The Land of Wind sits in the northwest of the Ninja World, a nation whose vast territory is dominated by desert. Although its environment is harsh and unforgiving, because of its enormous size and formidable military strength, it still stands as one of the Five Great Nations. At one time, it even proudly proclaimed itself the Second Sand.
Whether it was pride or foolishness, becoming one of the Five Great Nations was a noteworthy achievement. But the world most remembered this nation for its willingness to provoke two consecutive Great Ninja Wars, directly challenging the Land of Fire, the dominant force among the Five Great Nations.
Both attempts ended in failure. In the Second Great Ninja War, even the Kazekage himself was captured, resulting in a devastating defeat. Yet the Land of Wind still stubbornly entered the Third Great Ninja War, vowing to topple Konoha.
What kind of spirit is this?
This is iron will and unbending resolve.
This is reckless bravery.
From one perspective, risking everything for money over life could be seen as the Land of Wind's unique tradition.
It goes without saying that the Daimyo constantly cut funding. Successive Kazekage had mastered Magnet Release techniques used for mining Gold Dust, earning them a title that mockingly became known as the Little Princes of Gold Mines.
Although the First Kazekage did not possess Magnet Release, he demonstrated his priorities in other ways. During the Five Kage Summit, he refused to purchase the Seven‑Tails.
"What are Tailed Beasts? Having Shukaku in the Village is enough," he declared. "Look at Konoha, didn't they keep just one Nine‑Tails?"
"Therefore, Tailed Beasts are about quality, not quantity. The real priority is still money."
Look at the attitude of the First Kazekage… this is the style of a Great Nation! This is the spirit of Sunagakure!
This… "This is absurd behavior!" the Third Kazekage muttered as he walked down a dusty street.
"If this Village had two Tailed Beasts right now, would the war be this difficult? First Kazekage‑sama, you truly betrayed the Village."
The Third Kazekage let out a deep sigh. As the strongest Kazekage, he felt as if he was sinking before he could even lead his nation to a new peak. Ordinary people could never understand the depth of his frustration.
"We are all Kage, so why are we so different?" he whispered, cloaked in his official robe as wind and sand beat against him unrelentingly. Even within the Village, the scorching sun and swirling dust reminded him how harsh this place truly was.
But while this environment was brutal, it also offered strategic advantages. Because of the relentless desert, Sunagakure only needed to defend a few key strongholds instead of spreading forces widely. If not for this, given the massive losses they had already suffered, Konoha's army would long ago have pushed straight through.
After passing through Hidden Sand Village, the Third Kazekage arrived at an ancient structure on the western side of the settlement. Climbing roughly thirty steps, he reached the top where eight weathered stone pillars stood. Intricate sage‑black rune patterns adorned each one, and above them stretched a curved pavilion roof.
The runes etched on the pillars radiated outward in all directions, connecting to a massive earthen‑yellow cauldron at the center. Dark markings bound the cauldron tightly, and beneath it hung a huge iron cage. Within that cage, a middle‑aged shinobi lay imprisoned.
"Shinya, long time no see," the Third Kazekage said quietly as he approached the cage.
The man inside did not respond. He lay motionless on the ground, his eyes staring blankly at the cage's ceiling.
The Third Kazekage sat beside the iron bars, a heavy sorrow in his voice. "I do not want to keep you locked up like this, but you must understand, even if I believe you can control Shukaku without losing yourself, the Elders of the Village do not share that belief."
Shinya had been the Kazekage's trusted aide. These past years had been difficult, and in a desperate attempt to turn the tide, the Third Kazekage made Shinya the One‑Tails Jinchuriki, merging him with forbidden power in hopes of stabilizing the nation's future.
But when the transfer was complete, all the Elders opposed releasing him.
Sunagakure's political structure was rife with internal conflict. Though he held the title of Kazekage, the Third Kazekage's influence had been severely weakened after the disastrous Second Great Ninja War. Without the Elders' approval, he could not free Shinya, no matter how much he wished to.
And so, Shinya remained imprisoned, year after year.
This was the plight of Jinchuriki everywhere. Even someone as revered as Uzumaki Mito sealed herself away for two decades.
Now, however, the situation had changed. With heavy losses on the battlefield, the Third Kazekage had spent countless nights contemplating his next move. In his heart, he knew he must use the Jinchuriki as a final trump card. Not to defeat Konoha—only to deal a blow so devastating it would prolong the war.
Only then could internal disputes be set aside.
The Elders, he believed, could no longer afford to object.
After a moment, he continued in a steady voice, "Shinya, this Village has suffered greatly these past years. As you know, that wretched Daimyo keeps reducing funds. And those Family Elders have been trying to depose me as Kazekage. Worst of all, the war is already upon us."
Hearing this, a faint spark flickered in Shinya's dull eyes.
"The front lines have suffered terrible losses. Rasa almost died, and I am preparing to go myself," the Kazekage continued calmly. "You do not want to be locked away here forever, do you?"
Shinya's eyes finally regained life. In a hoarse voice he asked, "Will you let me out?"
The Third Kazekage smiled. "Of course I will. Otherwise, why would I be here today?"
Staring into the Kazekage's eyes, Shinya asked, "What do you need me to do?"
The Third Kazekage hesitated, then asked plainly, "Tell me honestly, how much of Shukaku's power can you control right now?"
"I can force myself into Tailed Beast Transformation," Shinya replied, "but I cannot hold it for long."
A glint of surprise crossed the Third Kazekage's eyes.
Sunagakure possessed the Sleep Technique, a method which allowed the Jinchuriki to enter a deep slumber in order to unleash Shukaku's power. But this technique was uncontrollable, causing the Tailed Beast to attack indiscriminately on the battlefield.
If Shinya could truly transform into the Tailed Beast and maintain even brief control, that changed everything. Even a short, controlled burst of power on the battlefield could be a decisive element.
"Open the cage," the Third Kazekage ordered the ninja standing nearby.
"Yes, sir!"
Six shinobi immediately formed hand seals. Countless sealing patterns suppressed Shinya's power and held both beast and host in check. With coordinated seals removed, the cage began to open.
The Third Kazekage turned and addressed the other ninja, "Summon the Elder Council. We are calling a meeting."
"Yes, sir!"
As the warriors departed, the Third Kazekage stood quietly, watching the sun sink toward the horizon. He placed a hand on a nearby pillar and murmured:
"It is time to end internal strife and unite against the outside threat."
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