, finally settling on his most trusted aide, Dodai.
"Dodai, make the necessary arrangements for support and follow-up on your side!"
Looking at the third Raikage, who had once again come up with a brilliant idea, Dodai sighed deeply in his heart.
Do you know how far the Land of Wind is from our Land of Lightning?
Do you know how many countries we'd have to pass through?
More importantly, we'd have to pass near the borders of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth's spheres of influence. How is that any different from waving a flag and barging straight into someone else's backyard?
And even if we defeat the Village Hidden in the Sand, what would it do for us? Just showing off our military strength?
But this thought only lingered briefly in his mind. Dodai understood the Raikage's personality too well; his strength was unmatched in the Shinobi World, his temperament fierce and bold, and once he set his sights on a goal, that stubborn determination could not be shaken by anyone.
When he entered this state of "I think this will work," any attempts to dissuade him based on common sense, geography, or political calculations were completely useless.
Forget it…
Dodai shook his head helplessly in his heart, then respectfully said, "Understood, Raikage-sama. I will immediately select the most reliable elite team members, those best at covert operations and long-distance raids, for your review. However, please be sure to act cautiously and focus primarily on reconnaissance."
"Mm, I'll leave it to you."
The third Raikage was clearly very satisfied with Dodai's efficiency and thoroughness. He waved his hand, brimming with fighting spirit: "Hurry it up, such a good opportunity can't be snatched away by that old fox, Onoki, or that old monkey, Hiruzen Sarutobi!"
...
One week later, a piece of news swept across the entire Shinobi World like a hurricane, causing shock and close attention from all countries and major ninja villages.
The third Raikage, who had always been known for his tough and direct style, personally led an elite Kumogakure ninja squad.
With astonishing speed and boldness, they crossed more than a dozen countries in one go, brazenly breaking into the interior of the Land of Wind, which was in unprecedented chaos due to the disappearance of the Kazekage, and charged straight toward the Village Hidden in the Sand!
Faced with this sudden, spearhead-style assault led personally by the strongest spear of the current era, the leaderless Village Hidden in the Sand's initial defense and response appeared rushed and chaotic.
However, at this critical moment of life and death, a Jonin named Rasa stepped forward.
Not only did he display outstanding command and coordination ability, quickly integrating the Village Hidden in the Sand's panicked defensive forces, but more importantly, in front of everyone, he demonstrated the Village Hidden in the Sand's signature Kekkei Genkai, Magnet Style!
Golden iron sand surged under his control like a living tide. This scene greatly boosted the morale of the Sunagakure ninjas.
At a time when people were anxious and leaderless, the appearance of a powerful figure who possessed Magnet Style and demonstrated leadership ability undoubtedly became the core that united everyone.
With the public endorsement of the two veterans of the Village Hidden in the Sand, Ebizo and Chiyo, Rasa was quickly pushed to the forefront, temporarily taking command of the overall situation and organizing resistance.
What followed became a Rashomon-like situation.
The Village Hidden in the Cloud declared: "The third Raikage descended like a divine soldier, moving through the interior of the Land of Wind as if entering an unguarded land, ruthlessly teaching the Village Hidden in the Sand a lesson and beating them until they cried for their parents."
"This demonstrated the unmatched military strength of the Village Hidden in the Cloud. In the end, their strategic objectives were achieved, their national prestige displayed, and they withdrew victoriously; it was a glorious victory!
The Village Hidden in the Sand, on the other hand, announced: "Rasa-sama was appointed to a critical mission and led the valiant Sunagakure ninjas to a resounding victory against the arrogant invading Kumogakure squad within the village's territory. They successfully defended the village's dignity and territorial integrity, repelling the third Raikage and his subordinates. This is a great victory in defending our homeland!"
Both sides spoke convincingly, each claiming overwhelming victory. The specific battle process, casualty numbers, and even whether a large-scale direct confrontation actually occurred all became a muddled account that outsiders simply could not make sense of.
But one thing was clear: Relying on the Magnet Style he displayed during this crisis and the prestige of repelling a powerful enemy, Rasa, with the full support of Ebizo and Chiyo, he was formally elected as the fourth Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand at astonishing speed.
A ninja village that had fallen into a huge crisis due to the mysterious disappearance of the third Kazekage completed its transfer of power in such a dramatic and iron-blooded manner, and once again raised the banner of leadership.
However, everyone knew that the Village Hidden in the Sand's crisis was far from over, and the turbulence of the Shinobi World had only just begun.
Shinichi Higashino stood by the window and could clearly feel the heavy atmosphere in the air, like a storm about to arrive.
In fact, from the perspective of his previous life, the third Raikage crossing more than a dozen countries, almost traversing the entire continent, was extremely absurd.
But in this extraordinary world, it had a certain degree of rationality. Although the Land of Wind was indeed barren, the Village Hidden in the Sand's poison techniques, puppet techniques, hidden jutsus, and some special metals all had high strategic value.
The third Raikage probably figured that while the Village Hidden in the Sand was leaderless and people were panicking, he might as well take a shot. If he managed to grab something, it would be a huge profit.
Even if he failed to seize anything, beating the Village Hidden in the Sand badly and boosting the reputation and prestige of his own Village Hidden in the Cloud would still be worthwhile.
After all, a ninja village's reputation often determines the amount of mission commissions it receives.
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