Chapter 128: Counterattack

Suna Camp – Hidden Sand Village Forces

News of the political earthquake in Konoha had reached Suna's war camp, leaving everyone in stunned silence.

Chiyo slammed her hand on the table, fury in her voice."Damn it! Why didn't we find out about this earlier?!"

"Sister!" Ebizo stepped forward, shaking his head. "Even if we had known sooner, it wouldn't have changed anything!"

"The internal unrest in Konoha never turned into true chaos. There was no collapse, no faction war. Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Hikari suppressed everything."

"Worse…" Ebizo's voice dropped. "Konoha is even stronger now—more stable than it was under Sarutobi Hiruzen. That's not good news for us."

Chiyo's face darkened. She couldn't argue. Her brother was right.

"Damn it!" she growled. "Didn't they say Mito and Hikari died years ago? And now not only are they alive, they look younger, stronger? What kind of secrets are the Uchiha hiding?!"

If it weren't for those two monsters—witches, in her words—Konoha would have been consumed by civil war. When Danzo tried to annihilate three clans, his forces were crushed. If not for Mito and Hikari stepping in and subduing Hiruzen, Konoha would've bled itself dry.

It could've been their chance.

But now? That opportunity was gone.

"By the way," Chiyo said suddenly, "have you noticed something odd? Our intelligence reports that Konoha is preparing for a new Hokage ceremony—but they haven't announced who the successor is."

She tapped the table thoughtfully. "I think they're waiting for Uchiha Gin to return from the front with the army. My guess? They plan to name him the Fourth Hokage."

"What?!" the other Suna leaders erupted in disbelief.

One of them stood."Uchiha Gin? From the Uchiha clan? He's ten! There's no way Konoha would give the title of Hokage to a child!"

The rest looked at him like a fool. Ebizo sighed and rubbed his temple.

"Are you even listening to yourself? Have you been asleep the past few years?" he snapped. "The Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki clans have been unified for years. The Uchiha's standing in Konoha has changed drastically. The village wouldn't hesitate to name a Hokage from that clan now."

"And Gin… he's not just any child."

"Exactly," another added. "In the shinobi world, power determines everything. And that boy has more power than any of us ever dreamed of."

Chiyo frowned."If he truly becomes Hokage, we're in trouble. Gin's strength is terrifying—and he's aggressive. He'll change Konoha's entire foreign policy. They won't be passive anymore. Villages like ours… we'll feel the pressure first."

Ebizo nodded grimly. "That's exactly what I fear."

Seeing their growing anxiety, Ebizo raised a hand to calm them.

"Listen. It might not be as bad as it seems."

They all turned toward him, eyes hopeful.

"Think about it," he said slowly. "Uchiha Gin is still growing. If he wasn't named Hokage, he'd spend all his time training. That kind of uninterrupted development would be disastrous for us in a few more years."

"But now, if he becomes Hokage, he'll be stuck in meetings, politics, and paperwork. He'll lose valuable time—he won't grow as fast."

"If he spends even a few years tied down by bureaucracy, that's time we gain. His golden growth period will pass, and he may never reach his full potential."

"From our perspective, making him Hokage might be the best possible outcome. Otherwise… he might surpass both Hashirama and Madara in time."

A shiver passed through the tent.

Two such monsters in history had already reshaped the world. A third? That could not be allowed.

"You're right!" Chiyo's eyes lit up. "That makes sense."

The tension in the room eased. After a final round of discussion, the meeting ended. Most departed to prepare for the march home—leaving only Chiyo and Ebizo behind.

"Brother…" Chiyo asked, "do you really believe the Hokage title will limit Gin's growth?"

Ebizo let out a breath."Uchiha Gin is no fool. And his mother, Hikari, is even sharper. The Uchiha clan—and all of Konoha—have brilliant minds. Even if he doesn't realize it, someone will warn him."

"In truth… what I said earlier was just to ease their fears."

He smiled bitterly."In times like these, confidence is fragile. If I hadn't offered that perspective, they'd have lost their will entirely."

Chiyo nodded thoughtfully."You're right. If they can't handle even this news, there's no hope for them."

She leaned over the table. Her expression turned serious.

"Now, about those rumors… Hashirama and Madara, resurrected in Konoha. What's your take?"

Ebizo's face turned grim."If it's true… then Konoha is planning something bigger. Maybe even world domination."

They had intentionally avoided this topic in front of the others—fear of breaking morale entirely.

"We have to prepare," Chiyo said.

"Agreed," Ebizo replied. "For now, we stabilize our village. Rebuild. Regroup. I'm sure the other Great Villages received the same news. We'll wait. See what they do. No one will sit quietly—not when those two walk again."

"And one more thing…" he added with a troubled look."According to our scouts, Iwa has its eyes on us. They may ambush us on our way back. It seems they want revenge for what Konoha did to them."

"What do you think, Sister? Should we retreat—or prepare to fight?"

Chiyo's expression hardened, rage flaring in her eyes."Count Onoki in. That old fox has no shame."

"If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have lost the Kazekage—or thousands of our shinobi! He betrayed us once, and now he wants to do it again?"

"If he thinks Suna is weak, he's gravely mistaken. Let him try. I'll show him what death looks like."

She struck the table.

"If he dares ambush us, we'll use it against him. The desert is our home. Let him step into it—we'll turn it into his grave."

Ebizo nodded. "Agreed. Earth-style techniques are strong, but not in the Wind Country. In our terrain, they're vulnerable."

That very night, Chiyo and Ebizo quietly summoned their most loyal commanders and began crafting a counter-ambush strategy.

Elsewhere – Kumo Camp

Far to the north, in the Land of Lightning, the Third Raikage sat with furrowed brows, reading the intelligence scroll in his hand.

"Is this information confirmed?" he asked his aide. "Is it true?"

"That Sarutobi Hiruzen was overthrown? Arrested? His entire clan subdued?"

"Yes, sir," the aide replied. "We've confirmed it three times. Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Hikari led the coup. They now control Konoha."

The Raikage leaned back, his expression unreadable.

"What a shame," he muttered. "We missed a perfect chance to strike."

"Had we attacked just a few days earlier—while Konoha was in turmoil—we could've delivered a crushing blow. But now?"

He shook his head.

"With Mito, Hikari, and that Uchiha Gin… provoking Konoha would be suicide."

He looked down at the scroll again, eyes narrowing.

"And this bit… about the resurrection of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara…"

"Those two… again?"

"Damn Tobirama," the Raikage growled. "Why create such a cursed jutsu in the first place?"

Still, a part of him couldn't help but envy it.

If only I had a technique like that… he thought. I'd use it without hesitation. That jutsu could win any war.

"In any case," he said aloud, "this resurrection wasn't Sarutobi's doing. He lacked the resolve. This was Mito. Or Hikari. Or maybe even… the boy."

He fell silent for a long moment, then spoke again.

"Perhaps they did it to intimidate the world… to smooth the transition of power."

Whatever the case—Konoha had changed. And the rest of the world would have to decide whether to resist…

Or fall in line.

To be continued.....