Uchiha's personal opinion

Uchiha Tokumitsu pretended not to see other ninja clans or families taking advantage of the situation. As long as the Uchiha clan firmly controlled the police department, internal affairs department, and the resident ninja forces such as the security patrol force, other administrative affairs were of no importance.

At the same time, the United Company also began a new round of reforms. With the support of Uchiha Tokumitsu, the various disorganized caravans, branches and other subordinate organizations under the United Company system began to be merged and attempted to develop in a more institutionalized direction.

As for the territories under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate, they began to try to implement the "civil service examination" system and gradually promoted the "reform of local chieftains and the return of officials to central government" in the Land of Water, taking back the nobles' right to govern the people through redemption.

On the Kirigakure side, Uchiha Tokumitsu ordered an increase in the number of recruited ninjas, incorporating more Kirigakure ninjas into the Shogunate's direct ninja army, and expanding the Shogunate's standing ninja army to eight thousand men.

In addition to the four border troops under his command as the governor of Konoha, the garrison troops of the Hidden Gate Shogunate, and the standing ninja army stationed in the villages, Uchiha Tokumitsu estimated that he could mobilize a massive force of up to 30,000 ninjas to engage in a battle in a very short time.

In addition, various new types of ninja tools have begun to expand their production capacity and are gradually being deployed.

……

Just as the Uchiha clan began to quietly accumulate strength, Sunagakure suddenly fell into chaos!

The Third Kazekage suddenly disappeared!

Moreover, it disappeared without any warning!

Just ten days ago, the Third Kazekage suddenly had a whim and abandoned the Shadow Guard ninjas to go alone into the middle of the desert to collect some gold dust for fun.

This was originally a routine operation for the Third Kazekage.

Although Sunagakure now has a country as its resource base and is not particularly short of funds, due to a long-standing habit, when the Third Kazekage feels bored or restless, he often goes to the desert to pan for gold dust and then gives it as a reward to his close ninjas.

This hobby is similar to how anglers always like to bait and feed the fish. Whether they can find gold or not is irrelevant; the main point is to enjoy the thrill of working hard but getting nothing in return.

Although abandoning the Shadow Guard was not a good habit, and the elders had tried to dissuade him many times, the Third Kazekage usually just gave a few perfunctory words and continued to do as he pleased.

Now that the old men of the Elder Council have been almost all killed by the Kazekage and Ebizo's direct ninja forces for raising the banner of rebellion, there is no one left to offer advice under any pretext.

As for the members of the Sunagakure Inspectorate, who are mainly composed of Jonin, they are even more eager for the Third Kazekage to spend his days playing in the desert and not return to the capital to hinder their secret meetings.

On the first day the Third Kazekage entered the desert, the Sand Village ninja were very happy and then happily gave themselves a holiday.

On the third day after the Third Kazekage entered the desert, the Sand Village ninjas began to return to their posts one after another, ready to welcome the Kazekage's return with the utmost enthusiasm.

On the fifth day after the Third Kazekage entered the desert, the backlog of unresolved government affairs caused delays in the Sand Village's rule and management of the Land of Wind. Although the Sand Village ninjas were somewhat uneasy, they silently tried their best to maintain the operation of the government system. Ebizo then issued an order for the Shadow Guard to enter the depths of the desert to search for the Third Kazekage.

On the seventh day after the Third Kazekage entered the desert, according to the message from the Shadow Guard, the Ninja Hawks, who had entered the desert, no trace of the Third Kazekage was found, and there was no sign of activity in the several gold-producing areas he frequently visited!

Now, Sunagakure began to panic.

Under Ebizo's command, a large number of Sand Village ninja formed a search team and entered the desert to search for the whereabouts of the Third Kazekage, but after three days, they found nothing!

It was as if a living person had suddenly vanished into thin air. More than two thousand Sand Village ninjas who entered the desert to search found no trace of them. Instead, they lost nearly thirty Chunin and Genin in the desert!

"Ten days!"

At this moment, Yekura's pretty face was as cold as ice as she paced back and forth in the central tent of the search force in the dangerous area of ​​the Land of Wind, known as the "Devil's Desert".

"We haven't seen him for ten days! Where the hell has he gone?!"

After leading his troops to camp in the desert for three days, Yekura also began to grow impatient.

"Please calm down..."

The elder, Hai Laozang, casually offered a word of advice.

After all, there are still many of the Wind Shadow's confidants in the central tent, so some things cannot be said too directly.

"Elder, we must intensify the search efforts and draw another two thousand men from the village to expand the search area!"

A member of the Shadow Guard, a Jonin, spoke again.

Yesterday, the ninth day since the Kazekage entered the desert, the anxious Jonin of the Shadow Guard advocated for reinforcements to search, but Ebizo refused on the grounds that "to avoid causing too much panic." Therefore, among the Sand Village ninjas who entered the desert to search for the Third Kazekage, there were only about a thousand people from the Kazekage's direct ninja army and the Jonin of the Inspection Bureau from Pakura.

"What's the point of sending more people? Besides sending them to their deaths, what use can those low-ranking ninjas be in the harsh desert environment!"

Yekura refused the request from the Shadow Guard Jonin without even thinking.

"Are you just going to sit idly by and watch Lord Kazekage disappear without a trace?!"

The eyes of the Shadow Guard Jonin were almost red.

"You mean, that guy's dead meat?"

Ye Cang scoffed, "What a fine dog! It hasn't even searched for long before it thinks its master is dead. Is it in a hurry to throw a feast?"

"presumptuous!"

"How dare you!"

"rude!"

The Shadow Guard members immediately erupted, berating and hurling insults at Ye Cang.

They were all the closest ninjas to the Third Kazekage. Although their strength was not as great as that of the Sand Village's powerful ninjas like Pakura, their loyalty was absolutely top-notch, and they would not tolerate anyone being disrespectful to their lord.

Moreover, the Third Kazekage has only been gone for a short time, yet the Inspectorate's forces, led by Yekura, have already acted so arrogantly. If she were to ascend to the position of the next Kazekage one day, wouldn't all of them, her trusted confidants from the Third Kazekage, be in trouble...?

Therefore, both for public and private reasons, the Shadow Guard cannot tolerate Yekura's existence.

If it weren't for the existence of Elder Ebizo, and the fact that their combined strength was no match for Yekura's Scorching Release, they probably would have "eliminated the troublemaker" on the spot.

"Internal and external troubles..."

Ebizo witnessed the conflict between the two factions of ninja and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Despite its seemingly booming success, Sunagakure is actually in a precarious situation.

Although the financial situation has improved and there is no longer a need for Fengying to pan for gold in the desert to make up for the financial deficit, life is still actually quite tight.

Even though the Third Kazekage's public image has always been "stable and positive," the shrewd and experienced Ebizo still saw the hidden dangers within Sunagakure.

The infiltration of ninja clans, the proliferation of factions, frequent internal strife, and a talent gap... a series of problems left over from the ninja village era still plague the Sand Village, which now rules the vast Land of Wind.

In an effort to break the deadlock, Ebizo sacrificed the old men of the Elder Council and joined forces with the Kazekage to eradicate them completely. However, after annexing the Elder Council's forces, the insatiable Sunagakure once again fell into infighting.

Ultimately, it's because the Land of Wind is simply too impoverished, and the Sand Village, accustomed to poverty, still retains the habit of trying to seize everything from their impoverished past.

The overt factional struggles are merely a manifestation of disagreements over resource allocation.

But what he didn't expect was that now that Feng Ying was only missing and his death was not confirmed, the conflict between the two major factions, the Shadow Guard and the Inspectorate, was escalating right before his eyes.

"Notify the village to send fifteen detachments of regular ninja to join the search..."

Ebizo tapped his cane, drawing everyone's attention, and then slowly said, "As for the official procedures for mobilizing the ninja army, let the Shadow Guard handle them."

"This is inappropriate!"

Ye Cang's expression immediately changed.

Due to economic problems, the number of Sunagakure's standing ninja army is not large, and this ninja army is jointly controlled by the Kazekage, the Council of Elders, and the Supervisory Council. To mobilize the ninja army, at least the seals of two parties are required to be legal. This bizarre military power structure is also one of Sunagakure's terrifying balance of power systems.

Although Elder Ebizo had joined forces with the Kazekage to wipe out the demoted elders who attempted to instigate a rebellion, the Standing Shinobi Army still held Ebizo in relatively high regard because he represented the Elder Council.

By entrusting the mobilization of the ninja army to the Shadow Guard, Ebizo acknowledged the Shadow Guard members' succession to the Kazekage faction, effectively handing over the power of the standing ninja army to these people who, in Pakura's eyes, were all "incompetent in their positions"!

How can this be tolerated!

Just as Yekura was about to lash out, Ebizo's next words plunged her into an icy abyss.

"Also, inform Luo Sha to return tomorrow."

"I'm leaving right now!"

A ninja from the Shadow Guard volunteered to step forward.

"...Elder, what do you want to do?"

Ye Cang's face was extremely gloomy.

At this moment, Yokura knew perfectly well what it meant to recall Rasa!

"Rasa is a Magnet Release Jonin from the village. Perhaps he can sense the Third Hokage's whereabouts through his bloodline limit!"

Another Kage-class Jonin made a sarcastic remark.

"Elder, what do you mean by this?!"

Ignoring the provocation from the Shadow Guard Jonin, Yekura continued to squint at the elderly Elder Ebizo.

"...If something truly unspeakable happens, will you obey the orders of the next Kazekage?"

Ignoring the aggressive Yekura, Ebizo turned his gaze to the Jonin of the Shadow Guard.

"It is our duty and mission to protect Lord Kazekage!"

The captain of the Shadow Guard immediately made a solemn promise.

"So, that's it..."

Ebizo turned his gaze to Yekura and said expressionlessly, "A village cannot be without a leader, especially not without a Kazekage who can unite everyone!"

The implication is that Yekura is not united enough.

"The Inspectorate will not agree to this resolution! And it's even less likely that this resolution will pass in the election!"

Yekura's face also showed a fierce look, "The position of Kazekage is elected by all the Jonin of Sunagakure, how can it be granted privately by an old man like you!"

“You’re still young, and your mindset isn’t mature enough for that… If you were to take over prematurely, many people in the village wouldn’t be convinced, and that would only harm you.”

The compassionate Ebizo sighed, "Next year! I'll definitely support you next time!"

"Who knows if you'll be alive or dead next time! Who knows if I'll be alive or dead next time!"

Ye Cang shouted angrily, then used a Burning Release technique to burn open the top of the central tent and instantly disappeared.

At this point, even the Shadow Guards were no longer focused on searching for the Wind Shadow's whereabouts.

Chapter 388 Appointed Fourth Generation Wind Shadow and Ruler of the Wind Kingdom

"This is too sudden..."

Mr. Rasa, the Sand Village Jonin who was the first commander of the Joint Anti-Terrorist Force, was awarded the honorary title of "Son of the Wind" by the Shogunate, had been met and commended by the Governor-General of Konoha on several occasions, and possessed both prestige and strength, was somewhat surprised.

Of course, there was also ecstasy, but it wasn't shown.

At this moment, the eight parts surprise, two parts grief, and ninety parts bewilderment and helplessness on his face represent a complete subversion of Luo Sha's facial expressions.

Unfortunately, the ninja from the Shadow Guard who came to deliver the message had Rasa dismiss his subordinates, so no one was able to appreciate this exquisite acting skill.

"Elder Haila Zang has made a decision and hopes that you will return to the village as soon as possible to take charge of the overall situation."

The Shadow Guard Jonin was spouting nonsense, constantly trying to mislead people: "The Third Hokage is currently missing. Although information is temporarily blocked, this is a matter of great importance, and news will eventually come out. Therefore, Elder Ebizo hopes that you can bravely step forward to take charge and coordinate the aftermath..."