Hearing the commotion, Pakura immediately rushed toward the source of the disturbance.
Before leaving, she instructed her disciple Maki to notify the others and gather reinforcements.
Maki nodded anxiously and hurried off. Watching Pakura's departing figure, she secretly resolved that after gathering help, she would fight alongside her teacher no matter what.
The Sand Village Mobilizes
"What happened?"
Fujirō suddenly woke up and looked toward the distant flames.
A Sunagakure ANBU knelt before him and reported:
"Lord Fujirō, according to the sensory ninja, the conflict involves Konoha's Uchiha Kiyoshi and Sasori!"
"What?!"
Fujirō's deep voice rumbled with anger.
Had Konoha become so arrogant that it would start trouble inside Sunagakure itself?
He immediately ordered the ANBU to mobilize troops.
After all, one of the people accompanying Kiyoshi was Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin. If mishandled, the village could suffer massive losses.
The ANBU quickly obeyed.
Though age had weakened his body and turned his hair white, Fujirō still remained one of Sunagakure's highest authorities, second only to the Third Kazekage, Chiyo, and Ebizō.
The Third Kazekage Disappears
Meanwhile, Chiyo and Ebizō entered the Kazekage building with several ninja.
But the Third Kazekage was nowhere to be found.
Only traces of blood remained on the office floor.
"…Third…"
Chiyo's expression darkened.
Beside her, Ebizō immediately understood the seriousness of the situation.
If a village lost its Kage, chaos would follow.
All factions competing for the position of Fourth Kazekage would begin to move.
Unlike Ebizō's caution, Chiyo focused on the evidence.
She crouched down and infused chakra into her fingertips before touching the blood.
The moment she did, her expression changed.
The blood contained poison.
And it was a poison she herself had once taught someone…
Behind her, Ebizō realized instantly:
There was a traitor inside the village.
Tsunade Notices Something Wrong
"Something happened in Sunagakure."
Tsunade suddenly opened her eyes.
Using her sensory ability, she detected multiple chakra signatures rapidly converging.
She immediately pushed open the door.
Soon after, Asuma and Kurenai also stepped out after hearing the disturbance.
"Tsunade-sama, what's going on?" Kurenai asked anxiously.
She rushed into Kiyoshi's room—
Only to find it empty.
"Kiyoshi is gone!"
Asuma confirmed it as well.
Tsunade frowned.
Using her Yang Release and her sensory techniques learned in the past, she focused her chakra.
Among many signatures, one stood out—cold and ominous.
The source was… the burning area.
"We're going."
Still in combat gear, Tsunade leapt onto the rooftops.
Asuma and Kurenai followed immediately.
Kiyoshi vs Sasori
Countless senbon rained down like a storm.
Kiyoshi's two-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, slowing every needle in his perception.
Sasori had already created Hiruko using a corpse, though it was still incomplete compared to his future form.
Flames erupted from Kiyoshi's blade as he deflected all senbon.
"Stay there quietly, Konoha ninja."
Sasori's eyes carried a cruel light.
At this point, Sasori only remembered poisoning the Third Kazekage and framing Kiyoshi.
"Are you trying to start a war between Sunagakure and Konoha?" Kiyoshi asked in apparent shock.
He was acting perfectly.
Aside from Kiyoshi subtly guiding events, everything Sasori did came from his own nature.
"This village is meaningless. You will become my next artwork."
Sasori replied coldly.
He summoned another puppet and unleashed countless mechanical arms.
"Useless."
Kiyoshi shook his head.
Flames around his blade intensified, wrapped with wind chakra.
Wind Release: Chakra Blade Membrane.
A blazing arc formed like a burning whip.
"What kind of jutsu is that?!"
Sasori's pupils shrank.
A combined technique? Impossible.
But Kiyoshi's chakra level should not allow this.
Sasori reacted instantly, releasing fire scroll techniques from multiple puppets.
Scroll Technique: Flame Prison Array!
Boom!!
Flames collided, turning the battlefield into a sea of fire.
The sand melted into glowing glass.
Sasori retreated, blood leaking from his ears.
His body was scorched.
Kiyoshi, however, remained calm.
"Seems like you can't handle this temperature."
Unless he touched the core directly, his body could endure the heat.
Pakura Arrives
Through his Sharingan, Kiyoshi sensed someone approaching.
Pakura had arrived.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Sasori, aren't you afraid the Third Kazekage will punish you?" Kiyoshi asked deliberately.
"You don't need to know."
Sasori refused.
Then his expression twisted.
"If not for the Third Kazekage, my parents wouldn't have died!"
Hate erupted from him.
"Pakura… you—"
She arrived just in time, shocked.
"Chiyo's grandson…?"
Sasori realized too late that his hearing had been damaged.
In seconds, he retreated into the shadows.
Gone.
"You used genjutsu on Sasori, didn't you?"
Pakura looked at Kiyoshi with suspicion.
"I trust Sasori more than you."
Kiyoshi calmly responded:
"If you investigate, the truth will come out. Do you really think I could control him for that long?"
His two-tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated.
Long-term control was impossible against strong minds.