The news of the alliance between the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Sand acted as a massive bombshell dropped upon the shinobi world.
However, once the initial shock subsided, it became a reality that most were forced to accept.
After the grueling toll of the Third Shinobi World War, the Leaf required a period of recuperation.
Had they attempted to assassinate the Kazekage at the Summit, they would have invited a cycle of maddening retaliation from the Sand.
The Hidden Sand was no longer the impoverished village of the past; under Shiraishi's administration, its finances were robust.
While the number of Jonin hadn't increased exponentially, their equipment—from explosive tags to specialized ninja tools—was of the highest quality. Coupled with the massive graduation rates from their academy, the Sand possessed terrifying latent potential for war.
Thus, the Leaf accepted the rise of the Sand and sat down to negotiate the division of spheres of influence.
Interestingly, Shiraishi's pursuit of maritime hegemony largely encroached upon the domains of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water, concerning the Leaf very little.
As a traditional continental power, the Leaf found the Sand's obsession with the sea baffling.
Perhaps this is simply what makes the Kazekage unique...
Discord in the Leaf
Back in the Hidden Leaf Village, as the details of the Summit trickled in, the high command fell into a heavy silence.
"I don't understand. Why didn't the Fourth join forces with the Raikage to kill Aoki Shiraishi? Why did he protect him instead?" Danzo was the first to voice his fury.
He hadn't expected Minato Namikaze to be so "weak," letting such a perfect opportunity slip through his fingers. "A mere boy is not fit for such grand designs!"
"Danzo!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression sharpened as he barked a reprimand. "The Leaf separates the Cloud and the Sand.
The Raikage can afford to be reckless because he knows any retaliation would fall on us first. Do you truly wish to plunge the Leaf back into the crisis of war?"
"Heh, Hiruzen. Do you not fear the day the Kazekage and the Sand outgrow us entirely?"
The Third Hokage shook his head. "I believe in Minato. Under his leadership, the village will continue to stand a head above the Sand."
"The Fourth is too young."
"He is older than Aoki Shiraishi!"
As the two clashed, the other advisors exchanged looks of quiet relief. An alliance and a clear division of territory was the most stable path. While they regretted that the Kazekage hadn't fallen, the outcome was acceptable. The Leaf could afford to wait.
The Shadow Over the Land of Vegetables
Meanwhile, the Sand's high command was in an uproar over the events at the Summit. Lady Chiyo immediately dispatched a Jonin squad to the Land of Iron to escort the Kazekage home. Though Shiraishi had recovered from his battle-worn state, the village remained anxious given the proximity of the Cloud's forces.
On his return journey with Shikasa, Arashi, and the Uzumaki refugees, Shiraishi received urgent intelligence regarding the crisis in the Land of Vegetables.
"What do you make of this, Arashi?"
The mutated natural energy from the Box of Ultimate Bliss had corrupted nearly a third of the Land of Vegetables.
The Dojari Clan Head was missing, and the residents were being evacuated. If the infection wasn't stopped, Shiraishi's maritime strategy—centered on the Land of Vegetables as a trade hub—would collapse.
"The viscous sand technique is indeed unique to the Arakawa family," Arashi noted, "but Arakawa Maru couldn't possibly condense sand of that quality. Currently, I am the only Jonin in the family capable of it."
Someone was clearly framing the Arakawa family, but Arashi wondered who possessed the skill to mimic such a specific secret art.
Shiraishi handed Arashi a scroll. "I have enhanced the power within your Lightning Blade. I hope it serves you well in your investigation."
The Prodigy of the Uchiha
Inside the Uchiha clan compound, the annual clan assessment was about to begin. Fugaku Uchiha, the clan head, presided over the massive training ground alongside several elders.
"Fugaku, I heard you allowed Zhan's son to participate?" an elder asked, his tone laced with disapproval. Fugaku smiled thinly. "He is a Uchiha, after all."
"Zhan may have been a Uchiha, but he valued the Leaf and the Hokage more. Those old men at the top have been cold to us; our kin should remember where their loyalty lies."
Fugaku frowned. The growing rift between his clansmen and the rest of the village weighed heavily on him. He watched as the youths gathered—twenty boys, including Uchiha Kaede (the disguised Uchiha spy/Sand plant).
Kaede had been working in the Third Squad of the Police Force, maintaining a low profile as a "transparent" member who performed his patrols with meticulous, quiet dedication.
Standing among the standard black-haired Uchiha youths, one particular child caught his eye.
The boy was exceptionally small, yet he had been placed in this advanced assessment. No one dared look down on him because of his age. Sensing a gaze, the child turned to look back at Kaede.
He was the eldest son of Fugaku Uchiha: Uchiha Itachi.
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