Suddenly, several figures rushed in from the direction of the battlefield.
Orochimaru's pupils contracted instantly.
"Lord Orochimaru, there's some unrest in the Sunagakure position."
"We didn't dare get too close, but it looks like they're searching for someone. They've deployed quite a few people."
Listening to the report, Orochimaru frowned slightly.
Judging by the situation, Kazuyama's plan had worked.
If they were looking for someone, it had to be Sasori.
He just wasn't sure how things had played out.
As he was deep in thought, a figure suddenly appeared at the edge of the camp—right next to a kunai embedded in the ground.
"Wow, still up late, everyone?"
"Eh? Sensei, why are you here too?"
Seeing Kazuyama, the tension in Orochimaru's heart instantly faded.
He exhaled in relief.
"Heh heh heh, I was just waiting for someone to bring me some information, wasn't I?"
"That's enough. You guys go rest."
The subordinates nodded and respectfully withdrew, leaving only Orochimaru and Kazuyama at the front of the base.
"Did the plan succeed?"
"Well, I followed it personally and saw it with my own eyes."
Although he had already suspected as much, hearing Kazuyama confirm it still stirred something in Orochimaru.
"How effective was it? Did you achieve your goal?"
Kazuyama couldn't help but smile.
Seeing that expression, Orochimaru's body and mind tensed slightly.
"It really worked?"
"Yes."
Kazuyama nodded seriously.
Then, he began to explain.
"I used the Transparent Escape Technique to infiltrate the Sunagakure base and placed the letter I had prepared next to Sasori's window, waking him up."
"In that letter, I wrote my own analysis of the Third Kazekage, deliberately smearing his reputation to fuel Sasori's resentment."
"After reading it, Sasori left the base with his puppets and headed straight for Sunagakure."
"I followed closely behind him, running alongside him all night."
"Under my watchful eye, he entered the Kazekage Building and fought the Third Kazekage."
"I don't know the details of the battle—I was too far away to get close."
"But I can guarantee that Sasori definitely attacked the Third Kazekage."
Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock.
He had fought against Sunagakure dozens of times during this war, but the news Kazuyama had just delivered was more astonishing than anything he had experienced so far.
A genius puppeteer of Sunagakure had turned against his own Kazekage.
This was outright treason.
For a village already engaged in large-scale war, this was nothing short of a catastrophe.
Whether the Kazekage had been seriously injured or not, Sasori would never appear on the battlefield again.
Without the red-haired boy's poison and puppets, Konoha's casualties would drop significantly.
Orochimaru's gaze toward his disciple softened.
He hadn't fully realized it before, but this kid was truly an all-rounder.
Not only was he skilled at gathering intelligence, but he had a natural talent for espionage and manipulation.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
"Very good, Kazuyama. Your tactics of sowing discord seem to have been very successful."
"Observe for a few more days and see how Sunagakure reacts. If what you say is true and internal strife breaks out…"
"Then they'll definitely make a move soon."
"Maybe they'll panic and launch a full-scale attack."
"Heh heh heh, unfortunately for them, our support troops are almost here. We'll take whatever they throw at us!"
At this moment, Orochimaru exuded an unmatched confidence.
Although Sasori wasn't as skilled as Chiyo in Puppet Techniques, his poison and stealth abilities were far more dangerous. On the battlefield, he could hide and control his puppets from the shadows—even Orochimaru himself might struggle to locate him.
Only someone like Kazuyama, adept at concealment, could track Sasori's movements.
Now that the most troublesome enemy was out of the picture, it was a major advantage for Konoha.
"That's enough, Kazuyama. Go rest."
"You've worked hard all night."
Seeing his disciple covered in dirt and looking exhausted, Orochimaru quickly dismissed him.
To him, this was the result of Kazuyama running through the desert at full speed.
Little did he know, Kazuyama had flown the entire way, and the dirt covering him was from playing around with the Tailed Beast Ball.
—---
The night passed, and as the first rays of sunlight illuminated the land, a new day began.
However, the atmosphere at Sunagakure's headquarters was anything but bright.
"Elder Chiyo, we still haven't found Sasori."
"But we did find his footprints outside the village, heading in the direction of Sunagakure."
Chiyo, already anxious over her grandson's disappearance, immediately rushed to check.
Under her subordinates' guidance, she examined the footprints, and her heart sank.
Sasori was her precious grandson—she recognized his footprints instantly.
In all of Sunagakure, there was no other child his age with prints that size.
"Damn it, why did that brat come back to the village without telling anyone?"
"Could he have returned to retrieve a puppet? That doesn't make sense…"
Chiyo was filled with questions.
Little did she know, panic had already spread throughout the village.
The ANBU on duty suddenly realized that the Kazekage was missing.
At first, they assumed he had gone to rest, but when they checked his residence, there was no sign of him.
Something felt wrong.
A full-scale search of the village began, but there was no trace of the Kazekage anywhere.
Then, they discovered signs of battle inside his office.
Realizing the severity of the situation, the ANBU immediately reported it to Elder Ebizō.
Leading a group of ANBU, Ebizō arrived at the Kazekage's office to investigate.
"There are clear signs of a struggle…"
"Iron Sand… Hidden weapons…"
"What is this?"
Suddenly, Ebizō spotted something by the wall. Picking it up, his pupils narrowed sharply.
With his keen eye, he recognized it instantly—it was a fragment from a puppet.
After all, his sister Chiyo was the strongest puppeteer in Sunagakure.
A puppet…
His heart sank.
Without hesitation, he gave the order.
"Hurry and recall Elder Chiyo and Rasa. Kankichi will take charge of the frontline troops!"
"Move quickly!"
The ANBU accepted their orders and dashed toward the Sunagakure base.
Things were unfolding exactly as Kazuyama had predicted.
With no Kazekage to maintain order, Sunagakure was on the brink of chaos.
The battlefield in the Land of Rivers would soon fall into Konoha's hands.
And the one responsible for all of this?
Fast asleep.
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