Kazekage Ninja: The Rise of the Hidden Sand

The blue-and-black Wind-Magnet Rasenshuriken spun fiercely, its high-speed rotation grinding against the chakra armor of Susano'o like an electrified whetstone cutting through solid rock, inching deeper with each passing moment.

Madara Uchiha gritted his teeth, straining to resist the "marble" attack, but his sharp eyes remained locked on Jing Hang's movements.

This brat is targeting the chakra transmission pipes behind me! How ruthless!

Time had taken its toll on Madara's once-mighty body, leaving it frail and aged. The only reason he had managed to "stand tall" until now was due to the constant supply of chakra from the Gedo Statue sustaining his deteriorating physical functions.

In the original manga, after entrusting his so-called will to Obito, Madara had "pulled the plug" on himself (likely unable to endure the pain and decay of his body any longer) and passed away shortly thereafter.

Jing Hang had chosen to attack this very spot, knowing it was Madara Uchiha's Achilles' heel.

Suddenly, the "blue skeletal claw" of Susano'o lashed out toward Jing Hang once more.

With a flicker, Jing Hang dodged the attack, his body vanishing in an instant. In the same motion, he hurled an iron-sand dagger directly at the three chakra transmission pipes.

"Not so fast!"

Madara Uchiha pulled out a kunai, his wrist flicking with practiced precision. The motion was seamless, like flowing water, and his Sharingan had already calculated the dagger's trajectory. He was confident he could intercept it mid-flight.

However, the dagger vanished into thin air!

The kunai embedded itself harmlessly into the stone wall.

In the blink of an eye, the black dagger reappeared, spinning at high speed as it sliced cleanly through—

"Slash!"

With a swift and decisive motion, all three chakra transmission pipes were severed.

Deprived of the Gedo Statue's chakra support, Madara felt his body rapidly weaken, as though it were being hollowed out. He slumped onto the stone chair, the armor of Susano'o visibly disintegrating before his eyes.

The blue-and-black "marble" now faced no resistance, striking Madara's chest directly.

In an instant, the Wind-Magnet Rasenshuriken exploded upon impact, unleashing a massive burst of energy that sent both Madara and his stone chair flying backward.

"My dagger is made of iron sand," Jing Hang remarked with a wicked grin.

When the dust settled, Madara lay on the ground, a gaping, football-sized hole in his chest. Through the wound, one could see the earth behind him. Even a god couldn't save him now.

"To think... I, Madara... a hero of my time... would fall... to a mere... insignificant..."

Madara struggled to speak, blood pouring from his mouth as he pointed weakly at Jing Hang.

"...brat's hands?" Jing Hang helpfully finished the sentence, his tone dripping with mockery.

If you're going to die, hurry up. Once you're gone, I can take your eyes for research. These are the only pair of Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan left in existence—they're worth a fortune!

As though reading Jing Hang's thoughts, Madara Uchiha let out a ghastly grin and began forming a hand seal with one hand.

"Not good!" Jing Hang exclaimed, rushing forward to stop him.

But it was too late. Black flames engulfed Madara's body in an instant.

"Don't go near him!" Jing Hang raised a hand to stop the Third Raikage, who had been about to approach.

"These black flames are relentless. They won't extinguish until they've completely consumed their target. It's a nightmare to deal with if they touch you."

"If he had such a deadly technique, why didn't he use it earlier?" the Third Raikage asked, visibly puzzled.

Jing Hang was equally baffled.

By now, Madara's body had been reduced to ashes, and Jing Hang decided not to dwell on it further.

"You can ask him yourself; I have no idea," Jing Hang replied, visibly irritated at having missed out on acquiring the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Boom!"

Behind them, the colossal Gedo Statue vanished in a puff of white smoke, startling both Jing Hang and the Third Raikage.

Of course, Jing Hang thought. This monster was summoned using Madara's Rinnegan. Now that the summoner's gone, it naturally returns to where it came from.

Sigh. All that effort, and I got nothing out of it.

Looking down at the battlefield, where the remaining White Zetsu were still putting up resistance, Jing Hang felt a surge of frustration.

"End this fight quickly! Leave no one alive!"

Without hesitation, Jing Hang formed two more "marbles" and charged into the midst of the White Zetsu, unleashing devastation.

Meanwhile, in the Sand Village...

"Lord Danzo, thank you for your visit. However, without the Kazekage's approval, I cannot make any decisions regarding the weakening agent," Rasa said with a serious expression, his face set in an official, unyielding demeanor.

This rigid attitude made Danzo visibly uncomfortable.

"There's no such thing as a free lunch, Lord Rasa. I came here with sincerity. The Flying Thunder God Technique is the masterpiece of our Second Hokage, Lord Tobirama. The price we're offering is not low," Danzo retorted, his face equally stern, matching Rasa's demeanor.

"Hehe, Lord Danzo, you misunderstand. I have no doubt about Konoha's sincerity. However, the weakening agent is a controlled substance, and its formula is classified as an S-rank secret of the Sand Village. Without the Kazekage's approval, no one can touch it," Rasa explained.

"As far as I know, when the Kazekage is absent, you, as the acting Shadow, can exercise all of his authority, can you not?"

"Hehe, I think you may have misheard. It's not 'all' authority—only administrative authority. Matters involving the village's classified resources are not included."

"Don't be so rigid."

"I'm sorry, but rules are rules."

After a lengthy verbal sparring match, Danzo failed to gain any ground with Rasa. Left with no other option, he shifted his approach.

"When will the Kazekage return?"

"In the next few days, I believe."

"Can I wait here until then?"

"Of course. You're welcome to stay as long as you like."

"By the way, the Hokage has a private letter for Lady Tsunade. Could I possibly—"

"Unfortunately, Lady Tsunade is currently visiting Silver Sands Pharmaceuticals in the Moon Lake New Area for an inspection. If you don't mind, I can deliver it on your behalf," Rasa replied, his expression unchanging.

Danzo's face darkened.

"I recall there's an agreement between Konoha and the Sand Village that Tsunade is not to hold any official positions here."

Rasa remained unfazed.

"I think you misunderstand. Lady Tsunade is merely an honorary head of the Sand Village's medical department, which does not count as an official position. Moreover, Silver Sands Pharmaceuticals is a private enterprise jointly owned by Lord Jing Hang and Lady Tsunade. It has little to do with the village's finances."

"What?! Silver Sands Pharmaceuticals... is privately owned?!" Danzo exclaimed in shock.

"That's correct."

"Does that mean Konoha can purchase products from Silver Sands Pharmaceuticals?"

"Yes, as long as they're not controlled substances."

Danzo fell silent, deep in thought.

"In that case, I'll wait for the Kazekage to return," he finally said.

Rasa nodded and picked up the phone.

"Tamamaru, come over and escort Lord Danzo to the hotel."

Setting the phone down, Rasa managed a rare smile.

"It's an honor to host you, Lord Danzo. I'll arrange a banquet to welcome you tonight."

Danzo gave a slight bow.

"Thank you."

As soon as Danzo left with the secretary, Rasa's expression darkened.

"That old fox brought a lame horse and expected to trade it for my prized steed. Offering an incomplete technique in exchange for our weakening agent? He must be dreaming!"

He picked up the red hotline phone.

"Intelligence Division? Connect me to your director, Yamashita Tetsu..."

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