"Are you really clear about your position?!"
"The current alliance between Konoha Village and the Dawn Alliance, which was formed by all Five Great Nations of the Ninja World, is laying the foundation for the stabilization and resurgence of the Hidden Sand Village!"
"Konoha Village's support is our greatest source of strength!"
She hadn't wanted to be so direct at first, but there was no turning back now.
The elders weren't fools either.
The Hidden Sand Village could now only rely on Konoha Village. In other words, it was essentially a vassal state, so maintaining good relations with Konoha was extremely important.
And now, Naruto and his companions had been supporting Gaara all the way.
Although Naruto still looked like a child, everyone knew that he was Lady Tsunade's chosen successor and the heir to the position of Fifth Hokage.
The Five Kage Summit had already proven this.
No one could forget Naruto's terrifying strength and brilliant military achievements.
Despite his young age, he was perhaps already one of the strongest figures in Konoha Village. Only Tsunade, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and a few others possessed greater prestige.
His reputation was rapidly rising among the younger generation, even surpassing names such as Kakashi Hatake.
In a sense, Naruto's words represented the will of the Hokage and the entire Konoha Village.
Hinata, Sasuke, Asuma Sarutobi, Kitsuchi, and the others clearly understood this point.
That's why Baki had said those words.
Hinata thought to herself:
Naruto-kun, you probably don't even realize it, but your words alone are enough to influence the general direction of the entire Ninja World...
After Baki finished speaking, even the stubborn elders fell silent.
Ebizo immediately seized the opportunity.
"Let's vote by a show of hands. Those who agree that Gaara should become the Fifth Kazekage, please raise your hands."
Except for two or three particularly stubborn elders, everyone slowly raised their hands.
A smile finally appeared on Baki's face.
He took a deep breath, relaxed, and spoke in a firm voice.
"Good. Then, from today onward, Gaara is officially qualified to assume the position of Kazekage!"
"But the elders don't need to worry. I won't rush Gaara into the position without making absolutely certain that he's fully prepared. I'll do everything I can to complete the transition smoothly and ensure that the Hidden Sand Village never falls into chaos again."
Ebizo nodded.
"Hmm. Then I'll leave it to you, Baki."
At this point, it was only a matter of time before Gaara became the Kazekage.
Naruto couldn't help but feel happy for Gaara, but at the same time, he felt a sense of urgency.
Gaara is going to become the Kazekage... So how far away am I from becoming Hokage?
The incident in the Hidden Sand Village had finally come to an end.
Although Naruto had been surprised that the One-Tailed Beast had been captured by the Akatsuki Organization, Gaara had successfully been rescued.
Furthermore, another member of the Akatsuki Organization, Deidara, had been killed by Naruto in his fury.
Sasori of the Red Sand had also been defeated by Grandma Chiyo and Hinata.
So far, four Akatsuki members had died at Naruto's hands: Orochimaru, Hidan, Kakuzu, and Deidara.
With the death of Sasori of the Red Sand, the Akatsuki Organization had also suffered heavy losses.
Only Pain, Konan, Kisame Hoshigaki, Itachi Uchiha, Tobi, and Zetsu remained.
Six members.
However, the Akatsuki Organization had already obtained the chakra of the One-Tailed, Two-Tailed, Four-Tailed, Five-Tailed, Six-Tailed, and Eight-Tailed Beasts.
Even though Gaara and Killer Bee weren't actually dead, the Akatsuki had indeed obtained the chakra of their respective Tailed Beasts.
At present, the Five Great Nations had only the Three-Tailed Beast, the Seven-Tailed Jinchuriki Fu under Konoha's protection, and the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki—Naruto himself.
Naruto and his companions were also preparing to bid farewell to the Hidden Sand Village.
Gaara looked at Naruto, his heart filled with complicated emotions.
"Naruto, thanks to you, my destiny has changed."
"I'm no longer a Jinchuriki, and I might even become the Kazekage..."
"Maybe people really do need me."
"But you're different. You've already proven everything through your own efforts."
Naruto smiled.
"Gaara, I'm really happy to see you become Kazekage. Just like you said, this proves that our destinies can be changed."
"As for me..."
"It doesn't matter whether I'm a Jinchuriki or not. I've already made a pact with Kurama inside my body. He is no longer the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that torments me. He is Kurama, and he's willing to coexist peacefully with me."
"That's enough for me right now."
Gaara also smiled slightly.
"Being able to reach an understanding with the Tailed Beast inside your body is, in itself, a way of changing your destiny."
"Previously, only the Fourth Mizukage and the Eight-Tailed Jinchuriki, Killer Bee, were able to accomplish this."
"Meanwhile, achieving this is probably even more difficult than becoming Kazekage."
Naruto laughed.
"Last time, you said that you hoped we'd meet again as Kage. But you're still ahead of me."
"Still, I'll continue working hard. Becoming Hokage is my dream, and I don't think it's that far away!"
Gaara nodded.
"Hmm. Then let's make a promise to meet again as Kage."
"Okay, my friend!"
The group left the Hidden Sand Village and returned to Konoha Village.
After returning to the village, Naruto, Asuma Sarutobi, Might Guy, and the others reported everything to Hokage Tsunade.
Tsunade couldn't help but sigh.
"Grandma Chiyo was indeed an old rival of mine. But she retired and disappeared a long time ago. I never expected her to reappear for the sake of her granddaughter..."
"In any case, she died a fitting death, placing all her hopes in the younger generation."
Nara Shikaku spoke seriously.
"Hokage-sama, although Gaara has been rescued, the One-Tailed Beast is still in the hands of the Akatsuki Organization."
"This brings them one step closer to their goal of capturing all nine Tailed Beasts."
"We must take action as well."
"The Dawn Alliance's efforts have indeed been effective. For example, we successfully secured the Three-Tailed Beast. However, we unexpectedly lost the One-Tailed Beast."
"Now, only the Three-Tailed Beast in the Hidden Mist Village and the Seven-Tailed and Nine-Tailed Beasts under Konoha's protection remain."
"We absolutely cannot afford to make any more mistakes."
Tsunade nodded.
"Shikaku is right. I also received intelligence concerning the Mizukage."
"Mei Terumī communicated with the Three-Tailed Beast for a long time, and eventually, the Three-Tailed Beast agreed to be sealed once again."
"And the new Jinchuriki..."
"It is the Mizukage herself."
Naruto's heart trembled.
"Did Aunt Mei Terumī choose to become a Jinchuriki of her own free will?!"
He understood the suffering that came with being a Jinchuriki, so he couldn't help but admire Mei Terumī's decision.
Tsunade sighed.
"First, the Hidden Mist Village doesn't have a more suitable candidate."
"Second, the Three-Tailed Beast itself agreed to be sealed again because it was the best option. In its wild state, it would be much easier for the Akatsuki Organization to target."
"Third, if the Mizukage can maintain a perfect Jinchuriki form with the Three-Tailed Beast, it will be a tremendous advantage to both the Hidden Mist Village and the entire Ninja World."
"Ultimately, this is the best outcome we could achieve after careful consideration."
Naruto could only nod.
"However, if the Akatsuki Organization attacks with its full strength, the Hidden Mist Village may not be able to resist."
"The village has only recently recovered from the era of the Bloody Mist and hasn't yet regained its former strength."
"Therefore, as the leader of the Dawn Alliance, I plan to send elite Ninjas from the other four Great Nations to the Hidden Mist Village."
"They will work together to protect the Three-Tailed Beast."
"From Kumogakure, Darui and C will lead the team. Kitsuchi will continue to lead the Iwagakure forces, while Sunagakure will send Baki, Onpu, and others."
"As for Konoha Village..."
"Might Guy, Yamato, I want the two of you to lead our team."
"Yamato has already been to the Hidden Mist Village during the previous mission involving the Three-Tailed Beast, so he's more familiar with the situation there."
"Might Guy's combat strength will be our ultimate guarantee."
"Jiraiya and Kakashi haven't returned yet. Mighty Guy, you're currently one of the strongest warriors in Konoha Village, so..."
"This task will be entrusted to the two of you."
Might Guy laughed.
"Great! Don't worry, Hokage-sama!"
Yamato nodded.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Tsunade continued in a deep voice.
"As for Konoha Village's internal affairs..."
"No matter how arrogant the Akatsuki Organization may be, it shouldn't launch a full-scale invasion so easily."
"After all, infiltrating the current Konoha Village isn't easy."
Everyone nodded.
Although Konoha Village wasn't as powerful as it had been during its heyday, it still had a Hokage.
Under Tsunade's leadership, Konoha possessed veteran powerhouses such as Jiraiya, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Danzo Shimura, as well as core combatants like Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Yamato, Asuma Sarutobi, and others.
Among the younger generation, Naruto had already developed the ability to stand on his own.
Such a force was something the Akatsuki Organization wouldn't dare challenge recklessly.
Of course, Tsunade couldn't completely rule out that possibility.
Nara Shikaku sighed.
"Actually, our best approach right now is to attack defensively."
"We should use the combined strength of the entire Ninja World to destroy the Akatsuki Organization before they have the opportunity to slowly erode our forces."
"However, we still know nothing about the Akatsuki Organization's base of operations."
Tsunade said,
"Jiraiya has been investigating them for a long time. With his abilities, it's only a matter of time before he finds their base."
"Hahahahaha! As expected of Tsunade. You're still the person who understands me best!"
At that very moment, a familiar and gentle voice suddenly echoed through the room.
Hearing that voice, Naruto's expression immediately lit up.
He turned around in surprise and shouted,
"Perverted Sage!"
"You're finally back!"
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Tsunade also smiled involuntarily.
"Jiraiya! Since you're back, you must have made considerable progress, right?"
Jiraiya walked over casually, found a chair, and sat down.
"Ah, I suppose so."
Everyone's hearts immediately raced with excitement.
Naruto eagerly asked,
"Where? Where exactly is the Akatsuki headquarters?"
Jiraiya nodded.
"It doesn't necessarily have to be the Akatsuki's main base."
"However, we need to confirm the location of the Akatsuki's leader, the man who calls himself Pain."
"And that location is..."
"The Hidden Rain Village!"
Tsunade was surprised.
"The Hidden Rain Village?"
Jiraiya's expression darkened.
"Yes."
"I met Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan there..."
"So they probably never truly separated."
Everyone knew that Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki Organization, possessed the Rinnegan, the legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths.
His identity was also deeply connected to Jiraiya's three former disciples.
Therefore, Jiraiya's feelings were naturally extremely complicated.
Naruto quickly said,
"Perverted Sage, since we know that the leader is in the Hidden Rain Village, what are we waiting for?"
"Let's unite the forces of the Five Great Nations, raid the Hidden Rain Village, eliminate that villain, and destroy the entire Akatsuki Organization in one fell swoop!"
Kakashi shook his head.
"Naruto, it's not that simple."
"The Hidden Rain Village is extremely secluded. Although they send Genin to participate in the Chunin Exams, no one knows what is happening inside the village."
"On the surface, it looks almost exactly the same as it did when Hanzo of the Salamander was in control."
"But in reality..."
"This place has already become a zone of suffering."
"None of this crucial intelligence has leaked to the outside world."
"The outside world doesn't even know that Hanzo is dead."
"That alone demonstrates just how tightly the village is controlled."
"If we act recklessly, not only will we accomplish nothing, but we may also alert the enemy."
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