strictlysupreme Chapter 778 Melee
Chapter 778 Melee
"The three-way battle was extremely chaotic. In the end, under the impact of the forces, the Loulan Ruins could not withstand the pressure and were completely destroyed. It was because of the destruction of the ruins that Scorpion, Her Majesty, and I were able to escape."
As Feng Ying finished speaking, her gaze shifted to Mabuyi. Mabuyi understood immediately, and at that moment, she cooperated by displaying an extremely sorrowful expression. Her eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up, but she forcefully held them back. It was a kind of strength—a desperate attempt to suppress grief, yet an unavoidable confrontation with reality.
She silently lowered her head, her slender shoulders trembling slightly, as if mourning the lost ancient kingdom of Loulan. Her acting was so realistic that even Scorpion, standing beside her, was slightly surprised. He had originally thought that Mabuyi was just going through the motions, but he hadn't expected her to portray this sorrow so vividly, as if she were truly grieving for the destruction of Loulan.
"Konoha ninja?!"
Upon hearing the words "Konoha ninja," Granny Chiyo's initial joy at Sasori's return was instantly replaced by rage. She abruptly stood up, her aged face contorted with fury, and gritted her teeth as she said, "These insidious bastards! How dare they infiltrate the ruins of our Sunagakure village and try to steal the power of the Dragon Vein?!"
Seeing Granny Chiyo's reaction, Sasori chimed in at the opportune moment: "Yes, Granny Chiyo. Those Konoha ninjas are quite strong. The leader is a blond man who is skilled in the Body Flicker Technique and is incredibly fast. The other two are a man who can multiply his body size and a man who can control insects to attack."
Upon hearing Sasori's description, the elder in charge of intelligence frowned, his eyes gleaming with thoughtful consideration. He quickly identified Konoha ninjas who matched these characteristics.
"A blond man, skilled in the Body Flicker Technique, incredibly fast... Could this be Konoha's 'Yellow Flash,' Minato Namikaze?!" The intelligence elder's voice was filled with shock and disbelief.
"The ability to multiply one's body is a secret technique of the Akimichi clan! The ability to control insects in battle is a technique used by the Aburame clan of ninjas!" another elder immediately added.
The faces of all the high-ranking officials turned extremely grim. Minato Namikaze was one of Konoha's top ninjas, renowned throughout the ninja world for his astonishing speed. The Akimichi and Aburame clans were also traditional powerful clans of Konoha, their secret techniques powerful and unique. Now, Konoha ninjas infiltrating the ancient kingdom of Rouran...
"Lord Kazekage, this...this is absolutely unacceptable! My abilities are limited, far inferior to yours! I cannot possibly assume the position of Kazekage!"
His refusal was sincere. Although he longed to become the Kazekage, the prestige and strength of the Third Kazekage were beyond his reach. Moreover, the fact that the Kazekage was resigning so soon after his return made him very uneasy.
However, Kazekage remained steadfast in his opinion. He slowly stood up, walked to Luo Sha, and solemnly handed Luo Sha an armband representing Kazekage's identity.
“Luo Sha, you don’t need to refuse. I have seen your abilities. Everyone has witnessed your contributions to the village over the years, turning the tide for us. I have decided that you will inherit this armband.”
The Kazekage's tone was unquestionable, carrying an air of authority that brooked no refusal. Seeing this, the other high-ranking officials present tacitly accepted the Kazekage's decision. After all, the disappearance of the Third Kazekage was indeed a responsibility, and coupled with the Daimyo's budget cuts to the village over the years, Rasa had single-handedly supported the village through adversity, demonstrating extraordinary leadership. His appointment as the Fourth Kazekage seemed perfectly reasonable, considering his experience, abilities, and the support of the people.
Luo Sha gripped the armband tightly, feeling its heavy weight. A flicker of excitement crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination. He raised his head and looked earnestly at Feng Ying.
"Lord Kazekage, I... I will never fail your trust!"
Having settled the issue of Luo Sha's succession, Feng Ying returned to his seat. His gaze swept over the high-ranking officials present once more, and his tone became serious.
“In that case, regarding ‘Operation Hurricane’…” Feng Ying paused, his tone carrying a strong sense of confidence, “I agree to this operation, and I have decided to personally lead the charge!”
However, before Feng Ying could finish speaking, a chorus of objections erupted in the conference room. Almost half of the senior executives simultaneously interrupted him, their voices filled with anxiety and opposition.
"Lord Kazekage, this is absolutely impossible!"
"We are merely cooperating with the Iwagakure village's operation; Lord Kazekage need not personally intervene!"
"Yes, Lord Kazekage has just returned to the village and still has a lot of things to handle. The reconstruction and development of the village cannot be separated from your guidance!"
"Lord Rasa is more suited to leading troops on the front lines. Lord Kazekage, you will be able to better fulfill your role by staying in the village and overseeing things!"
The high-ranking officials spoke up, but their core principle was singular: the Kazekage must not be allowed to go to the front lines in person! They had just welcomed the Kazekage back; how could they let him take such a great risk again? Moreover, now that the Kazekage was back, the village had a leader, and they hoped that the Kazekage could stay in the village and lead them to rebuild Sunagakure.
Through his spiritual perception, Zhang Hai clearly "saw" the expressions on the faces of all the high-ranking officials in the conference room. The worry, anxiety, and unwavering determination on their faces clearly told him that these Sand Village leaders were genuinely afraid of the Third Kazekage suddenly disappearing again. They had only just regained hope and naturally did not want the Kazekage to risk his life on the front lines again.
Zhang Hai couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. He'd truly shot himself in the foot! His original plan was to use his status as the Third Kazekage to directly intervene in the Shinobi World War, thereby gaining more control and paving the way for his subsequent actions. But now, if he were truly trapped in the village by these high-ranking officials, his movements would be severely restricted.
"This is troublesome," Zhang Hai muttered to himself. He had a premonition that after this meeting, the Sunagakure ANBU ninja would definitely keep a close eye on the Kazekage puppet under the pretext of "protecting the Kazekage's safety." Even Sasori would probably not be spared. After all, he had noticed that Granny Chiyo's gaze had never left Sasori since he appeared.
He regretted not having considered this beforehand. Although he had successfully taken control of the powerful Sunagakure village, he himself was now in a predicament. He had an important meeting with Haku in a few days, and if he couldn't escape unscathed, it would be an even bigger problem.
However, faced with so many opponents, Zhang Hai knew he couldn't fight them head-on. As the Third Wind Shadow, he couldn't appear too autocratic, lest he arouse unnecessary suspicion. Weighing his options, he could only go with the flow and agree to the higher-ups' proposal.