Just as Teizawa had sent off the ninja carrying the letter to Konoha, there came another knock at the Kazekage's office door.
"Come in."
"Kazekage-sama, there's an urgent request for reinforcements from the border!"
The newcomer was an Anbu operative. He dropped to one knee the moment he entered and delivered his report.
"A border request for aid?"
Teizawa frowned slightly.
His first thought was that old Onoki had finally snapped.
After all, anyone would be rattled if they suddenly found out they were about to become a great-grandfather, and the father was the man who had been their granddaughter's enemy.
But after another thought, he dismissed it.
If Onoki really dared to mobilize shinobi forces to attack Sunagakure, would he not know already?
What, were the Sand Village spies planted in Iwagakure there for decoration?
"What happened?" he asked in a low voice.
The Anbu operative kept his head lowered and spoke quickly.
"Kazekage-sama, an enemy attacked the border outpost!"
"The attacker came from inside the Land of Earth. He can transform into a red humanoid monster and is skilled in Yoton (Lava Release). His lava-based attacks are extremely destructive."
"The outpost has taken heavy losses and is requesting immediate support!"
A burly red-haired man?
Yoton (Lava Release)?
Transforms into a red monster?
Teizawa froze for a second, and then the answer clicked into place.
What the hell... wasn't that Roshi?
The Four-Tails jinchuriki, Iwagakure's resident problem child.
The old rival who never got along with the Third Tsuchikage.
Even in the original story, that guy had never seen eye to eye with the old man. He was always shouting about wanting "freedom," and eventually he had just run off to wander the world.
If Akatsuki had not started hunting Tailed Beasts later on, he probably would never have returned to the village in his life.
"How many are there?" Teizawa asked, though he already had a pretty good idea.
"J-just one. Three-sixty-three."
The Anbu operative lifted his head, his expression a little strange.
"But that one man alone was enough to tear through the outpost."
Teizawa smiled.
Of course.
That sounded exactly like Roshi.
The man had finally lost patience and come out looking for trouble.
After all, Iwagakure had taken a brutal beating at Teizawa's hands recently.
A thousand elite shinobi wiped out.
Bunmatsu dead.
Kurotsuchi captured.
True, she had been rescued by now.
But Onoki's old face had practically been ground into the dirt.
With Roshi's explosive temper, how could he possibly swallow that?
But there was no way the old man would ever allow him to come out and cause trouble.
So he could only have sneaked out on his own.
That made perfect sense.
Teizawa's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest as his mind raced.
Still...
He could not completely rule out the possibility that Onoki was pulling something.
That old man was crafty.
What if this was a probe, meant to test Sunagakure's real strength?
But then again...
Even if Onoki had sent someone on purpose, there was no way he would send only one man.
A Four-Tails jinchuriki was strong, sure.
But take on all of Sunagakure by himself?
In his dreams.
So...
Most likely, this was Roshi acting on his own.
"If it's Roshi, the people at the border really can't handle him."
Teizawa rose to his feet and walked over to the window, looking toward the border.
Things were probably lively over there already.
Then something occurred to him, and the smile at his lips deepened.
Hadn't Kankuro been researching new toys lately?
This was the perfect test subject.
"Go."
He turned around and gave the order calmly.
"Find Kankuro. Tell him his experimental results finally have a field test."
The Anbu operative hesitated for a second.
"Kazekage-sama... you want Lord Kankuro to handle it?"
"Yes."
Teizawa nodded.
"Tell him to bring the new steel puppets. And tell him..."
He paused, his smile widening.
"I'm going too. I want to see how much progress their experiments have made."
The Anbu operative accepted the order and disappeared.
Teizawa sat back down, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.
Roshi, Roshi...
You really did come at the perfect time.
Now he could finally see how effective Kankuro's research had become.
And if they managed to capture a Four-Tails jinchuriki alive...
That would be a very profitable haul.
...
"What? You want me to go?"
Kankuro stared wide-eyed at the Anbu operative in front of him, unable to believe what he had just heard.
He even pointed at himself, as if suspecting his ears had failed him.
"That's a jinchuriki! A monster on the same level as Gaara!"
"And you want me to go? That's not a mission, that's feeding myself to the enemy!"
The Anbu operative's face remained expressionless.
Clearly, he had expected exactly this reaction.
Without hurry, he added, "The Kazekage said he'll personally oversee the operation."
Kankuro's agitation stopped on the spot.
"Huh?"
He blanked for a second, then immediately let out a breath.
"Oh... good. Good. That's good..."
But the Anbu operative was not finished.
"However, the Kazekage also said that you'll be the main attacker."
Kankuro: "..."
So I'm still the one taking the lead?
He opened his mouth, clearly wanting to complain, but in the end he swallowed the words.
After all, Teizawa was going too.
Even if he really could not win, there was no way Teizawa would let him die out there.
And besides...
He turned his head and looked toward the testing yard.
There, row after row of figures stood in perfect formation.
Under the sunlight, they gleamed with a cold metallic sheen.
That was the product of all his hard work these past weeks.
The first generation of steel puppets.
Not the traditional wooden puppets, but true steel constructs forged from newly developed alloy materials.
Their joints had been specially designed for greatly improved flexibility.
Their outer shells had been tested again and again, and both their toughness and resilience far surpassed wood.
Even the key sections had been fitted with simple mechanical launchers capable of firing hidden projectiles.
Row after row, line after line, they stood there in silence.
In the sunlight, their steel surfaces reflected a hard, frigid light, like a silent army.
And behind them...
A giant stood motionless.
It was an enormous puppet over five meters tall.
Its entire body was forged from the thickest alloy steel plates.
It looked like a moving fortress.
Its two arms were equipped with specially made heavy mechanisms that could launch custom explosive shells.
A cockpit had been left open in the chest, large enough to hold three puppet masters inside for joint operation.
This was the "ultimate weapon" he and Teizawa had designed together.
Code name: Iron King.
Of course, it was Teizawa who came up with the concept, while Kankuro was the one who built it.
It still had never been tested in real combat.
Kankuro's gaze moved across those steel puppets.
Across that enormous construct.
And finally landed on his own trembling hands.
That was nerves.
But it was also...
Anticipation.
"Maybe..."
he murmured to himself, the corner of his mouth rising without him noticing.
"Maybe it really is time to find them a proper test subject."
Seeing that expression, the Anbu operative quietly took a step back.
Something about Lord Kankuro looked... a little off.
Kankuro paid him no attention.
He strode over to the steel puppets and slapped a hand against the nearest one.
The cold touch against his palm sent heat surging through his blood.
"Get everything ready," he said without looking back.
"Bring every puppet we can carry. And... notify Sasori-senpai."
"If he's interested, he can come watch the show too."
The Anbu operative blinked.
"Sasori-senpai is coming too?"
Kankuro turned and flashed a grin.
"With an experimental chance like this, how could he possibly miss it?"
...
At the same time, in the Kazekage's office.
Teizawa stood by the window, looking out toward the busy development district in the distance.
A faint smile lingered at his lips.
Roshi had come at just the right moment.
This would let him see how much Sunagakure had improved during this time.
Steel puppets, flying units, and all the other things that had still existed only on blueprints or in laboratories...
Now they could finally see real blood.
"Someone."
He called softly.
A figure flashed into the room.
"Inform the border forces to stall for time and avoid a direct clash."
Teizawa paused, the smile on his lips deepening.
"Sunagakure has prepared a generous gift for him."
"Yes."
The Anbu operative accepted the order and vanished.
Teizawa turned around, took his Kazekage robes from the stand, and draped them over himself.
Time to loosen up a little.
And while he was at it...
He would see whether that brat Kankuro could give him a pleasant surprise.
(End of Chapter)
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