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Mastermind of the Akatsuki 314
🕑 Added 2025-02-04 14:00:01 +0000 UTCChapter 314: We’ve Come at the Wrong Time
Byakuya’s conjecture caused a stir among the Sand shinobi.
Under normal circumstances, upon seeing the Kazekage puppet, the Sand shinobi would have immediately pursued Sasori as the killer of the Third Kazekage. They wouldn’t have entertained Byakuya’s speculations or analysis. However, moments ago, Sasori had defeated the rampaging Jinchuriki, saving the village from Shukaku’s wrath.
If Sasori hadn’t needed to use the Kazekage puppet to overcome Shukaku, he wouldn’t have been surrounded by the crowd in the first place.
Given these considerations, doubt began to creep into their minds. Byakuya’s theory seemed increasingly plausible as if they had uncovered the hidden truth of the past.
Could this really have been the long-buried truth?
Perhaps Sasori and the Third Kazekage had both been ambushed. Maybe the Third Kazekage had willingly allowed Sasori to turn him into a puppet to protect the village. Hearing the murmurs among the crowd, even Elder Chiyo began to question whether this could be true.
After all, compared to the belief that her grandson had murdered the Third Kazekage and become a heinous rogue ninja, Chiyo preferred to think of him as a good person. However, another pressing question soon arose.
If Sasori was truly innocent, why hadn’t he returned to the village all these years? Why had he stood by as Sunagakure suffered defeats in the Third Great Ninja War, ultimately becoming a subordinate village to Konohagakure?
Byakuya didn’t answer these questions directly. His goal wasn’t to provide a definitive answer but to guide the Sand shinobi and Elder Chiyo into drawing their own conclusions. Only by arriving at their own answers would they wholeheartedly believe them.
Still, Byakuya found himself wondering if there was any truth to his fabricated story. Once this matter was resolved, he thought, he would have to ask Sasori directly. Could it be that Sasori and the Third Kazekage had truly been ambushed together back then? Did Sasori really possess the strength to kill the strongest Kazekage at the time?
The Sand shinobi, meanwhile, began speculating among themselves.
Some suspected Konoha was responsible for the Third Kazekage’s disappearance. After all, considering the outcome of the war, Konoha had gained the most from the Sand’s losses.
Others thought Kumogakure might be the culprit.
Kumogakure (Cloud Village) had been the first to attack the Sand during the war and had a history of underhanded tactics and surprise attacks. It was the most opportunistic of the ninja villages.
Still, others pointed fingers at Iwagakure and Kirigakure.
Iwagakure’s Ōnoki, as well as their Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki, were formidable forces capable of killing the Third Kazekage. As for the Kirigakure, their Seven Ninja Swordsmen were a notorious team specializing in targeting Kage-level shinobi.
The debates went on for a long time, but no one could come to a definitive conclusion. For now, their only course of action was to keep monitoring Gaara and Sasori while awaiting the arrival of the Fourth Kazekage to make the final decision.
After all, the Kazekage was the highest authority in Sunagakure, and though Elder Chiyo was highly respected, she had long since retired.
Half an hour passed, but Elder Chiyo and the Sand shinobi still saw no sign of the Fourth Kazekage. This absence filled them with unease, sparking fears that he might have met with misfortune. It brought to mind the mysterious disappearance of both the Third Kazekage and Sasori years ago, which had ultimately resulted in the confirmation of their deaths.
After a moment of contemplation, Elder Chiyo addressed the surrounding shinobi, “Stay here and keep a close watch on Sasori. If you encounter danger, don’t hesitate to flee. I’ll take a team to search for Rasa and have him come to take charge.”
With that, Elder Chiyo led a squad of Sand Anbu out of the area. Despite searching Sunagakure for over ten minutes, they failed to find any trace of the Fourth Kazekage. Chiyo’s expression grew darker by the minute. She began to fear that Rasa might soon meet the same fate as the Third Kazekage.
Elder Chiyo couldn’t help but worry that this might all be a ploy by Sasori—a diversion using Shukaku’s rampage to draw their attention while others targeted the Fourth Kazekage.
If that were the case, what would become of Sunagakure’s future?
The Fourth Kazekage was the last shinobi truly qualified to hold the Kazekage title. Any successor, though nominally Kazekage, would struggle to halt the village’s decline and might not even gain the approval of its jonin.
At that moment, a Sand Anbu by Chiyo’s side spoke up, “Elder Chiyo, at this time of day, could it be that Kazekage-sama is at the mines? All of the village’s finances come from him personally overseeing the mining operations.”
“The mines?” Chiyo paused, her expression turning a bit strange. She couldn’t fathom the Kazekage’s priorities—how could he remain at the mines when the village was dealing with a rampaging tailed beast?
The Sand Anbu continued, “Elder Chiyo, if Kazekage-sama really is in the mines, he might not have heard anything from the village. After all, it’s more than 20 kilometers away.”
Chiyo’s expression softened somewhat, and she responded, “I see. Then lead the way. If it’s for the sake of the village’s finances, I have no reason to blame him.”
The Anbu nodded and began heading toward the mines, with Chiyo casting one last glance toward the distant mining area before following closely behind.
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Before long, the group arrived at the mines.
Just as Elder Chiyo was preparing to descend into the mine with the others, they were met with an astonishing sight that made them all frown.
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At the mines, after inspecting the stockpile of ore, Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction and turned to the Fourth Kazekage, saying, “Kazekage-sama, I hadn’t expected the quality of your village’s ore to be even better than I imagined.”
“Across the entire ninja world, ore of this caliber might only be surpassed by that of the Land of Iron. The Magnetic Release bloodline limit is truly enviable, isn’t it?”
Seeing Orochimaru’s interest in the ore, the Fourth Kazekage smiled in response, “We’re just making an honest living; nothing compared to the sharp mind of someone like you, Orochimaru-Sama. I’ve heard that many of the great merchants in the ninja world operate under your backing.”
At that moment, Orochimaru received a message from Byakuya, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. He extended his hand toward the Fourth Kazekage and said, “Profit is profit; no need to call it a hardship. To show my sincerity, I’m willing to purchase your village’s ore at 10% above market price. I hope this marks the start of a pleasant cooperation.”
“An extra 10%? Then I look forward to a fruitful partnership.”
The Fourth Kazekage quickly extended his hand in return. He knew Orochimaru’s true intent was to secure Sunagakure Village’s support for future operations against Konoha.
But Orochimaru’s offer was too tempting to refuse. With his backing, the village would be able to train more ninja in the coming years. One day, they could join forces with Orochimaru to strike at Konoha and break free from its control.
At that moment, Elder Chiyo and her group of Sand shinobi arrived at the mine entrance.
The sight of the Fourth Kazekage and Orochimaru shaking hands caused Chiyo’s expression to darken instantly.
