Inside the Kazekage's office, massive folding screens stood on either side of Shiraishi's desk. These screens were crafted by the most skilled artisans of the Daimyo's court, their materials exuding an air of supreme nobility.
On this day, Shiraishi welcomed a very specialized guest.
"Has the Land of Rain fallen completely into the hands of the Akatsuki?"
The visitor wore the signature black cloak embroidered with red clouds. She had light blue-violet hair adorned with a pale purple paper flower on the right side, orange-yellow eyes highlighted by purple eyeshadow, and a distinct labret piercing below her lower lip.
Konan, a core member of the Akatsuki, had arrived at the Hidden Sand on behalf of Nagato to pay an official visit to Shiraishi.
Shiraishi skimmed the documents she provided, then looked at the expressionless Konan while scratching his head. "So, Nagato has total control now?"
"With Hanzo dead, there are no further obstacles in the Land of Rain. Nagato sent me to discuss the assistance the Sand previously promised."
In the original timeline, the Akatsuki received heavy backing from the Hidden Stone during its early years.
However, following the recent disaster at the Revelation Mountains, the Stone's forces had collapsed like falling dominoes. Severely depleted across multiple fronts, Onoki was no longer in a position to influence the continental landscape.
Nagato, wielding the Rinnegan, had seized control of the Land of Rain after killing Hanzo. With the completion of the Six Paths of Pain, the Akatsuki was entering a new phase of operation.
While the Great Nations remained largely ignorant of this internal coup, Shiraishi saw an opportunity. By allowing the Akatsuki to grow as a mercenary force, the Sand could use them to destabilize the global status quo.
The Akatsuki's ultimate goal was likely to gather the Tailed Beasts into the Gedo Mazo. Shiraishi theorized they intended to summon the Ten-Tails to rule the world—a massive undertaking that would require over a decade of preparation.
He remained confident in his own ability to tame such a beast when the time came.
"Regarding the One-Tailed Shukaku... once the Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals are activated, the beasts must be sealed in numerical order.
The One-Tail is our first target; without it, we cannot proceed with the others," Konan stated bluntly.
Shiraishi burst into laughter. "Demanding the One-Tail right out of the gate? Are you here to seek a partnership or to declare war?"
As he spoke, a powerful surge of atmospheric pressure radiated from Shiraishi. Konan's face turned pale under the sheer weight of his chakra, yet the stubborn woman refused to yield, standing her ground without retreating an inch.
"Considering our current relations, I can provide you with a portion of Shukaku's chakra. As for the complete beast, I cannot agree to that. I trust you have ways to work around the sequence."
Konan considered this. Even an incomplete portion of the chakra might suffice to stabilize the initial stage of the ritual. It was a compromise she could accept, especially since the actual capture phase was still years away.
However, Shiraishi remained wary of the Akatsuki's growing roster. He knew that both Orochimaru and Sasori of the Red Sand had already received invitations.
Shiraishi and Orochimaru had discussed this in secret; the Akatsuki remained unaware that Orochimaru was essentially acting as Shiraishi's mole.
Between him and several other S-rank rogue ninjas joining their ranks, the organization's strength was becoming formidable.
"One final piece of advice, Lord Kazekage," Konan said icily as she prepared to depart. "Hozuki Castle was not 'massacred' by an outsider. The Dojari clan and the Hozuki clan have a bond as ancient and close as the Senju and the Uzumaki."
This piece of intelligence made Shiraishi's eyelid twitch. It was a variable he hadn't accounted for.
Dammit! Arashi!
Betrayal in the Ancient City
At that same moment, the Mechanical Dragon soared through the air, its storm-winds tearing through the atmospheric energy barriers. It finally reached the massive ancient city in the southern seas of the Land of Vegetables.
"Decades ago, this city was the heart of this nation," Dojari Souji said, looking at the ruins with a hint of regret. "But the war triggered by the Box of Ultimate Bliss turned it into a wasteland."
Arashi didn't respond. He performed a sequence of hand seals, transforming his chakra into a massive wave of sand that cascaded from the sky. The sand neutralized the corrosive, toxic gases surrounding the perimeter, allowing the three of them to land.
"It's too humid and hot here. Something feels off," Morimoto Ryoji noted. All three were elite Jonin, and they could sense the unnatural shifts in the environment.
Souji felt a dull ache in his right arm; the long blade he had carried for years was beginning to vibrate with a strange, internal heat.
The sword had been a gift from the Lord of Hozuki Castle years ago—why was it reacting now?
As they moved deeper into the ruins, Arashi's sensory abilities suddenly spiked. "Someone's here!"
A whistling sound echoed through the city. Thousands of kunai rained down from the battlements. Souji quickly manifested a swirling water barrier to shield the group. As they fell into a defensive formation, dozens of afterimages flickered out from the shadows, surrounding them.
The man leading the ambush was none other than the current head of the Dojari clan: Dojari Taro.
"Clan Head?" Souji gasped.
Arashi and Ryoji shot sharp looks at Souji, but the younger man looked just as bewildered and betrayed.
Dojari Taro held a blade identical to Souji's. "The Box of Ultimate Bliss belongs to the Dojari. Whether it's the Sand or the Mist, you are all merely invaders. Souji, you did well to lead them here."
"I..." Souji stammered.
Arashi realized he had miscalculated. The Dojari "elites" hadn't disappeared; they were lying in wait. The "natural energy infection" across the island had been a smokescreen to lure them in.
"Was the Sand Manipulation art we found earlier also a fabrication?" Arashi demanded.
Taro ignored him, focusing on his kinsman. "Souji, stand down. Or do you intend to side with these outsiders?"
Souji gritted his teeth. "These men trusted me. They came here to stop the corruption of our land. I didn't think..."
"Corruption?" Taro sneered. "Those villagers were content with the scraps the Sand threw at them. They were proud to be 'Sand citizens.' There was no reason to keep them alive. So, Souji, what is your choice?"
After a moment of silence, Souji gripped his blade. The aura of the Seven Heavens Breathing erupted, manifesting as the turquoise wings of a soaring bird. "I am sorry, Clan Head."
With that apology, the lines were drawn. High above on the castle walls, the mysterious Mist kunoichi, Retsu, watched with a cruel smirk.
Souji was the creator of the Seven Heavens Breathing; at his peak, his Seventh Activation was comparable to the Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates. He was a massive threat—but Taro knew something Souji didn't. Souji's blade contained a hidden, dormant seal.
Suddenly, flames erupted from the hilt of Souji's sword. He fell to one knee, a scream caught in his throat as the Fire Style: Heavenly Prison seal began to incinerate his chakra pathways from the inside out.
As the situation spiraled into a lethal trap designed to wipe out the Sand's presence in the Land of Vegetables, history began to deviate from Shiraishi's predictions. In this world, no one was truly omniscient.
Back in the Kazekage's office, the brush in Shiraishi's hand snapped in two. A cold pit formed in his stomach. Konan's warning rang in his ears.
"Contact the Jonin Council immediately," Shiraishi commanded. "Deploy four combat divisions to the Land of Vegetables as reinforcements!"
"Yes, Lord Kazekage!"
I'll handle the Revelation Mountain aftermath quickly... then I'm going there myself.
"One more thing," Shiraishi added, his voice low. "I need the full mission archives on Morimoto Ryoji's father."
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