66-70

Chapter 66: The Meaning of War 

In the small grove not far from the Konoha outpost in the Land of Hot Water. 

"Ow, what the heck?!" 

"I hit him! I hit Shindai!" 

Obito was so excited he ran around the training ground two and a half times. 

Just now, Shindai and Obito were sparring, and Obito successfully landed a hit on Shindai. 

They had sparred many times before, but usually, Shindai would just pin Obito to the ground. 

At first, Shindai wanted to keep up appearances in front of Minato-sensei, but he never expected Obito, despite knowing his true strength, to push his luck and deliver a direct smack that dazed Shindai. 

It took Shindai a long time to recover that time. 

The first thing he did after recovering was to beat Obito senseless, not caring whether Minato-sensei found out. 

If Minato-sensei asked, he'd just say that thanks to Minato-sensei's guidance these past few days, his strength had improved by leaps and bounds, making beating Obito a piece of cake. 

After that, sparring with Obito was just Shindai unilaterally thrashing him. 

Minato-sensei, unable to watch anymore, even suggested Obito find a different opponent, like Rin Nohara. 

But stubborn Obito got fixated on Shindai, insisting on sparring with him, enduring pure beatings. 

However, Minato-sensei noticed that Obito's strength was actually improving rapidly through the beatings, so he stopped interfering. 

If getting beaten up made Obito stronger, then he might as well get beaten up more. 

This time, when Obito landed a punch on Shindai, not only were Kakashi and Rin surprised, but even Minato-sensei was taken aback. 

After a moment of surprise, Minato-sensei's brow furrowed slightly. 

Obito had improved, but not that quickly. 

Truth be told, as a master of evasion, Shindai's dodging abilities should have been top-notch. It made no sense for Shindai to be hit by Obito. 

And Shindai had been acting a little strange these past few days. 

Like now, Shindai took a punch from Obito but didn't immediately rush to pummel him. He just let Obito provocatively run around for two and a half laps, cheering. This was clearly off. 

Minato-sensei clapped his hands: "Alright, let's take a short break." 

Minato-sensei walked over to Shindai, who was sitting on the ground leaning against a tree, and asked, "Shindai, what's wrong? You've seemed really distracted these past few days." 

Shindai lowered his head slightly, sounding a bit listless: "I don't know why, but for the past few days, I've had a really bad feeling. It's a feeling I can't quite describe, but if I had to, it's like that time I was tricked by Jiraiya-sensei!" 

Minato-sensei was surprised: "Tricked by Jiraiya-sensei? You mean that time the puppet you made for Jiraiya-sensei was discovered by Lady Tsunade, and she beat both of you senseless?" 

Shindai's face darkened: "Minato-sensei, you don't need to be so detailed! Just knowing it in your heart is enough!" 

Minato-sensei pondered for a moment before saying, "Perhaps the training intensity has been a bit high these past few days. How about this, I'll give you a day off. Shindai, go back to the outpost, get some good rest, and sleep it off. Maybe after a good rest, you'll feel better." 

Shindai nodded silently, then, feeling a bit lost, returned alone to his tent at the outpost. 

Lying on his bed, Shindai's brows remained tightly furrowed. He just had this persistent feeling that a big, dark burden was about to fall squarely on his head. 

Time seemed to fly by, and two weeks passed in a blink. 

During these two weeks, the strange happenings in Sunagakure had been noticed by Konohagakure and Iwagakure. 

Both Konoha and Iwa had dispatched their ninja to the Land of Wind to gather information. 

However, any dispatched ninja who was discovered by Sunagakure shinobi would be met with furious attacks. 

The information gathered indicated that Sunagakure was in chaos. 

This alarmed both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Ōnoki, who felt that something major must have happened within Sunagakure for it to be in such disarray. 

Meanwhile, the higher-ups within Sunagakure were tearing their hair out with anxiety. 

The disappearance of the Third Kazekage left Sunagakure without a leader. Although Ebizō strictly forbade anyone from speaking about the Third Kazekage's disappearance, everyone knew it couldn't be kept secret for long. 

Because the ninja sent to search for the Third Kazekage's whereabouts definitely knew about it. Even with strict orders not to speak, some people would surely blab, and it was only a matter of time before all the villagers in Sunagakure knew. 

Already, a portion of the villagers in Sunagakure knew the Third Kazekage was missing, and the news was spreading at a considerable pace. 

Once all the villagers in Sunagakure knew of the Third Kazekage's disappearance, it wouldn't be long before other ninja villages found out. 

Inside the Kazekage Building's conference room. 

Chiyo, Ebizō, and a group of Sunagakure elders were holding a meeting. 

"Our ninja have already detected Konoha and Iwagakure shinobi within the Land of Wind. The Third's disappearance can't be kept secret much longer." 

"Most of the villagers already know the Third is missing, and everyone is very uneasy." 

"If this oppressive atmosphere isn't resolved soon, something serious could happen." 

"But right now, only the Third's reappearance can resolve this situation." 

The Sunagakure higher-ups spoke one after another, expressing their worries for the village. 

Ebizō tapped the table with his hand, gesturing for everyone to quiet down. 

Once the conference room was silent, Ebizō spoke: "We've sent almost all of the village's ninja, pouring all our resources into searching for the Third's whereabouts, but we still can't find him. 

Now, we can't pin our hopes on finding the Third. If we continue searching like this, setting aside whether we can even find the Third, the human and material resources we're expending are already unsustainable. 

So, our primary goal now isn't to search for the Third, but to solve the problems within the village. 

I propose we first find someone to succeed as Kazekage, to unite the scattered village." 

One of the advisors said with a grave expression: "Because of the Third's disappearance, the village is in a state of panic. Many villagers greatly respect the Third, viewing him as an idol. When a new Kazekage takes office, they will surely expect the new Kazekage to continue searching for the Third. 

If the new Kazekage doesn't agree, the villagers will certainly be discontent, and there might be situations where they don't follow the new Kazekage's orders. If the new Kazekage does agree, then it's effectively not solving the problem, and we'll continue to expend vast human and material resources searching for the Third." 

From the Third Kazekage's ascension to power until now, he had worked diligently and tirelessly to govern Sunagakure, which everyone had witnessed. 

Therefore, the Third Kazekage's prestige within Sunagakure was quite high. 

Ebizō sighed, then his eyes sharpened: "That's precisely why we need a new Kazekage to take office even more. We must shift our attention outwards. Only then can we resolve the village's crisis." 

Chiyo heard Ebizō's words, and her brows immediately furrowed: "Ebizō, what do you mean by 'shifting attention outwards'...?" 

Ebizō's expression was grim, and he spoke each word distinctly: 

"It means... war!" 

Chapter 67: The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa 

Inside the Kazekage building, Ebizo dropped a bombshell: he suggested using war to solve Sunagakure's problems. The moment he said it, the whole conference room went dead silent. Everyone, including Chiyo, stared at Ebizo in shock. 

After a moment of silence, Chiyo gravely asked, "The entire ninja world is on the brink of full-scale war, just waiting for a spark. If we initiate it, we become that spark. Can... can we really do this?" 

The other elders shared Chiyo's concerns. Everyone knew Sunagakure's situation: no money, and their ninja numbers and quality couldn't compare to the other Four Great Nations. Whoever started this war would face the most pressure first. Everyone worried Sunagakure couldn't handle it. 

Ebizo analyzed the situation for them: "If we don't start a war, searching for the missing Third Kazekage will drain vast amounts of our manpower and resources. If this continues, our village's situation will only get worse. Even if a new Kazekage takes office, it'll be hard to change things. Instead of letting that happen, we should take a gamble. We'll start a war using the Third Kazekage's disappearance as a reason. This will unite everyone, stop us from being scattered like sand, because everyone will be focused on the external threat! And the newly appointed Kazekage won't face discontent from the villagers, since everyone will have the same goal. So, the villagers will definitely obey the new Kazekage's orders. As for the pressure of starting a war, we can transfer that to other ninja villages to ease our burden. That way, it's solved." 

Chiyo pondered for a moment. "Transferring it to other villages... Konoha and Iwagakure?" 

Ebizo nodded. "Exactly, Konoha and Iwagakure. While we don't know the exact situation between Konoha and Iwagakure, it's a fact that Konoha stole the Magnet Release user who was supposed to go to Iwagakure. We might be able to use that to incite a conflict between Konoha and Iwagakure, forcing them into war with each other. Our village is in a critical state right now. Conventional methods won't solve our problems; we need drastic measures. So, do you all agree with my proposal?" 

Chiyo was the first to agree. The other advisors carefully considered Ebizo's suggestion and felt it was the only option left. They all agreed as well. 

One advisor then spoke up, "Then, who will be the Fourth Kazekage?" 

Ebizo replied, "Currently, there's only one candidate for the Fourth Kazekage: the Third Kazekage's relative and close confidant, Rasa." 

Chiyo concurred, "Indeed, only Rasa can take on the Kazekage position. Everyone else is a bit lacking compared to him." 

After a show of hands, Rasa was chosen as the new Kazekage. Ebizo sent a ninja to fetch Rasa. 

Rasa arrived at the conference room and, seeing all of Sunagakure's elders present, already had a good idea of what was happening. After all, so many days had passed without finding the Third Kazekage, and Sunagakure's situation was deteriorating. They definitely needed a new Kazekage to lead the village. Rasa wouldn't brag, but in all of Sunagakure, besides himself, no one else could fill that role right now. The Third Kazekage had also been grooming Rasa for the Kazekage position. In his spare time, the Third Kazekage had often talked to Rasa about events in various ninja villages, giving Rasa a clear understanding of the entire ninja world's dynamics. 

Ebizo explained the discussion's contents to Rasa. After listening, Rasa's expression became very serious. While he was right about being called to become Kazekage, he hadn't expected to start in such a dire situation. However, upon closer thought, Ebizo's assessment was indeed accurate. After all, he wasn't inheriting the position in a standard succession; he was taking over after the Third Kazekage's disappearance. Some people would undoubtedly oppose him, hoping to find the Third Kazekage. To solve this problem, Ebizo's suggestion was indeed the most viable: launch a war, shift everyone's focus externally, and stop them from dwelling on the missing Third Kazekage. This way, there would be no disobedience to his orders. 

Rasa agreed, "With the Third Kazekage missing and the village in such a critical state, I cannot shirk this responsibility. After I take office as Kazekage, I will follow the advisors' wishes and prepare to initiate a war." 

Ebizo nodded. "Then, let's immediately announce your appointment as Kazekage after this meeting. Now, we should discuss the reasons for initiating the war." 

They discussed for a while, coming up with several plans, but couldn't agree on a single one. Then, Rasa proposed, "Since we want to incite conflict between Iwagakure and Konoha and force them to fight, let's start with Iwagakure. Last time, Iwagakure sent us military supplies, wanting to ally with our village to attack Konoha. The Third Kazekage accepted the supplies but didn't ally with Iwagakure. Ohnoki has been sending messages to the Third Kazekage, demanding their supplies back. We can use this as a reason, fabricate some evidence, and declare that Iwagakure is the prime suspect in the Third Kazekage's disappearance, and directly declare war on Iwagakure. After starting the war, we'll spread rumors, saying that Konoha stole the Magnet Release user who was supposed to go to Iwagakure. Because of this, Iwagakure's Ohnoki wanted to ally with Sunagakure to attack Konoha. Konoha then held a grudge against Iwagakure and, to get revenge, attacked the Third Kazekage and framed Iwagakure. If the rumors spread successfully, we can tell Ohnoki it was all a misunderstanding, that we were tricked by Konoha. And since the war has already begun, Ohnoki will surely realize that fighting us tooth and nail is useless. It would be better to join us in attacking Konoha. After attacking Konoha with Iwagakure, our Sand ninja will slowly withdraw, letting them continue to fight, while we observe from the sidelines, looking for opportune moments to seize resources." 

After deliberation by Ebizo and the others, Rasa's proposal was approved. After all, those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who do. For Ohnoki, fighting them to the death had no benefit. With Ohnoki's nature of not moving without profit, he would never do something without gain, but he would definitely do something for profit, and attacking Konoha offered profit. So, the general direction of Rasa's plan was sound. As long as they had a suitable reason to start the war and maintained control of the overall strategy, any minor details could be ironed out and corrected later. 

After the meeting, Chiyo, Ebizo, and the other elders gathered the villagers of Sunagakure. They officially announced the Third Kazekage's disappearance, simultaneously proclaiming Rasa as the Fourth Kazekage, and stated that he would thoroughly investigate the Third Kazekage's disappearance. 

Chapter 68: Sold Out 

Under the joint announcement of Chiyo and Ebizō, the oldest and most respected figures in Sunagakure after the Third Kazekage, Rasa somewhat hastily assumed the position of Kazekage. 

And just as they expected, after the official announcement of the Third Kazekage's disappearance, people were already demanding that the newly appointed Kazekage, Rasa, find the Third Kazekage. 

Rasa, of course, readily agreed, promising everyone that he would definitely find the Third Kazekage. 

Next up was fabricating evidence against Iwagakure ninja, and then, as planned, declaring war on Iwagakure. 

Back in the Kazekage Building, Rasa sat in the seat only the Kazekage was allowed to occupy. 

The moment he sat down, Rasa felt completely different. 

There was a sense of having everything under control. 

However, Rasa also understood that this was an illusion. As a provisional Kazekage, he had a mountain of problems waiting for him to solve. 

After reviewing all the issues, Rasa asked Chiyo and Ebizō, who were sitting before him, "Advisors, do you know who the Third Kazekage's spy sent to Konoha was?" 

Chiyo and Ebizō exchanged glances, then somewhat awkwardly replied, "We honestly don't know. To ensure the spy's safety, we only allowed the Third Kazekage to know. No one else was informed." 

Shindai was a unique talent. He had lived in Sunagakure for so many years, and only knew two people: Pakura and the Third Kazekage, Kagetoki. 

Shindai didn't know anyone else, and no one else knew Shindai. 

Although the Third Kazekage had shown Chiyo the puppet Shindai made and boasted about it, he never mentioned Shindai's name. 

Because in the Third Kazekage's eyes, Shindai was only good at puppetry; in all other aspects, Shindai was so terrible that the Third Kazekage was too embarrassed to even say his name. 

Chiyo inquired, "Oh right, Fourth Kazekage, that spy was a ninja with a Magnet Release kekkei genkai, from the same clan as you and the Third Kazekage. Do you have any leads?" 

Rasa thought for a moment before replying, "Our clan members are quite few. If I had any leads, I should have been able to think of them immediately... Oh, right, I remember many years ago, two of my clan members died on a mission. I think they left behind a child, but I've never heard of or seen this child, so I don't know if it's true. 

All other living clan members are accounted for, and deaths are recorded. No one seems to have suddenly vanished." 

Ebizō sighed, "Our spy has lost their only contact and is isolated. If they can't contact the Third Kazekage for a long time, they might feel abandoned. Under immense psychological pressure, it's possible they might defect to Konoha. This kind of thing has happened before. 

We originally hoped to use this spy to gather intelligence on Konoha, then sit back and watch the fight, waiting for the war to develop, for the opportune moment to invade Konoha and seize the resources we desire. Now, that's going to be difficult. We should have had the Third Kazekage tell us who the spy was." 

Chiyo offered a suggestion: "Perhaps we could pay attention to Konoha ninja who use Magnet Release ninjutsu. That way, we could confirm if they are our spy, and then we could..." 

Before Chiyo could finish, Ebizō shook his head and dismissed it: "It's useless, sister. Konoha gave us a batch of military supplies for him. They'll surely hide him like a precious treasure, they won't let us easily discover or contact him. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi is also a cunning old fox. The Magnet Release kekkei genkai ninja, who should have been ours, was stolen by their Konoha ninja. We didn't blame Konoha at first, it was Iwagakure who blamed Konoha first. Hiruzen Sarutobi might have already noticed something is amiss. 

Furthermore, we know absolutely nothing about this spy. We can't trust him. This means, from Sunagakure's perspective, this spy is completely useless to us." 

Chiyo sighed after hearing Ebizō's analysis. 

Indeed, they knew nothing about this spy sent to Konoha, and they couldn't possibly trust him. What if he had already been turned by Konoha? 

Rasa's eyes narrowed slightly as he said to Chiyo and Ebizō, "Advisors, since we can't trust that spy and they're no longer of any use to Sunagakure, then let's make good use of them." 

Chiyo and Ebizō simultaneously frowned and asked in unison, "How can we 'make good use' of them?" 

Rasa revealed a subtly sinister smirk: "After we declare war on Iwagakure, aren't we going to spread rumors to draw the conflict towards Konoha? If it's a rumor, the more truthful it sounds, the more people will believe it. 

We found a scroll in the sand outside Sunagakure, right? Although it's fake, we can treat it as real. 

The rumor will spread like this: Konoha stole a Magnet Release kekkei genkai ninja that rightfully belonged to Sunagakure and was meant for Iwagakure. That Magnet Release ninja was turned by Konoha and, using their identity as a clan member of the Third Kazekage, lured the Third Kazekage out of the village. Konoha ninja then assassinated the Third Kazekage and disguised it as Iwagakure's doing." 

Chiyo and Ebizō's brows furrowed even deeper: "Isn't that... not very good?" 

After all, that person went to Konoha as a spy for the village. Rasa selling them out like this seemed incredibly inhumane. 

Rasa said sternly: "Advisors, this is not the time for sentimentality. While it is indeed a bit heartless to do this, it's for the sake of the village. When the entire village learns that someone from their own village betrayed the Third Kazekage, the collective morale will rise a notch due to hatred and anger. High morale is incredibly crucial in war. 

Furthermore... if that spy truly was turned, then they are no longer a Sunagakure ninja but a traitor. We have no need to feel pity for a traitor." 

Chiyo and Ebizō's expressions were odd. 

But all of this was still just speculation, wasn't it? It wasn't confirmed that the spy had been turned. 

The Third Kazekage had a very assertive personality, and this newly appointed Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, seemed to have an even more ruthless, ambitious, and decisive character. 

Since Rasa had just taken office, Chiyo and Ebizō didn't want to openly contradict him. 

Moreover, for Sunagakure, that mysterious spy truly was useless now. If that's the case, then they should just discard them. 

Everything for Sunagakure! 

Chiyo and Ebizō nodded in agreement: "Alright, we'll proceed according to the Fourth Kazekage's plan." 

Rasa's lips curled into a slight smile. From today onwards, he would lead all of Sunagakure. He would use any means necessary to make Sunagakure strong! 

He, Rasa, would become a greater Kazekage than any before him! 

Chapter 69: Declaration of War, The Impending Third Great Ninja War 

"Dang it, which son of a gun is thinking about me so hard?" Shindai pressed hard on his right eyelid, which was twitching like crazy. You know the saying: left eye twitch means money, right eye twitch means disaster. With this kind of twitching, it's gotta be a massive disaster! 

Obito, hands on his hips, pointed at Shindai and taunted, "Hey, Shindai, why are you holding your eye? I didn't even hit you there!" 

Shindai's expression was utterly annoyed. "Obito, my mood is terrible right now, I mean really terrible. Don't provoke me, or I'll turn your face into a pig's!" 

Just as Obito was about to retort, Jiraiya appeared, looking a bit flustered, and said to Minato Namikaze, "Minato, something big has happened!" 

Minato paused, then quickly asked, "What is it?" 

Jiraiya's gaze unconsciously flickered to Shindai, then he told Minato, "Come with me first!" 

Minato nodded and said to the four genin, "You guys can continue training on your own for now." Minato followed Jiraiya to the command tent. 

Minato asked, "Jiraiya-sensei, what was that big news you mentioned? Is it about Sunagakure?" 

Jiraiya's expression was grim. "That's right. The Third Kazekage is missing, and Sunagakure has declared war on Iwagakure." 

Minato stared at Jiraiya, stunned. "The Third Kazekage is missing, and they've declared war on Iwagakure? What in the world happened?" 

Jiraiya explained, "I just received a message from Konoha. The Third Kazekage of Sunagakure has been missing for nearly a month. A few days ago, Sunagakure officially announced his disappearance, confirmed the new Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, and launched a thorough investigation into the Third Kazekage's disappearance. The investigation results are out: they found an Iwa ninja's forehead protector in the sand outside Sunagakure, and there were bloodstains. Sunagakure believes that Iwagakure attacked the Third Kazekage as retaliation for him taking their supplies. And those supplies were given by Iwagakure because they wanted to ally with Sunagakure to attack Konoha." 

Minato's brows were already tightly furrowed as he asked again, "So, that means Sunagakure has already started a war with Iwagakure?" 

Jiraiya replied, "Not yet, but it's coming soon, probably in the next few days. Sunagakure has already mobilized their ninja forces. It looks like they're serious this time, not just talking. The old man (Hiruzen) has already sent Orochimaru with a squad of ninja to the Land of Birds, which borders the Land of Wind and Land of Earth, to assess the situation. If Sunagakure and Iwagakure go into full-blown war, the Third Great Ninja War will officially begin. Kumogakure is also furious because of the Eight-Tails' rampage, and their relationship with Iwagakure is pretty bad. It's very possible they'll get involved and perhaps even launch a surprise attack on Iwagakure." 

Minato stroked his chin, thinking as he spoke, "So, if Sunagakure and Iwagakure start fighting, and Kumogakure might attack Iwagakure, then Konoha would be on the periphery of the war?" 

Jiraiya shrugged. "For Konoha, this is actually good news. After all, everyone knows the Third Great Ninja War was bound to happen sooner or later; no one just wanted to be the one to start it. Even Kumogakure didn't dare to be the initiator, which is why they confronted us in the Land of Hot Water for so long. Now that the war is truly starting, we're actually relieved. This way, we won't be the ones on the defensive." 

Minato released his chin, his tightly furrowed brows now relaxed. For Konoha, this was indeed good news, but for some people, like Shindai, it wasn't good news at all. Minato pursed his lips. "It seems Shindai has only communicated with the Third Kazekage since the beginning, and no one else. This means it's highly likely Shindai can only contact the Third Kazekage. Now that the Third Kazekage is missing, Shindai might be completely cut off from Sunagakure." 

Now it was Jiraiya's turn to stroke his chin. "You mean, we can try to turn him? Honestly, that kid is pretty interesting to me." 

Minato shook his head. "Let's hold off on that for a bit. Instead of us telling him, it's better if he finds out about the Third Kazekage's disappearance himself and comes to terms with it. That way, recruiting Shindai will feel more natural. If we directly try to turn him and let him know we've always known he was a spy, I'm afraid Shindai won't be able to handle it right away." 

Jiraiya thought about it and nodded. "Hm, that's a good point. For now, we'll remain stationed here. After all, Sunagakure and Iwagakure are the main players right now, and we still need to be wary of Kumogakure." 

After his conversation with Jiraiya, Minato returned to the small forest where Shindai and the others were training. Shindai was currently pinning Obito to the ground, punching him, and had even knocked Obito's goggles off. 

"Do you give up?!" 

"No, I don't! You're too cheap, Shindai! You used Iron Sand to tie me up when Minato-sensei wasn't around! That's not honorable!" Obito, pinned to the ground and covered in Iron Sand, had both cheeks swollen. 

Shindai rolled his eyes at Obito. "Cheap? What's cheap about it? That's my jutsu! You can blast me with your Great Fireball, but I can't use Iron Sand on you?!" 

Obito mumbled somewhat incoherently, "I don't mind you using ninjutsu, but can you at least be a little more straightforward? Don't always ambush me!" 

Shindai twitched his lips. "Ambush? We're ninja! What's a ninja? A ninja is someone who acts in secret! If you want to be so straightforward, why don't you go become a samurai?!" 

Just as Shindai and Obito were still bickering, Kakashi heard a slight noise. Kakashi looked to his left and saw Minato in the distance, watching them with a helpless expression. Minato gave Kakashi a subtle signal. Kakashi sighed in exasperation, then said to Shindai, "Shindai, that's enough. I sense that Minato-sensei is heading this way." 

Hearing that Minato was coming, Shindai immediately released the Iron Sand from Obito and then shoved all of it into the nearby bushes. Believing he had successfully hidden the 'evidence' and that no fifth person would know, Shindai breathed a sigh of relief. Good thing Kakashi reminded him, otherwise Minato would have found out. 

Minato, seeing that Shindai had 'hidden' everything, reappeared and walked toward them. Shindai asked curiously, "Lord Minato, what happened? What was that big news Jiraiya-sensei was talking about?" 

Obito got up from the ground and grumbled, "Shindai, you're so dumb! Whatever Lord Jiraiya told Minato-sensei alone must be confidential. Why would he tell you?!" 

Minato smiled and said, "Actually, it's not something that can't be said. You'll all know soon enough. Sunagakure has declared war on Iwagakure." Because he wanted Shindai to find out about the Third Kazekage's disappearance on his own, Minato didn't mention it. 

Upon hearing the news, Shindai stood frozen, as if struck by lightning. 

Chapter 70: Completely Lost Contact 

When Shindai heard Minato-sensei say that Sunagakure had declared war on Iwagakure, he was completely stunned. 

It made no sense for Sunagakure to declare war on Iwagakure. After all, the Third Kazekage had sent him to Konoha as a spy with the intention that, once Iwagakure and Konoha started fighting, Shindai, as the spy, would guide them to steal Konoha's valuable resources. 

The Third Kazekage was a very cautious person, someone who avoided risks whenever possible. 

So, for Sunagakure to suddenly declare war on Iwagakure now didn't look like an order from the Third Kazekage at all. 

From a glance, it was clear that Sunagakure couldn't defeat Iwagakure, especially not if they were the aggressors. 

This meant... the Third Kazekage had very likely met with some trouble! 

Only that possibility could explain Sunagakure's aggressive move. 

Shindai quickly asked Minato-sensei for confirmation: "Minato-sensei, who is the current Kage of Sunagakure? Is it already the Fourth Kazekage?" 

Minato-sensei looked at Shindai, dumbfounded. He was stumped too. 

By all accounts, Shindai, who had been at the outpost this whole time, shouldn't know anything about Sunagakure's affairs. 

So how did Shindai know that the current Kazekage of Sunagakure was the Fourth? 

Wait, if Shindai was asking if it was the Fourth Kazekage, that meant Shindai was just guessing; he wasn't certain either. 

But... what was Shindai basing his guess on? 

Sunagakure's selection of a new Kazekage was hasty. Minato-sensei had only just received the intelligence from Jiraiya-sensei. There was no way Shindai could know. 

Unable to hold back his intense curiosity, Minato-sensei asked, "Shindai, how did you know that Sunagakure now has a Fourth Kazekage?" 

Shindai suddenly froze, then realized his mistake. 

He shouldn't know about Sunagakure's affairs right now. Darn it, I'm about to be exposed! 

Shindai stammered for a long time before finally coming up with a way to fool Minato-sensei. 

Shindai tried to mislead Minato-sensei: "I have the Magnet Release kekkei genkai, right? And I'm from the same clan as the Third Kazekage, so I understand him pretty well. That Third Kazekage, he's such a coward. He'd scream for ages if he saw a mouse! So, with his courage, how could he possibly declare war on another village on his own? 

Therefore, I'm guessing that the leader of Sunagakure now isn't the Third Kazekage anymore. Maybe a new Kazekage has taken over." 

Minato-sensei looked at Shindai with a strange expression. 

If Shindai hadn't mentioned that the Third Kazekage was a coward who'd scream at the sight of a mouse, Minato-sensei might have been willing to believe him. 

But with that added line, Minato-sensei was less convinced. 

After all, who knew if that was Shindai's exaggerated rhetoric or if he was just trying to fool him? 

However, while Minato-sensei wasn't entirely convinced, he leaned towards the idea that Shindai had used exaggerated rhetoric and figured it out himself based on his understanding of the Third Kazekage. 

Because Minato-sensei simply couldn't think of any way Shindai could have known about this. 

As for ninja eagles, Minato-sensei hadn't sensed Shindai summoning any ninja eagles recently. 

Minato-sensei nodded: "You guessed right, Shindai. The leader of Sunagakure is indeed the Fourth Kazekage now. His name is Rasa." 

Shindai's face crumpled. 

Great, Rasa's in charge. The Third Kazekage must have been taken out by Sasori. 

Ugh, seriously, I need to get in touch with a new superior. 

Kakashi asked Minato-sensei: "Minato-sensei, since Sunagakure has declared war on Iwagakure, will we be making any moves next?" 

Minato-sensei replied: "No immediate action for now. Konoha has already sent people to assess the situation. We'll remain here to guard the outpost. Our main opponent right now is still Kumogakure." 

Obito picked up his dropped sunglasses, coolly telling Rin Nohara, "Rin, I was just careless earlier." 

Rin Nohara twitched her lips, helplessly saying, "Obito, you should hurry and reduce the swelling on your cheek. If you don't, it'll get even worse later." 

Obito slapped his swollen face, his brows visibly furrowed, yet he still tried to act cool: "It's nothing." 

Rin Nohara rubbed her slightly throbbing temples, then pushed Obito to the ground and said, "Shindai hit you so hard your gums are bleeding, so stop being stubborn and acting cool. Don't move; I'll help reduce the swelling now." 

Feeling Rin Nohara's small hand on his face, Obito felt his soul almost float away. 

After Minato-sensei announced their dismissal, everyone returned to their respective tents. 

Minato-sensei, still uneasy, found Kakashi and asked, "Kakashi, Shindai hasn't summoned any ninja eagles recently, has he?" 

Kakashi nodded to confirm: "No, that's right. Ever since we had to use Shindai's ninja eagle to send false intelligence last time, and Shindai summoned it once, I haven't sensed Shindai's ninja eagle appear again." 

Hearing Kakashi's confirmation, Minato-sensei felt relieved. 

Kakashi asked curiously, "Minato-sensei, what's wrong?" 

Minato-sensei replied to Kakashi: "You heard my conversation with Shindai just now. I was wondering how Shindai knew that Sunagakure had a newly appointed Fourth Kazekage without contacting Sunagakure through a ninja eagle. 

Since Shindai hasn't summoned a ninja eagle, it can be confirmed that Shindai figured out Sunagakure had a change in Kazekage on his own. It seems Shindai truly understands the Third Kazekage very well." 

Kakashi then asked, "Minato-sensei, why would Sunagakure suddenly declare war on Iwagakure? Wasn't Iwagakure trying to cooperate with Sunagakure before?" 

Minato-sensei sighed: "Because the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure has gone missing, and Sunagakure believes Iwagakure is responsible. So, they declared war. Be ready, Kakashi. The moment Sunagakure officially attacks, the curtain of the Third Great Ninja War will be raised. There will be very few easy days until the war ends." 

In the small grove. 

Shindai held the newly written letter in his hand, stealthily glancing left and right, confirming that no one was around. 

Shindai's letter was intended for the people in Sunagakure, other than the Third Kazekage, who knew his identity as a spy. 

His superior was gone now, so he had to quickly establish contact with a new one. 

Shindai performed the Summoning Jutsu, and a puff of smoke appeared, but no ninja eagle. 

"Huh? Failed? I've never failed before." 

Shindai performed the jutsu again; smoke appeared, but still no ninja eagle. 

Disbelieving, Shindai tried several more times in a row, but the damned ninja eagle just wouldn't appear. 

Shindai was baffled, again and again. What was going on? 

Had his ninja eagle... kicked the bucket? 

Shindai's ninja eagle wasn't dead. Because war was imminent, messenger beasts were very important. Rasa had gathered all the village's ninja beasts and unified their allocation and deployment. 

Shindai's ninja eagle was given to him by the Third Kazekage; it belonged to the village, not to Shindai personally. Therefore, Shindai no longer had his summoning animal.