Danzō's conspiracy?"
Ebizō spoke with a solemn, almost righteous expression, while Rasa, standing to the side, was doing his utmost to suppress a smile.
"Danzō has always used every possible means to target the future talents of our village," Ebizō continued evenly. "The Quicksand Valley incident is a classic example of that old thief's methods.
Although we haven't found direct evidence yet, we strongly suspect that Zi'ao had already been controlled by Konoha. After all, wasn't there still a rogue ninja who escaped the scene?"
Listening to her younger brother's analysis, Chiyo knew perfectly well that there were holes in it—some of it was even outright nonsense. But this explanation provided an excellent way for everyone to step back gracefully. Without hesitation, she played along, her face twisting with fury.
"Damn Konoha! Damn Danzō! This time, we must make them pay!"
After calming Chiyo's emotions, Ebizō exchanged a look with Rasa. The Fourth Kazekage had initially wanted to personally recruit Shiraishi, but since Ebizō had stepped in to resolve the situation and save face for everyone, Rasa could only reluctantly give up on that thought.
"Then… I'll have to trouble you, Elder, to take care of Shiraishi," Rasa said.
Chiyo and Ebizō left the Kazekage's office one after the other. As the door opened, they happened to run into Baki and the others returning.
Compared to Chiyo's lingering coldness, Ebizō looked toward Shiraishi with clear satisfaction.
Seeing Ebizō approach, Shiraishi immediately bowed his head respectfully. Ebizō burst out laughing.
"Come visit this old man tomorrow if you're free. I'm quite interested in a few of your new techniques."
"It would be my honor," Shiraishi replied.
At that moment, a weight finally lifted from his heart.
Chiyo's indifference was expected, but Ebizō's attitude confirmed that Shiraishi's strategy had been correct. At last, he had truly caught the attention of Sunagakure's upper ranks.
Inside the Kazekage's office, the room was impeccably clean and orderly. Rasa was clearly a leader with a strong obsession for neatness—no matter how many documents he had to process, he always dealt with them promptly.
After the meeting with Ebizō and Chiyo ended, Rasa, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them and fixed his gaze on the genin standing before him. The pressure in his eyes was overwhelming.
Although Rasa had met Shiraishi several times before, this was the first time he truly examined the boy in detail—a shinobi who had repeatedly exceeded expectations.
From Kikyō Mountain, Pakura's letter had already reached his desk.
In it, she strongly defended Shiraishi, expressing pride in his ability to kill Zi'ao. She also urged the village to value such talents and not commit the self-destructive act of stifling its own geniuses.
Between the lines, Pakura's words all but accused Rasa of being nothing more than a puppet of the Council of Elders.
Rasa could only give a bitter smile.
Even if he worked closely with the elders, did everyone really believe he didn't care about Sunagakure's future?
Compared to other villages, Sunagakure's foundation was thin. It could not afford internal strife or self-inflicted losses.
From Yashamaru's goodwill, to Pakura and Baki's protection, and now Ebizō's intention to personally take Shiraishi as a disciple—Rasa's thoughts spun rapidly as he considered how to deal with the young man before him.
"Regarding the Quicksand Valley mission," Rasa said slowly, "do you have anything else you wish to explain?"
"I trust in the Kazekage-sama's judgment," Shiraishi replied.
His posture was neither servile nor arrogant. He showed proper respect, yet carried a faint pride—something characteristic of a true genius, a quiet confidence that disdained unnecessary explanation.
He knew exactly how to present his value.
"Killing the Konoha spy Zi'ao has earned you an A-rank mission evaluation," Rasa continued. "Given the strength you displayed on the battlefield, the village has decided to approve your application for a chūnin promotion examination."
Under normal circumstances, without a state of war, a shinobi needed to accumulate enough missions before even qualifying to apply for chūnin. Promoting Shiraishi still required following proper procedures, including an examination.
"When will the chūnin exam be held?" Shiraishi asked.
Rasa handed him a document. "Approximately five months from now. During this period, focus on training and preparation."
For the next five months, Shiraishi would not be assigned missions. On one hand, this was to assess whether his genius was genuine; on the other, it was to accelerate his growth.
The Zi'ao incident still contained many unanswered questions. Shiraishi's victory had not been as simple as destroying a Magnet Release device with telekinesis—there were clearly other hidden methods involved.
Everyone present understood this.
The reason it was glossed over was simple: Shiraishi had demonstrated enough value for the village to temporarily overlook those details.
"Thank you for this, Baki-sensei," Shiraishi said as he left the office.
Outside, he wiped the fine layer of sweat from his forehead. No matter how calm and rational he was, standing before the leader of an entire village was still nerve-wracking.
If not for Baki's mediation and swift reporting to the higher-ups, he might have been quietly purged by Sunagakure's internal politics.
"The value and potential you've shown are worth my efforts," Baki said calmly.
"I won't disappoint you," Shiraishi replied.
Only by continuously increasing his value could he secure the attention of Sunagakure's leadership—and survive in this chaotic ninja world.
The Quicksand Valley mission was officially over.
After parting ways with Baki, Shiraishi headed back toward his small residence. Before long, a rich aroma drifted into his nose.
Inside, Maki—wearing an apron—was busy cooking. Grain by grain, she sprinkled purple spices onto a freshly pan-fried Liu fish, the fragrance filling the room.
Although the Land of Wind had coastal fishing grounds, preserving and transporting fresh fish deep inland to Sunagakure was extremely costly. As a result, fish dishes were expensive luxuries.
Yet Shiraishi genuinely liked fish.
Once, when Maki had made fish rice balls, he had eaten noticeably faster than usual—a clear sign of his preference.
"This single fish costs as much as your entire mission reward," Maki said.
Seeing Shiraishi step inside, she quickly set down her work, changed his shoes, and removed his bloodstained white coat. Smiling, she added, "It's fine. I actually like eating fish."
After changing into clean clothes, the two sat facing each other.
As Shiraishi ate, Maki watched him carefully, paying close attention to every reaction.
The dish was a success—he took several bites in a row.
But halfway through, Shiraishi stopped eating the fish and switched to the other dishes.
"You're not eating the fish anymore?" Maki asked.
"You like it," he replied simply. "So we'll split it."
The simple exchange filled the quiet house.
For Maki, seeing Shiraishi return safely and eat the food she prepared was happier than anything else.
If you want to read more, join my Patreon/kazama677
60+ advanced chapters available.
I will drop 1 bonus chapter for every 30 Power Stones.