A few days later, inside the Konoha Shinobi Department building.
"Gaara lost?"
After hearing Temari's anxious report, everyone's brows furrowed in surprise.
Even though Sunagakure had already moved against the Akatsuki members sent to capture Shukaku, Kenya had guessed that the ones who appeared would likely be the infamous art duo.
But after all, Gaara wasn't some minor figure—it wasn't possible for Kenya to keep him at his side constantly. He could only guide him to grow stronger on his own.
He thought that as the perfect Jinchūriki, Gaara should no longer lose to Deidara. Yet, reality proved otherwise.
Temari pressed on urgently:
"According to Kankurō's report, it was a Stone Shinobi rebel along with the genius puppeteer Sasori, who defected from Sunagakure twenty years ago. The two of them joined forces to defeat Gaara."
Joined forces?
If that was true, it wasn't surprising Gaara lost. After all, he hadn't yet undergone the Hōgyoku's transformation to raise his power to an entirely new level.
Temari, close to tears, stammered:
"Teacher, now—"
"Calm down, Temari. The more urgent the situation, the calmer you must be."
Kenya's hand gently rested on Temari's head. She had been on the verge of breaking down, but his touch steadied her heart.
"But… but—"
"We'll depart immediately. Nothing will happen to Gaara."
When she heard that Kenya himself would act, Temari's face finally showed relief.
"Kinara," Kenya called softly.
"Yes!"
Kinara appeared in an instant with the Body Flicker Technique, kneeling on one knee behind Kenya.
"For now, you'll oversee the Shinobi Department. Then call Suigetsu to join me."
Kenya thought for a moment, finally deciding Suigetsu should accompany them.
"Yes, sir!"
Kinara vanished again with the Body Flicker Technique.
Ten minutes later, at the main gates of Konoha Village.
Kenya, Temari, and Suigetsu arrived—where they met both Might Guy's team and Kakashi's team.
"Minister Shinobi, you're personally coming along?" Guy blinked in surprise.
The two squads had only just learned that Gaara had been captured by Akatsuki, and Tsunade had dispatched them as reinforcements to Sunagakure.
Kenya smiled.
"Gaara is my important student. How could I ignore him? Just as Lee is to you."
"Ohhh! As expected of Lord Shinobi! This is the power of youth!!!" Guy roared passionately.
Kenya chuckled faintly. Though Guy could be exhausting, his single-mindedness did bring unexpected liveliness to tense moments.
"Why do we have to team up with this bunch again?" Suigetsu muttered, rolling his eyes. He felt that nothing good ever came from being tangled up with this group.
But Kenya's reasons weren't only Gaara—there was someone else he needed to meet.
Their pace was swift, racing toward the border of the Land of Earth.
Near the border, they encountered Sunagakure's reinforcements: Pakura, the current Minister of Sunagakure's Shinobi, the retired elder Chiyo, and several Sand Shinobi jōnin.
"Lord Aizen!"
Upon Kenya's arrival, Pakura and the others bowed respectfully.
Chiyo's expression, however, tightened.
Once hailed as the likely Fifth Kazekage and celebrated as Sunagakure's hero, "Aizen's" true identity was none other than [Shinigami] Uchiha Kenya.
Though retired, Chiyo still remembered that name clearly. Yet, based on her knowledge of Rasa, she couldn't believe he would ever take a powerful Uchiha from Konoha as his deputy.
Rasa was weak and suspicious by nature—he would never keep someone stronger than himself close at hand. A man like that couldn't possibly trust someone like Kenya.
But because Aizen's reputation in Sunagakure was so high, and she herself had long stepped back from politics, Chiyo chose to hold her tongue. Interfering would only invite disaster upon herself.
"Don't be so formal," Kenya said, raising a hand. "Now then—any word on Akatsuki's movements?"
"Yes," Pakura answered. "According to border reports, the strange bird controlled by the Stone Shinobi rebel flew into the Land of Grass. It vanished soon after, so we've been pursuing it ever since."
Kenya's eyes darkened, spiritual pressure spreading like a stormy sky. He raised a single finger.
"Bakudō #58. Kakushitsuijaku!"
Silver-blue light shone from his palm, expanding into a great disc-shaped mirror. Images flickered across its surface, skipping forward rapidly before stabilizing.
Inside a cave, several dark figures stood atop the fingers of a massive golem.
Gaara hung suspended in midair, bound by a sinister chakra. Shukaku's soul was being forcibly extracted from his body and drawn into the golem. Gaara floated helplessly, eyes closed—like a man drowning in an unseen ocean.
"Gaara!!!" Temari cried out.
"This is only an image, Temari," Kenya reminded gently. Then he turned to Pakura.
"Take a team back to Sunagakure with Temari. Stabilize the higher-ups. Tell them Gaara has already been rescued, otherwise the elders will start plotting to replace him again."
Even though Gaara had become a perfect Jinchūriki, many of Sunagakure's old fossils still considered having a Jinchūriki as Kazekage far too dangerous. They were always scheming to replace him.
Sending Temari back would at least ease their unrest.
"But, Lord Aizen…" one of the Sand Shinobi jōnin hesitated. "What if Gaara… cannot be rescued? How would we explain—"
"Do you doubt my teacher's power?!" Temari snapped.
"No! We wouldn't dare!" The jōnin bowed quickly.
"Wait."
Chiyo suddenly spoke, her voice firm. "One of the kidnappers is my grandson. I will deal with him myself."
Kenya shrugged lightly. "As you wish."