Chapter 39: Returning to the Village

"What does it matter if they lose? They are already accustomed to losing to us, and the Daimyo of the Land of Wind will not blame them for such a thing. At most, he would merely offer a few perfunctory insults, calling them incompetent waste.

To take a more radical view, if one of the two from Sunagakure—Rasa or Pakura—were to die in battle against our Konoha, it might actually be a solution to their problems.

When the time comes, the survivor would become the Fourth Kazekage, thoroughly consolidating the factions within Sunagakure and reuniting the forces that have shown signs of splintering.

As for the one who dies, they could be turned into a martyr. Their death would incite the remaining Suna-nin, fueling their hatred for Konoha and hardening their resolve to continue the war against us.

By then, a Sunagakure with unified power and a single ideology, even if it lacks the strength to face Konoha head-on, would certainly have the capability to drag us into a quagmire of war along the borders of the Land of Rivers or the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth.

Furthermore, Asuma, just imagine for a moment: if you were the Kage of the other three great ninja villages and saw Konoha already mired in a war, would you not seize the opportunity to kick us while we are down?"

With that, Kawaki Aoba finished the persuasive argument he had wracked his brain to formulate.

As for the effect? It was unexpectedly good. After listening to Aoba’s analysis, Yuhi Shinku took it seriously and resolved to report the intelligence to the Hokage upon their return.

Although the claim that Sasori of the Red Sand alone could trigger a ninja world war still felt somewhat surreal to him, Aoba’s points were too grounded in reality, and the consequences he analyzed were far too grave.

As for Sarutobi Asuma, he was currently breaking out in a cold sweat, terrified by Aoba’s "Talk-no-Jutsu." Whether it was the cruelty of Sunagakure or the dire prospect of Konoha facing a siege by the other four great villages, it was all too much for a young ninja of his age to process.

Moreover, whether it was his imagination or not, the way Aoba had just analyzed the intelligence so earnestly made him look exactly like his old man when he was deep in thought.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, even Asuma was startled. How could his teammate look like his father? That was absurd—impossible, absolutely impossible.

It was then that Yuhi Shinku spoke up: "Although I don't know if what Aoba says will actually come to pass, this is no longer a matter for our squad to debate. We must return to the village immediately and report to the Hokage. I believe leaving this to the Hokage to decide is the right course of action."

Teacher Shinku’s sense of duty was absolutely top-tier.

After a brief rest, the four-member squad headed back to Konoha.

Considering the shocking nature of Aoba’s words, they traveled without sleep or rest, much like they had on the way there, only faster. Along the way, Aoba, Yuhi Kurenai, and Sarutobi Asuma each downed a small bottle of chakra-restoring tonic to keep going.

As they neared Konoha, they encountered two other squads of ninjas heading out on missions. It was evident they were moving with great urgency.

Ninja squads heading out on missions was nothing unusual, but they were all in such a rush, and none of them were accompanied by their clients, which was highly abnormal.

Moreover, the direction they were heading seemed to be the Land of Rivers.

Yuhi Shinku felt a weight in his heart. He glanced at Aoba and thought to himself: Could this brat have actually guessed right?

Because they had taken such secluded routes both while going to the Land of Wind and returning, Shinku had no idea what the situation was like on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. Clearly shaken by Aoba’s analysis, he felt even more uneasy after encountering those squads.

Upon returning to Konoha and verifying their identities, Shinku led his three students directly toward the Hokage’s office. He did not want to wait a single moment longer.

Shinku was deep in worry, and his guard had lowered since returning to the village, causing him to miss the attention they were drawing.

However, Aoba’s Observation Haki was not to be underestimated. Long before the others noticed them, he had already locked onto them. And the only people who could make Aoba this cautious, other than the Hyuga clan, were none other than the Hyuga themselves.

Seeing him appear in the village, the members of the Hyuga clan immediately rushed back to report.

As for that old man Danzo and his Root, it was quite unexpected. Ever since their collaboration at the Hokage’s office, where they had successfully undermined the Hyuga clan, Root ninjas had never appeared near him.

Possessing a Kekkei Genkai, high talent, and being an orphan—that he hadn't been targeted by Danzo made him wonder if he should call himself lucky or call Danzo blind.

Well, never mind; it seemed the blind one was actually himself.

Just as Aoba used his Haki to watch the Hyuga ninja who had spotted him return to their compound, Shinku arrived at the Hokage’s office with them.

After being announced, Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned them immediately.

"Back so soon? And only the four of you? Did something unexpected happen during the mission?" Hiruzen’s tone was steady and unhurried. He appeared willing to sit back and listen to their explanation calmly, even if he knew the mission had failed.

Faced with the Hokage’s inquiry, Shinku, as the team leader, stepped forward without hesitation.

"Lord Hokage, during this mission, we encountered Sasori of the Red Sand from Sunagakure. He has defected from the village and has turned the Third Kazekage into a human puppet."

There is a reason why Shinku was a Jonin valued by Hiruzen; he got straight to the point.

Hiruzen’s hand trembled, and he nearly dropped his pipe—a testament to the shock he felt.

"What? Shinku, can you confirm the accuracy of this intelligence?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Hiruzen realized he had lost his composure. He quickly steadied himself, putting on a serious and calm expression. "Shinku, report everything you encountered during this mission to me in detail."

This was exactly what Shinku had been waiting for. Being asked personally by the Hokage was entirely different from a standard, long-winded report.

With the Hokage’s validation, he could now interject his own insights while the Hokage listened intently.