Chapter 38: An Issue of Attitude
Sunagakure, five minutes after the explosion.
The pungent smell of gunpowder filled the air. Many buildings on the outskirts of Sunagakure had collapsed, and the surrounding circular cliff walls were covered in cracks.
"Help... someone help me."
"Over here! My leg!"
A massive boulder trembled, then was pushed aside with a loud crash.
"Temari, are you alright?"
Kankuro extended chakra threads from his ten fingers, carrying out post-war rescue operations.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Temari coughed repeatedly. When she looked up and glanced around, her first thought was: Where is this? Is this really Sunagakure?
Several charred corpses lay scattered near Temari. The surrounding ruins and broken walls constantly assaulted her nerves. As if suddenly remembering something, she grabbed Kankuro's arm beside her.
"Where's Gaara?"
Hearing Temari's question, Kankuro lowered his head, his teeth grinding audibly.
"The Kazekage-sama was... captured by the scum of the Akatsuki."
A female Suna-nin, her lower body blown apart, struggled to breathe. Her blood-soaked hand reached out toward Temari. Temari quickly stepped forward and grasped the female Suna-nin's hand.
"You must... rescue... the Kazekage-sa..."
As she spoke, the female Suna-nin lost all signs of life, her arm falling limply. This was Temari's close friend, her best friend.
"Ah!!"
Temari screamed toward the sky, tears streaming down her cheeks. After a long while, her emotions calmed.
"Kankuro."
"What is it?"
Kankuro seemed to sense something wrong with Temari.
"Find a way to request aid from Konoha. We can agree to any conditions they propose. The scum of the Akatsuki must pay the price."
"Yeah, Baki-sensei has already sent the distress signal. With the peace treaty in place, Konoha won't sit idly by."
A glint of hatred also appeared in Kankuro's eyes. The figure holding a long blade, standing high in the night sky, had been seared into his mind. The moon behind that figure seemed to have been dyed blood-red—stained red by the blood of the Suna-nin.
...
Konohagakure, inside the Hokage's office building.
Two hours after Sunagakure's plea for aid, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, received the news.
"Shizune, did Sunagakure provide any other information?"
Tsunade wore a loose green outfit, but her ample chest couldn't be concealed. Though she was no longer young, her face showed no signs of aging; she looked like a mature woman in her twenties or thirties.
"Tsunade-sama, here is the specific intelligence on the three who attacked Sunagakure."
The Hokage's secretary, Shizune, handed over three documents.
"This isn't a trap, is it?"
Tsunade had participated in the Second Shinobi World War and didn't have a very favorable impression of Sunagakure.
"These three guys..."
A white-haired man sitting across from Tsunade spoke up. It was Jiraiya, who had recently returned to Konoha.
"What is it, Jiraiya?"
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with confusion.
"I fought these three before."
"What!"
Tsunade sat up straight, picking up the three documents on her desk to examine them closely.
At that moment, there were others in the Hokage's office: a blond young man, a pink-haired female ninja, and a white-haired masked ninja.
The three were: the protagonist of the story, Naruto Uzumaki; the medical ninja, Sakura Haruno; and finally, Kakashi, known as the Copy Ninja.
None of them spoke; they simply watched quietly.
Naruto at this point was somewhat different from his younger self. While he could still be impulsive when faced with situations, he no longer made a big fuss. After three years of training with Jiraiya, he had clearly matured.
"Suna's rogue ninja, Sasori; Iwa's rogue ninja, Deidara; and... a ninja who doesn't use ninjutsu, Bai Ye? This guy is an Akatsuki reserve member?"
Tsunade tossed aside Su Xiao's file and began carefully examining the files on Sasori and Deidara. Both were well-known rogue ninjas.
The intelligence Sunagakure had passed to Konoha only mentioned the attack and the capture of the Kazekage; specific details were not provided, as it was too embarrassing.
Jiraiya picked up Su Xiao's file from the table.
"Tsunade, this guy is no reserve member."
Tsunade looked up at Jiraiya. While ninja who used 'ninja blades' were not weak, ninjutsu and taijutsu were the mainstream combat methods for ninja.
Jiraiya hesitated for a moment, then unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a wound still wrapped in bandages.
Unwinding the bandages, a terrifying wound over half a meter long and deep enough to reach the bone appeared. The wound was hideous, with faint traces of blood still visible.
"This is what that guy left me. If I hadn't dodged in time, he would have cut through my heart."
Seeing the wound on Jiraiya's chest, Tsunade frowned deeply. A green light flickered in her hand as she pressed it against Jiraiya's chest.
"An injury like this..."
Sakura, standing nearby, was horrified when she saw Jiraiya's shocking wound. As a medical ninja, she knew how severe such an injury was. The fact that Jiraiya hadn't died only showed his incredible vitality.
"His ribs are broken. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Tsunade's expression was displeased.
"It's almost healed. You've been so busy since becoming Hokage, I didn't want to bother you."
Jiraiya gave an awkward laugh and scratched his head.
"Idiot."
Tsunade muttered a curse under her breath, but her hands didn't stop moving. After a long while, Jiraiya's complexion improved slightly, and the sword wound had healed somewhat.
"Tsunade, how do you plan to handle this matter?"
Jiraiya hesitated about whether to personally go and support Sunagakure. He had other important matters to attend to.
Seeming to read Jiraiya's thoughts, Tsunade spoke to him in a low voice. "How is the investigation on that previous matter going?"
"I've found some clues. The Akatsuki's hideout is likely in Amegakure. Of course, that's just my inference."
"Amegakure?"
"Yes."
Tsunade's expression turned contemplative. Directly dispatching troops to Amegakure was unlikely; it would create diplomatic conflicts.
"This mission..."
"No."
Tsunade interrupted Jiraiya.
"Continue investigating the Akatsuki. As long as the Akatsuki exists, they might attack Konoha. I have a feeling that this incident in Sunagakure is just the beginning. Besides, our support is merely a gesture. The distance is too great."
Jiraiya nodded. Tsunade had the same thought as him. Even if they supported Sunagakure, they might not necessarily fight. It was an issue of attitude.
"Understood."
Jiraiya stood up and left. Although supporting Sunagakure was important, he had more critical matters to attend to. Sunagakure was an ally, true, but that was all—just an ally. Their own affairs took precedence.
"We will definitely send support, but..."
Tsunade's face showed difficulty. At present, most of the jonin teams in the village were out on missions. Those who hadn't left had to remain stationed in Konoha, especially since their neighbor, Sunagakure, had just been attacked. Konoha needed to strengthen its defenses. Moreover, many mysterious forces had recently appeared within the Land of Fire.
"Tsunade Grandma."
Naruto spoke up. A vein seemed to bulge on Tsunade's forehead, her gaze clearly saying: 'If you call me Grandma again, I'll hang you up and whip you.'
Women all cared about their age, and the Hokage was no exception.
"What is it?"
Tsunade's tone was less than pleasant. Naruto gave an awkward laugh, seeming to realize he had misspoken.
"Let Team Seven go."
Naruto had just returned to Konoha after three years of training abroad and was eager to show his skills.
"This..."
Tsunade hesitated. She had heard from Jiraiya that the Akatsuki seemed to be after the tailed beasts. The fact that the One-Tail jinchuriki had been kidnapped confirmed this information.
A difficult problem lay before her. The village currently had no one available. Many jonin teams were still out on missions and hadn't returned. Team Seven seemed like the best choice.
Tsunade slammed her hand on the desk, producing a loud bang.
"Fine. You'll go as the advance force to provide support. Head to Sunagakure immediately."
"Yes."
Kakashi nodded, leading Naruto and Sakura out of the Hokage's office.
"Tsunade-sama, is this really alright?"
Shizune seemed a bit worried.
"What's not alright?"
Tsunade looked at Shizune with confusion, a smile on her face.
"I mean, sending Naruto to provide support."
Hearing Shizune's words, Tsunade shook her head.
"It takes three days to travel from Konoha to Sunagakure. Even if Kakashi's team travels without rest, it will take about two days. Sending people to Sunagakure is just a gesture. The Akatsuki won't be arrogant enough to stay near the Land of Wind after capturing a jinchuriki."