Kazekage Ninja: The Rise of the Hidden Sand

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The military operation targeting the Kirigakure outpost in the Land of Rivers had been under constant surveillance by spies from various nations. Summoned animals carrying intelligence darted back and forth, while many deeply embedded "sleeper agents" began to reveal themselves.

However, neither Hiruzen Sarutobi nor Jinghang paid much attention to these matters. Instead, it was Rasa and Danzo who were kept so busy that their hands never left their pens and their feet barely touched the ground.

After all, the two were not only the commanders of this military exercise but also in charge of their villages' intelligence operations. For now, they needed these "barbs" to transmit information and intimidate the Lands of Earth and Lightning. Once the exercise was over, they could deal with the spies at their leisure.

The Mount Yoshizawa Operation was undoubtedly a resounding success. Of the 268 rogue Kirigakure shinobi, none escaped—either killed or captured alive. Their leader, the former Kirigakure General Kiyomizu Renman, was beheaded. On the allied side, casualties were fewer than thirty, making it a decisive victory.

The day after the operation concluded, the Kazekage and Hokage personally visited the injured shinobi to offer their condolences. They also publicly fulfilled their promise, awarding a forty-million-ryo bonus to the Sunagakure team led by Akasuna Shuki, who had taken down Kiyomizu Renman. The other participating shinobi from both villages couldn't help but feel envious.

To boost morale further, Jinghang, the Third Kazekage, announced that he would personally contribute an additional two hundred million ryo for future battle rewards, encouraging everyone to fight bravely and achieve new victories.

Not to be outdone, Hiruzen Sarutobi gritted his teeth and declared, "Whatever Kazekage-sama contributes, Konoha will match it."

The crowd of shinobi erupted into cheers. Suddenly, the severed heads of Kirigakure shinobi didn't seem so gruesome anymore.

By the way, the bounty for Kiyomizu Renman's head at the underground exchange was reportedly quite substantial.

"Kazekage-sama, since Konoha contributed half of the bonus, shouldn't we also get a share of the bounty for Kiyomizu Renman's head?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi approached Jinghang while Danzo and the advisors were busy drafting the next phase of the battle plan.

"Who would've thought the Hokage has a hobby of collecting severed heads? Do you want the left half or the right half? The top or the bottom?"

"Jinghang, my dear brother, stop joking. I'm not into anything that morbid. What I mean is the bounty from the underground exchange."

Hiruzen's face turned slightly pale as he clarified his intentions—he was directly asking for money.

"Heh, Brother Hiruzen, you must not have slept well last night. You're a seasoned veteran of the battlefield; surely you know the rules? Kiyomizu Renman was killed by a Sunagakure shinobi, so naturally, the head belongs to Sunagakure. If it had been a Konoha shinobi, I wouldn't have even brought this up."

Jinghang's tone turned sharp, his stance firm. When it came to money, Jinghang was never one to back down.

"Well... but Konoha did contribute significantly to the operation..."

Hiruzen's face flushed. By the standards of the older generation, his request was indeed unreasonable.

"Hmph!"

Jinghang snorted coldly. My two-hundred-million-ryo reward came out of my own pocket, while you, Hiruzen Sarutobi, used Konoha's public funds. Trying to pocket some extra cash on the side? You've picked the wrong person to mess with.

But then, a thought suddenly occurred to Jinghang. Wait, there might be another way to handle this...

"Still, Brother Hiruzen does have a point. Konoha shinobi did contribute significantly..."

Jinghang's expression softened, his stern demeanor giving way to a more thoughtful look.

"Oh? Then..."

Seeing an opening, Hiruzen quickly pressed on.

"Let's not beat around the bush. Kiyomizu Renman's head has a clear price at the underground exchange—sixteen million ryo."

"Mm-hmm."

"If the Hokage agrees to one condition, I'll immediately hand over eight million ryo! Not only that, but for any future bounties from our operations, we'll split them fifty-fifty!"

Hearing this, Hiruzen's face grew serious. He snorted coldly and said, "Kazekage-sama, you underestimate me. I would never sell out Konoha's interests for a measly sum of money!"

"And what exactly are Konoha's interests? Can you eat them?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Hiruzen was utterly baffled.

"Heh, don't misunderstand me, Hokage-sama. My request is very simple—let me decide the location of the next Five Kage Summit!"

"This..."

Hiruzen was still confused. He couldn't see how the two matters were connected.

"Relax. There's actually no connection between the two."

Jinghang smiled broadly.

"To be clear, Sunagakure is developing a new resort area on the Yuesi Peninsula near the Land of Rivers. It's still two years away from completion, but hosting a major conference there would be a great way to attract attention."

What kind of logic is this? Hiruzen pondered the connection between these two matters.

But based on his years of dealing with Jinghang, he knew that this young Kazekage's actions often seemed random and inscrutable, yet they always concealed a deeper strategy. If he wasn't careful, he might fall into another one of Jinghang's traps.

Seeing Hiruzen's hesitation, Jinghang sweetened the deal.

"To show my sincerity, if the Five Kage Summit is held on the Yuesi Peninsula, Sunagakure will cover all the food and lodging expenses for the delegations from all five nations!"

"And what's in it for you?"

"As I said earlier—visibility. Without visibility, who would even know where the Yuesi Peninsula is? I give you my word: agree to this, and the eight million ryo will be delivered by tomorrow night!"

"Fine. It's a deal!"

Faced with a choice between lingering doubts and eight million ryo, Hiruzen ultimately chose the latter. After all, he couldn't see any immediate downside for Konoha.

"Great! You're a man of your word, Brother Hiruzen! Come, have some tea—this is this year's finest brew."

Jinghang raised his teacup, visibly pleased.

As long as you show up, I'll have ways to handle you. By then, whether you even leave with your underwear intact will depend on my mood. As for the eight million, that'll probably just cover a few rounds of cards.

Back in their respective villages, Konoha's ANBU and Sunagakure's Intelligence Division launched large-scale purges of internal spies, yielding significant results. Many long-hidden "sleeper agents" were rooted out, an unexpected bonus from the campaign.

Jinghang also received a personal surprise. After much effort, he managed to secure Tsunade's position as "liaison officer" in Sunagakure—a tacit acknowledgment from Konoha of their relationship. However, there was a condition: Tsunade could not hold any official positions in Sunagakure.

That was an easy fix. Jinghang simply added the word "honorary" to her titles of Deputy Head of the Medical Department and Hospital Director, turning her roles into nominal ones. Her actual authority and benefits remained unchanged, and Tsunade couldn't care less about the formalities.

"By the way, what are you planning to do with White Zetsu? It's been hanging in the lab for months."

On the way back to Sunagakure, Tsunade suddenly brought it up.

"Ah!"

Jinghang slapped his forehead.

"Damn it! I completely forgot about that!"