"This way, we can significantly narrow down Nonō's hiding place," Roshi said calmly.
Shikaku gave a slow nod.
Danzo had already lost his standing within Konoha. Even if he still retained fragments of mobile forces, bringing unknown individuals back into the Land of Fire would be reckless—especially with the Village relentlessly dismantling his hidden networks.
For someone like Yakushi Nonō—never truly loyal to Danzo himself—it would be even more dangerous to let her return and discover Konoha's current political reality.
"She should be near the old Rōran site," Kakashi concluded quietly. "If Danzo intends to control—or exploit—the Ryūmyaku at a critical moment, Sara, as the key, cannot be too far from its source."
"Which means Nonō, responsible for guarding and executing the mission, must be stationed there as well."
Silence lingered between them.
Kakashi broke it first.
"The Ryūmyaku's power is too dangerous. It cannot be left unchecked. I've operated in that region before. This mission should fall to me."
Roshi shook his head.
"Let someone else handle it."
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed slightly.
"The 'someone else' you're referring to… wouldn't happen to be yourself, would it?"
"Yes," Roshi answered, without hesitation. "When Sunagakure sent their envoy earlier, I deliberately tested their response. If the Ryūmyaku truly is their trump card, then its defenses are likely reinforced by now."
Shikaku pressed his fingers to his forehead with a soft groan.
A standard probing tactic…
And now they were paying for its success.
Kakashi's eyelid twitched faintly, but he remained composed.
"Even if your combat strength surpasses mine," he said evenly, "covert infiltration is not purely about power."
Roshi turned and pointed toward the silent figure beside them.
"We already have an excellent spy."
Kabuto.
"Besides," Roshi continued, "my infiltration skills may not be exceptional—but in terms of retreat capability, …"
He looked at Kakashi directly.
"You're still not better than me."
The silver-haired jōnin stared at him flatly.
"And the front line?" Kakashi countered. "Without you here, no one can directly contain the Kazekage."
"Sunagakure may have withdrawn, but if they counterattack—"
"Then you remain," Roshi interrupted calmly. "Assist Shikaku."
His gaze shifted toward the distant Sunagakure fortifications shimmering beyond the desert haze.
"If the situation becomes untenable, we abandon the forward outposts."
He paused.
"This is the Land of Rivers."
The meaning was unmistakable.
This was not Konoha's homeland—land that must be defended to the last breath.
It was a buffer. A contested zone.
Important.
But expendable.
Kakashi fell quiet. His gaze moved between Roshi and the unusually still Kabuto.
Shikaku exhaled softly.
He did not object.
That silence was agreement.
Roshi finally stepped forward and faced Kabuto directly.
"Yakushi Kabuto."
Kabuto lifted his head at once. Behind his glasses, the earlier fragility was gone. His eyes were clear—sharp—utterly focused.
"Whether it was your mission to evacuate the Rōran people or Yakushi Nonō's mission to escort Sara and her daughter… for Danzo, these were secrets the village must never uncover."
"But that is Danzo's burden."
"Not yours."
"The village will not pursue it."
A faint pause.
"When you return, whether you choose to go back to the orphanage… or continue as a shinobi of Konoha—that decision will be yours."
Roshi's gaze did not waver.
"But before that …"
He let the weight of his next words settle.
"Yakushi Nonō's fate now rests—at least in part—in your hands."
The desert wind passed silently through the canyon.
And for the first time, Kabuto's expression shifted—just slightly.
—
The door to the Kazekage's office slid open.
Chiyo entered without ceremony, two dust-covered humanoid puppets following stiffly behind her.
"These are the preliminary Dragon Vein prototypes."
Her withered index finger twitched.
The two puppets stepped forward in perfect unison, joints grinding with a low, metallic rasp that echoed through the chamber.
"They cannot operate autonomously," she said flatly. "A puppeteer is still required. However, the manipulation complexity has been significantly reduced. Even a novice can control two or three simultaneously and form a functional combat unit."
Rasa's gaze lingered on the uneven seams and exposed rivets along the puppets' outer shells.
Crude.
Functional.
But far from the decisive weapon he had envisioned.
Still… for the current Sunagakure, even this was a rare and valuable reinforcement.
"Can you enhance their individual combat strength?" he asked. "Push them beyond current specifications."
Chiyo's lips pressed thin.
Her cloudy eyes were locked onto him.
Beyond what?
Kage-level?
If they could not reach that threshold, a handful of enhanced puppets would change nothing.
And if they were to surpass it… that was no longer a matter of energy supply.
That was a technological wall.
An unbreakable ceiling.
She remained silent, restraining the sharpness of her tongue out of respect for his title.
With production schedules already overwhelming her, the Kazekage's true demand had been mass deployment—not miracles.
Rasa noticed her silence and shifted.
"How is Rouran's defensive system progressing?"
Chiyo answered in a dry voice.
"The ancient energy transmission pipelines remain partially intact. After restoration, they can function as a control grid for the Dragon Vein puppets."
"The first batch has already been integrated into the defensive array."
Rasa nodded slowly.
"Elder Chiyo," he said at last, "since the Dragon Vein units are operational, leave further optimization and expansion to the younger generation."
"Redirect your efforts to the Sky Ninja equipment. Refine it. Upgrade it."
"Those weapons can be fielded immediately."
"Konoha has rejected peace. Air superiority is critical."
Chiyo said nothing.
She left the puppets standing where they were and walked out without another word.
The younger generation dreamed of grand strategies.
In the end, it was always the old who bore the weight.
Rasa stepped into the corridor, looking out over the village.
The first round of peace negotiations failing had not surprised him.
He had not truly expected Konoha to accept.
The proposal was a gesture—a test.
But Roshi's words to Baki lingered like a splinter in his thoughts.
Was Konoha bluffing?
Or had he seen through everything?
Rasa's gaze darkened.
"How is Gaara?" he asked suddenly.
A voice answered from the shadows.
"No recent Shukaku rampages. However… two days ago, a Villager was injured."
Rasa remained silent.
Yashamaru.
His brother-in-law.
Gaara's uncle.
Years ago, Rasa had ordered him to provoke the boy—to sever the last fragile bonds of affection.
Since then, Shukaku's uncontrolled outbursts have decreased.
But emotional instability still flared.
And innocent blood still occasionally stained the sand.
From a purely strategic perspective, the Jinchūriki had become marginally more stable.
From a father's perspective—Rasa did not allow himself to finish that thought.
Sunagakure required strength.
It required numbers.
It required high-end power capable of shifting battlefields.
Personal guilt was a luxury he could not afford.
For the next several days, Rasa busied himself stabilizing internal affairs.
Then he stood alone, facing west.
Toward the Land of Rivers.
Konoha's forces remained entrenched.
The desert wind stirred his robes.
At last, he spoke.
"Prepare the escort."
His voice was steady.
"We're going to Rouran."
The true gamble was about to begin.
In the heart of the desert, a crumbling stone chamber barely held back the raging sandstorm.
Dust slipped through every crack, hissing across the floor like restless serpents.
Yakushi Nonō stood at the center of the chamber, her body shielding Sara and her daughter. A kunai lay horizontal across her chest, its tip unwavering, aimed directly at the uninvited guest.
At the doorway stood Orochimaru.
Golden, snake-like eyes gleamed coldly beneath the dim light.
He did not even glance at the blade pointed toward him.
"Yakushi Nonō," he said smoothly, "there's no need to be so tense. I merely encountered a minor inconvenience during my research into Dragon Vein energy."
A thin line of cold sweat slid down Nonō's temple.
Kyū should have been nearby.
Why hadn't he appeared?
Orochimaru's lips curved faintly.
"As for Kyū… don't concern yourself. He's resting."
He stepped inside, unhurried, the sand swirling around his ankles.
"I have no interest in your lives. In fact, I've been helping conceal your tracks. Otherwise, given Sunagakure's fixation on the Dragon Vein, they would have already searched this place thoroughly."
"At that point," he added with a dry chuckle, "Danzo's grand design would have been even more difficult to realize."
He paused, his voice lowering.
"Though… it seems he has already failed."
Danzo's ambitions were transparent.
But they were no longer Orochimaru's concern.
Jiraiya had been recalled. The Akatsuki had achieved what they wanted. Konoha's mobility was restricted.
For now—he could conduct his experiments undisturbed.
"Queen Sara," Orochimaru said lightly, raising a hand, "if you would kindly cooperate—"
His motion stopped midair.
Sand whipped violently at the entrance.
Two cloaked figures emerged through the storm.
Orochimaru's lips parted in a soft laugh.
"How intriguing."
"You've finally chosen to seek me out, Roshi-kun."
The two figures stepped fully into view.
Orochimaru's gaze flicked to the slightly shorter one.
"…Ah."
"So you've been discovered as well."
No answer came.
Roshi removed his cloak calmly, setting it aside and brushing sand from his shoulder.
His expression was steady.
"While I shouldn't be surprised, Orochimaru… aren't you a bit too deeply involved this time?"
Orochimaru tilted his head.
"How hurtful. Have you not made good use of the little gift I left you?"
"To be honest," Roshi replied evenly, "without assistance, it would have been rather troublesome."
His gaze shifted—to Nonō, to the pale red-haired woman behind her, and to the small girl clutching her leg.
The mother looked exhausted. Fragile.
The child's eyes were wary, wide, and bright.
…That combination felt strangely familiar.
Behind Roshi, the shorter cloaked figure stiffened.
Kabuto's heart pounded violently in his chest.
Nonō.
She was right there.
Alive.
But Orochimaru stood before them. Roshi stood between them.
This was not the moment to speak.
He held his silence.
"I would be delighted to lend a hand, Roshi-kun," Orochimaru said pleasantly.
Roshi ignored him.
Instead, he looked directly at Nonō.
"I am Roshi, Jōnin of Konoha, Commander of the Land of Rivers front."
"I require your cooperation, Yakushi Nonō."
The kunai in her hand wavered.
Lowered—just slightly.
"As for you," Roshi continued, his eyes shifting to Orochimaru, "do you intend to fight?"
"If not, this is now an internal Konoha matter."
"And you," he said coolly, "are merely a rogue ninja."
Orochimaru's laughter was soft and unbothered.
"Another time, I would have enjoyed testing a new technique."
"But today… I have other interests."
He stepped backward into the storm.
"I'll take my leave, Roshi-kun."
His golden eyes lingered for a breath.
"Next time, it won't be so simple to refuse me."
And then he was gone—swallowed by wind and sand.
Silence returned to the ruined chamber.
Kabuto pulled back his hood.
He stepped forward quickly, unable to restrain himself any longer.
"Sister… are you hurt? I—"
He stopped.
Yakushi Nonō was staring at him.
Not with relief. Not with recognition. But with confusion.
Her brows knit faintly.
Her voice was soft.
"…Who are you?"
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