"Of course it's good news."
Rasa could feel Sasori's reluctance through the puppet link, but he understood. Sasori wasn't helping out of loyalty. He was helping because he had no choice. The moment he killed the Third Kazekage, he became a missing-nin.
"I need you to interrogate someone. No limits on methods. The more information you get, the better."
Rasa paused.
"I've heard there are people who can read memories by manipulating the brain and picking up special electrical signals from the tissue. Can you do something like that?"
This wasn't something Rasa had learned in this world. He was thinking of Neferpitou from Hunter x Hunter — how the chimera ant had extracted memories from Pokkle by playing with his brain.
"Reading memories through electrical signals?"
Sasori's interest immediately spiked. This had nothing to do with puppetry, but the idea fascinated him. He could already see ways it might help improve his own techniques.
"You think it's possible?"
Rasa shrugged.
"I only heard about it. I can't guarantee it works. You'll have to experiment yourself."
Sasori was quiet for a moment.
"When do you want the interrogation done?"
"One week from now."
"Fine. I'll come then."
Rasa returned to the prison with every nasty opinion the Mist had printed or spoken about Yagura, plus the current status of Fuguki and Jinpachi, the dire situation the Mist was in now, and the Taketori clan's public declaration.
Even with the sealing scrolls still wrapped around him, Yagura started shaking violently.
"Pfft!"
A mouthful of blood sprayed out between the gaps in the scrolls.
Finally.
"Two thousand emotion points. Reached."
Rasa turned and walked out without another word.
He had already decided Yagura's fate. The only reason he had been provoking the man was to farm points. Now that he had what he needed, he wasn't wasting another second on him.
Yagura was left confused and terrified.
"What the hell is Rasa doing? Wasn't he trying to humiliate me? Get his kicks? Why did he just leave?"
"What is he planning next?"
He found out soon enough.
They moved him to a new location. The first thing Yagura saw was a stranger with a strange, unnatural aura. The man didn't feel human.
Then the pain started.
Rasa had tortured Yagura mentally.
Sasori tortured him physically.
As someone who had completely remade his own body, Sasori understood human anatomy on a level most medical ninja never reached. He knew exactly where to cut, how deep, and how to keep the victim conscious and feeling every second of agony.
"Talk."
"Talk."
Yagura clenched his teeth and glared with pure hatred. His body had already been taken apart into several pieces, yet Sasori kept him alive and fully aware. He could only watch as his own flesh was slowly disassembled.
"Demon!"
"You're both demons!"
"You'll pay for this… both of you!"
...
Rasa left a shadow clone behind and returned to the surface.
"Lord Kazekage."
An ANBU operative appeared in front of him.
"What is it?"
"A letter just arrived from the Mist Village."
"The Mist?"
Rasa raised an eyebrow. The Fourth Mizukage had just died by his hand. What the hell did they want now? Was the new Mizukage already trying to pick a fight?
But when he opened the letter, he realized he was wrong.
The Mist wasn't looking for trouble. They were trying to suck up.
The main point was simple: the Fifth Mizukage would officially take office soon, and they were inviting the Kazekage — him — to attend the ceremony. They hoped he would give them face and come.
Rasa's eyes narrowed.
A new ruler meant new officials. But the Mist wasn't a two-party system. After everything that had happened between their villages, why would they invite him to watch their new Mizukage take power?
"The points are already close to three thousand. If I go to the Mist and casually ask in front of everyone whether the Fourth Mizukage had anything to do with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's downfall… that should spark a massive reaction."
"I might even push straight to four thousand."
Rasa looked at the ANBU.
"Bring the Mist messenger to me."
"Yes, Lord Kazekage."
The messenger was brought in quickly. He kept his head low, respectful and clearly afraid. Rasa had become a nightmare for the entire Mist Village. Everything that had gone wrong for them could be traced back to him in one way or another.
Rasa asked, "Who else did the Mist invite?"
"Besides you, Lord Kazekage, we sent invitations to the other great villages as well."
"Which ones accepted?"
"Almost all of them."
The messenger added, "Lord Mizukage wants to use the ceremony as a chance to discuss the navigation groups."
Rasa nodded.
"Tell them Sunagakure accepts. You can go."
"Yes, Lord Kazekage."
Meanwhile, the Tsuchikage — the one with the farthest distance to travel — had already left Iwagakure with a full escort of elite ninja. But instead of heading straight to the Mist, Ōnoki's convoy made a stop in Konoha.
"Hiruzen."
Ōnoki smiled politely, even though their villages had been at each other's throats not long ago.
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
"Tsuchikage. What brings you here?"
Ōnoki didn't answer directly. Instead he asked, "What do you think about the current state of the ninja world, Hokage?"
Hiruzen's eyes sharpened.
"What are you trying to say?"
Ōnoki sighed.
"Sunagakure has become too dangerous. I lose sleep over it every night. Don't tell me the Leaf doesn't feel the same pressure. Just look at what happened to the Mist. They're not even one of the Five Great Villages anymore."
"One newspaper created the entire age of voyages."
"And they killed a perfect jinchuriki who also had Water Mirror Technique. Be honest — neither Iwagakure nor the Leaf could have pulled that off."
"Sunagakure needs to be contained. Now."