For Kyoichi, these things were merely done in passing — they hardly took any effort at all.
But now…
Trying to push further was becoming increasingly difficult. Even if he went down the wrong path and seized the Sharingan, with his current limit at best being three tomoe, it would bring no substantial improvement — it might even end up dragging him down.
Given the situation, finding talent was the real key.
Everything else was just incidental, things that didn't consume much of his time or energy. Kyoichi never expected their methods to pose any real threat to Madara anyway — as long as they could deal with White Zetsu or help hold off Susanoo, that would already be enough.
Night fell, and Konoha was quiet.
Kyoichi and Minato stepped out from the ANBU headquarters, for once not rushing off with Flying Thunder God.
After walking a few steps, Minato spoke.
"Kushina… thank you. If it weren't for you, I might never have realized that Madara still holds some measure of control over the Nine Tails."
"It's nothing. Knowing and doing nothing about it — that was never an option."
Kyoichi smiled faintly.
Minato didn't continue, but he remembered this kindness well. He only nodded silently, and after they had passed another street, he finally said,
"The Flying Thunder Formation has already been mastered by three ANBU squads. Genma's team has also begun learning it. Do you have any further plans?"
"Quietly rally the other great villages. Once we pinpoint Madara's location, we strike directly and eliminate this hidden menace."
Kyoichi's tone was calm. "That time isn't far off."
"Want me to help?"
"Not yet. But when I do need you — since when have I ever been polite about it?"
Both of them laughed.
It was true…
When Kyoichi really needed help, he never held back in the slightest. He squeezed every bit of manpower to its fullest, using people to the maximum — as if they weren't even people at all.
Of course… he treated himself the same way.
His true body and clones worked endlessly without rest.
If not for his Senju constitution, no normal person could have borne such strain. Minato certainly couldn't — and he knew it, which only made him quietly envious.
As they approached a crossroads, Minato suddenly recalled something.
"By the way, I saw a report from the front lines today. A Sunagakure team crossed the border, passed straight through the Land of Rivers, and seemed to be heading toward us."
"Heh. So they've finally come."
Kyoichi smiled.
Of course they would come — after all, the Third Kazekage's corpse was in his possession, and then there was Sasori.
Neither the Fourth Kazekage nor Chiyo and Ebizō would sit still.
Especially the Fourth Kazekage.
His greatest trump card was his Magnet Release. The thought of Konoha uncovering its secrets would terrify him. If he could, he would teleport instantly to Konoha just to retrieve the Third Kazekage's body.
And Sasori…
Rasa wanted him dead, but as Kazekage, he couldn't allow Konoha to learn too much from Sasori either.
Especially not about puppet techniques.
That was Sunagakure's strongest art. If Konoha cracked it, studied it, and improved it, the results would be catastrophic for the Suna.
The Kiri's downfall was proof enough.
With Konoha's capabilities, once they got their hands on puppet jutsu, they could quickly develop a system even more advanced than Sunagakure's.
Yes, compared to the smaller villages, Suna was still one of the Five Great Nations.
But against Konoha? They were no better than Kirigakure — a mere subordinate. Compete in ninjutsu, and the result would be utter defeat, stripped of both dignity and advantage.
Rasa had no choice.
So the envoy to Konoha turned out to be none other than Pakura — a kunoichi from Chiyo and Ebizō's side.
The truth was, though Rasa held the Kazekage's title, much of the real power had been carved away by Chiyo and Ebizō. He was little more than a figurehead.
Pakura dared not delay, rushing full speed from Sunagakure to Konoha, obeying every diplomatic protocol without question.
Upon arriving in Konoha, the first thing she did was present her letter of audience.
——
Tsunade couldn't be bothered with this.
Kyoichi had his own plans, and this entire situation with Sunagakure was a trap he had carefully laid. Naturally, it was for him to deal with.
So Pakura could only wait in the Hokage building's office.
"Sensei…"
"It's fine, Konoha is probably just busy." Pakura smiled gently.
Her students fell silent.
Since when had their teacher been this patient?
Anywhere else, she would have lost her temper long ago.
But here, in Konoha, she didn't dare.
This time, she was the one in need, not Konoha. And worse, it was Sunagakure that had caused Konoha no small amount of trouble in the first place.
Her heart was uneasy, braced for the inevitable moment when Konoha would bleed them dry.
But…
That moment never came.
The longer she waited, the more restless she felt.
By midday, she was about to lose her composure and request another meeting with Tsunade, when at last the door opened.
"Apologies. Some matters delayed me this morning."
Kyoichi stepped in.
Pakura blinked.
Of all people, she hadn't expected him. By rights, she should already have been quietly eliminated by Rasa after his ascension. Yet not only was she alive, her influence seemed to have grown.
Kyoichi glanced at the striking kunoichi, not giving her a chance to react, and beckoned.
"Mm… since it's already noon, why don't we eat first?"
"This… of course. Thank you."
Pakura would have preferred to dive into negotiations, but since Kyoichi himself invited her, she couldn't refuse.
Naturally, the meal was ramen — Konoha's specialty.
Mostly, though, Kyoichi figured she wouldn't have much appetite for anything heavy, and noodles were easy to digest.
Judging by the way she ate, he was right.
Afterwards, Kyoichi led them back to the Hokage building. He had her students wait elsewhere, then took Pakura alone into a conference room.
"Kyoichi-sama, I come under orders to retrieve the bodies of the Third Kazekage and Sasori."
Pakura bowed deeply.
"I know. But there are… certain circumstances you need to understand first."
Kyoichi produced the Third Kazekage puppet, along with the so-called "corpse" of Sasori. Pakura froze, her eyes widening.
The Third Kazekage… had been turned into a puppet?
She had half-expected this, so it wasn't too shocking. But Sasori's "body"… what was this?
"Kyoichi-sama, forgive my ignorance, but… is this really Sasori's corpse?"
Her tone wasn't accusatory — she was genuinely baffled.
It was clearly a puppet.
"Of course not his true body. His real form is… special. See that cavity in the center? That's where his body originally was. I've sealed it away."
"I see…"
Pakura suddenly understood.
Sasori had transformed even his own body into a puppet. To alter oneself to such a degree…
Madness!
"In a way," Kyoichi said with a faint smile, "Sasori could be called a man standing at the very forefront of the puppet era."
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