Inside the Land of Wind.
Chiya set down the ninja in his hands, who had already lost consciousness. The crimson Sharingan slowly faded, returning to deep black eyes.
He furrowed his brow slightly. A look of gravity passed through his eyes.
"A ninja from Kumogakure..."
Minato stood to one side, his expression equally serious.
"A Kumo-nin appearing at the Suna border. This is probably not a coincidence."
Chiya nodded.
"Setting aside stirring up war between the two nations..."
His gaze swept toward the direction of Sunagakure in the distance.
"The problems inside Sunagakure are even more serious than we imagined."
He raised a hand and formed seals.
A flame shot from his mouth and instantly swallowed the Kumo-nin's body.
'Both Iwagakure and Kumogakure are spying on Konoha. It seems...'
'It seems the situation now is far more serious than I thought.'
"Let's go. We enter the village first."
Minato asked nothing further and quickly followed.
The two moved at a swift pace and soon arrived at the entrance to Sunagakure.
The guard ninjas scanned them with wary eyes. One of them said coldly.
"Identification."
Chiya and Minato each produced their forged documents.
The guard examined them carefully, then waved a hand to signal them through.
"Go ahead. But do not wander around. The village is under martial law recently."
Minato smiled warmly in response.
"Yes, understood."
After stepping inside Sunagakure, the two immediately sensed something off about the atmosphere.
Foot traffic on the streets was sparse. The number of patrol ninjas had clearly increased. A suppressed tension hung in the air.
What caught Chiya's attention even more was the faint smell of blood drifting off the ninjas who passed them.
"It looks like something has truly gone wrong inside Sunagakure."
Minato said in a lowered voice.
Chiya did not reply. His gaze swept the surroundings and he noticed several sets of eyes watching them from the shadows.
"We are being watched."
Minato also picked up on the eyes around them and drew a slow breath, visibly a little tense.
"Should we shake them?"
"No need."
Chiya said plainly.
"Follow the plan first."
The two checked into an ordinary inn.
Once settled, they strolled through the village.
However, it was not long before a masked ANBU ninja blocked their path.
"Both of you, please stop."
The ANBU's voice was cold.
"Many areas of Sunagakure are currently closed to outsiders. Please return to your lodging and stay there quietly."
Seeing that Chiya showed no intention of stepping forward to negotiate, Minato put on a puzzled expression and spoke up.
"We are Jonin from Konoha leading a team for the Chunin Exams. It is nearly time for a meal. We only wanted to take a look at the market nearby. Surely that is not off limits?"
The ANBU was unmoved.
"Those are the orders."
Minato noticed Chiya give a slight nod.
Only then did he let out a helpless sigh and nod.
"All right then."
The two returned to the inn and each went to their room to rest.
Night fell. Sunagakure sank into silence.
Chiya stood at the window and confirmed that the surveillance ninjas outside had moved on. The corner of his mouth curved up.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
A figure identical to him appeared inside the room. Chiya himself then slipped quietly out of the window and dissolved into the night.
The layout of Sunagakure's buildings was complex and winding, but for someone with the Sharingan, avoiding the patrol ninjas was not difficult.
For the ones he truly could not go around, he simply cast genjutsu to make them lose focus for a brief moment.
After searching for a while, Chiya finally spotted a familiar figure.
Pakura.
That distinctively smooth and fair back, in the harsh, sand-swept landscape of Sunagakure, was quite a striking sight.
It seemed Pakura had not been harmed.
However, in the shadows around her, three ninjas appeared to be keeping a quiet watch.
'Clearly not a friendly arrangement.'
After Pakura returned home, Chiya moved quickly and in the blink of an eye appeared in front of the three.
Crimson light flashed. The three crouched where they stood, their eyes falling into a daze.
After using genjutsu to take control of all three, Chiya finally walked to Pakura's door.
He knocked lightly.
A faint sound of footsteps came from inside, then the door was pulled open a crack.
Pakura peered out cautiously. When she saw an unfamiliar face, her brow furrowed.
"Who are you?"
Chiya did not answer. Instead he raised a hand, wiped it across his face, and released the transformation jutsu.
"It has been a while."
Pakura's pupils contracted. She recognized the person in front of her instantly.
"Chiya?! How are you here?!"
Chiya smiled.
"Are you not going to invite me in? Out here, we will be spotted quickly."
Pakura snapped back to her senses and pulled him inside, shutting the door quickly.
The room was dimly lit. Pakura pressed her back against the door, her breathing slightly quick.
"Are you out of your mind? Sunagakure is under martial law right now. If you are discovered to be Uchiha Chiya, there is no way you are walking out of here."
Chiya looked around the room. The space was not large, but everything was arranged just right and gave a warm feeling.
"It's fine. I knew you would help me."
Chiya smiled without a care.
Pakura gave a cold snort.
"Betraying the village is something I will never do. You can give up on that idea right now."
Pakura took a deep breath and looked at Chiya with a complicated expression.
"What exactly did you come to Sunagakure for?"
Chiya's expression turned serious.
"I heard that many elite ninjas here have been dealt with, and kekkei genkai users have been targeted specifically. So I came, because there is still a friend of mine here."
Hearing this, Pakura felt a jolt run through her.
Looking at Chiya, a trace of warmth rose in her eyes before she could help it.
"Your situation in Sunagakure lately does not look very good, does it?"
She was silent for a moment, then finally spoke quietly.
"Right now, almost every Jonin in Sunagakure who is not ANBU and not part of the Elder Council has had their movements restricted."
Chiya listened quietly to her answer.
Pakura bit her lip. Her voice was barely audible.
"I want to change things in the village, but I have not been able to think of a way yet."
Chiya smiled slightly.
"Whatever you do will probably not matter. The people above do not trust you at all."
Hearing this, Pakura's expression dimmed.
In all of Sunagakure, the only one who had truly trusted her was the Third Kazekage.
And he had already gone missing.
His fate unknown.
She paused. A trace of worry rose in her eyes.
"News just came in today. Ninjas from other villages have been appearing frequently at the border. Kumo-nin, Iwa-nin... even people from Kirigakure are moving around in the shadows."
Chiya narrowed his eyes.
"It seems someone wants to take advantage of the chaos and grab a piece for themselves."
Pakura nodded.
"Sunagakure is facing threats from inside and out. If things keep going this way..."
She did not finish, but Chiya understood what she meant.
Sunagakure was very likely facing a massive upheaval.
Chiya thought for a moment, then suddenly asked.
"What about Sasori?"
Pakura was taken aback.
"Sasori? That genius puppeteer? He also... went missing."
A flicker of understanding passed through Chiya's eyes.
'He disappeared too?'
'Just as expected.'
He looked at Pakura, his tone serious.
"Pakura, Sunagakure is about to become a target for everyone. If you stay here, you will only be putting yourself in danger."
Pakura gave a bitter smile.
"I am a Suna-nin. Where would I even run to?"
Chiya looked directly into her eyes.
"Konoha."
Pakura froze.
Chiya continued.
"I can arrange for you to leave safely, if you are willing."
Pakura was silent for a long time. In the end she shook her head.
"No. I cannot leave."
Her eyes gradually hardened with resolve.
"Sunagakure is my home. Even if I have to die, I will die here."
Chiya saw how firm she was and did not try to persuade her again.
'Some people will not give up until they hit a wall.'
"I respect your choice."
He stood up and prepared to leave.
Pakura suddenly called out to him.
"Chiya!"
Chiya turned back.
Pakura's eyes carried a quiet plea.
"If... if Sunagakure truly cannot hold on anymore, please... save the innocent children."
Chiya looked at her for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright."
As the word left his mouth, his figure had already disappeared into the night.
Pakura stood in place for a long time without moving.
Outside the window, the night wind of Sunagakure howled past, as if foretelling the arrival of a great storm.
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