Naruto: Rebuilding the Hidden Sand

By the time the other Sunagakure shinobi arrived, the battle was already over.

Only Yuji and a corpse remained at the scene.

The Fake Kazekage had not died at Yuji’s hands. Instead, he had taken his own life by biting down on a hidden poison.

Yuji had examined him immediately, but even with his medical expertise, there was nothing he could do. The poison had acted too quickly and too violently, destroying the man’s internal organs within moments and leaving no possibility of rescue.

"What happened here?"

The arriving Sunagakure guards looked around the scorched battlefield, their expressions tense as they questioned Yuji.

Yuji gave a brief and concise explanation of the encounter.

As they listened, the expressions of the Guard Corps members grew increasingly grim.

The idea that Konoha spies had infiltrated Sunagakure was already a serious provocation. The fact that their target had been Yuji made the situation even more alarming.

Before long, the captain of the Guard Corps arrived at the scene, and news of the incident was quickly reported to the Kazekage.

After carefully inspecting the corpse, the captain frowned.

"Are you certain they were from Konoha?"

Unfortunately, the body revealed no identifying information.

As for the other assassin, his remains had been completely destroyed by the Fire Release technique, leaving nothing behind to examine.

Yuji shook his head slightly.

"I can’t be completely sure. It’s just a feeling. Their combat style resembled that of Konoha shinobi."

Despite having just survived a life-and-death battle, Yuji showed no signs of fear or distress. On the contrary, he appeared unusually calm, even relaxed.

"If my guess is correct, and they belonged to a certain organization within Konoha, then they wouldn’t leave behind any evidence, even if their mission failed."

Yuji glanced down at the corpse beside him and continued his analysis.

"He used Fire Release while attacking me, but the angle ensured his companion’s body would also be destroyed. That alone shows how careful they were. They intended to erase all traces of their presence."

He paused briefly before adding with a faint smile, "Of course, this is only speculation. There’s no proof."

The captain remained silent.

At that moment, another Sunagakure shinobi hurried over and spoke.

"Captain, we’ve identified them. These two were merchants who had traded with our village for several years. They had clean records and were considered trustworthy."

The captain’s expression darkened further.

That meant the infiltration had begun years ago, possibly even before the current Ninja World War had started.

Sunagakure maintained strict screening procedures for outsiders, but long-term residents and familiar figures inevitably faced less scrutiny over time.

Fortunately, Yuji had survived.

If he had been captured or killed, the consequences for the village would have been unimaginable.

The captain felt a chill at the thought.

Most outsiders did not understand Yuji’s importance, but within Sunagakure, they knew very well.

Looking at Yuji now, still smiling as he reassured the Medical Ninja examining him that he was fine, the captain finally allowed himself to relax slightly.

He could not help but admire Yuji’s mental strength.

A moment later, several powerful chakra signatures approached rapidly.

The Kazekage had arrived.

Alongside him were Chiyo and other senior officials of the village.

"Lord Kazekage."

"Lady Chiyo."

The Guard Corps immediately bowed in respect.

After hearing the full report, the expressions of the village leaders grew cold.

This incident was not merely an assassination attempt.

It was a direct breach of Sunagakure’s defenses.

Even though Yuji was unharmed, the fact that enemy operatives had come this close was already unacceptable.

The Kazekage looked down at the corpse, his expression heavy.

"Seal the village," he ordered.

"Conduct a full investigation."

"Yes, Lord Kazekage."

The Guard Corps members immediately departed to carry out his command.

At present, there was no way to know whether more spies were hiding within Sunagakure.

Chiyo narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Konoha..."

She spoke the name quietly, her voice filled with suspicion.

But the Kazekage remained calm.

"There is no evidence," he said firmly. "We cannot confirm that they were truly sent by Konoha."

"It’s them. Who else could it be? Kirigakure or Iwagakure? It’s possible, but the probability is too low."

"Targeting Yuji... it could also be Hanzō. After all, the only outsiders who know about him are those from Amegakure."

The senior officials of Sunagakure discussed the matter in low voices, each expressing their own analysis.

Chiyo shook her head and said, "It isn’t that old fox Hanzō. If he truly possessed this level of intelligence capability, he would have already used it to his advantage during our prolonged conflict. He wouldn’t wait until now to act."

She paused briefly before continuing, "Fortunately, we’ve done an excellent job concealing Yuji’s true abilities. The enemy only knows that he is a talented Medical Ninja and an outstanding Genin, but they have no understanding of his real combat strength. That lack of information is precisely why their assassination attempt failed."

As she spoke, several of the village’s leaders turned their attention toward Yuji.

Chiyo looked at him and asked, "What do you think?"

Yuji understood her meaning immediately. She was not asking about the assassins, but about his promotion. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Let’s postpone your Chunin promotion until after the Ninja World War ends," Chiyo explained. "For now, remaining a Genin will provide you with a certain degree of protection."

She was clearly concerned that Yuji might feel dissatisfied. For young shinobi, promotion represented recognition of their strength and effort.

However, Yuji simply smiled and replied calmly, "I will follow the village’s decision."

Everyone present knew that Yuji’s strength had long surpassed the level of an ordinary Genin. His rank was merely a matter of timing.

Soon afterward, the meeting concluded, and the officials departed.

Although the assassination attempt had ended, its aftermath continued to affect the village.

By the next day, Sunagakure had entered a complete lockdown. Inspection teams searched the village thoroughly, and no one was allowed to leave unless assigned to official missions.

As the central figure in the incident, Yuji could have insisted that the assassins came from Konoha, but there was no concrete evidence to support that claim. More importantly, if he mentioned Danzo Shimura or the Root organization, it would inevitably raise suspicion. There was no logical explanation for how someone like him could possess such sensitive intelligence.

After carefully considering the risks, Yuji decided to keep his conclusions to himself. It was enough that he understood the truth.

He was not surprised that Danzo had targeted him. That man was notorious for operating in the shadows and eliminating potential threats before they could grow stronger. Yuji silently memorized this incident and resolved that he would settle this account in the future.

Reflecting on the situation, Yuji could not help but feel that once war began, the great shinobi villages would use any method necessary to secure victory, regardless of morality.

During the village lockdown, Yuji began focusing on improving his physical abilities. He started experimenting with Cell Activation, a technique that stimulated cellular activity to enhance the body’s strength and recovery.

He continued to perform his medical duties at the hospital as usual, but after the assassination attempt, he noticed that ANBU operatives had been assigned to monitor and protect him at all times. Although they concealed their presence well, Yuji could easily detect them with his perception. Even while he slept, someone remained stationed outside his room.

He understood that this was both protection and surveillance. Although he found the constant monitoring uncomfortable, he accepted it without complaint.

His training continued without interruption.

Every day, he went to remote areas of the village to practice taijutsu and strengthen his body. He pushed himself far beyond the limits of ordinary shinobi, repeatedly exhausting his stamina before using medical ninjutsu to accelerate his recovery.

The ANBU assigned to observe him were deeply shocked by his training intensity. Even by ANBU standards, Yuji’s methods were extreme. He trained without hesitation, enduring pain and fatigue that would have forced most shinobi to stop.

Despite his young age, he possessed extraordinary discipline and determination.

The ANBU reported everything they observed to the Third Kazekage.

As a result, the Kazekage remained fully informed of Yuji’s progress.

However, he chose not to interfere.

Based on Arai’s earlier reports, Yuji was far more mature than his age suggested and had a clear understanding of his own abilities and goals. Attempting to guide him like an ordinary child would be unnecessary and potentially counterproductive.

The Kazekage believed that as long as Yuji continued to grow stronger, it would ultimately benefit Sunagakure.

...

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