Chapter 619: Ye Cang: I Have a Dream!
Chapter 619: Ye Cang: I Have a Dream!
Indeed, the source of Sunagakure's suffering was the aristocracy.
With already limited resources, the aristocrats' monopoly directly strangled their lifeblood, forcing them to bow to the nobles to survive.
To further weaken them, they even refused to give them mission quotas, instead giving them to Konoha, pushing them to take risks.
And this wasn't just a one-time occurrence.
Ye Cang witnessed how Tang Ping dealt with the aristocrats while at the Heavenly Castle.
Especially with the example of Kirigakure, knowing the benefits of breaking free from the nobles, her attitude was clear.
Confronting the aristocrats!
Ye Cang naturally disliked those who were too entangled with the nobles.
"I support Ye Cang!"
Chiyoki suddenly spoke up.
This stunned everyone present.
Her earlier suggestion to elect a new Kazekage had already made people feel uneasy, but at least she hadn't openly voiced her support for Ye Cang, giving many hope.
Now that she had spoken, the decision seemed all but final.
Although many supported Gaara, they were either unable to fight or had close ties to the aristocrats, facing mainstream rejection.
In the presence of a Kazekage, the power of Sunagakure naturally rested in their hands.
But without a Kazekage, all power fell to Chiyoki.
'What's going on?'
The elders and Jonin who supported Gaara looked at each other, completely baffled, wondering what had happened to make Chiyoki change her mind so drastically, almost as if she had been brainwashed.
Only Ye Cang recalled their previous conversation.
During their pre-meeting exchange, she had laid out several trump cards.
First, she stated that Kirigakure's transformation was the work of the Heavenly Castle.
Regarding Kirigakure's changes, Chiyoki, even without personally visiting, had a vague idea through intelligence that the village was now completely different from before.
With this example, she naturally had no worries about the Heavenly Castle's ability to protect Sunagakure and also had a way out.
If even Kirigakure had surrendered to the Heavenly Castle, what was the big deal about Sunagakure's surrender?
Furthermore, Ye Cang revealed that the Heavenly Castle had just conquered the Forest of Death and officially entered a state of potential conflict with Konoha.
With this, the relationship between the Heavenly Castle and Konoha was no longer a concern.
Although Sunagakure didn't mind bowing to Konoha, they would never truly surrender.
The grudges between them ran too deep!
This information also served as a warning.
If the Heavenly Castle could conquer the Forest of Death and successfully kill the Toad Immortal, what harm could come from surrendering to such a powerful force?
Besides demonstrating strength and influence, the Heavenly Castle now controlled most of Sunagakure's supplies and commerce, and Ye Cang stated that if she didn't become the Kazekage, these would be cut off, and she would create a 'New Sunagakure', just like the current New Kirigakure.
Moreover, she wasn't without a foundation.
The ninjas she had trained from the Land of Wind would form the initial core.
If this were all, Chiyoki's support for Ye Cang would still be a difficult decision, but the final condition that was revealed made her choice clear.
The resurrection of her son and daughter-in-law.
Indeed, this condition was specifically offered by Tang Ping.
Resurrecting powerful figures like Akatsuki Leader, Hashirama, and White Fang... would likely be closely monitored by the Six Paths, and they might even be stopped or targeted before their revival.
But in the case of Scorpion's parents, Chiyoki's son and daughter-in-law, there was absolutely no risk.
Of course, Chiyoki must hand over the 'Rebirth Technique'.
She had nearly completed this forbidden technique, as reported by Konan.
Chiyoki, who had dedicated her life to the village, would never betray Sunagakure for her son and daughter-in-law.
However, if the conditions were similar or even better, there would be no issue with supporting Ye Cang as the Kazekage.
Naturally, Chiyoki would also send people to investigate the New Kirigakure and expedite the resurrection.
If they deceived her...
Even if Ye Cang became the Fifth Kazekage, Chiyoki would make them pay dearly.
She has the ability and the determination to do so.
So, after hearing the conditions, Chiyo immediately agreed without hesitation.
After all, by siding with the Heavenly Castle, Sunagakure would only improve and be free from the aristocracy's constraints.
The benefits far outweighed the cost!
It was no wonder, then, that Chiyo's sudden change of heart was like flipping through a book, and even Ebi-zo was caught off guard, let alone the others.
"I vote for Ye Cang!"
Ebi-zo, although unaware of Ye Cang and Chiyo's conversation, had already received a hint, so he made his choice without hesitation.
"I also vote for Ye Cang!"
...
The votes for Ye Cang as Kazekage skyrocketed instantly.
Chiyo's prestige in Sunagakure was so high that her leadership directly influenced a large number of people.
Even some Jonin and elders who had previously sided with Iai were swayed to change their minds.
In the end, there was no need to count the votes.
Ye Cang walked to the center of the conference room and proclaimed loudly to the countless eyes:
"I have a dream!"
"To ensure that no villager in Sunagakure will ever worry about food or fear being buried by sandstorms!"
...
The classic "I have a dream" speech began.
Ye Cang, being from Sunagakure, understood their pain points and addressed them directly.
"I guarantee that I can solve these problems and make Sunagakure great again!"
Indeed, with the support of the Heavenly Castle, she was confident in resolving issues related to food, security, and the environment.
And her promise to "make Sunagakure great again" was not an empty one.
After all, the Heavenly Castle didn't care about titles; as long as they served them faithfully, even keeping the same name wouldn't be an issue.
Just look at the Mist Hidden Village, which has completely transformed into the shape of the Heavenly Castle, or rather, Tang Ping's vision, never to return to its previous state.
It's not the Heavenly Castle that wants to change its name; it's the others.
And so, Ye Cang successfully rose to power.
Whether everyone was convinced or not, she had achieved her goal of ascending to the top.
Moreover, it didn't end there. As soon as the meeting concluded, the villagers were gathered for the Kazekage coronation ceremony.
Suddenly, a massive sandstorm rose in the south of Sunagakure.
"Kazekage-sama, three enormous steel monsters are flying low towards the village, and they're almost here!"
An Anbu member reported.
The reason they discovered it so late was due to the direction from which the monsters appeared.
The south!
There were no supply points or anything in that direction; thousands of kilometers of desert were a no-go zone, making it impossible for any problems to arise.
Sunagakure's primary defenses had always been focused on Konoha to the east and the Stone Village to the north. The other two directions were nothing but sand, and they wouldn't waste any more energy than necessary beyond regular outposts.
"The supplies I 'purchased' have arrived; let's go and welcome them!"
Ye Cang signaled to the Sunagakure ninja leaders beside her, referring to the items she had 'purchased.'
Of course, she said 'purchased,' but who knows if it was a purchase?
Whoosh! Ye Cang, donning the Kazekage hat, rushed out of the village first.
Sunagakure was surrounded by a circle of stone walls hundreds of meters high to protect against sandstorms.
There was only one entrance and exit, which they were heading towards now.
Chiyo, Ebi-zo, Maki, and Gaara followed closely behind.
"Pfft, with the village's money, we can't even afford ninja tools, and now we're 'purchasing'... might as well just say it's from the Heavenly Castle."
Kan Kyuu muttered under his breath, only to be tapped on the head.
It was Temari! She glared at him with an intense look.
Of course, it was obvious to everyone.
Ye Cang's rise to power was to leverage the strength of the Heavenly Castle behind her to counter Konoha.
This was what they wanted to see, and if they didn't see it, they'd keep it to themselves.
If he dared to speak out again, he might find himself 'suicided' with seventeen kunai in his back.
Soon enough,
The group passed through the towering cliff passage and reached the outskirts of the village, where they witnessed the 'visitors' up close.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
