Uchiha Seiryu [238-240] (Patreon)

Chapter 238: Sand Village Under Lockdown?

"Rules?" Upon hearing this, Ishi Nishigaku's face darkened. "If we're really going to talk about rules, then Jonin Yashamaru, you shouldn't even be allowed to leave the village right now. After all, you can't deny your connection to the Fourth Kazekage's death. The Jinchuriki ran amok while you were assigned to the test mission!"

"What are you trying to do, Acting Kazekage?" At this moment, Baki arrived at the village gate with the former subordinates of the Fourth Kazekage, standing in opposition to Ishi Nishigaku. "The two elders have already reached a conclusion on this matter—Jonin Yashamaru has nothing to do with the Jinchuriki's rampage!"

Seeing this, Ishi Nishigaku's expression turned stiff. With Baki and the former Fourth Kazekage's followers present, the situation became delicate. Although Ishi Nishigaku had his Anbu and Kage Guard, the number of Jonin Baki brought already surpassed his own group.

Moreover, he realized that targeting Yashamaru was a major blunder.

After all, in Sunagakure, where poison users abound, Yashamaru was a rare medical ninja with Jonin-level skills. Most of the village owed him favors, and he was also the Fourth Kazekage's brother-in-law. Even the two elders had to show him some respect. After Rasa's death during the Jinchuriki's rampage, both Chiyo and Ebizo immediately stepped in and declared the incident unrelated to Yashamaru.

"I'm only here to apprehend possible rogue ninjas who might endanger the village!" Ishi Nishigaku shot a resentful look at Baki. Before he became Acting Kazekage, Baki and his people constantly obstructed him. Now that he finally had the title, they still wouldn't acknowledge his authority?

"There's still no verdict from the elders on whether Temari and Kankuro are rogue ninjas, so why are you in such a rush, Acting Kazekage?" Baki said coldly, emphasizing the word "acting."

"But they've been gone so long, and because of that, the Jinchuriki went missing. At the very least, they should be detained and investigated!" Ishi Nishigaku insisted. "How do we know the Jinchuriki who mysteriously appeared in our territory wasn't summoned by them?"

After Baki arrived, Ishi Nishigaku knew it would be impossible to take Temari and Kankuro today. Still, even if he couldn't convict Temari directly, he wasn't about to pass up the chance to smear her. If he wanted to drop the "acting" from his Kazekage title, Temari—his main rival—was his biggest obstacle.

However, at that moment, Temari stepped forward, facing everyone, her gaze burning into Ishi Nishigaku.

"Acting Kazekage suspects my brother and me of colluding with outside forces to steal away the village's Jinchuriki, but have you forgotten who I am? I am the child of the Fourth Kazekage. I grew up here, eating the same food, drinking the same water as everyone else! My loyalty to Sunagakure is plain to see!" Temari declared passionately. "Now you want to accuse me of being a rogue ninja! My father taught me that his authority was given by every villager—being Kazekage isn't just about glory and power, but also about responsibility and duty!"

"And you—are using your position for selfish reasons, accusing your own comrades without evidence. Since when has the Kazekage had such power? The villagers never gave the Kazekage this right! Besides, you're only the acting Kazekage!"

"You—!" 

Temari's righteous words forced Ishi Nishigaku to step back, pointing at her but unable to say anything. After a twitch of his lips, he brought up Gaara again: "Don't forget, the Fourth Kazekage died at your brother's hands! Now he's been rescued from the village's pursuit, and you can't shirk responsibility!"

"Gaara's rampage was just an accident!" Temari stood her ground. "But for the harm he caused, I'll personally bring him back to face the village's judgment."

As she spoke, Temari's expression was heavy, perfectly embodying the struggle of wanting to protect her brother but being forced by circumstances to put duty above family.

"Hmph, I hope you keep your word," Ishi Nishigaku snapped, seeing there was no way to bring down Temari today. He turned and left with his followers.

…

Back at her residence, Temari finally let out a long sigh. From her ninja tool pouch on the table, a communication snake slithered out.

"You handled that well," Seiryu said with a light chuckle. "You have to be like this. If you want to become Kazekage, you can't hide your intentions. By standing up to him, you send a message to those in the village who are still uncertain—showing them you can withstand the pressure from even the acting Kazekage. That's when your Princess of Sunagakure status counts. After all, if they follow you in a coup, they're risking their lives for a shot at greatness. You need to give them confidence to follow you."

"I understand," Temari sighed. "But now, Ishi Nishigaku and I are completely at odds."

"Does it matter? Or rather, that's exactly the result you want." Seiryu smiled. "You have the righteous status. He just got lucky and seized an opportunity. You saw it just now—don't be fooled by his title. Most ninjas here support you because of your father. The stronger you act, the easier it is for him to slip up."

"Is that so? Then what should I do now?" Temari asked.

"Just wait," Seiryu chuckled. "If I'm right, Sunagakure's finances are already in a dire state since you lost your father's support."

Temari's pupils narrowed at the mention of this information, which she hadn't provided.

"Don't look at me like that. Anyone with half a mind in the ninja world could investigate how most of your low-rank mission commissions have shifted to us in Konoha. Your village lasted this long thanks to your father's gold dust jutsu. Without him, Sunagakure would have run out of funds five years ago."

Temari pressed her lips together. What Seiryu said was true.

"So, can you learn your father's Magnet Release?" Seiryu asked.

"I didn't inherit his bloodline," Temari shook her head. "If I could use Magnet Release, I would already be the Fifth Kazekage—no need for all this."

"That does make things complicated," Seiryu replied. "If you can't solve this, even if you seize power, you'll have a hard time toppling the village elders quickly. Your supporters will desert you if you can't deliver on promises."

"Then... what should I do?" Temari turned to a photo of her three-year-old self holding newborn Gaara, with toddler Kankuro on her back, feeling lost.

"Since Naruto asked me to help, I'll see it through," Seiryu said with a smile. "Once you've taken power, Konoha will subcontract some of our C-rank and below missions to Sunagakure, taking only a 10% commission."

Temari stared at Seiryu in disbelief.

"Don't look at me that way. It's mutually beneficial. Konoha has far more low-rank missions than genin can handle. Chunin and jonin end up doing cat-catching and garbage-collecting, wasting resources. Subcontracting to you helps both villages. We're allies, after all."

Thanks to recent preparations, Seiryu and Konoha were ready for ninja system reforms. One issue was the surplus of D-rank missions—if cut, it would harm Konoha's reputation, which had been carefully maintained since the First Hokage. Unlike the Raikage and Tsuchikage, whose credit wouldn't get them a shared bike in Seiryu's old world, Konoha's was precious. By subcontracting to Sunagakure, they'd solve the problem and make a bit of a profit.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Temari said, taking a deep breath. She didn't know why Seiryu would help, but if she wanted to save Gaara's life by becoming Kazekage, she had to rely on him.

…

Kazekage's Office

After returning, Ishi Nishigaku first looked at the portraits of previous Kazekage on the office wall. He'd wanted to hang his own picture after being named acting Kazekage last night, but Elder Chiyo refused, saying he wasn't official yet.

Today's incident at the gate had humiliated him even more.

His desire to eliminate Temari and the Fourth Kazekage's old guard only grew.

He took out a stack of documents and studied them carefully.

If Seiryu were here, he'd be shocked: Ishi Nishigaku was studying Seiryu's own rise to power.

Just as Ishi Nishigaku was searching for inspiration in Seiryu's history, someone knocked on the office door.

"Come in," said Ishi Nishigaku, putting the files away.

"Lord Kazekage," said his trusted aide, now his secretary since he became acting Kazekage, holding a stack of documents with a worried face.

Ishi Nishigaku nodded in satisfaction at being called "Kazekage." That was right—he was the Kazekage, unlike those people who insisted on calling him acting.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Lord Kazekage, the village's funds for next month are severely lacking. We can't even pay the hospital and Anbu salaries," the secretary said anxiously.

"What? How could this happen?" Ishi Nishigaku frowned.

"Most of the previous spending came from the Fourth Kazekage's gold dust jutsu. Now, the money's almost run out," the secretary explained.

"In that case… tell the Anbu and hospital that this month's pay will be delayed," Ishi Nishigaku instructed.

"But, Lord Kazekage, won't the Anbu be upset?" the secretary hesitated.

"I'd pay them now if I could, but the village has no money," Ishi Nishigaku said impatiently. "Explain the situation—they need to know the whole village is tightening its belt."

"Understood," the secretary replied.

"Lord Kazekage, our spy at the Fourth Kazekage's residence saw Baki and Yashamaru take several high-ranking jonin inside."

"Damn!" Ishi Nishigaku slammed the table. "What are they plotting? Do they even respect me as Kazekage?"

The sense of danger grew stronger as he recalled Temari's open defiance at the gate.

'I can't wait any longer.'

Biting his lip, he ordered the Anbu messenger: "Pass my order—three hours from now, Sunagakure will be under full lockdown!"

Chapter 239: The Lockdown

"Lockdown?" The Anbu messenger was stunned by Ishi Nishigaku's order.

"Yes, lockdown!" Ishi Nishigaku nodded. "Some people in the village are trying to subvert Sunagakure. As Kazekage, I must stop them."

"Understood," the Anbu replied and left.

Once alone, Ishi Nishigaku went to a corner of the office, where an exquisite puppet lay. He stroked its face, a rare tenderness showing.

Chakra threads extended from his fingers, connecting to the puppet. It lifted its head, revealing a carefully crafted, lifelike silicone face.

After a moment, Ishi Nishigaku withdrew his chakra, disappointed. He took a crystal coffin from a scroll, inside which lay a woman's corpse, peaceful yet eerie.

"I'll become the true Kazekage. Then, I'll bring back the rogue Sasori of the Red Sand and use his technique to revive you as a human puppet," he said lovingly to the woman in the coffin.

He put it away and looked out the window, steely-eyed.

"If Uchiha Seiryu could become Hokage with a lockdown, I can do the same for Kazekage."

…

Sunagakure Anbu Headquarters

Ishi Nishigaku's secretary gathered the Anbu captain and available personnel to announce the salary delay.

As soon as he finished, the room erupted.

"Is this really the acting Kazekage's order?" the Anbu captain asked in disbelief.

"Yes," the secretary confirmed. "The village is in hard times. We must all work together."

"But didn't they already reduce our pay once?" an Anbu said. "Without money, we can't even cover basic training and equipment."

"The Kazekage understands, but the treasury is empty. He's working on it, but needs time," the secretary explained.

"..." The Anbu wanted to argue, but the captain signaled him to stop and said, "If that's the Kazekage's order, we'll comply."

"Good," the secretary nodded. "With everyone's cooperation, we'll get through this."

"Yes," the Anbu captain replied.

The secretary then rushed to the hospital and medical ninja, who also needed reassurance.

Meanwhile, the Anbu messenger returned to headquarters to deliver the lockdown order.

"Two hours and forty-five minutes from now, the whole village will be locked down," he announced, but noticed his colleagues didn't move.

"Captain? This is the acting Kazekage's order. Shouldn't we get moving?" he asked hesitantly.

"Lockdown?" The captain frowned. With Konoha's precedent, he knew what that meant.

"What is our acting Kazekage thinking?" an Anbu complained. "First he delays our pay, now he wants a lockdown."

"Quiet!" the captain scolded. Publicly criticizing the Kage, even an acting one, was a serious offense.

"Salary delayed? What do you mean?" the messenger asked, shocked.

"Just now, the secretary announced our pay is delayed," the captain sighed.

"What? But they already cut our pay once. If it's delayed, how will I pay my mother's medical bills?" the messenger blurted. His mother had been seriously injured on a mission years ago, and he'd joined Anbu to pay for her care.

The captain could only sigh, knowing the situation.

"The village is struggling. As ninjas, we have to understand," he said apologetically.

"I..." The Anbu wanted to argue, but fell silent at the captain's look.

"Prepare. Recall our comrades in the field. Announce the lockdown in two hours, and be at designated positions in two and a half," the captain ordered.

"Yes," the Anbu replied dispiritedly.

…

Baki and Yashamaru arrived at the Fourth Kazekage's residence. Baki first commented on Temari's actions the previous day, then sighed and described last night's events.

"Temari, we couldn't stop the elders from making Ishi Nishigaku acting Kazekage. We should keep a low profile for now," Baki advised. "He may only be acting, but he now controls the Anbu."

"No, sensei, I see it differently," Temari shook her head. Seiryu had already analyzed the situation for her. "If we back down now, the undecided will lose faith and side with him."

Baki frowned. Temari had a point.

"But isn't it dangerous to confront him now? He controls the Anbu," Yashamaru said worriedly, more concerned for Temari's safety.

"It's fine, uncle, sensei," Temari said. "He only nominally controls Anbu. They follow him because he's acting Kazekage. But the Fifth isn't decided yet—if I have a chance to win, the Anbu won't fully back him. They can't be sure he'll end up in power."

"They'll worry we'll settle scores if we win," Temari calmly analyzed. "We just need to watch his direct forces—the two large Puppet Teams."

"Alright. I'll have people watch the Puppet Teams," Baki said, feeling comforted. Previously, Temari focused on training, leaving politics to Baki and Yashamaru. But after Gaara's disappearance, she finally showed the skills reminiscent of her father, Rasa, in his contest with Pakura for Kazekage.

"Thank you, sensei and uncle," Temari nodded. "Also, keep a close eye on the elders. I suspect Ishi Nishigaku made some deal with them to become acting Kazekage overnight."

"Understood," Baki and Yashamaru nodded. "Take care of yourself."

After they left, the communication snake crawled onto the table.

"Your sensei is loyal, but his perspective is limited," Seiryu commented. "If he'd learned half your father's skills, Sunagakure's power struggle wouldn't have come this far."

Temari fell silent. She hated to admit it, but compared to the world's top regime-changer, they were like children.

"What would you do?" she asked.

"If it were me, after your brother's rampage, I'd mobilize all my forces to seize Gaara while he was weak, claim the rampage was caused by saboteurs, use your princess status to take over Anbu for investigation, then arrest all potential threats on suspicion of causing the rampage—"

Temari's pupils shrank, a chill running down her spine.

Seiryu smiled. "If you want to be like your father, you still have a lot to learn."

Rasa's rise to Kazekage was anything but clean, but Seiryu had to admit—when it came to political maneuvering, Rasa was a natural.

Even without a mentor, Rasa had outplayed Pakura for the Kazekage title.

During his reign, though he was clueless at governing, Rasa firmly held power, with only two elders outside his control. Even after his death, Baki and many jonin supported Temari—proof of his skill.

"So now, we just wait for him to make a mistake?" Temari asked.

"Exactly," Seiryu replied.

…

An hour later, Temari heard commotion outside.

She quickly packed up and called Kankuro, intending to investigate.

As soon as they opened the door, three masked Anbu appeared.

"What are you doing?" Temari frowned.

"Lady Temari, by order of the acting Kazekage, Sunagakure is now under lockdown. No one except Anbu may move freely. Violators will be treated as rogue ninjas."

Hearing this through the snake, Seiryu nearly spat out his tea in the Hokage office.

Uchiha Inaho rushed in. "Lord Hokage, is something wrong?"

"No... just thought of something funny," Seiryu waved him off.

Was Ishi Nishigaku out of his mind? Did he really think Sunagakure could afford a lockdown?

Chapter 240: Can't You Just Climb the Wall?

Honestly, as Temari's coup mentor, Seiryu had considered every possible move Ishi Nishigaku might make—but never expected a lockdown.

Why? Because when Seiryu declared a lockdown in Konoha, he had a loyal force, the Police Force, which even outranked the Hokage at that point. Plus, he had legal authority. But what did Ishi Nishigaku have? Authority over Anbu only because of his acting title—and not enough to make it stick. Plus, lockdowns cost money. Could Sunagakure even afford it? Ishi Nishigaku's move caught Seiryu completely off guard.

"What now?" Temari whispered to the snake after retreating a few steps.

"Try to break through. Flaunt your status as Sunagakure's princess and see how the Anbu react," Seiryu advised.

"Understood," Temari said, striding forward, Kankuro following.

The two Anbu at her door blocked the way.

"Lady Temari, the village is under lockdown. Unless it's urgent, please stay home," one said emotionlessly.

"Do you know who you're talking to? With all that's happening, I, the Fourth Kazekage's daughter, have no right to know? Are you going to detain me? What about my father's sacrifices for the village?" Temari demanded, eyes blazing.

"Move!" She brushed aside the Anbu's hand and strode through with Kankuro.

One younger Anbu started to move but was stopped by his colleague.

"That's enough. We tried. She's the princess—we can't hurt her," the senior Anbu said.

"Isn't this bad, senpai?"

"What's bad? With our current pay, just standing here is enough for the acting Kazekage," the senior snorted.

"We just got out?" Temari and Kankuro were stunned. Those Anbu definitely weren't from their faction—if Ishi Nishigaku wasn't stupid, he wouldn't assign his own men to watch them.

"Looks like I was right. The village really can't pay," Seiryu's voice came. "Those two Anbu must've just had their pay cut, or they wouldn't have let you go."

"Should we go meet up with sensei and uncle?" Temari asked.

"Of course. Gather your people, control Ishi Nishigaku's direct subordinates, then head for the Kazekage building," Seiryu said. "He's imposing a lockdown without a real emergency. Use that as a pretext to oust him."

"As you go, rally villagers to surround the building," Seiryu added. "Move fast, don't give him time to react."

"But... isn't this a violent coup?" Temari said.

"Only if you fail. If you win, it's a revolution," Seiryu replied calmly.

"I see. But if we rally villagers, will the Anbu attack them?" Temari was still worried—everyone in Sunagakure had heard of Konoha's Police Force "six-taps-a-second" riot control.

Seiryu laughed. "Don't worry. Your acting Kazekage doesn't understand what drives that kind of force."

"Alright." Just then, Baki and Yashamaru arrived with their followers, meeting up en route.

"Temari, Kankuro, how are you here? The Anbu didn't trouble you?" Yashamaru asked.

"No," Temari shook her head, then turned to Baki. "Sensei, you and Kankuro take people to the Puppet Teams and control Ishi Nishigaku's loyalists. Kankuro knows the way."

"Uncle, the rest of us head to the Kazekage building, rallying villagers to surround it and demand Ishi Nishigaku step down," Temari commanded.

"A direct coup?" Yashamaru was shocked. "That's violent revolt."

Temari took a deep breath, her eyes firm, repeating Seiryu's words for everyone: "Failure means rebellion. Success means revolution! Sunagakure has fallen into corrupt hands! I won't let my father's village be ruined. Join me and purge this rot—restore Sunagakure's glory!"

"Yes, Princess!" The old guard was inspired.

Baki looked at Temari with satisfaction—she was finally acting like her father.

"Please, sensei, don't let the Puppet Teams support the Kazekage building," Temari said.

"Understood!" Baki replied, leading a squad to the Puppet Teams.

Temari led the rest toward the Kazekage building, encouraging villagers along the way.

Rasa, as Kazekage, had personally mined gold to support the village—a rare act for a Kage, but one the villagers deeply appreciated.

Now, with Temari rallying them, most remembered their debt to the Fourth Kazekage.

Ishi Nishigaku's lockdown order was also seriously disrupting their lives.

So, it didn't take much effort for Temari to gather a large crowd heading for the Kazekage building.

The Anbu assigned to lockdown didn't stop them—after all, at their current pay, just walking the streets was enough.

In less than twenty minutes, the square in front of the Kazekage building was packed, villagers shouting: "Ishi Nishigaku! Step down!"

"Ishi Nishigaku isn't fit to be Kazekage! Step down!"

The noise soon reached Ishi Nishigaku, who had been gazing at the crystal coffin. He rushed to the window, furious at the slogans.

"Didn't I declare a lockdown? What are the Anbu doing?" he yelled for his secretary.

"Uh, the Anbu say most of the crowd are civilians, and they can't attack civilians," the secretary reported.

At that moment, a rotten egg was hurled at the window, smearing it. Ishi Nishigaku was livid. "You still think they're just civilians?"

"They're rioters! Get the Anbu to suppress them—now!"

"Yes!" The secretary hurried to the Anbu captain on duty.

Soon, he returned with bad news.

"The Anbu captain refused your order; they say they can't attack civilians," he reported.

Smash! 

A glass cup shattered near the secretary's feet. Ishi Nishigaku's eyes were bloodshot. "How dare they!"

"But the captain said they'll guard the entrance and won't let anyone storm your office," the secretary added quickly.

"So I'm supposed to thank them?" Ishi Nishigaku snarled.

"Listen up, Ishi Nishigaku! By abusing your authority and ignoring the people, do you deserve the Kazekage's hat? If you know what's good for you, resign, take off the hat, and apologize to Sunagakure's people! Then, maybe, we'll go easy on you!" Temari called from the crowd.

"Damn it! I told the elders we should brand them as rogues, but they wouldn't agree!" Ishi Nishigaku muttered through gritted teeth.

"Lady Temari, what now? Ishi Nishigaku doesn't look like he'll come out," a supporter asked.

"Don't rush," Temari replied calmly. "Wait for sensei's news—once the Puppet Teams are under control, we move in."

"Yes!"

…

Twenty minutes later, Kankuro brought news that the Puppet Teams were secured.

Temari nodded and strode for the Kazekage building.

"Lady Temari, this is a restricted area," the Anbu at the door blocked her.

"Move," Temari said, preparing to force her way through.

"Lady Temari, as the Fourth Kazekage's daughter, you should know that the Kazekage building is off-limits without summons," the Anbu said. "Guarding this place is our duty. Please don't make this difficult for us." Through the comm snake, Seiryu noticed he emphasized "guarding this place."

"Fine," Temari narrowed her eyes and stepped back.

"What now? If we don't get Ishi Nishigaku to step down today, we'll be labeled as violent rebels," Temari whispered.

"If you can't go through the front, can't you just climb the wall?" Seiryu laughed. "He basically told you."

"Climb?" Temari looked at the open first-floor window, incredulous.

With a trial mindset, she walked over, glanced at the Anbu at the door, and, seeing no reaction, climbed in through the window.