Camel teeth bare themselves under the desert sun.Human teeth bare themselves when they're angry.
Right now, in a sealed upper chamber of the Kazekage's tower, tempers were flaring hot enough to melt iron.
A senior Suna official slammed both palms on the table and shot to his feet, glaring around at the gathered leadership before baring his teeth at the Fourth Kazekage.
"Kirigakure isn't showing even a shred of sincerity!Damn it, it's just a two-front war!Give me two thousand shinobi and I'll drag every water-spitting freak in the Land of Water back here to cool this village down!"
Rasa rested his interlocked fingers beneath his chin, letting a bucket of cold reality fall onto the man's head.
"After subtracting the wounded, retired, and unfit… Suna has exactly 1,721 combat-capable shinobi left."
BANG.
The official's fist hammered the table, making the ceiling lamps tremble."Fine! Give me five hundred! I'll pass through Konoha, grab some of those wet Kirigakure rats, and use them as bargaining chips!"
Rasa didn't dignify that with a response. His gaze drifted across the room… eventually settling on two empty chairs beside him.
Chiyo and Ebizo.Siblings.Founding pillars of the village.Both had stepped back from politics the moment Rasa became Kazekage.
One of the remaining elders exhaled sharply, turning toward Rasa with a heavy expression.
"Kirigakure opening their talks by asking for Yakura's life? Impossible.And you, Rasa, better not imitate Konoha's idiots who chop off their own limbs for 'peace.'We will never commit such stupidity."
Rasa nodded once.
Another elder tapped a finger on the table, deep in thought.
"With the Daimyo slashing our budget every year, Suna's decline is inevitable.As Kazekage, you've been collecting gold dust with your Magnet Release to keep us afloat.You turned your own son, Gaara, into a Jinchuriki to strengthen the village.You've already sacrificed a lot.
"So regarding Yakura…I believe you must have your reasons."
"That's no excuse."A different elder cut in sharply."Think—what if you hand Yakura over, and Kirigakure betrays us right after?!"
The room erupted.
This was supposed to be a routine meeting.But minutes after the agenda began, Rasa casually dropped a bomb:Kirigakure agreed to peace—but only if Suna hands over Yakura.
Everyone expected Rasa, as Kazekage, to reject that immediately.Instead, he looked like he'd already made up his mind.
"Rasa," one elder growled, "Konoha has the Will of Fire. We have the Will of Wind.Selling a comrade for peace is digging up the village's roots.Unless I have a stroke right here, you'll never get my approval."
"Same here. For me to approve, I'd have to be under a genjutsu."
"Want my approval? Easy.Have knives fall from the sky and send me to the ICU."
…
Rasa finally reached into his robe, pulled out a sheet of paper, and slapped it onto the table.
"Every person in this village has a value.And the value Kirigakure offers exceeds Yakura's.That is my reasoning."
"???"
The elders stared at him like he'd sprouted a second head.
One of them stood up, snatched the paper, and started reading.
While he read, Rasa's eyes flashed—for a fleeting moment—with heat, guilt, and a distant, aching love for his son.
"Our current high-tier fighting strength consists of:Me, Yakura, Ebizo, and Chiyo.With Ebizo and Chiyo retired, the gap in elite power is massive.
"A lack of high-end shinobi…and the mediocre talent of the next generation…These will cripple Suna for decades.
"But if a Jinchuriki can fully control their beast, Suna gains a permanent top-tier powerhouse.That matters more than Yakura, even as one of our two remaining kekkei genkai holders."
Rasa closed his eyes, shoulders lowering slightly.
He had sealed Shukaku into his son without seeking Gaara's consent.It was cruel.But if Gaara could control the beast…it would benefit Gaara and the village.
Compared to a controllable Tailed Beast user…Yakura's worth dropped sharply.
"The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, is widely believed to perfectly control his Tailed Beast."The elder holding the paper swallowed hard."If Kirigakure is giving us the method to achieve that—what if they betray us afterward?"
Rasa finally heard softness in their tone—hesitation.He exhaled and spoke coldly.
"Kirigakure already sent two kekkei genkai shinobi carrying half of the control method as a gesture of good faith.We confirmed its authenticity.Yagura's control is not accidental.It can be replicated."
Another elder cut in:"And why would they do this? For revenge on Yakura?"
Rasa's answer was crisp.
"Konoha."
The room froze.
Then it clicked.Everyone understood.
Kirigakure wanted to:
• use Yakura's life to defang Suna's warmongers• resolve Suna–Kiri tensions• form a future anti-Konoha alliance• share the Tailed Beast control method to bind Suna to their interests
And if Kirigakure tried to bully Suna afterward?
Then both sides would simply burn together.
The paper finished its lap around the table and returned to Rasa.He scanned the room.
"State your opinions."
Silence.
Then—
One elder pulled out a handful of kunai, tossed them upward…And let them rain down on his body.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
He collapsed dramatically.
Rasa twitched—just a little.
The next elder shoved his fingers into his own throat and began gagging in the most theatrical way possible, eyes rolling back as he collapsed.
The third entered a trance-like mutter:
"Digging up the village roots…Suna's roots grow deep…One root breaking doesn't matter…Digging up the village roots…"
Rasa pinched the bridge of his nose.
He turned to the final elder.
"You. Anything to say?"
The man cleared his throat with impeccable calm.
"Kirigakure likely won't mind helping me deal with Uchiha Tobika."
"…And then?"
"And I have developed a new ninjutsu. Please observe."
He formed seals.Chakra gushed to his throat.
Suiton: Water Prison.
Water surged from his mouth and formed a sphere.
Then—Without hesitation—the elder stepped inside…
…and drowned in his own jutsu within a minute.
Because selling out a village hero?He wasn't carrying that sin.
Meanwhile: Tobika
Unaware he was on the chopping block, Tobika sat under a tree explaining puppet theory to Kankurō.
"The puppet arts here in Suna are well-developed…but still lacking."
Kankurō looked up from his chicken leg, eyes round."Lacking?"
"Mm."Tobika nodded gravely."Chiyo's legendary White Secret Technique: Chikamatsu Collection of Ten.Sasori's Red Secret Technique: Hundred Puppets.All quantity. No quality."
He checked the street—no eavesdroppers.
Then he pulled out a Transformers model and placed it on Kankurō's lap.
"Materials matter.A puppet should leave a crater the size of your house even if you miss your target.People say puppets carry their creator's 'soul.'Forget souls. Put a person inside.You sit inside, one hand steering, the other swinging a weapon.Install an amplifier so every time you attack, you roar your move name to shake the battlefield.
"Whether you win or lose—your legend will spread everywhere.Your fame will rival the founder of puppet arts, Monzaemon."
Stars burst in Kankurō's eyes.
He stared at the model."For real?"
"When you make your ultimate puppet," Tobika whispered, pocketing his model,"Chiyo will be nothing but a relic.Sasori's 'Red Sand' title? Meaningless. One move and he folds.Every other puppeteer in Suna? Background noise."
He was about to continue—
When Chiyo suddenly materialized in front of them, face wrinkled but voice sharp.
"I hear your Fire Release is famous across the continent.This old relic wishes to… learn from you."
Tobika picked his nose lazily."When Kankurō helps me build a super puppet, I'll duel you puppeteer-to-puppeteer."
Chiyo kicked Kankurō aside like a sack of potatoes and squinted at Tobika.
"You've been in Suna quite a while, hm?"
"Two months."He sighed."Two months eating sand. Another ten days and I can return to Konoha."
His ANBU captain monitored him every day.Daily reports.No trust.As if Tobika would defect the minute he wasn't supervised.
"Two months… and you've already taken plenty of money from us."Chiyo's tone was sour.
Tobika's eyebrow twitched.He began counting on his fingers.
"You're calculating wrong.I saved you people so much food money.You have no idea how many expenses I cut."
Chiyo ignored that.
"I heard something amusing. I want to ask you."
"What?"
"Your food.Where do the ingredients come from?"
Tobika paused.
The ingredients?From the system.Created out of nowhere.He obviously couldn't say that.
"…Trade secret."
"I see."Chiyo nodded, then dropped the bombshell.
"I heard that in the Land of Lightning… over ten thousand chickens have gone missing recently."
Tobika didn't blink.
"Not my problem. Who the hell travels that far just to steal chickens?"
His chickens popped into existence.No need for theft.
Chiyo only hummed.
The taste of Tobika's Uchiha Family Bucket had reminded her suspiciously of Lightning Country poultry.Elastic. Tender. Uncomfortably similar.
Nightfall
Tobika returned home—and found his ninja cat gnawing on Yakura's sofa.
"Fuyu. How many times? Don't chew other people's furniture."
"M'joring ma teef!"
Fuyu dropped the sofa cushion, scampered up into Tobika's arms, and whispered:
"Your extremely thick captain from the ANBU?Something's wrong at her house."
"…What happened?"
"Probably a death."
"What?"
Fuyu gestured dramatically.
"When I returned to Konoha today, she looked spaced out.Kept muttering, 'Shinnosuke must be okay… must be okay…'So I suspect…The Third Hokage's son might've died on a mission."
"…Impossible?"Tobika frowned toward the distant forests representing Konoha.
If he remembered correctly, Hiruzen had a grandson—Konohamaru.Konohamaru was Shinnosuke's son.But right now, neither Shinnosuke nor Tobika's ANBU captain had plans for children.Konohamaru shouldn't be born for years.
How could the father be dead?
Fuyu bonked his chest with a paw."Anyway! I also got Suna gossip!"
"…"
Tobika grabbed the cat by the scruff, lifting him eye-level.
"Fuyu.How many times have I told you?Stop sneaking around eavesdropping just because you're stealthy.One day someone will catch you.Then how am I, an official spy, supposed to bail you out?"
"Won't get caught."Fuyu stretched comfortably."So you want to hear it or not?Includes that old hag Chiyo too."
Tobika plopped Fuyu onto the table and opened a can of food.
"…Talk."
"Che."Fuyu rolled his eyes, then leaned in conspiratorially.
"You know what Rasa's been doing lately?"
"What?"
"He's hiding two kekkei genkai women outside the village.Behind his wife's back."
"???"