As the Third Hokage and his escort flickered into view, Chiyo and the Third Kazekage's chakra surged back to full force.
The Kazekage narrowed his eyes. With a casual wave of his fingers, thick waves of Iron Sand erupted from the ground, wrapping two of the arriving Konoha shinobi like dumplings—leaving only their faces exposed.
"Lord Kazekage, forgive us—please, spare them!"
The Hokage's group landed in haste, and Hiruzen imdiately spoke:
"I swear to you both—we will give a proper explanation."
"An explanation?"
Chiyo's laughter was sharp and mocking.
"What explanation? You arrived one second ago. What could you possibly know to 'explain' to us?"
The Third Kazekage's eyes narrowed further as he stared at Hiruzen.
"To disguise an assassination attempt as a peace negotiation… Hokage, you understand the consequences, don't you?"
"Had we not anticipated sothing and reinforced our defenses, we would be no different from Hanzō—nothing left but dust."
"Is Konoha declaring a death feud against us?"
As he spoke, massive quantities of Iron Sand surged outward, forming a giant sphere of magnetic sand that imprisoned the Hokage's entire group.
Several of the Konoha ninja behind Hiruzen imdiately shifted into combat stance, faces hardening.
"Lord Kazekage, I discovered this plot only on my way here."
"A renegade within Konoha—soone colluding with Iwagakure—managed to secretly manipulate the head of the Shimura clan."
"He even tampered with the ceasefire agreent I sent to Suna and Agakure… and altered the eting ti."
"Their goal was to sabotage this peace treaty."
"Oh?"
Chiyo exchanged a glance with the Third Kazekage.
Then she burst out laughing.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, are you telling bedti stories? That nonsense might fool children—but standing before you are the senior leaders of Sunagakure."
"A clan head was controlled? Your communications were altered? Even ssages from the Hokage could be forged?"
"If that's true, then Konoha's entire high command must have been infiltrated by Iwa. Is there any information Iwagakure doesn't know?!"
"You think we're idiots?"
Her final sentence hit like a kunai.
Hiruzen's face tightened with regret.
The Shimura clan's plan had been communicated to him in advance. Unless he escaped the barrier beforehand, he himself had no way to survive a Reverse Tetragram Sealing Jutsu detonation.
He only learned that the Kazekage and Chiyo survived after arriving—sothing he had not expected.
And now he had a disaster on his hands.
If the trap had killed the Kazekage and spared Hanzō, things would still be salvageable.
Agakure was small—without Hanzō it had no foundation and could be handled later.
But Sunagakure was one of the Five Great Nations.
Not soone Konoha could afford to enrage.
Yet Suna and A had caused imnse damage on the western front—they demanded huge reparations. Hiruzen's reputation had taken heavy blows for failing to contain the situation.
That was why he allowed the Shimura clan to attempt this reckless plan.
At least now… one trouble had been removed.
The Shimura clan still had so value left.
"This infiltration is Konoha's disgrace. I must ask the two of you not to spread word of it."
Hiruzen continued:
"Only through last-minute reports from the front and the Anbu did we discover individuals acting suspiciously. That is the only reason we arrived in ti."
The Third Kazekage reduced his killing intent slightly.
"Then speak, Hokage. Tell us everything."
"In Iwagakure, there is a spy nad Nonō Yakushi. She infiltrated our intelligence division."
Beneath the soil far away, the real Hanzō's puppet body stiffened.
???
"She managed, through special conditions, to cast genjutsu on the Shimura clan head."
"And—"
…
"Konoha captured a high-ranking Iwa shinobi on the front lines. Through interrogation, we learned the truth."
"But returning that intel to the village took ti. By the ti the report reached , there was almost no ti left."
"The peace eting was about to begin—but I also had to respond to the threat to the village."
"I gathered the intel regarding Nonō Yakushi. There were also notes relating to Sunagakure."
'Information on Suna?'
"Wind—give the Kazekage the file."
A Konoha Anbu stepped forward and handed over a thick folder.
The Kazekage didn't move; Iron Sand ford a hand that took it.
He opened it.
And imdiately—
"What—?!"
Both he and Chiyo gasped aloud.
'How could this information have leaked?! I personally investigated every single mber of the council!'
Hiruzen quickly said:
"That intel was from before your purge. And likely not from a council mber—perhaps deduced from evidence gathered during earlier missions."
The more they read, the more their expressions darkened.
The folder contained reports from past years—many of which docunted classified incidents even the Kazekage had not known about.
…
Eventually they closed the file, silent for a long mont.
The Third Kazekage exhaled through his nose.
'I thought rooting out the council's traitors was enough… but clearly not.'
Chiyo nodded.
"We need a purge at the lower levels too."
They turned toward Hiruzen.
'If even we were infiltrated this deeply… your explanation is believable.'
The Iron Sand cage dissolved.
Konoha's shinobi lowered their guard as tension finally eased.
Only Hiruzen felt pain in his heart.
That intelligence network—the one he and Danzō had painstakingly constructed inside Suna—was now gone.
To smooth things over today, he had just sacrificed years of covert operations.
He had already ordered the embedded agents to retreat.
Each carried a curse mark ensuring they'd die before exposing Konoha.
He didn't know how many would make it out.
"Well then, Hokage."
Chiyo smiled coldly.
"Let us begin discussing reparations for this war."
"And compensation… for today's little accident."
The Hokage's headache returned in full force.
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