In truth, besides Pakura spreading these rumors, Shindai was also spreading them.
Shindai's method of spreading rumors was much more straightforward and crude.
He prepared many scrolls identical to Pakura's scroll. During missions, wherever he went, he simply threw them everywhere—leaving it to whoever found them to handle.
Thanks to Pakura's efforts, most Sand ninja already knew about the scroll contents, so even if they picked one up, they wouldn't react dramatically.
But the Mist ninja didn't know. As soon as they learned the contents of the scroll, they spread the news like wildfire.
Within a few days, it had reached the Rock ninja too, and even Kumo's secluded village had now caught wind of it.
What truly surprised everyone, though, was that Onoki actually issued a statement.
And this statement turned out particularly ridiculous.
[The secret I've hidden for years has finally come to light… Back during the Second Great Ninja War, I fell head-over-heels for Chiyo—the "Flower of the Ninja World" from Sunagakure. With Ebizō's help, we had a romantic encounter. Learning that Rasa is my son made me incredibly happy and touched. Never would I have expected my own son to become the Kazekage of Sunagakure. Indeed, nothing less than what my illegitimate son should achieve!]
...
Inside a tent at Konoha's base camp, Shindai was rolling on the ground laughing hysterically, clutching his stomach as if he'd pass out any second.
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara watched Shindai laugh uncontrollably, fearing he'd go into convulsions.
Rin sighed helplessly and tried to reason with him. "Shindai, you've been laughing nonstop for an hour straight! Take a break before you pass out from lack of oxygen! And seriously, the floor here is filthy—please stop rolling around on the ground!"
Shindai grabbed onto Obito's pants and slowly started climbing upward.
Obito desperately held onto his pants, barely stopping Shindai from yanking them down. "What are you doing?! Stop pulling my pants! Rin's right here!"
Kakashi rolled his eyes, stuffed his hands in his pockets, pressed his lips together beneath his mask, and muttered darkly, "So… Does that mean it'd be okay if Rin wasn't here?"
Obito frowned angrily and shouted, "Even if Rin weren't here, it still wouldn't be okay!"
Still massaging his aching stomach from excessive laughter, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes, Shindai wheezed between gasps, "I can't take it anymore… I'm literally dying of laughter! That old geezer Onoki really is one of a kind. He even publicly claimed a Kage as his own son, and made sure to highlight that Rasa was an illegitimate child! Oh man, I'd kill to see the looks on Rasa and Chiyo's faces right now!"
Rin looked confused and asked, "But why would that Tsuchikage issue such a statement? Doesn't this damage his reputation instead?"
Wiping away the tears at the corners of his eyes, Shindai replied to Rin, "No, no, no—it doesn't harm his reputation at all. It actually boosts his image! Kakashi, Obito—think about it. Imagine Chiyo, once famously called the 'Flower of the Ninja World,' secretly having a relationship with Onoki and bearing a son who later became the Kazekage himself. Now, tell me, isn't that impressive?"
Kakashi and Obito exchanged glances before saying in unison, "Now that's a move..."
Rin Nohara frowned and asked, "But come on, isn't this all made up?"
Shindai shrugged, "So what? It's not Onoki getting humiliated—it's Rasa, Chiyo, and the whole Sunagakure. Now they've become a big laughingstock. Honestly, I didn't expect Onoki to get pulled in too. So much fun!"
Shindai laughed again while holding his stomach.
As Shindai was enjoying himself, inside the Kazekage Building of Sunagakure,
Rasa was gripping a scroll with one hand and a piece of paper with the other, his veins bulging, crumpling both the scroll and the paper.
It wasn't just the scroll and paper that twisted—the expression on Rasa's face had also contorted. Sitting opposite him, Ebizō looked like he'd just eaten something foul.
Suddenly, Rasa slammed the table violently and roared through gritted teeth, "Which bastard spread these rumors?! That damned old bastard Onoki! How dare he show his face and claim I'm his illegitimate child! His whole damn family are my bastards!"
Rasa ranted nonstop for half an hour before finally calming down. Throughout the entire time, Ebizō remained silent, allowing Rasa to vent his anger.
Afterward, Rasa asked Ebizō, "Advisor Ebizō, what should we do now? Should we issue a clarification immediately?"
Ebizō nodded solemnly, "Clarification is necessary. After all, there are always some people gullible enough to believe such nonsense."
Then Rasa asked gravely, "Advisor Ebizō, regarding Sasori..."
Ebizō replied, "There's no concrete evidence linking Sasori to the Third Kazekage's disappearance. However, it's true that Sasori also vanished on the same day as the Third Kazekage. Perhaps both were attacked by unknown assailants simultaneously."
Since Sasori was his grandson, naturally Ebizō was inclined to defend him.
Rasa narrowed his eyes slightly.
Attacked by unknown assailants at the same time?
Rasa found that hard to believe.
He knew Sasori was reclusive and rarely left his workshop, so their interactions had always been limited.
Although the Third Kazekage acknowledged Sasori's talent in puppetry, their relationship was merely that of superior and subordinate.
The confirmed location where the Third Kazekage disappeared was outside the village.
That night, why did the Third Kazekage go outside the village alone with Sasori? What couldn't be discussed within the village?
And why did Chiyo and Ebizō try to cover up the fact that Sasori vanished on the very same day as the Third Kazekage?
Something clearly felt off.
Yet Rasa didn't intend to dig deeper. After all, Chiyo and Ebizō held more authority and influence than me—the current Kazekage. Plus, the ongoing war still needed their strength.
"So, what's our next move? Shall we pretend nothing's happened and continue fighting against the Konoha Ninja and the Mist ninja?"
Ebizō suggested, "Let's call Sister back first. These rumors will interfere with her command. Have other ninja take over tactical command for now. Also, this war has already reached its later stages. Old man Onoki is holding back—he must be planning something big against Konoha. We should wait for that moment and then strike Konoha when they're weakened."
He turned to The Fourth. "Try reaching out to Raikage A now."
Rasa asked doubtfully, "Why contact him? Haven't they already withdrawn from the war?"
Ebizō replied firmly, "It only looks like that on the surface. Kumogakure is also waiting for an opportunity. Moreover, the new Fourth Raikage will want to prove himself now that he just took office—he won't refuse cooperation with us."
"You've seen for yourself, The Fourth," Ebizō continued, "how resilient Konoha has been in this war. Even when attacking them at their weakest, our chances of victory remain slim. Therefore, we need allies—and Kumogakure is a solid option."
After thinking briefly, Rasa nodded in agreement. "Alright then, I'll start working on contacting Kumogakure right away."
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