According to *Ninjutsu World History*, there had been no clear ending event marking the conclusion of the Second Great Ninja World War. None of the warring nations signed a peace treaty or ceasefire agreement; instead, the various factions simply withdrew from the battlefield one by one, creating a de facto truce.
Yet in legal terms, the war had never officially ended.
It was like a street brawl pausing simply because everyone was exhausted—resting up before resuming the fight.
That's why people say the Third Great Ninja World War was merely a continuation of the Second. First, the Second had not truly concluded but merely paused temporarily; second, the interval between the de facto ceasefire of the Second and the outbreak of the Third was extremely short.
In fact, the flames of the Second Great Ninja World War hadn't fully extinguished either. This so-called ceasefire applied only on a large scale. As for minor skirmishes and conflicts between countries, they had never actually stopped.
So whether to view these two wars as one single great war or split them into two depended entirely on perspective—they were closely connected, yet when the fighting resumed, the situation during the Third Great Ninja World War was no longer what it had been.
The direct trigger for the outbreak of the Third Great Ninja World War was Sasori of the Red Sand secretly attacking and killing the Third Kazekage.
As a genius of Sunagakure, Sasori likely assassinated the Kage due to the deep loneliness and psychological trauma caused by losing both parents at an early age, which led him to develop a fascination with *the art of puppets* (the craft of controlling lifeless bodies).
He loved life-sized figures far more than real living people.
Thus, this was merely a coincidence—who else could be blamed? After all, the Third Kazekage was the best puppet material available. At the time, Sasori of the Red Sand probably couldn't control himself properly.
Then where exactly should the blame lie?
Certainly with Hatake Sakumo—precisely because he had killed Sasori's parents during the Second Great Ninja World War, turning the boy into a love-starved orphan.
The White Fang probably just happened to slash his sword casually in battle, killing those two without foreseeing the domino effect it would cause. Yet certain events occurring during the Third Great Ninja World War later became catalysts for unrest across the entire Ninjutsu World...
Viewed this way, yes, indeed, the world was changed by Konoha's White Fang.
Yet Sakumo himself did not feel the impact of that change because he was eliminated earlier by Konoha itself… Such a towering figure, lost in an instant.
Comparatively speaking, at least currently, Sasori's parents wouldn't die by the White Fang's blade, since this time Hatake Sakumo had been deployed by Konoha to the Northern Front rather than the Western Front—his sword simply didn't reach that far.
But if the original starting point disappears, does it necessarily mean the Third Great Ninja World War won't erupt? If given parental love, could Sasori of the Red Sand truly become a well-adjusted child?
Not necessarily, though.
Then perhaps another approach is the correct shortcut toward preventing the Third Great Ninja World War?
For example, killing Sasori's parents before he was even born? But that was impossible, because calculating the timeline showed Sasori might have been born about thirty years ago. His parents were probably a couple obsessed with procreation, practicing early parenthood policies enthusiastically.
Then again…
Besides Sasori of the Red Sand, there was another person at the center of these crucial events—and this individual was actually the key figure—the Third Kazekage.
The timing of the Third Kazekage's death didn't quite add up. Either he doesn't die at all, but that's not a guarantee—this variable is beyond control.
So then... if he dies earlier and returns to this world sooner, wouldn't that bring peace to it?
This line of thinking actually seems promising.
The problem is that the Third Kazekage might lack such awareness. Sacrificing one person for the happiness of the entire world—what's wrong with that? Sounds great in theory, but naturally, the Kazekage himself probably won't agree.
So perhaps a nudge in the right direction would do the trick. Although it's hard to say whether an early death would prevent a world war altogether, those who love peace must always strive for even the smallest glimmer of hope.
...
The Land of Rain sits practically at the heart of the world. And at its very center, endless rain pours continuously—that's why it's called the Land of Rain.
Currently, the rainfall wasn't heavy, visibility was fine, so a four-man Sunagakure squad easily spotted someone thin and solitary standing in the distance, blocking their path through the rain.
"Lord Kazekage, there's someone ahead… Are they an enemy?" One of the guards, the first to notice Haseo Yu's figure, warned the others.
"They are."
Upon hearing that, the Third Kazekage merely raised his eyelids slightly, confirming the figure in front of them before making this judgment… Truthfully, no real judgment was needed; the sand ninja's question moments ago had been somewhat superfluous.
Who else would someone blocking your path be other than an enemy? Could they possibly be here to make friends?
Therefore, the Third Kazekage simply kept focusing on "getting through."
As the "Strongest Wind Kage," he truly lived up to the title. He might well be the most undisputedly "strongest of all time" among the major ninja villages. He definitely possessed the power to crush Konoha's Samehada unit—a Konoha elite force wielding a sharkskin-like blade. Furthermore, he was a ninja who always took initiative and believed in an aggressive approach. Thus, although his appearance here seemed unexpected, it still made sense.
He really was strong.
The four-man squad stopped about twenty meters away from Haseo.
When one person dares to stand alone and block your path—fully aware they're about to face off against several opponents—there were generally three possibilities: first, they're not playing with a full deck; second, there's an ambush nearby; third, they have absolute confidence in their own strength.
The first option could be directly ruled out, since anyone who isn't mentally sharp wouldn't survive long in this line of work.
Hence, even a powerful figure like the Kazekage maintained caution, unwilling to recklessly charge forward... What if the person ahead was packing an [Artistic Self-Destruction]? That possibility couldn't be completely dismissed either.
Seeing the opposing group halt, Haseo then politely removed the hood covering his head, revealing his black hair and face.
The Konoha emblem on the forehead protector tied across his forehead became particularly noticeable after getting wet from the rain.
"A Konoha jōnin, Haseo Yu…"
The Third Kazekage's pupils slightly contracted as he instantly identified Haseo's identity. The three guards beside him immediately tensed up as well.
No, not merely "tensing up"—what they faced right now clearly was indeed a "major threat."
"What an honor. I never imagined Lord Kazekage would recognize my face either." Haseo began his usual idle chatter.
If he truly hadn't expected that, why would he reveal his face? Obviously, he already had certain expectations regarding his own "fame."
Just as he would recognize the Kazekage, there was no reason for the Kazekage not to know him.
"Lord Kazekage, shall we retreat?"
Immediately one of the guards spoke after confirming Haseo's identity.
This wasn't out of cowardice or doubt in the Kazekage's abilities. It was merely their duty as guards to say so... Right now, the protective force surrounding the Third Kazekage was too weak. No matter how confident they might feel, this group had to admit one thing—ninja like Haseo were exactly the kind capable of killing the Kazekage.
The Third Kazekage shook his head decisively. Come on, when has a Kage ever run away in fear upon encountering an enemy? That just wasn't his character.
"You've disappeared off the map for quite a while. Some even said you died in Konoha's internal mess. Still... I didn't expect to run into you like this," said the Third Kazekage.
He knew that his mission to eliminate Konoha's Samehada Large Squad had already been compromised.
Haseo's arrival on this battlefield had been deeply classified, so the Third Kazekage truly hadn't anticipated encountering such an enemy so suddenly.
"Nope, I'm still alive and kicking. My friends across the ninja world should feel very relieved about it."
Though speaking casually, Haseo maintained a very serious attitude at this moment.
This probably was the third time Haseo and the Third Kazekage stood on the same battlefield—and this was definitely the closest encounter between them.
Although this Kazekage looked quite young, he had already served as Kage for fifteen or sixteen years. Back when Haseo was still slacking off on the battlefield, the Third Kazekage already could go head-to-head against Kagami Uchiha who was essentially piloting a giant mechanized unit.
Moreover, the Kazekage's Magnet Release somewhat countered Haseo's abilities. Facing adversaries like the Third Kazekage, Haseo's greatest advantage—his incredible speed—became difficult to fully utilize. This situation somewhat resembled Rock Lee's fight against Gaara.
In direct confrontations, this Kazekage truly was quite powerful.
However...
Ninja battles didn't always require straightforward confrontation. Cunning and deception were essential qualities of a ninja.
Besides, this wasn't a one-versus-four scenario anymore—it had become two versus four.
Then, one of the guards behind the Third Kazekage blinked rapidly. At that moment, the kunai in his hand began shining coldly along its four sharp edges.
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Special thanks to EUT; Ting de Jin Qu Suan Wo Shu (Don't Listen? Victory's Mine!), Jiang Ge Ge (Big Brother J.), Zhang Boshen, Fu Yun Ban Shi (Half-Life Floating Clouds), Pili Moke (Thunder Ink Artist), and Xie Zhi Guang (Sinister Glow) for your generous support!
(End of chapter)
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