Chapter 99: Family
Boom!
It was as if a bolt of thunder had exploded in Ebizo's mind.
He stared blankly at the chart, a light called "greed" gradually igniting in his clouded old eyes.
No need for the Hidden Sand Village to provide personnel?
No need for their own people to die?
All they had to do was stamp a Seal and pass it along, and they could save Face, redeem the hostages, and even pocket a 20% commission for free?!
Although an 80% cut sounded exploitative, that money was meant for debt repayment anyway! Moreover, this way, the Hidden Sand Village wouldn't need to bow and beg the Daimyo, nor would they have to worry about a backlog of missions.
More importantly... since Amegakure would be doing all the work, any casualties would naturally be Amegakure's people.
No need to pay pensions! This was practically pure profit without any investment!
At this moment, his shortsighted instincts as a politician instantly overwhelmed his long-term vision as a Ninja.
Ebizo quickly flicked the beads of his mental abacus. How was this an agreement? This was a godsend—a meat-filled pie falling from the sky!
"Lord Yahiko..." Ebizo's breathing quickened with excitement, an abnormal flush rising to his cheeks. "Are... are you serious? All we really need to do is stamp it? We don't have to contribute a single soldier?"
"Of course."
Yahiko smiled, a smile so sincere it could make one weep. "I've always believed that great nations should act like great nations. Leave the dirty, exhausting work of fighting and killing to small Ninja Villages like ours. You just need to sit in your air-conditioned offices, sipping tea, counting money, and maintaining order."
"This is called—a win-win."
Beside him, Konan lowered her head slightly, using the motion of organizing documents to hide the profound shock in her eyes.
She understood.
Win-win? This was Amegakure winning twice!
Once this agreement was signed, the Hidden Sand Village would be reduced to a mere "shell company." The younger generation would lose the chance to hone their skills in actual combat, and future Sand Ninjas would become nothing more than stamping machines.
Meanwhile, Amegakure would use the Hidden Sand's legal license to infiltrate the mission systems of various countries, training troops in the Sand's name, supporting themselves with the Sand's money, and eventually hollowing the Sand out.
This was the legendary—borrowing a hen to lay eggs, and then stewing the hen while they were at it.
But could Ebizo not see the poison within?
Perhaps he could.
But he didn't care.
For the current Hidden Sand high-level officials, nothing was more enticing than "not having to lose people right now while still raking in money."
"Sign! We'll sign!"
Ebizo didn't even hesitate. As if fearing Yahiko would back out, he grabbed the pen on the desk and heavily pressed his bloody thumbprint onto the "Sand-Rain Strategic Labor Dispatch Agreement."
The bright red ink spread across the paper, looking very much like the final drop of blood shed by a great nation.
"A pleasure doing business with you, Advisor Ebizo."
Yahiko tucked away the agreement with satisfaction and proactively extended his hand.
"A pleasure! A pleasure!" Ebizo gripped Yahiko's hand with both of his, shaking it vigorously, his Face filled with the tearful gratitude of a survivor. "Lord Yahiko, you are truly... a rare, honest man in the Ninja World! On behalf of Rasa and the Hidden Sand Village, I thank you for your generosity!"
"You're welcome," Yahiko said with a meaningful smile.
"Serving great nations is an honor for small countries like ours."
The newly signed "Labor Dispatch Agreement" still smelled faintly of ink, like a fresh deed of sale.
Ebizo sat in the luxurious leather chair. Even though the room was at a comfortable temperature and no one was directing Killing Intent at him, he felt his back soaked with cold sweat, the stickiness making him feel uneasy.
Although the signature was down and the mission commissions for the next three years were used as a "credit line" to offset the bulk of the cost, when Kakuzu flicked the abacus beads with his finger, producing a jarring click, Ebizo realized this was still a cruel subtraction problem.
"Advisor Ebizo, your credit line is 450 million Ryo."
Kakuzu's voice was as flat as a straight-lined EKG. "Subtracting the 35 million for Grandmother Chiyo, you have 415 million left. However, the total price for the remaining captives is 455 million."
There was still a gap of 40 million Ryo.
Ebizo's hand holding the fountain pen jerked, and a drop of ink splattered onto the pristine white paper, resembling some ominous stain.
This 40 million Ryo, no more and no less, was exactly the price of the "Scorch Release Hero."
"Can't... can't you be a bit more flexible?" Ebizo looked up, his wrinkled Face scrunched together, looking as humble as a begging old farmer. "For example, extending the installment period to five years? Or maybe the interest..."
"No credit."
Kakuzu interrupted coldly, his eerie green eyes devoid of human emotion, containing only currency symbols. "If you can't make a decision, I can choose for you. For instance, removing a group of Puppeteers would cover the amount."
Puppeteers were the foundation of the Sand. If these seeds didn't return, the Hidden Sand Village would suffer a severe gap in combat power, becoming a complete laughingstock among the Five Great Nations.
Ebizo closed his eyes in pain.
Before his departure, amidst the wildly dancing gold dust, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa's bone-chilling words had slithered into his ears like a venomous snake:
"Ebizo, if the money isn't enough... you must understand what choice is the most 'practical' for both me and the Village."
"That woman, Pakura, has too much prestige among the civilians and low-ranking Ninjas. Lately, there have even been rumors saying she's more suited for the position of Kazekage than I am..."
"Heroes are only safest and most obedient when they are black-and-white photos hanging on a wall."
Ebizo snapped his eyes open, a flash of political ruthlessness and resolve crossing his clouded old eyes.
For the stability of the Sand, for the authority of the Lord Kazekage, and for the lives of those thousand young children.
Since someone had to be sacrificed... then sacrifice the most expensive one.
The tip of the fountain pen made a harsh scratching sound across the paper, as if crossing some sort of line.
At the final position on the redemption list, over the name that represented the glory of the Sand—"Pakura"—Ebizo drew a heavy, bright red 'X'... The next morning.
At the border of the Land of Rain, beside that terrifying crater several kilometers in diameter.
The rain continued to fall, showing no sign of stopping despite yesterday's slaughter. The air was thick with the scent of upturned earth and the lingering smell of burning.
Two long lines of people stood on opposite sides of the massive crater.
The transaction on Konoha's side had already concluded. Homura Mitokado was leading a large group of Konoha Ninjas, whose Seals had been removed, hurrying away from this nightmare land at a speed as if demons were chasing them.
Uchiha Fugaku walked at the front of the line. Although his Face was pale and his hair disheveled, the brand-new clan robes that had been specially sent for him allowed him to maintain the dignity of a prestigious clan.
Regardless, the Village cared about them after all.
On the other side, the scene for the Hidden Sand Village was much more tragic.
The captives were roughly shoved into the muddy clearing like a flock of lambs for the slaughter. The cold rain soaked their tattered Ninja uniforms, and many young Ninjas were shivering, their eyes filled with fear of the unknown.
"Stand up straight, all of you!"
A sharp shout rang out from the crowd.
Pakura was wrapped in blood-stained bandages. Though weak with her Chakra sealed, her eyes were still startlingly bright. She helped up a fallen Chunin, her gaze sweeping firmly across the Face of every subordinate.
"We are Ninjas of the Sand! Even as captives, we cannot disgrace the Village!"
Pakura's voice was somewhat raspy, yet it carried a reassuring strength. "Don't worry, the Village will never give up on us. Advisor Ebizo has arrived. He is Lady Chiyo's younger brother; he will surely bring everyone home."
"Lady Pakura..." The young Chunin sniffed, the fear in his eyes dissipating quite a bit. "Can we really go back?"
"Of course."
Pakura watched the hunched figure slowly approaching through the rain in the distance, a trusting smile touching the corners of her mouth. "That is the Hidden Sand Village, after all—a place that values comrades above all else."
In her mind, though the Sand was poor and the environment harsh, they were family who grew up huddling together for warmth amidst the wind and sand.
Family doesn't abandon family.
Read 30+ Advanced Chapters at P@ Tre On
FictionTimeo