Naruto's civilian cannon fodder starts with the three-body technique

Chapter 279 A Nation of Talented Individuals
Zhuolan Fengcheng's actions were not due to any affection for Chiyo, but rather to his own ulterior motives.

In his view, the most powerful candidate for Kazekage, Sa Tetsuran, was dead and had left the stage in a very unexpected way. He no longer posed any threat to his children, Yoko. Chiyo had lost her loved ones and had become a madwoman. Her faction was on the verge of collapse.

However, even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse. No matter how weak the Chiyo faction's power is, its influence should not be underestimated, making it a very good political ally.

If we can take advantage of this crazy woman losing her loved ones and plant a seed of kindness in her heart, then when Yekura runs for the position of Kazekage, having the assistance and support of such a Kage-level elder will undoubtedly be of great benefit.

Based on the principle that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," we should try to win them over.

The Rasa faction and the Chiyo faction have always been at odds. With Sa Tetsuran just dead and the two factions still in the inertia of hostility, when else would they not try to win over the Chiyo faction?

Under the mediation and persuasion of Zhuolan Fengcheng, the Third Kazekage finally let go of his blame towards Chiyo. He just sighed heavily, leaned back wearily in his chair, and his tone was filled with a deep sense of powerlessness.

"Konoha is truly a land of outstanding people and resources; almost every generation produces an extraordinary genius."

The Third Kazekage's gaze swept over the numerous battle reports on the table, his tone becoming extremely heavy. "Now, a White Blood Demon and a Konoha White Fang, not yet fully grown, have already begun to show their ferocity and prowess, turning our Land of Wind upside down. They have even killed several of our Sunagakure's strongest warriors, forcing Chiyo to personally return to pursue them. What a formidable force Kimura Village is, while our Sunagakure Village is lacking in successors!"

In his view, the two remaining Kazekage candidates from Sunagakure were far inferior to the White Blood Demon and the White Fang of Konoha. Although Rasa had good talent and awakened the Magnet Release bloodline limit, his temperament and mindset were not good enough and he still needed to be tempered.

As for Yekura, she is a good child with good strength and talent, but unfortunately, she is too naive and kind-hearted, and now she is trapped behind enemy lines in the Land of Rivers.

If only Rasa and Yekura could have a more balanced temperament, of course, this was just wishful thinking on his part.

Upon hearing the words "lack of follow-up strength," Zhuolan Fengcheng's heart tightened, fearing that the Third Kazekage might have some dissatisfaction with his daughter. So he quickly straightened his back and said in a deep voice, "The Kazekage is far-sighted. Konoha is indeed rich in resources and has produced many talented people. It is a great enemy of Sunagakure."

Then, Zhuolan Fengcheng changed the subject and said firmly, "Of course, my daughter Ye Cang has also worked very hard. Although she is not very talented, she has been deeply nurtured by you, and she never forgets the kindness of the village and your expectations."

Now, though trapped deep behind enemy lines in the land of Kawa and in a difficult situation, we will never abandon any of our comrades and escape alone.

My daughter will definitely lead the remaining troops to fight tenaciously behind enemy lines in the Land of Rivers, harassing Konoha's logistics and supplies, and tying down their forces. Her loyalty and sense of responsibility will never betray the name of "Scorching Release: Konoha Warehouse"!
I will certainly live up to your earnest teachings!

Zhuo Lanfengcheng's writings are highly inflammatory, portraying Ye Cang's predicament behind enemy lines as a heroic act of taking responsibility.

For his daughter's future and the future of the Zhuolan clan, he had to demonstrate absolute wind will.

The Third Kazekage possessed remarkable political wisdom and would not be easily swayed. He looked at the worry that Zhuolan Fengcheng tried to conceal but still revealed in his eyes, as well as the determination he forced to show for his daughter's future. He understood and was also somewhat moved.

He nodded, his tone softening considerably: "Yakura is indeed a good kid. Faced with such a situation, she did not choose the easiest way to escape alone, but chose to stay and fight alongside her subordinates behind enemy lines. This sense of responsibility and courage is the most precious quality of us Sand Village ninjas!"
Fengcheng, you've raised a fine daughter! Tell her the village will never forget her sacrifice and contributions, and I will reward her handsomely when she returns!

"Thank you, Lord Fengying!" Zhuolan Fengcheng bowed deeply, feeling both excited by Fengying's recognition and worried about his daughter's safety.

"Hmm." The Third Kazekage leaned back wearily in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the battle report on the table. He said with great concern, "Fengcheng, according to intelligence from the front lines, the White Blood Demon's abilities are strange and extremely effective against our village's puppeteers. Moreover, he seems to have mastered puppetry techniques even more powerful than our village's."

Then, the Third Kazekage paused, looked at Zhulan Fengcheng, and frowned: "If that's really the case, Chiyo's trip may not go as planned, and she might even end up like Ebizo—"

He didn't finish his sentence, but his ominous premonition was almost palpable.

Zhuo Lan Fengcheng had met the White Blood Demon and even made a deal with him, so he had some understanding of him and did not believe that the White Blood Demon would be a match for Chiyo. Therefore, he retorted firmly, "Lord Kazekage, this must be just an excuse that the frontline ninjas are making up for their own defeat."

The puppetry of our village originated from the brilliant Second Kazekage. Through the painstaking efforts of several generations of top puppeteers such as Chiyo and Ebizo, it has been continuously improved and perfected, and has long since reached its pinnacle!

That white-haired blood demon is nothing more than a mere young ninja. Even if he's exceptionally talented, how could he possibly master puppetry techniques that surpass those accumulated by generations of people in my Sunagakure village in such a short time?!

Then, his tone became even more certain, with a hint of disdain, "In my opinion, it must be that Ebizo and his puppeteers were caught off guard and ambushed at close range, which is why they suffered such a great loss. And some people on the front lines, in order to shirk responsibility for inadequate protection or intelligence failure, deliberately exaggerated the enemy's strength and fabricated such absurd rumors. The White Blood Demon and Konoha's White Fang may have some unique methods to counter puppets, but to say that they possess puppetry techniques that surpass those of Sunagakure is simply a pipe dream!"

The Third Kazekage, despite his extensive experience, slowly shook his head, his eyes becoming exceptionally sharp: "No, Toyoshiro, you're being too simplistic. I wouldn't be surprised if anything happened to this White Blood Demon!"

Then, his voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed resentment: "Think about it again, who could have imagined that this White Blood Demon could actually use those greedy fools of the Sandfall Clan to sell problematic explosive tags to them on a large scale, and then hand these explosive tags over to Ebizo and his men, ultimately causing two thousand of our elite troops on the front lines of the Land of Rivers to perish in the sea of ​​fire almost without them even realizing it. Those were two thousand living lives of my Sunagakure, the pillars of two thousand families!"

As he spoke, his heart felt as if it were bleeding, and his eyes burned with raging anger that almost consumed all reason. He couldn't deal with the White Blood Demon for the time being, so why couldn't he take action against the Sandfall Clan to vent his hatred?

"The White Blood Demon was the mastermind behind this blood debt, and the Sandfall Clan, those greedy fools who only cared about smuggling and making money without any bottom line, were the biggest accomplices! Ebizo misjudged people and made poor decisions, so he deserved to die. Hmph, his accidental death is too good for him. Even if he comes back alive, I will settle his score for his poor leadership after the Ninja World ends!"

Thinking that it was precisely because of these incompetent teammates who sabotaged the situation, turning a promising opportunity into this mess, he felt a burning hatred in his heart. Zhuo Lan Fengcheng was overjoyed to hear that the Third Kazekage had finally pointed the finger at the Sandfall Clan. He immediately followed the Third Kazekage's lead, adding fuel to the fire and firmly nailing the Sandfall Clan to the pillar of shame.

"Lord Kazekage is wise! If the Sandfall Clan had not been blinded by greed and disregarded village rules by engaging in smuggling with the Konoha ninja clans, how could the White Blood Demon have seized this opportunity?"

It was with the help of the Sandfall Clan that the batch of deadly explosive tags fell into the hands of Ebizo and his men, which led to the tragic defeat at the front line of the Land of Rivers!
If it weren't for this defeat, why would Sunagakure have retreated back to the country? And how could we have allowed the White Blood Demon and Konoha's White Fang to enter the Land of Wind and wreak havoc in our heartland?

The Sandfall Clan is truly guilty of heinous crimes, for even a hundred deaths could not atone for them!

Zhuo Lanfengcheng's words hit the nail on the head, every sentence precisely striking the Third Kazekage's sore spot, and even pointing to the Sandfall Clan's Achilles' heel.

Upon hearing this, the Third Kazekage's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot, and his disgust and killing intent toward the Sandfall Clan almost materialized.

"Damn it! Those damned Sandfall Clan, they must pay for this! Fengcheng, how's it going with the seizure of their assets that I put you in charge of? Make sure they don't leave behind a single copper coin!"

Zhuo Lanfeng was secretly delighted, but on the surface he was extremely respectful and reported: "Reporting to Lord Fengying, I have been doing my best to supervise this matter. The main mines, workshops, shops and a large number of properties of the Sandfall Clan in the village have all been seized and the accounts are being tallied."

Their gray industries in some oases and smuggling channels along the border have also been taken over or destroyed by the secret police.

However—but Rasa is now, after all, the frontline commander of the Land of Rain and the patriarch of the Sandfall Clan. Some sensitive industries require your final decision, Lord Kazekage, to avoid affecting the morale of the frontline troops.”

Zhuolan Fengcheng cleverly implicated Luo Sha in the sins of the Sandfall Clan, even suggesting that Luo Sha's identity was a big problem.

Mentioning Rasa and recalling the various sins of the Sandfall Clan, the Third Kazekage couldn't help but feel anger, and a look of disgust finally surfaced in his eyes: "Rasa? Hmph! If it weren't for the fact that my Sunagakure suffered a crushing defeat and was in dire need of manpower, and that the front lines of the Land of Rivers truly needed his strength to stabilize the situation, just because he is the head of the Sandfall Clan and has committed such heinous crimes, how could I have allowed him to take over the position of commander of the front lines in Chiyo? He has completely disregarded my expectations!"

The Third Kazekage, enraged, slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups clatter.

Zhuolan Fengcheng keenly sensed the Third Kazekage's dissatisfaction with Luosha, which was the perfect opportunity for him to elevate his own daughter.

"Lord Kazekage, please understand! Although Rasa possesses the Magnet Release bloodline limit and is quite powerful, his family bears such a heavy burden of sins, and he himself often acts arrogantly and selfishly. His vision and character are indeed... still needing refinement. Letting him lead the frontline army alone, I am truly worried for the thousands of ninja soldiers on the front lines!"

Then, he changed the subject and said firmly, "On the other hand, my daughter Ye Cang, although she is trapped deep behind enemy lines and in a difficult situation, is kind-hearted and loyal to the village. What is even more commendable is that she is responsible and considerate of the overall situation!"

Doesn't the fact that she didn't return to the village alone, but instead kept Konoha occupied in the heart of the Land of Rivers behind enemy lines, demonstrate this point?

If Lord Kazekage can give her more trust and opportunities, allowing her to listen to your teachings and receive your personal guidance, I believe that with her comprehension and loyalty to the village, she will grow up faster and better serve Lord Kazekage, becoming a pillar supporting the future of Sunagakure!

Her Blazing Escape technique, under your guidance, will surely shine with the most dazzling brilliance!

Zhuolan Fengcheng's words were a blatant denigration of Luo Sha, recounting his family's original sins and his various character flaws. At the same time, he also tried his best to elevate his own daughter, praising Ye Cang's loyalty and responsibility, as well as her talent and potential. He even subtly made a request, hoping that the Third Kazekage would take her as his disciple and personally train her.

This not only won Yekura the favor of the Third Kazekage, but also paved the way for her future competition for the Kazekage position, implying that only by receiving personal instruction from the Kazekage could she become a qualified successor.

After hearing this, the Third Kazekage fell into a brief silence. He understood Zhuo Lanfengcheng's thoughts. In fact, he was not very satisfied with either Luo Sha or Ye Cang as the successor to the Kazekage. The two were completely opposite.

Rasa was too selfish and lacked vision and perspective. If he hadn't awakened the Magnet Release bloodline limit of the Kazekage lineage, which allowed him to pan for gold dust and increase the village's wealth, he would have been abandoned long ago.

While Yekura is selfless and devoted to the public good, she is too saintly and naive, making her not the best candidate to succeed the Kazekage.

For now, we can only choose the best among the worst and tentatively train Rasa and Yekura as the successors to the Kazekage.

Of course, at this moment, influenced by some slanderous words from Zhuolan Fengcheng, he was angry with the Shapu clan and became increasingly dissatisfied with Luosha, while his feelings for Yecang grew stronger.

Unbeknownst to him, the scales in his heart began to tip in the direction that Zhuolan Fengcheng desired, and he began to focus on cultivating Ye Cang.

Regarding the selection of the Kazekage successor, Sand Ironclad had performed quite well in the past and was considered the first in line to succeed the Kazekage. Unfortunately, his temperament changed drastically later, and he became unusable. Now, he has died unexpectedly, leaving the dignified Sand Village unable to find a decent Kazekage successor.

I really envy Konoha for its outstanding people and resources. There are so many Hokage candidates to choose from. Not to mention the Legendary Sannin, even the White Blood Demon and the White Fang of Konoha would be excellent Hokage candidates.

Konoha has an incredibly deep pool of talent!
Compared to Konoha, where that monkey was spoiled for choice, Sunagakure couldn't even produce a decent successor to the Kazekage. How could this not cause him great concern?

(End of this chapter)