Chapter 246: Arrival at the Sand Village
After a night of rest, the group set out again at dawn. They traveled at a relentless pace and, by sunset, had reached the Land of Rivers, where they rendezvoused with the Sand Village's escort team.
The leader of the escort was one of Rasa's subordinates. Kyosuke vaguely remembered him from the war. The man, like most of the Sand shinobi, did not look kindly upon the "Butcher of the Sand," but he was respectful toward the two elders.
Kyosuke, for his part, paid him no mind. He was just another nameless defeated foe. Besides, the Sand Village was now the one begging for their help. The attitude of a minor character was of no consequence.
However, there was one person in the group that did catch his interest: Baki, whom he had not seen in years. He was now a newly promoted Chunin, only a few years older than Kyosuke, and had been sent on this mission for experience.
"It's been a long time," Kyosuke said with a low chuckle, his voice casual. "I didn't see you on the battlefield. I was starting to think something had happened to you."
Baki shot him a sour look. "I'm just a small fry," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Not a prodigy like you."
"Sensei, you have friends in the Sand?" Anko asked, tugging on his sleeve.
Kyosuke looked down at her and smiled. "No, he's not my friend."
"Then... an enemy?"
"Hahaha," Kyosuke laughed, then pointed to the leader of the escort. "Like him, he's just another..."
"Defeated foe!"
The conversation was not quiet, and everyone in the group heard his words. No matter how much it angered them, it was the undeniable truth. They could only pretend not to hear.
Basking in the adoring gazes of his three students, Kyosuke finally decided to let them be. Koharu and Homura, who had also heard his words, simply exchanged a secret smile and continued on.
A few days later, they arrived at the main gate of the Sand Village. Kazekage Rasa, along with Chiyo, Ebizo, and the other village elders, was there to greet them personally.
It was an unusually grand reception, given that the Hokage himself had not come. But they were the ones asking for a favor, and with their recent defeat, it was a necessary show of sincerity. The beaming faces of the two Konoha elders showed that they were more than satisfied.
"Sensei, is that the Kazekage? He looks so serious. Do you know him?" Anko asked, staring at the stone-faced Rasa.
"Oh, you mean Rasa..." Kyosuke smiled, the words "defeated foe" on the tip of his tongue, but a sharp glare from Koharu stopped him.
He rubbed his nose awkwardly. "I know him. We've fought before," he said with a wry smile.
Before his students could ask any more questions, the pleasantries were over, and the group began to walk into the village. Anko, her curiosity piqued, began to look around. But the Sand Village, with its harsh, dusty environment, was the least aesthetically pleasing of the five great villages. After a few cursory glances, the three of them lost interest.
They soon arrived at the Kazekage's office, and Rasa got straight to the point.
The previous Jinchuriki had died, and the One-Tailed Shukaku had been sealed away in a temple, guarded by the Jinchuriki's disciples and the Anbu. But a few days ago, for reasons unknown, Shukaku had broken free and was now wreaking havoc in the Land of Wind. Rasa had sent a large number of shinobi to deal with it, but they had all been defeated. Shukaku had now taken refuge in a remote, uninhabited canyon.
With his own power and his unique ninjutsu, Rasa should have been able to defeat the weakest of the Tailed Beasts. But in the desert, Shukaku had a massive territorial advantage. Left with no other choice, Rasa had swallowed his pride and asked for Konoha's help.
After hearing Rasa's explanation, Kyosuke fell into a thoughtful silence. All eyes were on him.
Seeing him, the aged Chiyo was reminded of the war, especially the day Bunjin had died. The memory was seared into her mind.
Konoha is so fortunate to have such a powerful young shinobi. If only he were from the Sand...
Fearing that her sister was thinking of her missing grandson, Ebizo spoke up. "Do you think you can defeat Shukaku? If you have any concerns, please, speak freely. We can discuss a plan."
"Shukaku is nothing," Kyosuke said with a dismissive laugh, ignoring the sour looks on the Sand shinobi's faces. "But to defeat it, I will incur some... expenses. I will need to be compensated."
"Expenses? Compensation?" The three of them exchanged a look. "What kind of expenses? And how can we compensate you?" Rasa asked, his voice hesitant.
"Oh, just some exploding tags and the like. Nothing major," Kyosuke said with a casual wave of his hand.
Before Ebizo could ask for more details, Rasa agreed. Even if Kyosuke used up the entire Uchiha clan's stock of exploding tags, it wouldn't be much. And for a man who could literally pull gold from the sand, it was a small price to pay.
Seeing that his Kazekage had already made a promise, Ebizo said nothing more. Even if Kyosuke were to use an obscene number of exploding tags, how many could he possibly have? Surely the great Sand Village could afford to pay for them.
They had no idea just how many "some exploding tags" would turn out to be.
With Rasa's promise secured, a triumphant smirk flashed across Kyosuke's face. He had no intention of resting. He was ready to head to Shukaku's canyon immediately.
Eager to resolve the situation, the Sand elders sent a guide to lead him to the canyon, while they escorted the two Konoha elders to the meeting hall.
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