Chapter 165: Alliance
"Actually, I'm really bad at talking." Ino sighed, looking at Gaara, who was curled up in the corner and appeared to be only seven or eight years old.
The other boy kept his head down, completely unresponsive to the stranger entering his inner world. He hugged his knees tightly and buried his head, seeming utterly numb.
"I don't know Kankuro, but your sister loves you. She's actually very scared and timid, but she still found the courage to protect you with her small hands."
Gaara remained silent.
Something suddenly occurred to Ino. "Your father is dead. You know that, right?"
Gaara felt no affection for his father, who had spent his days digging sand and picking up trash, but Ino still detected a flicker of emotional disturbance within him.
It's the common plight of Jinchuriki. Their hearts are full of love, yet they are ostracized by everyone because of the tailed beast. They desperately seek recognition, especially from their family, amidst their suffering.
Naruto is like this, Fu is like this, and Gaara seems to be the same.
Ino grabbed the utterly despondent Gaara in his inner world and lifted him up with one hand, mirroring her stance from the competition.
"I'm asking you a question. Your father is dead, do you understand?"
Gaara glared at her. Wasn't it obvious? He had known it all along!
Ino delved into his memories and confirmed this. The energetic young man had indeed noticed something was wrong when Orochimaru undid her Five Elements Seal earlier.
"Since you already know the truth, then it's simple. Stand up like a man, don't worry your sister and your somewhat absent-minded brother. Fight with us, find Orochimaru, and avenge your father!"
In this world, there's no real concept of law and order. What matters is repaying debts and righting wrongs. If someone kills your father, you have to kill them! People like Uchiha Itachi are incredibly rare. Most people don't think that way.
Gaara falls into the category of most people.
Ino's words aligned with the values of their world and were perfectly reasonable.
"You're willing to help me? Why?" Having shed the intense animosity in his heart, Gaara surprisingly possessed a calmness and wisdom beyond his years. He asked pointedly.
Ino answered very frankly, "That's right, helping you is also helping ourselves."
She released him, and the Gaara in his inner world covered his head. His body rapidly grew from the size of a seven or eight-year-old to that of a fourteen or fifteen-year-old, slightly shorter than Ino, but no longer appearing childish.
Stepping out of the self-imposed cage, he stood up and looked back, as if contemplating his past. After a moment of thought, he finally reached out and clasped her hand.
"Okay, let's join forces."
Ino withdrew from Gaara's inner world and nodded slightly to Shikaku. The Shadow Binding Technique was also released, and Temari and Kankuro were freed.
Gaara knelt on the ground, gasping for breath, the characteristics of the tailed beast rapidly receding.
Ino tossed a bottle of antidote to Temari. "Take this. It will quickly neutralize the toxins, and his body can slowly eliminate the rest."
Inoichi winked at her, and she nodded subtly.
Inoichi then exchanged glances with Shikaku, followed by Chōza.
The three families had made up their minds to "assist" Gaara in quelling this unrest.
In the original timeline, Shikamaru was able to marry Temari partly due to their mutual affection, but the Nara clan's secret arrangements in Sunagakure were also a significant factor.
How long has the history of ninja villages been? Only sixty years. The history of ninja clans is much longer.
The Hyuga clan and the Kaguya clan have always been allies, and this has nothing to do with the village.
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio also have their own influence outside the village. With Konoha in turmoil, making arrangements in Sunagakure in advance is a matter of survival for ninja clans.
Gaara is not only a Jinchuriki but also the son of the former Kazekage, with exceptional ninjutsu talent. If he rallied support, he could gain a large following.
The united Ino-Shika-Chō trio were fully qualified to form an alliance with him.
If he wanted to inherit the position of Kazekage, he would need external support, and the same was true for the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.
If things truly reached a point of no return, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio could leave Konoha and go to Sunagakure to continue as powerful ninja clans. Shikaku could continue as their strategist, and the Yamanaka clan could maintain control of intelligence. For them, aside from the loss of family property, there would be no major setbacks.
Going to Sunagakure was a last resort. It was too poor there. Currently, they still wanted to protect the large ship that was Konoha.
Ino-Shika-Chō intercepted the bond between Naruto and Gaara, but Ino didn't see it as a problem. With Naruto's lack of political acumen, what help could he provide to Gaara? Ninjas aren't just about fighting; they also need to understand social interactions!
Temari and Kankuro were skeptical, but Gaara stated with certainty that the previous Fourth Kazekage was an imposter, that Orochimaru had been impersonating him, and that Sunagakure had been deceived.
The three of them still held considerable influence. Some Sunagakure ninjas saw them standing with Konoha ninjas, and after some explanation, they watched the Konoha ninjas from a distance without attacking again.
Soon, Gaara gathered nearly a hundred Sunagakure ninjas.
On the other side, the Konoha ninjas were also discussing the situation.
"...Lord Shikaku, what should we do?" Genma Shiranui's despair was palpable.
Initially, he was a subordinate of the Third Hokage. Later, seeing that the Fourth Hokage was young and had few followers, he decisively joined the Fourth Hokage's command. As a result, the Fourth Hokage died before even holding power for two days. He could only return to the Third Hokage's side. He finally regained trust, but then he encountered the unlucky Chunin Exams. Now, upon hearing this, what? The Third Hokage was finished? Holy crap, what had he been busy with for the past ten years!
He was weak and could only rely on the Ino-Shika-Chō trio. No matter what, Shikaku was also the leader of the Jonin squad and a great strategist, belonging to the village's high command. It wasn't shameful for a retired Tokubetsu Jonin like him to obey the orders of the strategist.
"Gather the Konoha ninjas, assist the Sunagakure ninjas, and begin the counterattack." Shikaku set the direction for the entire operation. The Ino-Shika-Chō trio began to slowly gather the scattered ninjas, moving towards the Chunin Exam venue at the pace of elderly people taking a leisurely evening stroll.
Along the way, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio contacted the Hyuga clan, the Inuzuka clan, the Aburame clan, and the Sarutobi clan of the Third Hokage. With the combined efforts of many ninja clans, a large number of ninjas rushed to the battlefield as if they had just learned of the enemy's invasion, led by their respective clans, and the previously deadlocked situation began to turn around.
Ino disliked the slow speed of the larger forces and said to Inoichi, "I heard the Second Hokage is over there. I want to go take a look."
"Don't engage in the fighting. And be careful." Inoichi knew that she had learned many of the Second Hokage's ninjutsu. Now that Orochimaru had reanimated the Second Hokage with Impure World Resurrection, and her idol was fiercely battling the Third Hokage, she would probably gain some insights.
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