Kazekage Ninja: The Rise of the Hidden Sand

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In the vast expanse of the desert, a convoy trudged forward with great difficulty against the relentless wind and sand. Judging by their attire, they were clearly Konoha shinobi. The large carts they were escorting were loaded with supplies and water destined for the frontlines.

(A quick note: Reflecting on the entire Naruto anime, one can notice that the technology in their world is somewhat skewed. While advanced in certain areas—like Orochimaru's laboratories—it remains grounded in a backdrop where communication is mostly shouting, and travel is primarily on foot. Although the anime doesn't delve deeply into its world-building, careful observation reveals hints of industrialization. Hence, for now, we'll adhere to the manga's depiction of technology and civilization. As for Boruto, well, that doesn't count as reference material. For instance, since camels are never shown in depictions of Sunagakure, we'll assume the carts here are human-powered.)

"Something's up!" A vigilant Konoha shinobi at the front of the convoy suddenly warned. His eyes widened, veins bulging prominently around his temples. His pupils turned a milky white—it was clear he was from the Hyūga clan.

The convoy came to an immediate halt, with all the shinobi assuming defensive positions.

Before long, amidst the swirling sands, a shadowy group seemed to be charging toward them. The piercing wind carried a faint sound, akin to the creaking of a well's pulley.

Several Konoha shinobi decided to strike first, hurling kunai and shuriken into the approaching dust cloud. However, there were no cries of pain—only a few dull, chopping sounds, like blades striking a cutting board.

As the dust settled, the sight that greeted them left everyone stunned.

Standing at the forefront were ten puppets, each uniquely designed and clad in white. Behind them, hundreds of Sunagakure shinobi armed with various weapons surged forward like a storm, crashing into the convoy.

"How many times have the Sunagakure forces ambushed our supply convoys now?"

"This is the fourth time!"

"Who's leading them?"

"It's Elder Chiyo!"

"Good!" Danzo suddenly stood up, as if he'd just heard the most exciting news of his life.

"Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade—you're to escort the next supply convoy. I have only one demand: utterly crush the Sunagakure ambushers!" Danzo commanded the three Sannin with an air of finality.

The Sannin accepted their orders and left. Danzo then turned to the shinobi who had come to report.

"Why are you still here?"

"I haven't finished reporting the casualties yet. In this attack, we lost eighty-two men, fifteen carts of water, and several supplies—"

"Enough! I don't want to hear it." Danzo impatiently cut him off. "Inform Matsumoto to ration the remaining food and water. This situation will soon be resolved."

"Food is manageable, but water—"

"Then gather water-style ninjas and have them use Water Release techniques to collect water."

"The climate here is dry, and there's very little moisture in the air. Water Release techniques won't be very effective."

Water Release, after all, doesn't create water from nothing. It merely uses chakra to rapidly condense existing moisture in the air into liquid form for attacks. In the arid desert, where water vapor is scarce, the effectiveness of such techniques is naturally limited.

"Did you not understand my orders?!" Danzo's tone turned sharp. "A shinobi must be prepared to make sacrifices."

"Yes, sir!" The shinobi reluctantly left the tent.

"Fool," Danzo muttered, displeased. After calming himself, he turned to a shadowy figure in the corner.

"You should prepare as well."

The battle was unfolding just as Jinghang had anticipated. Danzo's forces couldn't breach his defenses, while Jinghang's guerrilla units harassed Konoha's supply lines from the rear. Based on his calculations, Konoha's food and water would last no more than ten days—perhaps even less. When that time came, Danzo would either have to retreat, allowing Jinghang to pursue and crush them, or stubbornly stay put and die of thirst. The scales of victory were steadily tipping in Sunagakure's favor.

"Lord Kazekage, our guerrilla unit failed to disrupt Konoha's supply convoy." Karuke, bloodied and with a kunai lodged in his shoulder, reported grimly.

"Hmm? Didn't I instruct you that if you encountered a heavily guarded convoy, you only needed to destroy the water carts?"

"The escort wasn't numerous, but their leader was formidable."

"Who was it?"

"Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade!"

"All three of them?"

"Yes."

"Then it's not your fault. Go get treated and rest," Jinghang said, dismissing him with a wave.

It seemed Danzo was willing to go all out, deploying such powerful forces to protect the supply lines.

"Elder Chiyo, Jonin Shokusa, I'll need you to hold down the fort. Maki, gather three hundred men and come with me to intercept Konoha's supply convoy," Jinghang ordered as he began donning his cloak.

"No, you can't! I've told you before—you're the Kazekage. You must not act rashly!" Chiyo stepped forward to block him.

"Elder Chiyo, there's no need to worry. Once we destroy this convoy, Konoha will be utterly defeated. With the Sannin escorting, who else but me can ensure success? Don't worry—I'll destroy their water carts and retreat immediately. No unnecessary risks." Jinghang smiled faintly, pulling up his sand-proof mask before vanishing from the tent.

"Youthful arrogance always leads to suffering," Jinghang muttered bitterly, realizing he had paid the price for his overconfidence.

Standing before him was a middle-aged man with a high ponytail.

"Shadow Imitation Technique! You must be from the Nara clan?"

"Nara Shikacho," the man replied, gritting his teeth as he struggled to maintain the jutsu. Jinghang's strength was not easy to contain.

"So, you've got me cornered?"

"Based on my calculations, there's a seventy percent chance you'll die here."

"Is that so? But your technique won't hold me for much longer."

"I only need it to hold for a moment," came Orochimaru's chilling voice. Beside him stood Jiraiya, grinning mischievously, and Tsunade, her expression unreadable.

"You think you three can kill me? I may not be able to take your heads right now, but if I want to leave, none of you can stop me!" Jinghang declared, commanding his iron sand to form tendrils as he prepared to release more from his scrolls.

"Don't be so sure," Jiraiya said, tossing a wooden kunai onto the ground.

The moment it landed, five massive, arched iron towers sprang up around Jinghang, closing in rapidly. Simultaneously, five taut leather ropes shot out, securing Jinghang tightly. The released iron sand was also drawn to the towers, rendering it useless.

"Phew! You're strong!" Shikacho collapsed to the ground, his Shadow Imitation Technique reaching its limit. His face was pale, drenched in sweat.

"Wow, where did you find so many magnets? Truly impressive. Danzo must've scoured every magnet within a hundred miles to deal with me," Jinghang remarked sarcastically, feigning surprise while secretly analyzing his surroundings for an escape.

"Not just a hundred miles. We gathered magnets from the entire Land of Rain. This 'Beast Cage' took two months of planning. Don't you think we deserve some praise?" Jiraiya said with a wide grin.

Hearing this, a flash of realization struck Jinghang. In an instant, he pieced everything together.

"Danzo Shimura, you're truly something else. To catch a single bird, you've scattered half a sack of grain."