The so-called "Konoha Crush" was really Suna planning to use Orochimaru's power to weaken Konoha—while Orochimaru wanted to leverage Suna to create openings for himself.
Between Orochimaru and Suna there was never any good faith.
It's just that Orochimaru's methods were a touch sharper. Rasa probably never imagined—even at the moment of death—that Orochimaru would dare kill him.
To be fair, Suna's methods were just as cold.
An assault on Konoha of that scale must have had the approval of Suna's entire top brass.
Suna's two senior advisers, Chiyo and Ebizō, bore a blood feud with Konoha; they wouldn't stop it—if anything, they'd fan the flames.
As commander of Suna's combat forces, Baki shouldn't have missed that the Kazekage had been swapped.
So it's very likely Suna chose to abandon their Kazekage, Rasa, in order to push the plan through.
When it failed, Suna promptly dumped all responsibility onto Orochimaru and the Fourth Kazekage.
Back when Chiyo used Kishō Tensei (Reanimation Technique) to revive Gaara, it wasn't just because of Naruto's Talk no Jutsu.
More than anything, it was guilt—and a glimpse of hope for Suna's resurgence in Gaara.
"I wonder if Orochimaru will soften this time."
A cold smile touched Yuto's lips.
——
Mizukage's office.
"Yuto-sama, are you really planning to send such critical intel to Kumo?" Mei asked, wide-eyed and baffled.
"It's not a gift—it's an exchange."
Yuto shook his head with an easy smile, leaning on the word "exchange."
Mei sighed. Some of Yuto-sama's decisions seemed unprofitable at first glance, yet somehow brought unexpected results.
"Aren't you worried Kumo will leak this to Konoha?" she asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and propping her chin on her hand as she studied his confident face.
"If I gave the intel to you, would you leak it to Konoha?" Yuto countered.
Mei thought a moment, then shook her head. "No."
"If you wouldn't, do you think the folks in Kumo are idiots?"
Yuto wandered over to the sofa by the wall and sat down lazily.
Mei's expression stiffened a fraction. For some reason, it didn't sound like a compliment.
"In that case," she said, curious, "why not hand the same intel to Iwa in exchange for something?"
"Iwa doesn't have anything I want."
Yuto arched a brow, speaking offhand.
What a reason.
Mei's mouth twitched despite herself.
Of course, beyond Iwa's lack of anything he valued, there was one key point Yuto didn't mention.
Onoki probably saw the shinobi world's balance the clearest of anyone. With Iwa, there was no need for extra moves.
Onoki would do the right thing at the right time.
Mei tapped her desk twice. With a soft click, the office door opened.
Ao entered, bowed respectfully toward Yuto, then stepped to the desk and picked up the dossier Mei had set there.
"Mizukage-sama, I'll see to it at once," Ao said, and left in a hurry.
Watching him rush off, Yuto frowned a little. "Is Kiri that busy lately?"
Mei rolled her eyes, a faint trace of grievance in her tone. "Chojuro's with Yuto-sama now. All this work is falling on Ao alone. Of course it's busy."
Yuto's face showed a hint of embarrassment. He'd overlooked that.
Seeing his expression, Mei couldn't help but laugh.
"I heard from Chojuro that Yuto-sama has been teaching a power called Sennin Mōdo (Sage Mode). Could I learn it too?"
"Of course. I'd planned on teaching you anyway—strength is what matters. You've just been too busy as Mizukage, so I hadn't brought it up."
Yuto nodded as if it were the most natural thing.
Mei's eyes brightened. She'd only asked offhand, not expecting Yuto-sama to agree so readily.
From the way he'd trained Chojuro and the others one-on-one, it was obvious: whether Sennin Mōdo or Ranmaru's Juin-ka (Curse Mark Transformation), Yuto-sama only taught people he absolutely trusted.
"Good thing the barrier's still up," Yuto said with a smile, standing. "With your talent, you might master it even faster than they did."
Joy colored Mei's face as she fell into step beside Yuto, following him out of the office.
Just outside, a street like a bustling market stretched ahead.
The press of people and the chorus of hawkers made for a vivid prosperity.
Though Kiri and Konoha had been trading barbs lately, that kind of thing barely touched ordinary civilians.
Credit where it was due—the Kinoshita Clan (non-canon) had been running Gato's shipping company very well.
Water Country's resources were both rich and scarce. Through the shipping company, surplus seafood was exported to other nations, while key goods were brought back in.
In a short time, the company had injected a massive flow of funds into Kiri.
It had also lifted the village's entire commercial atmosphere.
Walking the market street, soaking in the lively scene, Mei couldn't help a quiet breath of awe, glancing sideways at Yuto.
Back then, Yuto-sama had been right: if the shipping company had been handed to Kiri to run, the village might not be this prosperous.
Since the Kinoshita Clan was running it for their own house, naturally they'd mobilize everything they had.
Compared to a single clan's operation, the ultimate beneficiary was still Kiri.
"Yuto-sama, is the little turtle on your shoulder sick?"
Mei peered at the palm-sized turtle draped across Yuto's shoulder, its spirit flagging.
"You mean Three-Tails? He's just burned a lot of chakra lately. He'll be fine after a bit."
Yuto tapped Isobu's shell with a fingertip, answering casually.
Three-Tails?!
Mei's eyes went wide, shock flashing across her face.
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