Chapter 98
A report came in this morning. As the leader of one of the five great hidden villages, he couldn't just ignore it. Especially when it involved information about one of the other five great hidden villages.
As much as he wished he could concentrate on internal affairs, Rasa could not ignore this one. Especially when it came from the captain of the intelligence division. Just looking at the captain's grim expression, Rasa knew it was more trouble.
And as he expected, Kirigakure was now arming itself in preparation for civil war. Both sides were recruiting rogue shinobi. The current but disgraced Mizukage led one side, while the other was led by an ambitious shinobi named Mei Terumi.
Rasa remembered that name from the previous war. A young but very talented and powerful kunoichi, Rasa himself didn't have to face her in the war, but he knew of her. And that made it all the more complicated.
Both sides had powerful shinobi leading them, but one lost momentum when it tried to attack and kill the Third Hokage and the Third Tsuchikage. Failing that, and being defeated, put a target on him.
And now he had lost too much support to hold a tight rein over his village. It was his own fault for overreaching, but it wasn't like Rasa could say anything about it. Luckily, his village wasn't built on absolute strength ruling all. They were more pragmatic.
But what got Rasa's attention was the movements of a certain shinobi. Orochimaru seemed to have joined Mei Terumi's side. Remembering that man's betrayal and his ambush on him made Rasa a bit irrational, making him want to do something about it.
Even though in the end, it had all worked out in his favor, he still held a grudge against Orochimaru. That snake was far too arrogant, but Rasa let it go since that snake went into hiding after their fight. But now, since more information has been dug out about him, could Rasa let it be?
"What are Konoha's actions?" Rasa asked his intelligence division captain.
"They are seemingly staying out of this fight." The answer came; it wasn't a satisfactory answer, but it was the only one he got. "There have been no actions from them apart from tightening security at the borders."
"Damn monster," Rasa couldn't help but curse the Third Hokage, but also feared that old and cunning man.
Though there was no reason to be afraid of him right now, since not only had he swept all the aggression Rasa had thrown at him under the rug, but his overhauled mission system let Sunagakure keep and even gain more clients to sustain the village.
But he couldn't help but feel like he had been used. Now Konoha was stronger than ever; from all the reports he got, in a year they had become by far the wealthiest village. And everything that came at them was turned in Konoha's favor by that damn old monster.
And even this situation felt far too familiar. Like everything had fallen into place in a puzzle the Third Hokage had made himself. A picture that only he saw. And it scared Rasa; he didn't want to be just a piece in someone else's puzzle.
But what was he supposed to do? Which side should he support, not only to get the most out of it for himself but also to stop the Third Hokage's advancement? Rasa knew very well that this inaction by Konoha was deliberate.
This seeming inaction put not only him but also the other villages at a crossroads. Seemingly supporting the current regime of Kirigakure would appear to go against Konoha, but that might be a trap, too.
If the Third Hokage had wanted to change Kirigakure's leadership, he would have done so himself by killing the Fourth Mizukage. But he let him go, seeking to make this situation even more complicated.
And if he did want to change the regime, he could have taken action to support Mei Terumi, but he didn't. Or did he? Who was to say that Orochimaru wasn't still part of Konoha? That snake's actions were suspicious to begin with.
"What are the other villages doing?" Even though Rasa could guess how the others thought, he still needed to confirm it.
"The only one actively participating in this civil war is Iwagakure." An expected answer came. "They fully support Mei Terumi; from what we have managed to gather, they have sent plenty of supplies and weapons to her side, but they also might get involved directly, as there has been an unusual deployment of shinobi on that border."
The only other man who could go against the Third Hokage was the other old monster, the Third Tsuchikage. Those damn relics of the past should have long since been killed in the previous wars, but they clung to their lives, making Rasa's and everyone else's lives difficult.
He didn't like it one bit; he wasn't a man to sit and do nothing, but he still had his own problems with the Daimyo of the Land of Wind that he couldn't ignore, and he simply didn't have enough shinobi to proceed with as much fervor as he needed.
"Kazekage-sama, what are your orders?"
And it wasn't just him who didn't like to sit aside and do nothing. His shinobi were ready and eager to push through their hard times, and they couldn't just ignore such a situation. The question was, what was Rasa supposed to do?
"For now, keep watch, but if any word comes that the Akatsuki are involved, we shall act against them."
There was no need to choose a side, for any side that employed those bastards who got their hands on Sasori had to pay the price. Not only did they harbor him, but Rasa suspected that they might have helped him kill the Third Kazekage.
Even if that wasn't true, it provided enough justification for him to act against them. And against all those who employed them. He couldn't personally get involved so easily in any conflict, but with this he had a chance.
…
Peace wasn't something he or his village desired much. They were shinobi bred and trained for war. For battle. As the Fourth Raikage, he had yet to prove his worth. And sadly, as beneficial as the peace treaty with Konoha was, it still made his shinobi question him.
It didn't help that the Chunin Exams were dominated by Konoha too. The pressure Kumogakure felt couldn't be ignored. But any hasty action could be the start of their demise. Something that Kirigakure was now experiencing firsthand.
Now what? Everyone wondered. What would be his next action? How would he prove himself and set Kumogakure straight? How indeed? As the Raikage, he couldn't sit doing nothing, but then again, he couldn't really do much.
"People are wondering, Raikage-sama," Dodai said as he attended to the Raikage today. "They are questioning your rule and your strength. I understand that the boots of the Third Raikage are big to fill in so easily, but we must do something."
"What do we do?" the Raikage asked back, feeling sick of that question. "Nothing. We aren't getting involved in this mess. It benefits no one, no matter which side we support."
There were a few things the Raikage learned from the Third Hokage, as much as he didn't like to admit it. One shouldn't be influenced by fear. He wouldn't let his worries and doubts cloud his mind, and he would steadily lead his village.
Strength was just a passing thing. There would always be someone stronger, someone better. But a village wasn't made of one shinobi. As the Raikage, he would take all the criticism they threw at him, but he wouldn't bend, nor would he let it influence him.
"Keep watch on Konoha and Kiri; if their conflict spills into our country, we shall react appropriately, but for now we will only strengthen our border and wait."
The other reason he didn't want to get involved was that he knew it was all planned out by the Third Hokage. What the plan entailed was still beyond the Raikage's grasp, but it was clear as day that it was his doing.
The Fourth Mizukage was a rabid dog. Even he knew that much. The Bloody Mist had taken root under the previous Mizukage, but this one spread it further and deeper. It was only a question of time before he acted, and the recent attack on the two Kage was a clear indication.
An indication of how fucked up they were and how ready they were to start a war. Something that the Third Hokage was clearly against. So, it wasn't a surprise how it all came about. But there was still a question: was it deliberately done by the Hokage?
With the outbreak of civil war, many of his own shinobi wanted to get into the action. Many of them were itching for a fight because that's how they were taught. And denying it would come with some kind of fallout.
But as the Raikage, he was going to deal with it on his own. He wouldn't sacrifice the lives of good men because their pride demanded it. He wasn't like the previous Raikage, and it was time to stop trying to fill his shoes and become his own man.
And he was concerned about the Third Hokage's plans. Could it be he wanted other villages to waste their strength on it? Was he waiting for some kind of target to reveal an opening for him to strike? There was no way he would just sit it out and do nothing.
…
The atmosphere was tense. Pakura could feel the tension in the air. One wrong word could probably set all of these men against each other. They were murderous psychos, at least some of them. But there was only one she was concerned with.
Pain. His face was still obscured by shadows, but when Orochimaru was mentioned, she could feel the power in his eyes flare up, anger she hadn't seen from him before. Pakura disliked Orochimaru as any sane person would, but Pain seemed to despise him.
"He has been operating in secret within the Land of Rice," Zetsu continued his report. "Establishing his forces and training the rabble around the country. And now it seems he is ready to set out."
Pakura remembered her defeat by that man. It was humiliating, but she had to admit Orochimaru was far more powerful and more experienced than she was. But she wasn't surprised to hear of Orochimaru's demise at the hands of Pain.
Only for everything to be turned upside down. And now her leader's pride had been hurt, and she didn't know how this man would react. But whatever her leader's decision was, she had to report it to the Third Hokage.
"And now Yagura is asking for our help?" Kisame snorted.
"He is looking to hire us to deal with Orochimaru," Zetsu replied.
It was clear that Kisame didn't like getting involved in his home village's civil war. But they were mercenaries, and they needed to earn their keep. It was only natural for them to be used and discarded. Though they weren't so easily dealt with.
"Oh, what do we do?" the new member, who replaced Sasori, asked. "The money must be good, but the risk… we should think of the risk, shouldn't we?"
That high-pitched voice and mask hid something dangerous, Pakura could tell. He might pretend to be harmless all he wanted, but the fact that he was even here, and chosen by Pain, meant he was as capable as any of them. It was just unnerving how much that man pretended otherwise.
"How are the other villages reacting?" Pain's voice cut through them all.
"Every village has deployed its shinobi to the borders nearest the Land of Water," Zetsu said. "But aside from Iwagakure, none are getting involved one way or another. But if they did, it is hard to believe anyone would come to the Mizukage's side."
"Everyone is on edge, waiting to see what will happen," Konan added. "Though I don't think most of them are watching Kirigakure. Their eyes must be set on Konoha, too. And once Konoha sets foot in the Land of Water, all hell will break loose."
"What should we do? What should we do?" Tobi tilted his head as if he were thinking out loud. "Money is good; a lot of money is even better. But what if we get caught? It would be very bad if Konoha sent out its shinobi against us. I don't want the same thing to happen to me that happened to my seniors; may their souls rest in peace."
"War is our bread and butter," Kakuzu said. "A nasty business, but a business nonetheless. If we don't take this commission, who will hire us again?"
Pakura had to agree with that, but she found it too convenient. All these shinobi gathered here couldn't be working just for money. No, money seemed like a good pretense. Pain had a bigger picture in mind, and whatever it was, it scared her.
A.N. As always, thanks for reading and supporting me so I can continue writing without any concerns, and if you want more, up to seven chapters in advance, you can support me on Pa treon. com \ ironwolf852.