Chapter 45: Being Sold and Gossip in the Hidden Sand Village
Camels bare their teeth beneath the scorching sun.
Humans bare theirs in anger.
At that moment, inside a secure conference room on the top floor of the Kazekage Building—
A Sunagakure elder slammed both hands onto the table and shot to his feet. His furious gaze swept across the council before finally settling on the Fourth Kazekage.
"The Hidden Mist has no sincerity whatsoever!"
"Damn it! Isn't it just a two-front war?"
"Give me two thousand ninja, and I'll march straight into the Land of Water. I'll drag those water-spitting bastards back here and use them to cool off the village!"
Rasa calmly folded his hands beneath his chin.
"Excluding the wounded, the retired, and those no longer fit for combat," he said flatly, "Sunagakure currently has exactly 1,721 battle-ready ninja."
Bang!
The elder slammed the table again.
"Then give me five hundred!"
"I'll borrow a route through Konoha, storm the Land of Water, and capture enough Mist ninja to use as bargaining chips."
Rasa merely glanced at him before shifting his attention elsewhere.
His gaze swept across the room before pausing on the two empty seats beside him.
They belonged to Chiyo and Ebizo.
Ever since he became Kazekage, the siblings had gradually stepped back from power and retired behind the scenes.
"Rasa."
Another elder frowned.
"The Hidden Mist demanding Pakura's life before negotiations have even begun is absurd."
"Don't imitate those fools in Konoha who cut off their own arms."
"We cannot betray one of our own."
"Hm."
Rasa gave a slight nod.
Seeing no one else speak, another elder lightly tapped the table before addressing everyone.
"The Daimyō has slashed our funding."
"Sunagakure's decline is already inevitable."
"As Kazekage, Rasa has personally used his Magnet Release to gather gold dust and keep the village afloat."
"He even sealed Shukaku into his own son, Gaara, in the hope of strengthening the village's military power."
"Everything he's done has been for Sunagakure."
"As for Pakura..."
"I believe Rasa has his reasons."
Another elder immediately fired back.
"That isn't a reason to trade a comrade for peace."
"Even if we compromise..."
"What if the Hidden Mist accepts Pakura and tears up the agreement anyway?"
The room erupted into heated argument.
Today's gathering had been intended as nothing more than a routine council meeting.
Instead, Rasa had opened it by dropping a bombshell.
The Hidden Mist had agreed to negotiate peace—
—but only if Sunagakure handed over Pakura.
Everyone had assumed the Kazekage himself would reject such a demand more fiercely than anyone else.
Instead...
Judging by his expression, he had already made up his mind.
"Rasa!"
"Konoha has the Will of Fire."
"Sunagakure has the Will of Wind."
"Trading away one of our own for peace is nothing less than tearing out the village's roots."
"Unless I suffer a stroke and end up in the hospital today, I will never approve this proposal."
"Exactly!"
"If you want my approval, I'd have to be trapped inside a genjutsu."
"Simple."
"If knives suddenly rain from the sky and stab me into the hospital, then maybe I'll vote yes."
"..."
Listening to the uproar, Rasa silently pulled a folded document from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"Everyone has value."
"The Hidden Mist's offer..."
"...is worth more than Pakura."
"That is my answer."
"...?"
Confused looks spread throughout the room.
One elder rose to his feet, picked up the document, and began reading.
As the contents came into view, Rasa quietly continued.
For the briefest moment, traces of guilt, determination, and fatherly affection flickered across his face.
"Our current top-tier combat strength consists of only four people."
"Myself."
"Pakura."
"Ebizo."
"And Chiyo."
"With Advisors Chiyo and Ebizo retired, our already limited high-level forces have become even thinner."
"The younger generation has produced very few exceptional talents."
"That weakness cannot be ignored."
He slowly closed his eyes.
"When I sealed Shukaku inside Gaara..."
"...I never asked for his consent."
His voice grew noticeably quieter.
"But if Gaara can truly master the One-Tail..."
"Sunagakure will permanently possess another supreme combat asset."
"That would benefit both him... and the village."
"Pakura is undeniably valuable."
"As one of only two Bloodline Limit users in the village, her importance cannot be overstated."
"But compared to a controllable Tailed Beast..."
"...she must come second."
The elder holding the document couldn't stop his hands from trembling.
He swallowed.
"It has long been rumored..."
"...that the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, possesses perfect control over his Tailed Beast."
He looked toward Rasa.
"If we hand Pakura over in exchange for that method..."
"...what if the Hidden Mist still breaks its promise?"
"Hmph."
Seeing the resistance beginning to waver, Rasa finally let out a slow breath.
"I naturally have a way to ensure we receive the complete method."
"As proof of their sincerity..."
"The Hidden Mist recently sent two Bloodline Limit users, along with half of the Tailed Beast control technique."
"We've already verified it."
"It is genuine."
"Yagura's mastery over his Tailed Beast is not a miracle."
"It can be artificially replicated."
An elder interrupted.
"What exactly does the Hidden Mist gain from all this?"
"Is Pakura really worth that much to them?"
"Konoha."
Rasa answered with a single word.
"..."
The room instantly fell silent.
Then understanding dawned across every face.
The Hidden Mist intended to eliminate Pakura while appeasing its own pro-war faction with revenge.
Once the conflict with Sunagakure ended...
They could turn their attention back to Konoha.
As for sharing the Tailed Beast control method—
Part of it was payment for Pakura.
The other part was an investment in a future alliance against the Leaf.
And if the Hidden Mist betrayed them afterward...
The two villages would simply destroy each other together.
After the document finally made its way back to him, Rasa looked around the table.
"Gentlemen."
"Cast your votes."
"Hmph."
One elder calmly pulled several kunai from his pocket.
Without hesitation, he tossed them straight into the air.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The blades came raining down.
He neither dodged nor defended himself.
Several kunai struck him squarely.
Then...
He collapsed to the floor and fainted.
Rasa's eyelid twitched.
His gaze shifted to the next elder.
"Ugh..."
The man suddenly grabbed his throat.
His eyes rolled back.
Foam gathered at the corners of his mouth before he collapsed, convulsing violently.
Anyone watching would have believed he needed immediate medical attention.
Otherwise...
He looked ready to die on the spot.
"Hmph."
Suppressing the urge to curse, Rasa turned toward the third elder.
Before he could even speak—
The old man stared blankly ahead, as though trapped inside a genjutsu.
"The village's foundation..."
"Our foundation is very sturdy..."
"Losing one root doesn't matter..."
"The village's foundation..."
"Our foundation is very sturdy..."
"Losing one root doesn't matter..."
"...Old fox."
Rasa muttered through clenched teeth before looking at the final elder.
"And you?"
The man coughed lightly.
"The Hidden Mist probably wouldn't mind helping me get rid of Uchiha Asuka."
"And?"
"I recently developed a new ninjutsu."
"I'd like the Kazekage to evaluate it."
He formed a series of hand seals.
Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu.
Water burst from his mouth, forming a perfect sphere around him.
The elder calmly stepped inside.
Moments later...
He began blowing bubbles.
Less than a minute later—
He drowned himself inside his own Water Prison.
After all...
Supporting the village's interests was one thing.
Taking responsibility for selling out a village hero was another.
He refused.
---
Author's Note
Sigh...
To be honest, I still can't understand why Sunagakure betrayed Pakura in canon.
If the elders truly wanted her dead, the most reasonable option would've been to send her into an unwinnable battle and let her die "heroically" after taking down countless enemies.
Handing her over to the Hidden Mist is simply the least profitable decision imaginable.
So... I had no choice but to come up with a reason.
Also, yes—Pakura is the heroine.
A living heroine.
The protagonist has a system. He's not awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan through emotional trauma.
As for sacrificing the heroine...
After all these years, the only novel I've personally seen do that is Douluo Dalu.
Pakura, still fighting on the front lines, and Asuka, currently serving as an instructor in Sunagakure...
Neither of them had the slightest idea that the village leadership was already preparing to sacrifice them both.
---
Beneath the shade of a large tree—
Asuka was enthusiastically explaining the true future of puppet techniques to Kankurō.
"Sunagakure's puppet arts are already among the finest in the shinobi world."
"But..."
"...they're still not good enough."
Kankurō blinked while chewing on a fried chicken drumstick.
"Not good enough?"
"Hm."
Asuka nodded solemnly.
"Whether it's Granny Chiyo's White Secret Technique: Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets Collection..."
"...or Sasori's Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets..."
"They both pursue quantity."
"Not quality."
He cautiously glanced around.
After making sure no one was paying attention, he secretly pulled a small Transformer model out of his storage space and placed it in front of Kankurō.
"Puppet materials have to be the absolute best."
"Whether it defeats the enemy isn't even the most important part."
"When it lands..."
"...the crater should be at least as big as your house."
"They say a puppeteer's soul lives within their creations."
"But souls are unreliable."
"So why not..."
"...put the puppeteer inside instead?"
He pointed at the model.
"You sit inside."
"One hand controls movement."
"The other controls the weapons."
"Install a loudspeaker in its mouth."
"Every time you unleash a technique..."
"...shout its name loud enough to shake the battlefield."
"Whether you win or lose..."
"...the entire ninja world will remember your name."
"Kankurō."
"Your reputation will surpass even Monzaemon, the founder of puppet techniques."
Kankurō's imagination instantly ran wild.
His eyes sparkled.
"Really?"
"When your ultimate puppet is complete..."
Asuka tucked the model back into storage.
"...Granny Chiyo will be nothing more than an old relic of history."
"Sasori of the Red Sand?"
"He'll be someone you defeat in a single move."
"As for the rest of Sunagakure's puppeteers..."
"They're not even worth mentioning."
Before he could continue—
An elderly voice interrupted him.
"So..."
"I've heard Uchiha Fire Release is renowned throughout the ninja world."
"This old relic..."
"...would like to see it for herself."
Chiyo had appeared without anyone noticing.
Asuka casually cleaned out his ear.
"When Kankurō helps me build the ultimate puppet..."
"...I'll gladly challenge you to a puppeteer's duel."
"Heh."
Without hesitation, Chiyo kicked Kankurō aside.
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"You've been in Sunagakure for quite some time now."
"Over two months."
Asuka sighed.
For over two months, he'd been eating sand.
In another ten days or so...
He could finally return to Konoha.
During those two months...
His ANBU captain had practically monitored his every move.
He had to report his whereabouts every single day.
It was as if missing even one report meant he'd immediately defect.
"So..."
"You've made quite a fortune from Sunagakure."
Chiyo's sour expression made Asuka's eye twitch.
"That's not how you should look at it."
"I've saved your village a fortune in food expenses."
"And cut down on countless unnecessary costs."
"This old woman recently heard something rather interesting."
"I wanted to ask you about it."
"What is it?"
Asuka looked at her suspiciously.
He couldn't figure out where she was going with this.
"Where exactly..."
"...do all the ingredients for your food come from?"
"..."
Asuka rubbed his chin.
The system could create food out of thin air.
There was no reasonable explanation for it.
Normally, whenever clan members asked, he simply claimed he'd bought the chickens somewhere else.
After thinking it over for a moment, he shrugged.
"Trade secret."
"No comment."
"I see."
Chiyo nodded calmly.
"I recently heard..."
"...that tens of thousands of chickens have mysteriously disappeared from the Land of Lightning."
Without missing a beat, Asuka shook his head.
"That has nothing to do with me."
"Who would travel all the way to the Land of Lightning just to steal chickens?"
His system generated them.
How could that possibly count as stealing someone else's poultry?
Chiyo merely smiled without saying anything.
When she'd first heard about the missing chickens...
Her immediate thought had been Uchiha Fried Chicken.
After all...
The chicken tasted remarkably similar.
Especially the texture.
---
That night—
Asuka returned home.
The first thing he saw was his ninja cat enthusiastically chewing on Pakura's sofa.
"Chubby."
"How many times have I told you not to chew on other people's furniture?"
"I'm teething."
The orange cat let go of the sofa before happily leaping into Asuka's arms.
"I think something happened to your giant, chubby captain's family."
"What happened?"
"I think someone died."
"...?"
Seeing Asuka's puzzled expression, the cat gestured animatedly with both paws.
"When I returned to Konoha today..."
"...she looked completely distracted."
"She kept muttering..."
"'Shinnosuke has to be safe.'"
"So..."
"I think the Third Hokage's son ran into trouble during a mission."
"No way..."
Asuka instinctively looked toward the direction of Konoha.
If he remembered correctly...
The Third Hokage eventually had a grandson.
Konohamaru.
Wasn't his father Sarutobi Shinnosuke?
But according to everything he'd heard...
His captain and Shinnosuke didn't even have children yet.
If Shinnosuke died now...
Then where exactly would Konohamaru come from?
Seeing Asuka lost in thought, the orange cat poked him in the chest.
"Oh."
"I also overheard some interesting gossip here in Sunagakure."
"..."
Asuka shook himself out of his thoughts before lifting the cat by the scruff of its neck.
"Chubby."
"How many times have I warned you?"
"Stop relying on your size to eavesdrop everywhere."
"If you spend enough time by the river..."
"...you're bound to fall in sooner or later."
"What if someone catches you?"
"How am I, the official spy, supposed to rescue you?"
"I won't get caught."
The cat stretched lazily.
"So..."
"Do you want to hear it or not?"
"It involves Granny Chiyo too."
Asuka set the cat down on the table, opened a can of cat food, and replied lazily,
"Go on..."
"Tsk."
The cat grinned after seeing Asuka's obvious curiosity.
"Do you know what Rasa's been up to lately?"
"What?"
"He's secretly keeping two women with Bloodline Limits hidden outside the village..."
"...behind his wife's back."
"...?"