Chapter 4: The Awakening

Hitoshi leaned back in the stiff chair, exhaustion visible in his eyes. The battle had taken a toll on everyone, but as the new Third Kazekage, he could not afford to show weakness. He had to be the rock that Sunagakure needed.

"Ahem, you did the right thing by continuing to fight. We would have definitely lost, or we would have lost at our own hands," Nidaime Kazekage Shamon's voice was a rough whisper, his body weak but his spirit unyielding as he lay on the hospital bed. His injuries from the recent skirmish were severe, but seeing Hitoshi by his side brought a spark of relief to his eyes.

Hitoshi turned his head slightly, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Hehe, I thought you would blame me for not giving my best."

Shamon chuckled weakly, the sound like gravel being ground together. "No, starting the war was my idea. Moreover, without you, we would have suffered an even greater defeat." His eyes softened as he looked at Hitoshi, filled with a mixture of pride and concern.

Sunagakure lacked a prominent kekkei genkai clan, so Shamon had relied on the power of studying Shukaku to acquire Magnet Release. His scientific endeavors had significantly advanced the research on Puppet Master Jutsu and bolstered Sunagakure's strength.

Hitoshi's mind wandered briefly to the battlefield, where he had single-handedly defeated a thousand troops and overwhelmed the Iwagakure forces. The memory was both a point of pride and a stark reminder of the responsibilities he now bore. Gazing up at the sky through the hospital window, he pondered Sunagakure's strength as portrayed in the original work and inwardly sighed, recognizing its pitiful state.

"Yes, Sunagakure would have fared even worse without me," Hitoshi replied bluntly, causing Shamon to wear a pained expression.

This kid is quite adept at banter, Shamon thought to himself, shaking his head slightly.

"Don't blame Sunagakure for being overly cautious; life is arduous," Hitoshi said, more to himself than anyone else. "You should focus on healing your injuries first. Afterward, we still need your contributions."

"I understand. Only by assuming that position will one truly realize how much needs to be done," Shamon agreed without hesitation. He knew that Hitoshi required his assistance. Only by being in that position would he comprehend the extent of the responsibilities involved.

The setting shifted to a round table meeting room. The atmosphere was tense, with only a few additional individuals present. Hitoshi stood at the head of the table, his presence commanding attention.

"Come on, everyone, let's discuss what we should do. The situation is right in front of us," Hitoshi said with a smile, his voice calm but authoritative. He waited for the others to speak, sensing their hesitation.

"I believe we should repair our relationship with the Daimyo. Our current mission is too small to support such a large number of shinobi," an elder hesitated before expressing his opinion. He glanced around, noticing no objections from the others. "Especially now that many frontline shinobi have returned, we cannot sustain them."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama, we share the same opinion," many others spoke in agreement. The majority believed that repairing the relationship with the Daimyo was necessary.

Hitoshi nodded thoughtfully. "Yasuke, please share your thoughts," he called upon Yasuke, who stood up with a determined expression.

"Kazekage-sama, in this war, we acquired limited spoils of war in terms of food, supplies, and ryo. We cannot compromise with the Daimyo," Yasuke stated firmly.

For the next duration, the younger shinobi, represented by Yasuke, along with the sideline shinobi, and the older generation, represented by the Elder's Group, engaged in a heated debate. Each voiced their opinions passionately, with neither side able to convince the other.

"Kazekage-sama, the decision is yours to make," they finally turned to Hitoshi, pointing the finger at him. All eyes were on him, waiting for his judgment.

"Alright, let's put an end to this debate. We are all members of the village, and despite our differing beliefs, we all have the best interests of the village at heart," Hitoshi stood up, his expression somber but resolute. "Let's move forward. I will take some immediate actions and consider the rest later. First, we will establish a hospital, with Elder Chiyo in charge. Secondly, the Research & Development Department will be formed, with Shamon-sama leading it. Thirdly, Yasuke will oversee all sideline shinobi. And fourth, Elder Ebizo will provide full assistance in government affairs, serving as my right-hand."

He paused, looking around the room. "Do any of you have any comments?"

Although Hitoshi's smiling demeanor didn't exude any sense of authority, no one present desired to refute him. In Suna Shinobi Village, there were only a few influential figures, and they all stood by Hitoshi. How could anyone dare to challenge their stance?

Chiyo, Shamon, and Ebizo were not like Yasuke. They could criticize Yasuke because he was young, but the three individuals possessed years of cunning experience. No one wanted to engage in such manipulations.

Later, in the Sunagakure building, Shamon expressed his concerns. "It seems quite ruthless. It appears that you truly have no intention of reconciling with the Daimyo."

"Reconciliation? How can we reconcile? Let's not even mention the betrayals, the reduction in resources and missions, and the collusion with Konoha and Iwagakure. Those can easily be forgiven. We have money and resources now. We can develop on our own," Hitoshi said with a smile, his tone filled with disdain.

"We possess extraordinary abilities. We can easily obliterate a nation. Why should we pledge allegiance to an ordinary person? To be honest, if I lived in the Sengoku Period, I would undoubtedly choose to establish a shinobi-dominated nation instead of cooperating with ordinary people to create a system of one country, one village. I would isolate shinobi and enforce the law of the jungle," Hitoshi confidently remarked.

Shamon's eyes widened slightly. "What about the Five Great Nations Agreement?"

"Don't worry about it. That agreement is meant to be violated and rendered invalid. As long as we handle things properly and maintain sufficient deterrence, other ninja villages won't concern themselves with us. In fact, they might even be grateful, as we are providing them with a new path," Hitoshi's words resounded like thunder in Shamon's ears.

Shamon was no fool. He had experienced times of war and understood how the system of one country, one village came to be. It was forcefully established by Senju Hashirama. "If Senju Hashirama hadn't possessed such immense power, the founding heroes of the ninja villages would have chosen to conquer the world," Shamon contemplated.

"Be careful. The things you asked me to study have already shown some promise. I will work on them as soon as possible," Shamon replied. He realized that Hitoshi's approach might not be entirely wrong, as long as their strength was formidable.

"Keep up the good work, Shamon-sama. We are the creators of our time. It is through our diligence that we will prosper," Hitoshi said, gazing up at the sky, attempting to bewitch Shamon.

In Sunagakure, Hitoshi grew increasingly frustrated with the slow progress of the infiltration plan. This discomfort was unbearable. For the infiltration plan, all the Jonin in Sunagakure began to focus on mastering water-based chakra. But this approach was inadequate. The progress was too slow.

"When will we start seeing results at this rate?" Hitoshi's face contorted, observing the Suna shinobi diligently practicing water-based jutsu.

"Hehe, Kazekage-sama, there's no use getting anxious. Water Release is not our specialty. Besides, the situation is much improved," Ebizo, standing nearby, said with a broad smile, his face beaming like a chrysanthemum. Having lived for several decades, he had never been this content.

"Tell me, Elder, what good news do you bring?" Hitoshi yawned, turning his head to look at Ebizo.

"There is news from Konoha and Iwagakure. They are ready to negotiate at the border," Ebizo revealed with a smile.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Hitoshi looked at Ebizo and asked, "What do you think this means? The tripartite peace talks. I must say, I'm grateful to them."

"It's a form of pressure. Konoha and Iwagakure had an alliance before. Now, Bunpuku is guarding Konoha's side, and Yasuke's sideline shinobi are guarding Iwagakure. With their geographical advantages, neither side can launch a major offensive. They've reached their limit," Ebizo analyzed cautiously, emphasizing the need for caution.

"In that case, our opportunity to profit is here. Gather all our 'useless' materials. Oh, and remember the gift I asked you to give to the Daimyo. Is it ready?" Hitoshi and Ebizo exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

They had prepared a grand gift for the Daimyo. Since he refused to provide them with materials and chose to sell them to other countries to undermine Sunagakure, they were going to demonstrate the power of the supernatural.

In the Daimyo City of Kaze no Kuni, the Daimyo and a group of nobles were fuming with anger. "Damn it, damn it, damn it! Our supplies have completely vanished!"

Sunagakure had fostered a genius named Hitoshi, who single-handedly defeated a coalition of thousands of shinobi, earning renown in the early stages of the Second Shinobi World War. This victory provided Sunagakure with strategic leverage.

Mu and Onoki, both having encountered Uchiha Madara and fortunate enough to survive, knew the prowess of the revered ninja. They believed Hitoshi had the potential to become equally powerful.

This was why, despite engaging on three fronts, they risked two Kekkei Genkai and two Jinchuriki. Due to a covert agreement to initially target Sunagakure, who possessed Hitoshi, the treaty with Konoha was never taken seriously. What is a shinobi? They are omnipotent entities driven by their mission. Such treaties are nothing more than temporary agreements waiting to be torn apart.

In contrast to Sunagakure's sky filled with yellow sand, Konohagakure was as green as spring, boasting distinct four seasons. Inside the Hokage Residence, Sarutobi Hiruzen, a principled young man, engaged in discussions with his "students."

"The newly appointed Sāndaime Kazekage is astute and has chosen the right path," Uchiha Kagami mentioned casually with a smile, eyeing everyone present.

"This is the most challenging part. According to the news from Danzo and Homura, the individual with Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai has retreated. It seems that Sunagakure is currently very united," Sarutobi Hiruzen commented with a sigh.

Changes in leadership could impact the interests of many. Hiruzen himself relied on the support of a group of students to maintain his position. He didn't truly secure his position until the end of the first battle. The unity exhibited by Sunagakure currently unsettled him. To break through a unified alliance of the Five Great Ninja Villages would require unimaginable strength and resources.

"We have no choice but to surrender. Kumogakure and Iwagakure are quite hostile towards us, especially Kumogakure. Their losses have been minimal," Utatane Koharu suggested with a frown.

Due to a prior agreement to target Sunagakure first, Kumogakure, which did not share a border with Sunagakure, declared they would not attack. As a result, Kumogakure's forces remained largely intact.

In a smoke-filled room, Hiruzen gazed sharply at his companions. "Inform Danzo and Homura that for strategic suppression, we must emerge victorious."

"What about Kumogakure and Iwagakure?" Utatane Koharu inquired helplessly. She was aware of the aftermath. Being beaten without retaliation was not in the nature of young Hiruzen.

At the early stage of the war, Sunagakure broke through their defensive line and invaded Hi no Kuni. When they retreated, they took many commoners, craftsmen, and food supplies.