Konoha: Naruto's abnormal life choices

A white carrier pigeon soared across the azure sky and descended into the Hidden Cloud Village, landing gently in the hands of the Fourth Raikage, Ay.

As he read the message it carried, his breath caught. Then, without a word, he tore the letter to shreds.

Three hundred shinobi. Among them were ten special jonin, three elite jonin, and the rest were chunin.

Such a force—capable of toppling minor nations and wiping out entire ninja villages—should have had no trouble seizing the One-Tail, even if it was escorted by a mere hundred shinobi.

But the outcome was clear.

The entire force had been annihilated.

All of them were dead.

"Three hundred men... all dead!" Ay's voice trembled. "Even Xi... Xi is dead!"

Sunlight poured across the room, illuminating the Raikage's dark face. His cheek felt strangely cold.

Tears.

Murky, silent tears streamed down the face of the strongest man in the Hidden Cloud Village. Ay—who stood at the very summit of power—let them fall.

He clenched his jaw and turned to face the wind, standing there for a long time until the breeze dried his tears. Only then did he return to the Raikage's office.

Just as he stepped inside, there came a knock at the door.

"Enter!"

Creak— The door opened, revealing a tall, white-haired woman in a navy-blue long dress. Her figure was elegant, her waist slender and her chest full. Despite her dark complexion, her beauty was unmistakable.

Ay quickly composed himself. This was Mabui—his secretary and one of the few elite jonin of the Hidden Cloud.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice rough.

"A letter has arrived from Konoha, Lord Raikage. Please take a look."

Mabui stepped forward and placed a letter bearing the Konoha seal on his desk.

Ay opened it, scanned it briefly—and then, with a furious roar, shredded it to pieces and tossed the scraps into the air.

"Bastards! Three hundred of our shinobi are dead, and instead of asking how to atone for this, they dare talk about compensation?"

His rage boiled over. He slammed the desk with his palm. "Mabui! Gather the council. I'm going to meet Konoha in person. Let's see what kind of nerve they really have!"

Tsuchikage's Office – Iwagakure

"What?! The Hidden Cloud disguised themselves as the Hidden Stone to attack both Konoha and the Hidden Sand?!"

The short and elderly Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, hovered midair, spinning in fury. His voice rang with outrage.

His son and granddaughter stood nearby, watching calmly. They were well accustomed to his temper.

After a while, Kurotsuchi—Onoki's granddaughter—spread her hands with a sigh. "The news is all over the ninja world by now, Grandpa. We're just waiting for you to decide what to do next."

Onoki finally touched down, landing gently atop his desk. He was silent for a long moment before speaking.

"Let's wait and see how this plays out."

"Huh? Have you lost your mind, old man?" Kurotsuchi blurted. She couldn't understand his reasoning at all.

The Hidden Cloud had clearly tried to frame the Hidden Stone for their actions. So why do nothing? Was he afraid of the Hidden Cloud?

Seeing the irritation in her expression, Onoki gave her a sidelong glance.

"The main conflict right now is between Konoha and the Hidden Cloud," he said. "Why get involved?"

"Let them fight. If they argue or go to war, all the better. When both sides are exhausted, that's when we'll make our move."

"It's called, 'While the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman reaps the reward.'"

Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes, curling her lip. "So we just sit here and let them fling all their filth on us? That's pathetic."

Her sarcasm made Onoki's mouth twitch.

She was still too young to understand the terror and cost of war.

"You young people are always in a hurry," Onoki scolded. "In time, you'll understand the value of patience."

"Tch." Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes. "When I'm your age, I hope I never become like you."

"You little brat! What did you just say?!" Onoki stomped his foot, his face red with indignation.

Land of Wind – Sunagakure

"Excuse me... What do the Elders want with me?"

"You'll know soon enough," the Anbu escort said. "I can't say—but I promise, it's something good."

"Something good?" Temari murmured, her lips curling in suspicion. A possibility flickered in her mind.

As night fell, Temari, fresh from a funeral, followed the Anbu into the Kazekage Building and was led straight to the Kazekage's office.

The room was brightly lit. The village's top officials were already gathered, led by Elder Chiyo. Temari's teacher, Maki, and her two younger brothers—Gaara and Kankuro—were also present.

Chiyo was smiling faintly. Temari's heart skipped a beat.

Had Sarutobi Hazuki kept his promise? Were they already preparing the political marriage she'd hoped for?

"Temari, come here," Chiyo called, waving her forward with a warm smile.

Temari nodded and stepped to the front, standing respectfully. "Grandmother."

"Haha, don't be nervous," Chiyo said kindly.

Temari gave a small nod. But she was nervous.

Despite her usual mature demeanor, she was still a young girl at heart. The thought of marriage—especially to someone like Naruto—filled her with a strange mix of excitement and fear.

The Fire Country is far away... what if I can't adjust? What if Naruto bullies me again and I can't even come home? That bastard... he'll definitely make things worse on purpose...

Chiyo watched her closely. Noticing the panic in her eyes, she sighed and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"The village may rest in your hands one day," she said softly. "You can't fall apart over something so minor."

"Huh?" Temari blinked.

Wait—what?

Weren't they supposed to be talking about a marriage alliance with Konoha?

What was this about leading the village?

"What do you mean by that, Grandmother?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Just what I said," Chiyo replied with a smile. "After much discussion, I've decided to serve as Acting Kazekage for now."

"Oh," Temari nodded, a bit relieved. "That's good. Everyone will be happy to see you take charge."

Chiyo laughed. "Happy? I'm just a tired old woman. I'd rather be left alone."

"But during my tenure, you'll serve as my deputy. Stay close, learn how to manage village affairs, and sharpen your skills. The sooner you improve, the sooner I can go back to resting."

Temari was stunned.

It took her a long time to process what she'd just heard.

"Me? Grandmother, I'm just a genin! I'm not qualified!"

"You will be," Chiyo said firmly. "I'll design a training plan tailored to you and help you grow stronger, quickly."

Her tone left no room for argument. The decision had been made.

"You've only remained a genin because you chose to take the Chunin Exams with Gaara and Kankuro. But you have the potential."

"As a shinobi, you must have the confidence to protect your village."

With that, Chiyo turned and walked out of the office.

Temari was left speechless. A heavy anxiety settled in her chest.

Why now? I still want to marry Naruto... How can I marry into Konoha if I'm being groomed to become Kazekage?

"Don't worry," Maki said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll support you."

Kankuro nodded. "Yeah. I've got your back."

Even Gaara, typically quiet, murmured softly, "Me too."

Temari turned to look at Gaara—his face finally healed from the last beating. A suspicion crept into her mind.

This was probably meant for Gaara... but after what he did on the border... summoning Shukaku against our allies? No wonder they gave up on him.

Stupid brother. I wish Naruto would beat you into a pulp again.

"Hmph. I'm going to marry into Konoha anyway. There's no way I'm inheriting the Kazekage title. Whatever they assign me, I'll mess it up on purpose. Let's see how long before they replace me."

Temari's guess was accurate.

Chiyo had considered other options, but the truth was—Sunagakure lacked true talent.

Most ninjas, even at their peak, would never rise above jonin. Maki, Temari's own teacher, had likely already reached his ceiling.

In the end, the only potential successors to the Fourth Kazekage were his three children.

Gaara had once seemed the obvious choice—powerful and brilliant. But his instability and violence had ruined his prospects.

He simply couldn't be trusted with leadership.

That left Temari and Kankuro. After lengthy debate, the elders had chosen Temari.

If she failed, they'd try Kankuro next.

And if that failed too...

Then Chiyo would have no other options.

Perhaps it was fate that Sunagakure was meant to decline.

Under the dim glow of the streetlights, Chiyo's eyes filled with melancholy.

"If only Sasori were still with us," she whispered. "If he were here, we wouldn't have to worry about finding a worthy Kazekage."