The village lay cloaked in sorrow. After the bandit leader had spilled every piece of information Veigar wanted, the yordle turned his gaze toward Shōgetsu Uchiha. The moment he saw the Sharingan fade from Shōgetsu's eyes, Veigar drove his blade straight through the bandit's heart.
Even the smallest trace of Life Essence was not something Veigar was willing to waste.
Only after this did he turn to face the gathered villagers. His tone was firm, decisive:
"This place is no longer safe. I suggest you relocate."
At those words, all eyes snapped to Veigar's small figure.
The villager he had just saved stepped forward immediately, bowing in gratitude as he spoke:
"Thank you, noble ninja, for saving me… but—why do you say our village isn't safe anymore?"
No one abandons their home without a strong reason—especially not those who had just lost loved ones. This place was their root, their heart, their sanctuary.
But Veigar didn't elaborate. He replied simply, brushing the question aside:
"The bandits have allies. They've already marked this place."
This village sat at the border of the Land of Fire. According to Veigar's memories, the upcoming war between Konohagakure and Sunagakure wouldn't be like the First and Second Shinobi Wars, where most battles were waged in the Land of Rivers between the two nations.
This time, the front would likely be at the border between the Land of Fire and Land of Rivers.
Now that the Third Kazekage had gone missing, how far could the Third Great Shinobi War truly be?
Whether the villagers chose to evacuate was no longer Veigar's concern. He couldn't simply tell them, "War is coming. You need to run."
Even if he did, who's to say they'd believe him? More importantly, how would he explain himself to Minato Namikaze or Konoha?
Just then, Kakashi Hatake spoke up coldly, his voice cutting through the tension as he addressed Minato:
"Sensei, it's time we moved."
Missions took precedence above all else. Now that they had a lead on Sunagakure's presence, Kakashi was ready for combat at any moment.
Minato nodded, turning to Osamu Hirano, the village head:
"Hirano-san, we have other duties to attend to. We'll be taking our leave now."
"Stay strong."
With that, Minato turned back to Veigar, Kakashi, and Shōgetsu:
"Let's go."
Their rescue of the villagers had been a matter of chance, not duty. They asked for no thanks and expected no reward. Leaving now was the right choice.
After all, this village was not their home.
As the four of them walked away, Hirano called after them, grief still heavy in his voice, yet filled with gratitude:
"Thank you… Konoha shinobi."
Roughly half an hour later, Team Minato had tracked down the mountain hideout mentioned by the bandit leader. It was nestled in a U-shaped valley, hidden within dense forest.
Peering into the forested gorge, they didn't rush in recklessly. They had no way of knowing how powerful the shinobi inside might be.
Minato, ever the strategist—and eager to test his team's coordination—spoke seriously:
"You three, scout the area and gather intel. Don't engage unless absolutely necessary."
"Remember, our target may be shinobi from Sunagakure."
Before the final word left his lips, Kakashi responded with calm confidence:
"Understood, Sensei. Leave it to us."
Veigar and Shōgetsu echoed:
"Yes, sir!"
Satisfied with their resolve, Minato gave the order:
"Move out."
The trio disappeared into the trees, silently advancing toward the valley. They communicated with hand signals, every step cautious and calculated, their bodies honed for stealth.
Once the three had begun their mission, Minato vanished from sight as well, using the Teleportation Jutsu to reposition.
As they neared the valley's entrance, the trio spotted the bandits' outpost guarding the gorge—an obstacle they couldn't bypass undetected.
After brief tactical coordination, they launched into silent action.
Deep within the valley, a Sunagakure four-man squad huddled in the shadows, quietly deliberating their next move.
Tension had been mounting in their village for days. Nearly everyone sensed that something dire was approaching—though few dared to call it war.
With the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, Sunagakure had fallen into chaos. Acting as regent was the 50-year-old village elder Chiyo, assisted by her younger brother Ebizō.
To stabilize the turmoil, Chiyo had laid out a two-pronged contingency:
First, she dispatched covert teams to search for any trace of the missing Kazekage.
But Chiyo wasn't naive. She suspected the worst—that the Third Kazekage had been assassinated. And in her mind, the most likely culprit was Konoha.
This was why so many Sand Shinobi were now encroaching on the Land of Fire.
Her motivations were not only political. Her grandson, Sasori, had vanished soon after the Kazekage's disappearance.
One could say the Kazekage's loss destabilized the village, but it was Sasori's disappearance that pushed Chiyo toward thoughts of vengeance—and possibly, war.
If she could find any proof, or gain enough intelligence on the Fire Nation's border defenses, war would be inevitable.
The only thing that might dissuade her was Sasori's return.
But now that he had turned the Third Kazekage into a human puppet, how could Sasori ever go back?
Chiyo's second plan was the nomination of the Fourth Kazekage.
Yet she was far from impartial. The process moved slowly, obstructed by her influence. Until the war plans were finalized—or unless her grip on the village weakened—she would never allow the next Kazekage to rise.
At the valley's entrance, a cold breeze swept through the guard post. The three shinobi preparing to strike felt a chill run down their spines.
One of the bandits, missing his left ear, shivered and muttered to himself:
"Wind's picking up... Feels like a storm's coming. Better grab a coat when I get back."
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