"Damn that bastard!"
Inside the Kazekage's office, Rasa slammed a file onto the desk with a loud crack. His expression was twisted with fury.
Standing calmly to the side was Ebizō. He looked almost detached—neither pleased nor angry, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
But someone in the room knew better.
His sister, Chiyo, understood him all too well.
Right now, the anger burning inside Ebizō was probably no less intense than the Kazekage's.
Five squads.
A full five ANBU teams had been wiped out one after another.
According to the post-mortem reports, the twenty operatives hadn't even managed to put up a proper fight.
They were killed almost instantly—ambushed before they had the slightest chance to react.
And that wasn't even counting the six men killed earlier, right in front of Ebizō himself when he had personally tried to intercept the intruder.
Altogether, more than six squads' worth of ANBU had been eliminated by a single person.
What kind of humiliation was that?
As the head of ANBU, the pressure on Ebizō was immense.
After all, the entire intelligence organization had been built through a lifetime of his effort.
How could he possibly not be furious?
The Flying Thunder God Technique…
Chiyo sighed silently to herself.
She had heard of the technique before—there had even been intelligence reports about it.
She knew how terrifying it was in theory.
But without witnessing it firsthand, it was impossible to truly grasp its horror.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Minato Namikaze had stepped onto the world stage using this very technique.
Unfortunately for Sunagakure, they had never actually fought him.
So they had never experienced the terror of the Flying Thunder God Technique firsthand.
According to the stories, Minato once eliminated over fifty enemy ninja in a single second using that technique.
The sheer shock of that feat had spread through the battlefield like wildfire.
The shinobi of Iwagakure had been terrified. Combined with the pressure their village was already facing, it had ultimately forced Onoki to swallow his pride and sign a ceasefire agreement with Konohagakure.
Konoha really is favored by the heavens…
Chiyo reflected quietly.
Now she had no choice but to raise Konoha's threat level even further in her mind.
One Minato Namikaze had already caused that much upheaval.
If they now added another user of the Flying Thunder God—this ANBU captain known as Nightingale—
The impact on Sunagakure would be unimaginable.
"Haa…"
As Chiyo was lost in thought, Rasa finally seemed to regain some composure.
He drew a deep breath and spoke again.
"Transmit my orders."
"The defensive shinobi on the eastern and northern fronts are to increase surveillance immediately."
"All cities and checkpoints must intensify inspections."
"Send ANBU units there at once."
He paused, his eyes cold.
"And make sure they do not operate alone."
"If the target is spotted, they are to request reinforcements immediately."
"Small squads cannot handle him."
Rasa's gaze hardened.
"I want to see whether he can deal with an entire defense regiment."
Then his voice rose sharply.
"Remember this, everyone—this concerns the honor of Sunagakure itself."
"We must find him!"
"Yes, Kazekage-sama!"
Everyone in the office answered at once.
Even Ebizō and Chiyo joined the response.
Because this truly had become a matter of Sunagakure's dignity.
Of course, they all understood something deep down.
If that man truly wanted to escape…
Catching him would not be easy.
But if enough forces gathered and surrounded him—
Even if he could teleport.
Even if his combat ability was extraordinary.
There was no way a single shinobi could withstand the wrath of an entire hidden village.
At least…
Not in this era.
"Kazekage-sama, I suggest we also deploy the sealing squad." Chiyo said, stepping forward after a moment of thought.
"Even if we can't seal Nightingale's Flying Thunder God Technique, a sealing squad could still help. If he enters an area and accidentally triggers a prepared seal, tracking and capturing him will become much easier."
"A sealing squad…?" Rasa frowned slightly.
Sealing specialists were extraordinarily valuable—no matter which village you were talking about.
In Sunagakure, they were practically strategic assets.
After all, Sand had never been particularly strong when it came to sealing techniques.
Part of that had to do with the nature of Shukaku, which possessed powerful sealing properties of its own.
But even so, the truth remained: Sunagakure's reserves of sealing knowledge were painfully thin.
And cultivating a sealing specialist was notoriously difficult.
Even Konohagakure, which had inherited most of the legacy of the Uzumaki Clan, only possessed around a dozen sealing teams.
If you did the math, that meant perhaps forty to fifty shinobi in total.
Meanwhile, Konoha had hundreds of jōnin.
In other words, sealing specialists were even rarer than elite ninja.
Sunagakure's economic situation had always been tight. They had already begun shifting toward a strategy focused on cultivating elite ninja rather than large forces.
It didn't take much imagination to guess how few resources they could spare for training sealing specialists.
Rasa hesitated for quite a while before finally making his decision.
He really didn't want to send the sealing squad.
If those specialists ran into Nightingale and were wiped out, the loss would be catastrophic.
But Chiyo was right.
With a sealing squad assisting, capturing the target would become far easier.
And if they actually managed to capture Nightingale alive…
The information they could extract from him would be invaluable.
"…Fine," Rasa said through clenched teeth.
"Deploy the sealing squad."
"But send ANBU units with them as protection. Under no circumstances are they to be harmed. Understood?"
"I'll have Viper lead the escort," Ebizō said immediately.
Viper was one of Sunagakure's ANBU captains—a shinobi known for his formidable strength.
Hearing that name, Rasa finally relaxed a little.
Deep down, he knew that even someone like Viper might not be enough against a man who could use Flying Thunder God.
But having a capable escort in charge at least offered some reassurance.
"Good. Then this meeting is adjourned."
Rasa tapped the desk lightly.
"I'm entrusting this matter to all of you. Don't disappoint me."
"Yes, Kazekage-sama!"
Everyone nodded and quickly left the office.
Rasa exhaled heavily.
Just as he was about to stand up, he noticed that Chiyo and Ebizō were still standing there.
A headache instantly began forming behind his eyes.
He knew exactly why they had stayed behind.
And, as usual, it all traced back to Konohagakure.
He hadn't forgotten about the time Konoha had infiltrated Sunagakure's intelligence network.
But during that incident, they had encountered someone suspected of being involved in the death of the Third Kazekage.
And according to Konoha's own report—whether deliberately misleading or not—they had provided two possible suspects.
One was Chiyo herself.
The other…
Was Sasori.
According to Konoha, there were only two people in the shinobi world capable of wielding puppet techniques at that terrifying level.
Chiyo.
And her grandson—who had vanished years ago but had already shown talent rivaling hers before disappearing.
The prodigy known as "Red Sand Sasori."
Konoha's move had been utterly disgusting.
And judging from Chiyo's reaction after hearing that intelligence…
She clearly hadn't taken the news well at all.
"I understand what you mean, Lady Chiyo."
Rasa tried his best to suppress the irritation in his voice and spoke as calmly as he could.
"Sasori is extremely important to Sunagakure. And I certainly won't take Konohagakure's words at face value."
"I would also like to clear Sasori's name as soon as possible. But right now… don't we have more pressing matters to deal with?"
"Thank you for your trust, Kazekage-sama." Chiyo sighed softly. "I know this isn't the right time to bring it up, but Sasori is my grandson. I…"
"He'll be fine," Rasa said reassuringly. "Once we deal with that Konoha operative—Nightingale—I will mobilize Sunagakure's forces and properly investigate the matter."
"Then… thank you, Kazekage-sama."
Chiyo hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.
"In that case, I'll take my leave."
With that, she and Ebizō left the office.
The moment the door closed behind them, Rasa's expression darkened.
Truthfully, he had no interest whatsoever in investigating Sasori.
If the rumors were true, it would be both good news… and bad news.
The Third Kazekage had been missing for years. Many stubborn loyalists still clung to the hope that he might return someday.
If it turned out that he had indeed died, those hopes would finally disappear.
That alone would greatly strengthen Rasa's hold over Sunagakure.
But if Sasori truly was the one who had killed the Third Kazekage…
Then Chiyo would inevitably be dragged into the fallout.
And Rasa's rise to the position of Kazekage had relied heavily on Chiyo's support.
If she fell…
His own position wouldn't remain stable for long.
Their fates were tied together.
If one prospered, the other prospered. If one fell, the other would suffer.
So the best option was simple—
Do nothing.
...
"Elder sister."
In the corridor of the Kazekage Building, Ebizō called out to Chiyo.
"You know he won't investigate. So why ask the question?"
"I know," Chiyo sighed quietly. "But I couldn't help it."
"That's my grandson. No matter what, I have the right to know the truth."
"If the rumors are true, then I want to know why he ended up like this."
Her voice grew colder.
"And when I do… I'll deal with him myself."
"But if it's a lie—then Konoha…"
She didn't finish the sentence.
But the meaning was obvious.
If the accusation was false, Chiyo would never forgive them.
To spread such rumors and slander a man who was already presumed dead—It was despicable.
Ebizō hesitated.
For a moment, he wondered whether he should share a piece of information he had been keeping to himself.
Looking at his sister's expression now, he finally made up his mind.
After all, Sasori was his nephew too.
He wanted the truth just as much.
"Actually… sister, there may be someone else who knows what really happened."
"Oh?" Chiyo's eyes lit up immediately. "Who? Who else knows?"
"It's Nightingale," Ebizō said with a faint sigh.
"According to the intelligence I gathered, after the Third Division returned to Konoha, Nightingale spent nearly two weeks inside the Konoha Medical Department."
"And other reports suggest he once traveled to Kubisaki Castle."
"You mean…" Chiyo's mind moved quickly. She immediately understood what her brother was implying.
"Nightingale was carrying out a mission at Kubisaki Castle and happened to encounter Kusunoki, who was being hunted."
"And after Kusunoki died, Nightingale was confined to the medical department for investigation?"
"If nothing unexpected happened," Ebizo said slowly, "then that's most likely the case."
"I see."
After hearing that, Chiyo nodded once.
Then she turned and strode down the corridor—much faster than before.
Ebizō remained where he was, watching her go.
He knew exactly where she was heading.
And he had no intention of stopping her.
The moment he shared that information, he had already prepared himself for this outcome.
...
Meanwhile, somewhere far away in the endless desert of the Land of Wind—
"This damn place…"
Natsuhiko muttered under his breath.
At the southern edge of the Land of Wind, Natsuhiko trudged forward step by step, his scarf wrapped tightly around his head to shield himself from the relentless sand.
The storm was getting worse.
And at the same time, he was getting closer and closer to Rōran.
Two days.
He had spent a full two days walking across the desert to reach this place.
Fortunately, he had prepared well—bringing plenty of water, food, and all the basic gear needed to survive in the desert.
Otherwise, he was pretty sure he would have died halfway here.
Along the way, he had seen countless animal skeletons scattered across the sand.
Some were small creatures.
Some were even camels.
Just looking at those bleached bones made it painfully clear how unforgiving this place truly was.
And surviving the desert wasn't the only thing he had to worry about.
At the same time, he had to remain constantly alert for the shinobi hunting him down.
It was… not a pleasant experience.
Still, according to the map, he had almost reached the location.
That alone counted as good news.
"I just wonder…"
Natsuhiko murmured to himself as he continued forward.
"…whether Rōran is already a ruin… or still a living city."
In his memories, Rōran had ultimately been destroyed in the chaos of war.
He had learned that from the girl who looked suspiciously like Naruto Uzumaki's daughter.
The city had been destroyed—but its people had survived.
The problem was…
He had no idea when exactly the destruction had occurred.
"Well… whatever."
Natsuhiko shrugged as he walked.
"If it's already destroyed, that's actually better."
"If people still live there… that's not bad either. At least I won't have to worry about supplies."
Supplies were a top priority.
Even though he had brought plenty with him, once those ran out…
He'd be in serious trouble.
"Hmm?"
As he walked, a sudden breeze brushed past him.
Natsuhiko looked up.
And there it was.
An oasis.
A lush patch of green appeared before him, standing out like a miracle in the endless desert.
Natsuhiko remembered something clearly.
Back when Minato Namikaze had come here during a mission, he had passed through a forest before reaching the ruins of Rōran.
"So… I've found the right place."
A faint smile appeared on Natsuhiko's lips.
With an oasis like this, he could easily hide here.
More importantly, this location could serve as a perfect experimental base while he stayed near Rōran.
He still needed to test his theories.
And he needed a place to deal with that suspicious piece of flesh that might belong to Hashirama Senju.
For that kind of work, he needed somewhere secluded.
And this oasis was ideal.
"Looks like my luck hasn't been too bad."
"And the days ahead are going to be busy."
After entering the oasis and carefully observing the surroundings, Natsuhiko continued forward.
After some time, he finally emerged on the other side.
And the sight before him made him stop in his tracks.
In the distance stood a towering structure—tall and slender like a massive iron spire rising from the desert.
Even from several kilometers away, Natsuhiko could clearly feel the chakra emanating from it.
A deep, ancient power.
Wild.
Immense.
That was the power of the Ryūmyaku.
And he had finally found it.