[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained an F-rank item: One tael of gold.]
…
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a C-rank item: One-Day Ninja Experience Card (Konoha Chunin Edition).]
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a C-rank item: One-Day Ninja Experience Card (Kirigakure Chunin Edition).]
"Two one-day chunin-level experience cards. One from Konoha, one from Kirigakure."
Rasa did not rush to use them.
As for the gold, he casually tossed it into a drawer, just as he had before.
Not long after, an intelligence ninja entered to make his report.
"Kazekage-sama."
"How is Konoha's side now?"
"In reply, Kazekage-sama—the Uchiha rebels have fled to the border of the Land of Fire. Konoha itself has already stabilized."
Rasa nodded.
He had long expected that the Uchiha would fail to overturn Konoha.
At this point in time, the Uchiha Clan did not have anyone truly monstrous among them.
Konoha, meanwhile, was overflowing with elite shinobi.
More importantly, Konoha had recalled the forces originally stationed along the border of the Land of Wind—the same forces that had been poised to move against Sunagakure. In both manpower and individual strength, the Uchiha had been at a disadvantage.
But for Rasa, that had never been the point.
As long as the Uchiha could plunge Konoha into internal turmoil and tie down part of its attention, that alone was enough.
"Oh, right, Kazekage-sama. A Uchiha squad has entered the Land of Wind—around a dozen people. But at the same time, besides us, both Kirigakure and Iwagakure discovered them as well."
Rasa narrowed his eyes.
"And what do Kirigakure and Iwagakure mean by that?"
"They mean that since the Uchiha squad was discovered by all three villages at once, the three villages should divide them equally."
A strange expression crossed Rasa's face.
At the moment, Kirigakure was fighting Sunagakure in a bitter war.
And Iwagakure had also clashed fiercely with Sunagakure not long ago.
Yet now, when faced with an isolated Uchiha squad, those two villages had no intention of attacking Sunagakure at all. Instead, they had actually proposed sharing.
But after giving it a little thought, Rasa found it rather reasonable.
After all… they were Uchiha.
The Uchiha who had once belonged solely to Konoha.
"Where are they now?"
"In the northeastern desert."
"Do we have a list of names? Photographs?"
"Not yet."
Rasa thought for a moment.
"Go tell Kirigakure and Iwagakure this—those Uchiha entered the Land of Wind. By rights, anyone standing on the Land of Wind belongs to Sunagakure. Still, Sunagakure is willing to share."
He paused.
"But we're only willing to share half."
Demanding everything for themselves was unrealistic. Sunagakure did not have that kind of strength right now.
"Also, when you go this time, get the roster of that Uchiha squad. Photos too, if possible. Sunagakure's bottom line is one-third—but we choose first."
"Yes, Kazekage-sama."
Very soon, negotiations began among the three sides.
In a wind-carved desert basin, more than a dozen members of the Uchiha squad stood in the center, tense and uneasy.
Around them were shinobi from three villages.
Sunagakure. Kirigakure. Iwagakure.
The way the three villages looked at the Uchiha in the middle… was the way one might look at merchandise.
An elderly Uchiha tried to reassure the others.
"Don't worry too much. We Uchiha have value—our own value. Konoha no longer has a place for us, and as for Yashiro-sama's side… who knows how long they can hold on?"
"Maybe joining another shinobi village won't be such a bad thing for us."
"We're valuable. As long as we're valuable, they won't kill us."
But aside from the youngest among them, almost no one believed him.
Konoha had treated the Uchiha that way.
Would other villages really treat them better?
What they cared about was only the Uchiha's worth—their bloodline, their heritage, their kekkei genkai.
As for what awaited them after entering those villages, they could already guess.
They would be made to produce children. Again and again.
Unless they could prove they had value beyond breeding descendants.
Or unless they got lucky and encountered genuinely decent people.
But the chances of that were far too small.
What good people were there in shinobi villages?
After the Sunagakure representative put forward Rasa's conditions, the three villages immediately descended into fierce bargaining.
At the same time, a list was compiled and sent back to Sunagakure with all speed.
Rasa took the roster from the intelligence ninja and raised a brow slightly.
There were no familiar names on it.
"Neither Uchiha Shisui nor Uchiha Itachi. Both of the Uchiha's great prodigies are absent."
Rasa felt a little disappointed.
But inwardly, he knew the odds had always been slim.
Leaving Itachi aside, Shisui was no longer that young by the standards of the shinobi world.
At that age, he would already have his own convictions. Even if Sunagakure got Shisui himself, they would never get his heart.
And as for Itachi—he was Uchiha Fugaku's eldest son.
And Fugaku himself was the eldest son of Uchiha Yamakaku.
It was entirely possible they had not fled together with the Uchiha rebels led by Uchiha Yashiro. The two sides likely did not trust one another enough for that.
Then suddenly, one name caught Rasa's attention.
"Uchiha Izumi…"
His expression turned subtle.
Izumi's talent might not compare to the twin stars of Shisui and Itachi, but awakening her Sharingan in a single night and going straight to three tomoe—that kind of talent was absolutely no joke.
At the very least, elite jonin potential.
And for Sunagakure, that already counted as valuable talent.
Sunagakure was starving for talent.
"This one… we must secure her."
By the time Rasa's latest order reached the negotiation site, the talks were already drawing to a close.
"Then it's settled."
The Sunagakure representative said, "There are thirteen Uchiha here in total. Sunagakure can accept only five of them—but we take first pick."
The representatives from Kirigakure and Iwagakure exchanged a glance, then both agreed.
After all, this was the Land of Wind.
The proposal from Sunagakure was still within the range they could accept.
"Fine. Then we divide them like that."
One list became three.
Sunagakure: five.
Kirigakure: four.
Iwagakure: four.
The thirteen Uchiha members were unwilling. They hated it. They hated being separated.
But they had no second choice.
Unless they were willing to choose death, they could only submit to the arrangements of the three villages.
Before long, the five Uchiha assigned to Sunagakure were brought back.
Rasa glanced at the roster on his desk.
Uchiha Izumi, age 3, female.
Uchiha Hazuki, age 22, female.
Uchiha Hai, age 1, male.
Uchiha Daitei, age 30, male.
Uchiha Ro, age 49, male.
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