belamy20

176-180

Added 2025-05-20 17:29:30 +0000 UTC

Chapter 176: This Fierce, huh?

“We… won?”

“Hell yeah, we won!”

“Long live Lord Yoru!”

The moment the Rock ninja army retreated, the Mist ninja erupted into deafening cheers, their voices shaking the heavens.

It felt like a dream—1,500 soldiers defeating a 10,000-strong Rock ninja army—something they never even dared to imagine.

Yet now, they were the ones who had made it happen. What an incredible honor!

Their admiration for Yoru soared to new heights. They had never been prouder to be Mist ninja.

Even Yagura couldn’t help but sigh in amazement. That Yoru… he’s a real monster. Once again, he had pulled off a miracle.

A victory of 1,500 against 10,000—this battle would go down in history, a tale told for generations.

“Heh, I bet the Sand Village is gonna lose their minds when they hear about this,” Yugito chuckled, wiping sweat from her brow. She was a little tired but mostly unharmed.

“Rest up. We move out soon to reinforce the Mizukage at Maoming Town!” Yoru ordered. “Spread the news—*the Rock ninja have been defeated, and they’re now fighting alongside us!*”

His eyes gleamed with determination. “This time, we’ll crush the Sand Village in a three-way pincer attack.”

The tides of war had shifted in their favor—faster than he’d expected. What began as a desperate battle might now end in just a few hours.

If they could wrap this up quickly, they’d have enough time to deal with the Leaf and Cloud Villages. Hell, after hearing about this disaster, maybe those two would think twice about attacking.

At the very least, facing a weakened Cloud Village and a Leaf Village missing its strongest Uchiha fighters, Yoru felt far more confident than before.

Still, despite the overwhelming victory, the Mist ninja had paid a heavy price—over 400 dead, 200 wounded, and fewer than 1,000 still fit for battle.

That’s why Yoru had ordered the Rock ninja to reinforce them. His remaining forces alone weren’t enough to crush the Sand Village swiftly.

But with the Rock ninja’s help? That was a different story.

Meanwhile, with Mei Terumī…

Since Yoru’s forces were only a few dozen miles away, the news reached Mei in no time.

But when she first heard it, her reaction was pure disbelief.

"What? Already? It hasn’t even been half an hour!"

"This fast? You’ve gotta be kidding me!"

Yet when she saw Yoru’s handwritten message, she had no choice but to believe it.

“He… really did it.” Mei’s heart swelled with pride. With a little brother like him, how could the Mist Village lose?

“Perfect! Now we’ve got the upper hand!”

Abandoning her earlier cautious approach, Mei immediately ordered a full assault—coordinating with the reinforcing Rock ninja to encircle and annihilate the Sand forces.

Elsewhere on the battlefield…

“The Rock ninja… lost?!”

When Zabuza and the other Mist elite heard the news, they were stunned.

“No way. Is this for real?”

Since when did wars end this quickly? Was this some kind of joke?

But after multiple confirmations—and seeing the Rock ninja reinforcements with their own eyes—they had no choice but to accept it.

And then, they went wild.

“HAHAHA! The heavens favor the Mist Village! *CHARGE!*”

Zabuza roared, swinging Kubikiribōchō (the Executioner’s Blade) with terrifying force.

“Victory is right in front of us! *KILL THEM ALL!*”

“*MIST VILLAGE WILL TRIUMPH!*”

The entire Mist army erupted in frenzy, their morale skyrocketing. They fought like men possessed, howling like beasts, their battle cries shaking the earth.

Even the rogue ninja forces were swept up in the momentum, joining the charge with savage glee.

The Sand ninja, caught off guard, crumbled under the assault, their lines collapsing in chaos.

Sand Village’s Desperation

“How… *how is this possible?!*”

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, was on the verge of losing it.

“The Rock ninja lost… and now they’re helping the Mist Village?! What the hell is Ōnoki thinking?! Has he lost his mind?!”

Things were spiraling out of control.

The Mist Village’s strength had completely blindsided him. He had expected a quick breakthrough, a smooth landing, and then—with Shukaku’s power—they could at least stall the Mist forces long enough for the other villages to move in.

But reality was far harsher.

The Mist’s defenses were insanely tough.

First, the reformed Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Then, the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, who had forced even Chiyo, the Sand’s legendary advisor, into a stalemate.

And then there was that damn Hōzuki Suigetsu—some brat who could merge with seawater and summon massive tsunamis, wreaking havoc on their forces.

Even I couldn’t take him down! Rasa seethed. A Kage, humiliated by a kid… what a disgrace.

But the worst was yet to come.

He had assumed Mei Terumī was just a figurehead, propped up by Yoru’s strength.

He was wrong.

Her water-style jutsu was monstrous—more like ocean-style.

And her Hidden Mist Jutsu? Terrifying.

Even Rasa, with his Gold Dust sensing, had barely escaped her Boil Release: Skilled Mist, which burned through his defenses and left him scarred.

Now, with the Rock ninja attacking from behind, he knew—they had to retreat.

But—

“Heh. You think you can just waltz in and leave whenever you want?” Kisame Hoshigaki smirked, slamming his hands onto the water.

A tidal wave of sharks surged toward the fleeing Sand ninja.

“If you came to fight, then *leave something behind!*” Suigetsu taunted, reveling in the chaos.

This battle had been his playground. On the water, he was unstoppable.

“Keh keh keh… Trying to run, Sand scum? *Did we say you could leave?!*”

Despite being outnumbered two-to-one, the Mist ninja showed no fear.

They chased the retreating Sand army like wolves, ferocious, relentless—and absolutely terrifying.

Chapter 177: Rasa Loses His Cool

"We’re chasing too! We can’t let our allies charge alone!"

Seeing the situation, Hamagorō roared and led his troops in pursuit.

"Damn it!!!"

Thanks to Kisame Hoshigaki, Suigetsu Hōzuki, and others, the Suna-nin’s retreat was severely slowed.

"Mei Terumī, don’t push me!!!"

Rasa snarled at Mei, who stood across from him with an amused smile.

Now, he was the one panicking.

Just an hour ago, he’d been brimming with confidence!

"Giggle~ Since you’re here, why leave so soon? I’d love to learn a thing or two from the Kazekage-sama!"

Mei chuckled, her voice dripping with charm. The situation was overwhelmingly in their favor—letting this chance slip would be idiotic.

"Attack! Capture the Kazekage alive!"

From behind the Suna forces came the furious shouts of Iwa-nin.

Hearing this, Rasa nearly choked on his rage.

Capture him?! What a joke! Who did these fools think he was—some lowly grunt to be snatched up so easily?

"You Iwa bastards—don’t get cocky!"

Rasa roared, veins bulging on his forehead.

But—

"Capture Rasa!"

"Seize the Kazekage!"

The Iwa army doubled down, relentless in their goal.

"Grrr—AAAH!"

Rasa was fuming. He was the Fourth Kazekage! Who the hell did these guys think they were?!

"Retreat! Fall back to the east!"

Suppressing his fury, Rasa barked the order. The Suna forces immediately broke toward the gap in the Kiri and Iwa encirclement—the eastern route.

"Just you wait, Iwagakure. If I don’t repay this humiliation, I’m not Rasa!"

As they retreated, he seethed inwardly.

"Retreat? You really think that’s possible?"

"Raiton: Raging Thunder Tiger!"

A young voice, sharp as lightning, crackled across the battlefield.

A massive, tailed-beast-sized tiger of crackling electricity charged forward with terrifying speed, its sheer force churning the ocean waves.

"AHHH!"

The thunder tiger plowed through the Suna ranks, unstoppable. Even jōnin couldn’t halt its advance.

In under a minute, it had bulldozed past all defenses—straight toward Rasa.

"ROAR!"

The beast leaped, pouncing like a predator onto its prey.

"You little—!!!"

Rasa’s temples throbbed with rage. With a flick of his wrist, golden sand erupted from the gourd on his back (note: setting detail—he carries one), morphing into a colossal hand that swatted at the tiger.

But the lightning beast dispersed mid-strike, exploding into smaller tigers that rampaged through the Suna forces.

Screams erupted as another wave of soldiers fell to the crackling onslaught.

"WHO DID THIS?!"**

Rasa whipped toward the attack’s origin—where a three-tailed turtle monster approached.

On its shell sat a black-clad boy, no older than his teens, smiling innocently.

Yoru.

"Fourth Kazekage, Rasa. Pleasure to meet you—I’m Yoru."

His greeting was polite, but after that stunt? It reeked of taunting.

Behind him, ten warships closed in, led by Yugito Nii—flanked by Kimimaro and Haku.

The fleet fanned out, sealing the Suna army’s fate.

"I believe this is what you call ‘trapping a turtle in a jar,’ no, Rasa-sama?"

Yoru stood, smirking.

"Yoru, don’t push your luck!" Rasa growled, face dark. "Leave some room for retreat. Push too hard, and neither of us wins!"

Surrounded, outnumbered—their situation was dire.

"Room for retreat?" Yoru laughed. "Sorry, but I’d love to see what happens when I don’t."

"Iwa-nin! The real fight starts NOW!"

On cue, Yugito transformed into the Nibi, crashing into the Suna forces. The Sanbi followed, summoning tidal waves.

Not to be outdone, Han and Rōshi from Iwa’s ranks also unleashed their tailed beasts, joining the carnage.

"ATTACK!"

Under Ōnoki’s command, the Iwa army surged forward.

"Then we’re going too!"

Mei’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

"OOOH!"

The Kiri-nin’s battle cry shook the skies, scattering the clouds.

"BASTARDS!!!"

Rasa’s roar was drowned in chaos.

He wanted to cut straight for Yoru—his instincts screamed that capturing him would turn the tide.

But fate had other plans.

Kiri’s forces blocked his path, while Iwa pressed from behind. No opening to reach Yoru.

Kiri’s elite were monsters.

Zabuza, Kisame, and Ameyuri Ringo carved through Suna’s ranks like butter. Even Rasa’s top commander, Baki, was losing ground against Kisame.

Then there were freaks like Suigetsu, whose water-style made him near-untouchable, and the lightning-wielding Ameyuri, cutting down chūnin like wheat.

Even the timid-looking Chōjūrō fought like a demon.

Suna was being crushed.

Rasa himself was locked in combat with Mei.

A glance at Chiyo’s situation was no better—the Sandaime Kazekage’s puppet master was pinned by the Rokubi’s jinchūriki.

"RELEASE THE ICHIBI’S JINCHŪRIKI!"

Rasa had no choice. If they didn’t unleash Shukaku now, escape would be impossible.

"HAHAHA! FINALLY, I’M FREE!!!"

A shrill, gleeful voice echoed as a massive, violet-marked tanuki materialized.

"Heh. Interesting. Let me entertain you."

Before Shukaku could wreak havoc, Yoru appeared before him, eyes gleaming—like a predator eyeing a meal.

And Shukaku knew that look.

Yoru was sizing him up—as a source of chakra to devour.

Chapter 178: Capturing the One-Tail

Yoru’s chakra had recovered to about 70%—though at the cost of draining half of the Two-Tails' and Three-Tails' reserves. Now, he planned to replenish the final 30% from Shukaku himself.

"Brat, who the hell do you think you’re staring at?! You’ve got a death wish!"

Shukaku, notorious for his foul temper, hated the way Yoru was looking at him. Without hesitation, he fired off a massive Wind Release: Air Bullet (Renkūdan) straight at him.

"Flash Slash!"

But Yoru didn’t dodge. Instead, he drew his sword and charged straight through it.

A terrifying sword intent erupted—so sharp it made the very air tremble—before condensing entirely into his blade.

"Hmph!"

With a single explosive step, Yoru blurred past Shukaku like a phantom, leaving behind a storm of slicing winds.

"SCHLICK—!"

The Air Bullet was cleanly split in half, and Shukaku’s massive body wasn’t spared either. A deep gash tore across his waist, nearly bisecting him, forcing the beast to stagger backward.

Behind him, Yoru stood calmly, sheathing his sword with the poise of a master.

But the onlookers? They scrambled back in panic.

The residual winds carried razor-sharp chakra, cutting through their armor like paper. Even their steel plating wasn’t safe—deep scratches etched into the metal.

If the aftermath was this terrifying, how deadly must the slash itself have been?

"RRRAGH—!! YOU LITTLE SHIT, I’LL KILL YOU!!"

Shukaku roared in pain, whirling around to smash Yoru with a monstrous fist. But Yoru danced back effortlessly, already weaving hand signs.

"Lightning Release: Raging Thunder Tiger!"

Crackling electricity surged from his body, materializing into a ferocious lightning beast that rammed into Shukaku, hurling him out of the battlefield.

"DAMN YOU—!!"

Furious, Shukaku began gathering chakra for a *Tailed Beast Bomb (Bijūdama)*—but Yoru wasn’t about to let that happen.

The Thunder Tiger roared, its body erupting with even more lightning, electrocuting Shukaku’s entire form. The One-Tail convulsed, his attack fizzling out as paralysis took hold.

At sea, Shukaku was weakened—and this unfair fight was driving him mad.

"Sealing Art: Binding Current Jutsu!"

Yoru’s voice rang out again as he reappeared in front of Shukaku, slamming a palm onto his body. Dark, cursed seals spread rapidly across the beast’s form.

"NO! NOT AGAIN!!"

Shukaku thrashed, but the suppression was too strong. He’d barely been free for a minute, and now he was being sealed away?!

"BRAT! REMEMBER THIS—NEXT TIME WE MEET, IT BETTER NOT BE ON WATER! OR I’LL TEAR YOU APART!"

With one last snarl, Shukaku was forced back into his vessel—the unconscious body of Gaara, the future Fifth Kazekage and biggest nepo-baby in the original story.

At just eight or nine years old, Gaara stood no chance against Yoru’s grasp.

"DON’T YOU DARE!"

But just as Yoru reached for him, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.

"WATCH OUT—POISON PUPPETS!" Mei’s voice shouted in warning.

Yoru reacted instantly: "Water Style: Water Wall!"

A ring of water erupted around him—just in time to block a venom-dripping white puppet that stabbed into the barrier. The water turned black on contact, forcing Yoru to grab Gaara and retreat.

"CACKLE-CACKLE-CACKLE!"

Then, from above—two more puppets, one male, one female, swooped down with blades drawn. Their speed was unnatural, almost too fast to track.

"CLANG!"

Yoru parried with his sword, knocking them back—but then, their bodies split open.

Arms, mouths, knees, chests—every joint unleashed a storm of poisoned needles, senbon, and toxic mist!

Too close. Too fast.

Even Yoru felt the pressure.

And then—the needles exploded mid-air, releasing a second wave of even deadlier poison spikes.

A guaranteed kill.

Yoru’s pupils shrank—but it was too late. Several needles pierced his body.

"Yoru!" Mei screamed, horrified.

"Heh. Got him."

From across the battlefield, Chiyo—locked in combat with the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, Utakata—smirked in triumph.

"Fast as they say… but this old lady’s still one step ahead."

With Yoru poisoned, she now had leverage.

He’d have to negotiate for the antidote—and her terms would be simple: release Gaara and let the Sand retreat.

Seeing this, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, nearly laughed in relief.

"I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Lady Chiyo."

Then—Yoru’s voice.

He emerged from the water, completely unharmed. In his hand, a sphere of liquid held all the poisoned needles, their toxins swirling ominously.

"My reflexes are just a bit faster than you calculated. A shame—if even one of these had hit, things might’ve gotten troublesome."

Chiyo’s infamous poisons were legendary. Even Yoru wouldn’t risk testing them.

With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the poisoned needles away, then narrowed his eyes.

"Give up, Lady Chiyo. You’re a smart woman—you know how this ends."

"The Sand has already lost. Any further resistance is just wasting lives."

"And if your forces are weakened too much… well, I’m sure there are plenty of vultures waiting to pick at Suna’s remains."

"Do you really want that?"

First diplomacy. Then force.

If words could end this, great.

If not?

Well. They could always keep fighting.

Chapter 179: Five Tailed Beasts’ Siege

"Enough talk, White Flash! The Hidden Sand Village hasn’t lost yet!"

Despite Yoru’s persuasion, Chiyo refused to back down, instead shifting into a battle stance.

"If you won’t listen, fine. Keep fighting."

"But don’t blame me for what happens next."

"When Sunagakure is wiped out, don’t say Kirigakure showed no mercy!"

With that, he formed a one-handed seal and yanked a surge of dense chakra from Gaara, swallowing it whole.

"Ahhh…"

He exhaled in satisfaction, his expression one of pure contentment.

His chakra reserves were fully restored—his power at its peak.

Then, he turned to Chiyo with a smirk. "You should be grateful I sealed the Ichibi."

"Otherwise, Suna wouldn’t just be facing the Rokubi, Gobi, Yonbi, Sanbi, and Nibi."

If Shukaku had been unleashed, Kiri and Iwa wouldn’t even need to lift a finger.

Six tailed beasts at once? That would’ve been an unprecedented disaster.

In all of history, only the legendary God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, could’ve handled such a siege.

Even Yoru—as strong as he was—would’ve had no choice but to flee.

Chiyo’s face darkened at his words, though inwardly, she was relieved.

At least they didn’t have to deal with six tailed beasts. Shukaku would’ve been more of a liability than an ally.

But the current situation was dire enough.

Five perfect jinchūriki, plus Kiri and Iwa’s combined forces? Suna was being crushed.

Morale plummeted. Casualties skyrocketed.

In just minutes, their losses surpassed the last half-hour’s total.

Fear spread like wildfire.

Some Suna-nin muttered, "There’s no way we can win…"

Against this overwhelming force, hope was nonexistent.

Just Kiri and Iwa alone would’ve been a nightmare.

But five perfect jinchūriki?

Monsters who could wield their tailed beasts’ full power—stronger than the beasts themselves.

Even one tailed beast was enough to send shivers through the shinobi world.

Yet here they were, staring down five.

It was a miracle Suna’s forces hadn’t broken yet.

"Capture the Kazekage! Seize Rasa!"

The Iwa-nin’s chants grew louder, their advance relentless.

Rasa’s expression twisted with fury.

He was the Fourth Kazekage—a Kage of one of the Five Great Villages! A name that commanded respect across the shinobi world!

Yet here he was, treated like prey.

"Gold Dust Hell!"**

With a roar, shimmering golden sand erupted from his gourd, surging forward like a tidal wave.

"Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!"**

The Yonbi, Rōshi, countered with a barrage of molten rock, the heat so intense it melted the gold dust mid-air.

"Boil Release: Skidding Crush!"**

Then, the Gobi’s jinchūriki, Han, transformed into a black-steamed beast, slamming into the remaining dust with enough force to send Rasa stumbling back.

"Tch—!"**

Rasa’s scalp prickled. Two jinchūriki at once? Even for him, this was too much.

"You’re not escaping!"**

Behind him, Kurotsuchi’s father, Tsuchikage’s right-hand, lunged forward—

"Earth Release: Rock Fist!"**

BOOM!

Rasa barely blocked with a hasty gold-dust shield, but before he could recover—

"Lava Release: Underground Lava Spear!"**

Rōshi had shifted forms again, his body now wreathed in molten armor. The ocean beneath him hissed into steam as he blurred forward—

CRACK!

A single punch seared into Rasa’s back.

"GAHH—!"**

The pain was instant. His flesh sizzled—a fist-sized patch of his back charred in less than a second.

Pathetic.

If only this fight were on land—where his gold dust could shine.

Here, on the open sea, he was crippled.

"Gold Dust Burial: Imperial Funeral!"**

With a snarl, Rasa unleashed everything.

His gourd erupted, gold dust spiraling into a colossal hand that slammed toward Rōshi and Han.

"Witness the true power of the Fourth Kazekage!"**

But the two jinchūriki dodged effortlessly—

—or so they thought.

Rasa’s lips curled.

The golden hand split, two massive fists hammering into the beasts and sending them crashing into the ocean.

"Gold Needle Storm!"**

The dust reshaped into harpoons, spearing into the water—

—and yanking Rōshi and Han back out, impaled like fish.

"RRGH—!"**

The jinchūriki roared, slicing the harpoons apart—but not before Rasa’s dust hand swatted them again.

BOOM!

They hurtled into the battlefield, plowing through Suna, Kiri, and Iwa forces alike.

Chapter 180: Rasa Surrenders

"Hmph, don’t think I’m some pushover! I’m the Fourth Kazekage—did you really take me for some lowly underling?!"

After sending two jinchūriki flying, Rasa finally had a chance to savor his triumph. He cast a disdainful glance at the surrounding Iwa-nin and snorted arrogantly.

Wherever his gaze landed, the Iwa-nin shrank back, none daring to meet his eyes.

But just as Rasa prepared to finish off the two jinchūriki—

"Oh-ho~ Fourth Kazekage-sama, your advisor Chiyo has been captured too, you know?"

Yoru’s voice rang out from behind him.

Rasa whipped around—only to see Chiyo, who had nearly ambushed Yoru just minutes ago, now gravely injured and unconscious, dangling from Yoru’s grip like a trophy.

"Iwa-nin, you’d better pick up the pace. Don’t you want your Kazekage back?"

Yoru smirked at Ōnoki’s son, Tsuchikage’s right-hand man, and the others.

"Your dear Ōnoki-sama is rotting in a cell at Daimyō Port as we speak. And here you are, struggling against a mere Kazekage!"

"Honestly, if I were you, I’d be so ashamed I’d bash my head into a block of tofu."

The Iwa-nin collectively seethed—they wanted to rip Yoru’s mouth off.

A "mere" Kazekage?!

The Kazekage was one of the Five Kage, a pinnacle of shinobi strength! Did Yoru think defeating him was easy? What a joke!

"Don’t project your absurd standards onto us! Just because you’re a monster doesn’t mean the rest of us are!"

Rasa, meanwhile, was even angrier. "Mere" Kazekage?! As if he were some second-rate opponent!

"Rasa, just surrender. Look around—your Sunagakure forces stand no chance."

Yoru tilted his head. "Do you really think you can take on five jinchūriki at once?"

"Heh, even I wouldn’t dare claim I could fight five tailed beasts alone."

Rasa’s eyes darted across the battlefield—and his heart sank.

Surrounding him were:

Rokubi (Six-Tails) jinchūriki – Utakata

Nibi (Two-Tails) jinchūriki – Yugito

Sanbi (Three-Tails) jinchūriki – Yagura

And in the distance, Gobi (Five-Tails) jinchūriki Han and Yonbi (Four-Tails) jinchūriki Rōshi were already charging back into the fray.

Five jinchūriki. Against him. Alone.

The Suna-nin weren’t faring any better. Their numbers had already halved—from 10,000 to barely 5,000—and casualties kept climbing. Despair hung thick in the air.

This was a war they could not win.

Rasa’s fists clenched until his knuckles cracked. His mind warred between two choices:

Surrender – Suna would face crippling reparations, humiliation, and loss of prestige.

Fight on – Their forces would be annihilated, and Suna’s reputation would still be ruined.

There was no good outcome.

"Ah, it seems your Kazekage doesn’t value your lives very much."

Yoru’s voice slithered through the battlefield like a serpent.

The Suna-nin’s eyes turned accusing—then hateful. Why wouldn’t Rasa surrender? If he did, they could live. Why let them die for nothing?

Meanwhile, Yoru signaled two ANBU to unroll a sealing scroll. With a pulse of chakra, they sealed Chiyo and Gaara inside.

"Well then, if that’s how it is…" Yoru grinned. "Go ahead. At this rate, wiping out Sunagakure entirely isn’t off the table."

The jinchūriki needed no further encouragement.

"Heh, finally!" Yugito’s form blurred as she lunged, claws gleaming like ice.

But just before she struck—

"ENOUGH!"

Rasa’s eyes snapped open—all hesitation gone.

Yugito flipped back, smirking. "Oh? Changed your mind, Kazekage-sama?"

"Tch." Rasa glared at Yoru. "This is all thanks to you, ‘White Flash.’ Ruthless, cunning—using public pressure to force my hand. ‘White Fox’ suits you better. A man of your intellect, strength, and audacity… you’re a plague on this world."

"Keep gloating. Let’s see how long it lasts."

Yoru merely smiled. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

"Hmph. Call it what you want." Rasa gritted his teeth. "Now call off your dogs."

"You first." Yoru’s smirk didn’t waver. "The loser ought to show some humility."

With a final snarl, Rasa roared:

"Suna surrenders! CEASE FIRE!"

For a heartbeat, the battlefield froze.

Then—

"WE’RE ALIVE!"

"HE SURRENDERED! THANK THE SANDS!"

"Brother… Second Brother… Third Brother… they’re all gone…"

Ironically, the loudest cheers didn’t come from the Kiri-nin—but from the Suna-nin themselves.