Fujiwara Kirito sat across from Tsunade, casually weaving a mix of truth and deception.
"Since the end of the Third Great Ninja War, after years of recovery, the five great nations have regained their strength."
"What does recovery mean? It means war. If Akatsuki didn't emerge now, the Fourth Great Ninja War would probably break out within a few years."
"When that happens, it won't just be a few Jinchūriki who die. Tens of thousands of shinobi and countless civilians will perish."
"That's impossible…" Tsunade was shocked, speechless, disbelief written all over her face.
Kirito waved a hand dismissively. "Don't be so quick to deny it. Whether you admit it or not, this is how the world works."
"Your grandfather, the First Hokage, had good intentions when he founded Konoha, but he ignored human nature."
"This whole idea of a world built on mutual understanding is nothing but a fool's dream. Even if such peace exists, it will only be temporary at best—because people only understand each other when they have a common interest."
"Wherever there are people, there is conflict, and wherever there is conflict, there is war. It's inevitable."
"Look at the first three Ninja Wars. They said it was all for the villages, but in reality, it was nothing more than politicians balancing power among the five nations. To put it bluntly, it was a game of annexation. There was never such a thing as justice or injustice."
"But…" Kirito smirked.
"If they have a common enemy, everything changes. They will unite to fight that enemy, and once it's defeated, at least in Naruto's generation, the ninja world won't have another war."
Hearing this, Tsunade's brows furrowed. She sighed and leaned back into Kirito's arms, her voice tinged with concern.
"So… you're saying you want to become this enemy?"
Kirito laughed lightly.
"How could that be? The ninja world's peace, its system, and the lives of shinobi mean nothing to me. I only care about the people I love."
Without warning, Kirito lifted Tsunade in a princess carry, laid her across the office desk, and began unbuttoning her kimono while removing his Akatsuki robe.
Tsunade's face flushed, and her gaze wavered. She knew what was coming next.
"Then… what do you want to do?" she whispered.
Kirito gently brushed his fingers through her soft golden hair.
"There's never a shortage of ambitious fools in this world. People obsessed with achieving peace in extreme ways. I just sit back and watch the show."
"At most, I'll protect you and the people you care about—make sure they don't get killed."
His smirk deepened.
"Of course… the Sarutobi clan is excluded."
Tsunade's eyes widened, but her heart eased with relief.
She had been afraid that Kirito would become someone who sacrificed anything for his goals.
But hearing his words, she knew he wasn't aiming to destroy the world—just to observe it unfold.
"Really?" she asked, barely suppressing her joy.
"Of course," Kirito grinned devilishly and pounced on her.
Not long after, the Hokage's office was filled with the sounds of Tsunade's pleasure and pain.
Of course, no one outside could hear except for Shizune, who stood by the door, her face burning red as she endured the all-too-familiar noises.
Meanwhile, at the border of the Land of Wind, the battlefield was littered with corpses of the Sunagakure tracking team.
A howling sandstorm raged across the land.
In a hidden cave, Deidara sat with his legs crossed, watching as Sasori finally arrived.
"You're really slow, Brother Sasori," Deidara said, shaking his head. "Didn't you say you hate waiting?"
Sasori chuckled.
"But I had a lot of fun."
"Fun?" Deidara's brows furrowed. "What's so fun about being late?"
"It's rare to meet a junior puppet user with actual skill. I couldn't waste the opportunity."
"You mean Kankuro?" Deidara scoffed. "That guy was barely a warm-up."
Sasori didn't argue, simply changing the subject.
"By the way, where's Kirito?"
Deidara snorted, clearly annoyed.
"He said you wouldn't arrive until dawn, so he ran off to some small town in the Land of Rivers for a midnight snack. He told us to go straight to the base without him."
"That bastard didn't even bring me food! Hmph."
Sasori let out a dry laugh.
"Sounds just like him. He never lets himself be put in a difficult situation."
With nothing else to discuss, the two continued their journey.
By noon, they finally arrived at the Akatsuki base in the Land of Rivers.
Kirito was already waiting for them.
As soon as they entered the cave, Pain wasted no time.
A round of complaints followed—Pain scolded Deidara for taking too long, while Deidara blamed Gaara for being too strong.
Finally, Pain formed hand seals, summoning the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and the sealing began.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, Kakashi's Konoha support team finally arrived at Sunagakure.
At the village entrance, Maki, a high-ranking shinobi from Sunagakure, greeted them with a polite smile.
"Welcome to Sunagakure," Maki said. "We've been expecting you."
"Kazekage Maki, it's been a while," Kakashi responded amicably. "The last time we met was during the Chunin Exams. It's been three years."
"Yes…" Maki sighed. "If not for your warning, Sunagakure would have fallen into Orochimaru's trap."
As he spoke, his eyes scanned the team, stopping on Chinatsu.
"Who's this?" Maki asked, puzzled.
Kakashi chuckled, scratching his head.
"This is Lady Tsunade's daughter, Chinatsu. She's the strongest prodigy in Konoha history. Don't let her age fool you—she's stronger than me."
Maki's brows raised slightly, but he didn't take the comment seriously.
A seven-year-old stronger than Kakashi? Impossible.
Even geniuses like Fujiwara Kirito and Uchiha Itachi only showed their full potential at thirteen.
What could a child possibly do?
Just then, Naruto stepped forward, his eyes burning with urgency.
"Where's Gaara?! What happened? Where did they take him?!"
Bang!
Sakura punched Naruto's head, leaving a large bump.
"Idiot! He's the Kazekage now! Show some respect!"
Maki laughed, waving his hand.
"It's alright. You're all Kazekage-sama's friends. There's nothing wrong with using his name. Come with me—I'll explain everything at the Kazekage Building."
With that, Maki turned and led the way.
To enter Sunagakure, they had to pass through the Sky Canyon—a path lined with hidden Sand Village guards and deadly traps.
(End of this chapter)