In the forest, Kakashi, who had fled in three different directions, regrouped in a secluded spot among the trees after only a short time. "They're not following us anymore?"
Kakashi took a deep breath, glancing back the way they had come, his voice heavy with gravity. The two ninken gave a slight sniff before nodding at Kakashi.
Seeing their actions, Kakashi felt a wave of relief wash over him. He glanced back at the severely injured Might Guy and the unconscious Hyuga ninja, his expression grim.
This pursuit mission could be considered a complete failure, especially for the Hyuga clan—one could even describe it as a devastating loss. And Kakashi could predict that bringing back this remaining Hyuga ninja would likely cause significant disturbances within the clan.
Fortunately, these troublesome matters weren't his concern to ponder. Although the pursuit had failed, they hadn't come away empty-handed.
The one who had taken Neji should have been from Kirigakure. As for Sasuke, Kakashi's eyes flickered slightly.
Uchiha Madara! In the current shinobi world, only Uchiha Madara would dare to stand against Konoha, and only he could make Sasuke leave the village without hesitation.
What would happen next? It was likely beyond what a single jonin could decide. Kakashi glanced at Might Guy, a flicker of concern in his eyes, then vanished with the two of them, heading rapidly back toward Konoha.
In Sunagakure, inside the Kazekage's office, Baki wore an expression of respect as he reported to Chiyo and Ebizo about the recent intelligence regarding Gaara. After hearing Baki's report, Ebizo narrowed his eyes slightly, his face expressionless.
He cast a sidelong glance at Chiyo, who sat beside the Kazekage's desk. Recently, his sister had been paying a bit too much attention to Gaara, Ebizo thought, his hands crossed contemplatively.
"Thank you for your efforts, Baki," Chiyo said softly after listening. "I'll leave Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro in your care for the time being."
"It's no trouble at all, Chiyo-sama," Baki replied respectfully with a bow. "I am their jonin instructor."
After speaking, Baki also bowed toward Ebizo before turning and exiting the Kazekage's office. After Baki left, the office fell silent again.
After a long moment, Ebizo finally looked up at Chiyo. "Gaara may be the jinchuriki, but have we been paying too much attention to him recently?"
Ebizo's voice held a hint of confusion as he looked at his sister. Too much attention? Perhaps.
Chiyo's eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't speak. Seeing Chiyo's silence, Ebizo looked surprised.
But then, as if realizing something, his half-closed eyes suddenly widened as he looked at Chiyo. "You plan to cultivate Gaara as the next Kazekage. What are you planning to do?"
At Ebizo's astonished tone, a ripple of emotion crossed Chiyo's normally calm face. "As expected of you. This was just a thought I had."
"Making an unstable jinchuriki into a Kazekage—something like this has never happened in shinobi history," Ebizo said, his brow furrowed, his voice grave.
This had been merely a suspicion in Ebizo's mind, but it seemed Chiyo was truly considering it. More importantly, his sister was already making arrangements for the next Kazekage successor so soon.
What exactly was his sister planning? That was Ebizo's true question now.
"It may seem rash, but with Baki as his instructor, there shouldn't be any problems," Chiyo said with a relaxed smile, her expression casual.
"But..." Ebizo's face fell, looking utterly helpless.
However, before he could finish speaking, Chiyo's voice cut in again. "Gaara is likely the most suitable candidate for Sunagakure right now, and I met with him personally not long ago."
"There's been a slight change in him compared to before. His hostility isn't as pronounced, though I'm not sure if it's because of his time in Kirigakure," Chiyo said, still smiling, though her eyes held a thoughtful glint.
Ebizo's lips parted slightly, but he swallowed the words he was about to say. As the intelligence officer, Ebizo knew better than Chiyo about the changes Gaara had undergone recently.
Ebizo had initially thought Gaara might have been under some genjutsu and had even secretly tested him, but the results were clearly negative. For Gaara's personality to change so drastically, something must have happened during his time in Kirigakure.
There are typically three requirements for becoming a village's Kazekage. First is a sense of belonging to the village.
The old Gaara would never have had this, as his heart was filled with nothing but hatred. Now, however, Ebizo could sense a special connection to the village from Gaara—which was what truly intrigued Ebizo.
Second is status. As the son of the Fourth Kazekage, with Baki—leader of Sunagakure's combat forces—serving as his jonin instructor, Gaara would already have the support of a significant portion of the village's forces.
The final requirement is strength. In Ebizo's view, this was both important and unimportant, but as the One-Tail's jinchuriki, Gaara's strength already surpassed that of most Sunagakure shinobi.
After a moment of contemplation, Ebizo understood his sister's intentions. "What are you planning to do,
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sister?"
Ebizo asked, his voice calm but his eyes unusually grave. "I plan to pay a personal visit to Kirigakure," Chiyo stated plainly, as if discussing something ordinary.
Kirigakure? Ebizo froze, then immediately stood up. His face showed utter disbelief as he looked at Chiyo.
"Although the shinobi world appears calm at the moment, you and I both know this peace is merely an illusion," Chiyo said, her voice tinged with a low gravity that filled the Kazekage's office with a sense of oppression.