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Chapter 173: The Kazekage's Reckoning
The Hokage's office felt like a pressure cooker ready to blow. Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, pipe clenched between his teeth, while the three elders argued in circles.
Danzo slammed his cane down. "You're all fools if you think signing another treaty with Sand will fix anything. They already broke the last one. Releasing over a hundred prisoners for a piece of paper is suicide."
Koharu and Homura pushed back. The southern front needed breathing room. Iwagakure was breathing down their necks. A temporary alliance with Sand could buy them time to reinforce the Grass Country border.
Hiruzen stayed quiet, puffing smoke and weighing every word. He hated this. Every option felt like choosing which fire to let burn.
Then an ANBU slipped in, dropped a fresh scroll on the desk, and vanished without a word.
Hiruzen unrolled it. His face hardened as he read. Five hundred more Iwa shinobi had just reinforced the Land of Grass. Konoha's numbers there were already under two thousand. The balance was shifting fast—too fast.
He set the scroll down and looked at Danzo. No words needed. The old war hawk understood immediately. This was the final straw.
"Fine," Danzo muttered, turning away. "Handle it your way. I'm done wasting breath."
Hiruzen exhaled a long stream of smoke. "We reopen talks tomorrow. Accept Chiyo's terms. Sign the alliance. Release the prisoners. The south needs to be stable—now."
The next morning the negotiations moved quickly. Chiyo didn't push for more. Both sides signed the three-year non-aggression pact and mutual defense agreement. By afternoon she was on the road to the front lines with an escort, ready to collect her people.
---
Meanwhile, deep in the Land of Wind, Taiichi slipped back into the oasis market for the second time.
He blended with a caravan, played the part of a low-level porter, and spent the day listening. By the time the workers knocked off, he had joined a group heading to the tavern. The place was packed—merchants, off-duty Sand shinobi, the usual mix of voices and cheap sake.
Taiichi nursed a drink and let his sensory net spread just far enough to catch conversations without drawing attention.
In the far corner a four-man Sand squad was drinking hard. Their captain was trying to keep them in line, but the younger ones were loose-lipped after a few rounds.
"Captain, seriously—what the hell are we doing here? We've been on patrol for days. No action, no extra pay."
The captain shot them a warning look. "You don't ask questions about the Kazekage's movements. Ever."
Taiichi's pulse kicked up. The Third Kazekage was here. Had been for days.
He stayed another three days, using clones to sweep every corner of the oasis. Nothing. Then, just after noon on the fourth day, a deep vibration rolled through the desert floor. Even underground, Taiichi felt it.
He expanded his sensory range. Two massive chakra signatures flared at the edge of his perception—southwest, roughly a mile out. One was unmistakably the Kazekage's. The other… red hair, cold and precise. Sasori.
Taiichi moved fast, tunneling through the sand until he was close enough to hear clearly.
"You've got a hell of a temper, Lord Kazekage," Sasori drawled, standing casually on the sand. "We haven't even said hello and you're already trying to kill me."
The Third Kazekage's voice was ice. "I should have finished you the last time you showed your face. The only reason you're still breathing is because you're still useful."
Sasori smirked and unrolled a scroll. Ten human-shaped puppets dropped into the sand with soft thuds. They looked disturbingly lifelike—joints hidden, faces too perfect.
"I brought gifts," Sasori said, voice dripping with venom. "New models. I want your honest opinion, Lord Kazekage. Do you think they're strong enough to kill the White Fang?"
The Kazekage's face twisted with rage. Iron sand rose around him in a deadly storm. "You're making human puppets. You really have lost your mind."
"Lost my mind?" Sasori laughed, bitter and sharp. "You and the rest of the village called my research cruel. Said it would make us enemies of the entire shinobi world. Meanwhile you send children to die in wars and turn kids into jinchūriki. Don't lecture me about cruelty."
He snapped his fingers. All ten puppets rose at once, eyes glowing.
"Test them for me, Lord Kazekage. Tell me if they're good enough to rip Hatake Sakumo apart."
The desert wind howled as iron sand and wooden limbs prepared to clash.
Taiichi stayed perfectly still in the sand, every sense locked on the coming fight. This wasn't just a rogue ninja anymore. This was the beginning of something much worse.