"The esteemed Elders are too kind."
Hearing the praise from Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, Yu remained calm and composed, showing no visible emotion on his serene face. At the same time, Yu discreetly observed Danzo, who sat quietly in the corner.
Since becoming Lord Third's disciple, Danzo and his Root operatives hadn't caused him any trouble. Yu couldn't help but wonder if the cunning old fox had given up on the idea of recruiting him.
"Cough, cough."
At that moment, Lord Third cleared his throat, diverting everyone's attention to him.
"Yu, we've called you here today because we have a very special mission for you."
A special mission? Just as expected...
Upon hearing this, Yu's gaze flickered, realizing that the focus of this summons was about to be revealed.
"A while ago, after the Konoha ninja's bloody struggle on the front lines..."
"The Great Ninja War has finally yielded favorable results for our village..."
Having organized his thoughts, Lord Third went straight to the point, saying, "The Sand Village has been defeated, and their Fourth Kazekage has agreed to the peace terms we proposed."
Defeated the Sand Village...
Hearing Lord Third's announcement, Yu remained unfazed. As a time-traveler, he was actually more aware than Lord Third of the war's trajectory.
This war had severely weakened Konoha, and the impact on the Sand Village was even greater. During the Third Great Ninja War, the Daimyo of the Wind Country, due to the defeat of the Hidden Sand Village in negotiations, significantly reduced the village's investments. Instead, they shifted tasks to Konoha, forcing the Sand Village onto the path of cultivating elites. This exacerbated the existing rift between the two villages.
In the original storyline, the birth of the Jinchuriki Gaara was a product of this unique background.
"However, our two villages have been in conflict for many years, harboring deep-seated grievances..."
"The Sand Village agreeing to the peace terms this time could very well be a strategy to catch us off guard."
Seated silently beside them, Danzo suddenly took over Lord Third's topic. His deep gaze focused intently on Yu, and he spoke in a low voice, "And you, Yakushi Yu, not only are you Sarutobi's disciple but also the adopted child of Yakushi Nono."
"Yakushi Nono was once my most outstanding intelligence-gathering Ninja. As her child, you should have inherited her talent for espionage."
"Reliable intelligence sometimes holds more lethal power than impressive Ninjutsu and weapons."
"So, for this mission, we hope you can infiltrate the Hidden Sand Village as a spy and verify the authenticity of the intelligence concerning the Sand Village's peace negotiations."
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Me?
Act as a spy to infiltrate the Hidden Sand Village?
After Danzo finished speaking, Yu's pupils contracted. What is the Hidden Sand Village? It's one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, the Wind Country's Hidden Sand Village! Infiltrating such a perilous situation alone is undoubtedly a mission where survival is uncertain for any Ninja.
However, if it's for the Hidden Sand...
Perhaps, I might find what I'm looking for...
With this thought, Yu's initially hesitant mindset suddenly became firm.
"Yes! I will definitely not disappoint Lord Third and the three Elders!"
Almost without hesitation, Yu directly accepted this extremely dangerous mission.
"Very well, prepare yourself; you'll depart tomorrow!"
Seeing Yu accept the mission without hesitation, the three Konoha Elders present nodded in satisfaction.
A Ninja who can immediately accept such a dangerous mission is not common even in all of Konoha.
"Yu, the difficulty of this mission is classified as S-rank."
"At your age, this might be too demanding for you."
Only Lord Third, at this moment, looked at Yu with some concern, his expression showing a bit of struggle. "But considering you're a medical Ninja with excellent combat abilities I allowed for this mission."
"Moreover, your age can serve as excellent camouflage, so..."
If it weren't for the conditions on Yu that other Ninjas couldn't replace, Lord Third would never risk sending a promising young Ninja like Yu on such a dangerous mission of infiltrating an enemy village.
"Don't worry, Master Sarutobi."
"Regardless, you have confidence in me since you've chosen me as your disciple."
However, Lord Third couldn't discern Yu's thoughts. Yu winked at him playfully, then vanished from the spot in an instant.
"Such a fast Body Flicker Jutsu!"
Witnessing Yu's departure speed, the two Konoha Elders couldn't help but marvel once again.
Although Yu used a standard Body Flicker Jutsu, even ordinary ANBU Ninjas couldn't achieve such a traceless disappearance.
"Hmph... Has this little brat grown again?"
Seeing Yu's casually revealed strength, Danzo snorted, his gaze turning cold once more.
"However, Hidden Sand is no amusement park. If, by any unfortunate chance, your genius disciple meets an untimely end this time..."
"When the time comes, don't blame us, Sarutobi..."
...
The next day, in the Wind Country.
Hidden Sand Village, the vast conference hall was plunged into a heavy and oppressive silence.
"Lord Kazekage!"
"Are we really going to surrender to Konoha?!"
Finally, a Hidden Sand Jonin couldn't bear it any longer and, with an angry expression, broke the silence.
"Watch your words!"
"The Lord Kazekage naturally has his decisions and considerations!"
Seeing the outburst from the Ninja, Baki, standing next to the Fourth Kazekage, immediately rebuked him. Despite being only seventeen years old, the talented Baki was already a Hidden Sand Jonin.
"With things as they are..."
"Do we have any better options?"
Facing the Ninja's questioning, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, deeply furrowed his brow. Faced with defeat and the pressure on the village and the country, Rasa also felt a profound sense of unwillingness.
"Konoha's strength surpasses ours, and after our defeat, the Daimyo continuously reduced funds, causing the village's military power to decline steadily..."
"The only way out now is to negotiate a peace alliance with Konoha."
If... Sasori of the Red Sand hadn't left...
If... Lord Third, the Kazekage, hadn't disappeared...
Would the outcome of this war be different?
Glancing at Chiyo, who sat nearby with an expressionless face, seemingly as if she had fallen asleep, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, couldn't help but silently ponder.
"Enough, at this point, besides negotiating a peace alliance with Konoha, there is no other way!"
However, at this moment, Chiyo, who seemed to have been sleeping, suddenly spoke up and made a decisive decision, "But Hidden Sand Ninja will not be defeated because of this. Since the Daimyo is cutting funds..."
"Then, we will focus on cultivating a small number of elite Ninja in the village! Continue to maintain the status of Hidden Sand as one of the Five Great Ninja Villages!"
"Damn it..."
Hidden Sand Ninja were unwilling, but faced with the joint decision of the Fourth Kazekage and Chiyo, they had no room for objection.
However, no one knew...
Taking advantage of the weariness after Hidden Sand's defeat, a young man with a special purpose had already stepped into the territory of the Wind Country.
----
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