Sunagakure doesn't want to bring Gaara back?
They do.
But they can't.
Even before the Uchiha awakened Mangekyo Sharingan, they were already the number one noble clan in the ninja world.
Now, there were three Mangekyo Sharingan users. And the Mangekyo Sharingan's battle achievements were even more terrifying. Rengoku captured Yugito Nii in one move, fought the A and B combo alone, causing the Raikage to lose an arm and retreat.
The Uchiha clan was just short of carving the words [Strongest of the Era] onto their foreheads.
How would Sunagakure dare?
But the loss of a jinchuriki was still a headache for Rasa.
Especially with Elder Chiyo at the head of the elders' council, criticizing Rasa as being self-opinionated, making the wrong judgment, and causing the jinchuriki to be lost.
Rasa also fought back, saying Seiji had been negligent. The two sides were caught in endless quarreling.
However, Rasa's supporters were still a bit fewer. After all, the loss of the jinchuriki was a fact.
Neither side could do anything about the other, but the loss of the jinchuriki hadn't caused any immediate negative effect on Sunagakure.
They didn't even have to worry about another rampage in the village or suffer more damage.
But this was not a long-term strategy.
Rasa was also actively trying to figure out a way to retrieve their tailed beast. [T/N: I think, they will send assasins for Gaara.]
———
At the same time.
Kakashi, Yamato, and Hayama's three-man morning squad finally reached their destination.
[Land of Demons]
The S-rank mission Kakashi received was to invite the priestess Miroku to Konoha.
The difficulty of the mission lay in the fact that the priestess of the Land of Demons never left her country.
Though the Land of Demons was a small nation, the priestess's sealing technique was extremely powerful.
Kakashi and the others planned to first approach in the name of Konoha Village.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
When the squad took a break, Kakashi was wielding Hayama's weapon.
Although Kakashi was sweating profusely and his movements were precise, Hayama still frowned.
"Alright, let's stop here."
Hayama showed unhidden disappointment on his face.
"As the son of White Fang, you actually discarded kenjutsu entirely?"
Kakashi's face dimmed a little, it was his father's old subordinate after all.
He didn't want to disappoint him either.
Currently, Kakashi was not yet eleven years old, right at the age of crazily copying others' jutsu with his Sharingan. It was around this time that people began calling him "Copy Ninja Kakashi."
Whether it's a black cat or white cat, if it catches mice, it's a good cat.
Whether it's ninjutsu or taijutsu, if it completes the mission, it's a good jutsu.
While Kakashi was busy copying all kinds of jutsu, he had ignored his own development.
On the road, Hayama had sparred with Kakashi to understand his strength, to better arrange future missions.
Though Hayama lost in the sparring, he wasn't happy about Kakashi's progress.
He was very disappointed that Kakashi had not inherited White Fang's kenjutsu.
The disappointment wasn't just about not practicing kenjutsu, it was that Kakashi had already abandoned developing his own body and became overly reliant on the Sharingan.
His combat system was entirely built around the Sharingan.
You could say wherever the Sharingan's ceiling was, Kakashi's ceiling would be the same.
Though Kakashi with Sharingan was still strong, there was no doubt he had given up a much broader potential.
He had trapped himself inside the limits of the Sharingan.
And since Kakashi wasn't of the Uchiha clan, he couldn't deactivate the Sharingan.
His chakra consumption was also higher than that of the Uchiha.
"You're still young. No matter what path you take in the future, you must develop your body more."
"The Sharingan should only be an aid."
Kakashi did rely on the Sharingan, but his combat power was still stronger, so Hayama could only advise.
"I understand, Shirakumo-senpai."
Kakashi was naturally talented, and recently he had resumed training his fundamentals.
He had clearly felt a rapid improvement in his strength.
He also thought Hayama's words made a lot of sense.
"Shirakumo-senpai, why haven't you returned to Konoha all these years?"
Ever since White Fang's death, Hayama had left and never returned to Konoha.
If Kakashi weren't Anbu Captain with access to classified files, he wouldn't even know Hayama was still alive.
At this, Hayama's expression dimmed. He gave Kakashi a helpless look.
"I was transferred away from Konoha because of Lord White Fang's death."
Kakashi's whole body trembled, "Wasn't my father's death a suicide?"
Hayama gave Kakashi a strange look, with visible disappointment in his eyes.
Kakashi asked with a guilty heart, "What's wrong, Shirakumo-senpai?"
Hayama asked, "You're Anbu Captain now, right?"
Kakashi nodded, "Yes."
"Then when the rumors spread in the village, did your Anbu not know? Or did you know but couldn't stop them?"
Kakashi's brain was struck like lightning.
He froze on the spot.
'Yes! When the rumors started, why didn't the Anbu know or stop them?'
"Someone wanted Lord White Fang dead," Hayama said faintly.
Kakashi suddenly stood up, unable to suppress the killing intent on his face, "Who?"
Hayama slowly guided, "Back then, Lord White Fang was a leading candidate for the Fourth Hokage."
"Who was coveting the Hokage position, able to manipulate the Anbu, even deceiving the Third Hokage?"
"Danzo!", Kakashi immediately thought of the Root organization that trained Anbu members.
Danzo had previously tried to take Kakashi's Sharingan by sending Yamato to assassinate him.
But Yamato was persuaded by Kakashi and chose to follow the Third Hokage instead.
There were even rumors in Anbu that Danzo once attacked the Third Hokage.
So for the Hokage position, Danzo was capable of doing anything.
"Damn Danzo!", Kakashi panted angrily.
"Good thing the Third Hokage has already removed and investigated him," Kakashi muttered.
After all, he used to have no power or influence, he couldn't compete with a real power-holding elder.
"When we return from this mission, I'll definitely go to the prison and interrogate Danzo properly," Kakashi said coldly. He was Anbu, interrogation methods in Konoha were his specialty.
Hayama didn't respond. Seeing Kakashi like this, he sighed helplessly in his heart, 'The Hatake clan really isn't politically sensitive.'
'Such a widely circulated village rumor, how could Anbu not know?'
He stopped guiding at this point. After all, this was the mission the Third Hokage entrusted.
Perhaps Kakashi would understand after a few more days.
But Kakashi and Hayama had been traveling all this time, they didn't even know what had happened in Konoha.
These people, who were receiving information late, didn't even know that Danzo had already been killed and dismembered by Rengoku.
"Let's go meet Priestess Miroku quickly. The sooner we complete the mission, the sooner we can return."
———
Meanwhile, several kilometers away in the forest, someone was standing on the treetops.
It was Rengoku's clone. He had been tracking and discovered their trail that same day.
But to his surprise, when he tried to hide in the shadows, he was nearly discovered by the stranger in Kakashi's team.
This left Rengoku very puzzled, because in his memory, Konoha didn't seem to have any top-tier ninja matching that person.
But it wasn't a big deal. If he couldn't observe closely, he could still follow from afar.
As long as he knew what Kakashi and the others were up to, it was fine.
Now that they'd reached the Land of Demons, Rengoku guessed that Kakashi and the others were here to invite Miroku.
If not for Sota reporting in, he wouldn't have thought the Third Hokage would consider this route.
[T/N: I guess, they want to try Miroku's seal on Kurama.]
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