After the [Forged Suicide Note (Hidden Cloud Genin Edition)] vanished into thin air, Rasa stood up and walked to the window. He gazed out, taking in the view.
A small portion of the Hidden Sand Village was visible from here.
Everywhere he looked, it was yellow.
Barren. Desolate. Full of wind and sand.
Even though the walls surrounding the village were high enough, the wind still carried plenty of grit inside.
It settled on the rooftops, on the people, on the food...
The people of the Sand hated this sand with a passion, but there was nothing they could do about it.
"The Hidden Sand really is starving for resources."
Rasa shook his head.
Suddenly, two familiar figures entered his line of sight.
One was Yashamaru.
The other was Baki.
They were moving at high speed.
Having received Rasa's orders, Yashamaru and Baki were working with incredible efficiency.
They had prepared the notices first, then mobilized a squad of speed-specialized ninja. Divided into eight routes, they were plastering the announcement all over the village.
Crowds quickly gathered to read the news.
"Lord Kazekage is marrying Pakura in two days?"
"Wait, isn't that wrong? Lord Kazekage already has a wife. He even has two kids."
"What's going on?"
Right on cue, plants arranged by Yashamaru and Baki stepped in to explain the "situation."
"Actually, Lady Pakura and Lord Kazekage were childhood sweethearts. They pledged their lives to each other when they were young, but due to a misunderstanding, they couldn't be together. But now, the misunderstanding has been cleared up."
"Lady Karura, the Kazekage's current wife, was moved by their deep feelings. She couldn't bear to let their love become a regret, so she personally went to Lady Pakura and convinced her to marry Lord Kazekage."
Hearing this, a middle-aged man seemed to recall something, his eyes welling up with tears.
"This is true love!"
A young man frowned.
"But this means Lord Kazekage will have two wives at the same time? Isn't that inappropriate?"
The middle-aged man glared at him.
"What is propriety compared to true love? Do you want Lady Pakura and Lord Kazekage to end up full of regret? Lady Karura is so understanding and righteous—would you trample on her kindness?"
"A love story with such a touching ending... anyone who wants to ruin it must have evil intentions!"
The middle-aged man's words resonated with many in the crowd.
"Exactly. Lord Kazekage and Lady Pakura won't have any regrets, and Lady Karura is so reasonable. It's a model of love! What a beautiful thing."
"If the three people involved are fine with it, what right does anyone else have to object?"
"Some people just can't stand seeing others happy."
Someone else chimed in.
"Besides, doesn't the Daimyo of every country have multiple wives and concubines? Even many nobles do. So what if Lord Kazekage has two wives? Who is it hurting?"
Soon, the dissenting voices were drowned out.
The entire village's attitude shifted to one of respect, blessing, and approval. Everyone hoped Rasa, Karura, and Pakura would live happily ever after, giving this love story a perfect ending.
Of course, this public opinion didn't form naturally.
Almost every high-ranking official in the Sand was in on the act.
After all, as Rasa said, everything was for the village.
"There was a rumor recently that Lord Kazekage agreed to sell Lady Pakura to the Mist to sue for peace. Now we know it was all lies."
"I told you Lord Kazekage couldn't be that incompetent. It was definitely a plot by the Hidden Mist!"
"It seems you were right."
"But the Mist definitely didn't expect their plot to backfire and actually help Lord Kazekage and Lady Pakura! If not for this, the misunderstanding between them might not have been cleared up so quickly."
"Now, not only do Lord Kazekage and Lady Pakura have a perfect ending to their love story, but the Mist's rumors have collapsed on their own, exposing their shameless faces to all of us."
Suddenly, someone raised a question.
"Why is the wedding between Lord Kazekage and Lady Pakura happening so soon?"
The noise in the crowd gradually died down. People looked at each other, confusion evident in their eyes.
It was too rushed.
One was the Kazekage, the other a Hero of the Sand.
Announced today, wedding in two days.
Why the rush?
Everyone realized that a wedding held in two days would inevitably be very simple.
Most felt they should wait a while, prepare properly, and then hold the ceremony.
That would be befitting of a Kage and a Hero.
A somewhat bitter voice spoke up from the crowd.
"Maybe it's because the decisive battle with the Mist is coming. Neither Lord Kazekage nor Lady Pakura is sure if they'll return from the battlefield alive. They're worried if they don't do it now, they might never get the chance."
"They're rushing because they don't want to leave this world with regrets."
Instantly, people's eyes turned red.
"To think Lord Kazekage and Lady Pakura have already steeled themselves for death... and yet, there are still people in our village thinking about surrendering to the Mist? It's shameful!"
"The Mist made such outrageous demands and spread such vicious rumors. We absolutely cannot surrender to a village like that! We must fight to the end!"
"That's right! The worst that can happen is death! But surrender to a despicable village like the Mist? Never!"
"Fight to the death!"
Two high-ranking Sand officials sat on the second floor of a tea house, listening to the discussions below.
One of them looked toward the Kazekage Building, admiration in his eyes.
"As expected of Lord Kazekage. Truly impressive."
"He deliberately waited for this moment to reveal his stance on the war. He let the village see the evil of the Mist, pushing their hatred and disgust to the peak."
"And he added another crime to the Mist's list. By using his and Pakura's 'love,' he made the Mist look even more despicable in this affair."
"Using that 'love' to infect the villagers... he's convinced more people to support the war, united the village, and boosted morale."
The other official nodded in agreement.
"If Lord Kazekage has chosen to fight to the end, this was the best move he could have made."
"Unity, public sentiment, morale—he's maximized them all."
"But on the battlefield, the Sand is still at a disadvantage. If we can't change that, no matter how well we manage our internal affairs, it won't change the outcome of the war."
"The enemies facing the Sand aren't just the Mist."
"Once we show signs of collapse, they will all pounce."
"Bite by bite, they will tear the flesh from our bones until the Hidden Sand is picked clean."
The man opposite him was silent for a moment.
"The only thing we can do now... is trust in Lord Kazekage."