"Showing up this late—just tell me what you want," Rasa said bluntly.
Toroi ignored the irritation in Rasa's tone and immediately laid out the idea of an alliance.
Though the Hidden Cloud Village always prided itself on not being inferior to Konoha, they couldn't deny the strength Konoha held. So if they could pull the Hidden Sand Village into their side, that would be ideal.
After hearing Toroi's proposal, Rasa was personally tempted. His time in Konoha thus far had been nothing short of suffocating.
"I'll report this to the Kazekage."
Of course, a matter of this magnitude wasn't something Rasa could decide alone—even if he was the strongest candidate for the next Kazekage. Despite his pride, he understood the rules of the shinobi world well enough.
"Naturally," Toroi replied, not the least bit surprised. After all, this proposal to ally with the Sand had already been approved by the Raikage himself.
…
Hidden Sand Village.
Kazekage's Office.
The Third Kazekage looked wearily at Elder Chiyo.
As one of the village's most senior elders, Chiyo held considerable influence, especially with her equally senior brother, Ebizō, at her side. Even the Kazekage couldn't afford to be careless around them.
More importantly, Chiyo and Ebizō weren't the type to rest on their status—they were both still formidable shinobi in their own right.
"Elder Chiyo, you really need to discipline Sasori."
Sasori was her grandson.
Ever since Sasori's parents were killed during the Second Great Ninja War by the legendary "White Fang" of Konoha, Sakumo Hatake, Chiyo had been especially protective of him.
She'd even chosen to keep the truth from the young Sasori, not wanting to hurt him further.
Now, Sasori hadn't yet become the infamous Red Sand Scorpion of the Akatsuki, but he was already demonstrating incredible talent in puppet jutsu.
Even though Chiyo had tried to shield the truth, Sasori had eventually uncovered it on his own, learning that his parents were long dead.
So when he heard about the upcoming joint Chūnin Exams hosted by Konoha, he volunteered to participate.
But Sasori was still young—far too young to hide his emotions or suppress his thirst for revenge.
The Third Kazekage, who now prioritized rebuilding ties with Konoha and healing the village, couldn't allow Sasori to run wild.
To be safe, he had even forbidden Sasori from taking any missions outside the village. That was the reason why, despite being the strongest Genin in the Hidden Sand, Sasori did not participate in the joint Chūnin Exams.
People have tempers—geniuses even more so.
Angered by the rejection, Sasori started acting out under the excuse of "puppet research"—frequently damaging village property and drawing numerous complaints.
He simply wasn't mature yet—unlike the calm figure he'd later become. Honestly, if not for Chiyo, the Kazekage would have punished him severely long ago.
"Sasori just has a bit of a temper. I'll see to it personally," Chiyo assured, not making excuses.
At that moment, an ANBU ninja arrived and handed over the intel sent back by Rasa. After reading it, the Kazekage's face twisted in scorn, and he passed the intel to Chiyo.
"What do you make of this, Elder Chiyo?"
Truthfully, even Chiyo felt tempted. If an alliance with Hidden Cloud allowed them to take out Sakumo Hatake, they could avenge Sasori's parents.
But she hadn't lost her head. At this stage, Hidden Sand couldn't afford another clash with Konoha.
More importantly, she saw through Hidden Cloud's so-called cooperation. They just wanted to use Hidden Sand as a scapegoat.
If it were true cooperation, they wouldn't be asking Hidden Sand to move against a single Genin like Aoshi.
They'd be proposing a full assault on Konoha itself.
"Hidden Cloud harbors ill intentions. We cannot cooperate with them," Chiyo said calmly.
"Exactly. Those barbarians really think we're that foolish," the Kazekage agreed. "If they had the guts to suggest assassinating the Hokage directly, I'd at least respect them for it."
…
A few more days passed.
Toroi, still receiving no reply from Rasa, began to grow anxious. He managed to arrange another meeting, but once again, Rasa only gave vague, noncommittal responses.
Rasa had been ordered not to get involved in any conflict with Konoha, but also not to lend aid either. In short, Sand was to watch from the sidelines.
He hadn't rejected the proposal outright because he wanted to see if Hidden Cloud would raise the stakes. If the benefits became tempting enough, Sand might reconsider.
Though Rasa gave no firm answer either way, Toroi could read between the lines—this was a rejection. It was clear the Hidden Sand refused to cooperate.
"Pathetic. Dogs who'd rather grovel at Konoha's feet. Even with our help, they didn't dare target a single Leaf Genin."
Fuming after his return, Toroi insulted Hidden Sand. Just as the Third Kazekage had looked down on Hidden Cloud, Toroi now looked down on the Sand.
After venting, he passed the intel back to Hidden Cloud. What happened next was now up to the Raikage.
"Typical. Hidden Sand's been cowed by Konoha," the Third Raikage sneered. In his eyes, the Sand no longer deserved to be ranked among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
"No matter. Even without them, we Cloud shinobi don't fear Konoha."
Originally, the Sand had been approached to ensure the kidnapping of Kushina would go off without a hitch.
Just then, Furui made a suggestion. "Actually, we could consider Hidden Grass."
From the returned intel, he noticed that two of Grass's Jonin—Otani and Kawagawa—had visited the Hokage's office. Whatever was discussed clearly didn't go well.
When they left, both men wore sour expressions as they returned to Hidden Grass. Furui saw this as an opening—an opportunity for collaboration.
"Hidden Grass? What could a minor village possibly do?"
It wasn't that the Third Raikage looked down on them—it was just reality. Compared to the Five Great Nations, minor villages didn't matter.
Hidden Cloud had wiped out such villages with ease in the past. Even if Grass was stronger than most, its strength had limits.
"Still, Grass isn't weak. And all we need is for them to distract Konoha." Furui explained his idea.
"Besides, all their Genin were wiped out during the exams. I doubt they're feeling particularly friendly toward the Leaf right now."
"Unlike Sand, who's trying to sell themselves high, Grass just needs a small incentive—offer them a little support, and they'll cooperate."
"So, Raikage-sama, I believe working with Hidden Grass is a feasible option."
As one of the Third Raikage's most capable subordinates, Furui always offered reliable plans to ensure smooth execution. Of course, the final decision still lay with the Raikage.
"Fine. Do it your way." In the end, the Third Raikage was convinced and immediately dispatched envoys to Hidden Grass.