The death of the Third Kazekage sent ripples through the world like a stone dropped in still water.
Lock knew what was coming. Once the Kazekage fell, Sunagakure would descend into chaos—and when one of the Five Great Villages fell into chaos, the entire shinobi world trembled.
Nearly ten years had passed since the Second Great Ninja War. Veterans had aged, but the scars of battle still ran deep. A sudden power vacuum like this could only mean one thing—another war was coming.
Lock remembered all too well what had followed this event in the original timeline. The Kazekage's disappearance had sparked paranoia in Sunagakure, then alliances had fractured, and finally, the Third Great Ninja War had ignited. History, he thought grimly, would not change so easily.
Even if word spread that the Kazekage had been killed by the rogue puppet master Sasori of the Red Sand, the political fallout would still burn Sunagakure from the inside. Because Sasori wasn't just any missing-nin—he was the grandson of Lady Chiyo, one of the village's most respected elders and puppet masters, second in authority only to the Kazekage himself.
The Third Hokage understood this as well. After hearing Lock's report, he stood by the window of his office, pipe in hand, the smoke curling like his thoughts.
"I'll handle the matter," he said at last. "If war is inevitable, Konoha cannot afford to be passive this time."
In the Second Great Ninja War, Konoha had been dragged into conflict on multiple fronts—first by Sunagakure's betrayal, then by Iwagakure's opportunism. But this time, the Third Hokage decided, the Leaf would not be caught unprepared.
Over the next several days, the Hokage personally visited Lock's home almost every morning, bringing with him the finest medical-nin the village could offer. They tested Lock's blood, examined his chakra flow, and studied the effects of the venom that ravaged his system—but none could find a cure.
In the end, the Hokage was left with one choice. He sent word to Tsunade.
It took her more than ten days to return to the village. During that time, Lock stayed within the protective reach of the Life Spring beneath his home, never stepping beyond its hidden influence. To everyone else, he was "away on assignment." Only the Hokage and a handful of trusted guards knew he was back.
Meanwhile, the world outside began to unravel.
The disappearance of the Third Kazekage threw Sunagakure into turmoil. Search teams scoured the deserts for weeks, but the storms erased every trace of the battle. When they finally gave up, rumors began to spread—whispers that the Kazekage had been assassinated by Chiyo's own grandson, Sasori, who had since vanished without a trace.
At first, no one believed it. Sasori was a prodigy, yes, but the Kazekage? It was unthinkable. Yet the longer the Kazekage remained missing, the more the whispers became certainty.
Accusations flew through the village. The Kazekage's loyalists demanded answers from the Chiyo clan. Puppet masters loyal to Chiyo refused to back down. Civil unrest simmered on the edge of open conflict.
And as Sand tore itself apart, the other great nations began to stir.
From Iwagakure to Kumogakure, from Kirigakure to Konoha itself, every village's leaders felt the tremor of opportunity. Armies quietly began to mobilize. Alliances shifted in the shadow. The balance of power that had held for a decade was fracturing.
The fuse of war had been lit.
One afternoon, Tsunade finally returned to Konoha.
"Old man," she greeted curtly as she entered the Hokage's office. "You called me back in such a hurry—is the world ending, or is there another war brewing?"
The Third Hokage smiled faintly. "Both, perhaps."
Tsunade leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "I've been hearing the rumors. The Kazekage's gone missing. Sunagakure's tearing itself apart. You really think it's going to explode?"
"It's already begun," the Hokage said, his tone heavy. "But there's something else that needs your attention first."
"Something more important than a war?" she said dryly.
The old man met her eyes. "Lock."
Tsunade raised a brow. "Jiraiya's student? That boy from the academy? What about him?"
"He's the one who witnessed the Kazekage's death," the Hokage explained. "He was poisoned during the same battle. The village's best medics have tried to treat him. None could neutralize the toxin."
Tsunade's expression changed. "He was there?"
The Hokage nodded. "He fought the one responsible. The puppet master, Sasori."
Tsunade's frown deepened as she followed the Hokage to Lock's home. When she entered the small room, Lock sat on the futon, his face pale but composed.
"Lady Tsunade," Lock greeted weakly. "Thank you for coming."
She waved a hand dismissively. "Save your breath. Let me see the report."
She took the bloodwork and chakra analysis that the medical-nin had compiled. After scanning it for a few seconds, her golden eyes widened slightly.
"I've never seen anything like this," she muttered. "The toxin binds directly to the bloodstream, using the body's own chakra to spread. It's not just chemical—it's… alive."
Lock smiled faintly. "That's about what I suspected."
Tsunade looked up sharply. "You're lucky you're still breathing. If this really came from a fifteen-year-old boy in Sunagakure, then the world has a bigger problem than just a missing Kazekage."
The Hokage exhaled slowly. "Which is why we can't afford to wait any longer."
Tsunade placed the report down and met their eyes, her voice turning cold and professional. "Then we'd better start preparing. The poison's just the beginning—what's coming next will be far worse."
Outside, the wind carried the scent of rain and war.
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