"Lord Kazekage, why have you brought so many of us to Bear Claw Valley?"
Elder Chiyo narrowed her eyes at Pakura, who stood wearing the Kazekage cloak and the Hokage's fire-shadow hat atop her head. Something about this felt wrong. Her instincts prickled.
"I only called one person and he's already here."
Pakura pointed forward.
Chiyo followed her line of sight. A figure was crossing the sky toward them, moving so fast it left ripples in the air. The Sand shinobi tensed for an instant, then eased slightly when the newcomer landed.
"So it's Lord Hokage," Chiyo said, folding her arms. "But why meet in such a barren wasteland? This is hardly a formal venue."
She said it politely, but her suspicion deepened. Outwardly relaxed, inwardly coiled like a trap.
Uchiha Gen walked toward them, wearing the Hokage's hat and cloak, his pace unhurried.
"Lord Hokage," Chiyo said, voice steady, "what is this 'matter' you needed all of us for?"
Ebizo, the other elders, department heads, and Jōnin turned their eyes to him.
Gen stopped, hands clasped behind him, a faint smile on his lips.
"Elder Chiyo, what do you think of the relationship between Konoha and the Hidden Sand over the past few years?"
"Very good. Unprecedentedly harmonious," she replied without hesitation.
Even if she still resented Konoha for her son and daughter-in-law's deaths at the hands of the White Fang, she had to admit, under Konoha's shadow, the Sand recovered far faster than it ever could alone.
Gen nodded. "Exactly. Unprecedented harmony."
"So," he continued softly, "I plan to extend that harmony forever."
Forever?
Confusion swept through the Sand shinobi. Those quicker on the uptake stiffened, faces draining of color.
"Is Lord Hokage… planning to annex our Hidden Sand Village into Konoha?" someone demanded.
Chiyo's eyes sharpened like knives. She shot Pakura a vicious glare before turning that fury toward Gen.
In an instant, hostility flared through the Sand ranks. Only Pakura's confidantes were frozen, wide-eyed, unsure whether to defend her or collapse from shock.
Gen smiled lightly. "Elder Chiyo, why such harsh wording? 'Integration' feels more accurate."
"Is there a difference?" she asked coldly.
"Of course. Integration is voluntary. Annexation isn't. The treatment for each is completely different."
Chiyo snorted. "Hmph. In my view, there is no difference. Lord Kazekage, do you agree?"
Pakura felt dozens of accusing gazes stab into her. Her throat tightened; the ground seemed to shift beneath her feet.
Gen moved. In a blur, he appeared beside her, taking her hand.
"Elder Chiyo," he said calmly, "don't force Pakura. Because…"
"Because what?"
"Because your Hidden Sand Village has no choice. Either you integrate into Konoha… or you face destruction. There is no third path."
Chiyo opened her mouth to snap back—"Arrogant!"—but the word never came out.
A roar of black chakra erupted from Gen's body.
The chakra condensed instantly into ribcage, muscle, sinew, then skin, armor, and towering form.
In a single breath, a colossal black Susanoo stood over them.
The tallest peak of Bear Claw Valley barely reached its waist. Standing beneath it felt like standing beneath a god.
Clang.
The black War God drew a massive blade from its hip.
With a single sweeping strike, the blade carved through the entire valley wall. The weathered brown stone split cleanly from top to bottom, the cut surface glowing molten red from the sheer heat generated by raw speed and force.
BOOM.
The two halves of the valley shuddered, stone grinding as the severed cliff collapsed back into itself. The shockwave rolled outward for miles.
A violent gale followed, a miniature sandstorm whipped up purely by the pressure of Susanoo drawing its sword.
Even Chiyo and Ebizo were flung across the ground, tumbling like ragdolls before crashing at the valley entrance.
"Boom… boom…"
Susanoo took two steps. Each impact carved a deep footprint into the stone, each step rumbling like thunder.
Gen's voice echoed from above, cold and unshakable.
"With power like this, what do you have to resist me with?"
"The One-Tail?"
He snorted. "Against me, subduing Shukaku is trivial. You can't even scratch Susanoo."
He gestured downward. "If you don't believe me, try. I won't retaliate."
He stood atop Susanoo's forehead, arms folded, staring down at them with absolute confidence.
Pakura had to hold her hat with both hands, her hair whipping in the wind. Her eyes flicked upward, filled with awe, pride, and a warmth she couldn't hide.
Down below, the Sand shinobi scrambled to their feet, dazed, covered in dust.
"Is this… a god?"
"There's no fighting this…"
"It's hopeless."
A few, however, Pakura's closest followers, had a completely different reaction. They exchanged glances, barely suppressing excitement. Their Kazekage's man wielded divine power. What benefits might fall on those loyal to her?
Chiyo staggered upright. Anxiety hollowed her chest, but she mustered her voice.
"Pull yourselves together!"
She raised her scroll. "He said we can't break his defense. I refuse to believe that without trying. Even if we fail—we will not lose the last shred of our village's pride!"
She flung the scroll open. Hand signs flashed.
The Ten Puppet Collection of Chikamatsu shot out in a burst of chakra threads.
Encouraged, the other elders, commanders, and Jōnin unleashed their strongest techniques—wind, fire, earth, lightning—all converging on Susanoo's left leg.
A chain of explosions boomed through the valley. Smoke engulfed the giant.
When it cleared...
Not a scratch.
The realization broke them.
No amount of numbers could bridge a gap this vast.
If the Shinobi Alliance could not challenge the Ten-Tails, what chance did a handful of Sand elites have against Uchiha Gen's complete Susanoo?
A mayfly kicking a tree.
A mantis blocking a carriage.
Courageous, perhaps. But meaningless.
Gen exhaled lightly. "Elder Chiyo, please don't force my hand. I hope Hidden Sand can integrate peacefully. Pakura asked me to avoid bloodshed. I intend to keep that promise."
Chiyo's hands trembled. Slowly, she dismissed Chikamatsu's puppets.
Her already-aged frame seemed to wither further, bending as though under the weight of decades.
"Lord Hokage… you win. Hidden Sand Village will follow your command. We… will integrate into Konoha."
Gen nodded. "A wise decision. You'll be grateful for it soon enough."
Susanoo dissolved, black chakra fading like mist. Gen descended, one arm around Pakura as they landed softly on the ground.
Gasps rose from the shinobi below, not from fear, but from the strange, almost hypnotic pull of his gaze.
Gen's Eternal Mangekyō glowed scarlet.
A wave of genjutsu rippled out, sinking into every mind present.
A safety measure, one Pakura knew about.
With spies from Stone, Cloud, and Mist scattered across the desert, he couldn't risk news leaking prematurely.
Even if it wouldn't change the final outcome, the psychological impact mattered.
"Return to the village," Gen commanded. "Wait for my orders."
"Yes," the crowd answered in unison.
Two breaths later, Bear Claw Valley returned to its empty, windswept quiet... as if nothing had ever happened.