In the distant west of Konoha Village, in a desolate desert, a massive ring-shaped mountain range surrounds a precious oasis. This harsh environment bears traces of human activity, for this oasis encircled by mountains is the Sand Ninja Village of the Land of Wind.
At this moment, inside a peculiar gourd-like building, a group of noticeably older men and women are gathered for a somber meeting. Apart from a few young individuals, most participants looked quite grim.
"Recently, espionage activities within the village are becoming increasingly rampant. If this isn't controlled, they'll soon be riding over our heads!" As these words fell, a white-haired old man showed a pained expression.
"..."
"No news from the Third yet?" After a long silence, someone finally spoke, but the question cast a further pall over the meeting room.
"..."
"All the ANBU that could be mobilized, and any available ninjas are still searching, but..." "Still no news?" "No trace of the Third at all... it's as if he suddenly vanished..."
"Could it be a conspiracy by another village to secretly harm the Third Kazekage?" "How is that possible? This is the strongest Kazekage! How could he be assassinated without a trace!"
As more people started offering different opinions, the meeting room's atmosphere began to normalize, taking on the semblance of a proper meeting. "Arguing here doesn't make any sense. We need to come up with some useful suggestions!"
A middle-aged woman with medium-length hair, already showing some signs of aging, spoke up. This elder was none other than Chiyo, the legendary puppet master who could expertly control ten puppets and was second only to the Third Kazekage. Beside her sat her brother, Ebizō, also an elder. One commanding the village's elite puppet forces, the other an adept in internal affairs, the two siblings were always in sync and held significant stature in the village.
As she spoke, everyone's attention was drawn, eager to see any viable solutions to their current predicament. A middle-aged man with a somber expression and a scar on his face saw the moment and voiced his proposal.
"The village's unrest has already drawn the attention of nearby countries. If we keep dragging this out, we won't be able to hide the incidents!" "You can't cover up the flames with paper. It's better to take action now before the news fully leaks and divert internal conflicts!"
His words rendered the meeting room deathly silent! Though they had regained some strength over the years and were actively preparing for another great war, this was the first time the topic of war was formally raised.
Seeing the attendees so petrified, the man who raised the issue smirked disdainfully. "Elder Mingsha, war is not an easy topic. We must consider this carefully~" Attempting to mediate, Chiyo's brother Ebizō spoke up.
"Do you have a better idea? If we wait for other villages to get solid information and devour us, it's better to strike first while they are unprepared!" "Ever since the last great war, the Daimyo has been greatly dissatisfied with our defeat. Over the years, the substantial war reparations have weakened us compared to our adversaries..."
"This..." Faced with Elder Mingsha's lengthy argument, Ebizō found himself momentarily speechless. Having dealt with the village's internal affairs for years, he knew the village's issues inside out.
In essence, it all boiled down to 'lack of money'! The Land of Wind was severely resource-poor; in this boundless desert, oases were limited. Apart from endless yellow sand and hot winds, there were only some poisonous snakes, lizards, and scorpions...
Combined with the aftermath of the last great war, the burden on the people increased, causing unresolvable conflicts within the country. Conflicts arose between the ninja village and the Daimyo's mansion, between ninjas and ordinary citizens, and between various oases over water resources...
[Maybe it's time for some changes...]
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At this moment, Toshiro was unaware of the events unfolding far away in the Sand Hidden Village. He was facing his companions' doubts.
"Hey! Toshiro! You're not planning to participate in the upcoming elimination round? Is it true?" "Yes! I plan to forfeit the next match!" "Forfeit? Why? With your strength, winning first place wouldn't be an issue~" "Why give up suddenly?"
Facing his two companions' relentless questioning, Toshiro felt a bit helpless. For him, this Chūnin Exam was entirely optional. Having defeated Kakashi and provided a respectable performance, he had no further drive to continue participating.
As for the first place mentioned by En and Zhe, he had no interest at all. Anyone who wanted it could take it! He'd already been quite high-profile in this exam, exposing quite a bit of his strength. There was no need to continue; he couldn't possibly reveal all his cards to the village.
Although he was just a small Genin now (soon to be promoted to Chūnin), revealing too much strength might be problematic. There's an old saying: Always keep something in reserve, no matter the situation. This way, you can handle unexpected situations more calmly.
"That's all there is to it!" Finally cornered, Toshiro used his ultimate move!
"What! That's such an excuse! Do you think we're kids?" Despite Tosirō's bluff, Uchiha Flame wasn't buying it. But the harsh reality was, she couldn't beat Toshiro... Even if she called Zhe.
(Chapter End)