"Mr. Ryosuke, I can guarantee you, the news of your arrival at Sunagakure will absolutely not leak out."
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, kept a stern face, speaking with absolute certainty.
Ryosuke smiled and waved his hand. This move was just a casual step anyway. If it could be kept hidden, then good; if not, it wouldn't affect his plan.
He looked at Rasa before him, and his first impression was, 'Oordinary.'
Short brown hair, ordinary looks, wearing the Kazekage's robe.
The robe was very new, still showing creases. It looked like it was usually kept folded in a cabinet and only worn when receiving important guests.
Contrasting with the robe was the black ninja work uniform underneath. The uniform showed signs of wear, clearly worn for many years, and often used when doing actual work.
His whole aura, rather than saying he was the "Kage" of a village, he looked more like the kind of technical worker Ryosuke was very familiar with in his past life.
Straightforward, simple, occasionally a bit stubborn.
Rasa stepped forward, pulled Ryosuke's arm, and invited him to sit down.
The Kazekage's office was simply arranged. He poured tea for Ryosuke and his companions.
"Regarding the 'Sky Ninja Corps' you mentioned, I indeed have never heard of them. They're hiding very deeply. I will send people to investigate."
Ryosuke took a sip of tea. "Rather than investigating the Sky Ninja Corps, what I want more is a list."
"What list?" Rasa asked.
"A list of the people you think would provide resources and support to people like the Sky Ninja Corps and Shinnō."
Ryosuke said, "Once the matter with the Sky Ninja Corps is settled, I'll visit them one by one."
"I can draft such a list. But…"
Rasa took a deep breath, as if making some big decision.
"I have a condition."
Ryosuke became interested.
He liked it when others negotiated terms with him.
If there were terms, it meant there was a basis for cooperation.
"Say it."
Rasa didn't answer immediately. He turned his head toward Kakashi.
"Could you..."
He gestured toward the door, then added, "It won't take long. Thank you."
It was obvious the conversation Rasa wanted to have next was something he didn't want a third party to hear.
Even if that person was Ryosuke's friend.
Kakashi nodded and left the office.
Ryosuke didn't say things like "he's one of us." That would be disrespectful to Rasa and would put Kakashi in an awkward position.
After Kakashi left, Rasa still didn't speak immediately.
He pressed down on the tea table. A faint chakra ripple spread out, and a thin barrier appeared, fragile enough to be torn apart with a touch, but enough to prevent eavesdropping.
Seeing this, Ryosuke set down his teacup and waited for the other party to state his terms for the deal.
"Ryosuke, please help me..."
Rasa placed his hands on his knees, slowly lowered his head.
"...to rebel together!"
Sasuke and Rei opened their mouths wide. "Huh?"
Ryosuke leaned forward slightly.
Rasa raised his head. Beneath the ordinary face, his eyes shone brightly.
His speech was steady, without extra emotion, "I want to ask you to cut down the current Daimyo, crush the domestic financial magnates, shatter the corporations' monopoly of funds, and let more people live like human beings… just like you did in the Land of Water."
"That is my condition."
"As long as you agree, I and Sunagakure will follow in your steps, becoming the 'Spear of Shukaku' in your hands."
Sasuke and Rei's eyes widened, their expressions dazed.
'Aren't we the ones supposed to be promoting the trend of awakened thought?'
'Why… why is Rasa even more radical than us?!'
Ryosuke stared at Rasa.
"Who knows about this matter?"
"Me," Rasa said. "And now, you."
This kind of matter couldn't possibly be told to anyone else. If word leaked, Sunagakure could never stand against the Land of Wind's government and its financial conglomerates.
The simplest example, with the wealth of the Land of Wind, if they threw enough money to hire the entire Akatsuki to act, could Sunagakure be destroyed?
The answer was yes.
Pain, Deidara, Uchiha Itachi… which of them wasn't a mass murderer?
Even if he didn't know those others, Sasori of the Red Sand, him he knew all too well.
Besides Akatsuki, there were wandering ninjas, samurai, and now also the Sky Ninja Corps. For all they knew, hidden armies of the dead or sage armies could be lurking in the shadows.
So for Rasa to say these words to Ryosuke today was indeed taking a tremendous risk of death.
"You trust me that much?" Ryosuke asked.
"This is our first meeting. Where is there trust to speak of?" Rasa said seriously. "What I trust is the results right before my eyes."
The Land of Water truly changed, with a clear and orderly awakened trend of thought.
That was why Rasa trusted Ryosuke.
"As for my motivation to make this decision..."
Rasa was about to explain further.
Ryosuke waved his hand, signaling he didn't need to say more.
He had seen enough along the way.
The Land of Wind was different from the Land of Water. There was no human trafficking here, and however poor, no one starved to death,
But this was another kind of dead end.
Extreme wealth disparity. The people at the bottom were like desert beetles, burning away in factories and mines, finally receiving a meager wage just enough to live.
They lived without joy, and without deep sorrow or grief either.
Their emotions stayed beneath a certain stillness, in a gloom where one could faintly see light.
They couldn't rise up, and bound by the instinct to survive, they couldn't sink down either.
In the end, they lived gray lives their whole lives, and after death, became gray ashes.
The civilians were like this. For Sunagakure to have good days, either the village leader stopped being human, like Yagura of the past… or, if the village leader still had some conscience, he could only be like Rasa, becoming a gold mine shaft.
But could such a thing last a lifetime?
Even if he could, what about the next generation?
Rasa wanted to carve out a way forward for his descendants in his own generation.
That was his nature. Otherwise, in the original story, Rasa wouldn't have trusted Orochimaru, seeking cooperation, only to be betrayed and replaced.
"I understand."
Ryosuke nodded and extended his hand. "Welcome to join us."
The always stern-faced Rasa finally showed a faint smile. He grasped Ryosuke's hand firmly and asked, "Good! When shall we go kill the Daimyo?"
"Uh…"
Ryosuke's expression turned strange. "What am I in your eyes?"
Rasa bluntly replied, "The Daimyo Slayer, the Destroyer of Financial Clans, the Nemesis of Akatsuki, the Snake-Slaying Expert!"
Ryosuke raised his hand, stopping him from listing more titles.
"Wait. It's not time yet."
The Land of Water and the Land of Wind were different matters.
The Land of Water was small in territory and had a rare political genius like Oda Ieyasu, who coordinated and managed things, minimizing casualties.
And even that had taken more than four months.
The Land of Wind was the largest and most vast in the ninja world.
If they acted rashly, sure, it would be satisfying. But with the old system destroyed, what would follow was endless chaos, slaughter, and tragedy.
Millions of people would die.
That was not something Ryosuke wanted to see.
"Things must be done one step at a time."
Ryosuke said, "First I'll cut down Shinnō. Sunagakure's ninjas will follow that trail, tracking the financial magnates hiding behind him, can you guarantee Sunagakure's ninjas will choose to follow your plan?"
Facing the stares of Ryosuke, Sasuke, and Rei, Rasa said sincerely,
"I can't."
The three hesitated to speak.
Rasa added, "But I will try my best to persuade them."
Ryosuke gave a slight nod. That was all that could be done.
With business finished, everyone in the room relaxed slightly, sitting back in their chairs.
Ryosuke asked about another matter, "I have a friend, Iwamine. A few months ago, she came to Sunagakure to teach. I'd like to see her."
"You mean Teacher Iwahane? She went to Gorin City for teaching support about two months ago. She still sends letters every week to report her safety."
Rasa said this as he lifted the barrier, then had someone bring the letters and hand them to Ryosuke.
Ryosuke took the letters. They simply said that Iwamine was living safely in Gorin City, her teaching progress moving forward, and so on.
Ryosuke read through each one carefully. From time to time, the corners of his mouth curved up, happy that Iwamine had found a goal in life.
But as he read further, his brows slowly furrowed.
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