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Paper, after all, cannot wrap fire.
The Third Kazekage's absence had lasted so long that no bureaucratic excuse could maintain the veil of secrecy. The rumors within Sunagakure had escalated into a boiling panic, and continued concealment threatened to trigger a total breakdown of internal trust. After a long, agonizing high-level session, the village elders—led by Chiyo and Ebizo—finally made the difficult choice to expose the wound.
One morning, every shinobi in the village, from the youngest Genin to the most battle-hardened Jōnin, was summoned to the central plaza. An emergency assembly order of this magnitude was unprecedented. A suffocating heaviness permeated the air, an ominous premonition weighing on every heart as the crowd looked toward the high platform.
Elder Chiyo appeared. She looked older, her face etched with the fatigue of a woman carrying the weight of a dying nation, but her eyes remained sharp. She offered no pleasantries, only the cruel truth:
"Fellow compatriots... I must announce with immense sorrow... our Sandaime Kazekage-sama is officially declared... missing."
Despite the rumors, the official confirmation hit like a physical blow. Gasps and disbelieving murmurs erupted, panic spreading like a contagion. Chiyo raised her hand, her voice booming to quell the commotion.
"Now is not the time for terror! The Kazekage's safety is the survival of the Sand! We will spare no expense to find him! Effective immediately, Sunagakure enters Level 1 combat readiness. All regular missions are suspended. Our only priority is the search! Alive... or his body! The future of the village rests on your shoulders!"
The village, like a massive, archaic war machine, instantly switched modes. All production and training ceased as the entirety of Suna's strength focused on a single directive: The Great Search.
The "Sandstorm" squad was assigned to Sector B-7—a vast, rugged mountainous region in the northwest. It was a hellish landscape of jagged rock, labyrinthine canyons, and deep underground caves—the most likely place for a high-level battle to have occurred, or for a body to be hidden.
When they exited the village gates this time, the atmosphere was hollow. The usual thrill of the hunt was gone, replaced by the crushing weight of looking for a needle in a desert. Looking out across the horizon, Sayo could see dozens of other squads being scattered like seeds into the boundless Gobi.
"Our sector is B-7. The caves make this statistically improbable without specialized tools," Captain Iryō said, spreading the map over a flat stone. "Stay sharp. Don't miss a single scrap of fabric or a drop of dried blood. But remember—whatever took the Kazekage might still be lurking in these shadows."
Xu gripped her kunai, her knuckles white. Lucado's usual arrogance had vanished, replaced by a grim, professional focus.
Sayo listened, his mind a cold, logical workspace. He knew this was a fool's errand—Sasori would have ensured there was no trail to follow. But the search was a psychological necessity for the village; they had to exhaust every option before admitting their god was dead.
"I'll handle the internal scouting," Sayo said. His hands blurred into signs. This time, he didn't summon a single unit. Poof. Poof. Poof.
Three improved "Spider" puppets materialized. They were smaller, more stealthy, and equipped with enhanced tactile sensors in their legs.
"I'm sending them into the rock crevices and deep shafts," Sayo explained. "They can detect micro-residue that a human eye would miss. If there is a lingering chakra signature or unnatural structural damage, they'll find it."
Iryō patted Sayo's shoulder, his grip firm. "Good. We're relying on your puppets to be our eyes where we can't see. Xu, focus your sensory net on any 'dead air' in the caves! Lucado, you're our vanguard! Move out!"
The squad delved into the desolate silence of the mountains. Sayo controlled the three spiders like extended nerve endings, meticulously exploring every suspicious corner. His heart was a battlefield of complexity—he performed his duties with clinical perfection, yet he was soberly aware that he was searching for a ghost.
The search for the Third Kazekage was a heavy, helpless haze. Every squad that went out carried the village's hopes, but every hour that passed without a signal brought only the bitter taste of a dying flame.
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