Chapter 29: The Envoy from Kirigakure
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Jinghang sprawled lazily on the bed in his Sunagakure home, his head buried deep into a soft down pillow. "Ah, finally back. Once you lie down, you just don't want to get up," he muttered, refusing to move for a long while.
At this moment, Jinghang was in his own home—yes, his very own—not the ninja dormitory provided by the village, nor the resting quarters in the Kazekage Hall. This was a luxurious, three-story villa that Jinghang had purchased with his hard-earned money back when he was still a jōnin.
Of course, the money wasn't from embezzlement. Jinghang hadn't even been Kazekage for a year yet—there hadn't been time to embezzle anything. As a ninja, Jinghang was far from poor. He had been promoted to jōnin at the age of 16 and had now served as Kazekage for ten years. During this period, he had completed 16 S-rank missions and 107 A-rank missions. Being a bachelor who neither gambled nor indulged in other vices, he had accumulated quite a fortune. Occasionally, he would even make extra money by eliminating bandits or pursuing fugitives while on missions. Despite his young age, Jinghang was practically a regular at underground exchange offices. To put it simply, before becoming Kazekage, Jinghang's net worth was already close to a third of a "small financial goal."
Ever since taking office, it had been one battle after another, followed by diplomatic visits, and then more battles. Damn it, I deserve some enjoyment.
"Maybe it's time I found a woman and settled down?" Jinghang muttered to himself, leaning against the headboard.
Jinghang wasn't bad-looking (in fact, among the past Kazekages, the Third Kazekage was considered the most handsome). Back when he was a jōnin, he was already popular among the village girls. However, Jinghang was ambitious at the time (or perhaps just cautious—after all, in this line of work, anyone could end your life), focusing solely on improving his skills and strength. Romance never crossed his mind. Later, as a Kazekage bodyguard and eventually Kazekage himself, he became so busy that even shadow clones weren't enough to handle his workload, let alone finding time for love.
"If worse comes to worst, there's always Pakura... Wait! Jinghang, you beast! She's only 16!" Jinghang gave himself a mock slap.
"Ding-dong!" The doorbell rang.
"Who's there?"
"It's me, big brother—Pakura! I noticed you skipped dinner, so I made something and brought it over."
"Hold on, I'll be right down!" Jinghang scratched his head. After a moment of thought, he mused, A few more years of grooming might not be a bad idea.
A lifelike puppet dog was performing somersaults in front of a red-haired boy, who was laughing uncontrollably at the spectacle. Chiyo, controlling the puppet dog, wore a kind and loving expression, her affection for the child evident.
"Sasori, don't bother your grandma anymore. Be a good boy and go to bed—you have school tomorrow morning." Akasuna Kuimu and Akasuna Shūki, Sasori's parents, entered Chiyo's room.
Sasori, obedient and well-mannered, had not developed the cold and ruthless personality for which he would later become infamous. This was largely because Jinghang had saved his parents from the White Fang's blade, leaving Sasori without the trauma of their loss. Bowing politely to Chiyo, Sasori followed his father, Shūki, to the bedroom. Chiyo watched her beloved grandson leave, her eyes filled with tenderness, before signaling her son to close the door.
"Have you confirmed everything?" Chiyo's demeanor shifted instantly, becoming serious and calculating.
"Yes, everything is clear," Kuimu replied.
"Speak."
"The envoy is named Yagura Karatachi, claiming to be a special envoy of the Third Mizukage. The Karatachi clan is a prominent family in Kirigakure, so his identity is beyond question."
"I never doubted his identity. I just want to know his purpose."
"He insists on meeting the Third Kazekage directly and refuses to disclose anything further."
"Arrogant!" Chiyo slammed her hand on the armrest of her chair, her anger evident.
Since being appointed as the Director of Sunagakure's Intelligence Bureau by Jinghang, Chiyo rarely lost her temper. Normally composed and steady, she became particularly sensitive when it came to matters concerning Jinghang. In her eyes, Jinghang was an exceptional Kazekage—his handling of wars and diplomacy was nothing short of masterful. Even more impressive was his widespread respect among frontline ninjas and the unified support from various factions within the village. Under Jinghang's leadership, the village's unity of thought was unprecedented, and its development was beginning to take shape. This was exactly what Chiyo had hoped for—a unified foundation that could lead to rapid progress for the village.
However, the assassination attempt in the Land of Fields had been a wake-up call for Chiyo. If Jinghang were to die an untimely death, all the progress and unity would vanish like a bubble in the sunlight. Although Jinghang had downplayed the incident with a brief report and diplomatic statement, Chiyo, as the Intelligence Bureau Director, had been terrified and deeply self-reproachful. Determined to strengthen the village's covert operations, she aimed to build a formidable "dark force" for both Sunagakure and Jinghang.
"Let him wait a few days. In the meantime, deploy the ANBU to uncover his true intentions."
"Understood. In fact, the ANBU's operations have already begun. Here's the report from yesterday."
Chiyo took the report, her brows furrowing as she read. "What a troublesome village—an entire village of lunatics. And they have factions, too. It's hard to tell who's in charge or whom to hold accountable when something goes wrong. Take a look for yourself!" Chiyo handed the report to her son.
It detailed the chaotic state of Kirigakure. Unlike other villages like Konoha or Sunagakure, which were unified under the strength of their founding Kage, Kirigakure's formation resembled a loose alliance of islands. The First Mizukage, Byakuren, acted more like a senior elder than a true leader. It wasn't until the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki, that Kirigakure achieved true unification through force. Gengetsu established a ninja academy and an ANBU division, mirroring the practices of the Second Hokage, Tobirama. Under his leadership, Kirigakure became a formidable force, rivaling even Konoha. Unfortunately, Gengetsu perished alongside the Second Tsuchikage, Mū, during the First Shinobi World War. His successor, the Third Mizukage, lacked Gengetsu's unifying prowess. As a result, Kirigakure descended into factional chaos, with the Mizukage's authority limited to the main island. Rogue factions like the Hoshigaki Fuguki-led militants acted independently, even orchestrating the failed assassination attempt on Jinghang without the Mizukage's knowledge.
"I think we should inform the Kazekage immediately. Delaying might do more harm than good," Kuimu suggested.
After a moment's thought, Chiyo nodded in agreement. "It's only 8 PM; Jinghang should still be awake. Let's go to his house—I want to hear his opinion on whether to meet this envoy."
"Meet him. Without a doubt, arrange the meeting for tomorrow morning," Jinghang said decisively after reading the report.
"Why?" Chiyo asked.
Jinghang smirked, pouring tea for Chiyo and Kuimu. "It's simple. Regardless of which faction he represents, we need to understand their stance."
"Please elaborate."
"If Yagura truly represents the Mizukage, his purpose is likely one of two things: either to explain the assassination incident and seek peace, or to declare war. The latter is unlikely—historically, Mizukages prefer action over formal declarations."
"And if he doesn't represent the Mizukage?" Kuimu inquired.
"I don't think that's possible," Jinghang replied, shaking his finger.
"Oh?" Both Chiyo and Kuimu looked puzzled.
"Would a militant faction send someone to apologize after a failed assassination attempt? That's absurd. Besides, who would forgive them? More importantly," Jinghang thought to himself but didn't say aloud, Yagura Karatachi is destined to become the Fourth Mizukage under Tobi's control. Princes don't rebel.
"As for his true purpose, we'll only know after meeting him. Once we understand, we can formulate a strategy," Jinghang concluded confidently.