"Pain has made a move, Senior," he said, noting how Naruto's eyes narrowed at the mention of Pain's name. "I don't know how to say this—it's something Lady Hokage will explain when you return to the village—but I believe I must tell you now."
His gaze shifted to Gaara, making both Naruto and me even more uneasy.
"What is it, Sai?" A sense of dread gripped Naruto.
Though Sai usually wore a blank expression, even he understood the gravity of this moment. He spoke solemnly:
"Lord Kazekage, Pain attacked Sunagakure early this morning—during your meeting. He unleashed an unprecedentedly powerful Ninjutsu and reduced your entire village to ruins. The news only just reached Konoha."
Gaara and Naruto were left speechless.
"...You must be mistaken," Gaara's voice shook as he whispered, refusing to accept what he'd just heard. "How... How could that be possible? The entire village? That can't be real..."
He mumbled to himself, unable to accept the truth.
"How could that happen?" Naruto couldn't help but ask aloud. He thought he had grown stronger—strong enough to defeat Pain the next time they met.
Even so, he couldn't fathom how Pain alone could destroy an entire ninja village in a single day.
"Even with his Six Paths, it was unthinkable that he could wipe out an entire village teeming with ninja."
It was simply beyond Naruto's comprehension.
"There are survivors," Sai added, offering Naruto a glimmer of relief. "We received a message via carrier bird from Sunagakure. Whatever technique Pain used, it flattened every building and structure into the earth. The destruction was devastating, but those closer to the surface fell into the sand and survived. Thousands have already perished, and rescue operations are still underway."
Naruto paced back and forth on the rooftop.
"This is insane... He attacked a ninja village—and pulled it off! All by himself!"
Something didn't sit right. Was he specifically targeting Gaara? Or did he somehow know Gaara wasn't there?
"This changes everything, Naruto-senpai," Sai said seriously. "This is completely unacceptable. Lady Hokage has already begun summoning ninja to Sunagakure for support. You know what this means, right?"
Of course. An attack like this on a ninja village is the same as declaring war. Konoha valued its alliances more than any other village.
Failing to retaliate against Amegakure would be letting them escape punishment for attacking Gaara—regardless of any past issues.
It was now clear—Amegakure was Akatsuki's stronghold, under direct control of their leader.
When Naruto turned toward Gaara, he found the spot where he'd been standing empty.
In fact, he was gone from the rooftop entirely.
"Gaara!"
Naruto hastily gathered Natural Energy to locate Gaara, but sensed only that he was speeding away.
"Damn it! Gaara, wait!"
As he prepared to leap from the rooftop, he abruptly halted and turned to Sai:
"Sai, go inform Lady Tsunade—Gaara has left the village alone!"
Sai nodded and ran in the opposite direction of Naruto.
He couldn't allow Gaara to face this alone.
This could be Pain's trap—he might have deliberately lured Gaara away just to ambush him.
The journey from Konoha to Sunagakure took three days, and along the way there were too many places to set up an ambush for an agitated Jinchuriki. Gaara might never even arrive.
Gaara had already left at top speed. Even if he had only gotten a one-minute head start, it would still be hard for Naruto to catch up.
Although Gaara's fighting style wasn't focused on speed, he was, after all, a Sand ninja—his speed outpaced anything Naruto had ever encountered.
Now, Naruto had no choice but to chase after Gaara.
"Wait for me, Gaara…"
This would be a long night.
## Snow Country – Kabuto's Secret Hideout ##
Madara punched the wall of Kabuto's hidden chamber so hard that the solid stone fractured deeply, spreading cracks outward.
He withdrew his fist, but his rage had not subsided.
"Damn you, Nagato… Burn in hell… Dammit!"
This was completely outside his plans. Zetsu's report carried only ill tidings.
"You useless brat—you're more of a liability than an asset!"
On the other side, Kabuto couldn't help laughing out loud.
"This is amazing… Absolutely incredible! I can't believe something so exciting happened right at the peak of my strength! How lucky am I!"
He seemed thrilled about what was about to unfold. "I wonder when the next big upheaval will come? I have a feeling it's going to be absolutely thrilling!"
Madara had long known that Kabuto was utterly deranged, though he hated to admit it.
He had his own plans—one that left no room for betrayal. Yet Kabuto found the disruption of those plans amusing, which only enraged Madara further.
"You think this is funny, Kabuto?" Madara asked coldly, his tone threatening—if Kabuto dared to speak out of turn…
"You really think all of this is amusing?"
However, the newly fused Kabuto—merged now with Orochimaru—remained utterly unfazed by Madara's threat.
"That's exactly what I think, yes. Why wouldn't I? Every age has been forged in the crucible of war. We now have the chance to create legends on the battlefield! Each war brings transformation to the world. If you like, you can call them turning points. The First Great Ninja War established independent ninja villages and decided who would dominate the world. The Second Great Ninja War determined the allocation of funds and power among the villages. And the Third Great Ninja World War plunged our world into the current stalemate."
Madara was already growing impatient listening to Kabuto's lengthy speech.
"What are you trying to say?"
"It's time for war to end all of this!" Kabuto said excitedly. "Everything we've taken for granted will be completely transformed!"
He waved his hands dramatically, as if touching something around him.
"No matter what happens, everything will be reborn anew! The past is beyond reach! All the minor, forgotten ninja villages will either rise in revolt or fall to ruin through pride—they will be utterly erased!"
The major ninja villages must also make their final decision. Do they truly desire this world? If they continue to be complacent, they too shall march toward ruin—just like Sunagakure! What a spectacle!"
"How can something like this excite you so much?" Madara asked, his curiosity genuine as he tried to fathom Kabuto's mind.
Was it the influence of Orochimaru's cells clouding his thoughts? Whatever the case, it was unsettlingly strange.
"Are you saying…?"
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