Chiyo's face was grim as she spoke, "…Is it a reinforcement team sent by Konoha? But we haven't received any intelligence about it."
"It's impossible," Ebizō said, shaking his head. "A ninja force of over three hundred people couldn't possibly hide their tracks. They arrived quietly in the Amegakure and headed straight for Pakura's unit."
Though Sand's spies infiltrating Konoha were few and communication was difficult, a mobilization of more than three hundred ninjas would be impossible to conceal. Even if Konoha's scouts failed to notice, their spies along the route would have picked up on it.
"Could it be that the Rain Ninjas and Konoha are collaborating?" Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, asked in a low voice.
The incident took place in Amegakure, so if the Rain Village had partnered with Konoha, it might explain how the attack happened.
"No," Ebizō shook his head. "The Rain Village has the capability to eliminate Pakura's unit, but they would need to mobilize almost all their forces. It's impossible for them to do so without making noise. Moreover, Hanzo of the Salamander would never allow his entire force to be deployed so carelessly."
Given the previous analysis, the possibility seemed slim. First of all, Konoha didn't appear to have mobilized a large force, and second, the incident had occurred within the Amegakure.
"Could it be an ambush?" Chiyo slowly spoke.
This was the only possibility that made sense, Pakura's team had fallen into an ambush, crushed by a small force and their escape routes sealed.
Ebizō had also come to this conclusion, but he didn't want to speak it aloud, because an ambush and being annihilated by overwhelming force were very different things.
Being ambushed and wiped out by fewer opponents would imply failure in leadership, and Pakura, as a commanding Jōnin, would bear significant responsibility. And the person who had appointed Pakura to lead the mission... was Ebizō himself.
"It seems like the only possibility left," Rasa spoke grimly, his eyes glinting as he turned to Ebizō.
"With such heavy losses of elite forces, you'll be held responsible for this attack, Elder Ebizō ..."
A heavy silence fell over the tent. Many elite Sand Jōnin wore dark expressions.
Just as Rasa had prepared to shift the blame and strip Ebizō of his authority, a Sand Ninja suddenly entered the tent.
"Report, Kazekage-sama! We've found new clues in the Amegakure!"
"Hmm?" Rasa raised his brows.
The Sand Ninja lowered his head and quickly reported, "We've found more traces on the battlefield, as well as information about Pakura's route. We've gathered the following..."
He quickly presented the gathered intelligence.
There were two main pieces of information: The incident did not occur along Pakura's team's planned route, but rather veered off slightly. Not far from this detour, there was a small town. After thoroughly searching the town, they discovered that it had been home to a ninja in the past. Moreover, on the same day Pakura's team was attacked, unfamiliar ninjas had arrived at this town.
The second piece of information came from analyzing the severely damaged site. The conclusion drawn from the scattered clues was that the deaths of all involved were almost certainly caused by Lightning Release jutsu. Additionally, a summoner's beast had left a trace of information before dying.
One person... Kusanagi sword... Lightning... speed...
From these scarce clues, along with the information found in the town, they came to a shocking conclusion.
A ninja had visited the town, stolen a Kusanagi sword from a ninja there, and then encountered Pakura's team.
As for what happened afterward, it was difficult to reconstruct.
The final result was...
Pakura's elite unit was completely annihilated!
"This is impossible!" Chiyo immediately rejected the conclusion.
If Pakura's team had been ambushed, it could be understood, but the idea that a single ninja could wipe out Pakura's entire unit was simply absurd!
Even if that ninja was incredibly powerful, able to defeat Pakura's elite force, it was impossible that not a single member escaped. Everyone was dead!
"This is based on all the intelligence we've gathered..." the Sand Ninja sweatdropped, knowing how hard it was to accept the conclusion, but it fit all the evidence.
"Impossible," Rasa also shook his head.
The idea of a single ninja eliminating Pakura's team was utterly preposterous, unless that ninja was someone legendary, like the Sage of the Six Paths, Senju Hashirama.
But he had been dead for ages. If he were still alive, Konoha would not hide him, and the Shinobi World would not dare oppose Konoha. No one would risk starting a war.
However, the question remained: even if it wasn't one ninja, that mysterious ninja had to have played a major role in the annihilation of Pakura's team. It's even possible that it was he who directly defeated Pakura.
Pakura was a strong ninja recognized by many in the Sand Village, a Jōnin with a Kekkei Genkai, which is why he was chosen to lead the surprise attack team.
So who was this ninja?
Who was the one who destroyed Pakura's elite force and possibly defeated him? Could he be a Konoha ninja?
The only things they knew for sure about this ninja were that he used Lightning Release techniques and carried a Kusanagi sword. Beyond that, there was no more information.
"Whatever happens, that ninja is definitely an enemy to us, no matter which village he comes from..." Ebizō inhaled deeply, his voice dark with anger.
The annihilation of the surprise force was bad enough, but now there was an unknown ninja facing them as an enemy, and the situation on the battlefield had become very grim.
But retreat was not an option. If they retreated, Konoha would pursue them. After expending so much effort fighting Konoha, they couldn't simply surrender and sign an unequal peace treaty.
"Now that the situation is dire, Elder Ebizō, your responsibility will be addressed after the war... Do you have any plans for the next phase of the battle?" Rasa squinted, looking at Ebizō .
For the Sand Village as a whole, this was a terrible situation, but for Rasa personally, it was an opportunity. The huge blow to Ebizō 's reputation meant Rasa no longer had to worry about being undermined for the position of Kazekage.
The only thing to be cautious about was the unknown ninja wielding the Kusanagi sword. With so little information about him, his appearance on the battlefield could be very troublesome.
Good at Lightning Release... Could he be a ninja from Kumogakure?
If Kumogakure had allied with Konoha, the situation would be extremely bad. But it didn't make sense for Kumogakure to bypass the Land of Earth and collaborate with Konoha to attack their forces in Amegakure.
"Although I don't know who you are, you've done me a great favor," Rasa's eyes gleamed with a glint.
From here on out, he just needed to symbolically fight a few battles, get rid of some of the ninjas who opposed his ascension, and then even if they had to surrender to Konoha, it wouldn't matter. As long as he secured the position of Kazekage, this war would be a victory for him.
The only thing he needed to know now was who this ninja was, the one who had single-handedly destroyed Pakura's surprise unit.
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