MrProper I did it! DOUBLE CHAPTERS! Though I had to extend my work break a little longer than I wanted. Pray I don't get in trouble with my boss >
As the ninja villages throughout the continent dealt with their own concerns pertaining to the Chunin Exams, shinobi from the Land of Wind had various problems of their own
Within the country's shinobi capital village Sunagakure1Hidden Sand Village, the 4th Kazekage2Wind ShadowRasa was in meeting with his own council. The leader of the village sat with twelve other members around a circular table, all conversing in private conference
Or rather...arguing
"Our main concern should be recovery of the village itself, not revealing our ninjutsu to the enemy in some grandiose tournament! Many of our people remain in poverty"
"We mustn't take it so lightly. The village needs to stand out, now more than ever. More clients and patrons, means more jobs and revenue! Suna already had the weakest fighting strength of the Five Great Shinobi Nations before the last war, now's the chance to change that!"
"The damage we took in the last war hasn't vanished yet. We're STILL recovering from it! If we're still licking our wounds by then-"
"Everyone is still licking their wounds from the war, and you're completely disregarding the progress we've made! The recent expansion of the village perimeter along with the discovery of our newest gold mine will take care of the rest"
"Meanwhile, our military strength has dwindled. We've only grown weaker in the years. That, along with our recent failure of apprehending one our greatest ninja puppeteers, Akasuna no Sasori3Sasori of the Red Sand, should tell us all what we need most"
"U-Ugh!"
"His atrocious acts of making weapons from living people, so-called Human Puppets went on for so long without any of us knowing. Not to mention his assassination of the late 3rd Kazekage...we need more talented ninja!"
"Look! No one's in a condition to start another war, we should continue to focus on economic growth. Have you even tried to consider our impoverished state is the reason our military is in such bad shape?"
{It's like I'm in a damn loop, going back and forth, over and over again...} Rasa thought as the talks continued to annoy him
This debate had been going on for almost an hour, and there seemed to be no resolution in sight. With the council split between focusing on economic, or military recovery
Being a nation situated on a barren desert with constant, turbulent winds, their situation has never been easy. The only reason other nations would seek to conquer it is for the various gold mines located beneath its surface
However, the Chunin exams presented an opportunity to earn more revenue by attracting patrons eager to hire them for shinobi services
CLAP!
"?!"
To prevent even more pointless yelling, Rasa clapped his hands, gathering everyone's attention in the process
"It's obvious we're still divided on these two subjects, but both are equally important. The only decision we need to make is which do we focus on the most now" Rasa presented his query as a means of encouraging cooperation
"With the exams occurring so soon...I think it's important to send a sufficient number of our Genin"
"There's hardly many we can send..."
"We had an opportunity to form a positive relationship with the new nation that sits between us and Iwagakure4Hidden Stone Village"
"If you're referring to Ishigakure5Hidden Rock Village, there was no choice. That land is filled with nothing but low-life criminals, rogue-nin, and mercenaries. Hell, it was the first place we decided to look for Sasori when he defected"
"I know but...look at what Iwa has done with them. They've established a decent relationship with that nation, and now, Ishi is practically apart of them. The Tsuchikage6Earth Shadowhas gained a substantial source of muscle to hire for cheap. Giving him leeway to divert resources towards his village recovery. They're slowly, but surely catching up to us"
"Now that they're a legitimate nation, I have no doubt some of them we'll be present in the exams, aiding their new best friend that is Iwagakure"
"True, but they'll regret that down the line. Solely relying on outside help for an extended period of time will only come back to bite them in the ass. Military strength is one of Iwa's strongest assets, and it'll suffer as a result. And with it, their reputation for being trustworthy" Rasa unflinchingly stated
"But sir..."
"Though we've found a new gold mine recently, it's the first discovered in years. And while we hate to say it, the fact is, they're becoming depleted. Our miners estimate they'll run dry within the next decade if we cannot find more"
Another concern of Rasa's was the recent lack of mines near his village. Gold trade was one of Suna's primary sources of income, further decline would result in a major blow towards the village's foundation, something that could take years to get back...if the other villages don't seize the opportunity to attack them
Faced with problems on both sides, he decided to end this back-and-forth talk. Every second they had was precious, for his village constantly lived on the edge
RUSTLE!
"Sir!"
"Kazekage-sama...!"
Rasa stood up from his chair and shared his final thoughts
"We need more options, more leeway, and we need to participate in the exams. I'm diverting our emergency funds to the Mining Department. As for the Genin, see that they're ready for the exams. I've already received permission from Chiyo-sama to grant our young, aspiring puppeteers access to Sasori's workshop"
"?!"
"Kazekage-sama, please wait! Such a thing is far too-!"
"I've made my choice, that'll be all"
Without waiting for a response, Rasa left the room, leaving everyone flabbergasted at his actions
Rasa bolted towards his office located on another floor, ignoring the present staff who'd call out to him. Upon arriving upstairs, he went inside, shut the door, sat down at his desk...and breathed one of the heaviest sighs in his entire life
For years, there'd been nothing but back-breaking problems thrown his way, and his stress was beginning to pile up
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Who is it?!"
"It's Baki, sir"
{Finally someone I can talk to} "Come in"
Entering the room was none other than one of Rasa's most trusted Jonin. The man known as Baki wore the standard Suna-shinobi attire with red tattoos on his right cheek, and a turban covering the left side of his face
"I take it the meeting didn't go so well"
"That's one way to put it, but the bottom line is, we'll be sending numerous squads to the exams"
"I figured as much. Unfortunately sir, what you want from me isn't going to be feasible. Even if we ignored him clearly being too young, your son is in no condition to fight after that recent...failure"
"Sigh...I figured as much. Looks like Yashamaru was right, Gaara should've never been made Jinchūriki of the One-Tail"
In attempt to teach his son control, Rasa sent his right-hand man, and brother-in-law, to combat his son. With the intended purpose of pushing him to the brink, as a means of overcoming strife and struggle
But the experiment only ended in failure, with Yashamaru's death. Breaking Gaara down even further, he'd never been more mentally unstable. In the village's eyes, he was now a lost cause as a host
Yashamaru always despised Rasa for not only making his nephew a host, but sealing the beast while his sister was in the midst of giving birth, killing her in the process
It was only with his death that Yashamaru's concerns proved to be true...
"We need strong Genin to particpate, no matter the cost Baki. If we don't succeed, our idiot of a Daimyō will-!"
"I'm aware sir. All the Chunin and Jonin are beginning to feel it"
Since the end of the last war, their Daimyō has been opting out of requesting shinobi services from Sunagakure. Embarrassing the village by requesting foreign work, even from nations Suna had been at war with not so long ago
The Wind Daimyō was known for being hedonistic and frugal, and his outsourcing of jobs to other nations was the biggest disgrace and insult for them
Despite being angered himself, Rasa has been doing his best to keep things calm, placating his subordinates however he could. But the people were growing more and more irritated with the incompetent Daimyō's actions
{If we don't perform well enough, who knows what we'll happen in the future} Rasa dreaded
"Sir"
"Baki, with Yashamaru gone, I'm going to need a replacement. Once my two sons and daughter graduate from the academy, they'll be assigned under your command. You're the only one I trust to stand at my side"
"Kazekage-sama, I will not disappoint you!" Baki said as he kneeled to the ground, bowing his head in respect
"For now, continue your efforts in training them. And have the other Jonin find any promising Genin you can, regardless of age. I want them prepped and ready in the months ahead. I don't care what kind of weapon or Jutsu it takes, I don't even care how ruthlessly you train them...methods and rules are irrelevant!"
"Y-Yes sir..."
"Speaking of which, Yūra and Mukade. Because they were stationed at the mines, their promotion was delayed"
"It was?! I thought they were already Chunin!"
"They were going to be, but it's not official on paper yet, that's a lucky break. Tell them they'll be promoted regardless, but we need the pair to act as Genin for a little while longer. Also, do you have any recommendations for a third member?"
"I could probably place someone like Sajin or Tsubusa with those two!"
"That's perfect. Hell, just send them both regardless. Three-man teams aren't a requirement to participate. See to the preparations as fast as humanly possible. If anyone questions you, tell them you speak with my authority"
"I'll begin at once sir!" Baki said as he bolted out the door
CREAK!
Once Baki left the room, Rasa could finally be left to his thoughts. The lone Kazekage thought about the village's situation, his thoughts consistently circling back to the Daimyō every single time
Putting these facts in his head, dissatisfaction and anger only increased. Dark, malevolent thoughts bloomed as he continued to see the political leader of the Land of Wind as a key problem for their village
A problem that, if Sunagakure and its people were to thrive, must be dealt with...one way or another
"I will protect this village at any cost. No matter I have to cross or eliminate, even if it means shaking hands with the devil..."
MrProper I did it! DOUBLE CHAPTERS! Though I had to extend my work break a little longer than I wanted. Pray I don't get in trouble with my boss >
As the ninja villages throughout the continent dealt with their own concerns pertaining to the Chunin Exams, shinobi from the Land of Wind had various problems of their own
Within the country's shinobi capital village Sunagakure1Hidden Sand Village, the 4th Kazekage2Wind ShadowRasa was in meeting with his own council. The leader of the village sat with twelve other members around a circular table, all conversing in private conference
Or rather...arguing
"Our main concern should be recovery of the village itself, not revealing our ninjutsu to the enemy in some grandiose tournament! Many of our people remain in poverty"
"We mustn't take it so lightly. The village needs to stand out, now more than ever. More clients and patrons, means more jobs and revenue! Suna already had the weakest fighting strength of the Five Great Shinobi Nations before the last war, now's the chance to change that!"
"The damage we took in the last war hasn't vanished yet. We're STILL recovering from it! If we're still licking our wounds by then-"
"Everyone is still licking their wounds from the war, and you're completely disregarding the progress we've made! The recent expansion of the village perimeter along with the discovery of our newest gold mine will take care of the rest"
"Meanwhile, our military strength has dwindled. We've only grown weaker in the years. That, along with our recent failure of apprehending one our greatest ninja puppeteers, Akasuna no Sasori3Sasori of the Red Sand, should tell us all what we need most"
"U-Ugh!"
"His atrocious acts of making weapons from living people, so-called Human Puppets went on for so long without any of us knowing. Not to mention his assassination of the late 3rd Kazekage...we need more talented ninja!"
"Look! No one's in a condition to start another war, we should continue to focus on economic growth. Have you even tried to consider our impoverished state is the reason our military is in such bad shape?"
{It's like I'm in a damn loop, going back and forth, over and over again...} Rasa thought as the talks continued to annoy him
This debate had been going on for almost an hour, and there seemed to be no resolution in sight. With the council split between focusing on economic, or military recovery
Being a nation situated on a barren desert with constant, turbulent winds, their situation has never been easy. The only reason other nations would seek to conquer it is for the various gold mines located beneath its surface
However, the Chunin exams presented an opportunity to earn more revenue by attracting patrons eager to hire them for shinobi services
CLAP!
"?!"
To prevent even more pointless yelling, Rasa clapped his hands, gathering everyone's attention in the process
"It's obvious we're still divided on these two subjects, but both are equally important. The only decision we need to make is which do we focus on the most now" Rasa presented his query as a means of encouraging cooperation
"With the exams occurring so soon...I think it's important to send a sufficient number of our Genin"
"There's hardly many we can send..."
"We had an opportunity to form a positive relationship with the new nation that sits between us and Iwagakure4Hidden Stone Village"
"If you're referring to Ishigakure5Hidden Rock Village, there was no choice. That land is filled with nothing but low-life criminals, rogue-nin, and mercenaries. Hell, it was the first place we decided to look for Sasori when he defected"
"I know but...look at what Iwa has done with them. They've established a decent relationship with that nation, and now, Ishi is practically apart of them. The Tsuchikage6Earth Shadowhas gained a substantial source of muscle to hire for cheap. Giving him leeway to divert resources towards his village recovery. They're slowly, but surely catching up to us"
"Now that they're a legitimate nation, I have no doubt some of them we'll be present in the exams, aiding their new best friend that is Iwagakure"
"True, but they'll regret that down the line. Solely relying on outside help for an extended period of time will only come back to bite them in the ass. Military strength is one of Iwa's strongest assets, and it'll suffer as a result. And with it, their reputation for being trustworthy" Rasa unflinchingly stated
"But sir..."
"Though we've found a new gold mine recently, it's the first discovered in years. And while we hate to say it, the fact is, they're becoming depleted. Our miners estimate they'll run dry within the next decade if we cannot find more"
Another concern of Rasa's was the recent lack of mines near his village. Gold trade was one of Suna's primary sources of income, further decline would result in a major blow towards the village's foundation, something that could take years to get back...if the other villages don't seize the opportunity to attack them
Faced with problems on both sides, he decided to end this back-and-forth talk. Every second they had was precious, for his village constantly lived on the edge
RUSTLE!
"Sir!"
"Kazekage-sama...!"
Rasa stood up from his chair and shared his final thoughts
"We need more options, more leeway, and we need to participate in the exams. I'm diverting our emergency funds to the Mining Department. As for the Genin, see that they're ready for the exams. I've already received permission from Chiyo-sama to grant our young, aspiring puppeteers access to Sasori's workshop"
"?!"
"Kazekage-sama, please wait! Such a thing is far too-!"
"I've made my choice, that'll be all"
Without waiting for a response, Rasa left the room, leaving everyone flabbergasted at his actions
Rasa bolted towards his office located on another floor, ignoring the present staff who'd call out to him. Upon arriving upstairs, he went inside, shut the door, sat down at his desk...and breathed one of the heaviest sighs in his entire life
For years, there'd been nothing but back-breaking problems thrown his way, and his stress was beginning to pile up
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Who is it?!"
"It's Baki, sir"
{Finally someone I can talk to} "Come in"
Entering the room was none other than one of Rasa's most trusted Jonin. The man known as Baki wore the standard Suna-shinobi attire with red tattoos on his right cheek, and a turban covering the left side of his face
"I take it the meeting didn't go so well"
"That's one way to put it, but the bottom line is, we'll be sending numerous squads to the exams"
"I figured as much. Unfortunately sir, what you want from me isn't going to be feasible. Even if we ignored him clearly being too young, your son is in no condition to fight after that recent...failure"
"Sigh...I figured as much. Looks like Yashamaru was right, Gaara should've never been made Jinchūriki of the One-Tail"
In attempt to teach his son control, Rasa sent his right-hand man, and brother-in-law, to combat his son. With the intended purpose of pushing him to the brink, as a means of overcoming strife and struggle
But the experiment only ended in failure, with Yashamaru's death. Breaking Gaara down even further, he'd never been more mentally unstable. In the village's eyes, he was now a lost cause as a host
Yashamaru always despised Rasa for not only making his nephew a host, but sealing the beast while his sister was in the midst of giving birth, killing her in the process
It was only with his death that Yashamaru's concerns proved to be true...
"We need strong Genin to particpate, no matter the cost Baki. If we don't succeed, our idiot of a Daimyō will-!"
"I'm aware sir. All the Chunin and Jonin are beginning to feel it"
Since the end of the last war, their Daimyō has been opting out of requesting shinobi services from Sunagakure. Embarrassing the village by requesting foreign work, even from nations Suna had been at war with not so long ago
The Wind Daimyō was known for being hedonistic and frugal, and his outsourcing of jobs to other nations was the biggest disgrace and insult for them
Despite being angered himself, Rasa has been doing his best to keep things calm, placating his subordinates however he could. But the people were growing more and more irritated with the incompetent Daimyō's actions
{If we don't perform well enough, who knows what we'll happen in the future} Rasa dreaded
"Sir"
"Baki, with Yashamaru gone, I'm going to need a replacement. Once my two sons and daughter graduate from the academy, they'll be assigned under your command. You're the only one I trust to stand at my side"
"Kazekage-sama, I will not disappoint you!" Baki said as he kneeled to the ground, bowing his head in respect
"For now, continue your efforts in training them. And have the other Jonin find any promising Genin you can, regardless of age. I want them prepped and ready in the months ahead. I don't care what kind of weapon or Jutsu it takes, I don't even care how ruthlessly you train them...methods and rules are irrelevant!"
"Y-Yes sir..."
"Speaking of which, Yūra and Mukade. Because they were stationed at the mines, their promotion was delayed"
"It was?! I thought they were already Chunin!"
"They were going to be, but it's not official on paper yet, that's a lucky break. Tell them they'll be promoted regardless, but we need the pair to act as Genin for a little while longer. Also, do you have any recommendations for a third member?"
"I could probably place someone like Sajin or Tsubusa with those two!"
"That's perfect. Hell, just send them both regardless. Three-man teams aren't a requirement to participate. See to the preparations as fast as humanly possible. If anyone questions you, tell them you speak with my authority"
"I'll begin at once sir!" Baki said as he bolted out the door
CREAK!
Once Baki left the room, Rasa could finally be left to his thoughts. The lone Kazekage thought about the village's situation, his thoughts consistently circling back to the Daimyō every single time
Putting these facts in his head, dissatisfaction and anger only increased. Dark, malevolent thoughts bloomed as he continued to see the political leader of the Land of Wind as a key problem for their village
A problem that, if Sunagakure and its people were to thrive, must be dealt with...one way or another
"I will protect this village at any cost. No matter I have to cross or eliminate, even if it means shaking hands with the devil..."
