Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

652. Handsome Scorpion's Shadow Extinction Operation

Although Sunagawa's strength couldn't match his bastard uncle's, he was still a Kage. Although he was over fifty, he had fought countless battles, big and small, over his decades-long career, and because he could fly and didn't act recklessly, he hadn't suffered any injuries and was in relatively good condition. Killing him all at once was completely unrealistic, as the violent chakra fluctuations would immediately attract his parents and grandmother, which he didn't want to see. Although he had already planned to defect from the village, he still didn't want his family to be sad. Therefore, in order to eliminate Sunagawa simply and effectively in one go, he spent nearly half a year developing a comprehensive action plan, codenamed "Operation Annihilate the Kage".

The first step was to secretly lure Sunagawa out of the village. This was easy for him, the grandson of the Sunagawa Emperor. Everyone in the village knew that Sunagawa's life consisted of going between two places: the Kazekage Tower and his own home. Because he was getting old and lacked energy, he no longer went to the Red District with his great-uncle at night. He would only occasionally hold a solo performance for the villagers to thank his fans for their support over the years. In the week before each solo performance, Sunagawa would go to the venue alone every evening to rehearse. This was also his opportunity.

The second and most important step is how to quickly eliminate Sunakawa. Kage-level powerhouses have a strong ability to foresee danger, so a head-on confrontation is definitely not an option. When Sunakawa takes off, he'll basically be looking up at the sky. Although he possesses a rare ten-pack, his legs are habitually weak due to being lapped by Karin's mother in the future. His jumping ability is insufficient to reach Sunakawa, and even if his jumping ability were sufficient, he lacks aerial combat skills and is no match for Sunakawa. Therefore, the only option is to strike unexpectedly and catch him off guard. The most suitable method is to use poison, and this poison must be a potent one that can instantly weaken a Kage-level powerhouse.

So, after formulating the plan, he spent some time reading through a large number of chemistry books. Combining this with his grandmother's poison-making notes, he finally developed a nerve venom that could make a Kage-level expert's legs go weak for half an hour upon being poisoned after three months. This was more than enough to deal with Sunakawa. As the Crown Prince, it would be very easy for him to lure Sunakawa out of the village while he was rehearsing alone and then get close to him. Sunakawa could only fly and didn't have the hard defense of his bastard uncle. He could just use a small needle coated with the deadly poison to give Sunakawa a quick, unnoticed prick.

If he can't finish off Sunagawa, whose legs have been weak for half an hour, then he might as well give up and go home to breed with Karin's mother to expand his already small family.

His "Shadow Annihilation Operation" went quite smoothly. Even when he killed Sunagawa, Sunagawa didn't put up any resistance. However, he knew that after killing Sunagawa, he could not go back. So, following the original plan, he secretly made his way to the Land of Demons. Although some minor accidents occurred during the process, he didn't know that food wasn't free. He had everything on him except money, rations, and ammunition, so he had to commit a few murders. However, these were minor issues. So many desperate people came to the Land of Wind to pan for gold every year. People died every day, so he didn't take such trivial matters to heart. As long as the result was correct, that was enough. He also completed the original plan and arrived in the Land of Demons.

Although the Land of Demons borders the Land of Wind, it has always been the Land of Earth's little brother. In addition, the Land of Demons' resources are even scarcer than those of the Land of Wind. Even the leaders of the Land of Demons have to personally lead teams to sneak into the Land of Wind to seek their fortune. Therefore, the Land of Wind has never had any contact with the Land of Demons, and no rogue ninja would go to the Land of Demons. After all, the living environment there is worse than that of the Land of Wind. They would rather go to places like the Grass Village or the Land of Rivers, which are at least lush and have plenty of auspicious feng shui locations.

Because he valued this characteristic, he was certain that his parents and grandmother would never expect him to come to the Land of Demons. Once he arrived in the Land of Demons, given some time to turn the Kazekage into a puppet, he could then travel the ninja world with his strongest art and spread his artistic culture.

But he didn't expect that not long after, this damn middle-aged man would find him.

His masterpiece wasn't even finished yet, and he was no match for this bastard. If he were taken back to the village, his artistic dreams would be completely over. Looking at the bastard's face, he was furious, but secretly wary. If the bastard dared to attack, he'd fight to the death and find a chance to escape...

"What are you saying! What are you saying! In your mind, do you really think I'm that heartless? Besides, what reason do I have to stop a young person from pursuing their dreams? I've been a lazy bum for decades, and seeing your magnanimity makes me very happy. How could I possibly drag you back? Do you think I'm that kind of person? I never imagined that after all the hard work I've put into teaching you for so many years, you would distrust me like this. I'm so heartbroken!!!"

Shindou looked at him resentfully, as if he had been wronged, and then pinched the dirty, handsome face of the handsome guy Scorpion hard.

Sigh! The child has grown up, and even with Chiyo's excellent care, it doesn't feel the same as when they were little...

"...Then what are you doing here? Are you bored? (▼へ▼メ)"

Looking at this bastard's nauseatingly sycophantic appearance, Handsome Scorpion felt a pang of pain in his liver. Feeling the pain coming from his pretty face, he suppressed the urge to kill this bastard and said angrily.

"Hey! I'm just worried that you're inexperienced since it's your first time navigating the world. You're your parents' only son, your grandma's only precious grandson, and my only nephew. The world outside is dangerous; what if you get sold out one day? Wouldn't that make me lose face?"

Masato ruffled Sasori's messy hair and sighed.

"...Are you finished? (▼ヘ▼#)"

Handsome Scorpion was speechless: You bastard, after saying so much, isn't the last sentence the most important thing?

"Be patient and let me finish. Since you've already done this to Sunagawa, there's no going back. Don't ask me how I know. I watched you grow up. I know whether you need to pee or poop before you even take your pants off."

"The outside world is treacherous, and you have no survival experience whatsoever. This won't do. I've already informed Kakuzu; he'll come to the Land of Demons to pick you up in a couple of days. From now on, you'll stick with him. He's a seasoned veteran, even more experienced than your grandmother. After a while, he won't interfere with where you go or what you do. Keep this money with you for self-defense. If you run out of money, let Miss Slug let me know. How things turn out for you is up to you. But remember, no matter what, your family is here. That's your final haven. Come back and visit your parents, your grandmother, and... your girlfriend whenever you can."

653. The Super Third Hokage, instead of being a proper ninja, became a rogue ninja.

"....."

Looking at the somewhat desolate figure of the scoundrel middle-aged man, Handsome Scorpion gritted his teeth, finally putting away the bag of gold dust the man had given him. He turned around and took out Sunagawa's corpse to study his own art, trying his best not to shed crocodile tears. He never expected that the scoundrel middle-aged man who had bullied him for over ten years would actually be so sentimental...

...

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"

"........"

In a small grove in the Land of Hot Water, after the S-rank Wind Release technique was unleashed, corpses lay scattered around Kakuzu in various positions, a chaotic mess, some missing limbs.

Then Kakuzu approached one of the obese corpses and swiftly brought it down with his sword.

Minister of the Land of Hot Springs, a reward of fifteen million taels of silver...

Looking at the head in his hand, Kakuzu was very satisfied, and the green light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter. As the top bounty rogue ninja in the black market and its spokesperson, he received more than this amount of money from the black market every year. However, even a small amount is still money, and business is tough these days. Looking at the head worth 15 million in his hand, Kakuzu was filled with emotion and a sense of loneliness.

When he first rose to prominence and signed a contract with the black market, his market value was phenomenal. However, that boom only lasted a few years. Afterwards, because his rank was so high, his prices naturally skyrocketed, and almost no one proactively contacted him for business. As the top dog in the black market, he couldn't bring himself to take on lower-level tasks. Plus, his good friend's spirit beast, the slug, a heavy drinker, was always by his side, leading to excessive expenses. Ultimately, he had to lower his standards and return to his old ways, traveling with the slug while simultaneously running his business. After returning to his old ways, he discovered it was surprisingly lucrative; his once-empty wallet was now full again...

Cheap bounty missions may be less expensive, but they are easy to complete and efficient. In the past, those big jobs required chasing targets all over the ninja world, which was time-consuming and laborious. In the end, he didn't earn as much as these cheap bounty missions. Moreover, big jobs don't come every day. In addition, the situation of the five great ninja villages in the ninja world has deteriorated in the past year. He has also sensed the taste of war. In times of peace, the villages would even engage in some infighting for development and ask him to help. However, in times of war, everyone puts aside their differences and unites, so there are no such big jobs for him to do.

"Hiccup... Kakuzu-kun, Shinto-kun asked me to inform you that Sasori is currently in the Land of Demons, and one of my clones is also there. I'll take you to find him."

Just as Kakuzu was lamenting the scarcity of big business opportunities and the difficulty of being a businessman, Miss Slug, who had been hiding in his collar and indulging in a drunken stupor, crawled out, hiccuped, and said in a soft, sweet voice.

"Ah... I see, this kid's really clueless... -_-||"

Upon hearing Miss Slug's words, Kakuzu nodded and then sighed helplessly. A few days ago, his good brother, Golden Lion, informed him that his brother's nephew, the son of the two brats he had protected back then, Sasori, the super genius of Sunagakure, wanted to defect and leave the village. Golden Lion was worried that his nephew would be inexperienced since it was his first time out in the world, so he asked him to go and mentor him.

Although he wasn't one for gossip, he was still very curious about why this kid would do something so foolish. Why would a powerful Third Hokage choose to become a rogue ninja? It was just too bizarre. Sasori of the Red Sand was the grandson of the First Kazekage and Chiyo, and he also had a powerful uncle protecting him. To put it bluntly, as long as he wasn't completely out of his mind, becoming the next leader of Sunagakure was a sure thing. Why would he give up such a high-class life and choose to become a rogue ninja to experience the hardships of life? What else could he be but a weirdo?

Then his good friend revealed something that shocked him to no end: this kid had killed the shadow of his own village.

This made Kakuzu give him a thumbs up. He really is a super genius. He was only fourteen or fifteen years old and he was able to take down the Kage of his own village. How amazing is that?

But this kid is really weird. If he wants to do something big and rise to power, he can go find another Kage. Why kill his own Kage for no reason? He knew that this kid was the hope of the entire Sunagakure village and was destined to become the leader. Now he runs away and becomes a rogue ninja.

It really is...

However, his good friend had spoken, and given his loyalty, Jiao Du couldn't refuse. After all, being a super genius and being a gangster are two completely different things. Even the most brilliant genius is still just a kid who doesn't understand the wickedness of people and will eventually get tricked...

.....

"Don't look so gloomy, okay? A beautiful daughter has her own children and grandchildren to enjoy. That kid is all grown up now. If his marksmanship were accurate, he could be a father by now. Besides, he's my Golden Lion's nephew, so people will give him some face. Moreover, I've already asked Kakuzu to help find someone..."

When Shinto returned to the village, seeing Chiyo and Karin's mother looking so worried, he helplessly comforted them. He explained that Sasori's mother had fallen ill from missing her son, but it wasn't serious; after all, she was a high-ranking official, not someone who would suffer from such heartbreak. Sasori's father was still searching the Land of Wind for his son, and Ebizo was at the Kazekage Tower, constantly arguing with those high-ranking officials who wanted to profit from the war, always trying to stall and let other villages take the lead. However, Shinto thought this was clearly impossible unless Madara was impatient and sent Kirigakure first. Otherwise, with the powerful Kirigakure watching from behind, no one was stupid. During World War II, Hanzo of the Salamander was tricked and temporarily became the vanguard. Now, he hadn't received any news from the Land of Rain for several years and didn't know if Hanzo had been killed by the Akatsuki. Even if Hanzo hadn't been killed yet, if they tricked him again, he probably wouldn't dare to become the vanguard. In the first major battle of World War II, the Land of Rain suffered heavy losses.

Moreover, the problem is who will lead the charge against Konoha. The first battle will definitely involve facing Konoha's heavy cavalry charge. Regardless of the outcome, this wave of losses will certainly be the greatest. In addition, there is the Hidden Mist Village watching from behind. Even if they try to send Kakuzu to impersonate Konoha and cause trouble in various ninja villages like last time, it probably won't work.

So Ebizo's idea was clearly not going to work, but Shinto couldn't care less about that right now. He was a military commander, a high-ranking officer, not an administrator. He woke up early to find Chiyo and Karin's mother looking miserable, and he lost his appetite for breakfast. Looking at the instant noodles on the table that had been soaking for who knows how long, Shinto looked at them speechlessly. It was so annoying. When Sasori was around, it was one thing to eat instant noodles, but at least there were toppings. Now there weren't even any toppings. It was so bland, no wonder no one could eat it.

654. Everything for the idol

"Regarding the Kazekage incident, who do you think did it? Was it White Fang or that Uchiha from the Land of Water back then?"

Chiyo suddenly asked. How could she not worry about her precious grandson running away from home? She was even more worried about who killed the Kazekage, as that was related to whether her grandson was alive or dead. Before her beloved nephew returned, they could only speculate, without much certainty. After all, both White Fang and that Uchiha from the Land of Water were very strong, but she had never fought them and knew nothing about them. She had only briefly fought White Fang's father during their first battle. White Fang's father was strong, but White Fang seemed even stronger. As for that wild Uchiha from the Land of Water, well, she had only seen that kind of catastrophic fire jutsu on Madara Uchiha back then, and even then, Hashirama Senju had been dead for decades; it would be a miracle if Madara Uchiha was still alive.

Her nephew had fought both of them, so he knew more about their strength than she did. According to her analysis, the most suspicious people who killed the Kazekage were White Fang and that wild Uchiha from the Land of Water. If it was White Fang, the chances of her precious grandson just being missing and not dead were as high as 85%. But if it was that Uchiha from the Land of Water, it was hard to say. If his target was really the Kazekage and her precious grandson, the chances of her precious grandson surviving were not high.

After all, he was a super strong individual who could go toe-to-toe with her nephew. Even if her grandson were at max level, he wouldn't stand a chance against that guy. Back then, Madara Uchiha relied on those eyes to suppress an entire era alongside Hashirama Senju. Although her precious grandson was a super genius, his potential hadn't yet reached the level of her nephew...

"Who knows who did it? But I've fought them both. With their strength, they could easily kill the Kazekage quietly. Especially that wild Uchiha from the Land of Water. I'm not bragging, although the Third Raikage is on par with me and we're both tough guys in the ninja world, if the Third Raikage were to encounter that wild Uchiha, he would be crushed in a heartbeat. If that guy wanted to kill the Kazekage, it would be an instant kill, without even a chance to escape."

"However, I don't think this person is very likely. Think about it, this guy has been hiding in the Land of Water for who knows how many years. He must be brewing some earth-shattering evil scheme. He didn't even come to me for revenge for the time I defeated him. You can tell how deep his scheming is. Neither the Kazekage nor Sasori has anything to do with that guy. I don't think it would benefit him to kill Sunagawa and Sasori. On the contrary, there might be some possibility with White Fang. After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi is the disciple of your idol, the Second Master Senju. He's cunning. It's not impossible for him to send White Fang to raid Sunagawa's bedroom and kill him. The borders between the countries are so intense now. Everyone with eyes can see that war is about to start. The so-called capture the leader first. Let White Fang kill Sunagawa and leave us leaderless. It's very possible that we won't be able to enter the war when it starts."

Masato shook his head, feigning profundity.

joke.

That's Madara, even if he's just hanging on now and not even half as strong as he was at his peak, he's still the awesome Madara, okay? A complete Susanoo, no matter if it's the Raikage or Sunagawa, he can take on as many as he wants without any hesitation.

Chiyo knew exactly what he meant. For his precious nephew, he had no choice but to sell White Fang. In the original story, White Fang was already dead at this point, but he hadn't died yet because of this little butterfly. What was wrong with taking the blame for his nephew?

By any measure, he's profiting, and it even boosts his reputation. In the decades after World War I, only he, White Fang, had ever killed a whole village's Shadow. This reputation boost is fantastic! ヾ(^?^)?

"...However, if we go to war with Konoha, what about Kirigakure..."

Chiyo rolled her eyes at her nephew's teasing, wondering how he knew her idol was Tobirama Senju. But she was already that old, and Tobirama Senju was dead, so she didn't really care. However, after hearing her nephew's analysis, another question arose.

If the Kazekage was indeed killed by Sakumo Hatake, then for the sake of Sunagakure's reputation, this grudge must be avenged. However, the reason why the major ninja villages have not yet launched a war against Konoha is because Kirigakure, which did not participate in World War II and whose strength has been preserved intact, is watching from the sidelines. Kirigakure did not participate in World War II, and it is impossible for Kirigakure not to participate this time, otherwise, what will become of its reputation as one of the five great ninja villages?

If Sunagakure were to start a war with Konoha first, and Kirigakure were to launch a raid on their base like they did during World War I, then Sunagakure would be in serious trouble. Although the fighting strength of their subordinates had indeed increased significantly after the reduction of their elite troops, their overall strength had also declined rapidly. If Kirigakure were to raid their base after they started a war with Konoha, they would definitely not be able to withstand it. Therefore, Chiyo was also very worried about this issue.

"Don't worry, Kirigakure may be a bit cunning, but unless they're shameless, they definitely won't raid our base like they did during World War I. Besides, if they're going to raid, they'll raid Iwagakure, their sworn enemy. They might not even look at Sunagakure. Moreover, Kirigakure isn't in charge of the Hozuki clan anymore. Even if Hozuki Gengetsu's death has something to do with me, the real grudge is with Iwagakure! Beautiful lady, don't hesitate, just elect Kazekage tomorrow. Once Kazekage takes over, let's fight! Things have already gotten this bad, Kazekage's death can't be kept secret for long. If word gets out and the leader is taken down, and we're still just playing around, we'll be seen as cowards!"

Shinto naturally knew what Chiyo was worried about—wasn't she worried about Kirigakure? But while others might be wary of Kirigakure, he wasn't worried at all. Right now, Kirigakure was under Madara's control. It would be strange if Madara even cared about these resources. Madara's purpose in controlling Kirigakure was simply to use it to weaken Konoha's strength in order to prepare for his future plans. Did they really think that controlling Kirigakure was like being an emperor emeritus?

Although he had a minor grudge against Uncle Ban, Uncle Ban was a man of great ambitions. Why would he let personal grudges affect his grand plans? It shouldn't...it seems...it's unlikely...

Their sole purpose in controlling Kirigakure is to relentlessly attack Konoha. After all, in Madara and the Six Paths' plan, Konoha is the main target, while places like Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure are just minor supporting characters.

As a die-hard fan of Madara, although he did not join Madara's team, he absolutely supported his idol in spirit. So whether it was to support his idol or to make White Fang take the blame for his nephew, the Sand Village would take the starting power forward position without hesitation!

Everything for my idol!

655. One encounter with real combat can ruin your life.

After Shinto analyzed the situation for Chiyo and suggested that Sunagakure switch to the vanguard role this time, Chiyo convened a mobilization meeting for all village leaders the next day. Except for Sasori's mother, who was bedridden with illness, everyone in the village was present. In front of Chiyo, the heads of the various clans behaved themselves, sitting upright and obediently in their seats, showing no signs of the excitement they had shown when Ebizo had lost his father.

Just kidding, this old woman's seniority is even higher than their father's. What's more, there's a bodyguard, Golden Lion, standing behind her, holding that gleaming "Uchiha Greatsword." At this moment, anyone who jumps out will be criticized, and getting slashed is a big deal. Moreover, Chiyo and Ebizo look very serious, and even the usually unreliable Shinto looks completely focused. Something big must be going on!

Even the Crown Princess's father, Yusa Kaku, sat obediently in his seat, keeping his eyes down and occasionally glancing at his son-in-law across from him.

Yusako: Son-in-law, what was the spirit of today's meeting?

Handsome Scorpion's Dad: Choose Wind Shadow.

Yusa: Σ(⊙▽⊙a What about Sasori?)

Handsome Scorpion's Dad: Didn't we not find it?

From the corner of the gauze: .....

"Ahem, dear uncles and brothers, I've gathered you all here today for two main matters. First, it's been some time since the Kazekage left us. After Chiyo's meticulous investigation, we've basically concluded that the Kazekage is dead, and the culprit is very likely Konoha's White Fang. Everyone, please calm down and let me finish. Kudo, you sit down. Young man, you're so impulsive. Learn from your father-in-law. Look how calm Chief Mokawa is..."

Seeing that the atmosphere was ready, Masato cleared his throat and read the beginning of the speech he had been writing all night. Not long after he took office, Sunagawa, who was suspected of being his mentor and promoter, slammed his fist on the table and was ready to go and fight White Fang. Masato said to his good-for-nothing disciple in a bad mood.

Don't you have any common sense? Didn't you see the teacher was talking? (?_?)?

“…”

Chief Mao Chuan felt refreshed and straightened his back as he listened to the whistling. He pulled his son-in-law down to sit. Although this son-in-law had taken over, he was still too inexperienced. Didn't he see his teacher talking and showing off up there?

"It's the teacher....-_-||"

"Conan's father" felt the gazes of the high-ranking officials present and sat down with a wronged expression.

"Where were we... Oh right! The culprit is very likely White Fang. So, after careful consideration by Lord Chiyo and Lord Kaizo, we've decided to declare war on Konoha. However, as the saying goes, a family cannot be without a head, a country cannot be without a ruler, a snake cannot function without a head, a dragon cannot function without a head, let alone our Sunagakure, one of the five great ninja villages of the ninja world. Before we begin the war, we need to elect a virtuous and capable leader to lead our attack on Konoha and avenge Lord Kazekage. Now, everything must be done democratically. Since Lord Kazekage did not designate a successor before his disappearance, Rasa, as Lord Kazekage's disciple, is naturally qualified to be one of the candidates for the next Kazekage. As for the rest, I wonder if any of you clan heads have any other candidates?"

Masato pulled Rasa, who had a cool expression on his face, to his side and then left the time for the higher-ups below.

"this..."

"..."

The clan leaders below looked at each other, remaining silent for a long time. They all had candidates vying for the position of Kazekage, and many more. Under normal circumstances, they would have fought for it even if it meant offending Lady Chiyo, since that was the position of head of the clan, a position that would be recorded in the village's history books after death and would bring great benefits to the clan. Didn't they see that Lady Kazekage came from a small clan, but now she has risen to prominence?

But things are different now. As Shinto just said, they're about to start a war with Konoha. This leader is going to lead the team to fight Konoha. After all, if the newly elected Kazekage has no achievements or reputation, that won't do. War is a good place to build reputation, but it's also the most dangerous place. Once the war starts, the person Konoha will have to face is undoubtedly White Fang. But is White Fang so easy to defeat? Even their Kazekage was inexplicably defeated by him, and he didn't even know how he died.

If someone is elected as the leader and gets stabbed by White Fang the very next day of the war, not only will the village lose face, but their families will also be infamous for eternity. In peacetime, being the leader is a coveted position, but when war is about to break out, it becomes a hot potato. It may seem appealing, but if you don't handle it properly, you'll burn yourself.

"Hmm... Chief Meichuan, your eldest son is handsome and exceptionally talented. I think he's a good candidate..."

Yu Shajiao is currently indifferent to the situation, as his beloved grandson is nowhere to be found. Therefore, it doesn't really matter to him who the next Kazekage is. Moreover, his clan doesn't have a suitable candidate, mainly because of their low productivity. Even he only has two daughters; the eldest is already married to the Crown Prince, and the younger daughter... well, whatever. This is truly a case of "one wrong move and you're ruined for life!"