Cold sand and gravel struck the thick windows of the Kazekage's office.
Inside, the atmosphere was even heavier than the storm outside.
The Third Kazekage sat behind his massive stone desk, his fingers tapping unconsciously, each dull thud echoing in the tense room. Exhaustion clung to his face, and deep lines dug into his brows. The war was a ravenous beast devouring Suna's already scarce resources.
Shortages of supplies, an economy near collapse, and horrifying casualties. Every name on those scrolls had once been a living person, now reduced to cold ink. The daimyo of the Land of Wind pressed them relentlessly, each request for military funds turning into an exhausting plea. The weight of helplessness pressed heavily on his chest.
Ebizō sat lower down, his brows tightly furrowed and eyes dark. He carried immense pressure, along with a torment far more personal, the grief of losing the nephew and niece-in-law he considered his own children. Every time he closed his eyes, he heard Chiyo's anguished scream at the village gates as she held her son's corpse.
And now, Chiyo stood at the center of the office. She looked far older than during their last meeting. The toughness and sharp wit that had once defined her as a Suna elder had been eroded by crushing sorrow. Her back no longer straight, her eyes sunken, burning not with the sharpness of a puppeteer but with cold hatred. Her son's deep, bone-revealing neck wound, her daughter-in-law's fatal chest injury, and Sasori's once-clear eyes now shadowed by grief and resentment lingered in her mind like a curse.
Silence filled the office. Only the wailing sand outside and the Kazekage's rhythmic tapping broke the stillness.
After a long time, Chiyo's cracked lips parted. Her voice was hoarse like sandpaper scraping. "Kazekage-sama..."
The voice shattered the silence, drawing both the Kazekage's and Ebizō's attention.
He stopped tapping and lifted his head. A question and a faint, heavy foreboding surfaced in his eyes.
Chiyo took a deep breath as if it consumed all her strength. In her cloudy gaze, hatred and a desperate, strained rationality clashed.
A cold, decisive thought finally formed. She needed strength. Suna needed strength. For revenge. For survival.
"Our Suna," she said, her voice suddenly rising with desperate resolve, "is suffering severe logistical shortages. Our casualties are far too high. Years of war have drained us dry. Our children barely graduate from the Academy before being thrown onto the battlefield as fodder."
She stepped forward, staring straight at the Kazekage. "The treasury is empty. The daimyo grows increasingly dissatisfied. Our supply lines are falling apart, and our frontline shinobi fight on empty stomachs. At this rate, we will collapse from within even before Konoha strikes us down."
The Kazekage listened in silence, his gaze complicated. He knew all this too well. It was Suna's reality. His throat tightened. "Chiyo, what are you suggesting?"
"Cooperation." Chiyo forced out the word. "With Hanzō of Ame."
"What?" The Kazekage's pupils shrank. His body leaned forward instinctively. The proposal was shocking, almost unthinkable.
"Let me finish, Kazekage-sama." Chiyo raised a hand to stop him. Her tone sharpened with determination. "Do you think Hanzō's situation is any better? His Land of Rain has been ravaged repeatedly by both us and Konoha. Ame's casualties are terrible, and even their home-field advantage is disappearing. He wants this war to end more than we do, so he can preserve his so-called demigod reputation and protect his country."
Her voice cut coldly. "Our greatest threat is Konoha. They are the strongest force in this war and the one most intent on crushing both Suna and Ame. But if we join forces with Hanzō and turn our blades toward Konoha together?"
A glint of calculation flashed in her eyes. "We have a common enemy. As long as we offer a reasonable deal, such as dividing spoils after the war or helping Ame drive out Konoha's forces, Hanzō will consider it. He is ruthless and pragmatic. If the benefits are great enough, he will accept."
Her voice held a chilling logic. "If Hanzō agrees, the balance of power shifts instantly. Konoha will face attacks from two sides. Their positions in the Land of Rain cannot endure that. We could crush Konoha's forces in Ame and maybe even counterattack into the Land of Fire. This is our only chance to end the war and keep Suna alive."
Ebizō had stayed quiet. When Chiyo said "cooperate," he too was stunned. He knew his sister well. Her rivalry with Hanzō was old and bitter. Yet he could see something deeper in her eyes now. Her hatred for Konoha and her fear for Sasori's future forced her to compromise.
He finally understood. Compared to the blood feud of losing her son and daughter-in-law and the danger facing their village, her resentment toward Hanzō for their professional rivalry meant nothing.
"Kazekage-sama," Ebizō said, standing slowly. His voice was filled with shared determination. "My sister's analysis makes sense." His gaze was firm. "Suna is at the brink. Supplies depleted, forces exhausted, morale collapsing. The risk of doing nothing is even greater than the risk of cooperating."
He took a breath. "We have indeed spilled blood with Ame. Many of our people died by their blades. But our priority enemy right now is Konoha. If we break Konoha, we can deal with Hanzō later."
The Kazekage leaned back, silent, his breath heavy. Chiyo's words cut deep. He understood everything. Suna's strategy of suppressing Rain together with Konoha had backfired. Suna wanted fertile land and resources, but reality was cruel.
They could not compete with Konoha's strength, heritage, or population. Suna had run out of chips to wager in this war.
Chiyo's proposal was risky, but it was also the only possible path to survival.
His heart pounded. He was already mostly convinced. The threats, the desperation, the allure of victory all pushed him toward this plan.
But he could not agree outright.
At least, not as the Kazekage giving the order.
He raised his gaze, sharp and heavy. "Chiyo, Ebizō, I understand your reasoning. I know Suna is in a dire state."
His tone shifted, a colder reality surfacing. "But have you considered how many parents lost children? How many wives lost husbands? How many children like Sasori lost their families? All of that hatred is aimed at Ame. If I order our people to set aside their blood feud and cooperate with them..."
His voice deepened. "They will call it betrayal. An insult to their loved ones. Their rage will not target Ame. It will target the person who made the decision. It will undermine unity and even threaten the Kazekage's position."
He did not say it outright, but the meaning was clear. The plan was necessary, but someone else had to bear the blame.
Someone who was not the Kazekage.
Chiyo trembled. Cold reality washed over her. She understood everything. The Kazekage needed this plan, but he also needed a scapegoat who could shoulder the hatred and consequences.
Her son and daughter-in-law were dead. Her life's foundation shattered. All she had left was revenge, and raising Sasori in safety. Her own reputation no longer mattered.
A crushing fatigue washed over her.
"Kazekage-sama," she said calmly, the calm of someone who had already died inside. "I understand."
She straightened her back and met his gaze. "When this war ends, no matter victory or defeat, I will resign all positions and retire quietly to care for my grandson."
It was the offer of her political life, a promise to carry all the blame so the Kazekage could distance himself.
Ebizō stared at her, shocked and pained. Then he understood instantly. He stepped forward. "Kazekage-sama, I, Ebizō, will also resign and retreat from public affairs." He placed his political future beside hers, sharing the burden.
The Kazekage looked at the two elders, one a mother who had lost nearly everything, the other her devoted brother.
Their voluntary retirement was the perfect exit he needed, along with a promise to absorb the coming outrage.
Silence returned. Even the sandstorm outside seemed to quiet.
The Kazekage stood and moved to the window, staring at Suna's silhouette through the storm. His back looked impossibly heavy.
After a long moment, he turned. Relief mixed with complex emotion in his expression. He inhaled deeply.
He returned to his desk, his eyes now sharp with decision. "Then we proceed as you proposed."
"Begin at once. Secretly contact Hanzō of Ame. No matter what, we must secure this alliance. Our goal is to crush Konoha's forces in the Land of Rain."
Chiyo and Ebizō exchanged looks. Pressure weighed heavily, but the fire of vengeance burned again.
"Yes, Kazekage-sama."
(To be continued.)