"The Land of Wind is just ahead."
Another day passed, and the Konoha allied forces finally reached the border. Once they crossed, they would be inside the Land of Wind.
Seeing the drastically different terrain, Nawaki grew even more excited.
He couldn't wait to fight Bunpuku.
If he defeated him quickly, he might even get the chance to deliver the final blow to Rasa.
The thought alone almost made him chuckle.
"Still, we should stay cautious."
"Sunagakure must have made preparations by now."
Kakuzu's logic was sound. He kept his eyes fixed ahead, his expression calm.
Under normal circumstances, Sunagakure would have stationed forces to intercept them.
But things didn't always go as expected.
"Don't worry, we already sent scouts ahead."
Nawaki wasn't the type to make rookie mistakes. Before setting out, he had arranged for a few Hyūga ninja to infiltrate the Land of Wind in advance.
"Good."
"I'll follow your lead."
Since the groundwork was already in place, Kakuzu saw no need to overthink things. His only concern now was his battle with Rasa.
"No problem."
A confident smile spread across Nawaki's face as he pressed forward without hesitation.
With him leading, the Konoha forces marched straight into the Land of Wind without stopping.
...
The moment they stepped onto the desert terrain, a wave of dry heat hit them. The temperature was significantly higher than in the Land of Rivers.
"This place is brutal," Kakashi muttered as he pulled up a mask he had prepared in advance.
He had expected harsh conditions, but not to this extent.
No wonder the Land of Wind had remained poor for so long—developing an economy in an environment like this seemed nearly impossible.
I wonder how Aunt Tsunade plans to govern it after we take it over.
"The environment may be bad, but the Land of Wind is still the largest country in the ninja world."
"There has to be something useful here," Kurenai said as she ducked behind Kakashi, using his body as a shield against the swirling sand.
"It's just big, that's all."
"We've been walking forever, and I haven't seen a single person—or even a bird."
Guy scanned the horizon, but all he saw was endless dunes.
"Watch your step. Don't get bitten by any poisonous creatures."
"Some of them are deadly."
Rin stomped on a small sand scorpion that had wandered too close. Obito instinctively stepped in front of her.
"How dangerous could something that small be?"
Asuma sounded unconvinced, thinking Rin was just trying to scare them.
"It's not that bad."
"If you get bitten, just cut off the affected area."
Rin flashed a sweet smile, as if she didn't mind people questioning her expertise.
"A little poisonous?!"
The moment she said that, everyone's faces changed.
Instantly, all attention shifted to the ground. None of them wanted to be the fool who got taken out by a bug.
...
As they bantered, one of the Hyūga scouts returned from their reconnaissance.
"Lord Nawaki."
"We didn't find anything."
The scout reported truthfully, but Nawaki frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean, nothing?"
His eyes widened. What was going on?
"There's no sign of Suna ninja."
"They haven't set up any defenses along the way."
"Our captain and the others have expanded the search and moved further ahead."
Even the Hyūga scout seemed doubtful, unsure of what kind of trick Sunagakure was playing.
"Hiss—"
"Rasa wouldn't just accept that he can't win and gather all his forces for a last stand against us, would he?"
Nawaki thought it over for a moment before settling on what seemed like the most reasonable explanation.
"I don't know."
The Hyūga ninja didn't dare to answer recklessly. If things turned out differently, he had no intention of taking the blame.
"Got it. Report back if anything changes."
"You're dismissed."
After sending the scout away, Nawaki fell into endless speculation once again.
But he had already dismissed the correct answer—so how could he possibly guess the truth?
Kakuzu remained indifferent, showing no interest in getting involved.
With no immediate threats in sight, the Konoha allied forces continued their steady advance.
However, after receiving the same report multiple times from different Hyūga scouts, Nawaki started to feel that something was off.
They had already been in the Land of Wind for two days.
It was impossible that Sunagakure hadn't noticed them.
Even if they were preparing for a final battle, there was no reason for not a single Suna ninja to appear.
A troubling thought surfaced in Nawaki's mind.
One he refused to accept—he had been looking forward to settling an old score.
"Could it be that Sunagakure isn't planning to resist at all?"
Confusion clouded Nawaki's thoughts as he turned to Kakuzu for confirmation.
If Kakuzu denied it, at least he could hold onto some hope.
"Given the current situation, it's not impossible."
But Kakuzu's response was not what Nawaki wanted to hear.
He was blunt as always, unconcerned with Nawaki's feelings.
And truthfully, he found the idea of Sunagakure surrendering completely reasonable.
"No, no way."
"You don't understand Rasa."
"He's not the type to bow his head."
Nawaki shook his head repeatedly, refusing to believe it.
In reality, he didn't know Rasa well—he had only fought him once during the Second Shinobi World War.
"Is that so?"
"Then he's probably waiting inside the village for a final battle."
Kakuzu's tone remained indifferent, responding with little interest.
By now, the Konoha army was already close to Sunagakure.
"Yes, that must be it."
Hearing the answer he wanted, Nawaki's frustration quickly turned into excitement again.
But when he arrived near Sunagakure and saw the village gates wide open...
His expectations were shattered.
"They actually... actually..."
Nawaki pointed at the open gates, too furious to speak.
In front of the entrance, several unarmed Suna ninja stood holding white flags.
Their decision was clear.
"...Avoiding a war—isn't that a good thing?"
Kakuzu smirked at the thought of not having to fight a battle that wouldn't make him any money.
"Good. Very good."
Nawaki slowly lowered his hand, awkwardly accepting reality.
"Oh well, no fight then."
Kakashi shrugged, though he wasn't particularly disappointed.
Most of them had already suspected this outcome.
It was only Nawaki who had been eager for battle.
"Hmph, at least they had the sense to surrender."
Kurenai crossed her arms, a strong sense of pride welling up inside her.
This was her village—winning without fighting.
As the group chatted, Nawaki gathered himself and walked toward Sunagakure's gates.
"Konoha, Nawaki Senju."
"You've chosen to surrender, correct?"
He stood before the Suna ninja holding the white flag, confirming it once more.
"Yes."
"It was the final order given by Lord Kazekage before stepping down."
"You may lead your forces into the village now."
The Suna ninja lowered his head slightly, filled with humiliation—but perhaps also a trace of relief.
"Lead the way."
Nawaki didn't overthink it. He wasn't worried about an ambush.
And even if there was one, he had nothing to fear.
"Understood."
The Suna ninja turned and led the way, the white flag still held high.
The vast Konoha army followed in an orderly fashion, marching into Sunagakure.
...
The streets were deserted.
Only a few windows were cracked open, with countless villagers silently peeking out to observe the situation.
When Nawaki finally met Rasa again, he saw the former Kazekage bow respectfully before him.
Gone was the proud young warrior he had once faced in battle.
At that moment, Nawaki truly believed it—this was real.
That day, Sunagakure surrendered.
Not long after, the Daimyō of the Land of Wind also bowed to the Land of Fire.
Now, there was only one final piece left in Konoha's plan to unify the ninja world.