The night over Land of Wind Border had stripped away the heat of the white sun, leaving only biting cold. Moonlight fell like pale frost across the rolling dunes, turning them into a lifeless gray. The desert stretched without end, silent and vast.
A violent wind howled, throwing sand into the air and crushing visibility. The world seemed reduced to nothing but the roar of sand and wind and a boundless emptiness. Even sound felt swallowed by the storm.
In this harsh environment, a streak of golden light skimmed low over the dunes at terrifying speed. It tore through the raging wind and rushed straight toward Sunagakure. The glow flickered as it forced its way forward.
"Damn it, why hasn't a single message come back?"
Third Kazekage knelt on one knee atop a floating cloud formed of Gold Dust. His usually cold and steady face was now heavy with tension and barely hidden anxiety. The wind clawed at his cloak as he stared ahead.
After hearing about a possible threat from that Ryoma Clan in Konoha, he had immediately sent out his fastest Messenger Flying Ninja Beast. It carried both a warning and news that he was already returning to the village. Yet as time passed, no reply ever came.
The delay tightened a dark sense of danger around Third Kazekage's chest. Under normal circumstances, even if the village were under attack, it was impossible that not a single Messenger Flying Ninja Beast could break through and deliver news. Unless something far worse had happened.
He refused to think further and forced himself to focus on controlling the Gold Dust. Even so, the unease in his heart grew stronger with every gust of sand-filled wind. His breathing became heavier as the pressure built.
His eyes drifted to his side, where two bodies were also supported by Gold Dust. They were stiff and cold, lightly covered by a thin layer of sand. There was no doubt they were the bodies of Maki and Yura.
Looking at their lifeless faces, a deep pain passed through Third Kazekage's eyes. These two had been rare elites of the new generation in Sunagakure, with strength, sharp minds, and unyielding will. They were pillars of the village and people in whom he had placed immense trust.
Their deaths at the hands of the Ryoma Clan were a devastating blow to the already declining Sunagakure. It struck like another wound on an injured body and made his chest ache with every breath. If he could, he wanted to bring their remains back intact.
But reality offered no such mercy.
Third Kazekage looked away from the bodies and turned his gaze toward the endless desert ahead. In the end, it became a heavy, helpless sigh carried away by the wind. His shoulders sagged for just a moment.
"I'm sorry, Maki, Yura."
He whispered softly and released the Gold Dust cloud that supported the two bodies. Without that support, their bodies fell from the air and were swallowed by the shifting sands below. They vanished into the gray desert without leaving a trace.
The Magnet Release he possessed worked on the same basic principle as the previous Kazekage's control of iron sand and Kumogakure's Troy controlling Ninja Tool. All of them relied on magnetizing and manipulating specific materials. The differences lay in Chakra reserves, environment, and personal choice.
Because Troy had relatively limited Chakra, he chose lightweight, specially made Ninja Tool. This allowed him to excel at ambushes and precise strikes. His path was shaped by efficiency and control.
Iron sand combined hardness with sheer quantity. It excelled in both offense and defense and was suited to nearly any situation. That was why it was called the strongest Kazekage's signature method.
As for Third Kazekage, the sudden death of the previous Kazekage left the position vacant. He immediately saw the financial strain and lack of resources facing Sunagakure. To claim that seat, he chose a different path.
He decided to control Gold Dust, which had far higher value but also greater density and weight. Each unit demanded far more Chakra to control than iron sand. With this choice, he defeated figures like Pakura and earned the support needed to become Third Kazekage.
However, in terms of pure speed and long-distance travel, the heavy Gold Dust was clearly at a disadvantage. That was why he had no choice but to abandon the burden of the two bodies. The decision cut deeply, even as he accepted it.
As the Gold Dust cloud grew lighter, the constant drain on his Chakra sharply decreased. Relief came only in the physical sense, not in his heart. His jaw clenched as he pushed forward.
"Faster. I have to be faster."
The words were forced out through his teeth, rough and hoarse from sand and strain. He pressed both palms against the trembling surface of the Gold Dust cloud. The remaining Chakra in his body poured out without restraint.
The cloud let out a low hum as its speed broke through its limits once more. A streak of light trailed behind it before being erased by the wind and sand. The dunes on both sides blurred into distorted yellow lines racing backward.
The wind pressure nearly tore Third Kazekage off the cloud. By anchoring himself with Chakra, he held fast to its surface. His body shook, but he did not slow down.
At last, on the horizon where land met sky, a faint red glow struggled into view. Night receded as dawn arrived. Based on memory etched deep into his bones, Third Kazekage knew he was very close to the village.
Cold sand and gravel cut across his face and exposed skin like blades. He felt none of it, his eyes locked on the blurred distance ahead. His focus narrowed until nothing else existed.
The speed gradually slowed, and the golden sand cloud descended. It passed through layer after layer of yellow dust. Shapes ahead slowly became clearer.
As the scene took form, the anxiety in Third Kazekage's eyes drained away and turned into empty confusion. The sand cloud beneath him came to a halt on its own. It hovered several meters above the ground, unmoving.
"...What?"
The word slipped out as he stared forward in a daze. He searched the scene again and again, unwilling to believe it. His breath caught in his throat.
There was no towering Third Kazekage Building. There were no familiar streets, no outlines of buildings, and no patrolling Ninja. There was nothing at all.
Only endless sand dunes.
The red glow of dawn spilled over the dunes, offering no warmth. It looked more like a thin smear of blood clumsily brushed across a canvas. The scene radiated a chilling emptiness.
"Where is the village?"
"Where is Sunagakure?"
"Did I lose my way and come to the wrong place?"
The thought flashed through his mind as Third Kazekage guided the sand cloud down. When his feet touched the ground, the sensation was wrong. It felt soft and sinking, as if he were stepping onto the lifeless belly of some enormous creature.
He staggered, lost his balance, and fell backward. His body dropped heavily into loose sand. A cloud of dust exploded around him.
"Cough, cough." Third Kazekage choked as the dust filled his mouth and nose. The smell was strange and layered, not just the earthy scent of sand. There was something else mixed in.
He planted his hands on either side, trying to push himself up. His palm touched something hard and cold. The sensation made his body freeze.