After witnessing Senju Haruto's absolute, overwhelming display of strength, Rasa's entire attitude toward him—and toward the Hidden Leaf—changed completely.
"Senju Haruto."
Rasa personally escorted Haruto to the council chamber. Even the elders of the Hidden Sand Village had gathered in person for the meeting—clear proof of how seriously they regarded him now.
"I hope," Rasa began slowly, "that the Hidden Sand Village and the Hidden Leaf Village can maintain our alliance indefinitely… and embrace peace."
Haruto didn't rush to reply. Instead, he let his gaze sweep around the room, carefully noting the elders' reactions.
Though each of them tried to keep their emotions in check, Haruto could still sense the truth: beneath the surface, they feared his strength—and they resented it.
Notably, two of the Sand's most influential figures, Chiyo and Ebizō, were absent from the meeting.
As for Rasa himself, Haruto could clearly feel the frustration radiating from him.
Here he was—the Kazekage, leader of his village—yet he couldn't secure better terms for his people.
Worse still, the villagers of Sunagakure had effectively become Haruto's bargaining chips… even hostages.
No matter how unfair the conditions Haruto might lay down, Rasa knew he would have no choice but to accept them.
In his mind, Rasa could already picture it—Haruto demanding vast quantities of gold dust right in front of him.
Taking a slow, deep breath, Rasa steadied himself.
Even if he could predict such demands, the reality was undeniable:
He… had no room to negotiate.
A ninja's strength is a village's strength. A village's strength is a nation's strength.
The weak have no choice but to bow, to compromise, to survive in the cracks between the powers of the great nations.
With that bitter truth in mind, Rasa lifted his head, locking eyes with Haruto. It was as if he were waiting for Haruto to name his price… or pass judgment.
And it wasn't just Rasa feeling the weight of the moment—every elder in the chamber shared the same conflicted thoughts.
Kakashi and Yamato sat to Haruto's left and right.
Under normal circumstances, shinobi of their rank had no right to sit in on a meeting at this level.
But thanks to Haruto, they now enjoyed this privilege.
Kakashi said nothing, silently watching everyone present, feeling the pressure that filled the room like a tangible force.
To say he felt relieved was an understatement.
He was grateful—deeply grateful—that Haruto belonged to the Hidden Leaf and not to some other village.
The image of Haruto lifting a quarter of Sunagakure into the air was still vivid in Kakashi's mind, as if it had happened moments ago.
Such terrifying power… in his understanding, it surpassed that of any shinobi he had ever known.
A presence bordering on the mythical—like the Sage of Six Paths himself.
To sit alongside such a person was one thing. To face him as an enemy… was unthinkable. No imagination could fully grasp the crushing weight of that possibility.
The chamber was utterly silent. Kakashi could hear every breath, every heartbeat.
At last—just as Rasa's composure was reaching its limit—Haruto, who had been sitting quietly until now, finally spoke.
"Since the Kazekage is genuinely devoted to peace, then our villages shall remain allies."
"…However."
The sudden shift in Haruto's tone made Rasa's heart tighten. His gaze locked onto Haruto, tense and uneasy.
Part of him wanted Haruto to speak quickly, to reveal his true aim.
Another part of him wished Haruto would say nothing at all.
Because Rasa wasn't sure Sunagakure could withstand what was coming.
"I want the Hidden Sand Village to stop doing business with other nations."
Haruto's voice was calm, but the words landed like stone.
Normally, a hidden village is a vassal to its nation's daimyo. Even the Kage can be constrained by the daimyo's power.
But the Land of Wind was a little different.
Its economy relied heavily on gold dust.
The country lacked any refined method for processing it. Most of their gold dust was separated from sand by Rasa's Magnet Release technique, then traded with other nations for resources.
In other words, the Hidden Sand Village itself controlled much of the Land of Wind's trade.
Though Sand and Leaf were allies, no treaty stated that Sunagakure could only trade with Konoha.
"But from today onward," Haruto continued, "the Land of Wind's gold dust belongs to us alone."
The room erupted.
Even Kakashi and Yamato drew in sharp breaths.
"You!"
Rasa shot to his feet.
If not for Haruto's overwhelming power, he might have attacked right then and there.
But reason—grim, bitter reason—held him back. Who knew if Haruto might repeat his earlier display and lift the entire village into the sky again?
The people of Sunagakure were already living in fear. They could not endure another incident.
"This is… going too far," Rasa said, his voice tight with barely contained anger.
Because this wasn't just Haruto seizing their gold dust.
It meant cutting off the hard-won trade agreements they'd established with other nations.
Even if the Land of Fire could supply everything the Land of Wind needed, such a monopoly risked isolating them from the rest of the world—and possibly earning their hatred.
In the worst-case scenario, nations deprived of gold dust might choose to take it by force.
War could follow.
"You've seen the Land of Wind on your way here—barren soil, endless sandstorms."
"Most of our survival resources come from trading gold dust."
"The Land of Fire may have fertile land and plentiful water…"
"But it can't meet both nations' needs in full, can it?"
"If you demand all of our gold dust for yourselves, am I supposed to just stand by and watch my villagers die of thirst and hunger?"
Rasa's tone sharpened.
He knew Haruto's strength—but to agree to this without protest would doom countless people.
As Kazekage, he could not accept that.
"At the very least… allow us to give Konoha priority in our gold dust trade."
Rasa's fists clenched as he said it.
The other elders glared daggers at Haruto, seething with silent hatred.
"No."
Haruto's answer was immediate.
"We want not priority. We want everything."
"You—!"
Rasa slammed both hands onto the table, furious at Haruto's greed.
But before the anger could boil over, Haruto's tone shifted again.
"However," he said, "I'm no demon, Kazekage. This is a trade. If you agree, I can give you something no one else in this world could ever offer."
His face was completely serious.
"What could you possibly give us?" Rasa asked, not even bothering to hide his skepticism.
"Peace."
At that word, Rasa couldn't help but scoff inwardly.
Peace, in this world, was nothing more than the bigger stick keeping the smaller one in line.
But Haruto's next words wiped the scorn from his face in an instant.
"Forests. Waterfalls."
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