#48

A sleek, black convertible tore down the dusty road of the Land of Wind, its engine roaring like a wild beast. Under the scorching sun, it was as eye-catching as a firefly in the night.

Travelers on the roadside and farmers tending their crops turned their heads, startled by the strange sight. Even ninjas stationed for reconnaissance didn't need jutsu to detect its arrival—the sheer noise alone gave it away.

Mufasa, relaxed behind the wheel, didn't bother hiding their approach. He drove with one hand, the other resting lazily on the side of the car, the wind whipping through his hair.

Gaara sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, irritation flickering in his narrowed eyes. "Let me take out the scouts."

Mufasa waved him off. "No need."

Sasuke, lounging in the backseat, smirked. "Let them run back and spread the fear. Makes it more fun."

Gaara huffed but didn't argue.

Sabakuto: Frontline Base

The frontline base for Heiru's mercenary forces stood at a mountain pass, twenty miles from Arashi-jō. The concave terrain gave them a strategic advantage, creating a natural bottleneck against enemy advances. Heiru's hired ninjas and samurai formed a defensive line, their eyes fixed on the incoming dust cloud.

When the reports arrived, a tense silence settled over the camp.

Ao adjusted his eyepatch, frowning. "Are you absolutely sure? Only three of them?"

The scout ninja nodded. "We checked the entire perimeter. No sign of reinforcements."

Several commanders exchanged uneasy glances.

Kurenai Yuhi furrowed her brows. "That doesn't make sense. They had an entire army before."

"Hmph." A gruff voice scoffed.

The speaker was none other than Roshi, the Four-Tails jinchūriki. The veteran Iwa ninja cracked his knuckles, his rugged face twisted into a scowl.

"They're underestimating us. Bold move."

Roshi had spent a lifetime mastering the power of the Four-Tails, honing his Lava Release to perfection. His stubborn nature had driven him away from his village, turning him into a wandering monk. Now, he fought as a mercenary, hired to reinforce Heiru's ranks.

"I'll crush them myself." He stepped forward, ready to charge.

Ao raised a hand. "Hold. If they're coming straight to us, let's wait and see."

Kurenai nodded. "No point rushing in. They'll be here soon enough."

Roshi scoffed but relented. "Fine. Let them walk to their deaths."

...

By noon, the black convertible screeched to a halt just outside the mercenary camp's entrance. The sheer audacity of their arrival made heads turn. Thousands of mercenaries, samurai, and shinobi turned to look at the three figures stepping out.

Mufasa stretched, cracking his neck. "You two just sit tight."

Dressed in a loose t-shirt, baggy shorts, and flip-flops, he looked more like a tourist than a war general. His signature toad-shaped sunglasses gleamed under the sun as he kicked off the ground, soaring into the air.

Every single person in the camp looked up, their eyes locked on him.

Mufasa casually pulled out a megaphone from his cloak, grinning as he raised it to his lips.

"The people of the opposing side, I am Mufasa, Kazekage of Sunagakure."

His voice boomed across the valley, reverberating off the canyon walls.

"I advise you to surrender immediately."

A stunned silence followed.

"I repeat—surrender now."

"If you hand over your weapons, we promise no harm will come to you."

The crowd was in disbelief. A single man, standing before ten thousand warriors, demanding their surrender?

Roshi's patience snapped. "Enough of this!" He took a step forward, fists igniting with molten chakra.

Ao instinctively grabbed his shoulder. "Wait. Something's off."

The Mist ninja activated his Byakugan. His left eye glowed beneath the eyepatch, scanning the terrain ahead.

Nothing. No reinforcements. No hidden troops.

Just Mufasa, Gaara, and Sasuke.

Ao's mind raced. Could he be like the Third Raikage, a single man capable of taking on thousands?

Heiru, the wealthy merchant behind this entire operation, leaned forward. "Advisor, are you absolutely certain? Just three of them?"

Ao nodded grimly. "Only three."

Heiru grinned. "Then take him down."

Roshi cracked his knuckles. "Gladly."

Ao, however, wasn't convinced. "Wait. Let's hear what he has to say."

Kurenai stepped forward, signaling her team to follow. Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Hyūga Hinata flanked her as she approached Mufasa.

Mufasa smirked. "Well, if it isn't Konoha's Kurenai Yuhi. Fancy meeting you here."

Kurenai remained composed. "We're mercenaries. We took a job. That's all there is to it."

Mufasa nodded. "I see. Since we have a peace treaty, that means we're not technically at war. You can fight for whoever you want."

"Glad you understand."

Mufasa tilted his head. "By the way… did your team register with Sunagakure before entering the Land of Wind?"

Kurenai blinked. "Register?"

Mufasa grinned. "Wars are wars, but laws are laws. According to the 'One Country, One Village' agreement, any foreign shinobi operating within the Land of Wind must register their presence. Failure to do so is a crime."

The Konoha squad exchanged uneasy glances.

Mufasa's smile widened. "Which means you owe a fine. Pay up—120% of whatever you were hired for today."

A long silence followed.

"What?!" they blurted out collectively, eyes wide.

Tsunade and the Konoha council had signed the agreement, believing they had secured peace. They hadn't paid much attention to the fine print. No one had informed the shinobi in the village about this bizarre treaty with the Sand Village, leaving Kurenai and her team completely unaware.

Mufasa leaned back with a smirk. "You mean to tell me... you didn't know?"

The four of them exchanged glances and collectively shook their heads.

Mufasa sighed dramatically. "Tch, tch. Looks like I'll have to send a letter to Lady Tsunade to remind her. But don't worry, I'm not unreasonable." He grinned. "I'll cut you a deal. Just pay 90% of the bounty, and you can keep the remaining 30% for travel expenses."

Kurenai's calm demeanor cracked. Her eyes narrowed. "Since when do shinobi have to register missions in another country? This is absurd!"

Mufasa's smirk only widened. "Since now. And as the Kazekage, I say it's the law."

Her patience snapped. Kurenai moved like a shadow, her hands forming a quick seal. "Genjutsu: Tree Binding Death!"

In an instant, she vanished.

Sasuke, watching from the sidelines, chuckled under his breath. His sharp gaze shifted to the space behind Mufasa. "Too simple."

From the ground, thick branches shot up, coiling around Mufasa's legs, restraining him. Above, Kurenai emerged from the illusionary tree, a kunai in hand, poised to strike.

But Mufasa simply grinned. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out a strange device—a large speaker.

"Electromagnetic Release: Mega Speaker Jutsu."

A voice, loud and inescapable, filled the air. The sound didn't just vibrate in the ears; it resonated through the very soul.

"Never gonna give you up~"

"Never gonna let you down~"

"Never gonna run around and desert you~"

The melody was relentless, overwhelming. No matter how Kurenai tried to block it out, the song echoed from within her mind. Her chakra flared erratically. Her body trembled. Then, with a gasp, she collapsed, unable to move.

"Sensei!"

Kiba, Hinata, and Shino rushed forward, but before they could reach her—

Mufasa raised a hand, and a powerful magnetic force pulled them backward. They barely had time to react before they were hurled behind him, crashing onto the ground next to Kurenai.

Gaara stepped forward, lifting his hand. Sand surged forward, enveloping the four Konoha nin in an unbreakable cocoon.

"If you move, I'll crush you," Gaara stated coldly, his bloodthirsty gaze making Kiba shiver.

Kiba's eyes darted toward the nearby car, spotting Sasuke sitting there, completely unbothered. His confusion turned to frustration. "Sasuke?! What the hell are you doing here?!"

Sasuke barely spared him a glance. "What does it look like?"

Kiba clenched his fists. "Did you betray the village?! Are you with the Sand now?!"

Sasuke scoffed. "I never belonged to Konoha in the first place. I belong only to myself."

His voice was cold, detached. Kiba gritted his teeth. "You—!"

Gaara's sand suddenly wrapped around Kiba's mouth, silencing him.

Hinata, pale and trembling, nearly fainted on the spot. Meanwhile, Shino remained calm, his mind racing.

"Kazekage," Shino spoke up, "what did you do to our sensei?"

Mufasa turned to him, grinning. "Oh, nothing much. Just made her listen to a song. She'll wake up in about twenty-four hours."

Shino's insects buzzed as they crawled from under his sleeves. But before they could reach Mufasa—

A spark of lightning crackled from his fingertips.

A single bolt of electricity danced through the air, incinerating Shino's insects mid-flight.

"Tsk, tsk." Mufasa shook his head. "Don't just throw bugs around. My disciple, Gaara, has a short temper."

He smirked. "But hey, I'm fair. Just pay the fine, and you can leave in one piece."

Shino's gaze flickered toward Gaara's unmoving sand prison. He could feel the murderous intent emanating from Gaara. The fine wasn't the problem—it was the principle. But defying them now would be foolish.

The battlefield had fallen eerily silent. The mercenaries watching from afar swallowed hard. They had just witnessed an entire elite Konoha team get subdued in seconds.

Ao, standing among the mercenary leaders, adjusted his headband. "As expected of the Kazekage. His power is terrifying."

Roshi, the Four-Tails jinchūriki, cracked his knuckles. "Tch, they were weak. I'll handle this."

Ao shot him a warning look, but Roshi ignored him. With a mighty leap, he landed in front of Mufasa, his fiery chakra flaring to life.

Mufasa tilted his head. "And you are?"

Roshi scoffed. "Roshi."

Mufasa's eyes gleamed. "Oh. Four-Tails jinchūriki."

Roshi frowned. "You know me?"

Mufasa chuckled. "Of course. And I know you can perfectly control the Four-Tails."

Roshi's stance hardened. "If you know that, then back off."

Mufasa's feet slowly lifted off the ground as he rose into the sky, his arms spreading wide.

"Back off? No, no. This is an opportunity."

A dangerous grin stretched across his face. "I've been thinking about how to expand into the Land of Earth's market. And look at that, a jinchūriki just walks right into my lap."

Roshi's eyes darkened. "You're planning something."

Mufasa's smirk deepened. "Of course. And you, my friend, are going to help me."

A chill ran through the air. Even the wind seemed to pause.

Then Mufasa's eyes flashed. "Try to survive."

Lightning crackled. Sand roared. The battlefield trembled.

Mufasa's grandiose words and exaggerated actions left Roshi utterly baffled.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, he confidently declared, "I'm about to do something even bigger. Just a little heads-up... try not to die."

Roshi had spent decades walking the shinobi world, yet he had never seen—or even heard—of someone this outrageous. He stood frozen, staring as Mufasa ascended into the sky like some self-proclaimed deity.

Inside him, the Four-Tails, Son Goku, growled in irritation.

"Roshi, this guy is full of himself. Burn him to the ground."

"Now's the time to hit him with the Lava Release: Scorching River Rock."

But Roshi was a proud warrior. He had no interest in sneak attacks. If Mufasa had the audacity to rise into the air in front of him, then he would let him show off first.

"Hmph. Let's see what kind of 'big move' he's talking about."

The vast army behind Roshi also turned their eyes upward, staring at Mufasa's floating figure with growing confusion.

What the hell was he up to?

Gaara and Sasuke sat up straight inside the Sand Village's armored transport vehicle.

"It's happening!" Sasuke muttered, eyes gleaming.

Gaara remained silent, but his focus sharpened. They had heard rumors from Kabuto that the Sand's scientific division had developed something extraordinary for Mufasa. Something unlike any traditional puppet.

A weapon that required immense space to deploy.

Could this be it?

On the other side, Kiba, Shino, and Hinata felt an ominous chill crawl up their spines as they watched Mufasa's back in sheer apprehension.

Meanwhile, Kurenai was still lost in the dreamlike trance of Mufasa's insidious melody, endlessly looping in her mind.

Suspended 300 meters above the battlefield, Mufasa stood with the sun behind him, forming a radiant halo around his figure. He pulled out a microphone and spoke, his voice amplified across the war-torn field.

"Hello, hello. Attention, everyone currently fighting the Hidden Sand Village. Please, if you value your life, use your strongest defenses right now."

A pause.

"If you don't have a way to defend yourself, start running."

Another pause, then a smirk.

"Oh, and if you survive, consider buying ninja tools from the Sand Village's Faraday Industries in the future."

The soldiers below exchanged bewildered glances.

What did he just say?

Buy ninja tools? Before they die?

Was this some kind of joke?

"Bastard! Mufasa!"

"Get down here!"

"Oh, so what, you think flying makes you untouchable?!"

"Somebody, throw a kunai at him!"

The battlefield erupted in frustrated shouting. Among the shinobi, Kakuzu's dull, pupil-less eyes gleamed slightly. Silently, he pulled out a shuriken.

"Hmph. Arrogant brat. Only 300 meters up? I can still hit you."

But before anyone could launch an attack—

Thunder rumbled in the sky above.

Mufasa clapped his hands together, staring down at the battlefield beneath him.

"Truth of a Thousand Judgement Eyes."

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Word count: 2197