As the news of Uchiha Madara's alliance with Iwagakure spread far and wide.
The many minor shinobi villages were shocked, but fundamentally, the impact on them was minimal.
Once the initial shock wore off, these small villages simply went back to doing whatever they had been doing before.
The ones truly affected by this news!
Were only Sunagakure and Kumogakure!
Word had it that in the aftermath, Sunagakure's leadership held consecutive meetings for days on end, discussing the implications for their village and what course of action to take.
Only, in the end, they apparently couldn't reach any concrete conclusion.
As for Kumogakure, rumors suggested that the Raikage's temper had grown increasingly volatile during this period. Supposedly, he had smashed countless desks in his office.
As for whether these rumors were true, no one particularly cared.
What most people were focused on was the next move of the Three Great Villages!
Unfortunately for them, the vast majority was disappointed. The Three Great Villages didn't make any significant moves, as though nothing had happened at all.
The only noticeable change was that during this period, the number of missions accepted by Konoha, Kirigakure, and Iwagakure had clearly increased compared to before.
And because of this shift in mission volume, shinobi from all three villages suddenly became far more active throughout the Shinobi World.
Yet these shinobi on missions seemed remarkably restrained. Even when they encountered shinobi from rival villages, they would simply exchange a glance and hurry on their way.
Not a single clash occurred, which made the entire shinobi world seem unusually peaceful.
Sunagakure.
Inside the Kazekage's office.
Gaara wore the formal robes of the Kazekage and sat at his desk, reviewing intelligence reports from across the Shinobi World that Baki had just delivered, along with Sunagakure's internal administrative documents.
Compared to the more mature Gaara who would become Kazekage three years later in the original timeline, the current Gaara was noticeably greener.
However, because Shukaku the One-Tail had been extracted from him early, Gaara's mental state was significantly improved. Even the dark circles around his eyes had begun to fade slightly.
As Gaara worked through his administrative duties, a chair had been placed beside his desk.
Ebizou was seated in that chair, wearing a kindly expression as he guided Gaara, patiently explaining anything the young Kazekage didn't understand.
Gaara didn't dare let his guard down for even a moment, working diligently to absorb everything Ebizou taught him.
Seeing Gaara's earnest demeanor brought a hint of a satisfied smile to Ebizou's face.
Over this period, as Gaara's mentor, Ebizou had grown increasingly pleased with his performance.
At first!
Ebizou hadn't been fully supportive of Granny Chiyo's decision.
But since it had been his sister's dying wish, Ebizou hadn't pushed back too hard. He had also supported placing Gaara in the position of Kazekage.
And through his observations during this time, Ebizou had come to realize that his sister's judgment had been sharper than his own.
Gaara truly did possess the potential to become an outstanding Kazekage.
As for the immaturity Gaara occasionally displayed, that was the last thing Ebizou was concerned about.
Immature tactics and approaches to governance could be refined through time and experience.
Only a shinobi's "heart" for their village was not something that could be so easily changed.
After all, Gaara had once harbored deep resentment toward the village as Shukaku's Jinchuriki.
"Finally finished."
Gaara set the last of his administrative documents aside and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Gaara's voice brought Ebizou's attention back to him.
"Well done."
Ebizou smiled warmly, offering praise without any hesitation.
Gaara paused for a moment, then managed to coax a faint smile onto his typically cold face. "This is what I should do."
"Haha, you see? Smiling a little is always better than keeping that stern face."
Ebizou patted Gaara on the shoulder, his aged voice brimming with amusement.
Gaara gave a slight nod. Ebizou's guidance during this time had indeed helped him grow a great deal.
After straightening up his desk, which had grown cluttered from the pile of documents.
Gaara pulled out the latest intelligence analysis on Kirigakure, Konoha, and Iwagakure, his expression growing solemn.
"Is our village's current situation somewhat...?"
Gaara looked toward Ebizou, pausing mid-sentence as he struggled to find the right words to describe it.
Before becoming Kazekage, Gaara had never felt it. But now, seeing the vast amount of classified intelligence laid before him.
Even with Gaara's limited political acumen, he could sense Sunagakure's increasingly precarious position.
Ebizou naturally understood what Gaara was getting at and gave a slow, deliberate nod.
"Bring over the map of the shinobi world."
Ebizou's smile remained as he spoke briskly to Gaara.
Gaara didn't hesitate. He rose immediately and walked to the left wall of the office, taking down the large map of the Shinobi World that hung there, and brought it back.
Ebizou laid the map flat across the desk, then took a pen and drew a straight line connecting Iwagakure to Konoha and continuing on to Kirigakure.
"Because of the existence of Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, and Yuto, the combined strength of these three villages has already surpassed that of all others."
Ebizou saw the contemplative look on Gaara's face and continued patiently:
"Not only that. Looking at the map, you can see that these three villages now form a connected line. In other words, it's not just our Sunagakure that's in an awkward position — Kumogakure is in the same boat."
Hearing Ebizou's words, Gaara's expression grew even more grave.
Looking at the map now, Gaara could indeed see that both their village and Kumogakure had been effectively cut off by this line.
"What do you think we should do?"
Ebizou looked at the deep-in-thought Gaara, his expression gentle as he asked softly.
Gaara fell into a brief silence, studying the map intently.
"The way I see it, our only option seems to be forming an alliance with Kumogakure. If we ally with any of the three Super Villages instead, we'd draw the hostility of the other two."
"Besides, when a weak village partners with a strong one, that's not called an alliance."
Gaara spoke slowly after a moment of contemplation.
The relationships between shinobi villages were exceedingly complex. But in Gaara's eyes, one fundamental truth remained constant.
The strong would never ally with the weak. Even if such a day somehow came, it wouldn't be called an alliance — it would be called submission.
The weak submitting to the strong!
"Haha, I didn't expect you to consider all of that. Very good!"
Ebizou let out a hearty laugh, nodding with evident satisfaction toward Gaara.