Troy arrived late.
Rasa stood with his arms folded, an expression of mild irritation on his face. Although he had not spoken harshly, the displeasure in his tone was unmistakable.
"You're late," Rasa said flatly. "Now speak. What is it that you want?"
Troy, representing Kumogakure's interests, ignored the subtle displeasure and got straight to the point. Cloud-style efficiency. He revealed his proposal for cooperation—direct, ambitious, and dangerous.
Though Kumogakure had always viewed itself as equal to Konoha, even superior in some aspects, even they could not ignore the overwhelming strength Konoha wielded. If they wanted to disrupt Konoha's plans, simply acting alone would be insufficient.
Pulling Sunagakure into the scheme would be ideal.
Rasa listened quietly. Though he remained expressionless, Troy's words stirred something within him. His entire trip to Konoha—observing the exams, interacting with their shinobi—had been frustrating. He felt suffocated under Konoha's invisible pressure.
Even so, he did not give an immediate answer.
"I will report this matter to the Kazekage," Rasa finally said, tone neutral.
Despite being the most promising candidate for the next Kazekage, Rasa understood well that such a monumental decision was far above his authority. No shinobi, no matter their talent or potential, could alone dictate the political stance of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Troy simply nodded. "Naturally."
After all, the plan he proposed was authorized directly by the Third Raikage. He had expected hesitation. Still, he believed the benefits were appealing enough to sway Sunagakure.
He was wrong.
---
Sunagakure — Kazekage's Office
The Third Kazekage massaged his temples, visibly exhausted. Across from him stood Elder Chiyo, one of Sunagakure's most influential figures. Her presence alone demanded respect—both due to her position and her abilities.
Chiyo's brother, Ebizō, was also a village elder of equal standing. Together, the siblings held a level of authority that even the Kazekage could not disregard.
"Elder Chiyo," the Kazekage said, exasperated, "you must discipline Sasori."
Sasori—Chiyo's grandson.
To outsiders, he was merely a boy with an extraordinary talent for puppetry. But Sunagakure's leadership knew better.
Sasori was already a prodigy. A terrifying one.
After his parents were killed by Hatake Sakumo, "Konoha's White Fang," during the Second Shinobi World War, Chiyo raised him herself. She never revealed the truth behind their deaths, but Sasori still found out through his own brilliance and observation.
The moment he learned the truth, hatred filled his heart like poison.
When Sunagakure was invited to participate in the Konoha-hosted joint Chunin Exam, Sasori had eagerly volunteered—far too eagerly.
The Third Kazekage saw right through him. A child burning with vengeance would never be able to hide his hostility.
Sasori's intentions were clear.
He wanted blood.
He wanted revenge.
And in the process, he would drag Sunagakure into a conflict they could not afford.
The Kazekage had refused him outright. Not only that—he forbade Sasori from leaving the village at all. Sasori had been furious, and in his frustration, had resorted to venting his emotions by destroying property under the excuse of "puppet research."
Complaints had piled up.
Had Sasori been anyone else, the Kazekage would have disciplined him harshly. But this was Chiyo's grandson. Punishing him carelessly would create internal discord.
Chiyo sighed. "Sasori is just acting out. I will discipline him properly."
Before their discussion could continue, an Anbu operative appeared silently and handed over a sealed intelligence report—Rasa's report.
The Kazekage read it in silence.
A moment later, his lips curled into a cold, contemptuous smile.
He passed the report to Chiyo. "What do you think, Elder Chiyo?"
Chiyo's eyes flickered. The contents were tempting—very tempting. If Sunagakure truly cooperated with Kumogakure, she might find a chance to kill Hatake Sakumo and avenge Sasori's parents.
But Chiyo was no fool.
Kumogakure was clearly using Sunagakure as a shield—nothing more. If they genuinely wanted cooperation, the plan wouldn't be something as simple as assassinating a single Konoha genin, Hirakawa Seisui.
For true cooperation, they should have suggested a joint effort to topple Konoha entirely.
But Kumogakure had not proposed that.
Their true motive was transparent.
"Kumogakure harbors ulterior motives," Chiyo said calmly. "Their so-called cooperation is nothing but an attempt to use us."
The Kazekage nodded. "My thoughts exactly. Those barbarians know how to scheme, but not very cleverly. If they had proposed assassinating the Hokage, I might have respected them more."
Sunagakure's answer was clear:
No.
---
Several Days Later — Konoha
Troy waited.
He waited for Rasa's reply.
And waited.
But Sunagakure remained silent.
Frustrated, he confronted Rasa again—only to receive the same vague, intentionally indecisive responses.
Rasa's instructions were simple:
No conflict with Konoha.
No cooperation with Kumogakure.
Sunagakure would simply watch from the sidelines, waiting for the strongest to emerge.
Troy realized then that Rasa's evasive stance was the answer.
Sunagakure had refused.
Not outright, but subtly. Politely.
Cowardly.
"They're nothing but tail-wagging dogs!" Troy erupted after returning to his quarters. "Begging Konoha for mercy! Even with our help, they don't dare assassinate a single Konoha genin!"
His anger echoed through the room.
For Troy, pride was everything. And to be rejected by Sunagakure—one of the weaker great villages—felt humiliating.
He sent a detailed report back to Kumogakure immediately.
The next move would be determined by the Raikage.
---
Kumogakure — Raikage's Office
The Third Raikage finished reading Troy's report with a disdainful scoff.
"So Sunagakure has been completely cowed by Konoha."
To him, Sunagakure did not deserve to stand beside Kumogakure among the Five Great Shinobi Villages. They lacked ambition, courage, and spirit.
The Raikage waved the report aside. "No matter. Even without them, we Cloud shinobi are not afraid of Konoha."
Their main objective was simple: kidnap Kushina Uzumaki.
Sunagakure's cooperation would have only increased their chances of success. It was not essential.
Just then, Dodai, one of the Raikage's most trusted strategists, stepped forward.
"Lord Raikage," Dodai said, "perhaps we should consider cooperating with Kusagakure."
The Raikage raised an eyebrow. "Kusagakure? What can a minor village accomplish?"
It wasn't prejudice—it was fact. Compared to the Five Great Ninja Villages, the smaller villages posed little threat.
"Kusagakure's strength may be minor," Dodai said, "but they are still capable. And more importantly… all their genin were wiped out in Konoha. They must be harboring resentment."
Dodai spread the intelligence reports across the table.
He pointed at one section. "Their jonin, Ōtani and Kawa, reportedly met with the Hokage recently. We don't know what they discussed, but judging by their expressions afterward, it wasn't favorable. They left immediately, visibly upset."
He continued, voice steady and confident.
"Unlike Sunagakure, which wants to wait for a better bargaining chip, Kusagakure only needs a small amount of assistance. If we promise a reasonable reward, they will cooperate eagerly."
"They don't need to fight Konoha directly. They only need to create a distraction."
The Raikage fell into silent thought.
Dodai stepped back respectfully.
As the Raikage's right hand, Dodai's strategies had ensured countless mission successes. His judgment rarely failed.
After a long pause, the Raikage made his decision.
"Very well. Proceed with the plan."
He slammed his fist onto the table with finality.
"Send envoys to Kusagakure immediately."
A new alliance—dark, fragile, and opportunistic—began moving into place.
The storm clouds were gathering.
And Konoha remained unaware.
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