Hey guys, here is the new chapter hope you will liked and read thru everything.
What do you think about Sasori and what is
about to happen? Will Konoha lose, or will Suna be driven back to the desert as has always happened in previous wars?
Also for a extra chapter 100 powerstone
Don't forget to leave your power stones along with your comment if you have any ideas or opinions that could help me, as well as a review to continue showing your support.
Enjoy the chapter!
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A few days had passed since the Great Battle of Kanzaki.
The sun began to rise on a new day for the city, which only a short time ago had been a bloody battlefield between two hidden villages. Now, it seemed to be returning to a strange sort of normalcy.
With Suna firmly in control, Konoha had been forced to retreat. Since then, Sunagakure had seized the opportunity to fortify the area, positioning all their shinobi in defensive formation while the reconstruction began.
Daigo stood in the center of the main plaza. Since recovering from his grueling battle against the Sannin of the Toads, Daigo had dedicated himself to a single task: the reconstruction of the city. With fluid movements, he raised entire walls of stone and reinforced the structures of houses for civilians who had been left homeless.
The citizens of Kanzaki, who had initially hidden in cellars expecting execution when found by the Suna ninjas, felt a wave of relief.
No massacre occurred; instead, their movement was restricted, but they were provided with places to stay, food, and everything necessary to live in a controlled quarantine until the war ended.
Even the civilians, seeing that the Suna shinobi were keeping their word, began to look at them with less terror. They still feared for their lives, of course, but they realized it was better to keep those who could kill them happy rather than giving them a reason to strike.
Daigo worked mostly in silence, focused on his labor of rebuilding the walls that once again defended the city. With the streets and houses ready, the Suna shinobi were stationed on guard most on the walls, while others patrolled the streets to maintain control and capture any spies that might have slipped through.
At the top of what was once the administrative headquarters, now serving as the provisional office of the Kazekage, three figures observed the horizon. The Third Kazekage stood in the center, flanked by Rasa and Daigo, the latter having just arrived after finishing most of the day's construction.
The Kazekage pointed south and then east, where green fields stretched as far as the eye could see.
"Observe closely, my disciples," said the Third Kazekage, his voice resonating with a peace that contrasted sharply with the war they had been fighting.
"Kanzaki is not just a captured city. It is the lung of the southern Land of Fire. For decades, Konoha has prospered thanks to these trade routes. Forty percent of the supplies that feed their capital pass through here. By taking this point, we haven't just taken territory; we have cut off a massive percentage of their resources."
Rasa nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. He glanced at his sensei before speaking. "The geographic position is perfect. We are far enough from Konoha to fortify ourselves, yet close enough to be a constant threat. With the climate of this region, our food reserves will triple within a year along with our wealth."
"Exactly," the Kazekage continued, turning his gaze toward Daigo. "Daigo, your reconstruction work is not just charity. It is politics. If the civilians see us as protectors rather than tyrants, Konoha will have to fight not only our jutsu but their own people if they try to retake the city. We have turned an outpost into an extension of Sunagakure. The desert is no longer our only home; now, this stretch of forest belongs to us."
"I understand, Sensei. That's why I chose to attack this city before retreating and coming back later," Daigo said, his pink eye fixed on Pakura in the distance, who was deploying ninjas to various sectors. "Konoha is in a position where they cannot focus solely on us making th invasion easier."
"Indeed. Excellent work, Daigo. I believe with you all here, Sunagakure has a brighter future than in past wars. Continue giving your power to Suna, and we will take it to a higher level."
Hours later, Daigo headed to the base's medical facilities. Although Sunagakure did not have as many medical ninjas as Konoha the supreme authority in medical ninjutsu those they did have were treated as high-ranking assets.
He came to see Sasori, knowing he wasn't the type to stay still in a hospital bed.
Entering the private workshop Sasori had assigned to himself, he found him surrounded by scrolls, precision tools, and high-quality wood pieces.
Sasori sat before a massive blueprint. His left arm ended in a bandaged stump, but with his right hand, he was drawing complex diagrams of a human body... or what appeared to be one.
"Am I interrupting your next masterpiece?" Daigo asked, approaching.
Sasori didn't even look up. His eyes were completely focused on the diagrams.
"You aren't interrupting. I'm focused on this new project. This fight against Orochimaru, and the previous one against Jinin, put me in situations where my weak body risked me to death," Sasori said, his voice as cold as ever, though Daigo could sense the disappointment he felt in himself.
Daigo approached the blueprint and nodded at what he saw. Sasori was designing a transfer system. He didn't just want a prosthesis; he wanted to turn his entire body into a puppet. A central core for his heart, and the rest, wood and mechanisms.
"If I do this," Sasori continued, his voice growing colder, "I will be able to control a hundred puppets at once. There will be no bleeding. No muscle fatigue. I will be the ultimate weapon. Only a direct hit to my core could stop me... but I would achieve my dream of being the strongest puppeteer in the shinobi world."
Daigo placed a hand on the blueprint, stopping the movement of Sasori's pen. The redhead looked at him with a spark of irritation.
"Sasori, stop for a second," Daigo said calmly but firmly.
"I understand why you want to do it. You want power and invulnerability. But the shinobi world is vast, and puppet science isn't the only way to reach the top. I've been thinking... and there are ways to gain that resilience without losing the body you were born with."
Sasori let out a dry laugh. "Other ways? Like your crystal? Not all of us are born with the ability to create such a convenient Kekkei Genkai, or a strong body, Daigo."
"This isn't about me; we're talking about what you can do," Daigo replied, his eyes shining with an idea he had been harboring for a while, remembering the Sasori from the anime.
"In this lands, powerful techniques have been created. I know of a certain clan that has a technique... if we can learn it, it could help you achieve your goal."
Sasori fell silent, looking at Daigo. For a moment, the obsession in his eyes wavered before his friend's logic.
"And what is this idea?" Sasori asked with genuine curiosity.
"For now, I'll keep it to myself to make sure it's the right fit for the concept," Daigo smiled, withdrawing his hand from the blueprint.
"For now, build the puppet that would be your body. Add everything necessary so that if you ever do decide to become one, you can. But trust me we will find a way to make you the strongest puppeteer in Suna without you ceasing to be yourself."
Sasori sighed and dropped the pen. "You have my trust, Daigo. But don't make me wait too long. You know that's the one thing I hate to do."
In Konoha
Meanwhile, miles away in the Hidden Leaf Village, the atmosphere was radically different. There was no construction, only a tension thick enough to be cut with a kunai.
The Hokage's briefing room was full. Not only were the advisors Koharu and Homura present, but also the leaders of all the major clans: the Uchiha, Hyūga, Nara, Akimichi, Aburame, inuzuka and even the minor clans.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, smoked his pipe with a somber expression. Beside him, Jiraiya stood with arms crossed, bandages visible beneath his clothes.
Orochimaru stood in a corner, watching the clan leaders with a gelid gaze.
"Kanzaki has fallen," Hiruzen said, his voice heavy with weariness. "And with it, our primary southern supply route. But what is most concerning is not the loss of territory, but the report brought by my disciples who were defending the city."
Jiraiya stepped forward, taking the floor. His tone was serious, devoid of his usual playfulness.
"Suna is no longer the desperate village we once knew. Their shinobi are operating with a coordination we've never seen before.
They've stopped using simple ambush and puppet tactics; now they attack with every tool available new and old. They have ninjas you've likely heard of, and they are more powerful then we anticipated."
Jiraiya paused to ensure everyone was paying attention before continuing.
"First, one of Suna's strongest and youngest kunoichi, Pakura of the Scorch Style. Then Rasa of the Gold Dust, a rising shinobi and student of the Third Kazekage. And though information is scarce, there is the new Jinchūriki, Arata. Of course, there are the ones we already know, like the Ebisu and Chiyo, and the Kazekage himself."
The clan leaders absorbed this information, some surprised by the roster Suna had assembled, while others nodded, having heard the rumors.
"However, that isn't the end of it. In the battle, we identified other ninjas with talent that makes Suna more dangerous than ever.
First, Sasori of the Red Sands. He is a tactical genius who seriously pressured Orochimaru despite his young age judging by his appearance, he can't be more than fifteen."
Jiraiya was about to continue, but another voice spoke, drawing everyone's attention to Orochimaru.
"This ninja, Sasori, is a formidable puppeteer, but he has developed a truly dark technique... he calls it the 'Human Puppet' art," Orochimaru said.
Murmurs of surprise and interest rippled through the room after hearing the technique name.
"Human puppets are exactly what the name suggests. Sasori can take the body of any fallen shinobi and use it as a standard puppet. However, the most dangerous part is that these puppets are capable of using the jutsus they possessed while alive. A significant threat. I do not know how he does it, but he must be a genius to achieve such a thing."
With the revelation of puppets capable of using jutsu, the council room turned into a hornet's nest. Everyone began talking and asking questions at once, but Orochimaru said nothing more just maintaining a quit attitude.
Hiruzen, who had made no move to interrupt his students, broke the noise with a cough that silenced the room.
"Well done in obtaining this information, Orochimaru. Puppets capable of using jutsu are a dangerous technique indeed, but we will be ready when we face them again. After this meeting, give me a full report about his puppets. I believe Jiraiya hasn't finished speaking let him continue."
Jiraiya nodded and continued.
"Thank you, Sensei. As I was saying, there is one more: his name is Daigo. That boy not only masters the Shōton (Crystal Style) at an absurd level, but his vision of the battlefield is frightening. He is around the same age as Sasori and possesses a technique I'm not sure how it works, but its boosts his physical abilities similarly to the Eight Inner Gates."
With the information about Daigo, even more questions arose, prompting Jiraiya to raise his hand to signal for silence so he could continue.
"That's right, he is remarkably strong for a youth, but there is something else: he has a an elephant summoning. They are incredibly powerful, capable of even holding their own against Gamabunta in a fight. Honestly, if Suna stays on this path, Daigo has the potential to be the next Kazekage, perhaps even surpassing Rasa or the others in strategic importance. He is the heart of their new morale and suna hope."
A whisper ran through the room. For a Sannin to speak this way of such a young enemy was unheard of.
Fugaku Uchiha narrowed his eye, processing the info, while Shikaku Nara was already mentally mapping the new threats.
"The situation is critical," Hiruzen continued. "Kumo has officially withdrawn from the war following their recent losses, meaning the conflict has narrowed to a deadly triangle between us, Iwa, and Suna.
Iwa presses us from the North, and Suna is now 'inside' our house in the South. We cannot fight a two-front war for much longer. We have been in continuous combat for nearly two years, and our resources are depleting rapidly."
At that moment, a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes, who had been listening silently near the door, stepped forward. His mere presence seemed to calm the tension in the room.
It was Minato Namikaze, whose fame as the "Yellow Flash" was beginning to spread across all nations especially in the land of earth an lightning.
"Hokage-sama," Minato said in a clear, respectful voice.
"If I may, I have a proposal. Suna is our most direct threat right now because they are in our territory, but Iwa is what keeps the bulk of our forces occupied on the northern front. If we can remove Iwa from the equation in a single stroke, we can concentrate the full power of Konoha including the clans present here on reclaiming the South and crushing Suna's offensive."
Hiruzen nodded, understanding the young man's vision before asking him a question.
"Do you have a plan, Minato?"
"The Kanabi Bridge," Minato declared. "It is the primary supply artery for Iwa. If we destroy that bridge, their offensive will collapse within weeks. I propose leading an infiltration team to sabotage that route.
Meanwhile, the rest of our forces must maintain a defensive line against Suna in Kanzaki, avoiding open battle and simply containing them. Once Iwa falls, Suna will find themselves alone against a reunified Konoha."
Minato's proposal was met with nods of approval from the clan leaders. The logic of the Nara and the power of the Uchiha and Hyūga aligned with this strategy. It was a risky plan, but it was the only way to avoid being devoured by two fronts.
Hiruzen looked around and then at Minato.
"It is a heavy burden, Minato. But I trust in your speed and your judgment. If the Kanabi Bridge falls, the war will take a definitive turn. Prepare yourself. Once we finish with the North, we will go all out against Suna. We will not allow the Kazekage to turn our country into his playground."
The meeting ended with a sense of urgency. Konoha was not defeated; it was waking up.
The entry of Minato Namikaze and the "surgical strike" strategy marked the beginning of the most bloody phase of the war.
Hundreds of miles away in Kanzaki, Daigo looked at the stars from the Kazekage's office, unaware that the fastest man in the world had just set in motion the plan that would decide the fate of them all.
End of Chapter