Chapter 204: Chapter: 202

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If we hit 200 PW I post a extra chapter.

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Barely a few days had passed since Daigo's children had set off for the Valley of Elephants.

The silence that enveloped the early morning hours in the Kazekage's office was accompanied by the simple crackle of a scented candle.

Daigo stood beside the grand window, gazing at the horizon. The new Kazekage Tower, constructed with a blend of modern architecture and chakra-reinforced masonry, overlooked the landscape.

From that height, the panoramic view revealed a Sunagakure rising from its ashes at an astonishing pace. The main streets had been cleared of debris, the defensive walls were almost completely repaired, and the family homes destroyed by enemy attacks were being replaced by far sturdier structures. It could be said, without fear of contradiction, that the village was practically restored in its physical entirety.

However, the invisible wounds—the tactical impact, the economic drain, and the vulnerabilities in the defense network—required a much deeper and more delicate reconstruction.

Releasing a long, heavy sigh that lightly fogged the glass in front of him, Daigo turned around to face the center of the office.

In the middle of the spacious room stood a majestic rectangular table of dark wood. Seated around it, an alignment of imposing figures waited in silence, each bringing an aura of authority and insurmountable military power.

To his right sat Sasori. He maintained a rigid, analytical posture, his eyes fixed on the polished surface of the table, looking as methodical and distant as ever.

To Daigo's left sat Rasa, wearing his senior official robes; his face bore the severity of a man who had spent the last few days coordinating external defenses and contingency training for the village.

In the remaining chairs, completing the circle of the military high command, were Kisame Hoshigaki and Malenia Chinoike. Kisame rested his back against the seat, his massive Samehada propped up beside him, wearing a razor-sharp smirk that betrayed his eagerness for battle.

Malenia, for her part, kept a calm yet vigilant gaze, lightly adjusting the gloves of her armor, radiating her characteristic lethal elegance.

Daigo walked to the head of the table and cleared his throat with a dry cough to formally request everyone's attention. The sound echoed through the pristine room, and instantly, all eyes locked onto him.

"I thank you all for gathering here on such short notice," Daigo began, his voice carrying a calm firmness that dominated the room.

"I know each of you has been working tirelessly supervising repairs and restructuring our forces. However, the purpose of this meeting is a matter of utmost strategic importance that cannot be postponed for another day."

The four warriors seated at the table nodded in silence, recognizing the gravity in their leader's tone. Sasori intertwined his fingers over the table, Rasa crossed his arms over his chest, and Kisame readjusted his shoulders, paying absolute attention.

Daigo paused briefly, letting the anticipation settle in the air before continuing.

"The main topic we must address today is Akatsuki," Daigo declared coldly.

"They were the direct cause of most of the destruction our village suffered during the attack. Let us not deceive ourselves. Had it not been for their orchestrated interference, the original Chūnin Exams plan would have worked exactly as intended: an irreproachable demonstration that would have indisputably proven the new, absolute power of Suna to all the Elemental Nations."

A collective nod swept across the table. The pent-up frustration over how events had unfolded still stung the village's pride.

"To map out an effective strategy in response," Daigo continued, resting his palms on the table and looking at each of them,

"I need us to review first-hand combat intelligence. Whoever faced their members directly, speak now. Who did you fight, and what capabilities did they demonstrate?"

The first to break the silence was Kisame. The swordsman let out a low, gutural chuckle before leaning forward, resting his elbows on the wood.

"I suppose I'll start," Kisame said, scratching his chin with a gloved hand.

"I ran head-on into one of them who called himself Arangis. Listen closely, that guy was no joke. He possessed absolutely beastly physical strength, capable of withstanding a direct clash against my power and Samehada without yielding an inch. But what was truly troublesome about him wasn't his brute force, but his bloodline."

Kisame made a dramatic pause, looking at Daigo and then at the rest.

"The guy used an ability called Dark Release, the Darkness Element," Kisame explained, narrowing his shark-like eyes.

"It's something I had never heard of in all my years as a Mist ninja or during my travels. From what I could carefully analyze during our fight, its basic function is disturbingly similar to my own Samehada. That jutsu allows him to devour and consume the chakra of ninjutsu attacks thrown at him. Not only does he use that stolen chakra to strengthen himself or heal, but he also has the ability to process it and hurl the exact same jutsu back at you with multiplied power."

A subtle murmur rippled through the room at the description. Those present exchanged wary glances; the ability to neutralize standard ninjutsu made Arangis an extremely dangerous opponent for most conventional shinobi.

Sasori, who had remained motionless until that moment, nodded slightly, confirming Kisame's account.

"I can vouch for what Kisame says," Sasori chimed in with his slow, monotonous voice. "While I was overseeing the perimeter cleanup and securing the battlefield after the enemy retreat, I observed the battle and found that Dark Release quite curious; he would make a fine puppet."

Once Sasori finished speaking, Malenia took the floor. Until now she had stayed on the sidelines, but her face reflected the tactical severity of someone who had experienced the battle firsthand.

"On my end," Malenia began, immediately capturing the group's attention, "the Akatsuki members deployed against whom I engaged in combat were Orochimaru, Kakuzu, and a frankly bizarre and unusual fellow named Hidan."

Malenia gestured with her hand, recalling the strangeness of the encounter.

"That Hidan is an element we must exercise extreme caution against, not because of technical refinement, but due to his unusual nature," the swordswoman continued.

"Together with Baki, we fought a fierce battle against him. We reached the point of severing his arms, slicing off his legs, and even completely decapitating him with clean, high-precision strikes. Any normal shinobi would have died ten times over from such wounds. Yet that guy just kept screaming and spewing threats while dismembered. With Kakuzu's direct intervention—using those strange black threads erupting from his body to sew his head and limbs back on in seconds—Hidan stood right back up good as new, ready to keep fighting without showing the slightest sign of pain or fatigue."

Rasa, who had remained silent analyzing every piece of information in his mind, decided to step in. As a strategist accustomed to national risk assessments, his perspective was purely pragmatic.

He had remained in the heavy rearguard and containment fronts, having directly engaged Kitsuchi's forces during the chaos.

"Listening to everyone's reports and cross-referencing them with the intelligence gathered over the past few days," Rasa spoke, his deep voice echoing in the room,

"we can confirm that the list of identified Akatsuki members in this operation consists of six key individuals: Pain, Banatel, Orochimaru, Kakuzu, Hidan, and Arangis."

Rasa stared intently at Daigo before continuing his deduction.

"Of those six high-level suspects," Rasa added,

"we could logically assume that two of them have already been neutralized or removed from the final equation. I am referring to Pain and Banatel, who fell during their clashes against Daigo."

At Rasa's statement, nearly everyone present nodded, considering the loss of two operatives of that caliber a devastating blow to the criminal organization.

However, Daigo did not nod. On the contrary, he slowly shook his head, maintaining a somber expression.

"Let us not make that mistake," Daigo said, abruptly cutting through the room's optimism.

"Banatel has indeed fallen, but Pain is not dead."

Silence reclaimed the office. Kisame raised an eyebrow, visibly intrigued, while Rasa frowned.

"What do you mean, Daigo?" Rasa asked. "You destroyed his body on the battlefield yourself in front of dozens of witnesses."

"The Pain I faced and the one you saw fall was nothing more than a reanimated corpse," Daigo explained with absolute severity, planting his fists on the table.

"It was a puppet, a mere remote conduit controlled through the chakra network generated by the Rinnegan. The true wielder of those eyes, the real operational leader pulling Pain's strings, was never physically exposed in the village. Therefore, Pain is still alive. At this very moment, the Rinnegan user simply needs to transfer his chakra into a new host body to bring Pain back as if nothing happened."

The revelation fell like a bucket of ice water over the meeting. They knew the Rinnegan was considered a legendary myth, but hearing that it allowed remote control of bodies in an almost invulnerable manner completely redefined Akatsuki's threat level.

"It is precisely for this reason that I have summoned you all here today," Daigo continued, crossing his arms and looking at each of his senior officers.

"We cannot afford the luxury of staying on the defensive, waiting for them to strike again. The time has come to take the initiative. We must immediately begin searching for, collecting, and processing absolutely all necessary intelligence regarding each of their members, their bases of operation, and their supply networks."

Daigo turned his head and locked eyes directly with Sasori. The puppet master met his leader's gaze, understanding that his turn for orders had arrived.

"Sasori," Daigo spoke.

"I want you to activate and place your entire spy network deployed across the Five Great Shinobi Nations on high alert. Your primary objective will be to gather any information on the movements, sightings, or contacts of Akatsuki members. Additionally, I want you to place special emphasis on monitoring smaller countries and non-aligned border zones. I doubt an organization of this type maintains its primary hideouts within the territory of major villages where military control is strict. They will move through the shadows of smaller nations."

Sasori cracked a faint, almost imperceptible smirk at the corners of his lips, bowing his head slightly.

"Consider it done," Sasori replied with calculated composure.

"My spies in Rain, Grass, and Waterfall will start pulling strings starting today. If a single Akatsuki member crosses a minor border, I will know."

Satisfied with Sasori's response, Daigo turned to his left, directing his attention to Rasa.

"Rasa," Daigo said, hardening his tone. "For you, I have a vital internal security task. I want you to conduct an exhaustive audit and review of every current member of our ANBU forces and the village guard."

Rasa narrowed his eyes, immediately grasping the gravity of the command.

"Do you suspect infiltrators?" Rasa asked.

"With all the chaos, destruction, and movement of personnel during reconstruction, I am certain several infiltrators have managed to slip into our ranks—whether they are Akatsuki spies or operatives from enemy villages seeking to measure our weak points," Daigo asserted.

"I want a clean, methodical internal purge. Review files, track chakra signatures, and interrogate anyone presenting even the slightest discrepancy in their recent record. Cleanse the village from within."

Rasa nodded with a stern, resolute expression.

"I will personally handle the purge," Rasa stated without hesitation. "No one with questionable loyalties will remain alive or free within Suna's walls by the time I finish my review."

Finally, Daigo shifted his gaze to the two remaining figures at the table. Kisame and Malenia looked back with open expectation, awaiting directives for direct combat operations.

"Now, regarding the two of you, Kisame and Malenia," Daigo announced, leaning forward slightly.

"You two, alongside the Seven Blades of the Sand, have the priority mission of restructuring and filling the vacant seats of the swordsmen who fell during the battle. We need to re-establish our elite swordsmen as soon as possible."

Kisame broadened his grin, flashing his sharp, triangular teeth.

"In addition to that," Daigo continued, emphasizing every word,

"I want you to immediately begin an intensive training regimen focused specifically on tactics to neutralize and defeat Akatsuki members. In due time, we will stop playing defense and actively hunt them down, individually or in pairs."

At the word 'hunt', the air around Kisame seemed to vibrate with suppressed bloodlust. Feeling his pulse quicken at the prospect of life-or-death battles was something the swordsman could not and did not care to hide.

"Jejeje, I like the sound of that," Kisame said, slamming a closed fist into his open palm.

"Don't worry about a thing, Daigo. I'll make sure the Seven Blades become a meat grinder by the time we cross paths with those lunatics again."

Malenia, meanwhile, listened to the orders calmly. However, taking advantage of a brief pause before the meeting adjourned, she looked at Daigo with curiosity and voiced a question that had been lingering in her mind.

"Daigo," Malenia asked in a soft yet direct tone,

"what about young Daiku? I know he departed alongside his siblings, but his recent performance wielding a blade hasn't gone unnoticed."

Daigo raised an eyebrow slightly at the mention of his son, surprised that Malenia brought up the topic mid-meeting.

"Daiku is currently on his way to undergo intensive training," Daigo replied calmly. "But I'm curious—what exactly caught your attention about him to bring it up now?"

Malenia smiled faintly, a rare expression on her that denoted genuine respect for martial talent.

"I'm just saying, with his raw talent for swordplay and that natural combat instinct he's demonstrated lately, I'm sure you've already considered it," Malenia explained, resting her chin on her palm.

"When he returns from his journey, I'd like him to take the trial to formally become an official member of the Seven Blades of the Sand. I think he would fit into the elite perfectly."

Daigo allowed a small smile of fatherly pride to escape, though he maintained a professional posture before his officers.

"That is a decision solely for Daiku to make when the time comes," Daigo replied, nodding softly.

"For now, he won't be in the village for a long time due to his rigorous training. However, when he returns to Suna, you have my permission to try recruiting him if he proves to be up to your standards."

Malenia nodded, satisfied with the answer.

"Sounds like a fair deal," Malenia concluded.

With all directives assigned, objectives set, and overall strategy mapped out, Daigo tapped lightly on the table, formally bringing the session to a close.

"That will be all for today," Daigo declared. "You are dismissed to begin executing your respective duties immediately."

The four officers rose from their seats in unison. Sasori pulled back his cloak and vanished in a silent burst of motion; Rasa walked out with firm strides toward the ANBU intelligence offices; Kisame and Malenia walked together toward the exit, chatting quietly about selection logistics for the vacant blade slots.

A few seconds later, the heavy wooden door of the office shut with a dull click, leaving Daigo completely alone in the vastness of the room.

The Kazekage walked back to the grand window, folding his hands behind his back as he looked out over the village bathed in midday light. His mind, freed from the formal constraints of the meeting, plunged deep into long-term strategic calculations.

Daigo knew perfectly well how the minds of the true leaders lurking in Akatsuki's shadows operated. Obito Uchiha, Nagato, and Zetsu were not the kind of men to abandon their ambitious plans for world domination and Tailed Beast collection just because they suffered minor setbacks or lost a couple of members in Suna. To them, pawns like Banatel or Nagato's Paths were simple expendable assets in a much larger game of chess.

"They won't stop," Daigo whispered to himself, eyeing his reflection in the glass.

"Knowing the world's timeline and how events unfolded from what I remember, they will maintain a low profile, gathering resources and recruiting new assets. It will take them exactly about three years to redeploy their forces on a large scale across the continent."

Three years. That was the exact window of time available to him. A relatively short span in geopolitical terms, but crucial for the growth of the new generation.

Daigo's gaze drifted away from the rooftops of the village toward the vast desert dunes stretching south, toward the distant Valley of Elephants. He thought of his children, of the arduous path of self-improvement they had just embarked upon far from the safety and comfort of the village. He also thought of Zoyu, Iron, and Matangi, recalling all the training he had once shared with them.

"Make every day count," Daigo thought aloud, blending the rigor of a leader with the concern of a father.

"Come back as absolute monsters in battle. Grow, become as strong as physically possible... because when those three years pass and Akatsuki's storm finally unleashes upon the world, we are going to need every single drop of that strength to survive what's coming."

With a final glance at the desert's golden horizon, Daigo turned around, sat down behind his wide desk covered in official scrolls, and began signing the decrees that would forever alter the future of Sunagakure.