156-Another War

Satetsu stood amidst the shifting sands, the vast desert stretching endlessly around him. His eyes narrowed as he replayed the last moments in his mind.

'Reverse Summoning,' he thought grimly.

'I should have expected this from the beginning. And to think I was confident that I had them cornered and they had no way of escaping.' He shook his head in frustration.

'The Absence of Evidence does not mean the Evidence of Absence; this is what you always say whenever you conduct any experiments.'

Realizing there was no immediate threat left to fight, Satetsu decided to recollect his iron sand. He extended his hand, and the dispersed grains began to quiver.

Since obtaining his Magnet Release, Satetsu had relentlessly experimented with manipulating Shukaku's sand.

This had significantly enhanced his control making Satetsu's chakra so potent that it subtly affected the normal sand of the desert. This made the entire desert his playfield. This was why Minato, Yano, and Renjiro had been trapped in the quicksand upon their arrival.

As the iron sand coalesced into one large mass, SSatetsu muttered to himself,

"There's no point in even looking for them," he began,

"That summon doesn't seem to be around here. For all I know, they might be a thousand miles from here." He sighed, "I should probably head to Sakai to help Rie. She might even have more information about those attacks."

But before he could leave, Satetsu sensed several presences approaching. His chakra awareness was not as acute as other sensors, but it still did the job and he quickly recognized the familiar chakra signatures.

They were Sunagakure shinobi, so Saitetsu was not alarmed. Even if he hadn't identified them, Satetsu wouldn't have been alarmed. As the 'King of the Desert,' he commanded enough power to ensure his safety.

This moniker, 'King of the Desert', though not as widely recognized as the 'White Fang of Konoha,' was a moniker some of his subordinates had started calling him. But it just made him realize that only nicknames given by enemies and rivals truly caught on.

'Letting them get away would look bad as the 'King of the Desert,' Satetsu thought as he waited for the five shinobi he sensed to arrive.

They did not take long, moving swiftly across the sands before coming to a halt in front of him. Immediately, they bowed deeply.

"Lord Third!" they said in unison. The team comprised one Jounin and four Chunin, their eyes fixed firmly on the ground.

Satetsu's gaze fell on the Jounin, whom he recognized instantly. "Mikio, I did not expect to see you here," he said, addressing the Jounin who was evidently leading the squad.

Still bowing, Mikio responded, "Yes, Lord Third. We were accompanying Lord Ebizo, but since the number of attacked towns kept increasing, he decided to split us apart so that we could cover more ground."

Satetsu nodded, understanding the strategic decision. "Smart move. The situation is escalating quickly. What news do you bring?"

Mikio straightened, his face serious. "Lord Ebizo has instructed us to track and report on any suspicious activities. We've encountered several villages devastated by unknown attackers, and we believe they may be trying to incite conflict between our villages. But as we were making our way back we sensed a fight here which caught our attention."

'So they don't know much.'

Satetsu's expression hardened. "I see. I encountered some suspicious people on my way to Sakai and decided to confront them. Unfortunately, they managed to get away.

While they may have escaped, they might still choose to continue with the attacks so when you get back to the village, pass the message to the council. For now, I will head to Sakai, since they were also attacked."

'Lord Kazekage confronted them but they still escaped? How powerful were they?' Mikio and some of the other shinobis thought.

"Understood, Lord Third," Mikio said, bowing once more before turning to his team. "Let's move out."

As Satetsu floated away on his sand, one of the Chunin in Mikio's squad, couldn't contain his worry any longer.

"Mikio-sama, if they escaped even when they were against the Kazekage, will they be caught?"

The question echoed the silent fears of the squad. For them, the Kazekage was the epitome of strength and power. The notion that a group of shinobi had not only survived an encounter with him but had also managed to escape was deeply unsettling. It was as if a pillar of their belief had been shaken.

Mikio, sensing the unease, took a moment before responding. He needed to calm his team. "Don't worry, Rasa," he said, his voice steady.

"I'm sure they just got lucky. Remember, the Kazekage-sama is unparalleled in strength and wisdom. Focus on his orders and leave the worrying to him."

The reassurance seemed to placate the squad, and they picked up their pace, hastening back to the village. Mikio's words did the job for now, but he couldn't shake off his own lingering doubts.

As Satetsu floated towards Sakai, he was deep in thought. Despite the town already being attacked, he needed to ensure whether the Hoki clan had any more information on the attackers before making any decisions with the village council. His mind kept replaying Minato's words,

'The Tsuchikage sends his regards.'

'Did that geezer Onoki send him?' Satetsu wondered. He was not a big supporter of Iwa, but something in him told him that there was more to this than met the eye.

He suspected there was a deeper conspiracy at play. However, he needed concrete evidence to convince the village council to act cautiously. Any hasty decisions could escalate tensions and potentially lead to war, a scenario he was determined to avoid.

Finally, Satetsu reached Sakai. The sight of the damage done by the attackers made his heartache. He genuinely cared for the citizens of the Land of Wind. Buildings lay in ruins, and the once bustling town was now a scene of chaos and despair.

Satetsu searched for Rie, to gather more information. He did not find her in her office, which was understandable given the circumstances. So, he floated above the city, scanning it from a bird's eye view until he spotted her amidst the crowd, assisting her people.

Not wanting to disrupt the already fragile situation, Satetsu sent a small stream of sand to her as a signal. He couldn't afford to waste any time, and he needed her full attention.

The subtle gesture worked. Rie noticed the sand and excused herself from her duties, delegating her responsibilities to her sister before moving to a more private location.

Satetsu landed softly beside her, "Rie, what happened here?" he asked,

Rie took a deep breath, before recounting the events of the previous night to the Kazekage.

"So there were only three?" Satetsu asked.

Rie nodded, confirming his suspicion. "The shinobi I confronted were five in total, but the way they vanished into thin air was the same as how three of them initially arrived at the scene. They're likely part of the same group. If they're only a part of a larger contingent, it could become a significant headache for us." Satetsu said.

Rie began, "But even from other towns, the jutsus they used were primarily Earth Nature. It seems either they're trying to frame Iwa, as you suspected, or..."

"Or they simply used that jutsus because it was quicker and easier for them," Satetsu finished Rie's sentence, catching on to what she was implying.

Satetsu sighed, 'It seems Iwa really might be behind this. Without solid evidence to oppose this notion, the council will be quick to assume the worst. They won't even want to consider any reasons behind the attack. It seems we might be heading toward another war,' he concluded silently, the weight of the potential conflict heavy on his shoulders.

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