Kazekage Ninja: The Rise of the Hidden Sand

The kidnapping of Kushina Uzumaki still occurred, but this time, the perpetrators were not Iwagakure ninja but Kumogakure shinobi. Their goal wasn’t merely to steal the tailed beast; it was, in large part, an act of revenge.

The chaos caused by the rampaging Eight-Tails couldn’t possibly go without investigation by Kumogakure. Although Orochimaru had executed his plan with meticulous stealth, Tutai of Kumogakure managed to uncover some clues through his intelligence network. Coupled with Konoha’s inexplicable troop buildup along the Fire-Lightning border during that period, all signs pointed to Konoha as the culprit behind the sabotage.

Although there was no direct evidence and the Eight-Tails, now with a new Jinchuriki, had no memory of the incident, Third Raikage A and Getsukami Kouichi were not the kind of men who needed evidence to pick a fight. If they wanted to hit someone, they would hit them.

However, Konoha was not Iwagakure. With its strength and resources, dealing with Konoha was no small task. Moreover, since Konoha had stationed troops at the Fire-Lightning border, not only did they refuse to withdraw, but they also began constructing semi-permanent fortifications, as if planning to settle there for the long haul.

Initially, Getsukami Kouichi had intended to launch a series of small-scale raids. However, to his surprise, the Konoha garrison not only had well-fortified camps but also highly disciplined defenses, complete with strategically placed sentries and traps. After several skirmishes yielded no advantage, he learned that the commander of Konoha’s forward troops was none other than the seasoned veteran, Sakumo Hatake.

This left the Third Raikage and Getsukami Kouichi in a dilemma. Kumogakure wasn’t yet prepared for an all-out war with Konoha, but leaving this grudge unsettled was equally unacceptable. While the father and son pondered their next move, Tutai, the head of Kumogakure’s Anbu, proposed an idea.

"Why don’t we take inspiration from the bold feat of the Third Kazekage, Jing Hang, who set fire to the Tsuchikage’s tower? We could organize a specialized force for a covert operation."

This suggestion immediately piqued the interest of the Third Raikage and Getsukami Kouichi.

However, Konoha was not as vulnerable as Iwagakure had been back then. During the Third Kazekage’s attack, Iwagakure’s main forces were engaged on the Earth-Lightning border, leaving the village defenseless. In contrast, Konoha still had more than half its ninja stationed in the village, maintaining a tight defense. Burning down the Hokage’s tower would not be so easy.

Tutai smiled faintly. "Of course, we can’t aim for such a grand target. Why not focus on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki instead?"

Since the death of Mito Uzumaki, the widow of Hashirama Senju, Konoha had replaced the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki with a young girl from the Uzumaki clan. "Capturing her shouldn’t be too difficult," Tutai suggested. "It would not only humiliate Konoha but also weaken their strength. Why not?"

The Third Raikage immediately approved the plan, ordering Tutai to select operatives and draft a strategy. Tutai acted swiftly, assembling a twenty-man special operations team led by three elite "Alphabet Squad" members.