The escort mission began without delay.
Neither Konoha nor the Sand Village could afford to wait—they wanted to end the war Orochimaru had started as soon as possible.
---
Somewhere in the desert…
A group of shinobi moved swiftly across the sand, their footsteps kicking up a trail of dust behind them.
The meeting point for the handover was just past the Wind Country's border, a bit further inland.
Sakiya walked ahead of the group, moving with an almost exaggerated confidence.
Her posture? Arrogant.
Her expression? Even more arrogant.
But what stood out the most was the strange phenomenon beneath her feet—with every step, a glowing circle would form beneath her before fading away.
Ino had seen enough.
She grabbed Sakiya by the arm, her brow twitching in irritation.
"What are you doing, Sakiya?"
Sakiya's expression was deadly serious.
"Training, obviously. My 'Eye of Death' must be cultivated at all times! Even while walking! That is the path to true strength!"
A few steps away, Sasuke—who had been secretly observing her—suddenly snapped to attention.
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"...So that's the secret?"
He muttered under his breath.
"Even when walking, you must train. No wasted movement. Always improving…"
His gaze locked onto Sakiya, his mind racing.
"Could this be the key to getting stronger? I see now… I need to learn this!"
Determined, Sasuke tried to mimic her movements, attempting to recreate the technique…
…But after a few steps, he realized something was wrong.
No matter how hard he tried, no magic circles appeared beneath him.
Not even the slightest fluctuation in chakra.
His fists clenched.
"Damn it… what kind of technique is this?!"
---
Meanwhile, Naruto was too busy complaining to notice any of this.
"Ugh, it's just sand… and more sand… seriously, is there nothing else in this place?!"
Further ahead, Neji and Hinata were working together on reconnaissance.
Since the end of the Konoha Crush, their relationship had noticeably improved.
Using their Byakugan, they kept a close watch for any signs of danger.
Elsewhere in the group, Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara moved silently.
Each of them bore sealing techniques on their bodies—precautions taken for the journey.
The mission continued…
After a while, Sakiya walked over, her eyes glinting with curiosity as she looked at Gaara.
Gaara suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He glanced around cautiously before his gaze landed on Sakiya, a familiar presence that immediately darkened his expression.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone flat.
Sakiya's lips curled into a sly smile.
"Hmm… I came to see that little civet cat pet of yours!"
Gaara froze for a moment before instinctively reaching out with his senses—searching for the presence inside him.
Silence.
The One-Tail wasn't responding.
It was as if Shukaku had shut himself away, closing every door and window in his mind.
For the first time in a long while, Gaara realized that the constant noise in his head had been absent since the battle ended.
"Is it because of her?" he wondered.
His expression softened slightly as he regarded Sakiya with newfound curiosity.
"The civet cat doesn't seem to want to see you," he finally replied.
"Oh? That so?"
Sakiya looked slightly disappointed, but the excitement in her eyes never faded.
"Doesn't matter! You're the civet cat's host, aren't you?"
Gaara's expression twitched in irritation.
This girl is insufferable.
He ignored the rest of her questions, no matter how ridiculous or annoying they were, until Sakiya finally walked off, looking dejected.
---
Instead, Shikamaru caught up with Temari, striking up a conversation.
Temari's expression was clouded with frustration.
"I still can't believe we were deceived by that snake, Orochimaru… That bastard actually killed the Fourth Kazekage and took his place."
Shikamaru, walking with his hands in his pockets, sighed.
"Yeah… Orochimaru's a real piece of work."
Meanwhile, Guy's team was as lively as ever.
Their journey was filled with loud declarations about youth, passionate training competitions, and endless shouting.
The once-calm atmosphere grew noticeably tense.
---
A Short Time Later…
Under the guidance of Kurenai's scouting team, a group of unknown ninjas was spotted up ahead.
Kakashi unfolded a map and double-checked their location.
"Alright, we're in position."
Even with his sharp vision, Kakashi couldn't see the enemy from this distance.
Turning to his scouts, he called out:
"Hinata, Neji! Can you confirm their identity?"
Neji focused his Byakugan and frowned.
"Their attire resembles the Sand Village's, but…"
He hesitated.
Kakashi immediately understood.
"We'll approach for the meeting. Stay alert, but don't engage unless necessary."
---
When the two teams finally met, tension filled the air.
Both sides stood on guard.
Kakashi took a step forward.
"Are you the Sand Village's delegation?"
A voice called back from the other side.
"You must be Konoha's team?"
"That's right."
An older figure slowly emerged from the Sand Village group. Her gaze locked onto Kakashi.
"I am Chiyo."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly at the name.
But he knew better than to show any reaction.
Taking a deep breath, he introduced himself.
"Hatake Kakashi."
A brief silence followed.
Chiyo, long familiar with the name Hatake, felt a brief flicker of emotion.
But she was far too old to dwell on past grudges.
More than anything, she carried the responsibility of the Sand Village on her shoulders.
Right now, Sand couldn't afford another war.
So, without hesitation, she spoke in a neutral tone:
"Where are the prisoners?"
Shikamaru and the others stepped forward, escorting the captives.
Gaara and his team also moved, slowly approaching Chiyo's side.
The Sand ninjas checked over Gaara and the others, then nodded toward Chiyo in confirmation.
Chiyo gave a small nod of satisfaction.
"Kakashi, bring out the contract. Let's get this over with."
Kakashi exhaled in relief.
The two groups began the final steps of their exchange.
---
But then…
A sudden shout echoed through the area.
"Earth Style—Duel City Formation!"
The voices came from multiple directions.
A large-scale collaborative jutsu.
Without warning, the ground shook violently.
A massive wall of earth erupted around them, trapping both teams inside.
No—it wasn't just a wall. It was an entire fortress.
The abrupt attack immediately put both sides on high alert.
Weapons were drawn in an instant.
But before chaos could break out, Kakashi and Chiyo simultaneously called out:
"Stop! Don't move!"
Their voices cut through the tension, forcing both groups to hold back.
Then, shadowy figures appeared atop the towering walls.
A voice rang out from above.
"Oh? So the intel was right. Konoha and the Sand were really working together on this."
Kakashi and Chiyo both narrowed their eyes, their gazes snapping toward the forehead protectors the enemies wore.
The realization hit them at the same time.
"We have no choice—we'll have to work together!"
The battle was about to begin.
______
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