"Mr. Linto, I can guarantee you that the news of your arrival in Sunagakure Village will absolutely not leak."
Fourth Kazekage Rasa said with a stern face and a solemn promise.
Linto smiled and waved his hand. This was just a contingency plan; it was best if it remained secret, but if not, it wouldn't affect his overall plan.
He looked at Rasa in front of him, and his first impression was...
Ordinary.
He had short brown hair, an ordinary appearance, and wore the Kazekage's robe.
The robe was new, with visible creases, suggesting it was usually kept in a closet and only worn when receiving important guests.
Complementing the Kazekage robe was a black ninja uniform underneath, which showed signs of wear and tear. It was clear he had worn it for many years and often while working.
His overall demeanor was less like a village's "Kage" and more like a skilled laborer Linto had been incredibly familiar with in his past life.
Direct, simple, and occasionally a bit stubborn.
Rasa stepped forward, took Linto's arm, and invited him to sit.
The Kazekage's office was simply furnished. He poured tea for Linto and his companions.
"Regarding the 'Sky Ninja Legion' you mentioned, I've truly never heard of them. They're hiding very well. I'll send people to investigate."
Linto drank some tea. "Rather than investigating the Sky Ninja Legion, I'd prefer to get a list."
"What list?" Rasa asked.
"A list of people you think would provide resources and support to the Sky Ninja Legion and someone like Shinno."
Linto said, "After dealing with the Sky Ninja Legion, I'll visit them one by one."
"I can draw up that list, but..."
Rasa took a deep breath, as if he had made some kind of decision.
"I have a condition."
Linto's interest was piqued.
He liked it when people negotiated with him.
Negotiating meant there was a basis for cooperation.
"You tell me."
Rasa didn't speak. He turned his head and looked at Kakashi.
"Please—"
He gestured towards the door, then added,
"It won't take long. Thank you."
It was clear Rasa didn't want a third party to overhear their upcoming conversation.
Even if that person was Linto's friend.
Kakashi nodded and left the office.
Linto didn't say anything like "He's one of us." That would be disrespectful to Rasa and put Kakashi in an awkward position.
After Kakashi left, Rasa still didn't speak immediately.
He pressed a spot on the coffee table. A faint chakra fluctuation appeared, and a thin barrier, easily torn apart, materialized, preventing any eavesdropping.
Seeing this, Linto put down his teacup, waiting for the other man to state his condition.
"Linto, please help me—"
Rasa placed his hands on his knees and slowly lowered his head.
"Rebel together!"
Sasuke and Little Momo's mouths hung open. "Huh?"
Linto leaned forward slightly.
Rasa raised his head. Beneath his ordinary face, his eyes were sharp and bright. His voice remained steady, devoid of any excessive emotion:
"I want you to kill the current Daimyo, crush the domestic conglomerates, and break the monopolies of corporations, so that more people can live like humans... just like you did in the Land of Water."
"That is my condition."
"If you agree, I and Sunagakure Village will follow your lead and become the 'Shield of Shukaku' in your hand."
Sasuke and Little Momo's eyes were wide, their expressions a little dazed.
Weren't we the ones promoting the awakening of thought?
How could Rasa be more radical than them?!
Linto stared at Rasa.
"Who knows about this?"
"I do," Rasa said. "And now, you do."
This kind of thing couldn't be told to anyone. If the news leaked, Sunagakure Village would be powerless against the Land of Wind's government and financial groups.
To give one simple example:
With the financial resources of the Land of Wind, could they hire the entire Akatsuki organization and destroy Sunagakure Village with a hefty sum of money?
The answer was yes.
Pain, Deidara, Uchiha Itachi... which one of them wasn't a ruthless killer?
Even if Rasa wasn't familiar with all of them, he knew Sasori the Red Sand very well.
Besides the Akatsuki organization, there were countless rogue ninja and samurai. Now, there was the Sky Ninja Legion, and perhaps behind the scenes, there were still the Undead Legion and Sage Legion.
Rasa was speaking to Linto today at great personal risk of death.
"Do you trust me that much?" Linto asked.
"We've only just met. How can there be trust?" Rasa said earnestly. "What I trust is the result you've shown."
The tangible changes in the Land of Water and the clear awakening of thought.
This was why Rasa trusted Linto.
"As for the motivation behind my decision—"
Rasa was about to explain in detail.
Linto waved his hand, signaling that it wasn't necessary.
He had seen many things on his way here.
The Land of Wind was different from the Land of Water. There was no human trafficking here, and no one starved, no matter how poor—
This was a different kind of desperate situation.
Extreme wealth disparity where the people at the bottom were like desert beetles, toiling away in factories and mines, only to receive meager wages that barely sustained them.
People lived without joy, nor extreme sadness or grief.
Everyone's emotions remained below the surface, in a gloom where the faint glimmer of light could be seen.
They couldn't rise up, and by their instinct for survival, they couldn't sink lower either.
Eventually, they lived their entire lives in gray, and after death, they became a pile of gray ashes.
It was the same for ordinary people. For Sunagakure Village to have a better life, either the village leader had to be heartless, like Yagura in the past, or if the village leader had some conscience...
They could only be like Rasa, a golden miner.
But could this be done for a lifetime?
Even if he could, what about his descendants?
Rasa wanted to find a way out for his descendants in his generation.
This was his nature. If not, in the original story, Rasa wouldn't have trusted Orochimaru and sought cooperation, only to be backstabbed and have Orochimaru impersonate him.
"I understand."
Linto nodded and extended his hand. "Welcome to the fold."
Rasa, who had maintained a stern face from beginning to end, finally showed a hint of a smile. He firmly shook Linto's hand and asked, "Great! When do we go kill the Daimyo?"
"Uh..."
Linto's expression was odd. "What do you think I am?"
Rasa said bluntly, "Daimyo Slayer, Conglomerate Terminator, Akatsuki's Nemesis, Serpent-Slayer Extraordinaire—"
Linto raised his hand to stop Rasa from continuing his list.
"We need to wait a bit longer. It's not time yet."
The Land of Water and the Land of Wind were different matters.
The Land of Water was small in area and had a genius in politics like Oda Ieyasu, who appeared only once in several hundred years, to mediate and manage, minimizing casualties.
And that had taken more than four months in total.
The Land of Wind had the largest and most vast territory in the ninja world.
If they acted rashly, while it might be satisfying, the abolition of the old rules would inevitably lead to immense chaos, bloodshed, and tragedy.
Millions of people would die because of it.
This was not something Linto wanted to see.
"Let's do things one by one,"
Linto said. "First, I'll take care of Shinno. Sunagakure Village ninjas can follow this lead to track down the conglomerates hiding behind the scenes— Can you guarantee that all Sunagakure Village ninjas will choose to follow your plan?"
Facing the gazes of Linto, Sasuke, and Little Momo, Rasa said sincerely:
"No."
Linto and the other two looked like they had something to say but held back.
Rasa added, "But I will try my best to persuade everyone."
Linto nodded slightly. At this point, there was nothing else they could do.
The important matters were discussed, and everyone in the room felt a slight sense of relief, relaxing into their chairs.
Linto inquired about another matter. "I have a friend, Iwamune Genyako. She came to Sunagakure Village to teach a few months ago. I'd like to see her."
"You mean Teacher Iwamune? She went to Korin City to assist with teaching about two months ago. She sends letters every week to let us know she's safe."
Rasa said, then dispelled the barrier and called for someone to retrieve the letters, handing them to Linto.
Linto took the letters. They briefly described Iwamune Genyako's well-being in Korin City and the ongoing progress of her teaching, and so on.
Linto read each one attentively, a smile occasionally appearing on his lips, happy that Iwamune Genyako had found a purpose in her life.
But as he read, he slowly frowned.
---
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