The Reactions of Suna & Kumo

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At the Sand Village's frontline camp.

Chiyo, Ebizō, Rasa, and the others had just received the news.

"Damn it! Why didn't we get this information sooner?" Chiyo growled, her face twisted with anger.

"It wouldn't have mattered, sister," Ebizō replied, shaking his head and trying to calm her down. "Even if we had known earlier, it wouldn't have changed the outcome."

"Why not?"

"Because the internal strife in Konoha didn't lead to complete chaos or even significant damage," he explained.

"Everything was quickly suppressed by Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Naori working together."

"In fact, Konoha is now more stable and harder to deal with than it was under Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"This isn't good news for us."

Hearing this, Chiyo forced herself to calm down, though her anger lingered.

"It's infuriating! Weren't there rumors a few years ago that Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Naori were close to death?" she snapped. "Not only are they alive, but they seem even stronger now!"

"What kind of secrets is the Uchiha clan hiding?"

Her frustration boiled over. If it weren't for those two stubbornly holding the line, Chiyo was certain Konoha would have descended into chaos.

After all, Danzo's attempts to frame and eliminate the Uchiha clan had backfired disastrously.

If Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Naori hadn't stepped in to suppress Hiruzen Sarutobi and stabilize Konoha, a battle between the Uchiha clan and Hiruzen was inevitable—a life-and-death conflict with no room for compromise.

But all of that had been ruined.

"Additionally," Ebizō continued, "have you noticed? Based on the intel, Konoha seems to be preparing for the Fourth Hokage's inauguration ceremony. Yet, there hasn't been any official announcement about the candidate."

"It's as if they're waiting for something."

"I suspect they're waiting for Uchiha Kaito and the troops on the frontlines to return triumphant."

"In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Uchiha Kaito ends up being the next Hokage."

"What?!"

The Sand Village leaders were stunned.

One of them exclaimed, "That can't be right! Uchiha Kaito is from the Uchiha clan! Would Konoha really allow someone from that clan to become Hokage?"

"Besides, isn't he only 10 years old? How could someone that young lead? Would the people even accept him?"

Others exchanged skeptical glances, while Ebizō gave the doubter a sharp look.

"Do you even hear yourself?" he said dryly.

"Have you forgotten that the Senju, Uchiha, and Uzumaki clans have been allied for years now?"

"The Uchiha's reputation in Konoha has already been rehabilitated."

"A Hokage from the Uchiha clan isn't unthinkable anymore."

"As for Uchiha Kaito?"

"He's so strong that his age doesn't matter anymore."

Hearing this, the others nodded in agreement.

After all, the ninja world respected strength above all else.

"This could be a real problem," Chiyo muttered, her brows furrowed. "If Uchiha Kaito is as terrifyingly strong as they say and as radical as he seems, Konoha's stance towards other villages will change under his leadership."

"A more aggressive and invasive Konoha would spell trouble for weaker villages like ours."

"That's exactly what I've been worried about," Ebizō admitted with a sigh.

But seeing everyone's faces darken with worry, he quickly added, "Still, it might not be as bad as we think."

"How so?" someone asked, eager for reassurance.

"Think about it," Ebizō said, a faint smile on his lips.

"Uchiha Kaito's strength is clearly still growing rapidly. If he doesn't become Hokage, he'll have all the time in the world to train and get even stronger."

"Who knows how terrifyingly powerful he could become?"

"But if he becomes Hokage, he'll have to spend most of his time managing village affairs."

"That will inevitably slow down his training and stunt his growth."

"After a few years as Hokage, he'll miss the golden period for growth, and there'll be no going back."

"From this perspective, having him as Hokage might actually be the best-case scenario for us."

"Otherwise, I shudder to think what he could achieve if he kept focusing on his training."

"It wouldn't just be a question of surpassing Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara. It'd only be a matter of time."

"A freak like that… one is already too much. Two were a nightmare. A third? The world can't handle that."

"True," Chiyo murmured, her eyes brightening slightly. The others also looked visibly relieved.

After further discussions, they decided to retreat and return to the Sand Village the next day.

Once the others had left, only Chiyo and Ebizō remained.

"Brother, do you really think becoming Hokage will hold back Uchiha Kaito's growth?" Chiyo asked, her gaze piercing.

Ebizō sighed, shaking his head. "I fear that's just wishful thinking on our part."

"Uchiha Kaito isn't an idiot. His mother, Uchiha Naori, isn't either."

"Uchiha Kaito isn't an idiot, and neither is his mother, Uchiha Naori. The Uchiha clan, Uzumaki Mito, and even the people of Konoha are full of smart individuals."

"Even if Uchiha Kaito doesn't realize this, someone will definitely point it out to him."

"So, thinking otherwise is just deceiving ourselves."

He never underestimated the intelligence of others, especially those in Konoha.

Because he knew one thing: the moment you believe you're the smartest person in the world, your days are numbered.

"Then why did you say that earlier?" Chiyo asked, her brows furrowed in frustration.

"I had no choice!" Ebizo gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Most of them were on the verge of breaking down! If I hadn't said that, how else could I stabilize and restore their confidence?"

"Well, that makes sense," Chiyo nodded, though not entirely convinced.

In her opinion, if these people couldn't even handle hearing such news, they were doomed to fail anyway. There was no point expecting them to achieve anything great in the future.

"Let's talk about the rumor that Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara have been resurrected by Konoha. Do you think it's true?"

"And if it is… What's Konoha planning with this?" Chiyo tapped her fingers on the table, her face dark with worry.

They had avoided mentioning this news earlier out of fear it would push their already fragile group into complete despair.

"Who knows?" Ebizo rubbed his temples, looking equally worn out. "Whatever their intentions, there's nothing we can do about it right now."

"We need to focus on ourselves first. Stabilize the village, keep our heads down, and rebuild for a few years to recover."

"I'm sure the other major villages have received this news by now too."

"We'll just wait and see how they react."

"There's no way they'll sit back and let this slide."

"We'll wait for their response and act accordingly."

This wasn't something a single village could handle alone.

"Also, according to our spies, Iwagakure seems to have its sights set on us."

"I suspect they might ambush us on our way back."

"They probably want to take a piece out of us to make up for the losses they suffered against Konoha."

"What do you think we should do, Sister?"

Talking about this gave Ebizo an even bigger headache. It was truly a case of misfortune piling on misfortune.

Sunagakure was already in terrible shape, with heavy losses from the last battle, and now Iwagakure wanted to exploit their weakness. It was utterly infuriating.

"Those bastards!" Chiyo exploded in anger. "Does Onoki want to fight us to the death?"

"If it weren't for him, the Kazekage and those thousands of ninjas wouldn't have died!"

"He's already screwed us over once, and now he wants to do it again?"

"Does he think we're that easy to bully?"

"Fine, bring it on! Who's afraid of who? If it comes to it, we'll fight them to the bitter end!"

"Even if we have to use everything we've got, I'll drag those Iwa-nin down with us! Hmph!"

Chiyo was absolutely livid. She had always known Onoki was shameless, but she didn't think he'd stoop this low.

"If they want to ambush us, then we'll turn it around on them!"

"After all, the Land of Wind—especially the desert—is our home turf!"

"This time, I'll make sure Onoki pays. I'll make him bleed and crush his spirits!"

Chiyo slammed her palm on the table, her face full of determination.

Right now, her hatred wasn't directed at Konoha—it was all focused on Onoki, that old, conniving bastard.

"I feel the same way," Ebizo nodded in agreement.

Sure, Iwa-nin were skilled in Earth Release, but in the desert, Sand-nin had the upper hand!

They couldn't beat Konoha and didn't dare pick another fight with them, but Iwagakure? Why not?

With that thought in mind, Ebizo and Chiyo didn't make a big fuss. Instead, they secretly gathered a trusted group of high-ranking officers in the camp to plan a counter-ambush.

The next morning, the Sand-nin began their retreat, following the plans Ebizo and Chiyo had laid out, using the Land of Wind's unique terrain to their advantage.

Meanwhile, Iwagakure's forces lay in wait for the perfect moment to strike.

— — —

Over in Kumogakure…

The Third Raikage read the latest intel from Konoha, his brow furrowed so tightly it looked like a twisted knot. "Are these reports confirmed?"

"Yes," his advisor, replied. "It's been verified multiple times. These details are accurate."

"Sarutobi Hiruzen actually stepped down? And he's imprisoned?" The Raikage couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Even his entire clan has been suppressed?"

"Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Naori… Those two women have guts. Bold moves, executed with precision."

The advisor nodded. "Indeed. They didn't waste any time making their intentions clear."

"What a shame…" The Third Raikage sighed, shaking his head. "What a wasted opportunity to attack Konoha!"

"Now that everything's settled, it would be foolish to make a move against them."

"Otherwise, we'd face Konoha's full retaliation."

"Especially with Uzumaki Mito, Uchiha Naori, and that Uchiha Kaito displaying such extraordinary power. Picking a fight with Konoha now would be sheer stupidity."

"But they actually resurrected Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara?"

"The Impure World Reincarnation technique, huh? Damn that Senju Tobirama for creating such a monstrous forbidden jutsu."

Of course, his real frustration was that he didn't have access to such a jutsu himself.

If he did, he'd be thrilled.

This technique would be a game-changer on the battlefield.

The fact that Konoha hadn't used it in past wars was, in his opinion, a colossal waste.

For victory, no means were off-limits.

Sarutobi Hiruzen clearly didn't have the guts to go that far.

So, the resurrection of Hashirama and Madara couldn't have been his doing—it had to be the work of Uzumaki Mito and the others.

"Maybe it's just to intimidate the other villages and ensure a smooth power transition in Konoha," the Third Raikage speculated.

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