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"Our frontline ninjas have been restraining themselves, waiting for the village's decision. They can't figure out Konoha's intentions or whether this is part of some scheme," Rasa said.
"Do you think Konoha wants to wage war?" Chiyo asked, chuckling with a hoarse, low rasp, like an old bellows.
"Yes."
That was Rasa's guess—Konoha was looking to start a war.
"But based on my understanding and years of dealing with them, Tsunade isn't someone who takes risks or solves problems through war. She has no reason to attack our village," Chiyo countered.
Despite being semi-retired, Chiyo kept up with major village affairs.
The Sand Village hadn't done anything big to provoke Konoha.
As for the so-called provocations? Those were trivial.
Minor frictions had been ongoing for decades—nothing new.
If such petty issues were enough to start a war, Tsunade would have to be out of her mind.
If wars were fought over nonsense like this, the Sand Village and Konoha would've beaten each other to a pulp long ago.
The Sand Village and Konoha, the Rock Village and Cloud Village, the Cloud Village and Mist Village—conflicts and minor clashes between the five great ninja villages never stopped.
So Chiyo was certain Konoha had no reason to wage war against the Sand Village.
Even if Tsunade lost her mind, someone would step in to stop her.
"Tsunade may not be an impulsive Hokage, nor would she start a war over trivial matters, but Chiyo, you seem to have forgotten someone," Rasa reminded her.
Tsunade wouldn't, but someone else might.
And that someone wasn't easy to deal with—brash, fearless, and quick to act.
If it was him… it all made sense.
Chiyo's face darkened. "You mean Uchiha Kazuki?"
"Exactly," Rasa nodded slowly.
"From what I know, despite his young age, he holds the position of Hokage's Advisor. Tsunade trusts him deeply. Even the Third Hokage can't interfere in matters he handles. And he's not exactly reasonable."
"An Uchiha lunatic!" Chiyo cursed under her breath before continuing, "In that case, Kazekage, you need to head to the border yourself. This matter requires your personal attention."
In theory, war was unlikely. But what if?
Once upon a time, Konoha had thought the same—that war was improbable because the Sand Village would have to be insane to break the peace treaty and attack.
Yet, the Sand Village had done just that, catching Konoha off guard by marching straight into the Land of Fire's heartland.
"I was planning to. While I'm gone, I hope you, Chiyo, can oversee the village," Rasa said.
He had to go to the border himself, whether war was likely or not.
The Sand Village couldn't afford a major conflict right now.
With him gone, the village needed someone with enough authority to hold the fort and prevent any mishaps.
"This old body will look after the village. Rest assured, Kazekage," Chiyo replied.
Though she and Rasa often disagreed on policies, when the village needed her, Chiyo would contribute without hesitation.
"Good."
Rasa trusted Chiyo to manage the village.
He knew she had her grievances with him, but as long as her heart was with the Sand Village, that was enough.
She was a trustworthy elder to entrust with the village's safety.
Leaving the village in Chiyo's hands, Rasa took to the skies on his gold dust, speeding toward the border.
He had to resolve this quickly.
Even if the chance of Konoha starting a war was only one percent, he needed to eliminate that possibility.
In the past, the Sand Village had been eager to fight Konoha, seeking resources and benefits.
Now, Rasa only wanted stable development, slowly building the Sand Village's strength, not waging wars.
Konoha could afford the cost of war; the Sand Village couldn't.
The Sand Village had only just achieved stable growth, and Rasa didn't want to disrupt that.
So, this trip was non-negotiable.
If necessary, he'd even go to Konoha to talk face-to-face with Tsunade—or Kazuki.
Perhaps he could settle this without going to Konoha.
Konoha's behavior was too abnormal. Rasa was certain someone had given orders for them to provoke and act out of line like this.
Such reckless actions risked sparking a war at any moment.
If that was the case, the one giving orders couldn't be directing from Konoha—they had to be at the Land of Fire's border camp. Rasa needed to meet them.
Compared to traveling by land, Rasa's flight on gold dust was swift. He reached the border that same night.
"Lord Kazekage!" The frustrated ninjas at the camp lit up like children seeing their savior.
Finally, someone with authority had arrived. They no longer had to bear the nerve-wracking burden of this situation.
Jonin and elite jonin might be the village's pillars on paper, but they lacked real authority. Mishandling certain matters could lead to dire consequences.
Seated at the head of the command center, Rasa asked, "Has the situation worsened today?"
"Reporting to Lord Kazekage," Soro said formally, "to avoid escalating tensions and sparking a war, we've exercised restraint. Konoha's ninjas have continued their provocations but haven't pushed further when we didn't engage."
"Heh, as expected," Rasa chuckled.
Konoha hadn't escalated further, meaning things hadn't reached a point where negotiation was impossible.
"You've done well. Tomorrow, I'll personally visit Konoha's border camp to address this."
It was already dark—visiting now would be impolite. It could wait until tomorrow.
At Konoha's border camp, Shisui promptly reported Rasa's arrival.
"Rasa's here?" Kazuki said with a surprised smile. "Looks like the Sand Village is more anxious than I thought."
Shikaku, standing nearby, added, "Lord Advisor, after the Third Great Ninja War, the Sand Village's strength never fully recovered. Coupled with the daimyo's inaction and the Akatsuki incident a few years ago, the Sand Village is weaker than we might think."