CH - 272 Gaara

With red hair and the character 'love' etched on his forehead, he appeared around Sasuke's age but carried a much colder demeanor, almost resembling a stoic adult despite his youth.

Akihiko recognized the boy before him—it was Gaara, the Fourth Kazekage's son and a Jinchūriki whose father treated him as a weapon, even going so far as attempting to kill him periodically as part of brutal training.

Imagine struggling to interact with others because of something uncontrollable within oneself, compounded by constant threats of assassination. Who could handle that? Even if someone could, who would dare to play with such a kid?

Comparatively, while Naruto faced hardships in the village, his situation was still less severe than Gaara's. Naruto had the Third Hokage's support, and there were clan children whose parents didn't forbid them from playing with him.

Speaking of Naruto… Akihiko couldn't help but wonder how their duel went. After all, It was a battle between the reincarnations of Asura and Indra, facing off against the mastermind of the ninja world—a showdown meant for the grand finale. Who wouldn't look forward to it?

However, due to some unexpected events, Akihiko hurried to the Rain Village and then came to the Sand Village with Hanzo of the Salamander. As a result, he missed witnessing this epic battle. However… who won in the end?

Akihiko sighed inwardly, then skillfully donned a gentle smile as he looked at Gaara. By now, everyone else had left, leaving only this child standing alone, staring blankly with no companions around.

Softly, he asked, "Would you like to come to Grass Village to study? The Grass Hope Academy is renowned as the best school in the ninja world, with excellent faculty and complete facilities. You'll not only have many friends to play with but also many outstanding teachers to guide you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gaara's eyes flickered slightly at the mention of 'friends to play with,' but he quickly reverted to his emotionless state, gazing at the unfamiliar man before him.

Pakura approached, shaking her head in disbelief at Akihiko's attempt to persuade another child. "Are you planning to bring another kid back? Does this little one also have a young, beautiful mother?"

She glanced curiously at the red-haired child in front of her, furrowing her brow slightly and murmuring, "This kid... seems familiar, like someone troublesome?"

Maki, who understood the tragic history of the hero from Sand Village beside him, gave an awkward smile but kept a watchful eye on the Grass Village leader. Grass Village's reputation for child abductions was well-known, especially considering Konoha's Jinchūriki was taken directly and Konoha still hadn't managed to retrieve them.

Gaara, as Sand Village's Jinchūriki, was crucial, and with Sand Village currently in turmoil, losing him was unthinkable. Maki also couldn't help but wonder… why was Gaara alone and where the shinobi who should have been guarding him were gone. However, Just as he was about to interject, Akihiko continued.

"Isn't he adorable?" Akihiko exclaimed with a smile, gazing at Gaara. "This kid... I can sense great potential in him, surely fit for academic excellence!"

'Could it be that this kid's father sacrificed himself, and really have a single beautiful young mother?' Pakura rolled her eyes sarcastically and after a moment of thought she rubbed her chin. "Indeed, he looks oddly familiar!"

Maki sighed inwardly, sensing Pakura's skepticism. He glanced at the smiling Grass Village leader and hesitated before speaking softly. "He's the youngest child of the Fourth Kazekage—Gaara, also the village's Jinchūriki. Leader Akihiko, I hope you..."

Before Maki could finish, Pakura's face lit up with surprise. She gazed at Gaara, her eyes narrowing as she smiled. "Rasa's kid? This kid... does indeed look like he has a knack for studying."

Turning to Akihiko, she asked with a knowing smile, "Am I right?"

"Absolutely!" Akihiko nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, well..." Both of them flashed kind and gentle smiles at the bewildered Gaara.

Gaara felt a sense of unease at their behavior. What are these two weirdos planning? Although he kept his composure outwardly, inwardly, there was a voice urging him to 'Kill them'.

Meanwhile, Maki, fully aware of the situation unfolding, felt a headache coming on. He understood that these two were targeting their village's Jinchūriki and quickly forced a wry smile. "Leader Akihiko, it's getting late. Chiyo-sama is waiting."

He resigned himself inwardly to let Chiyo-sama and Ebizō-sama handle this matter.

…

Meanwhile, in response to Danzo's summons, the secretive Five Kage Summit had commenced.

Despite its title, the summit was attended only by the leaders of the four major villages. Even the reclusive Mizukage of the Mist Village, Yagura, made an appearance, though Sand Village was notably absent from the proceedings. Given the focus of the meeting on Sand Village's issues, they were deliberately excluded from the discussions.

Presently, all eyes were fixed in astonishment on Konoha's advisor, Shimura Danzo, who was delivering a meticulously prepared, illustrated presentation. His thorough analysis of data and clear explanations accompanied by detailed graphs left the delegates from other villages deeply impressed. Was this the renowned competence of Konoha's older generation?

It was no surprise that Konoha continued to hold its position as the most formidable village in the shinobi world over the years. No wonder, even the leader of the Grass Village holds him 'Darkness of the Shinobi World' in high regard. Undoubtedly, such exceptional talent is the real backbone of Konoha.

The Third Hokage sat in silence, visibly moved by Danzo's presentation, his hands trembling slightly. He hadn't realized Konoha harbored such hidden talents. Yet, despite his conflicted feelings towards Danzo, Hiruzen sighed inwardly, resolving to keep up with the times and not fall behind. 'Looks like I need to read more books too…"

As for why Konoha chose to intervene this time, it boiled down to Danzo's assurance of success and his promise to propel the other three villages to the forefront while allowing Konoha to maintain a more discreet role and preserve their forces. It was this assurance that ultimately swayed Hiruzen's decision.

Danzo gradually slowed his speech, pleased with the contemplative expressions on the faces of his audience. 'Spending the whole night preparing was worth it,' he thought.

With a serious demeanor, he continued, "The assassination of the Daimyo by the Fourth Kazekage of Sand Village has significantly impacted our villages. We must act swiftly to prevent any further misunderstandings with the Daimyo."

"We don't need to go too far; by uniting the four great villages and applying pressure on Sand Village, we can reap substantial benefits." He paused before exclaiming, "Together, we can easily crush Sand Village. Remember, this is a golden opportunity!"

Smiling at the audience, he added, "Surely none of you want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance. And I'm confident none of you want to see another village secretly reaping the benefits while hiding in the background!"

With that, everyone fell silent. Though they felt it wasn't the best time to start a war, Danzo's points were compelling. The situation with Sand Village had indeed created a significant impact and presented a unique opportunity. Eliminating one of the great villages would yield substantial benefits for the remaining four.

The secret Four Kage meeting room fell into a tense silence, faces etched with conflict as they pondered their next move. Danzo, however, wasn't in a hurry. He finished his presentation with a light smile and waited quietly. He knew that with such immense benefits at stake, they would eventually agree.

This time, the four great villages would unite, striking Sand Village swiftly and decisively, leaving other matters aside. Danzo was eager to see how the Grass Village leader would react. Would he still dare to confront the might of the four great villages? But… This time, the advantage was undoubtedly theirs.

Thinking like this, a confident laugh echoed through the room, "Hahaha, I laugh at the Grass Village leader's lack of foresight and the so-called 'Legendary ninja of the Shinobi World'."

Danzo, brimming with confidence, watched the shinobi from the four great villages deep in thought. However, before he could bask in his triumph, a peculiar voice interrupted, "Wow, that's an impressive plan. Danzo-sama is truly remarkable. By the way, would you be open to doing an interview, Danzo-sama?"

Danzo, maintaining his calm demeanor, responded with a slight smile, "You think so too? An interview? Of course…"

However, Before he could finish his sentence, his expression shifted abruptly as he looked down to see a person gazing up at him expectantly—a pale figure with a badge on their chest and a pen in hand.

'A reporter from the Shinobi Times? How could someone from Shinobi Times here?!' Danzo couldn't help but curse inwardly at the absurdity of the situation, muttering under his breath, "What the…"