Chapter 204: The Sand's Scheme and the Opening Act
"Lord Raikage," Rasa said, "the ninja world is now in a time of precious peace. It is a time to increase the exchange between our villages. Lord Kazekage would like to host another Joint Chunin Exam in the Hidden Sand next year. It will be a rare and grand event, with all the talented individuals of the various villages gathered together."
He had stated his purpose.
The first Joint Chunin Exam, hosted by the Hidden Rain, had been a true success, earning them a great deal of prestige.
And of the great villages, besides the newly promoted Hidden Rain, the one that most needed to boost its reputation was the Hidden Sand, which had been in a state of confusion for several years during the last war.
Look at their record.
They had fired the first shot of the Second Great Ninja War, against the Hidden Rain, and the great village and the small village had fought to a draw.
Against Konoha, they had been held at bay for nearly a year, unable to advance a single step into the Land of Fire, and that was with Konoha fighting on two fronts.
After being defeated by Konoha, they had signed a number of unequal treaties, and then, to make up for their losses, they had turned on their former ally, the Stone.
And they had achieved nothing.
They had thought they had found a strong backer, but then that backer had been taken down. Konoha and the Stone had both been defeated by the Cloud, and the Sand had become the loser among the losers.
They were even worse off than the Mist, which had been bottled up in their own country. The Mist had not gained anything, but at least they had not suffered many losses. The Sand, on the other hand, had suffered heavy casualties.
After the war, their poor performance had also led to the Wind Daimyo's disfavor. This year's funding had already been reduced, and it was said that it would be even less next year.
So, the Sand was in desperate need of an opportunity to boost their reputation and to turn around their post-war disadvantage.
The previous Joint Chunin Exam had been so perfect, in part because all the villages had sent their best and brightest. If they were to hold another one so soon, the quality of the contestants would likely be much lower. The outstanding contestants from the last exam were now too strong to be participating as Genin.
This was why even Hanzo had not thought of holding another one so soon. He, of course, wanted every Joint Chunin Exam to be held in the Hidden Rain, to lock in the prestige of this grand event. But considering the quality of the contestants, he was thinking of holding it every four years. He had even discussed this with the Third Raikage before he had left.
But the Sand was doing the opposite. By holding it just one year later, with the quality of the contestants from all the villages lower, the Sand, with its home field advantage, could give its own contestants a little support, and their results would be much better. They might even be able to get first place. After all, they had a very young prodigy. At his age, Sasori could participate in one or two more exams.
And then, with the village's reputation and the Daimyo's approval, wouldn't their situation be much better?
After reading the Kazekage's personal letter, the Third Raikage handed it directly to Dana. This move surprised Rasa.
Not only did he have his own desk in the Raikage's office, but he was also privy to the correspondence between the Kage. Had the Hidden Cloud already decided to make Yotsuki Dana the next Raikage?
It was not unexpected.
After reading the letter, Dana had a rough idea of what the Sand was thinking. To hold a Joint Chunin Exam, the support of the other villages was essential. Otherwise, if no one came, it would be a joke.
But for the Sand, to take the hosting rights from the Hidden Rain was also very important. After all, it was being done under the banner of friendly exchange. It would be rude to just snatch it without asking.
He guessed that there was also a Sand envoy with Hanzo.
The Third Raikage and Dana exchanged a look. On the surface, they seemed to be thinking, but in reality, they were secretly using their Communication Snails under the table.
"Hanzo wants to host it every time," the Third Raikage said in the snail. "The Sand, to snatch the peach, will probably have to pay him something. I just don't know if they can move him. After all, the Sand is also broke."
Yes, in his impression, the Sand was broke. Not to mention compared to the current Cloud, even compared to the old Cloud, they were far behind. If it wasn't against the rules, he would have even suggested that the Cloud just sponsor the Sand, in place of the Wind Daimyo, and just treat them as a hired thug.
"I think this is just the surface mission," Dana said in his mind. "These three are probably the only 'geniuses' the Sand has. It's not reasonable for them to travel across the entire continent just to deliver a message."
"You're right. Let's just stall them for a while and see what happens."
"Should I say it, or should you?"
"You say it. I'll smooth things over, and then you can hold your ground. That way, if things change, I can still change my mind. Haha, the Communication Snail is so convenient."
And so, in front of the Sand's envoys, they had already come to a decision. Dana cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "Gentlemen," he said, "as you all know, the Hidden Rain is a firm and loyal ally of the Cloud. We must prioritize their interests. We can only give you an answer after they have informed us of their decision."
Rasa was about to say something, but the Third Raikage shook his head. "To be honest," he said, "it's a bit boring to have every Joint Chunin Exam in the same place. The young people of the ninja world should have a chance to visit different countries."
"Lord Raikage," Dana interrupted, "the last Joint Chunin Exam was only half a year ago. There is no need to hold another one so soon. I insist that we must consider the opinions of all parties before making a decision."
The Third Raikage seemed to be persuaded. He nodded. "Alright," he said. "The three of you can rest in the Cloud for a few days. We need to discuss this."
The two of them, in a well-rehearsed act, had not even given Rasa a chance to speak. By the time they were shown out of the office, his head was still spinning.
"What just happened?" he asked, looking at Pakura, confused. "Did they agree, or not?"
"I'm not sure," she said, uncertain. "It seems like they didn't, but they also didn't say no. It seems like they said something... but they also said nothing."
Sasori just looked at the two of them, silent.
To be honest, he was also confused.
Minato, in his ANBU uniform and monkey mask, had come to the entrance of the Foundation's base again.
The same Root ninja appeared and stopped him.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I went back and asked, but my senpai hasn't come back yet. And the other people I know don't seem to have the clearance to access this document. To not delay your work, I can only hand it over to the commander."
"Then why are you here?" the Root ninja asked.
"I'm sorry for the trouble last time," he said, embarrassed. "I don't know if this will delay your work. I just came to let you know. If you're in a hurry, you can go and get the document from the commander yourself. Otherwise, it might be a while before he remembers."
"I see," the Root ninja said with a nod.
In the Foundation, the best way to survive was to mind your own business. He never asked about anything that wasn't his responsibility. Since it was being handled through another channel, it had nothing to do with him.
But Minato did not leave. He took a few steps closer. "By the way, senpai," he said, "I'm new to the ANBU. I was just wondering, since the Foundation is so powerful, is the pay better? A little more?"
He secretly made a "money" gesture.
"It is not your place to ask about the Foundation," the Root ninja said, taking a step back, uncomfortable with his proximity. "Leave immediately!"
Just as he was about to say something, the ground began to shake violently, as if something had exploded deep underground. Dirt and rock fell from the ceiling.
"What's going on?!"