Shota and the Suna delegation returned to their guest quarters in Konoha after the first day of talks.
When they reached the large guest house assigned to them, the doors closed behind the group.
The ANBU escorts spread out to check the perimeter. Elder Mina Sabaku waited until the room was secure. Then she turned to Rasa with a calm but firm look on her face.
"We should accept the peace agreement."
Rasa raised an eyebrow. He sat down on one of the low cushions in the main room.
"Why? Konoha shinobi have killed countless of our shinobi. And we still suspect them behind the disappearance of the Third Kazekage and… my mentor."
There was a break in his voice as he said that last part. His hand clenched slightly. The gold dust around him tightened for a moment before relaxing again.
Shota stood near the door. He watched Rasa carefully. He felt a pang of sadness.
'Sasori-nii-san, your mess is affecting the village still.'
Shota remembered the stories. The Third Kazekage had vanished without a trace. Many in Suna believed Konoha was responsible. Some believed it was internal betrayal. Rasa had lost his mentor. The pain was still there, even years later.
Elder Mina shook her head gently.
"Kazekage-sama, we both know that the Leaf would have published the information if they were responsible for killing the strongest Kazekage. This would have deterred other villages, but they did not. They are not responsible for the disappearance. And Leaf wants to let the past go. So we should take this opportunity."
Shota listened carefully. He watched Elder Mina's face as she tried to convince Rasa to accept the peace treaty.
'She is not a traitor or associated with Danzo. This confirms it. Danzo definitely would not want a peace agreement with Suna. And thus if Elder Mina was against Rasa and supported Danzo, she would have been in disagreement with the signing of such a treaty. That narrows down one suspicious person from the list of traitors.'
Shota felt a small relief. One suspect crossed off. The council had thirteen elders. Ebizō was the head. That left twelve others. Mina was not one of them. It was progress. Small progress, but progress.
Rasa leaned back on the cushion. He looked at the ceiling for a long moment.
"And what would we gain from this? Many in Suna would be unhappy with us. There is a lot of hatred for Leaf in Suna considering how many shinobi they have killed. Especially Elder Chiyo who has lost almost her entire family to the Leaf. They would never accept a peace agreement."
Elder Mina shook her head again. Her voice was steady and patient.
"You are wrong at that, Kazekage-sama. Elder Chiyo and the other elders know what the state of Suna currently is and what a peace agreement with Konoha would mean for the village. Elder Chiyo is old and wise. She has seen too many wars. She has buried too many family members. She wants Suna to survive. A peace agreement would bring cheap food and water from the Land of Fire."
"It would bring trade. It would bring stability. The village needs that more than it needs revenge. She will understand. The other elders will understand too. They may grumble at first. They may remember old wounds. But they will see the benefits. They will see that Suna cannot keep fighting forever. We are tired. Our resources are low. Our children are too few. Peace is not weakness. Peace is survival."
She paused for a moment.
"The people will follow if the leaders lead. If you and the council show that this is good for Suna, the civilians will accept it. They want food on their tables. They want their children to grow up without fear of war. They want to live. Hatred fades when bellies are full and roofs are safe. Give them that, and they will forgive the past."
Shota listened quietly. He knew Elder Mina was right. Suna had suffered for years. The desert was harsh. Food was scarce. Water was precious. War had taken too many lives.
Peace with Konoha would open trade routes. It would bring supplies. It would give the village time to heal. The people would not stay angry forever if their lives improved.
Elder Mina smirked slightly.
"And to sweeten the deal, we would be asking for a lot of concessions too. Konoha wants a peace deal badly too since that would mean one of their borders would be safe from attacks in the future and they can spare their resources on the other three fronts."
"They will give us favourable trade terms. They will give us lower prices on food and water and access to their markets. They want this alliance as much as we do. We can push for more than they expect. We can make them pay for peace."
Rasa thought for a while.
"Very well. But Konoha would have to meet certain of our requirements for the deal to be signed."
Elder Mina nodded.
"I would make sure that they do, Kazekage-sama."
After a while, when Shota felt it was a good time to ask, he walked to the Kazekage.
"I think it would be better for me to observe Konoha more by going out like today. With your permission, of course, Kazekage-sama."
Normally Shota would not have taken such initiatives. But Rasa had asked him to give his own opinions during his time here since he was trying to groom him for higher positions.
Shota had decided to use that freedom. He had something planned that would help Suna in tomorrow's discussions and also help him in finding the traitor in Suna.
Rasa thought for some time.
"You brought invaluable information yesterday. So I think it's a good idea. But don't do anything drastic since we might be having a peace agreement with Konoha soon. Also don't get killed."
Shota bowed slightly.
"Don't worry, Kazekage-sama. Konoha would make sure that nothing happened to us as they seemed to really want the alliance."
'Well, that is if Danzo follows the orders of the Hokage.' Shota thought with a wry smile.
--------Author Notes---------
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