#47

The battlefield was a scene of utter devastation.

Gaara hovered midair, impassive.

The waves of sand surged forward, blotting out the sun, engulfing everything in its path.

From the safety of the rear, Mufasa and the others watched with amusement, enjoying snacks in the shade.

Meanwhile, the mercenaries on the battlefield were thrown into chaos.

(,, #?Д?) (>﹏<.) x﹏x.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Yukio and his ten remaining ninja sprinted back toward Kazehara Town, their breaths ragged and their bodies covered in dust. Behind them, the desert had swallowed the bandits, mercenaries, and rogue warriors whole—leaving nothing behind, not even their remains.

Yukio carried Takiichi in his arms, the merchant's once-pristine robes now coated in sand. There was no resisting the Sand Ninja—not like this. Not against that kind of power.

"This battle was never winnable," Yukio thought grimly. "The enemy is too cunning. They had more ninja than we expected, hidden in the sand, waiting for us to walk into their trap."

They had failed. The mission could wait—but if Takiichi died, there'd be no one left to pay the commission.

Takiichi, however, was far less concerned with survival and far more concerned with what he had left behind.

"My money! My house! My gold, my silver, my jewelry—everything is still inside!" he howled, his voice raw with despair. "Noooo!"

He had thought Mufasa's declaration of war was a joke. Some ridiculous intimidation tactic.

Now, watching the tidal wave of sand towering over Kazehara Town, he realized how wrong he had been.

Yukio glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening at the sheer scale of destruction. "The power of the One-Tail Jinchuriki…" he muttered. "Unreal."

If they wanted to fight fire with fire, they needed a tailed beast of their own. Fortunately, they had a plan for that.

"We have to get to another town," Yukio said, trying to shake Takiichi from his daze. "If we make it there, we'll still have a chance."

Takiichi swallowed hard, nodding stiffly. "Right… we have to get to Lord Heiru."

With that, Yukio and his party fled, leaving Kazehara to its fate.

Meanwhile, the citizens of Kazehara stood frozen on the walls, staring at the sandstorm that had nearly engulfed them.

Their hearts pounded in their chests.

"If I had a choice," one muttered, voice barely above a whisper, "I'd rather be outside the city than inside."

Another exhaled shakily. "I don't ever want to be in this position again."

Gaara, floating in midair atop his shifting sand, let his hand drop. The massive wave of destruction came to a sudden halt, stopping just ten meters from the city walls.

He could have buried them all. But that wasn't the mission.

Mufasa's voice rang out from atop the king worm. "Gaara, don't kill them unless they resist. These people are our customers." His smirk widened. "And you should always treat customers with warmth."

Gaara exhaled, lowering his arms. The sand settled.

The citizens collapsed against the walls, panting in relief.

Then, they saw the sandworms.

Towering higher than the city walls, the colossal creatures slithered past, their massive forms shaking the earth with every movement. Watching them up close was far more terrifying than even the sandstorm.

The strength of the Sand Ninja was now imprinted in their minds, something they would never forget.

Little did they know, the real nightmare wasn't Gaara or the sandworms.

It was the man lying lazily on a beach chair, eating snacks, enjoying the show.

For the ordinary folk, it was the monstrous waves of sand and the massive creatures that struck fear into their hearts.

For those who knew better, it was Mufasa's sheer indifference.

Mufasa sighed dramatically. "So boring."

Sasuke and Gaara glanced at him.

Mufasa stretched, yawning. "It's probably going to be the same from here on out." He rolled onto his side. "I'll take a nap."

As he drifted off, he hummed a few words to himself. "How invincible… how lonely…"

Sasuke and Gaara exchanged glances, not understanding.

Their confusion only grew as they passed through the next ten cities.

Not a single person tried to resist them.

They didn't even have to enter—villages and cities opened their gates willingly, stepping aside to let the Sand Ninja take whatever they wanted. Compared to Takiichi, who had refused to believe the threat was real, these merchants had fled with whatever wealth they could carry, leaving their empty cities behind.

Gaara frowned. "Sensei, what's going on?"

Mufasa chuckled. "This is all my fault."

Gaara tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Mufasa sighed. "I shouldn't have sent an electromagnetic clone ahead of us." He smirked. "They're scared. They see you, Gaara, they see a giant bug, and they think they don't stand a chance."

"They're gathering forces," Sasuke murmured, catching on. "They won't fight us unless they think they have overwhelming numbers."

Mufasa nodded. "Now, the real question is, how big do they think they need their army to be before they'll face us?"

Not long after, a hawk descended from the sky.

The Sand Ninja intelligence division had delivered new information.

Takamaru, the messenger, landed on the king worm and presented his report. "Shukuba Town. They've gathered a force of around a thousand ninja."

Mufasa chuckled, tapping a finger against the parchment. "See that, Gaara? They won't fight us unless they've got double our numbers."

Gaara's lips curled slightly. "They fear me."

Mufasa grinned. "And we're going to make sure they fear us even more."

Gaara's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "I will crush them."

Mufasa held up a hand. "Not yet."

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Mufasa smirked. "They're still too weak. We can't bully the weak."

Gaara blinked. "What?"

Sasuke furrowed his brows. "You want them to get stronger?"

Mufasa stretched, yawning again. "Of course. Where's the fun in crushing weaklings?"

Gaara and Sasuke exchanged incredulous looks.

"Are you serious?"

Mufasa grinned. "Let's give them time. Let's help them grow."

Mufasa's massive sandworm transport continued its advance, following the exact route outlined in the declaration of war.

Kazeihara Town

After successfully escorting Takiichi to Sabakuto, Yukio wasted no time accepting his next mission—reinforcements for Kazeihara.

Word of Mufasa's advance spread like wildfire. The corrupt merchants from the cities before Kazeihara had fled here, pooling their resources to hire every available ninja for one last stand.

The town of Kazeihara had a strategic advantage. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, the city was protected by a wide moat—enough to keep even the massive sandworm at bay.

Scout reports arrived in a steady stream.

"Sand Ninja forces spotted. They're still a fair distance away."

Yukio's expression was grim. "How many?"

"Over a thousand."

╭(⊙o⊙)╮

Nani?

The reports sent waves of panic through the camp.

"Lord Yukio, we should retreat while we still can!" one of the hired commanders urged.

They weren't wrong. With two thousand hired ninja, the numbers were almost even. Fighting near their own city gave them an advantage, but outright victory was uncertain. If they lost, everything would be over.

Yukio asked the scouts, "What about the sandworm? Is it still advancing?"

"Yes," a ninja reported, uneasy. "There's someone using Jutsu to alter the terrain, turning solid ground into desert as they move."

Yukio hesitated.

Another ninja arrived from Sabakuto, out of breath. "Lord Heiru and the others have decided to concentrate all forces at Sabakuto for a decisive battle against the Sand Ninjas."

A weight lifted off Yukio's shoulders. "Good. Then we'll fall back to Sabakuto."

With that decision, the evacuation began. The merchants and their families, along with whatever wealth they could carry, fled toward the capital.

By the time Mufasa's forces reached Kazeihara Town, it was already abandoned.

Gaara, exhausted from reshaping the landscape all day, wiped dirt from his face. "Are these people even real ninjas? At least put up a fight."

Mufasa grinned. "Ninjas endure. If they can't endure, they run."

Gaara scoffed but didn't argue.

Sasuke leaned against the side of the sandworm. "So, what now?"

Mufasa cracked his knuckles. "We chase them down. If they won't fight here, they'll have no choice once they reach Sabakuto."

Takamaru, ever diligent, arrived with the latest intelligence. "Lord Mufasa, reports confirm all remaining enemy forces are gathering at Sabakuto."

Mufasa nodded in satisfaction. "Now that's more like it."

The massive sandworm groaned as it slowed to a stop. Mufasa turned to Kabuto. "You've done enough. Take the sandworm back."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "As you wish."

Mufasa snapped his fingers, summoning a sleek, open-top carriage. "Gaara, Sasuke—hop in. Time for a road trip."

"You're serious?" Sasuke asked, eyeing the vehicle.

Mufasa smirked as he climbed in. "Since the enemy did us a favor and gathered all in one place, there's no need to take it slow."

With that, they sped off toward Arashi-jō.

Sabakuto

By the time Mufasa and his team neared Sabakuto, the city had transformed into a fortress.

Nearly four thousand ninjas and mercenaries had gathered, all funded by the wealthiest businessmen in the Land of Wind, led by Heiru.

But Heiru wasn't just a merchant. He was the brother-in-law of Lord Hideman, the Daimyo himself. That connection gave him influence, allowing him to amass this army without interference.

Daimyo Hideman had never respected the Hidden Sand Village. If not for tradition, he would have abolished them entirely. When Mufasa took the Kazekage title, he refused to sign the official appointment, leaving Mufasa's leadership technically unofficial.

Not that Mufasa cared.

His actions spoke louder than any signature.

As Heiru's forces prepared for battle, ninja from various villages arrived. Money was a strong motivator, and the promise of high pay had lured shinobi from across the lands. Among them were Konoha, Iwa, and even Kirigakure ninja.

At a temporary Konoha camp, Kurenai Yuhi sat with her team—Kiba, Shino, and Hinata.

"This battle is important," she said, her expression serious. "If we focus our forces, we can succeed."

Nearby, a seasoned Mist Ninja named Ao, known for possessing a stolen Byakugan, observed the scene carefully. He had once seen through Danzo's schemes at the Five Kage Summit. Now, he prepared for another battle.

"With these numbers," Kurenai said, "and with one Jinchuriki on our side, we should be able to win."

Kiba and Hinata nodded, reassured by the strategy.

Only Shino remained silent, deep in thought.

The stage was set.

The final battle loomed ahead.

___________________

Word count: 1721

I posted a new translation. "Vector Control in Marvel". It's a Marvel fanfic. Read it for those interested.