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Along the border of the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning.
Sunagakure's garrison forces were camped there.
A heavy atmosphere covered every person from Sunagakure.
Tiredness was marked on every Sunagakure shinobi's face, along with annoyance.
According to their schedule, they should have entered the Land of Lightning days ago to share in the spoils of war.
But now, they were still being held back.
"Still no news?" Inside the main tent, Fourth Kazekage Rasa wore a straw hat, the shadow hiding his brows and eyes.
A Sunagakure shinobi responsible for communications bowed his head and shook it with difficulty. "The Land of Earth... is still using the excuse of complex procedures for handover of the defense zone, demanding that we remain on standby."
Before he finished speaking.
"Nonsense!"
Before Rasa could even speak, the Land of Wind daimyo behind him slammed his hand on the table.
Tea splashed everywhere.
The Land of Wind daimyo's face was clouded with anger, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Complex procedures?"
"I think their behavior is just too ugly!"
"They're clearly afraid of us going in and taking a share of their profits!"
The Land of Wind daimyo opened his folding fan and annoyingly tapped his palm with it.
Borrowing a path through the Land of Earth had been agreed upon at the daimyo meeting.
However, when it was actually time to depart, they were given endless difficulties by the Land of Earth.
First, the Land of Earth claimed that the supply route for provisions leading to the heart of the Land of Lightning needed urgent repairs.
This excuse directly made them wait in place for two whole days.
They could only watch time pass, feeling more and more anxious.
Then, the Land of Earth again claimed that there were bandits in the villages and towns along the way that needed to be cleared out.
This excuse made them wait for another two days.
By this point, Rasa and the Land of Wind daimyo both understood.
All these various reasons were just excuses from the Land of Earth, their purpose being to delay their march.
And now, they had finally reached the border.
Yet they were again stopped by the Land of Earth, using complex procedures as an excuse.
Once could be called an accident.
Twice could barely be explained as a coincidence.
However, three times, four times... this was clearly on purpose!
Blocking!
Harassment!
Humiliation!
"My lord, please calm your anger." Rasa held back the rage in his heart and spoke in a deep voice. "We are within the territory of the Land of Earth, and the current situation is unclear. It is not wise to engage in direct conflict with them."
He calmly looked at the situation.
At this moment, they were guests.
If they actively caused trouble, it would only put them in a dangerous situation.
"Calm down? How can I calm down!"
The Land of Wind daimyo was furious, slamming his folding fan onto the ground.
"To gather those 2.5 billion ryo for the Land of Fire, I've almost emptied the national treasury!"
"And now!" He pointed sharply northward. "We paid the money!"
"What about the meat?"
"We can't even get a sip of the soup!"
"Those two bastards!"
The bastards he referred to were naturally the Land of Earth daimyo and the Land of Water daimyo.
"They must already be in Kumogakure, having cleared out all the good stuff!"
"Those precious ninjutsu scrolls!"
"Those rare minerals!"
"That wealth built up over generations!"
"All, all, all..." The Land of Wind daimyo grew angrier with each word, his face flushed red, and veins showing on his temples.
Rasa was silent, his heart bleeding no less.
In the past few days, the information constantly coming from the Land of Lightning was like knives, constantly cutting at his flesh!
The Land of Earth, relying on its geographical advantage of bordering the Land of Lightning, was the first to rush into Kumogakure.
They directly took over Kumogakure's ninjutsu archives and armory.
Those secret ninjutsu that countless shinobi once wanted were now Iwagakure's possessions.
The Land of Water also followed closely.
With their powerful water release shinobi forces, they quickly controlled the ports connecting the Land of Lightning to the outside world.
And all maritime trade routes.
The Land of Earth and the Land of Water constantly gained profits.
And what about their Land of Wind?
Rasa gave a bitter smile.
They could only pitifully, in this empty borderland.
Eat air!
Just then.
The curtain of the main tent was suddenly pulled open.
A shinobi responsible for gathering information quickly walked into the tent.
He was covered in sand and dust, clearly having ridden at full speed.
"Lord Kazekage! My lord!"
"There's the latest information from the Land of Lightning!"
The Land of Wind daimyo, who had been drowning in anger, suddenly jumped up. "Speak quickly!"
The shinobi reported. "According to our informant's report..."
"The Land of Earth has fully taken over the mining of Kumogakure's mineral resources."
"And..." Looking at the daimyo who showed signs of anger, the shinobi continued. "And they declared that those mines belong to the public property of the supervised zone."
"Until a new distribution plan is released, the profits will be held by them for safekeeping."
Upon hearing this.
Rasa's face immediately darkened.
"Additionally..."
The Anbu shinobi continued to report.
"The Land of Water has reached a cooperation agreement with the Land of Lightning's merchant guilds."
"All goods entering and leaving the Land of Lightning must pass through their ports."
"And pay a hefty peace maintenance tax."
The information was long.
But the news it brought made the Land of Wind daimyo and Rasa's faces grow even uglier.
However, the Land of Wind daimyo only clearly heard two words.
Safekeeping.
Cooperation.
The Land of Wind daimyo felt a sudden dizziness, his body swaying, almost unable to stand steady.
What the hell was this, safekeeping and cooperation?
This was clearly open robbery, naked plunder!
Those two bastards were no longer happy with just getting benefits. Now they didn't even want to leave them a single scrap!
They weren't even pretending anymore!
"Bastards... How dare they!" The Land of Wind daimyo screamed, his cheeks twisted with extreme rage.
"What about the Land of Fire?" Rasa asked. This four countries alliance was led by the Land of Fire, so their information was especially important.
The shinobi said. "According to the agreement, the Land of Fire has already moved into the southern plains."
"Currently, they have not made any moves that violate the agreement."
"Good! I understand!" Rasa said, waving for the shinobi to leave.
Then Rasa said to the Land of Wind daimyo. "My lord, we must do something now!"
The Land of Wind daimyo paced back and forth in the tent, his eyes narrowed.
After a long time!
"Prepare the carriage!"
"I'm going to see that Land of Earth daimyo!"
However, as soon as the words left his mouth.
The Land of Wind daimyo seemed to remember something and suddenly said to Rasa. "No! Pass on my order!"
"Send me a letter of protest!"
"One to the Land of Earth!"
"One to the Land of Water!"
"The wording should be as harsh as possible!"
The Land of Wind daimyo gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowed into slits. "Send another one to the Land of Fire!"
"Tell Lord Shin!"
"He must uphold justice for us!"
"Otherwise!"
"This so-called four countries alliance will be broken up on the spot!"
"We, the Land of Wind, will no longer participate!"
When the Land of Wind daimyo spoke these words, his voice carried a desperate resolve, like a fish fighting to the death.
Rasa looked at the enraged daimyo before him, his heart chilling.
He knew that the so-called four countries alliance had, at this moment, completely become a name without substance.