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Hidden Sand Village
Gaara calmly reviewed the report compiled by Baki and stated, "Kankurō, start working on developing ninja tools capable of flight or effective anti-air combat gear."
"Flying or anti-air equipment?" Kankurō blinked in confusion. "Why the sudden need for something like that?"
"There are ninjas in the world with flight abilities, such as the shinobi from the Land of Sky," Gaara explained, his tone steady. "If we lack countermeasures, the village could be left vulnerable in future conflicts."
Kankurō tightened the scrolls strapped to his back, nodding. "Got it. The metal puppet's done, so I'll move on to this as my next project."
Temari, seated nearby, suggested a more straightforward approach. "We could also talk to Konoha about their mechanical wings. They might share the design."
Baki immediately dismissed the idea. "Even if we are allied, relying too much on Konoha would weaken us. We're one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. We must develop our solutions."
Gaara interjected calmly, balancing both perspectives. "We'll proceed with both plans. While Kankurō works on our own technology, we'll also request samples from Konoha for reference. Temari, prepare to leave for Konoha soon."
"Understood," Temari, Kankurō, and Baki responded in unison.
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Hidden Mist Village
Yagura Karatachi, the former Mizukage, stood beside the desk in the Mizukage's office. "After observing firsthand, I've realized that airborne ninjas could pose a significant threat to Kirigakure."
Zabuza, leaning against the opposite side of the desk, grunted. "If we can recover the Thunder Blade, things would be different. We need to find it quickly."
Yagura frowned. "It's not so simple. Apart from the Twin Blades, even the Executioner's Blade ended up in Konoha."
Ao, standing nearby with his signature eye patch, snorted angrily. "The Seven Ninja Swordsmen didn't scatter because of Konoha! Let's not forget that shameful period."
Terumi Mei, seated in the Mizukage's chair, groaned in frustration. "I get it, but why do I have to handle all these Mizukage duties? Yagura, aren't you perfectly fine now?"
Yagura replied matter-of-factly, "I remained Mizukage to atone for my actions. Once certain matters are resolved, I'll officially retire and assist you as an advisor."
Terumi Mei mentally calculated: Retirement, → Freedom, → Finally, a chance for marriage!
Suppressing the tic forming on her forehead, she muttered darkly, 'He's not dead yet, Mei. Patience.'
Yagura, sensing her growing frustration, looked at her curiously. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," Terumi Mei forced a smile, internally plotting how to manage her growing responsibilities—and Yagura's eventual retirement.
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Hidden Stone Village
Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, floated above the conference table, addressing the council. "What's so impressive about the Land of Sky? Their only gimmick is flying. It's not a big deal."
As he descended, a loud crack echoed through the room. Onoki froze, gripping his lower back. "Ah! My waist!"
Kurotsuchi, his granddaughter and next in line for the Tsuchikage title, sighed. "Old man, if your body can't handle it, maybe it's time to retire. You can't cling to the Tsuchikage position forever."
Beside her, Akatsuchi chuckled and offered his help. "Want me to carry you, Lord Tsuchikage?"
"Mind your own business!" Onoki snapped, batting Akatsuchi's hand away. Another crack came from his back, and he winced in pain. "Ah, my waist!"
Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes. "You're too stubborn for your own good. If Deidara were still here—"
"Don't mention that traitor!" Onoki bellowed, his face red with rage. The memory of his former apprentice defecting to the Akatsuki was a sore spot.
Kurotsuchi smirked. "Maybe if you hadn't locked him up so often, he wouldn't have blown up half the village trying to escape."
Onoki scowled. "If I didn't lock him up, he would've blown up the entire village!"
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Hidden Cloud Village
The Fourth Raikage slammed a folder of intelligence reports onto his desk, his muscles flexing as he growled, "What's the status of the Chakra Cannon?"
Mabui, his ever-efficient secretary, flipped through her notes. "There are still significant technical challenges, but the team is working on it."
"Tell them to work faster!" Raikage barked. "We need powerful ninja tools to maintain our strength!"
"Understood," Mabui replied, jotting down his orders.
Meanwhile, Killer Bee sat in his seat, distracted and scribbling rhymes. Raikage noticed and, in typical fashion, leapt across the desk to punch him. "BEE! Pay attention!"
Killer Bee flew through the window, his voice trailing as he fell. "Eight-tailed beast, yo, I'm a feast, yo…"
Outside the Raikage's office, villagers casually glanced up as Killer Bee crashed onto the street.
"Bee-sama got thrown out again," one villager remarked, unfazed.
"Another peaceful day in the Hidden Cloud," another responded with a laugh.
They exchanged tickets. "You going to Bee-sama's concert?"
"Of course! No one cares about his raps, though. We're just there for the chaos."
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Hidden Rain Village
In Amegakure, Konan stood in front of Nagato, her voice tinged with concern. "Konoha's strength is greater than we anticipated. Two Jinchūriki capable of perfectly controlling the Nine-Tails… this will be a challenge."
Nagato's response was calm but resolute. "It doesn't matter. I will capture the Nine-Tails myself."
Konan frowned. "This is too risky. It would be wiser for the Akatsuki to act together."
Nagato shook his head. "A god must demonstrate his strength. The Akatsuki has too many individuals with their own agendas. I must remind them who leads."
Konan hesitated but suggested, "Perhaps we should test the Eight-Tails first. It would allow us to gauge the strength of a perfect Jinchūriki."
After a moment of silence, Nagato nodded. "That's reasonable. We'll proceed with that plan."
Despite his immense power, Nagato knew that caution was necessary. They had prepared for too long to risk failure due to overconfidence.
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