Chapter 247: Everything Was Part of the Plan
"So here's what happened…"
Li Yao's Wind Release clone repeated what he had told Watanabe earlier, this time adding more detail, especially highlighting the terrifying strength of the enemy.
"It's true?!"
Chiyo looked shocked and turned to Li Yao's clone for confirmation.
"You're saying it was the same person who attacked Kumogakure and Kirigakure and killed the Third Mizukage?"
"Sister…"
Ebizō looked grim.
"If it really was that mysterious Clay Explosion Style user, then this is serious."
Unlike Watanabe, who only cared about ousting Li Yao from the village, Chiyo and Ebizō truly prioritized the welfare of Sunagakure.
Years ago, Li Yao had assaulted both Kumogakure and Kirigakure using the same technique: Clay Explosion Style.
It was a wide-area saturation bombing method, performed by a single person, so intense that Chiyo hadn't believed the reports at first.
Most shocking of all was that it happened right in front of the Third Raikage and Third Mizukage—and even they couldn't stop him.
The Mizukage had been killed in his own village by that mysterious ninja.
Both Chiyo and Ebizō were Kage-level shinobi. As enemies of Kirigakure, they knew how powerful the Third Mizukage had been.
For someone to kill him inside his own village and get away safely… That was beyond terrifying.
Now this same figure was in the Land of Wind, and had even attacked Sunagakure shinobi on a mission?
"What does he want?"
"Is he planning to attack the village too?"
They couldn't help but worry. It was too suspicious for this figure to reappear in their territory after years of silence.
Seeing that the siblings were starting to believe Li Yao, and that the focus was shifting to this mysterious attacker, Watanabe panicked.
He didn't care whether the mysterious ninja was real or not. He only wanted to eliminate Li Yao.
Before Li Yao could answer, Watanabe cut in angrily:
"How do we know you're telling the truth? Unless you agree to a memory probe, you clearly killed Nanjirō and Yamada!"
He was going all in. If Li Yao survived this incident, he would become more cautious. Their future plans would be useless.
And once he took the Kazekage seat… they'd be finished.
"Watanabe…"
Chiyo frowned, glaring at her clan's junior—but she didn't stop him.
Clearly, she hadn't fully accepted Li Yao's explanation either.
Li Yao smiled inwardly, then said with composure:
"Elder Chiyo, I speak the truth. If you don't believe me, I'm willing to accept a memory probe."
"Good, it's settled!"
Watanabe answered before anyone else could, delighted.
"But you must be sealed first—so nothing unexpected happens during the probe."
Standard procedure: seal the subject's chakra and induce unconsciousness to ensure they didn't resist instinctively during the probe.
Once Li Yao was sealed, they'd have free rein.
Watanabe smirked internally. Kazekaze was too naive.
"Shin Ni, Kawabe."
He immediately summoned two shinobi to begin the sealing.
"Yes, Advisor Watanabe!"
The two instantly appeared, ready to apply the seal on the spot.
"Not so fast."
Li Yao's chakra flared, flooding the room with suffocating pressure. Even Chiyo and the others grew wary.
Only then did he speak coldly:
"I'll accept the probe—during the jonin council, in Lord Kazekage's presence. I don't trust you."
Given Watanabe's blatant hostility, no reasonable person would accept being sealed in his presence.
His refusal was well-founded.
Watanabe's eyes darkened. He wanted to act immediately—force the seal and provoke Li Yao into fighting back.
But—
"Wait. Where is Lord Kazekage?"
Chiyo finally asked, her face growing grim.
She and Ebizō had just realized something—why wasn't the Kazekage here for such a serious matter?
They both turned to Watanabe.
"Lord Kazekage is currently away. The advisors are handling things for now," Watanabe replied casually.
He didn't reveal the truth—that the Kazekage had secretly left the village.
They had waited for this moment—striking while the Kazekage was away made everything easier.
Otherwise, it would've been difficult to carry out their plan.
"He's not here? He's out of the village?"
Chiyo's expression turned solemn. She looked worried.
Watanabe glanced at Li Yao, clearly not wanting to disclose more.
"Heh…"
Li Yao's clone gave a knowing smile and quickly left the office.
Everything is going according to plan, he thought.
"Fools!"
As soon as Li Yao was gone, Chiyo's furious voice echoed in the office.
"If anything happens to Kazekaze before we return, I won't hesitate to cripple you!"
Moments later, she and Ebizō left the village with two ANBU squads to find the Third Kazekage.
Her grandson was by the Kazekage's side.
And now, a terrifying enemy who had once killed the Third Mizukage inside Kirigakure was hunting Sunagakure shinobi.
How could she not worry?
What made her angrier was that a capable, fast, and powerful Wind Release user like Kazekaze—someone who could act as a proper Kage-level defender—was being wasted.
Instead of supporting him, these fools were forcing him to divide his attention.
Chiyo cursed her clan's younger generation as shortsighted.
Even if Kazekaze became Kazekage, the real power would still remain with the Ten Great Clans.
One person in a chair couldn't shake their dominance. If the Kazekage's position could really do that, their clans would've vanished during the last two wars.
Power was what preserved control—not a title.
Yet these brats weren't focused on becoming stronger—they were obsessed with eliminating strong rivals. Pathetic.
Once she brought her grandson and the Kazekage back, she would clean house.
Chiyo made a silent vow.
Meanwhile—
Li Yao's clone returned home, split off a shadow clone, and used his black hole spatial technique to phase into the Third Kazekage's underground vault.
Though the Kazekage's memories confirmed that the puppet clone hidden there hadn't yet developed a soul, Li Yao wanted to be sure.
But…
Before him lay a puppet with purplish skin and blood-red eyes—already lifeless.
Li Yao stared, then laughed.
Sasori really had planned to kill the Kazekage for a long time.
Clearly, Sasori had gotten here first and poisoned the puppet clone.
Fine by him.
Li Yao stepped to a nearby shelf and inspected the scrolls.
All were research notes on human puppetry.
One scroll in particular contained detailed notes on the Puppet Talisman's fundamental formulas.
Sasori had probably read this and used it to develop his own version of the talisman.
Otherwise, it would've been too miraculous for him to recreate a technique the Kazekage took over a decade to perfect in just a few short years.
Li Yao reviewed the scrolls and picked out several that interested him. He stored them in his Blackwater Space and quietly left.
"Now we wait for Chiyo to return and declare the Kazekage missing. Then… the real me can make his move."
(END CHAPTER)
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