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"If they weren't wary, a war might actually break out. The Kazekage wouldn't just leave the village and come to the border so casually," Shikaku said.
"You're right. Since the Third Great Ninja War, the Sand Village has been struggling," Kazuki nodded, chuckling at the thought of the Land of Wind's daimyo's ridiculous antics.
Not only did the daimyo withhold funding for the village's development, but he also redirected the Sand Village's mission contracts to Konoha, crippling their economy further.
As a result, the Sand Village was forced to focus on developing elite ninjas.
Unfortunately, their so-called elite training program didn't produce many elites.
Honestly, among the five great ninja villages, the Sand Village was truly the most pitiful.
They had the smallest population, the weakest economy, and few geniuses—many of whom either died or were sold off for various reasons.
People often said Konoha's schemes were terrifying and dark, but the Sand Village's were even worse.
The Mist Village wasn't much better, leaving only the Rock and Cloud Villages in relatively better shape.
"Rasa probably guessed I'm stationed at the border. So he came in person, hoping to sit down and talk, to resolve these issues," Kazuki said.
He could guess Rasa's intentions with his eyes closed.
"Then we…" Shikaku began.
"Keep detaining the caravans, but stop the team's provocations. The Kazekage's here, so we'll give him some face. After all, we haven't completely fallen out yet," Kazuki instructed.
"Yes."
Early the next morning, Rasa left his camp and flew toward the Land of Fire's border.
The Land of Rivers, caught between the two powers, turned a blind eye to the provocations between Konoha and the Sand Village.
They lacked the strength to intervene.
Small nations sandwiched between great powers were the most stifled—powerless and unable to meddle.
So they let them do as they pleased.
Konoha or the Sand Village wouldn't allow the other to swallow their country, so why bother getting involved?
Let them sort it out!
Rasa didn't hide his movements, openly approaching Konoha's border camp.
The ninjas on the camp's watchtower spotted him coming on his gold dust from afar and immediately reported it.
Stopping a few hundred meters from the camp, Rasa descended from the sky and stood waiting, confident Kazuki would come to meet him soon.
"Lord Advisor, the Sand Village's Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, is here, just outside the camp," a ninja reported.
"Did he send word?" Kazuki asked without looking up.
Shikaku hesitated. "No…"
"Then let him wait."
You've got some nerve, Rasa, flying straight to the border and standing there silently, expecting me to come running?
Who gave you that idea?
If he wasn't going to announce himself, he could wait.
Five minutes passed, and Konoha's camp showed no activity. The watchtower ninjas kept their eyes on Rasa.
Ten minutes passed—still nothing.
Rasa's face darkened.
He realized Kazuki wasn't coming out to meet him.
"Tell your Hokage's Advisor that the Sand Village's Kazekage, Rasa, is here to visit and requests a meeting outside the camp," Rasa said through gritted teeth, suppressing his anger as he spoke to the watchtower ninja.
You've got guts, Uchiha Kazuki!
If I don't speak first, you won't show yourself?
"Please wait, Lord Kazekage. We'll inform the Advisor immediately," the watchtower ninja replied, sending a signal.
A ninja receiving the signal hurried back to the camp to report to Kazuki.
"Lord Advisor, the Sand Village's Kazekage, Rasa, says he's here to visit and requests you meet him outside the camp."
"Hahaha, he finally spoke up?" Kazuki laughed heartily.
The command center erupted in laughter, especially among the Uchiha.
The others, however, looked bewildered.
Is it really okay to treat the Sand Village's Kazekage like this?
He was the leader of a great ninja village. Wasn't this a bit much?
Shikaku, familiar with Kazuki's personality, could only shake his head with a wry smile.
"Since Rasa wants to see me, I'll meet him. I'll go alone—you don't need to follow," Kazuki said.
Rasa came alone. If Kazuki brought escorts, it would implicitly put him at a disadvantage.
Theoretically, the Kazekage outranked the Hokage's Advisor, but you're the Sand Village's Kazekage, not Konoha's. In Konoha's territory, who cares who you are?
Shisui and Itachi, who instinctively moved to follow, stopped and stayed in the camp.
But everyone was ready to act.
If Kazuki and Rasa's talks fell apart and a fight broke out, they'd jump in to help.
If things went south and faces were torn, Rasa would be an enemy.
And with enemies, who bothers with one-on-one duel rules?
Just take him down.
"What a coincidence. What brings the Kazekage to Konoha's border camp?" Kazuki asked leisurely as he strolled out of the camp.
"I heard several caravans closely tied to the Sand Village have been detained. What crime are they accused of?" Rasa asked, ignoring the provocations by Konoha ninjas in the Land of Wind and focusing on the caravan issue.
"Oh, that," Kazuki said, stopping about five meters from Rasa. Turning to face the sun, he squinted, raised a hand to shade his eyes, and said casually, "I suspect they're spies using the pretext of transporting goods to gather intelligence on Konoha. So we detained them."
You suspect?
Rasa nearly lost it, wanting to curse.
Just say you're targeting the Sand Village and be done with it. Suspect?
Suspect my foot.
Rasa's face hardened. "Kazuki, I think there's been a misunderstanding. If you believe they're spies, you must have evidence."
Kazuki turned, giving Rasa a half-smile. "No evidence, but… I suspect they're spies, so they're spies. I say they're spies, and they're spies. Got it?"
Evidence?
Was that important?
One word from him could slap a spy label on them—more effective than any evidence.
"So, your actions are meant to target the Sand Village?" Rasa took a deep breath, his changing expression betraying his anger.
He'd hoped to talk calmly with Kazuki, let the matter slide, and avoid escalation, as it wouldn't look good for either side.
But Kazuki's every word was a slap in the face.
I'm doing this on purpose. I'm targeting the Sand Village. What are you going to do about it?
"Exactly. I'm here to target you. Why else would I come to the border for no reason? To sunbathe and admire the desert?"