The leader of Kusagakure focused especially on Rasa and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Because the radical actions of those Kusagakure shinobi had not caused any actual damage to Sunagakure or Konoha.
But they had led to the deaths of more than a dozen Iwagakure shinobi.
In his rage, what would Onoki do?
The leader of Kusagakure could not be certain.
It was entirely possible that Onoki would directly kill him.
Against Dust Release, he had no chance of blocking it.
His only chance of survival was to plead with Rasa and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Only by obtaining forgiveness from Konoha and Sunagakure would he have a chance to live.
He shoved all responsibility and guilt onto the people who had acted.
As for the compensation that might follow?
At a time like this, Kusagakure's leader could no longer think that far.
First, he had to keep Kusagakure alive.
"Pay compensation," Hiruzen Sarutobi said just before Onoki was about to make a move.
His words forcefully stopped Onoki's action.
"Before the compensation phase begins, complete the reparations for this incident. Execute every Kusagakure shinobi involved in this matter. Show us your sincerity."
"Even if they were not acting under your orders, you are Kusagakure's leader. This has nothing to do with you? Impossible."
The leader of Kusagakure nodded heavily.
"Please rest assured, Hokage-sama. I will deal with those people severely."
"The compensation to Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure will absolutely be paid in full."
Hiruzen nodded and looked toward Onoki.
"Tsuchikage, what do you think? Proceeding with the existing plan is more convenient for all three of our villages. If things change now, it may only bring more trouble."
Onoki snorted coldly.
But in the end, he still agreed.
"Iwagakure lost more than a dozen shinobi. As Tsuchikage, I must be responsible for them. At the very least, their families must no longer have to worry about their lives."
What Onoki meant was clear.
The compensation Kusagakure's leader provided had to be sufficient.
The leader of Kusagakure hurriedly agreed.
"Please rest assured, Tsuchikage-sama. I will strictly compensate according to the standard."
The standard he referred to was the compensation standard Kusagakure had previously used for the three great shinobi villages.
But there was a difference.
The numbers previously demanded by the three great villages had basically been fabricated. They had shouted random figures.
Now, however, Iwagakure had genuinely lost more than a dozen shinobi.
This was not what Onoki wanted.
Onoki wanted even more compensation.
But the leader of Kusagakure's words were watertight.
For the moment, Onoki had no good way to respond. Especially since Hiruzen Sarutobi's earlier words had clearly carried the intention of protecting Kusagakure's leader and preventing Onoki from acting.
Onoki was worried that if he made a move, Konoha and Sunagakure might attack him together.
After all, the plan had already been settled.
If he acted, it would break that plan.
The resources already within reach for Konoha and Sunagakure might change.
That was not something Konoha or Sunagakure wanted to see.
Onoki understood that very clearly.
In addition, Iwagakure and Konoha already had a grudge. The war between the two villages had only ended not long ago.
And Sunagakure definitely did not have a good impression of Iwagakure either.
When Sunagakure had been weak, Iwagakure had bullied them harshly.
Now that Sunagakure was strong, they might very well be waiting for an opportunity to take revenge against Iwagakure.
The leader of Kusagakure let out a heavy breath of relief.
"My lords, I will have my people prepare everything immediately. The reparations will be ready soon."
The leader of Kusagakure acted very efficiently. Before long, the compensatory resources had already been delivered into the hands of the three shinobi villages.
This time, no more accidents occurred.
Konoha and Iwagakure loaded the supplies onto carriages.
Sunagakure loaded them onto sand ships.
The giant bull rose and dragged the sand ship around, turning it toward Sunagakure.
The sound of the sand ship scraping against sand rang out.
Everyone looked toward it.
Even those who had seen it before could not help feeling shaken.
Such an enormous summoned beast.
Such a massive sand ship.
In comparison, the carriages looked so shabby and tiny.
"Sunagakure is far too extravagant."
"They're actually willing to use such a large summoned beast to pull a ship."
"And the key thing is, that summoned beast actually agreed."
"You have to admire it."
One naive Konoha shinobi thought of something.
"Could Konoha do the same?"
"Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama, and Orochimaru-sama all have contracts with large summoned beasts. Their carrying capacity shouldn't be worse than that giant bull."
"Konoha needs support like this right now."
"If only they could contribute them."
Another Konoha shinobi said,
"They should contribute them. As Konoha shinobi, isn't doing this for the village only natural?"
"So many shinobi gave their lives for the village."
"What's wrong with them offering their summoned beasts for the village to use?"
"If Sunagakure can do it, why can't Konoha?"
A nearby shinobi looked at them coldly.
"You don't understand a damn thing."
"Summoned beasts are not village resources. The relationship between a summoned beast and a shinobi is cooperation. Equality."
"The summoned beasts of those three lords have no responsibility to contribute to Konoha."
"Isn't demanding that from them going too far?"
That shinobi was still unconvinced.
"Then why can Sunagakure do it?"
"And can't they just treat it as helping those three lords?"
Only after the squad captain scolded them did they finally stop arguing about whether summoned beasts should do work for shinobi villages aside from battle.
With the reparations completed, the compensation phase officially began.
Under the efforts of the Kusagakure shinobi, a circular arena was quickly built.
To the north stood three raised platforms.
Rasa, Onoki, and Hiruzen Sarutobi sat separately.
Behind each of them stood two figures.
Behind Rasa were two Sunagakure jonin.
Pakura was responsible for escorting the sand ships.
Behind Onoki stood Kitsuchi and another Iwagakure jonin.
Behind Hiruzen Sarutobi stood Yūhi Shinku and another Konoha jonin.
The shinobi of the three villages each gathered in one direction, watching the arena at the center.
The referee was a young Kusagakure shinobi.
Rasa studied him for a moment and could not help feeling a faint sense of familiarity.
"This person should be Mui?"
"The line of Hozuki Castle."
"He has a son, Muku, who died young."
"To revive Muku, he extracted large amounts of chakra from prisoners. Only when Naruto went there and the Nine-Tails' chakra was extracted did the Box of Ultimate Bliss finally open."
"But what was revived was not Muku. It was only a monster."
Rasa's gaze shifted to the leader of Kusagakure again.
"He knows the referee's position will offend people, so he deliberately gave it to someone from the Hozuki Castle line?"