Inside the Kazekage's office, the candlelight flickered.
The instant the sand clone out in the desert dispelled, its memories returned.
Teizawa snapped out of a brief daze, the same faint, unreadable smile still on his lips.
Letting Kurotsuchi go was part of the plan from the start.
That old bastard Ōnoki was already past his prime.
Eighty-something years old. How many more years could he keep hopping around?
By the original storyline, the Tsuchikage position would eventually fall into Kurotsuchi's hands anyway.
Kitsuchi, that brute, had never cared much about power.
And Kurotsuchi, whether it was ability or political instinct, was outstanding even among the younger generation.
More importantly…
Teizawa's gaze flickered slightly.
Right now, she was carrying his seed.
It was still early, not confirmed yet.
But with how much "effort" he'd put in during that time, it wouldn't amount to nothing.
As long as he found the right chance to quietly get Ōnoki killed…
And let Kurotsuchi take the seat smoothly, without anyone suspecting a thing…
Then in time…
Iwagakure would end up in his pocket.
Of course, that had to be done slowly.
Move too fast and something would snap.
Teizawa pulled his thoughts back and looked around the office.
Chiyo sat in the chair on the left, her aged body held ramrod straight.
In her cloudy eyes lingered a complicated emotion.
Tonight had been too much, coming one thing after another, and now she'd been dragged into an emergency meeting on top of it.
Ebizo sat beside her, stroking his beard, deep in thought.
Gaara stood by the window, moonlight carving a cold outline along his frame.
His face was still expressionless.
But there was something new in those green eyes, something that hadn't been there before.
Temari sat on the other side.
Her gaze kept drifting toward Teizawa, cheeks still faintly flushed.
Sasori and Deidara had already been sent off to rest.
Those two had put in work tonight. They needed time to recover.
And besides…
Teizawa's eyes narrowed slightly.
They were Sunagakure's highest-class secret.
When the timing was right, he'd let those two Kage-level fighters step into the light.
And when that happened, the entire shinobi world would understand one thing clearly:
Sunagakure wasn't the same Sunagakure it used to be.
"Everyone."
Teizawa spoke, calm but clear.
All eyes turned to him.
He smiled, and the words that followed carried a weight that felt deliberate.
"Starting tomorrow, Sunagakure goes into a war footing."
"What?"
Chiyo frowned first, tapping her cane hard against the floor.
"Why? Haven't the enemies already been defeated?"
There was confusion in her voice.
And a faint, buried irritation.
She had just gotten her grandson back.
She hadn't even had time to feel happy, and now she was hearing this?
Ebizo's hand paused mid-stroke on his beard.
Temari straightened in her chair.
Teizawa looked at them, the deep amusement in his eyes slowly sharpening.
"The enemies were defeated."
He said it evenly.
"But the question is… why did they come?"
Chiyo's brow tightened.
"Didn't you say it was that old Ōnoki's commission?"
"Correct."
Teizawa nodded.
"Sasori and Deidara attacked the village because they accepted Ōnoki's request."
"One billion ryō, for my head."
He paused, gaze sweeping across every face in the room.
"But they themselves belong to another organization."
"Akatsuki."
The moment the word left his mouth, the air in the office seemed to drop several degrees.
Chiyo's frown deepened.
Of course she'd heard the name.
An S-rank missing-nin organization that had been moving in the shadows for years.
Strange methods. Ruthless hands.
"Their members…"
Teizawa continued, his calm tone landing like hammer strikes.
"Are all S-rank missing-nin from the major villages."
"Sasori is a missing-nin from Sunagakure. Deidara is a missing-nin from Iwagakure. Hidan is a missing-nin from Yugakure…"
He paused, eyes turning darker.
"This time, we made Akatsuki lose four members."
"Four S-rank missing-nin."
"Four Kage-level combatants."
The office fell dead silent.
Chiyo's grip on her cane tightened until it creaked.
Ebizo's hand froze in midair.
Gaara's gaze contracted slightly.
Temari's face drained pale.
Four S-rank missing-nin.
Those four alone had already thrown Sunagakure into chaos.
The Kazekage Tower had been blown apart, battles raging everywhere.
If Teizawa hadn't prepared ahead of time…
If those Konoha shinobi hadn't happened to arrive and lend a hand…
The result didn't bear thinking about.
And now…
Teizawa was saying Akatsuki still had more monsters like that?
"Y-you mean…"
Chiyo's voice came out dry.
"They'll retaliate?"
Teizawa looked at her and nodded slowly.
"They will."
His certainty was absolute.
"Akatsuki's leader is called Pain."
He paused, and his gaze became unfathomably deep.
"No one knows his true identity. But his strength…"
"Is at least beyond Kage-level."
Beyond Kage-level.
The phrase hit like a boulder.
Chiyo opened her mouth, then realized she had nothing to say.
In her long life, she'd seen countless strong shinobi.
Kage-level, she'd seen.
Even the legendary God of Shinobi, she'd heard of.
But beyond Kage-level…
What did that even mean?
Ebizo finally spoke, voice hoarse and low.
"Why would an organization like that target us?"
Teizawa looked at him, and a wry smile surfaced.
"They're not targeting us."
He paused.
"They've always been there."
"Missing-nin from every major village, gathered under a mysterious leader, doing all kinds of work that can't see the light of day."
"This time, we just happened to collide with them."
"And…"
His eyes flickered.
"I suspect their goal isn't as simple as money."
Chiyo drew a breath, forcing herself to stay calm.
"So you want a war footing… to prepare for retaliation."
(End of Chapter)
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