The No. [-] training ground in Konoha Village.
"Naruto?"
Uchiha Itachi's words echoed in Uchiha Sasuke's mind, refusing to fade. Even while training, Sasuke would occasionally recall the look on his brother's face when he said that name—the longing in his eyes.
Lost in thought for a long time, Sasuke eventually made up his mind and refocused on his training.
The final assessment list for the Chunin Exam had been confirmed, and the ninjas who qualified were making their final preparations. However, during this time, an unexpected incident occurred.
In the Hokage's office, an Anbu wearing a death mask knelt on one knee before Namikaze Minato, reporting.
"Hokage-sama, I found the body of Gekko Hayate early this morning." The Anbu's voice was heavy, instantly darkening Minato's previously good mood.
"Gekko Hayate?"
"What happened?!"
Minato lifted his gaze to the Anbu, his tone serious. Gekko Hayate was a Special Jonin of Konoha Village, and Minato had not assigned him any missions recently. Hayate had only assisted Uzumaki Raiden during the Death Forest assessment. Under normal circumstances, he should not have encountered danger within the village.
"In the early hours of the morning, during an Anbu patrol, Hayate's body was discovered on the roof of a residence.
"There were signs of a struggle at the scene, but not many traces.
"His body was struck by a powerful Wind Release jutsu, and the cause of death was excessive blood loss.
"Additionally, we found the corpse of an Oto-nin about 700 meters away from Hayate's body.
"Based on the investigation, the Oto-nin suffered severe internal injuries due to a massive compression force, which led to his death."
As he reported, the Anbu retrieved a scroll from his pocket and placed it on Minato's desk. Minato unfolded it with a solemn expression, revealing a dozen photographs attached to the scroll. The contents were divided into two sections—one documenting Hayate's corpse and the surrounding scene, while the other depicted the Oto-nin's body and its location. Autopsy reports on both individuals were also included.
It was now close to ten o'clock, and it was evident that Anbu had already conducted a thorough investigation before delivering this report.
"For someone to kill Gekko Hayate silently within the village, the enemy must possess considerable strength."
"The difference in their power must be significant. If there had been a major commotion, the body wouldn't have remained undiscovered until this morning."
"Send someone to question the Anbu monitoring foreign ninjas. See if they noticed anything suspicious during this period."
"I'm afraid Hayate was murdered because he stumbled upon something he shouldn't have."
"No one is to spread this information. We must avoid causing panic."
A Special Jonin being assassinated within the village was a serious incident, and Minato was deeply concerned. Despite his years as Hokage, this was the first time he had encountered such a case, especially during the Chunin Exams, when Konoha was under the watchful eyes of various dignitaries from other nations.
"Hokage-sama, what about Hayate's family? Should we inform them?" the Anbu asked hesitantly.
"Family? Gekko Hayate should have no living relatives in the village, correct?"
"He and Uzuki Yūgao were lovers. They had been dating for years."
The Anbu, familiar with Hayate's personal life, explained.
"Uzuki Yūgao, his lover…"
"Inform her. She's also Anbu, so we won't hide it from her."
Minato pondered briefly before replying. He sighed inwardly, knowing Yūgao would be devastated upon hearing the news.
The Anbu left the office to continue investigating Hayate's death. Only Minato and Shikaku remained in the room.
"Minato, who do you think is responsible?" Shikaku asked.
"It's easy to guess. Someone capable of silently eliminating a Special Jonin inside the village isn't from a minor ninja village."
"The main suspects are the Sand Shinobi."
"I'm not sure what their objective is, but we should increase patrols in the village for now."
Minato's eyes darkened as he slowly closed the scroll and set it aside. Just as he was about to resume handling official duties, the office door was abruptly pushed open.
"Hokage-sama, Sand Shinobi's Kazekage Rasa, along with Jonin Maki and the Genin Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari, have left Konoha and are heading towards Lord Kunaru's residence!"
At the Uzumaki Residence
Uzumaki Raiden had just seen off the Uchiha brothers when another guest arrived. When the housekeeper, Akina Uehara, opened the door and saw the visitors, she was visibly surprised.
There were five individuals in the group, all identifiable as Sand Shinobi by their forehead protectors. The leader wore a blue-and-white hat with the large kanji for "wind" emblazoned on the front—an unmistakable sign of the Kazekage.
"Is Uzumaki Raiden home?"
Rasa lifted the veil covering his face, removed his bamboo hat, and asked politely. His gentle tone lacked the authority one would expect from the Kazekage, surprising Akina Uehara.
"And you are?" she asked, despite recognizing him.
"My name is Rasa. I am a friend of Uzumaki Raiden."
"These three are my children, and this man is my subordinate."
Despite the formalities, Rasa remained patient. Akina Uehara glanced at Baki, Gaara, and the others before nodding.
"Please wait a moment. I will inform him."
She closed the door gently, hesitant to make decisions without Raiden's approval. Though many in the village knew of Uzumaki Raiden, he rarely received visitors from the Sand.
"Father, isn't this Uzumaki Raiden acting a bit arrogant?"
"Leaving us waiting outside like this?"
Kankuro frowned in frustration.
"Hey, Kankuro, don't underestimate Uzumaki Raiden. You should be careful how you speak," Temari warned.
"Tch, no matter how strong he is, he's still a Konoha ninja. I'm from the Sand. Why should I be cautious? He's not my superior," Kankuro scoffed, glancing at Baki and Rasa. Seeing no reaction from them, he continued his complaints.
"You—" Temari started to reprimand him, but Gaara cut her off.
"Shut up, Kankuro!"
His cold voice carried such intense killing intent that Kankuro immediately fell silent. He didn't care about his sister's scoldings, but Gaara was a different matter. Kankuro knew that Temari would only lecture him, but Gaara… he would act.
Rasa, standing at the front, seemed unbothered by his children's exchange, keeping his gaze on the Uzumaki residence.
Moments later, the courtyard door opened again. Akina Uehara stepped out, bowed, and said, "Raiden is waiting in the living room. Please follow me."
Rasa finally withdrew his gaze and responded softly, "Thank you for the trouble." Then, he followed her lead.
Inside the living room, Rasa opened the door to see a black-robed man seated casually beside a coffee table. Even from behind, he immediately recognized Uzumaki Raiden.
"Long time no see, Uzumaki Raiden!" Rasa walked into the room and greeted.
"Yeah, long time no see, Rasa."
"Sit down."
Uzumaki Raiden turned his head but did not rise to greet him. Instead, he casually pointed to a seat in front of him.
Rasa walked over and took a seat, while Maki, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari stood behind him, curiously observing Raiden.
"Is this person really the Fourth Hokage of Konoha?"
"I didn't realize it at first, but he's actually a big shot in Konoha."
Kankuro's gaze wandered over Uzumaki Raiden. The man appeared to be in his twenties. When Kankuro first saw him, he assumed he was just a strong Konoha Jonin. It wasn't until today that he learned the red-haired man before him was actually Konoha's Fourth Hokage.
And surprisingly, this Fourth Hokage looked even younger than the Fifth.
"You came to see me specifically. What's the matter, Rasa?"
Uzumaki Raiden poured Rasa a cup of tea, then poured one for himself before asking.
"It's been a long time, old friend. I simply wanted to see you."
"At the same time, there are some things I need to confirm."
Rasa glanced around at Uzumaki Raiden before withdrawing his gaze. He picked up the teacup with both hands, took a sip, and sighed in admiration.
"Good tea. There's nothing like this in the Land of Wind."
"If you like it, take some with you later. My teacher gifted it to me, and I don't drink it often."
Uzumaki Raiden smiled and refilled Rasa's tea.
"No need. Tasting tea is a luxury for me." Rasa shook his head, his tone filled with emotion.
Raiden understood the meaning behind his words but chose not to ask further. Instead, he changed the subject.
"I heard from Akina that these three little ones are your children?"
"Are they yours and Karura's?"
Raiden glanced at Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. At that moment, Gaara, who had kept his head lowered, suddenly raised it. Ignoring Rasa's presence, he stepped forward and asked directly,
"Do you know my mother?!"
"Gaara!" Rasa frowned and reprimanded him, but Gaara ignored his father entirely. He stepped closer and repeated his question, his voice more urgent,
"You knew my mother?"
Seeing Gaara losing control, Temari and Kankuro rushed to calm him, but it was futile. Gaara remained anxious, staring intently at Uzumaki Raiden.
"I was acquainted with Karura."
"And I must say, the cooperation between Karura and Rasa caused Konoha quite a bit of trouble."
"If these three are your children, they must be exceptional."
"You came to Konoha this time—did Karura not come with you?"
Raiden cast a brief glance at Gaara before turning back to Rasa.
"Karura passed away in childbirth more than ten years ago."
Rasa's voice was heavy, as if Raiden's words had reopened an old wound. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
Gaara interjected immediately. "You knew my mother. What kind of person was she?"
Rasa shot him a displeased glance but did not stop him from speaking.
"Karura… has passed?"
Raiden had thought fate might change, but it seemed it had not.
"I didn't have much interaction with her, but I know she was an incredibly strong kunoichi."
"I noticed something during the Chunin Exam's Forest of Death. You've inherited Karura's Kekkei Genkai. You wield Magnet Release exceptionally well, manipulating sand with precision."
Raiden's words caught the attention of Kankuro and Temari. Both detected something unusual in what he had said.
"Magnet Release? Kekkei Genkai?"
"Gaara's ability to control sand isn't because of Shukaku?"
Temari was confused but remained silent. Kankuro, too, looked at his sister in surprise before turning back to Gaara, who now clutched his chest, his face twisted in pain.
Rasa looked at Raiden, sighed slightly, and said, "I didn't come here to discuss this."
"To be honest, I have something important to tell you."
Rasa glanced at Baki, who immediately understood. He pulled a scroll from his robes and placed it on the table before Raiden.
"This is a contract signed between Oto and our Sand Shinobi, as well as a battle plan."
"The mastermind behind this battle plan—you should already know—is Konoha's rogue ninja, Orochimaru."
"Orochimaru secretly took control of Oto Village and has been attempting to persuade us, Sand Shinobi, to join him in an invasion of Konoha."
"To avoid raising suspicion, I outwardly agreed to his proposal."
Upon hearing this, Raiden glanced at Rasa in surprise. He stroked his chin and asked, puzzled,
"What exactly are you saying?"
"Our Sand Shinobi and Konoha have fought side by side in the past. Why would I cooperate with a rogue ninja?"
"This morning, a Konoha ninja's body was found on the rooftop of the hotel where our Sand delegation is staying."
"I suspect someone is framing us."
"I don't know Hokage Namikaze Minato well, so I came to you first thing in the morning."
(End of this chapter)