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The Moon Lake, or more accurately, the oasis surrounding it, was located approximately 400 kilometers from Sunagakure. The lake itself wasn't particularly large, covering just over 20 acres, but it was already the largest inland freshwater lake in the Land of Wind. A ring of low shrubs encircled the lake, clearly planted intentionally to prevent soil erosion. Beyond the lake, concentric circles of drought-resistant desert vegetation extended outward for over a hundred kilometers, forming a massive oasis. At the outermost edge of this oasis stood a rudimentary man-made windbreak and several military fortifications, constructed during the era of the First Kazekage, Rettō.
"What a beautiful place. I think this environment is even better than Sunagakure. It's almost as large as our village too. How rare it is to find such a vast body of water in the desert. If we were to build a city around the lake and plan it well, I could triple its size within five years. Granny Chiyo, why didn't Lord Rettō build Sunagakure here in the first place?"
Jinghang shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand, gazing in admiration at the shimmering, azure waters of the lake. The thought lingered in his mind, prompting his question.
"It wasn't that he didn't consider it. The decision not to build the village here was primarily strategic." Chiyo glanced around cautiously to ensure no one was nearby before continuing.
"When Rettō was establishing Sunagakure and scouting for a location, this was his first choice. However, being meticulous, he sent Ebizō to investigate the water source of Moon Lake. The investigation lasted an entire year, and they discovered that Moon Lake wasn't a self-sustaining water source. Instead, it was fed by underground seepage from the Shule River, forming a rich aquifer atop an impermeable layer. If the upstream flow were ever disrupted, this place would gradually dry up and become a barren wasteland. Oh, and keep this to yourself. I'm only telling you because you're the Kazekage now. If Danzo got wind of this, he'd definitely cut off your water supply upstream, ha!" Chiyo teased.
"No wonder the First and Second Kazekages were always eyeing the Land of Rain. I used to think—"
"Think what? That they were fond of that perpetually wet, rainy hellhole? Don't underestimate the strategic foresight of your predecessors. Ha!" Chiyo clasped her hands behind her back and continued walking.
"Then we should turn this place into a logistics base—set up farms, relocate people here to grow crops, vegetables, fruits, medicinal herbs, and raise livestock. That would significantly improve Sunagakure's economic situation!"
"And how would you transport everything back? There's 400 kilometers of desert in between."
"Build a road."
"A road through the desert? Half of it would get buried in sand before you even finish!" Chiyo chuckled, thinking Jinghang was joking. She then shifted the topic.
"Speaking of that old turtle Danzo, he's quite the cautious one. After suffering a minor setback, he retreated to the Night-Singing Sand Sea to patch up his defenses and filter his dirty water. What do you think he's plotting now?"
"What else? Figuring out ways to deal with me, of course," Jinghang replied with a grin.
Chiyo suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"You're the one who needs to be dealt with. You're the Third Kazekage now, not just an elite jonin. Leave the front-line fighting to your subordinates. Stop putting yourself in harm's way. Do you think your life belongs to you alone?"
"Ah, it's not like I want to. But we're short on talent. There are so few truly capable people I can rely on. I just can't trust anyone else with certain tasks," Jinghang sighed helplessly.
"After this war, I plan to travel under the guise of diplomatic missions. In turbulent times like these, hidden talents often emerge in the wilderness. We need to stir things up in the stagnant waters of our village. It's only been a few generations, and we've barely produced anyone noteworthy."
Indeed, compared to Konoha's inclusivity and Kumogakure's militaristic extremism, Sunagakure's talent cultivation system was undeniably lacking. There was no effective mechanism to discover or protect individuals with unique kekkei genkai. Over the years, the village had only produced one notable figure with a kekkei genkai: Pakura of the Scorch Release. And even she had been unearthed by Jinghang based on his memories. In the original storyline, Sunagakure's later years only boasted two prominent figures: Gaara and Sasori of the Red Sand. Just two, and one of them was a rogue ninja. The likes of Temari and Kankurō hardly counted. Veterans like Chiyo and Ebizō, who would have been museum relics in Konoha, were still fighting tooth and nail by the Fifth Hokage's time. It was a classic case of "When Shu lacked generals, Liao Hua became the vanguard." This situation had to change. It was disgraceful for the leader to personally handle everything.
"Change is inevitable. You've always been ambitious, even as a child. The tree isn't even planted yet, and you're already imagining what the fruit will taste like. But first, we need to finish this war, don't we?"
"Do you think we've missed anything, Shikachō?" Danzo asked, his gaze fixed on the middle-aged ninja before him.
"We still lack sufficient intelligence. This Jinghang, despite his youth, is an exceptionally cunning ninja. From the time he began his career until now, he has rarely left any survivors in his missions. All we know is that he can control iron sand and use Shadow Clones. Beyond that, we know nothing. The current plan is merely a rough draft, with only a 60% chance of success at best," replied Shikachō Nara, shaking his head. As the head of the Nara clan, renowned for their strategic brilliance, even he found it challenging to devise a flawless plan with such scant information.
"Try to refine it further. Whatever resources or personnel you need, just let me know," Danzo said, his tone as calm as ever.
"Capturing him could very well end this war. Do your best, Shikachō." Danzo gave a polite bow, which Shikachō hurriedly returned.
Suspicious, cautious, ruthless, and inflexible, Danzo was a man who couldn't tolerate even the slightest oversight. He insisted on doing things his way to feel secure. He often preached about the self-sacrifice of a ninja, yet when it came to himself, he could never follow through. These traits, emblematic of the older Danzo in the manga, were already evident in his prime.
By intervening in the conflict between Sunagakure and Amegakure, sacrificing the Sannin to deal with the legendary "Demi-God" Hanzo of the Salamander, and leveraging overwhelming military strength to force Hanzo into signing a humiliating treaty, Danzo had consistently demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice others for his own gain.
Similarly, when dealing with the Second Kazekage, Shamon, he had used Kagami Uchiha as bait to lure the enemy, only to strike from the shadows and secure victory. Danzo had perfected the art of sacrificing others to achieve his ambitions.
Everything was unfolding as he had anticipated. Now, only the remnants of Sunagakure at Moon Lake stood in his way. Removing this obstacle—whether by annihilation or forcing them into submission like Amegakure—would solidify Danzo's achievements. This, in turn, would elevate his standing among Konoha's leadership, bringing him closer to the Hokage's seat.
But who would have expected a blue-haired boy to suddenly disrupt his plans? With a brilliant retreat, Jinghang had decisively abandoned the Night-Singing Sand Sea, leaving behind nothing but ruins and a few wells filled with excrement. It was like being force-fed a bowl of hot porridge—neither swallowable nor spit-outable.
Pursue them to Moon Lake with his army? That would stretch the supply lines tenfold, leaving them vulnerable to constant harassment and potential annihilation. But if he didn't pursue, Sunagakure could exploit its proximity to its own supply lines to recruit more troops, stockpile supplies, recover its strength, and even seek external allies. Failure to act decisively would give Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other Konoha leaders plenty to criticize, especially with reports suggesting that the northern Iwagakure forces were already poised to make a move.
"Summon Jiraiya and Orochimaru," Danzo ordered, a flash of killing intent flickering in his eyes.