Caw—! Caw—!
Several crows flew across the sky. The afterglow of the setting sun painted the horizon with crimson clouds.
Orochimaru left the house silently, unnoticed by the ANBU Ninja guarding Akagitsune and Eryu around the house.
How interesting... Normally, given Sunagakure's strength, no matter how weak Konoha was, Sunagakure shouldn't be able to attack it. Why did the Third Kazekage come up with the idea of attacking Konoha?
Is Sunagakure trying to take advantage of Konoha's Ninja being mostly tied up by Iwagakure and Kumogakure, leaving it with little defensive power?
However, currently, apart from the Ninja of various major Ninja clans, only Sakumo Hatake is active on the front lines. Neither the Konohas Sannin nor the Konoha Higher-Ups are in the Village, not to mention the Ninja responsible for defense.
Even if Sunagakure had the ability to attack Konoha, wouldn't it be afraid of its attacking forces being completely wiped out?
And locking the powerful Chiyo in prison is the most foolish act.
What was the Third Kazekage thinking?
Orochimaru truly couldn't understand or figure out why he would make such a decision.
Sunagakure's geographical location is simply not suitable for external warfare; it's only suitable for quiet development. Wouldn't it be better to let the outside world fight in chaos while it peacefully develops itself?
Orochimaru suddenly thought of a problem: the Daimyo of the Wind Country.
For Sunagakure to want to develop quietly would be a slow death. According to the intelligence she received, the Daimyo of the Wind Country had reduced Sunagakure's budget more than once.
Aside from the funds provided by the Daimyo, Sunagakure, which relies entirely on earning money from missions, inherently lacks the ability to sustain itself, akin to a slow death.
If this continues, Sunagakure will gradually fade away, even without attacks from other Various Ninja Villages.
Yes, it will disappear. Given this situation, unless Sunagakure can find new ways to make money, it will simply vanish into the desert.
However, given Sunagakure's situation, it truly lacks any productive capacity.
Rasa is only 11 years old now and cannot yet control Gold Dust. Otherwise, he could have been sent to pan for gold in the desert, where endless gold awaits him, the prospector, in the Land of Wind's desert.
"Orochimaru, why are you helping them?"
Ichikishimahime emerged from Orochimaru's collar, transforming back into her human form. Her slender arms wrapped around her neck, floating beside her like a spirit.
"To recruit talent for Konoha."
Orochimaru paused, looking at Akagitsune and Eryu as they left their home.
"It seems they've made their decision."
"Aren't you not very attached to Konoha?"
Ichikishimahime took off the hood on Orochimaru's head, and her dark, beautiful hair cascaded down her shoulders.
In the eyes of others, Orochimaru's hood seemed to have been blown off by the wind.
"My attachment to Konoha is indeed not high, but there are people I value here."
Orochimaru retracted her gaze. She had merely given a slight push to everything; as for how it would develop, it had little to do with her.
"Anything you want to eat tonight?"
Orochimaru planned to buy some ingredients before returning home.
"Eggs! Meat!"
Ichikishimahime raised her hand.
"Hmm, there will be dishes with eggs and meat."
Orochimaru's lips curled slightly. Ichikishimahime was, as always, very interested in food.
Hokage Building
"Akagitsune, Eryu, why have you come?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the couple who pushed open the door and walked in, asking with a friendly smile, "Have you encountered any difficulties?"
"Hokage-sama, there is a very serious matter."
Akagitsune stepped forward. A shadow suddenly appeared, blocking him. It was an ANBU Ninja responsible for protecting the Hokage.
"Please give this to Hokage-sama."
Akagitsune took out a scroll and handed it to the ANBU Ninja.
The ANBU Ninja meticulously inspected the scroll, confirming that it had no issues before placing it on the desk.
"Let me see."
Hiruzen Sarutobi opened the scroll, his brows furrowing slightly. After reading the scroll, his brows were tightly knit, as if tied in a knot. He lit his pipe, took a deep puff, and slowly exhaled smoke, seemingly contemplating something.
"You understand what this means, right? Are you truly willing to betray Sunagakure for Konoha?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Akagitsune and Eryu with complex emotions. They had come to Konoha for their own Village, yet they were willing to betray their Village for Konoha.
On one hand, they had felt the Will of Fire; on the other hand, they were Suna Ninja who had come to Konoha as envoys to witness the friendship between Konoha and Sunagakure.
"I can pretend I didn't see this scroll, and you can both return safely to Sunagakure."
"Hokage-sama, we have already made our decision. Konoha has done nothing to wrong Sunagakure. It is Sunagakure that wishes to tear up the alliance agreement and disrupt the coming peace…"
Eryu sighed, then continued, "If it were just us, we would be willing to sacrifice for Sunagakure, but we cannot abandon Sasori. We cannot let young Sasori lose his parents from an early age."
"I understand."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression suddenly became serious. He solemnly asked, "Then, Akagitsune, Eryu, are you willing to renounce your status as Suna Ninja and become Konoha Ninja?"
"We are willing!"
Akagitsune and Eryu knelt on one knee, saying in unison.
"Then, from today onwards, you are Konoha Ninja, serving as Konoha's Special Jonin."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took out two forehead protectors from a drawer and placed them on the desk. "By the way, once your child is a bit older, he can attend the Ninja Academy. He'll also be able to meet more peers and make friends."
"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama!"
Akagitsune and Eryu hadn't expected the Hokage of Konoha to accept them so readily.
After Akagitsune and Eryu left, Hiruzen Sarutobi held a slip of paper in his hand and said helplessly, "Orochimaru, Orochimaru, you really know how to give me things to do."
The slip of paper in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand turned to ash. He rose and went to the command center. The upcoming meeting was to discuss how to deal with the impending attack from Sunagakure.
As Akagitsune and Eryu neared their home, they felt something different. Previously, they could sense the gaze of ANBU Ninja, but this time, they felt nothing.
This meant that the ANBU Ninja who had been monitoring them had been withdrawn; they were no longer considered a presence that needed to be watched.
In their hearts, their evaluation of Hiruzen Sarutobi soared.
How much magnanimity and courage it must take to do this!
Indeed, Lord Orochimaru was right!
The Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, was truly willing to accept them!
Hokage Building, Command Center.
"Tear up the alliance agreement?! How could Sunagakure commit such a malicious act!"
Utatane Koharu's face turned red with anger, truly furious at Sunagakure's betrayal.
"Hiruzen, what should we do? Should we arrange personnel in advance to await Sunagakure's arrival?"
Homura Mitokado pushed up his glasses and asked. Not trusting Sunagakure, he had long anticipated its betrayal of Konoha, but he hadn't expected this day to come so quickly.
"No, strengthen border patrols and 'accidentally' discover Sunagakure's movements."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stated his idea.
"I agree with Hiruzen's idea. If Sunagakure knows we're aware of their actions, they might change their plan."
Danzo Shimura said in a deep voice. It was clear to anyone that the war between Konoha and Iwagakure and Kumagakure would soon end. Sunagakure's actions at this time were clearly intended to take advantage of Konoha's weakened state to inflict heavy damage.
If Sunagakure knew their plan had been exposed, they might stay put. And until Sunagakure definitively showed signs of betraying the alliance, Konoha couldn't do anything to them.
If Sunagakure acted when Konoha lowered its guard, it would be very disadvantageous for Konoha at that time.
"Akagitsune and Eryu, what should we do with those two Suna spies?"
Utatane Koharu directly labeled Akagitsune and Eryu as spies, clearly indicating that this ruthless individual had murderous intent.
Her reasoning was simple: If Sunagakure was going to tear up the alliance agreement and betray Konoha, why should she keep Sunagakure's envoys?
"What Suna spies?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi lightly coughed and said, "Koharu, you shouldn't speak carelessly. They have already renounced their status as Suna Ninja and are now Konoha's Special Jonin. Once they make sufficient contributions to Konoha, they will become Konoha's Jonin."
Akagitsune and Eryu's strength was sufficient to be Jonin. The reason he didn't make them Jonin was, on one hand, their blank record in Konoha, and on the other hand, becoming a Jonin not only required strength but also a certain level of prestige.
Every Jonin in Konoha, and even the Land of Fire, was a well-known figure.
This was the same in all Various Ninja Villages; Jonin represented the strongest fighting force below the Kage.
(There is no Elite Jonin rank; if anything, it means there are strong and weak Jonin.)
"What?!"
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi in shock.
Even Danzo Shimura looked at him with an incredulous expression.
"Hiruzen, have you gone senile?"
Utatane Koharu looked suspiciously at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was only in his forties, unable to comprehend why he would make such a decision—to take in Ninja from an enemy Village.
"How do you think I got this information? Do you think I don't know the consequences of accepting them?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi retorted with a series of questions.
"Could it be that this information was…"
Homura Mitokado's eyes held a hint of shock and disbelief.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly and said, "That's right, this information was personally handed to me by Akagitsune and Eryu."
"Hiruzen, your decision to accept them was too rash. For such an important matter, you should have discussed it with us."
Danzo Shimura frowned, a hint of displeasure in his eyes.
"I saw the Will of Fire in them. They were willing to sacrifice their lives for Sunagakure, but they were unwilling to commit such an act of betrayal! For their young child, for the future of new sprouts, they were willing to renounce their Suna Ninja status and become Konoha Ninja!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed the reason for accepting Akagitsune and Eryu.
Danzo Shimura, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado fell silent. With words having reached this point, their opposition was useless. They couldn't force Hiruzen Sarutobi to send people to retrieve Akagitsune and Eryu's forehead protectors, could they?
They still cared about their reputation. The Hokage's decision represented their decision, and such an act of going back on their word would also cause them to lose face. It would be as if the great Konoha could not accommodate their family.
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