The news of the overnight changes in Gelin City, as the dawn broke over Daichi, spread throughout the ninja world.
Sunagakure Village, the closest, received the news first.
Rasa, sitting in the Kazekage's office, had not slept all night.
Ever since Linto had left, he had been waiting. When his subordinates came in to report on their work, he would either frown deeply and mutter to himself, or gaze into the distance with a rare smile on his face.
Many people thought Rasa was suffering from too much work pressure and was having a bit of a mental breakdown. They advised him to take a break from his work.
But Rasa knew he wasn't crazy.
He was waiting for a result.
A result he had waited his whole life for.
When the intelligence operatives left behind in Gelin City sent back the news, Rasa slammed his desk with satisfaction and let out a hearty laugh.
His eyes were bloodshot from a day of anxiety, which looked a bit frightening to others.
But Rasa felt better than he ever had.
Ten minutes later, Rasa called an emergency meeting. In front of the village's top ninja and advisors, he revealed the decision he had held in his heart for a long time:
"I want to lead Sunagakure Village and pledge allegiance to Linto."
The announcement caused an uproar.
Some frowned in thought, others stood up and shouted, and a few, well-informed and aware of what had happened in Gelin City last night, looked at Rasa thoughtfully.
After three minutes of commotion, someone raised the first question.
"I've heard Linto has an ability to write commands in others' minds... Kazekage-sama, may I be so bold as to ask if you've met Linto alone?"
"Yes."
"Then Kazekage-sama, is your current decision truly from your own heart? Or have you fallen under Linto's illusion?"
Rasa scanned the room, seeing pairs of questioning eyes.
Falling under an illusion was a polite way of putting it. To put it bluntly, everyone thought Rasa had lost his mind.
Sunagakure Village, one of the five great ninja villages of the ninja world, with a long history, possessed many secret techniques and strong warriors.
Even among the five great villages, in terms of direct combat power, they were likely only behind Kumogakure and Konoha, not to mention smaller villages like Taki Village or Takigakure.
Why would they abandon their comfortable lives and pledge allegiance to Linto?
Few ninjas were fools. With Linto's actions, he had already angered all the financial groups and bureaucratic establishments in the world. Although he was currently popular, were there not many strong individuals in the ninja world?
Hanzō of the Salamander, closer by, and Senju Hashirama, farther away, and even farther back, the Sage of Six Paths.
They were all outrageously powerful, yet in the end, they all died.
The financial groups and bureaucracies had changed one after another, but it was foreseeable that as long as "humans" existed, they would continue to exist.
At this juncture, they would abandon the Land of Wind and follow Linto?
Why bother?
Rasa was not a gifted speaker. He couldn't analyze everyone's concerns one by one and break down their mental defenses.
He simply stated his reasons in the most straightforward words.
"Do you think the Land of Wind treats us like humans?"
Everyone fell silent.
Rasa didn't wait for them to reply and continued, "The Daimyo of the Land of Wind would use various excuses to withhold military funding.
The money that wealthy merchants spend to buy a zoo is equivalent to our half-year military budget."
"Kumogakure is expanding its military, while we are selling gold and making money."
"Konoha Village is engaging in infighting, while we are selling puppets."
"Kirigakure is in the Village of the Bloody Mist, while we are selling scrolls."
"Iwagakure is biding its time, while we—"
Rasa slammed his fist on the table.
"Are still trying to figure out how to make money!"
Money! Money! Money!
The people of Sunagakure Village looked at each other.
They knew Rasa was right. Many times, when ninjas from other villages were pondering how to rest or improve after a mission, they were thinking about how to successfully collect the final payment and how to persuade clients to buy some value-added services.
The doubts in their eyes had faded considerably, and their bodies, which had been leaning back in their chairs, began to lean forward slightly.
Rasa threw printed documents on the table.
They contained the recent situation in the Land of Water and Kirigakure, the purpose of the Sky Ninja Corps, and the current state of Gelin City.
The former explained the benefits of following Linto.
The latter indicated that they no longer had a retreat.
The financial groups were starting to look for alternatives to "ninja villages." Once they found them, they would be swept into the dustbin of history, and no one would remember them.
Rasa said sternly, "It's not us betraying the Land of Wind, it's the Land of Wind betraying us!
They don't see us as humans at all, but as dogs that you can give a bone to and have them lick it for half a day!"
"We need a leader."
"A great leader with vision and enough power to annihilate all enemies in front of us, and now—"
Rasa pointed in the direction of Gelin City.
"He has arrived."
"Linto turned those invaders into sacrifices, and those who looked down on us into corpses."
"He will lead us to victory."
"Now, tell me."
Rasa stood up and slammed his hands on the table:
"Do you want to be humans, or do you want to be dogs?"
In silence, everyone looked at each other, picked up the documents on the table, and read them word by word.
Three hours later.
Sunagakure Village seceded from the Land of Wind and joined Linto's faction.
...
Four days later, Sunagakure Village's support troops, led by Rasa, arrived in Gelin City.
Gelin City was now in ruins, with the original rules and bureaucratic systems collapsed. Countless troubles would inevitably await them. Since Sunagakure Village had chosen a faction, they would not be stingy with their labor—
After all, every single one of them, from top to bottom, was the most skilled group of workers in the entire ninja world.
However, upon arriving in Gelin City, Rasa discovered that it was much better than he had imagined. Small, makeshift rescue stations were visible every two or three streets.
Factories and institutions related to daily life were slowly getting back on their feet, ensuring food, water, and sewage treatment.
Rasa glanced back at the convoy of horse-drawn carriages that had driven him all the way. He had brought a lot of supplies, which now seemed unnecessary.
But it was a good thing that they were unnecessary.
People in cloaks were patrolling the city, calling themselves the "Rat Corps."
Rasa asked them for Linto's whereabouts. He expected to find him at the Arima residence. However, a "little rat" who looked no older than fifteen or sixteen said:
"The City Lord's mansion? The conditions there are better, so it's being used to house the injured. Leader Linto is currently resting in one of the factories in the city. If you want to go, I can lead the way for you."
"Thank you."
Rasa led the convoy to the factory.
They found Linto in an empty workshop. Standing beside him were a few familiar faces: Sasuke, Little Momo, Kakashi, and Iwagaki Gen Masako.
Just as Rasa was about to smile and greet them, he suddenly noticed the man standing opposite them.
The man was wearing the official uniform of the Land of Wind.
His face was filled with defiance.