---Pakura P.O.V---
Pakura walked to her office as the head of the ninjutsu department to see all the paperwork that had accumulated on her desk while she was away from the village.
She sat down with a long sigh and began sorting the papers one by one. The work had piled up during the journey to Konoha and Takigakure.
Each document needed careful attention before the department could run smoothly again.
She had to look for someone to help her with the department who might also be successor for her job as the head of ninjutsu department in the future.
Pakura wanted a person who understood advanced techniques and could guide younger shinobi with patience and skill.
She thought Shota Aizawa would be the perfect person for this duty. The kid was a genius. A ninjutsu genius equal to Sasori geniusness in Puppet techniques.
The way he managed to learn the Fourth Hokage's famous technique after seeing the Rasengan only once still amazed her.
He had developed a strong variant called the Yokai Rasengan and had even reengineered the Shadow Clone Jutsu. His mind worked in ways that few others could match.
She knew that he would be perfect for the job but now his role as the Anti Corruption leader of the village meant that he would not accept the position.
The important duty of watching over the council and stopping dishonest practices would take most of his time.
Asking him to lead the ninjutsu department as well would place too heavy a burden on his young shoulders. She would have to look for someone else.
She still had a lot of years to find the right person though.
As Pakura thought about Shota, she could not help but smile. She quite liked the boy. He was cute with his antics.
The memory of him choosing to stay in her arms even after his foot had healed brought a soft warmth to her chest. He had even managed to sleep peacefully during the long run back to Suna despite the stress of the Iwa attack.
He was also someone she knew the village could count on. He could handle his composure against threats that no thirteen year old should deal with. Facing multiple jonin while protecting a baby jinchuriki required courage and clear thinking far beyond his age.
What made him even more impressive was how he had tried to manipulate the village to bring back Sasori.
Everyone in the council including the Daimyo knew Sasori was guilty of past crimes but they had all seen the value in what Sasori could do with his puppet research.
The meeting earlier in the day had shown the practical results. The plan to create weapon limbs for injured shinobi would return many fighters to active duty and strengthen the village.
Shota's clever words had turned a dangerous missing nin into a useful asset once more. Pakura respected that kind of careful planning.
She had mixed feelings about Sasori returning to the village. She did not like him when he was a genin but she knew he was a genius and Suna would be stronger with him.
The village needed every advantage it could gain in the current uncertain times. But her focus was more on getting to know Shota than worrying about Sasori.
The young genius had already proven his loyalty and skill many times. She planned to speak with him soon because if there was anyone who could protect her younger brother and train him well after he graduated from the academy it was Shota Aizawa.
----
---Onoki P.O.V---
"What did you say?" Onoki slammed his fist on the table breaking it and then grunting and holding his back.
"Ugh my back." The old tsuchikage winced as pain shot through his body.
Roshi stood opposite him and repeated the report in a calm voice. "Sasori of the Red Sand has returned to Suna. He rescued the Suna squad escorting the seven tails jinchuriki to Suna. The rest of the Iwa squad were killed."
Onoki muttered angrily under his breath. "Loss after loss after loss." The string of defeats weighed on him heavily. Each failure reduced the strength of the Hidden Stone Village and raised the power of their enemies.
He walked slowly to the window and looked out over the rocky landscape while gathering his thoughts.
He spoke again after a long silence. "Suna will pay for this. But we do not have the strength to do so. They have grown stronger than what I expected. But the lack of clans as well as the massive defeats they had in the past two great wars means Suna is still not as strong as Konoha."
Onoki still measured every village against the Leaf. Suna's new power was dangerous yet not yet equal to the greatest threat.
He continued with a more thoughtful tone. "Thankfully other villages also are weakened with the nine tails attack on Konoha, the Bloody Mist in Kiri and the death of the Third Raikage. It is time we start regaining our strength and moving in the shadows rather than sending our shinobi to their deaths."
He sighed deeply before adding the next painful fact. "We have lost our entire Explosion Corps. The only one left is Deidara and that boy is more interested in creating explosions than making babies."
The unique bloodline that once gave Iwa a powerful edge now rested on the shoulders of a single young artist who cared more for his clay creations than for the future of the clan.
Onoki turned back to Roshi and spoke the final decision of the day. "We would have to take help from outside organisations to deal with our enemies."
The words marked a clear change in strategy. Relying only on their own forces had failed too many times.
Roshi asked the expected question. "You mean...?" He waited for the names of the groups the Tsuchikage had in mind.
Onoki answered without hesitation. "Yes, I will contact Danzo and see his offer. And there is also another new organisation called Akatsuki in the Hidden Rain that has been piquing my interest. Let us see what they are about."
--------Author Notes---------
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