Capítulo 46: Chapter 46: The Kazekage's Disappearance
"Is it... Kankuro?"
Hearing Hattori mention this name, Karura looked surprised.
"I didn't expect you to know about him. He's a really skilled ninja! I remember Rasa once told me that Kankuro was his favorite ninja when he was young."
As she spoke, she gave Hattori a teasing smile.
"I used to think you didn't like Rasa, but it seems you actually do! Otherwise, why would you know his favorite ninja? You must have put in quite some effort to find out! You're not as straightforward as you pretend to be!"
She even reached out to pinch Hattori's slightly chubby cheeks.
Hattori: "(-ω-)"
As if I'd like that guy, Rasa!
Hattori wanted to argue, but he couldn't find a good reason to explain how he knew. It wasn't like he could say he had watched *Naruto*, after all.
And with Karura looking so convinced, she clearly saw her theory as "the truth," so any further explanation would just make him look stubborn and defensive.
Realizing there was no way to clarify, Hattori simply let it go and channeled his frustration into food, eating and drinking heartily.
Seeing him act like this, Karura seemed even happier and asked him with a smile.
"Oh, by the way, Hattori, you think the baby in my belly is a boy, right? How are you so sure?"
"Just a guess!"
"What if you're wrong?"
"Then Rasa can eat dirt for all I care!"
"Pfft… Stop it! You're terrible..."
...
In his weakened state, Hattori's daily life was simple and dull, filled with eating, sleeping, and occasionally poking fun at Rasa.
In contrast, Rasa, sitting in his office as the Kazekage, felt restless and uneasy.
This wasn't because Hattori was cursing him behind his back or because of the many administrative duties in the village. It also wasn't due to any bad news from the front lines.
The reason for his anxiety was the Third Kazekage.
Half a month had passed since the Third Kazekage set off for the Eastern front. According to the plan, they should have received some update from the front lines by now.
Whether the Sand Village won or lost to the Leaf Village, there should've been news, but no reports had come back.
"Could it be that the Third Kazekage altered the plan last minute?"
With this thought, he decided to wait a little longer.
However, another half month passed, and still, no word or sign of the Third Kazekage's return.
Finally realizing something was wrong, Rasa sent his trusted aides, Baki and Yashamaru, to the Eastern front to look for the Kazekage and see what was going on.
But to his astonishment, when Baki and Yashamaru returned, they reported that the Third Kazekage had never arrived on the Eastern front!
The Third Kazekage was missing!
Hearing this, Rasa felt as if lightning had struck him—he was completely stunned.
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, he immediately went to the Eastern front to speak with advisors Chiyo and Ebizo, explaining everything and asking for guidance.
Chiyo and Ebizo, understanding the severity, returned to the Sand Village and quickly gathered all of the village's top officials to discuss a response.
The conclusion of their meeting was unanimous: they needed to search!
As the village leader, the Third Kazekage was revered as the "strongest Kazekage," both in skill and reputation.
If they failed to bring him back, the loss would be a massive blow to the Sand Village, with consequences beyond what anyone could imagine.
So, all the Sand's leaders agreed to mobilize their elite forces and every available member of the ANBU to search for the Third Kazekage with all their might.
The matter soon spread widely, and within days, the entire village knew of the Kazekage's disappearance, causing widespread panic.
Of course, Hattori learned about this too, but his reaction was different from the worried villagers.
Upon hearing of the Kazekage's disappearance, he couldn't help but glance towards the Kazekage's office.
"That cunning old fox, the Third Kazekage… Did he really just go down like that? What a pity!"
As a hardcore fan of *Naruto*, Hattori knew a great deal about this world.
For instance, he had predicted this day would come ever since he learned of Sasori's defection.
Sure, he could have prevented this by warning the Third Kazekage about Sasori's defection, urging him to be cautious.
After all, according to the original storyline, Chiyo once said that Sasori had attempted to assassinate the Third Kazekage but failed.
Although it's unclear why the Kazekage didn't kill Sasori after that, he would likely be more vigilant upon learning of Sasori's defection, reducing the risk of being killed.
But Hattori chose to act as if he knew nothing, for only one reason: loyalty.
Hattori knew his position well. As Chiyo's personal disciple, if he reported her grandson's defection, it wouldn't matter if the Kazekage believed him or not—he could never face Chiyo again.
Moreover, even if people didn't openly judge him, they'd likely look down on him for it.
In the end, he'd be an outcast with a tarnished reputation.
Compared to that, it was much better to act oblivious.
After all, if the Third Kazekage died, they'd have a Fourth; if the Fourth died, they'd have a Fifth. Why should a kid like him worry?
With this mindset, he felt only mild regret upon hearing of the Kazekage's disappearance and nothing more.
But one thing did concern him. According to the original story, the Sand Village sent so many ninjas to search for the Kazekage that enemies took advantage of the opportunity to attack the village, causing chaos and heavy losses.
Since this was related to his safety, Hattori didn't dare to ignore it.
While the villagers speculated on the Kazekage's disappearance, he quietly sought out Chiyo to offer a warning.
"Chiyo-sensei, I heard that many people went out to look for the Kazekage. This is important, of course, but I think we shouldn't neglect the village's defenses. If enemies attack while our forces are away, we could suffer severe losses."
"Hmm?"
Chiyo blinked, then affectionately patted his head with a look of approval.
"I'm impressed you thought of that. Good job. But don't worry; the Sand Village isn't that easy to invade."
"Uh..."
Hearing her "reassuring" words only made Hattori more uneasy.
He had a sinking feeling that things were about to go very wrong.
*(End of Chapter)*
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Belamy_2024
Belamy_2024 do you know kenshi in steam?
what mod to install for beginner?
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