"Arashi, can we finally lift the restrictions on the Arakawa family?"
Inside the Hidden Sand's Intelligence Department, Jogaki Shikasa looked at Arakawa Arashi with a troubled expression.
The punishment dealt to the Arakawa clan during this period had been severe enough; the once-great family was now shattered, leaving only Arakawa Maru to struggle alone.
As the Commander of the Jonin Brigade, Shikasa currently had three Jonin under his command who hailed from the Arakawa family.
They were still under detention, their bodies suppressed by numerous seals that prevented them from extracting even Genin-level chakra.
In Shikasa's eyes, such a penalty was excessive. These three Jonin had always performed excellently within the brigade. Despite their background, their work had never been flawed.
Arashi's relentless suppression of the Arakawa family—striking down any person or matter associated with them—had finally reached a point where Shikasa could no longer stand by. He had come personally to speak with Arashi.
"They only entered the Jonin Brigade in the first place through the family's 'special' trading methods. Punishing them now is perfectly justified," Arashi replied. Facing Shikasa, he offered no face at all, rejecting the request without a second thought.
"You..."
Shikasa stared at Arashi, hardly believing his ears. He couldn't understand why Arashi wouldn't even let three ordinary Jonin go.
"The Arakawa family is an enemy of the Kazekage. You cannot afford to show an enemy too much mercy," Arashi explained calmly. However, as the Commander of the Jonin, Shikasa did not accept this reasoning.
"The Arakawa clan is also a part of the Sand. The punishment they received initially was enough."
"It is not enough. Not nearly enough."
Closing the files in his hand, Arashi ignored Shikasa and walked out the door.
The memory of Arakawa Akita wantonly murdering his comrades and delivering their severed heads to Shiraishi as an apology had long since become Arashi's nightmare.
Until the Arakawa family was completely liquidated, he would not let go.
Watching Arashi's retreating back, Shikasa's clenched fists slowly relaxed. He couldn't change Arashi's conviction.
He had originally intended to go to the Kazekage's office to discuss this with Shiraishi, but ultimately, he shook his head.
As Shiraishi's brother, Shikasa felt he should support him unconditionally. He had witnessed the past conflicts between the factions; although tensions had eased for a time, Arakawa Maru's blunder had given Shiraishi the perfect excuse to act, leading to the current tragedy of the clan.
In truth, this was an inevitable outcome. Shikasa was well aware of Shiraishi's attitude toward the three Sand Style lineages.
If it hadn't been for Yamaji Ryoko's final sacrifice, which left Shiraishi feeling indebted to the Yamaji family, they likely would have been purged alongside the Arakawa.
In contrast to the Arakawa family's desolation, the Yamaji family was now flourishing. Yamaji Mochiharu currently serves as the Captain of the Barrier Team, responsible for maintaining the second layer of the new village's perimeter defenses.
A vast number of trade projects had been handed to the Yamaji family. Mochiharu's personal business acumen was exceptional, securing round after round of large-scale orders for the New Hidden Sand and bringing in massive wealth for the Kazekage.
Mochiharu's capability even surpassed that of the late Ryoko. Consequently, Shiraishi's initial rejection of the Yamaji family had shifted into heavy reliance.
Among the three Sand Style lineages, Rasa's family had long since withered. The rise of the Yamai and the fall of the Arakawa rested entirely on the Kazekage's whim—a testament to Shiraishi's absolute authority within the village.
"Big brother Yashamaru."
One day, while Shiraishi was handling paperwork in his office, he saw Yashamaru enter, holding the hand of a little girl. Shiraishi's expression immediately brightened with joy.
"Haha, Lord Kazekage. I'm here to submit my mission report today."
After handing the scroll to Shiraishi, Yashamaru looked back down to coax the pink, delicate blonde toddler in front of him.
Yashamaru's recent mission hadn't been combat-oriented. Furthermore, since Rasa was away searching for gold veins, the duty of looking after Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara had fallen back onto Yashamaru.
Gaara was currently under observation by Lady Chiyo, and Kankuro was at home with a caregiver. Little Temari, however, loved to follow the crowd, so Yashamaru had brought her along to the office.
"Little Temari has grown so much."
Two years ago, Temari was just a baby; now, she could walk and talk normally.
Seeing Shiraishi in his formal Kazekage robes, Little Temari was a bit shy, hiding behind Yashamaru's legs and peeking out cautiously.
Yashamaru laughed and picked up the little girl. "Little Temari, greet the Kazekage."
"Hello, Lord Kazekage~."
Though she was a bit afraid, Temari was very obedient to her uncle, reciting the polite greeting she had memorized.
Looking at Temari, Shiraishi suddenly thought of Karura's other child, Gaara. He turned and asked, "Is Gaara's condition still not stable?"
"No. Shukaku's seal is still in a state of instability. It's very difficult to suppress."
The One-Tail, Shukaku, was the most proficient in sealing jutsu among the Tailed Beasts. Therefore, conventional Jinchuriki sealing methods had limited effectiveness against it. Coupled with its violent temperament, the seal frequently showed signs of breaking.
To deal with this, Lady Chiyo and Ebizo were guarding Gaara almost twenty-four hours a day, helping his tiny body suppress the Tailed Beast's presence.
This was a massive drain on the elders' energy. It was also something Shiraishi found difficult to justify; in his view, the necessity of the One-Tail Jinchuriki was questionable. Not only was the control over the beast unstable, but it often brought nothing but chaos.
With this in mind, Shiraishi decided to head to Gaara's nursery to personally confirm the Jinchuriki situation.
Inside a special barrier in the village, surrounded by countless sealing tags, the infant Gaara's crying echoed through the secret chamber. Suddenly, a surge of frantic chakra erupted, making his cries even louder.
The moment Shiraishi entered the barrier, Shukaku's chakra seemed to seize the opportunity, forming a vortex of energy that lashed out at him. Chiyo sighed helplessly at the sight—it seemed Shukaku really didn't like Shiraishi.
Facing the provocation of the One-Tail's chakra, Shiraishi simply opened his hand and crushed the incoming attack with his fingers.
"Shukaku's power... is only this much."
His words made Lady Chiyo and the others not know whether to laugh or cry. My dear Lord Kazekage, please don't make things worse. Provoking Shukaku now is pointless; it will only hurt Gaara.
Predictably, Shiraishi's mockery deeply stung Shukaku's pride. Instantly, sand and grit began to swirl violently within the room as the chakra entered a state of frantic riot.
"Human, you have a lot of nerve to provoke this Great One!"
"Provoke? Are you even worthy?"
"You're asking for death!"
Before Shiraishi could leave for the Land of Grass and the Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron, he needed to settle the matter of Shukaku once and for all.
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