Iwagakure, Land of Earth
The massive village, encircled by jagged rock mountains, bore witness to a shinobi with Iwagakure's forehead protector darting across the stone terrain. Soon, a towering, spear-like stone structure loomed ahead, its surface etched with a single colossal character: 「土」 (Earth).
This was the seat of Iwagakure's power, the Tsuchikage Building.
After a curt announcement by the guards, the shinobi ascended to the top floor. Kneeling immediately upon entry, he raised a scroll with both hands.
"Tsuchikage-sama! A message from the Daimyō, Sunagakure has agreed!"
Behind a heavy desk, Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, a diminutive yet fearsome figure, accepted the scroll from his son, Tsuchi, a stalwart Jōnin of unwavering loyalty.
(AN: I will use OG names as it is.)
A single glance at the contents drew a cold snort from Ōnoki.
Tsuchi dismissed the messenger with a glance before addressing his father.
"Father, how does the plan proceed?"
"As I foresaw."
Yet Ōnoki's expression remained severe. His next words were ironclad.
"The next phase is yours, Tsuchi. No one else can be trusted with this."
Tsuchi's usually stoic face tensed.
"Understood. But… Father, must we sacrifice our own shinobi?"
Ōnoki's gaze was unyielding.
"Without question. You know the Uzumaki survivor's value as well as I."
Tsuchi's jaw tightened. He recognized the subtext, Ōnoki's long-simmering resentment toward Rōshi, the rebellious Four-Tails Jinchūriki.
"Beyond that, investigate Sunagakure's 'Green Miracle.' Confirm whether it ties to Wood Release. Spare no expense."
"Hai!"
With his father's resolve absolute, Tsuchi stifled further protest.
"And Kumogakure's position?"
Ōnoki smirked.
"They'll cooperate. For now, our goals align."
---
Kumogakure, Land of Lightning
Within a cloud-piercing fortress, the Third Raikage, Ay, loomed over a secret meeting, his expression thunderous.
Only two others attended:
His son, the future Fourth Raikage, and his most trusted tactician, Darui.
Passing Darui the newly arrived scroll, the Third Raikage's voice was a low growl.
"Darui. You'll handle the Sunagakure operation."
Darui, already steeled for the task, met his leader's eyes without hesitation.
"Understood, Raikage-sama. I'll see it done, even at the cost of my life."
"Good."
The Third Raikage's tone defied his reputation for brashness, sharp with calculation.
"I'll admit that Kazekage brat has impressed me these past six months. But Sunagakure remains weak."
Darui fell into deep thought. While he agreed with the Raikage's reasoning, recalling the Kazekage's unpredictable actions over the past six months filled him with unease. Yet as a subordinate, once his leader made a decision, he had no choice but to obey, especially at such a critical juncture.
At that moment, the future Fourth Raikage, Ae, spoke up.
"Old man, what about Konoha? If we let them recover, everything we've done so far will be for nothing..."
The Third Raikage's expression turned stormy at his son's words.
"So what if they recover? Do you have a better plan? That damn Minato Namikaze alone has stymied all our efforts!"
The future Fourth Raikage gritted his teeth in frustration, his face twisting with anger.
"Damn it! What kind of monsters has Konoha been breeding lately?!"
Over the past six months of war, as one half of the "A-B Combo," he had repeatedly clashed with Minato, experiencing firsthand the man's absurd strength. Against that freakish Space-Time Ninjutsu and his ability to cast techniques without hand seals, numbers meant nothing as even jōnin were instantly wiped out. This was why Konoha had managed to hold out against two major villages simultaneously.
Simply put, unless they could defeat Minato, neither Kumogakure nor Iwagakure could truly crush Konoha.
Suddenly, the future Fourth Raikage had a thought.
"What about that Kazekage? Is he as troublesome as Minato?"
The question gave both the Raikage and Darui pause, it was something they'd overlooked.
After a moment, Darui answered carefully.
"The Kazekage has rarely engaged in direct combat, so intel is scarce. From what we've gathered, he's renowned for his Magnet Release, along with the Sand Manipulation techniques pioneered by the Second Kazekage through studying Shukaku."
"Magnet Release and sand control? That doesn't sound too troublesome," the future Fourth Raikage mused.
Compared to Minato's hex Space-Time Ninjutsu, Magnet Release seemed far more manageable. Plus, Kumogakure had its own Magnet Release users.
But Darui shook his head in warning.
"It's not that simple. While the Kazekage rarely fights personally, the list of powerful shinobi who've suffered at his hands is concerning. Even Minato, the very man giving us so much trouble, has lost to him, as has Jiraiya of the Sannin. Konoha's elder Danzō had his Sharingan and Wood Release cells stolen. And recently, he even defeated the legendary demon Mōryō of the Land of Demons."
The future Fourth Raikage's eyes widened.
"He made Minato back down?!"
"Indeed. Though the details are unclear, one thing is certain, and it is that, in their confrontation, Minato was the one who conceded first."
Darui's expression darkened further.
"But that's not the most alarming part. What's truly dangerous is this Kazekage's strategic brilliance. Whether it's his lightning strike on the Land of Fire or Konoha's crushing defeat in the Land of Rivers, every move proves he's not to be underestimated. Underestimate him, and we'll end up like Konoha."
He hoped to caution the Raikage with these words. The Third Raikage understood, but unlike Darui, he believed in overwhelming power above all else.
"Enough. Don't spook yourselves. Remember this: no scheme can withstand absolute strength. In a few years, once Bee and Yugito mature fully, even Minato won't be a threat. That's exactly why we can't let Sunagakure succeed in creating their own jinchūriki. Darui, make your preparations."
Seeing the Raikage's resolve, Darui could only bow and take his leave.
And so, three days later, Sunagakure suddenly buzzed with unprecedented activity.