Chapter 217: The Silver-Haired Youth

The Land of Wind.

It's the largest country in the ninja world, but also the one with the harshest and most barren environment. The vast, lifeless desert occupies over ninety percent of its territory. Accompanied by its scarce rainfall, only a few oases are suitable for habitation.

Due to its limited resources, the Land of Wind has always relied on imports from the Land of Fire. The Hidden Sand Village, suppressed by the Hidden Leaf Village's might, resulted in the Land of Wind's economic and military inferiority. Over time, they became somewhat subservient.

But now, that dynamic has changed.

With the fall of the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind has claimed vast territories. For the first time in history, the Hidden Sand Village has risen above the Hidden Leaf Village.

Speaking of the Hidden Sand Village.

Located deep within the Land of Wind, it's roughly the same size as the Hidden Leaf Village. But, unlike the lush and fresh-aired Hidden Leaf, the Hidden Sand is surrounded by desert, with buildings made of earth and stone, enduring constant sandstorms.

However, this harsh environment is an excellent training ground for ninjas.

Today.

Two seemingly ordinary villagers walked the streets of the Hidden Sand Village. In reality, they were Kakashi and Tenzo, both using the Wood Clone Technique. They wrapped themselves with branches, transforming their appearances to be indistinguishable from ordinary people. This Wood Release technique was perfect for espionage.

Being former members of the Leaf's Anbu Black Ops, Kakashi and Tenzo were familiar with the Hidden Sand Village, having executed numerous missions there.

So, when the Uchiha clan approached the Hidden Sand Village, the duo volunteered to infiltrate and gather intel on the enemy's numbers, strength, and defenses.

As they strolled, they discreetly observed their surroundings. The unique architecture of the Hidden Sand Village, with its round earthen buildings, was designed to withstand sandstorms, with windows sealed by glass.

Recently.

Taking advantage of the Hidden Sand's absence during their campaign against the Hidden Leaf, the Hidden Rain Village attacked, causing significant casualties and capturing the One-Tail Jinchūriki, Gaara.

Soon after, news arrived that the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had fallen. Rasa's Magnet Release Gold Dust technique, which extracted gold from the desert, was a significant source of income for the Hidden Sand Village. His death was a severe blow.

Fortunately, they won the war.

The Hidden Sand, along with other major ninja villages, colonized the Hidden Leaf and seized vast territories in the Land of Fire. The Daimyō of the Land of Wind, once critical of the Hidden Sand, now generously funded them.

Afterward, with the ceasefire agreement with the Hidden Leaf, the Hidden Sand Village brought in a plethora of goods from the Hidden Leaf, living off their spoils.

This prosperity was evident from the joyful expressions of the Hidden Sand's ninjas and villagers.

Several Hidden Sand ninjas excitedly discussed behind Kakashi and Tenzo, "After all these years, it's our turn to shine. Who would've thought we'd enjoy such privileges in the Hidden Leaf?"

Others chimed in, "Not only that, but all expenses are covered by the Hidden Leaf. We can indulge ourselves."

Kakashi stopped, clenching his fist. He had heard such comments before, and they always stung. Tenzo remained silent.

Refocusing, they continued their reconnaissance. Approaching the Kazekage's building, Kakashi activated his Byakugan, scanning the building and assessing the personnel inside.

As Kakashi had predicted, most of the Hidden Sand's ninjas were deployed to the Hidden Leaf. Only about a thousand remained, mostly Chūnin and Genin, with very few Jōnin. Against the Uchiha clan, they'd be no match.

However, as they prepared to leave and report to Fugaku, a commotion arose.

A quarrel broke out at a street corner. Normally, such disputes among villagers were common and insignificant.

However, from the quarreling parties, Kakashi heard words like "Jinchūriki," "Gaara," and "monster."

The two exchanged a glance and discreetly moved closer.

"Apologize immediately and take back what you just said, or I won't be kind to you," a girl around seven or eight years old, hands on her hips, sternly warned several towering Hidden Sand ninjas.

The girl had warm yellow hair, parted in the middle, with four ponytails tied behind her head. Her name was Temari, the only daughter of the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, and the elder sister of the One-Tail Jinchūriki, Gaara.

Earlier, as Temari passed by the corner, she overheard these men gossiping about Gaara, uttering some quite distasteful remarks. Thinking of her kidnapped brother, whose fate was uncertain, and hearing him cursed behind his back, Temari couldn't hold back her anger.

"Apologize? What a joke. That damned brat Gaara can't control the beast inside him. He's caused so many deaths, and you expect us, the victims, to apologize?"

"Having that disaster leave the village is the best thing for the Hidden Sand."

The men looked down at Temari with disdain. They knew she was the daughter of the Fourth Kazekage, but so what? Rasa might have been the Kazekage, but he was cold and aloof. Many in the Hidden Sand secretly despised him. And now that he was gone, his influence had waned.

Furious, Temari's eyes flashed with anger. As Gaara's sister, she knew his loneliness and isolation better than anyone. Especially after their father orchestrated Gaara's killing of their uncle, Yashamaru, pushing him further into darkness. She became Gaara's only connection to the world. She couldn't tolerate these men insulting her brother.

"Oh, want to fight?"

"Disrespectful brat. Now that your father's gone, we'll teach you some manners."

The men, not only taking advantage of their numbers but also their size, moved to attack. Temari, though a prodigy, was still young and limited by her physical capabilities. She quickly found herself at a disadvantage.

Seeing a group of adults bullying a young girl would typically stir sympathy, but Kakashi and Tenzo chose to watch from the sidelines. After all, intervening would increase their risk of exposure.

The two didn't gather any valuable intel and soon lost interest.

"Let's go," Kakashi said, turning to leave.

Behind them, Temari was knocked to the ground, beaten and covered in dust.

Not far off, a silver-haired teenager, around fifteen or sixteen, wearing glasses, passed by Kakashi and Tenzo.

"Huh," Tenzo suddenly murmured, a vague face flashing in his mind.

"What is it?" Kakashi inquired.

"I think I've seen that boy somewhere before," Tenzo replied, looking back.

The silver-haired boy approached Temari, helping her up. "Here, apply this to your bruises. They'll heal by tomorrow," he said gently, handing her a bottle of medicine.

"Th-thank you," Temari hesitated before accepting.

"No need to thank me," the boy replied with a warm smile, reminiscent of a kind older brother.

As Temari was about to ask his name, he waved and walked away.

From a distance, Kakashi asked, "Recognize him?"

"I remember now. He's Kabuto from the Leaf's orphanage," Tenzo said, watching the boy's retreating figure.

Kabuto, having lost his memory due to an injury as a child, was taken in by the head of the Leaf's orphanage, Nono Yakushi. However, later, under Danzō's coercion, Kabuto chose to serve him, becoming a spy and leaving the Leaf to gather intel in various countries and villages. He was adept at concealing his identity.

Later, for reasons unknown, Kabuto, like Tenzo, betrayed the Root organization and disappeared.

Tenzo wondered, after all these years, why was Kabuto in the Hidden Sand Village? Who was he serving now, and why was he here?

"Something's off. Let's follow him," Kakashi said, his gaze sharpening as he made a decision.

After parting with Temari, Kabuto swiftly entered a deserted alley, avoiding crowded areas.

"Hmph," he smirked, adjusting his glasses, a cold glint reflecting off the lenses. Kabuto's betrayal of Danzō stemmed from the latter orchestrating a fight to the death between him and Nono Yakushi, who was like a mother to Kabuto. After mistakenly killing her, Kabuto felt he had lost his purpose in life. However, Orochimaru, sent by Danzō to eliminate him, spared Kabuto out of admiration for his talents and invited him to join his ranks.

Since then, Kabuto had been working for Orochimaru. He first acted as a double agent, pretending to be by Sasori of the Red Sand's side while gathering intel on the Akatsuki. With Sasori's death and the Akatsuki's disbandment, Orochimaru fled to the Land of Rice Fields, secretly establishing a small village called the Sound Village.

Kabuto's current identity was a spy from the Sound Village. He was on a mission from Orochimaru to steal a secret from the Hidden Sand Village. His earlier approach to Temari was deliberate, given her status as the Kazekage's daughter. Kabuto was patient. To avoid arousing her suspicion, he played hard to get, not even revealing his name. He planned to get closer to her gradually, using her to obtain what he wanted.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed from outside the alley.

Hmm?

Turning, Kabuto saw a stranger approaching silently. He looked away, intending to leave, but another stranger appeared ahead, trapping him in a pincer attack.

Exposed.

Kabuto's face darkened, realizing he had slipped up somewhere. Without hesitation, his hands formed seals, releasing a smoke bomb. Using the cover, he tried to escape over the wall.

However, he had underestimated his adversaries.

Swiftly, wooden tendrils shot out, wrapping around Kabuto and yanking him down. Before him, a crimson Sharingan with three tomoe spun.

The next moment, Kabuto's gaze went blank, ensnared by a genjutsu.

Kakashi then interrogated Kabuto using the power of the Sharingan, extracting vital information: Orochimaru was still alive and had secretly established the Sound Village.

"Elder, how should we deal with him?" Tenzo inquired.

Kakashi pondered, replying gravely, "Best not to raise any alarms."

Summoning his trusted ninja dog, Pakkun, Kakashi had him memorize Kabuto's scent. He then used a genjutsu to erase Kabuto's recent memories, leaving him behind as he and Tenzo departed.

Moments later, Kabuto groggily awoke, looking around in confusion, his mind a blur. Had he fallen asleep from exhaustion? He rubbed his head and cleaned his glasses, but couldn't recall the events leading up to his blackout. Reluctantly, he moved on.

Night fell.

The sky was overcast, with only a few lights illuminating the Hidden Sand Village. Due to the desert's temperature fluctuations, nights were cold, so villagers usually went to bed early.

As the village was enveloped in slumber, danger lurked nearby.

On a sand dune outside the village, shadows emerged, numbering in the hundreds.

It was the Uchiha clan.

"Begin," Fugaku commanded emotionlessly, his gaze fixed on the distant Hidden Sand Village.