By the time Yuji woke, the sun was already high overhead.
He'd slept straight through until noon.
In fact, he only woke because hunger dragged him back to consciousness.
The mood inside the base was noticeably lighter. The shinobi of Sunagakure moved about with relief written plainly on their faces.
A medical-nin handed Yuji a military ration pill. He swallowed it without complaint. After a brief explanation from the others, he learned that the Third Kazekage and Lady Chiyo had secured a clear advantage at the front. Reports of victory were arriving one after another.
It seemed the clash between Sunagakure and Amegakure was already nearing its conclusion.
"So quickly?" Yuji muttered, genuinely surprised.
With both the Third Kazekage and Chiyo deployed, Hanzo himself was likely overseeing Amegakure's forces. In wars of this scale, it was unusual for the fighting to die down without days of relentless struggle.
"It looks like Hanzo wasn't fully committed to this invasion of the Land of Wind," Yuji thought.
In the original history, Hanzo had been portrayed as a formidable figure, someone who raised Amegakure from obscurity and carved out territory through sheer strength. The title Demigod of the Shinobi World hadn't been given lightly.
Yet after the Second Great Ninja War, his decline was evident. His hesitation and inaction left Amegakure mired in chaos. Those close to him abused his authority for personal gain, showing little concern for the nation's well-being.
From that perspective, Hanzo was complicated. His power was undeniable, but that didn't necessarily make him a capable ruler.
"Where's Sasori?" Yuji asked, scanning the room.
Sasori should have been resting.
"He left at dawn," someone replied.
Most of Amegakure's forces in the canyon had been driven out, but Sasori was still injured. Wandering off alone was reckless.
Yuji's eyelid twitched. "He didn't sneak off to the front lines, did he?"
Just as he was considering going after him, a familiar figure emerged from the passageway.
Yuji let out a quiet breath of relief.
Sasori glanced at him briefly, then walked to an empty corner and resumed adjusting the components of his puppets as if nothing had happened.
After resting a little longer, Yuji joined the other medical-nin and returned to work.
With the rear secured and no further infiltration from Amegakure, their primary responsibility now was treating the wounded transported back from the front. These rear bases existed precisely for that purpose, logistics and medical support.
But Amegakure wasn't the only threat.
The Land of Wind was also under pressure from Kirigakure and Iwagakure.
Kirigakure, isolated by the sea, had no direct territorial disputes with its neighbors. That geographic separation allowed it to conserve strength and maneuver opportunistically whenever conflict erupted elsewhere. They harassed the Land of Wind while also probing the Land of Fire.
Iwagakure did much the same.
At present, the fiercest battles raged among Amegakure, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Fire. For the other great villages, the ideal outcome was simple, the bloodier the struggle between those three, the better. They could weaken their rivals while positioning themselves to strike at the right moment.
Because of this, Sunagakure couldn't commit all its forces to crushing Hanzo. Only the Third Kazekage and Chiyo had been dispatched. Others, like Rasa, remained on guard against the possibility of Konohagakure exploiting the situation.
On the surface, this war seemed to have been ignited by Hanzo's rise.
In truth, the so-called "peace" championed by the great hidden villages was little more than a pretext, an opportunity to expand influence and reshape the balance of power.
None of them lacked ambition.
The Land of Wind itself had long eyed the fertile lands of the Land of Fire.
Meanwhile, Konohagakure appeared to stand on the defensive, fending off attacks from multiple directions.
That was because the "peace" everyone spoke of was, at its core, dissatisfaction with Konoha's long-standing dominance.
Konoha had become the common target.
In fact, both Iwagakure and Kirigakure directed more frequent assaults at Konoha than at Sunagakure.
Yet despite the brutality of the conflict, no one truly gained the upper hand.
Konoha did not collapse as many had hoped. Instead, it continued to produce remarkable talents, surviving the pressure without breaking. Though wounded, its foundations remained intact.
In Yuji's view, the Second Great Ninja War had hurt Konoha, but not nearly as severely as the Third would.
On the contrary, it was Sunagakure whose foundations had truly been shaken.
By nightfall, the war came to an end.
It ended with Hanzo personally leading Amegakure's retreat.
The Third Kazekage and Lady Chiyo withdrew from the front as well. The wounded were transported back to the village in batches, and the border forces were reorganized and reassigned.
For the time being, the Sunagakure army encamped along a stretch of barren desert.
Yuji and Sasori left the canyon and rejoined the main force.
Technically, Yuji's mission term wasn't over. By all rights, he should have continued accepting assignments.
But the Third Kazekage had summoned him.
Across the empty sands, simple tents rose in neat rows. Shinobi moved between them, some cooking, others repairing gear or reorganizing supplies for the next march.
Escorted by a member of the Kazekage's guard, Yuji and Sasori entered the largest tent at the center of the camp.
"Kazekage-sama, they've arrived."
The guard knelt and announced their presence.
This was the first time Yuji saw the Third Kazekage up close.
He had glimpsed him once in the village before, but only from a distance. Since the escalation of the Second Great Ninja War, the Kazekage had rarely appeared publicly. As leader, he was constantly at the front or managing strategy.
The man before him had long dark-blue hair and sharp amber eyes. His features were stern, his presence heavy with authority. His build was lean, almost deceptively so.
'Magnet Release… Iron Sand', Yuji thought instinctively.
Much of Sunagakure's current strength traced back to earlier Kazekage. The Second Kazekage, Shamon, had systematized and advanced Puppet Techniques, turning them into one of the village's defining combat specialties. From that foundation came generations of skilled shinobi.
And now, the Third Kazekage stood at the peak of that legacy.
"Sasori."
The Kazekage's deep voice filled the tent. His gaze lingered on Sasori for a moment before he gave a subtle nod.
Clearly, the two were well acquainted.
Sasori's expression did not change.
"Yuji."
The Kazekage's attention shifted.
"Kazekage-sama," Yuji replied calmly, offering a respectful nod.
There was no visible nervousness, only composure.
The Kazekage studied him for a moment, faint surprise flickering in his eyes. It wasn't the usual reaction of a young genin standing before the village leader.
"Not bad," he said, allowing the slightest smile.
"Amegakure's true aim in this surprise attack was to breach our frontline defenses and disrupt the rear," the Kazekage continued. "Hanzo believed that our rear units lacked the strength of the main force. He expected to wipe them out quickly and force us to collapse from within."
His gaze sharpened.
"He did not expect you to hold out for so long. That delay disrupted his coordination across other battlefronts."
He paused briefly.
"Everyone at the rear performed admirably. But the two of you stood out."
"'Stood out' is too generous," Yuji replied. "There were many seniors more capable than us. We simply did what we could. If anything, I feel we may have slowed them down at times."
Sasori shot him a sidelong glance that clearly said: If you're going to answer, answer for yourself.
"Humility is admirable," the Kazekage said. "But don't overdo it. Young people should carry some pride."
Yuji met his gaze steadily.
"Sasori and I were stationed in a single canyon. However intense it felt, the scale was nowhere near the frontline. For the veterans defending the border, that situation would have been routine."
He continued evenly.
"If you call us outstanding, it's because of our age. Compared to what the village's senior shinobi have endured… our experience is still shallow."
"I'm not being modest," he added. "I'm simply aware of the difference."
Silence filled the tent.
The Kazekage regarded him with new interest.
He hadn't expected such clarity from someone so young. It wasn't bravado. It wasn't false humility.
It was perspective.
Indeed, the canyon battle, dangerous as it had been, was hardly unusual in a war of this scale. What made it remarkable was the age of those who endured it.
"You are you," Sasori said flatly at last. "Don't lump me together with you."
Yuji grinned. "What's the harm? We survived life and death together."
Sasori frowned and turned away, refusing to respond.