A special thank you to my patrons:
—Shahzaam, Jacob Mooe, kevin Williams, Jose Sierra, Pasang Sherpa, Acedia, kurtis newman, Nhoxious, sediaz, Targaryen, King Scales.
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
————————————————————
Regarding this, Rasa could only sigh with resignation: men who were handsome, powerful, and possessively protective by nature naturally drew women's attention. It was only because Mei Terumi's position was so politically sensitive.
Were she an ordinary woman, she would likely... never mind. Why waste time thinking about such things? What didn't concern him wasn't his burden to bear. Rather than dwelling on such matters, he should focus on how his village ought to develop, how to recover and recuperate, and how the village should manage its relationship with the Leaf Village. Kazuki was no Third Hokage, who could be placated with a few flattering words and a signed document before being left to develop undisturbed. If the Sand Village still hoped to exploit loopholes as it had in the past, that was utterly impossible.
Treat you as an equal, let you develop at your own pace, wait for you to recover your strength, and then you stab me in the back again? Don't even dream of such a luxury. The Third Hokage might not have learned his lesson, but Kazuki had no intention of following that same old path. When it came to the Sand Village, it was one of two options: either obediently become his junior, in which case he'd help them soar – he'd eat the meat, and they could drink the broth – or he'd target and restrict them openly and covertly, making their development impossible.
This very dilemma was currently wrapped around Rasa's neck, forcing him to consider his options with the utmost care. Choosing to become the Leaf's junior meant being lifted up. To put it bluntly, even a little incidental assistance from the Leaf would be enough to leave the Sand Village greasy-mouthed with satisfaction. If he refused to bow his head, refused to follow the Leaf's lead, and chose instead to preserve his own and his village's pride, he would face relentless persecution from the Leaf. This wasn't even a question worth pondering. Kazuki would never allow the Sand Village to develop and recover its strength right under his nose.
"Heh... what a dull man," Mei Terumi remarked, glancing back at Rasa, who was silently sipping his sake and eating his grilled meat, his expression as gloomy as ever. The corner of her mouth couldn't help but curl slightly. She'd labeled Rasa a dull man, completely unaware that Rasa hadn't even been paying attention to her conversation with Kazuki. The label was, quite frankly, a bit unjust.
Rasa glanced at Mei Terumi, still showing no inclination to speak. He continued quietly eating his barbecue and drinking his sake, as if he were merely a spectator. Seeing this, Mei Terumi decided not to bother with him any further. Turning back to Kazuki, she asked, "Lord Hokage, the Leaf Village has chosen to side with the Stone Village by responding to the Five Kage Summit initiated by Onoki. This will undoubtedly shatter the alliance between the Leaf and the Cloud Village. Aren't you worried about a violent reaction from the Cloud Village?"
"No," Kazuki replied, taking a sip of his drink and shaking his head.
"Why not?" Mei Terumi asked curiously, blinking. Even Rasa couldn't help but look over. He too wanted to know where Kazuki's overwhelming confidence came from. Every Raikage in history had been notoriously difficult to deal with – each one hot-tempered, always itching for a fight. Sometimes, even when outmatched, they would drag their entire village into a head-on brawl with you. Such people were the hardest to deal with and the hardest to manage. Once you provoked them, endless trouble followed.
"Why, you ask?" Kazuki mused for a few seconds, then answered with certainty, "The Raikage may have a bad temper, but that doesn't make him stupid. Moreover, the relationship between the Leaf and the Cloud is merely a temporary wartime alliance. Whichever side the Leaf chooses to align with is nobody's business but our own. To put it simply, it's a matter of the Leaf Village's own sovereignty. If the Raikage wants to win the Leaf over, he's welcome to try – just provide sufficient benefits. Between villages, personal relationships don't matter. Everything is driven by the interests of the village."
The Raikage's bad temper depended entirely on who he was dealing with. Faced with Rasa and Mei Terumi, his temper might indeed be genuinely foul. But when it came to Kazuki... The same logic applied to that stubborn little old man, Onoki. When you were more forceful and fiercer than him, the stubborn fossil could turn remarkably docile. But if you couldn't outmatch him, you could expect him to glare at you and tear into you with everything he had.
"Although at critical moments, Onoki can commit far more fully than the Raikage. Coupled with the Stone Village's dire situation, Onoki has no more room to retreat. The Raikage, however, is different. Trying to carve a huge chunk of meat off the Cloud Village at this juncture would be exceedingly difficult."
"So that's why you agreed to meet with Onoki?"
"More or less."
What are you grinning about over my meeting with Onoki? Mei Terumi had clearly had a bit of alcohol, and her thought processes were starting to skew. Shaking his head to dispel these odd thoughts, Kazuki swirled the wine glass in his hand and continued, "Compared to the Cloud Village, the Akatsuki is far more worthy of our attention. If the Stone, Leaf, Sand, and Mist Villages unite, no matter how unwilling the Cloud Village is, the Raikage will be forced to swallow his fury and attend this Five Kage Summit. The war will eventually come to an end. But the Akatsuki is exactly the opposite. The Five Great Shinobi Villages falling into weakness greatly benefits their plans. The two of you had best keep a close eye on the Tailed Beasts within your own villages. Do not keep the Tailed Beasts or their Jinchuriki cooped up inside the villages. If the Akatsuki comes calling, the entire village could suffer devastation in the ensuing battle."
Kazuki had said what needed to be said. Whether they chose to believe it was up to Rasa and Mei Terumi. Given the current overall strength of their two villages, if the Akatsuki were to attack, and a full-scale battle erupted within the village, the spectacle would certainly be something to behold. If it were merely other Akatsuki members, that would be one thing. But if the Six Paths of Pain arrived in person, and the Mist and Sand Villages put up fierce resistance, it would be quite the show.
"Thank you for the warning, Lord Hokage." Rasa's reaction to the mention of the Akatsuki was relatively composed, having witnessed firsthand the fate of the Rain Village. The smile on Mei Terumi's face, however, vanished instantly.
"None of the Akatsuki's members are simple. Fortunately, with intelligence on them, we can formulate corresponding countermeasures. But if we were to encounter the Six Paths of Pain personally... tsk, tsk, tsk..." As long as Nagato didn't recklessly push himself to the brink unleashing his ultimate techniques, the Six Paths of Pain he controlled could practically waltz in and out of any of the Five Great Shinobi Villages with ease – cutting a path from the village entrance to the far end, then back again, without so much as blinking. The Six Paths of Pain possessed that level of power.
This matter was proving rather difficult to handle. Both Rasa and Mei Terumi wore grim expressions. As leaders of their villages, they certainly didn't want to see Akatsuki members rampaging through their territory. Unfortunately, the Akatsuki was no pushover. Especially their leader, Nagato. If Nagato came personally, should they resist, or quietly accept their fate? Quiet acceptance seemed unlikely – unless they were willing to completely abandon all dignity, disgracing themselves and turning their villages into laughingstocks.
As for resisting... no one could predict what would happen. Relocating the Tailed Beasts or Jinchuriki would ensure any battle wouldn't erupt within the village itself, preventing the village from being devastated by the fighting. Mei Terumi and Rasa took these words to heart. However, how exactly to proceed would still require consultation with their respective village councils once they returned home.