Darn it! The brats from Konoha are slandering our Sunagakure Village again in the manga!
Sankai raged helplessly in his office.
A so-called great village that can't even protect its own Kage—how can it call itself one of the Five Great Ninja Villages?
That wasn't all, though.
During Gaara's fight, none of the other ninjas in the village lifted a finger—they just stood around watching. Even if Sunagakure ranked lowest among the Five Villages, depicting it this far was simply going too far.
It was a full-on disgrace—a complete humiliation, no doubt about it.
"The people from Konoha are warning us," Shamon sighed. "If we keep pushing back against them, we're finished."
Chiyo and Ebizo exchanged glances, silently communicating with their eyes.
Eventually, Chiyo spoke up first. "Shamon, ever since last time, you've developed Konoha paranoia. You always jump at shadows and overreact to everything based on what's shown in the manga. This won't do at all."
"No, I'm not exaggerating," Shamon said solemnly.
"Konoha has terrifying depth and power—you should already know this, considering the Uchiha clan."
"It was indeed a long time ago, but we've only recently learned about it, which is my mistake as a duty officer," Ebizo took responsibility while retorting slightly. "Still, I heard the Uchiha paid a heavy price for it; their strength must have been significantly weakened."
"Teacher, Elders—from *One Piece* to *Naruto*, the stories are clearly mocking our Sunagakure. We absolutely cannot endure this insult!"
Sankai, being young and hot-headed, couldn't stomach this. He had already started planning retaliation in his mind.
Soon enough, an idea formed in his head. "Auntie Chiyo, if I remember correctly, your son is a famous genius?"
"Sankai, my boy has already become an Anbu Chunin. Sending him to participate in the Chunin Exams would only invite ridicule, wouldn't it?" Chiyo frowned slightly.
The rank of Anbu Chunin was internal to their system and not widely recognized by other villages. Yet for ninjas, recognition wasn't the point—it was all about true power.
Making an elite Chunin fight mere Konoha Genin—even winning wouldn't bring honor. That would be nothing but self-deception.
"While he does serve in the Anbu, he hasn't taken missions from the Land of Fire since becoming a ninja," Ebizo advised. "Sister, maybe sending him out for some experience isn't a bad idea."
Back in Akaba's time, those nine shinobi from Konoha had incredible strength.
Now, a year later, how strong were the new generation?
Besides,
Shamon sighed, adding, "Don't forget—last year, only three of those nine managed to advance through the Chunin Exams. The others also can qualify for this year's exams under these conditions."
"…"
After listening, Sankai felt increasingly disappointed.
As Chiyo said, the teacher had lost his fighting spirit—long gone was the Second Kazekage who once dominated the ninja world.
Yet at the same time, he clearly understood the serious and critical nature of the issue raised by Shamon: if they could send an Anbu-level ninja into the competition, then Konoha could do the same.
Even if a real comparison occurred, Sunagakure still held no advantage.
Sankai felt furious.
The Land of Wind was too poor to raise as many strong shinobi as Konoha.
Darn it! If only we had more money!
The rules for the Chunin Exams had only been established a year ago, so the interval between them was about a year.
But in Konoha, no one worried about the Chunin Exam. This generation truly boasted extraordinary talent.
Just looking at Nightdance, Shinku, Jiraiya, and several other "Genin," their strength was formidable enough—let alone the newer generation like Might Duy and Uchiha Ryo.
Early the next morning, before Akaba had risen, someone knocked on his door. He opened his eyes, and without even needing to look, instantly sensed who stood outside using his Sensor Ability.
Outside the door stood Sakuma Saiki. But besides her, there was another person sitting in the hall.
From the aura he felt, it seemed to be a ninja from the Senju clan.
Akaba paused briefly, then understood—the likely reason being that the Uzumaki clan member mentioned earlier must have been brought to Konoha by Eno Uchiha and others.
"Mother, please wait a moment. I'll get up right away."
"All right. Don't keep our guest waiting."
Sakuma Saiki went back to continue preparing Akaba's breakfast. She had always been gentle and considerate, and since their marriage, rarely took on missions anymore.
Akaba rubbed his shoulders, got up, and changed clothes.
When he came downstairs, fresh rice balls had just been made.
He picked up a few and looked toward the guest. Judging by his appearance, the man indeed belonged to the Senju clan. Akaba had occasionally seen him during visits to the Senju household, and judging by seniority, this should be Tsunade's cousin.
"Mito-sama requests your presence."
"I understand—it's about that child, isn't it? I'll go immediately."
Akaba stuffed a couple of rice balls into his mouth.
The other man nodded lightly, about to say something else when suddenly, the person before him vanished.
What just happened?
"That kid used Flying Thunder God again! Sorry, looks like you'll need to head back on your own."
Sakuma Saiki offered an awkward smile.
Such a rude thing to do—not even offering a lift!
"No, it's fine."
Flying Thunder God, huh?
He felt sincere envy. Long ago, he had also asked Lord Tobirama to teach him, but unfortunately, he hadn't grasped even a bit, and had fallen far behind in other areas because of it.
Truly a genius!
Meanwhile,
When Akaba teleported over, he suddenly realized—he forgot to give "cousin" a ride along the way.
Well, probably not a big deal.
Matters concerning Mito Uzumaki were more important; surely the other would understand his urgency.
Thinking thus, Akaba strode forward confidently toward Mito Uzumaki's courtyard.
"Don't be scared. Grandma is here—Grandma is family."
Before even reaching the courtyard, Akaba already heard Mito Uzumaki's soft voice. She always spoke with tenderness—even with Akaba and Tsunade.
He felt a pang of jealousy.
He took a deep breath to steady his emotions.
Then, a cry echoed from within the courtyard—a young girl's voice, seemingly distressed.
Her face was so muddy back then I couldn't tell. Turns out she's a girl after all?
Akaba stepped inside.
He saw a small girl whose arm was covered in bite marks. Tsunade wore an expression of deep sorrow as she used Healing Techniques to mend wounds and erase scars.
Bite marks…
Black Zetsu's eyes are truly sharp. This little girl actually possesses the healing ability unique to the Uzumaki clan!
I wonder what her other talent might be.
He felt some regret.
If I had known how incredibly gifted those two kids found by Black Zetsu were, I should've fought harder to save her back then.
If it comes to ruthless measures, even those who cannot be saved must be eliminated to prevent them from speaking.
If the Uzumaki clan falls into Black Zetsu's hands, it might produce another Nagato.
Even though he hasn't awakened the Rinnegan yet, given Madara's current condition and power level, it's only a matter of time before he obtains it.
"Akaba."
Mito Uzumaki looked at Akaba, opened her mouth, then hesitated without speaking further, pointing silently toward an open seat ahead.
The other children stepped aside together.
Akaba sat down, feeling complicated. Mito clearly felt the same way, which is why she hesitated before staying silent.
A heavy silence fell over the group of children.
"So you're the one who saved me that day."
She recognized him immediately.
Even though he hadn't revealed himself back then, this aura, this chakra—it was unmistakable. There was no doubt about it—he had saved her.
"My name is Sakuma Akaba. I'm sorry—I had urgent business to deal with back then, so I couldn't bring you to Konoha right away."
Akaba bowed slightly.
"No, I'm already very grateful. That man… he was terrifying. Going with him would've meant certain death."
She shuddered in fear.
The closer she got, the more sinister and eerie Black Zetsu's presence became.
"Chihaya Uzumaki, there's no need to be so afraid. You're in Konoha now; no one dares to bully or kill you!"
Mito continued comforting her gently.
"Go to sleep now. When you wake up, all your fears will be gone. Have sweet dreams."
In the next second, Chihaya Uzumaki's eyes began to close slowly. She swayed once before finally drifting into deep sleep.
Then, Little Yumekuma was summoned forth.
"Zhi Meng, give this child a good dream."
Akaba whispered softly.
Zhi Meng glanced around, and upon noticing Mito, immediately straightened his posture, replying decisively, "Leave it to me."
"So powerful!"
With just a single sentence, Chihaya fell asleep.
Such mastery of genjutsu was absolutely mind-blowing!
Mito gently patted Chihaya Uzumaki's head, then turned to Tsunade and said, "Please examine and heal her completely. I need to discuss some things with Akaba."
"You can rest assured."
Tsunade nodded.
Chihaya Uzumaki was much too frightened to be sent to the hospital, so Mito decided to personally handle her treatment instead.
The surrounding children watched anxiously, including Uzumaki Kyoyuki.
This was the first time they had met a fellow clansman who'd escaped from the Land of Whirlpools after the war. Back then, everyone lived comfortably—even the poorest families could still live happy lives.
Yet Chihaya Uzumaki looked worse than many beggars on Konoha's streets.
Akaba and Mito left the courtyard together.
"Grandma Mito."
"Chihaya possesses a rare healing ability our clan seldom sees: anyone who bites her can fully recover their wounds, but at a cost…"
Mito's heart ached.
She was just a child, and already, countless people had bitten her—evidence of how terribly she must've lived.
"That guy knows what he's doing."
Akaba nodded lightly.
"Did you get a clear look at his face?"
Mito asked gravely.
"No. I don't even know how he controlled that Mist ninja. It might've been genjutsu, or possibly a form of Human Puppet Technique. Whatever it was, he somehow has the ability to control others."
Akaba didn't reveal too many details, to avoid raising suspicion.
"Damn that bastard!"
Mito Uzumaki ground her teeth.
Whether or not Black Zetsu had been behind the war in the Land of Whirlpools, in her mind, he was taking the blame for it anyway.
"He took one of our Uzumaki with him. From what I gathered from Chihaya before, it's likely he wants to brainwash them into misguided peace warriors like Akatsuki."
"I won't let him go. For revenge, I will strive to survive, even if it means holding on for a few more years!"
Mito radiated intense killing intent.
This overwhelming murderous aura made even Akaba beside her feel slightly overwhelmed.
Too strong!
At this moment, he noticed a change in Mito's appearance.
Though she had maintained a youthful look until now, she withdrew the chakra used to preserve her beauty, revealing her aged form.
To prolong her life, she abandoned the beauty she once cherished, yet her physical abilities and concentrated aura became somewhat stronger.
"I'll do my best too."
Akaba nodded lightly.
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