Sand Ninja Beset by Trouble

Faced with cries that surged like collapsing mountains and roaring seas, Rasa’s expression turned icy. Several Suna-nin higher-ups and Anbu were in the room, but none dared say a word. They lowered their heads and waited for Rasa’s orders.

They were all confidants of the Fourth Kazekage and knew Rasa’s temperament. Speaking now might invite trouble. Keeping silent and awaiting instructions was the best choice.

For such a massive gathering to form outside, someone had to be secretly inciting them. Moreover, Scorching Release User Yakura stood at the very front. Whether in strength or reputation, she ranked highly in Sunagakure and had once even been a candidate for Fourth Kazekage.

With Yakura involved, it seemed ordinary people stepping forward would be useless. And with so many people outside shouting for the Kazekage, there was no point in sending anyone else out.

Rasa pondered for a long time, but in such a noisy environment, the anger in his heart only continued to rise. He could not think of a good solution at all.

"Come. Follow me outside and hear what they have to say."

A trace of coldness flashed across Rasa’s face as he spoke to those in the room. After a series of reforms, he believed he had control over most of the village’s power. No matter how those people in the shadows incited a few villagers, they could never threaten him—not even with Pakura added to the mix.

Pakura, I thought you would peacefully remain a hero in name only. But since you’ve stepped forward, don’t blame me, the Kazekage!

Rasa thought angrily. To placate Pakura, he had given her immense prestige and transferred her away from Sunagakure for a time. He had thought she would settle down and obediently serve as a "Suna-nin hero," but now it seemed Pakura did not think that way at all.

Once Rasa stepped out of the Kazekage’s Office Building, the shouting outside stopped. The villagers who had been summoned wanted a solution, while those secretly coordinating things wanted Rasa to show himself. Now that he had come out, the people outside naturally stopped shouting.

Seeing that the gathered crowd had fallen silent after his appearance, Rasa spoke to them in a low voice. "If you have demands, you may file complaints through proper channels. But gathering together like this—are you trying to force me, the Kazekage?"

After speaking, Rasa suddenly unleashed a powerful wave of Chakra, directly intimidating the Ninja and Civilians at the front. Their faces went pale as they remembered that this man was the Fourth Kazekage.

"Lord Kazekage, we only wish to ask one question and receive one promise."

A voice suddenly rose from the crowd. Then a Suna-nin Jonin stepped out, his expression firm as he asked Rasa.

"Why were previous One-Tail Jinchuriki imprisoned in temples outside Sunagakure, while this One-Tail Jinchuriki lives inside the village? And can even walk around freely?"

"If the One-Tail goes berserk again, what will happen to the villagers’ safety? There have already been several rampages in the past, causing three deaths and sixty-seven injuries. They were all companions of Sunagakure, Lord Kazekage!"

Suna-nin Jonin, Morihira.

He was one of those whose interests had been harmed by Rasa’s reforms. After being persuaded by Yura, he had joined Sasori of the Red Sands. It was precisely because Morihira had been openly running around that so many people had gathered at the Kazekage’s Office Building.

After hearing Jonin Morihira’s words, many people listened intently. This concerned their lives and safety, and the overwhelming majority gathered here wanted an explanation.

At the very least, they should confine that monster somewhere. Don’t let him walk openly through the streets.

But the current One-Tail Jinchuriki was Rasa’s son. He wanted to use stimulation to make Gaara quickly master the One-Tail’s power. How could he possibly confine Gaara somewhere?

"As for this request, I will discuss it with the higher-ups and give you an answer." Before Rasa could finish, Morihira interrupted him again.

"When will you provide that answer, Lord Kazekage? After all, Gaara is your son. If this takes too long and he goes berserk again, more pitiful and innocent people may be injured."

After hearing Morihira’s words, discussions gradually broke out among the crowd. Voices of agreement rang out, mixed with plenty of doubts toward Rasa, such as, "Is the monster Lord Kazekage’s son?" and "How terrifying! Does that mean Lord Kazekage killed all those people?"

Damn Morihira!

Rasa’s eyes were filled with coldness. He wanted nothing more than to crush Morihira into dust with Gold Dust immediately. But that was clearly impossible in the current situation, so he could only take a deep breath, suppress the anger in his heart, and look toward Pakura, who stood at the front.

No matter how loudly Morihira spoke, he had not stepped ahead of Pakura. Rasa had already guessed the reason why.

"Do you think so too, Pakura?"

"Mm… it would be good as long as this can be resolved. The Fourth Kazekage will certainly have a solution, so everyone, please don’t be too anxious."

After thinking for a moment, Pakura spoke somewhat awkwardly. She felt that both sides were too angry, so she tried to mediate. After all, solving this would take time.

The villagers’ demands were not wrong, but the issue could not be resolved immediately either. Pakura felt there was nothing wrong with what she said, but after she finished speaking, the anger in Rasa’s gaze grew even stronger.

The more Rasa looked at it, the more he felt Pakura was forcing him. If he was given time and still failed to produce a solution, Pakura would certainly make another move to force him down from the Position of Kazekage.

"Seven days! Seven days from now, I will give you a solution in the name of the Kazekage. If, during that time, any villager is injured because of the One-Tail, I will resign from the Position of Kazekage."

Rasa was extremely decisive and directly made a harsh vow. He had to first stabilize the people surrounding the Kazekage’s Office Building, then deal with those who had raised the issue against him.

Soon afterward, through messages relayed by the Suna-nin Anbu, Rasa’s military pledge became known to everyone.

Using the Position of Kazekage as a guarantee was indeed the highest-level assurance.

Thus, some people began to disperse. They only needed to wait seven days for an answer, so there was no need to remain gathered here. After most of the villagers had left, Morihira and the others departed as well.

As Rasa watched Pakura and the others leave, his fists beneath his coat clenched tightly.

Only after returning to the Kazekage’s Office Building did Rasa furiously order the Anbu to investigate why he had been the last to learn of such a major matter.

As for Gaara, Rasa could only send him outside the village for now and halt the stimulation of Gaara. Once he had dealt with this matter, he would resume the plan to control the One-Tail.

The disastrous defeat in the Third Shinobi World War had always been a thorn Rasa could not remove from his heart. Now that the Suna-nin also possessed Medical Machines and Medical Talismans, they could match Konoha in logistical treatment. Combined with their ample development funds, Rasa had always wanted to lead Sunagakure into becoming the number one Ninja Village in the Ninja World.

Yet in his first battle after becoming Kazekage, Konoha had thoroughly taught him a lesson. He could never let go of that grudge.

"So this is all it takes? Rasa’s abilities as Kazekage are far too mediocre. Sasori, if it were you, how would you handle this?"

Watching Rasa’s performance through a remote live broadcast, Hyuga Mirai shook his head. Why were all the Kage so weak? A Ninja Village was a military institution, and Ninja themselves represented violence, yet Rasa had been forced into such a pathetic state.

Sasori, standing beside him, sneered. "If it were me, they would never have had the chance to force me."

"That’s true."

Hyuga Mirai chuckled softly and did not refute Sasori’s answer.

The Suna-nin differed from Konoha. Compared to Konoha’s Ninja Clan alliance, the Suna-nin were more like an alliance of Ninja. Furthermore, Sunagakure’s Puppet Masters had basically all studied under the Second Kazekage, and there were no major factions that banded together.

For Morihira and his group to force him into this state, Rasa’s abilities as Kazekage were indeed lacking. He had focused only on reform, yet Sunagakure’s cohesion had instead grown weaker and weaker. The power under his control was now inferior to what it had been before the reforms.

"It seems Sunagakure has no major issues left. Sasori, where is the Reanimation Jutsu you promised me?"

Hyuga Mirai turned his head and asked. He had traded a New Mechanical Android Blueprint to Sasori for it. Since the plan had begun and Sasori still had not acted, Hyuga Mirai had tempted him with the android manufacturing blueprint.

Sasori’s expression froze at those words. Although he did not want to see that old woman, since he had accepted Hyuga Mirai’s blueprint, he could not go back on his word.

"…Understood. I’ll go now."

Sasori rubbed his head as he spoke, then silently walked out.

Hyuga Mirai laughed twice at the sight. He had some interest in the Reanimation Jutsu, but he wanted even more to see Sasori’s awkward expression. Hyuga Mirai had already deployed a satellite to monitor Chiyo’s residence the entire time. He very much wanted to know what Sasori’s expression would be when he saw Chiyo, and how Sasori would react after seeing Chiyo’s expression.

This was probably the malicious amusement Hyuga Mirai had developed in his spare time.

"Lord Kazekage, people from the Yasunori Trading Company are outside."

An Anbu reported the news. Rasa paused, then casually asked, "What are they here for?"

"This was caused by the Daimyo Manor. The Yasunori Trading Company is probably here to demand an explanation." The Anbu answered quickly. Suna-nin had already returned ahead of time to report the matter, so the Anbu knew why the Yasunori Trading Company had come to see the Kazekage.

The Daimyo of the Land of Wind had sent Daimyo Manor’s people to halt all of the Yasunori Trading Company’s mining operations in the desert. He had also strictly ordered Sunagakure not to privately mine within the Land of Wind in the future. The Suna-nin had also brought back a notice from the Daimyo Manor stating that the next round of funding would be cut by another twenty percent.

bang!

After hearing the news, Rasa smashed the desk in front of him with one punch.

He rarely became so enraged that he lost control, but the actions of the Daimyo of the Land of Wind had completely pushed him beyond the limits of his anger.

Another funding cut!?

How much funding did the Daimyo Manor even allocate to Sunagakure now? If they kept cutting it, they might as well make Sunagakure fend for itself.

And the Daimyo Manor had even moved against the Yasunori Trading Company’s mineral veins. This was practically cutting off Sunagakure’s only external partner!

Rasa instantly realized that without the Yasunori Trading Company, Sunagakure would be beaten back to its original state in an instant—perhaps into an even worse condition than before.

Yet they could not make demands of the Yasunori Trading Company, because the other side was the one suffering losses.