"How dare Rasa!"
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind roared in fury within his palace. Ever since he received news that Rasa intended to break their alliance, he had been consumed by uncontrollable rage.
To him, shinobi were nothing more than guard dogs, trained to obey. Toss them some funding and missions, and they would wag their tails obediently. Never did he expect Rasa, this so-called dog, to turn around and try to bite its master.
Since the time of the Third Kazekage, the Daimyo had been gradually cutting Sunagakure's budget.
Back then, he at least offered excuses, citing the Land of Wind's barren terrain and economic struggles.
But after Rasa took over and lost the Third Shinobi World War, the Daimyo saw no need for pretense anymore.
Funding was cut without restraint.
If not for Rasa's Gold Dust kekkei genkai, which allowed him to cover Sunagakure's financial shortfalls, the village would have collapsed long ago.
However, there was never enough to truly develop the village.
Over time, the Daimyo continuously tested Sunagakure's limits.
To him, they were nothing but failures.
The Second Shinobi World War? Lost.
The Third Shinobi World War? Lost.
They had never won a war, so why should he continue funding them?
If Konoha's shinobi were superior, wasn't it only natural to outsource missions to them?
After all, if you could hire the best, why settle for mediocrity?
Besides, Sunagakure and Konoha were supposed to be allies, weren't they?
But Rasa's betrayal…
That—the Daimyo could not tolerate.
Shinobi needed to be kept on a leash.
Otherwise, with their level of power, they would become unstoppable threats.
This was an unspoken rule among the great nations.
And now, Rasa wanted to break free.
That meant only one thing—
He had to be dealt with.
The Daimyo's officials watched nervously as their lord's breathing grew heavy, his chest rising and falling like a bellows stoking a fire.
One of them finally stepped forward and spoke cautiously.
"Lord Daimyo… is it Rasa that troubles you?"
Without a word, the Daimyo threw the intelligence report onto the table, gesturing for them to read it.
"These are highly confidential matters. Do not let this information leak."
The men in the room were his most trusted subordinates. There was no risk of betrayal.
Besides, Sunagakure was so poor that no one would even bother trying to bribe them.
"This is… impossible."
"Rasa actually… if this is true, we're in serious trouble."
The officials stared in shock as they read through the report.
They knew all too well the disaster a rogue shinobi could bring.
Just look at missing-nin across the world—those who went rogue often carved out their own kingdoms, unstoppable unless faced by other shinobi.
If Sunagakure spiraled out of control, the Land of Wind would be in grave danger.
And worse—the Daimyo would become a laughingstock.
"This issue must be resolved immediately," one minister declared grimly.
If Sunagakure wasn't brought to heel, they wouldn't just lose control—they would lose all respect.
"I will never compromise!" the Daimyo snapped, grinding his teeth.
Rasa had gone too far.
If he yielded now, it would set a dangerous precedent.
Sunagakure would grow bolder, making one demand after another for more funding, more independence.
That could not be allowed.
And he wasn't the only one who thought so.
The aristocrats and ministers of the Land of Wind had ruled for centuries—they had no intention of bowing to a military force they viewed as mere tools.
But now, they had to act fast.
One official stepped forward and gestured for the room to be cleared.
"Lord Daimyo… what if we simply eliminate Rasa?"
The chamber fell silent.
"Once Rasa is dead," the official continued, "we install a new Kazekage—one more… cooperative.
And of course, we will subtly guide the selection process to ensure the next Kazekage remains loyal to you."
"Naturally," he added, "this must be done in absolute secrecy."
The Daimyo hesitated, then asked,
"An assassination? But… can it succeed?"
As much as he despised Rasa, he knew that a Kage was no ordinary target.
Rasa was always surrounded by elite guards. His Gold Dust ability made him incredibly difficult to kill.
Would this even work?
The official smiled.
"If you are willing to offer a generous bounty, the right shinobi can be hired."
"The underground Bounty Exchange is filled with mercenaries willing to take on discreet and difficult missions.
And even if the attempt fails, we lose nothing."
That struck a chord.
The Daimyo slammed his palm against the table.
"Then let's do it."
"I will allocate five hundred million ryo for the bounty. Will that be enough?"
"For a Kage? Yes, that would be sufficient…"
The Daimyo smirked.
"Then let's make it eight hundred million ryo—just to be sure."
Rasa was now, in his mind, the sole cause of this rebellion.
As long as Rasa was removed, the next Kazekage would have no choice but to submit.
They would bow their heads like obedient subjects, stop trying to build a military, and cease selling off Wind Country's resources.
That way, things would return to normal.
With a satisfied expression, he nodded.
"Make the arrangements."
The official bowed low.
"Rest assured, Lord Daimyo.
This matter will be handled flawlessly."
The conflict between the Land of Wind and Sunagakure was reaching an irreconcilable breaking point—one side fought for the Daimyo's dignity, the other for the village's survival.
After making his decision, Rasa felt a pang of unease. He had the courage to reform, but breaking the one-country, one-village system was another matter entirely. He could force himself to choose for the sake of Sunagakure, yet deep down, he couldn't help but feel a trace of fear.
But there was no better alternative.
Without the Daimyo's funding, the only force that could support Sunagakure was the Keikou Trading Company.
To secure this alliance, Rasa had already planned to offer significant benefits—perhaps even inviting the company to join Sunagakure.
If they refused, he was prepared to go even further.
A seat on the Council. Maybe even two seats.
As long as he could gain their full support, Rasa was willing to make concessions.
Besides, Keikou Trading was an external force—even if they held a council position, they wouldn't wield actual power within the village, at least not while Rasa remained Kazekage.
He was confident he could keep them in check.
Even with Pakura's close ties to them, it made no difference.
In fact, Rasa's patience with Pakura had already worn thin.
Once this crisis was over, he planned to eliminate her.
Let her die as a "hero" of Sunagakure.
The Meeting at the Kazekage's Hall
Rasa solemnly invited Keikou Sanmoku to the council chamber.
Nearly all of Sunagakure's high-ranking officials were present.
Including Pakura.
Keikou Sanmoku feigned surprise at the grand welcome, raising his brows as if startled.
Pakura, standing beside him, smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Sanmoku. This just means Sunagakure values Keikou Trading immensely."
Sanmoku exhaled as if composing himself, then chuckled lightly.
"I see… I suppose I was just taken aback by so many important figures in one place."
Taking a seat across from Rasa, he smiled and got straight to the point.
"So, Lord Kazekage, what business brings me here today?"
Rasa's expression remained unreadable.
"Sanmoku-san, the injustice your company has suffered in the Land of Wind is an issue I cannot ignore.
As Kazekage, I take full responsibility for this.
From today onward, Sunagakure will personally ensure your company's mining operations are no longer obstructed.
You may resume full-scale extraction immediately."
His words drew several glances from around the room.
'So, the Kazekage has made his decision.'
Many among the Sunagakure leadership came to the same conclusion.
Sanmoku beamed with delight.
"Truly? That is wonderful news, Lord Kazekage! This is a tremendous help.
If this issue had remained unresolved, I would have been in quite the predicament."
Rasa nodded calmly.
"This is only right."
Then, he shifted the conversation.
"Sanmoku-san, there is another matter I'd like to discuss.
Would your company be interested in forming a deeper alliance with Sunagakure?"
Sanmoku's expression flickered slightly.
"A deeper alliance? And by that, you mean…?"
Rasa's tone remained firm.
"Sunagakure is willing to grant Kaikan Trading a seat on the Council—in exchange for priority supply of materials.
Furthermore, we will provide full shinobi protection for your operations.
And in return…"
Rasa began listing out several potential agreements, many of which surprised even Sunagakure's own high-ranking officials.
To some, this felt eerily similar to the village's previous arrangement with the Daimyo.
Sanmoku hesitated, then let out a light sigh.
"I'm afraid I can't give an immediate answer, Lord Kazekage.
This is a matter I must report to our family head."
Rasa nodded.
"Of course. That is expected.
If possible, I would like to meet with your head personally."
He had never intended for Sanmoku to decide this alone.
If Sanmoku agreed on the spot, Rasa would have been even more suspicious.
Sanmoku's expression turned serious.
"I will relay your request exactly as it is."
With that, the meeting concluded.
Though this was merely an opening discussion, it was enough to set rumors ablaze among Sunagakure's leadership.
Rasa, however, issued a strict gag order—no information was to be leaked.
Should anyone break this order, ANBU would hunt them down.
Meanwhile…
At that moment, far from Sunagakure, Hyuga Mirai was deep in his work, perfecting the Space capsules.
Suddenly, a holographic display flickered to life before him.
The screen revealed Unit 18, wearing a mischievous grin—a near-perfect replica of Anya's signature smirk.
Hyuga Mirai winced as his Tenseigan throbbed from the sheer absurdity of the sight.
"…Alright, alright. Before you say anything, drop that expression.
18, when it comes to smiling, I suggest you learn from Sara instead of trying to figure it out yourself."
Letting out a sigh, he rubbed his temples.
"Now, what were you saying?"
18 returned to her usual calm demeanor before continuing.
"The Kazekage has extended an invitation to the Keikou family head for negotiations in Sunagakure.
The message came from Kaikan Sanmoku himself."
She then pulled up a recorded transmission of Rasa's proposal, reconstructing the exact footage from Sanmoku's point of view.
Hyuga Mirai's lips curled into a smile.
"Everything's going smoothly, I see.
Alright then, 18—you go handle this in person.
I'll join in when the time comes."
The moment was near.
Sunagakure would soon be in their grasp.
(End of Chapter)
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