God-Tier Kazekage: Building the Ultimate Hidden Sand Village

After resolving a series of minor matters, the meeting finally reached its most critical stage.

"What are your suggestions for the new Jinchūriki of the One-Tail?"

Tap. Tap...

The Kazekage's fingers lightly tapped the surface of the table. Though the sound was faint, in the pin-drop silence of the meeting room, the crisp rhythm of his fingers striking the wood resonated like the beating of a drum, weighing heavily on everyone's minds.

At this moment, Sōmi opened his eyes. This was the most pressing matter at hand, and he had no interest in engaging in the meaningless bickering over trivial affairs that had preceded it.

The Tailed Beasts were synonymous with danger and terror, yet they were also symbols of power and strength, direct reflections of a nation's status.

Kumogakure's perfect Eight-Tails Jinchūriki had injected a dose of encouragement into Sunagakure, which had yet to fully harness the power of its own Tailed Beast.

"Since our village has so many geniuses, why not choose one of them to become the Jinchūriki?"

Sōmi reached out, picked up the promotion list, and flipped to a specific page.

"Hmm~ This Takahashi Shigeo seems like an excellent candidate!"

"Besides, Elder Takahashi has so many talented subordinates. Once the One-Tail is sealed within Shigeo, you can simply keep him under watch at your residence. That would save the village a lot of trouble..." Sōmi said with a smile, his tone tinged with mockery.

"Ah! Shigeo is too inexperienced and unfit for such an important responsibility. Besides, my household only has a few average guards," Elder Takahashi quickly responded, his face changing drastically as he forced a smile.

"If the Tailed Beast were to rampage, I wouldn't mind if it harmed my family. What I fear is that failing to suppress the One-Tail in time would bring even greater harm to the village..."

Sōmi turned to the Genpei clan head, his smile widening, though it did not reach his eyes. "What about your Genpei clan? Do you have any such geniuses?"

"Well... if even Elder Takahashi doesn't have such talents, my subordinates are just common merchants and laborers. There's no way we'd have anyone like that..." The Genpei clan head awkwardly stammered, his face stiffening.

"If neither of your clans has any outstanding talent, then why does this promotion list show that the combined achievements of your two houses are nearly three times that of everyone else?"

"With such remarkable accomplishments, it's hard to believe there isn't even one or two exceptional geniuses among them..."

Sōmi's gaze swept across Elder Takahashi and the Genpei clan head.

"Uh... Maybe it was just luck," the Genpei clan head weakly explained.

"Luck? Luck that allowed them to kill Jōnin from Kirigakure and Konohagakure?"

"Why don't you bring out the luckiest member of the Genpei clan to spar with me? Let's see if they can 'luckily' beat me."

The sarcasm in Sōmi's tone was unmistakable.

Faced with Sōmi's provocation, the Genpei clan head could only cough awkwardly and pretend not to hear.

"If that's the case, then in the next war, we'll send the ninja from your two clans as the vanguard to repel the invaders!"

"After all, your two clans supposedly have the most 'elite' and 'lucky' forces in Sunagakure..."

Sōmi continued, ignoring the darkened expressions of Elder Takahashi and the Genpei clan head.

"If that's not possible, then this promotion list is absolutely problematic! Falsifying achievements disrespects the fallen, is unfair to others, and tarnishes the reputation of Sunagakure!"

"I propose that all members of the Takahashi and Genpei clans on this list be removed!" Sōmi's voice grew louder, and the word "removed" landed like a heavy hammer on their hearts.

But in the next instant, an even harsher voice erupted.

"Preposterous!"

"Whether it's the Takahashi clan or the Genpei clan, they are all part of our village. They fought on the battlefield for the sake of the village. How can their achievements be so easily dismissed?"

"Promotion decisions are for the Kazekage to make fairly. We cannot interfere!"

Ebizō's stern reprimand echoed through the room, though a hint of concealed approval could be seen beneath his feigned anger.

"Understood! Your guidance is well taken, Elder. I overstepped!"

Sōmi quickly reined in his fervor, bowing his head in apology to Ebizō and the Kazekage, his demeanor completely different from his earlier impassioned rhetoric.

Elder Takahashi and the Genpei clan head exchanged glances, their eyes filled with frustration, but there was nothing they could do.

If they voiced opposition now, it would seem as though they were trying to prove they had geniuses among their ranks. And if they did, selecting one of them as the new Jinchūriki would undoubtedly pass with unanimous approval from the Kazekage's faction.

That would only bring trouble upon themselves...

But if they didn't oppose, they would have to watch as Sōmi and Ebizō worked in tandem to shift the decision-making power entirely to the Kazekage. This left them feeling deeply dissatisfied.

"So, Kazekage, do you have any candidates in mind?" Elder Takahashi's gaze fell on Sōmi, his intentions blatantly obvious.

Granny Chiyo's lips moved slightly, as though she wanted to say something. But after a brief hesitation, she fell silent, refraining from mentioning the plan she had discussed with Rasa when the Kazekage was unconscious.

Given the current situation, it wasn't yet necessary to entrust such a grave responsibility to an unborn child.

Doing so would not only deal a fatal blow to the young mother but also carry an extremely low success rate, given Sunagakure's immature sealing techniques.

Rasa glanced at Granny Chiyo, their eyes meeting. It seemed they understood each other's thoughts, but Granny Chiyo subtly shook her head.

Rasa, surprised, opened his mouth to speak but ultimately remained silent.

"I volunteer to become the Jinchūriki of the One-Tail!"

In the eerie silence that had enveloped the meeting room, Sōmi's voice rang out like thunder piercing through darkness, causing most of those present to tremble.

Even Elder Takahashi, whose resentment toward Sōmi was evident, now wore an expression of utter shock.

Faced with the confusion and disbelief of those around him, Sōmi remained calm, his demeanor as composed as if he were casually stating that he wouldn't eat dumplings during the New Year.

"Sōmi... you?"

The Third Kazekage was equally astonished. After all, Sōmi was currently one of Sunagakure's most valuable combat assets. If the sealing process failed and he lost his life, it would be a significant blow to the village.

Sōmi nodded solemnly at the Kazekage, indicating that his words were not spoken on impulse but were the result of careful consideration.

Before acquiring the Starfall Rod, his lack of Chakra was a glaring weakness. Sōmi's body, devoid of any advantageous bloodline, had become a major obstacle to his growth in strength.

To fully master Magnet Release, an immense amount of Chakra was essential to unleash its terrifying power.

Otherwise, he would end up like Rasa—a "gold miner" who could only dominate weaker opponents.

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