The day passed quickly, and Nawaki had already led his army across most of the Land of Rivers.
Just as he was in the middle of telling Kakashi and the others about his experiences in the Second Shinobi World War, he was suddenly interrupted by shouts from behind.
"Lord Nawaki!"
A Konoha ninja rushed forward at full speed.
"What is it?"
Nawaki frowned slightly. Being interrupted right at the climax of his story was truly annoying.
"The Akatsukigakure squad has arrived."
The Konoha ninja delivered the message concisely, not daring to waste a single second.
"Kakuzu is here?"
Nawaki's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected the Akatsuki ninja to arrive so quickly.
Originally, he had planned to wait for Kakuzu at the border, but now it seemed that wouldn't be necessary.
"Yes, and leading them is that idiot who tried to assassinate Lord Kawakaze."
The Konoha ninja spoke without restraint, making no effort to hide his 'admiration' for Kakuzu.
"Watch your words."
"That's all in the past."
"He's on our side now."
"Calling him an idiot—where are your manners?"
Nawaki barely held back a laugh as he put on a stern face and reprimanded the ninja.
This kind of talk couldn't be allowed to spread. Otherwise, Kakuzu would be put in an awkward position.
Even if no one said anything outright, just their looks alone would probably be enough to make him uncomfortable.
"Sorry, I misspoke."
"It's Lord Kakuzu of Akatsukigakure."
Under Nawaki's correction, the ninja quickly changed his wording.
"That's better."
"Take me to see Kakuzu."
Although Nawaki had the status to put on airs, he remained humble.
"We're coming too!"
Kakashi and the others, naturally, wouldn't miss out on the excitement.
"Let's go."
With a wave of Nawaki's hand, a group of people followed the Konoha ninja toward the back of the formation.
When they arrived, they saw Kakuzu leading a sizable force of Akatsuki ninja trailing behind the main army.
"Konoha, Nawaki Senju."
Nawaki took a deep breath and composed himself before stepping forward—he was genuinely afraid he'd burst out laughing.
He hadn't been directly involved in Kawakaze's scheme against Kakuzu, but he knew the details inside and out.
Just thinking about how his brother-in-law had tricked Kakuzu so thoroughly made it hard to keep a straight face.
"Kakuzu."
This was their first official meeting.
Kakuzu knew full well that the man standing before him was Kawakaze's brother-in-law, yet he had no choice but to remain calm.
At least he didn't have to deal with Minato—that man was a true enemy.
If he had to face Minato, there was no way he could have introduced himself so calmly.
"With your presence, we are even stronger."
"I hope we can work well together this time."
Nawaki chose his words carefully—polite and diplomatic, leaving no room for complaints.
"I am here on orders. I will do what is required."
Compared to Nawaki, Kakuzu was much colder.
But Nawaki understood.
Honestly, the fact that Kakuzu wasn't openly hostile was already proof of his restraint.
After all, what Kawakaze had done back then was truly ruthless.
Who frames someone, strips them of everything, and then locks them away for years?
"Why don't we have the Akatsuki ninja integrate with the main force first? Let everyone get familiar with each other."
"It'll help us coordinate better on the battlefield."
A single army couldn't have two commanders—Nawaki was asserting his authority.
He could compromise on many things, but not command.
Whether for Konoha's strategic advantage or for easier management, he had no intention of yielding control.
"Hm."
Kakuzu simply nodded, not bothering to argue.
Akatsukigakure already functioned as Konoha's private force, and he had no interest in leadership anyway.
"Merge the two forces!"
At Nawaki's command, Konoha's troops and Akatsuki's ninja began integrating into a single unit.
Before long, they had fully merged into a unified army and continued advancing in formation.
Nawaki walked alongside Kakuzu, making his way back toward the front.
Along the way, Nawaki did most of the talking, while Kakuzu only responded occasionally.
It wasn't exactly a friendly conversation—more like the bare minimum for having someone by your side.
...
"I heard he's seventy years old."
Kakashi and the others whispered among themselves a short distance behind.
"Seriously?"
"You can't tell at all."
Kurenai's eyes widened in shock, though she kept her voice low.
"No way."
"He's older than my grandfather?"
Guy was equally stunned. From Kakuzu's appearance, there was no way to guess his age.
At most, he just looked... a bit ugly.
"He must be using some kind of secret technique to maintain his youth."
"Otherwise, it wouldn't align with the natural aging process of the human body."
As a medical-nin, Rin naturally approached it from a scientific perspective—and what she said made perfect sense.
"Yes, that must be it."
Obito spoke up from behind Rin, offering his unconditional support.
"You're right."
"Did you see the scars on his body?"
"He has five hearts—five lives."
"..."
Kakashi continued speaking enthusiastically, showing off his knowledge about Earth Grudge Fear.
Seeing the eager curiosity in his friends' eyes, he felt a strong sense of accomplishment.
Of course, if it were another group, he wouldn't have bothered saying so much.
As they enjoyed their discussion, Kakuzu, on the other hand, was growing tired of it.
He wasn't particularly familiar with Nawaki, and he wasn't in the mood for small talk—nor did he care to listen.
"Nawaki, why don't we discuss our strategy for dealing with Sunagakure?"
Kakuzu took the initiative to find a common topic, making things less awkward for both of them.
Nawaki disliked awkward silences, and Kakuzu didn't want him to think he wasn't willing to contribute.
"Sure. What's your plan?"
As soon as they got down to business, Nawaki's energy returned.
"You have the Sword Samehada, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you handle the Jinchūriki, and I'll take care of the Kazekage."
"Whoever finishes their fight first will assist the other."
"Sound good?"
Kakuzu had no interest in wasting time on ordinary Suna ninja. From the start, he split Sunagakure's two strongest forces between them.
"No problem."
"Works for me."
Nawaki wasn't the type to insist on fighting Rasa out of pride. With a reasonable strategy in place, he had no objections.
"Then it's settled."
"Looking forward to working together."
For the first time, Kakuzu managed a slight smile. Nawaki responded with one of his own.
...
With their plan set, Sunagakure's leadership reconvened.
The meeting room was silent as ever, but when Rasa entered, his gaze was resolute—he had already made up his mind.
The moment he sat down, he announced his decision.
"There's no need for further discussion."
"I've made my choice."
"First: Master Bunpuku does not have much time left. The Sealing Team must prepare to extract and seal the One-Tail."
"Second: Sunagakure will surrender to Konoha unconditionally."
"Third: Effective immediately, I will step down as Kazekage."
Rasa's words struck like thunder, his three declarations sending shockwaves through the room.
"This isn't necessary yet, Lord Kazekage!"
Most reacted immediately, thinking his decision was far too hasty.
"There's nothing more to say. My mind is made up."
"Our priority now is handling Master Bunpuku's passing."
"I will personally oversee the sealing of the One-Tail."
"If anyone insists on fighting, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Rasa's voice was firm, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room—no one dared to meet his eyes.
Only now did the reality of the situation truly sink in.
With crises both inside and out, Sunagakure had no choice but to surrender.
If they stubbornly chose to fight, they risked the One-Tail losing control, which would spell complete disaster.
Countless civilians would be caught in the chaos, and with Konoha's forces pressing in, the village's survival rate would be abysmal.
Rasa had made the most reasonable decision possible. His resignation as Kazekage was driven by guilt.
As the Sealing Team's leader left with Bunpuku, Rasa had no reason to stay either.
When he walked away, only Karura remained, watching his departing figure with a heart full of sorrow.