Rasa was quite direct, speaking of killing right away.
Even as he said these words, there wasn't the slightest change in his expression; even Mei Terumī's lips couldn't help but twitch as she listened.
But on second thought, it was understandable.
After all, this was a traditional move for Sunagakure; hadn't Pakura been easily sold out by Sunagakure to her own Hidden Mist in the past?
And, sigh!
The pot shouldn't call the kettle black; her own Hidden Mist wasn't exactly good either.
Think about how many of their own people died in the Village of the Bloody Mist, and how many Hidden Mist Ninjas were forced to become Rogue Ninjas?
Although this was partly due to Obito controlling the Fourth Mizukage, in essence, it was because the Hidden Mist already had those tendencies; the Yagura Karatachi controlled by Obito had merely gone with the flow and given a slight push from behind.
Conversely.
If the Hidden Mist hadn't had those tendencies, even if Yagura Karatachi was willing, he couldn't have brought about something like the Village of the Bloody Mist!
Mei Terumī thought about many things, and only after a long time did she slowly shake her head.
"I won't do this!"
"And I advise you not to do it either, Rasa. Even if we all choose to defect to Konoha, have you thought about the situation we will face after joining?"
"To put it bluntly, it won't be much different from now."
"It's just that we'll have Konoha and Uchiha Jin as our leader above us."
"And the Ninjas of our respective villages are the bargaining chips in our hands as Kage. Whatever status we have in Konoha in the future will depend entirely on the support of the people from our own villages."
"Perhaps our forces will be disrupted and scattered by Konoha, and we won't have the same influence we do now."
"But, by the same token..."
"...it's best to preserve as much strength as possible. Once we truly integrate into Konoha, our Ninjas will, at least in terms of their mindset, certainly be more inclined to stay close to us, their original Kage."
"Therefore, I still suggest that internal disagreements are best resolved internally!"
"Chiyo and Ebizo might be unhappy with you now, but you, Rasa, are at least in control of the overall situation. Ebizo and Chiyo simply cannot contend with you."
"When Sunagakure truly integrates into Konoha, even if those two are unhappy, would they really be willing to become Rogue Ninjas?"
"As long as they are unwilling to become Rogue Ninjas, regardless of their personal feelings, they will ultimately have no choice but to enter Konoha."
"And once they truly enter Konoha, they will naturally gather around you. Compared to Konoha's original factions, or the likes of our Hidden Mist and Kumogakure, those two will certainly still lean towards gathering before you, their original Kazekage."
Mei Terumī's tone was gentle, but she explained as much as she could.
Rasa was stunned!
He just stared blankly at Mei Terumī, but he quickly understood the logic; the reasons she gave seemed to be correct.
Even why Mei Terumī would remind him was something the Rasa before her quickly realized.
To put it simply—allies!
Even if everyone truly defects to Konoha in the future, there will still be various factions within Konoha, and our two hidden villages would be the most natural allies.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke slowly: "You're right. I've learned something!"
"Next, I will think carefully about how to persuade as many people as possible to agree to join Konoha without causing internal strife."
"Ōnoki, what about Iwagakure's choice?"
After saying that...
Rasa looked directly at Ōnoki, his gaze instantly becoming very sharp.
Obviously.
From his earlier pursuit of Tutai, it was clear that this fellow was not very willing to integrate into Konoha.
But on second thought, it made sense!
Although he hadn't succeeded in forming the alliance, as the organizer, Ōnoki himself was enough to represent his stance.
But, unfortunately.
His stance was already in opposition to Sunagakure and even the Hidden Mist, so he needed to figure out Ōnoki's current thoughts as soon as possible.
If he remained firmly opposed to joining Konoha, then even if Sunagakure didn't go to war with Iwagakure, they would still have to be wary of Iwagakure sabotaging them.
Thinking of this, Rasa's gaze became subtle and he began to grow guardedly defensive.
Ōnoki: "..."
At this moment, his face was very unsightly, and his whole body began to tremble slightly.
He couldn't understand how things that were going so well had suddenly turned out like this.
The alliance plan they had discussed earlier had seemingly fallen apart before it could even be established.
Kumogakure had withdrawn!
Now Sunagakure and the Hidden Mist were also determined to leave.
What should be done?
Even if the Four Great Shinobi Villages truly united, they likely would have struggled to contend with Konoha. Now, with only Iwagakure left, how could they oppose a Konoha that had swallowed Kumogakure, the Hidden Mist, and Sunagakure?
Surrender?
Although he was extremely reluctant, he began to consider the topic.
Although what Tutai said earlier was meant to break his mental defenses, it was actually quite logical upon reflection. After all, Iwagakure had a fundamental problem that couldn't be solved.
And that was—he was old!
How much longer could he hold out? And what about after he died?
Iwagakure didn't have anyone capable of taking over the mantle. Of course, even if there were such a person, it would likely be like an ant trying to stop a carriage—completely meaningless.
Not to mention, Iwagakure didn't have anyone at all!
Even if he didn't think of himself, he had to consider his family and children, as well as the Ninjas and Civilians of Iwagakure.
Should he let so many people die for a hollow title just because he couldn't bear to let go of the name 'Iwagakure'?
Therefore, sigh!
After a helpless sigh, Ōnoki's back began to hunch.
"Fine, I understand."
"Iwagakure is also willing to surrender to Konoha. I will handle the opposition when I return."
"Let this matter be settled then."
"First, the three of us will keep this a secret. At the very least, we can't let the lower ranks know, otherwise I fear it will cause massive chaos."
"Second: contact Konoha."
"Relying solely on our internal efforts, it will be hard to ensure stability."
"At least until we've completely dealt with the opposition within our respective villages, our Three Great Shinobi Villages will need Konoha to help us stabilize security."
"Of course."
"This can also be considered a token of allegiance!"
"Third: act with swift resolution!"
"This kind of thing cannot be delayed. Although the Mizukage was right just now, it's difficult to make everything perfect."
"The more people involved, the more complicated things get."
"To prevent the opposition from winning over more people, even if we don't kill them, we must at least control and place them under house arrest first."
With Ōnoki's statement, the atmosphere on the scene began to relax.
Following that...
The three of them began to discuss and research specific matters bit by bit. Finally, after reaching a complete consensus, they officially signed a letter of intent tonight. All three signed their names, and after each finding a confidant to form a small team, they set off under the cover of night toward Konoha's Northern War Zone.