The Third Kazekage strode toward the council tent within the base.
If Uchiha Hayashi had been present, he would have immediately noticed the change in the Kazekage's condition.
The once composed and refined leader now carried an air of exhaustion.
His windbreaker was wrinkled from prolonged use, and his hair was slightly disheveled, clearly neglected over many restless days.
After giving a brief nod to the two Anbu guards stationed at the entrance, the Third Kazekage stepped into the council tent.
The fatigue and worry beneath his blue Kazekage hat vanished in an instant, replaced by the calm, unreadable expression expected of a village leader.
At the center of the tent stood a long conference table designed in the traditional Wind Country style.
Powerful figures were already seated around it.
Unlike Konoha's Jonin meetings, those present here were the true decision makers and strongest forces of Sunagakure.
The collective influence of these individuals was so immense that, if united, they could even shake the Kazekage's authority itself.
As the Third Kazekage entered, all conversation came to a stop.
The room fell into immediate silence.
The ninjas present merely rose halfway in acknowledgment, offering restrained respect rather than enthusiasm.
The Kazekage showed no reaction to this.
He had long grown accustomed to such treatment.
Every village had its problems, and for Sunagakure, the issue was clear.
Several individuals wielded power so great that even the Kazekage had to tread carefully around them.
Removing his hat and setting it behind his seat, the Third Kazekage scanned the room and smiled faintly.
"What were you discussing?"
The red-haired man seated beside Chiyo chuckled lightly.
"We were talking about my son."
"Sasori?" The Third Kazekage paused in mild surprise.
"If I remember correctly, he is still very young."
"Three years old," the man said proudly.
"He will turn three on the eighth of this month."
The Third Kazekage nodded with visible interest.
"At such an age, has he shown anything extraordinary?"
"Nothing too special yet," the man replied.
"But Gin wrote to me recently."
"She said that after extracting chakra for the first time, he was already able to control some of the puppets I made, even without being taught."
The Kazekage's eyes widened slightly.
"That level of talent at such a young age is truly frightening."
"It seems Sunagakure will soon welcome another prodigy."
The praise sounded polite, yet beneath it lay a subtle unease.
Chiyo herself already possessed influence comparable to the Kazekage, and her brother Ebizo controlled great authority as well.
With both her son and daughter-in-law serving as elite ninjas, the rise of such a gifted grandson inevitably shifted the balance further.
In the deepest corner of the Third Kazekage's mind, a dangerous thought appeared.
If Sasori were allowed to grow freely, whose village would Sunagakure truly become in the future?
For a fleeting moment, the thought of eliminating the child even crossed his mind.
Chiyo, unaware of his inner conflict, turned and scolded her son sternly.
"Sasori's birthday is approaching."
"Why did you not stay in the village with him?"
"It is fine," the red-haired man answered calmly.
"Gin is there with him."
Then a fierce glint lit up his eyes.
"The White Fang is on the battlefield this time."
"I missed him during the last mission."
"I intend to meet him in battle."
The Third Kazekage shook his head slowly.
"I have fought Konoha's White Fang before."
"His swordsmanship is indeed exceptional, but compared to you, he is still lacking."
The man frowned slightly.
"That remains to be seen."
"Only battle reveals the truth."
The Kazekage smiled like a benevolent elder.
"That spirit suits you well."
"You are one of Sunagakure's finest geniuses."
At that moment, Ebizo, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly spoke.
"Speaking of true geniuses, one particular individual comes to mind."
Chiyo's expression darkened.
"You are not referring to that Uchiha brat from Konoha, are you?"
"I am," Ebizo replied firmly.
"The defeat in the Rain Country was driven mostly by him."
"Without Uchiha Hayashi, the outcome would not have been so decisive."
"Our supply routes with the Land of Fire were repeatedly disrupted by his actions."
"Even the recent failure of the Shukaku retrieval mission traces back to him interfering at the final moment."
At the mention of Shukaku, the Third Kazekage's face darkened immediately.
That failure had been a crushing blow to his prestige.
Worse still, it was revealed that he had been manipulated by Orochimaru and Uchiha Hayashi, two rising threats from Konoha.
For a man hailed as the Strongest Kazekage, it was an unbearable humiliation.
Chiyo let out a long sigh.
"I should have killed him when I had the chance."
"Look at our generation of young ninjas."
"Rasa mastered Magnet Release and still lost his right arm to that boy."
"Yashamaru became withdrawn after that mission."
"Karura now suffers nightmares every night."
"These children are the future of this village, yet they were all shattered by one person."
Her voice lowered grimly.
"What I fear most is that Konoha may be nurturing another Uchiha Madara."
At those words, the tent fell completely silent.
Many of those present had lived through the terrifying era of the First Hokage and Madara.
They all knew what such a monster truly meant for the ninja world.
The Third Kazekage rose slowly and turned to face a middle-aged intelligence officer.
"Has Anbu obtained any recent information on Uchiha Hayashi?"
"Yes," the man replied.
"Reports confirm that he is leading a small Konoha squad near the front lines."
"He has been executing continuous missions and killing many of our shinobi."
"Then send several teams to ambush him," Ebizo proposed calmly.
"No," Chiyo immediately rejected.
"Konoha's reconnaissance units are watching the battlefield closely."
"Deploying too many forces will expose our movements."
The Third Kazekage nodded in agreement.
"It is fine."
"I will send my personal guard instead."
"One man is far less likely to be detected."
"His strength is only slightly below Orochimaru's."
"That will be sufficient to deal with that brat."
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