NOVEL WEB Chapter 102: Chapter 112
Bang!
At that moment, the window of the office was suddenly pierced open, and a large hand reached inside.
It was Shukaku.
Shukaku's claw.
"Ah…"
Kankuro's eyes widened, and he instinctively raised his hand while his body seemed to want to retreat.
His survival instincts kicked in.
"Kitahara Kaede!?" Temari exclaimed in surprise.
"Mhm, it's me."
Shukaku's right claw opened flat, and standing atop it was Kitahara Kaede.
Sasuke and Naruto also descended from Shukaku's shoulder down along his long arm.
"So this is the office of the Sand Village?"
"It's kind of like Konoha's."
"But there's no greenery at all," Naruto commented, glancing around.
"..." Sasuke.
Though Sasuke said nothing, he was clearly feeling a bit superior.
"What are you all…" Temari was still processing the situation.
"Spread the word," Kitahara Kaede said. "Konoha has come to harvest the Sand Village."
"Surrender…"
"Or…"
"Face the wrath Shukaku has held in all these years of captivity," Kitahara Kaede declared.
"Heh heh—"
Hearing Kitahara Kaede's voice, Shukaku really did withdraw his hand—but not to pat someone's head or anything. Instead, he immediately began forming hand signs.
"Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet—"
Shukaku seemed ready to attack the buildings of the Sand Village directly.
"..."
Kankuro was utterly stunned. The village had experienced Shukaku rampaging in the past, but that was when Gaara lost control. Even then, it was still Gaara...
Gaara's outbreaks, compared to Shukaku's true form… were nothing.
Gaara could suppress Shukaku, but now that Shukaku was truly free…
Among the village, those who knew sealing techniques were only the Kazekage—his father—and Chiyo.
But both of them were gone.
With their reliable teacher Baki also absent, the village was now… completely helpless.
Half an hour later.
[Beep!]
[Today's quota of Descendant Chat Group (^_-) is now open]
[@Hashirama Senju, @Tobirama Senju, @Granny Chiyo, @Minato Namikaze, @Kakashi Hatake, @Might Guy, @Uchiha Izuna, @Nine Tails - Kurama, @One Tail - Shukaku, @Onoki, @Future Mizukage - Mei Terumi]
[Descendant Chat Group (^_-)]
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Finally the group is open again.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Yesterday it closed before I could watch Sasuke and Naruto take on Sasori.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: What a pity.
[Tobirama]: Mhm…
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: What's wrong, Tobirama?
[Tobirama]: I was sorting documents yesterday. Took longer than expected.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Oh… you've really worked hard.
[Tobirama]: But don't worry, Naruto and Sasuke are still rookies, but their strength is already at jōnin level, so—
[Minato Namikaze]: If that's the case, then my dear Naruto and Sasuke did well.
[Tobirama]: Huh?
[Minato Namikaze]: Because the two of them together defeated Sasori.
[Tobirama]: Just those two?
[Minato Namikaze]: Yep, just the two of them.
[Tobirama]: …Two jōnin defeated the Kage-level Sasori? They've progressed that fast?
[Izuna]: I was surprised too, but I accept the result.
[Tobirama]: Of course you do. Sasuke looks just like you. Now that he's no longer an embarrassment, you don't get blamed by association.
[Izuna]: …Mind your own business.
[Tobirama]: But that means they also completed the mission to rescue Shukaku.
[Minato Namikaze]: Yeah, and they've even brought the Sand Village under control.
[Tobirama]: Oh? The Sand Village too? Wait—mission overachieved?
[Tobirama]: …Hold on. Minato, how do you know all this?
[Minato Namikaze]: Huh? Eh?
[Minato Namikaze]: Because it's being live-streamed right now.
[Tobirama]: What the hell!?
Tobirama exclaimed.
[Tobirama]: Wasn't Kitahara Kaede's team just sent to assist with the One Tail?
[One Tail - Shukaku]: Yeah, I've already been rescued.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: Now it's about the Sand Village's new ownership.
[Minato Namikaze]: Mhm, the Sand Village just appointed a new Kazekage. And the new Kazekage immediately put on a Konoha forehead protector.
[Minato Namikaze]: So it means the Sand Village now fully belongs to Konoha. With Chiyo gone, the village has accepted its fate.
[Granny Chiyo]: Sigh…
Hearing Minato's words, Chiyo let out a sigh.
She had known that the Sand Village had no choice. This was inevitable.
Moreover, had she lived, she would have borne the blame of her grandson killing the Third Kazekage.
If that fact became public, the Sand Village's morale would plummet—and might even fall into chaos.
So, she chose to sacrifice herself, save Gaara, and bury the truth.
In the end, the Sand Village may have fallen under Konoha's control, but its ninjas could still survive.
That was her final wish.
In the video, the newly appointed Fifth Kazekage signed official documents. Under the watchful gaze of the entire village, she removed her Sand Village forehead protector.
Standing beside her were Kitahara Kaede and his team. Kaede took off his own Konoha forehead protector and handed it to her.
The new Kazekage looked at Kaede, momentarily stunned by how he wore no protector himself. Then, without hesitation, she accepted the one he offered and put it on.
The Kazekage of the Sand Village wore the Konoha forehead protector.
What did that mean?
It meant that from today on, the Sand Village was no longer truly the Sand Village.
It was now a satellite of Konoha.
You could even call it Little Konoha.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: But wasn't Gaara supposed to be the next Kazekage?
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: This girl Temari doesn't seem stronger than him.
Hashirama's gaze lingered on the livestream showing Temari, elder sister of the Sand Sibling Trio, donning the Kazekage robe.
[Tobirama]: Probably because Shukaku was extracted from Gaara. He's weakened now.
[Granny Chiyo]: …
[Granny Chiyo]: If the Sand Village were still independent, Gaara would be the Fifth Kazekage. But now that it's under Konoha, it can't be Gaara.
[Tobirama]: Oh? Why not?
[Granny Chiyo]: Gaara has talent and potential. He could surpass his father and truly reach Kage level.
[Granny Chiyo]: But right now, the village has no leadership. For Kitahara Kaede to take over quickly, he needed someone the villagers could accept.
[Granny Chiyo]: Gaara's strength is feared. If he made a decision as Kazekage, no one would dare disobey, but no one would willingly follow either.
[Tobirama]: So Kaede chose Temari? Makes sense. If it were me, I'd do the same. She's the daughter of the previous Kazekage and Gaara's sister, so she helps maintain the bond with Gaara too.
[Future Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: I see… I misunderstood too.
[Granny Chiyo]: Me too.
[Tobirama]: Hm?
[Future Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: Huh!?
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Huh?
[Minato Namikaze]: Uh-oh…
[Izuna]: What are you people doing?
Even Izuna chimed in.
[Future Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: Nothing.
[Future Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: I'm just a little upset. I'm no longer the only female Kage.
[Future Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: Damn it, are younger girls just that much better? Is that why I was rejected too?
[Tobirama]: Huh?
[Granny Chiyo]: Oh… poor Temari.
Chiyo brought the topic back on track.
[Granny Chiyo]: Temari's Kazekage role is just a puppet position.
[Tobirama]: Naturally. Now that you've joined Konoha, do you still expect to call yourselves Kazekage?
Though he said this, Tobirama knew Temari would likely be the last one to hold the title.
Appointing a new Kazekage was just to stabilize the hearts of the Sand Village's ninjas. Once they were fully under control, there'd be no need for a Kazekage anymore.
"From this day on…"
Temari, now wearing the Konoha forehead protector, tried to speak. Though she had already accepted this in her heart, saying it aloud still made it hard to breathe.
"The Sand Village officially belongs to Konoha."
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