The chakra test paper confirmed what Shiraishi already knew—his chakra nature was still a single Wind attribute. This result was hardly surprising. However, Ebizō's examination did not end there. He took out a vial of reagent to test Shiraishi's affinity toward other chakra natures.
"The development of a second chakra nature depends on your affinity for the other attributes," Ebizō explained. "Given the geography of the Land of Wind, most Sunagakure shinobi show their strongest secondary affinity toward Earth Release."
Ebizō submerged the chakra test paper into the special reagent. Gradually, patches of color appeared across its surface. Based on the depth and concentration of those colors, he methodically ranked Shiraishi's chakra affinities aside from Wind.
Shiraishi quickly examined the shifting hues and the corresponding explanations.
Earth.
Water.
Fire.
Lightning…
"Earth and Water are tied at the highest affinity," Ebizō said bluntly. "Fire is slightly behind—and that's only because you forcibly stimulated your arm with explosive energy. In reality, your Fire affinity might not even be better than Lightning. That's the situation for now."
Ebizō did not bother to hide his irritation. After all that madness—injecting scorching substances into his arm—the improvement amounted to barely anything. It was still inferior to Earth and Water.
"Then which attribute should we develop first?" Shiraishi asked.
When it came to chakra transformation and development, Ebizō had already walked this path. Shiraishi no longer insisted on his own theories and instead chose to seek guidance from the old master.
"Why not consider developing two at the same time?" Ebizō asked in return.
The counterquestion made Shiraishi pause. After a brief moment of thought, he grasped the key point. At the same time, Ebizō announced its next destination.
Quicksand Valley.
The very place where Shiraishi had risen to fame in a single battle—where he had slain three missing-nin, one of them a subordinate of Sasori of the Red Sand.
One of the most infamous and dangerous regions in the Land of Wind, Quicksand Valley was surrounded by lethal shifting sands along both sides of the ravine. Treacherous quicksand marshes existed year-round; a single misstep was enough to swallow a person whole.
Within the valley itself lay foul, reeking mud swamps where ordinary creatures could not survive at all.
The missing-nin eliminated earlier had only been active in the rear section of the valley. The front half—with its horrifying stench-filled bogs and surrounding quicksand marshes—was the true nightmare of most shinobi.
"Is Quicksand Valley chosen because of its environment?" Shiraishi asked.
Ebizō smiled, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes.
"Simultaneous development of two attributes is actually more effective. Most people misunderstand this."
As long as the affinity was sufficient, parallel development posed no real issue.
While explaining this, Ebizō began leading Shiraishi toward Quicksand Valley.
Along the way, Shiraishi struggled to keep up with his weights, but the journey was far from dull. Ebizō had already begun teaching, casually delivering lessons as they walked.
From the climates and environments of various countries to the secret techniques and bloodline traits of major ninja clans, Ebizō spoke freely, holding nothing back.
When the topic shifted to Konoha and the Land of Fire, Ebizō's tone carried a mixture of envy and helplessness.
Having such a behemoth as a neighbor placed immense pressure on the Land of Wind.
Konoha occupied a crucial crossroads, connecting north and south. Its unique geography allowed it to gather vast amounts of talent and resources, making the Land of Fire the most militarily powerful of the Five Great Nations.
Under the rule of the Third Hokage, this was precisely Konoha's golden age. Hiruzen Sarutobi in the light, Danzō in the shadows—their combination forged Konoha's brilliance, while becoming the sorrow of every other village.
"The Third Kazekage's incident allied with Konoha is impossible," Ebizō said quietly. "Meanwhile, Iwagakure and Kirigakure have stationed large forces along our borders. If Sunagakure wishes to survive, we must trade an attack on Konoha—under the banner of revenge—for their alliance."
Unlike Konoha, which could handle enemies on all sides, Sunagakure faced crushing pressure with just two fronts. Both Iwa and Kiri were stronger than Suna.
Faced with two evils, one had to be chosen. For Sunagakure, that meant striking at Konoha.
Shiraishi could not fully comprehend the Sand Village's logic here. Hearing Ebizō speak of it, he finally could not help but ask:
"The odds of defeating Konoha… aren't very high, are they?"
The strongest of the Five Great Villages against one of the weakest—especially with Sunagakure taking the initiative at Kikyo Pass. The imbalance was obvious.
Ebizō did not answer directly. He looked toward the distant sky instead.
"Because the decisive battle at Kikyo Pass is still one to two years away. Konoha is giving us time—and we are giving Konoha time."
In that instant, Shiraishi understood the true intention of Sunagakure's leadership.
Although the atmosphere between Suna and Konoha was tense, ever since Kikyo Pass, their clashes had remained restrained. Orochimaru was absent, and Tsunade was focused solely on medical support.
On Sunagakure's side, Pakura had even returned to the village midway to handle personal matters—yet Konoha made no drastic moves in response.
Both sides looked as if they were on the brink of a life-and-death war, but in truth, they were deliberately delaying the outbreak of the Third Great Ninja War.
Iwagakure and Kirigakure intended to wait until both sides were sufficiently weakened before striking. So why not let Konoha and Sunagakure drag things out for a few years?
From the very beginning, both villages had treated Iwa and Kiri as their true adversaries. On this matter, the Elder Council and two generations of Kazekage were in complete agreement.
The latter incident involving the Third Kazekage only allowed the anti-Konoha faction within Sunagakure to seize the banner of "main offense." Coupled with pressure from Iwa and Kiri, Sunagakure was ultimately forced into this strange state of war with Konoha at Kikyo Pass.
"Affairs of the ninja world require a comprehensive view," Ebizō said calmly. "The intelligence you receive, the atmosphere you sense—often these are things deliberately pushed by certain people. In your eyes, Sunagakure provoking Konoha looks foolish. But that foolishness is merely a tool to conceal the true objective."
The vast map of the Land of Wind etched itself into Shiraishi's mind.
Ebizō's guidance brought sudden clarity.
A closer analysis revealed that Quicksand Valley, the Revelation Mountains, and the various missions to purge bandits and missing-nin were all concentrated near the borders with Iwagakure and Kirigakure.
From the start, Sunagakure and Konoha had been waging a tacit war—each constantly guarding against those two villages. For Konoha, there was also the need to beware of Kumogakure striking from behind.
The framework of the Third Great Ninja War had already been set before the Third Kazekage's death.
And as the foremost strategist of the Elder Council, it was Ebizō himself who had personally advanced this process.
Shiraishi could not help but think—
His master was truly a terrifyingly cunning old fox.
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