32. Who will be Kazekage?

Sunagakure.

The news of Iwa's attack on Gaara received mixed reactions. Many people harbored hatred toward the One-Tailed Beast's jinchuriki, while others were more concerned about Iwa attempting to kidnap their only weapon. With the failure of the Konoha Collapse plan, the death of the Kazekage, and now the attack on their jinchuriki, the atmosphere in the village was tense. Sensing the instability, the elders decided to choose a new Kazekage.

Elder A: "I propose Jonin Lu Xiyan."

Elder B: "He is strong and has a powerful Kekkei Genkai, but he has no significant achievements. He is still too young; it won't work."

Elder A: "But his talent and strength are enough."

Elder B: "It's not enough. A Kage's name should instill fear in our enemies and safety in our allies."

Elder C: "What about Li Qiye?"

Elder B: "Same problem."

The elders were reviewing the profiles of the most powerful Sand ninjas. While going through them, they found a very peculiar profile.

"Who put Gaara's profile in the list?" Another elder, Elder D, answered, "Well, Gaara himself requested it, so I added his profile."

Hearing this, the other elders looked at him in amazement, as he had just recommended Gaara for Kazekage simply because he requested it. Elder A smiled, patted Elder D, and said, "You must have been afraid of saying no to Gaara."

The other elders laughed. Seeing them laugh, Elder D got angry and said, "He bowed down while asking for the favor and even expressed his hope for a peaceful village."

This statement was a shock. The same bloodthirsty Gaara, who would crush people just because he was irritated, was now acting respectfully.

Elder B rubbed his chin and said, "Gaara fought with Jiraiya and his toad summon. He also has a strong reputation. Since returning from Konoha, he has been showing good behavior. So, it isn't a bad idea."

Elder A slammed the table and roared, "No, the whole village hates him, and no ninja will follow his orders. He can't be Kazekage."

Even Elder B agreed with this, replying, "Well, he is too young for Fifth Kazekage, but he might be a strong candidate for Sixth."

The others agreed, knowing the history of their village. They had no doubt they would be the ones choosing the Sixth Kazekage.

"That only leaves one candidate." Hearing these words from another elder, everyone fell silent.

"No, absolutely not. She will only focus on her revenge." Elder B roared and slammed his hand on the table. The others agreed with the statement but also knew she might be the one. After much discussion, they decided on her and invited her in.

Creak!

Opening the door, a fair-skinned girl entered. She had green hair with orange tips and wore a sleeveless, backless top and short tight pants, with two lapels on the front and the back. She was the holder of the most dangerous Kekkei Genkai in the village, the hero of the sand, Pakura of the Scorch Release.

"Pakura, we have decided to make you the Fifth Kazekage. We will announce it today," Elder B announced their decision.

Pakura looked at the elders and plainly said, "No."

"No? What do you mean no?" Elder A said in surprise, his voice carrying a hint of joy.

"I mean, I don't want to be Kazekage," Pakura replied, crossing her arms.

Elder A: "Look, she doesn't want to be Kazekage. Let's consider another candidate."

"Cough! We know you might not agree with our past decisions, but see it like this: if you become Kazekage, you can make your own decisions regarding the village," Elder B ignored Elder A's advice and offered some sagely wisdom. Elder B always kept the village as his biggest priority. In times of need, having someone like Pakura, a hero of the sand, at the village's helm was very important. In the ninja world, a good reputation means more mission requests, leading to more income.

Pakura considered the proposal and said, "I will take the responsibility, but that means you all will follow my word unconditionally."

"It's absurd. The elders' council's duty is to ensure the Kazekage doesn't become a tyrant," Elder A interjected.

Pakura: "That is the problem. The Kazekage's power is too divided, so people take elder orders as the village's orders. I can't have that. If you can't do that, there is no way I would be able to make any changes."

The discussion continued, but Pakura stood firm. In the end, Pakura was granted authority over them but would have to report her actions to the council. If 75% of the council disagreed, she would have to rescind the order. The meeting was over, and it was decided that the news would be announced tomorrow.

Elder B entered his home to find someone already sitting there. He was a very tall guy, carrying two swords. The most striking thing in the room was that he was sitting on a floating chair. He was Lu Xiyan, the holder of the Float-Float Fruit.

Lu Xiyan: "Elder, how was the meeting? Did they decide who will be Kazekage?"

Elder B: "Yes, they decided on Pakura."

"Pakura, huh. Aren't those geezers afraid that her first order will be to execute you all?" Lu Xiyan mocked their decision.

Elder B angrily told him of their decision to give her more authority. Lu Xiyan smirked and said, "Looks like they are desperate. Then why were you not able to secure my seat?"

He exuded an overwhelming momentum, causing the elder to fall to his knees. The elder pleaded, "I did, but they dismissed it because you didn't have much reputation outside the village."

"Not enough reputation? I was the only one able to go toe-to-toe with Rasa. You can go ask anyone in the border area who the strongest ninja in the sand is. They will all say 'Golden Lion Lu.' Now you are telling me I don't have enough reputation? It seems my reputation isn't the problem, but their vision is," Lu Xiyan angrily complained. In his anger, he let his power flow, lifting all the furniture in the room.

After taking a deep breath, he calmed down his anger and placed the things back down. Feeling the calming situation, Elder B offered his advice, "You should participate in important missions. If you had participated in the Konoha Collapse Plan like Gaara, even though the mission was a failure, his strength to hold back Jiraiya has given him a lot of reputation."

Hearing the suggestion, Lu Xiyan twitched. He knew more than anyone of Konoha's strength. If he went there to fight and accidentally angered the great Red Beast of Konoha, he would have become paste before he could say Kazekage. But he still considered the advice.

"What are the important missions nowadays?" Lu Xiyan asked.

"Well, there is another request from Konoha to send a delegate during Iwa's visit to their village," Elder B told him. The mission did not require any fighting and could put him in the spotlight in a good way.

Lu Xiyan: "Okay. I will take that."

"They want reputation, right? I will make sure everyone in the world knows my name," Lu Xiyan muttered under his breath.

......

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33. World Wide Situation.

34. Genji's Sob Story.

35. Five Kage Summit's Invitation.

36. Another One.

37. Team 7.