EXCERPT FROM CLASSIFIED ECLIPSE FILES:
'...Sunagakure is considered to be the weakest of the five greatest villages. As per our spies reports and intelligence files from Lord Pain, this is primarily due to three reasons.
The first, and most prevalent reason, is the lack of powerful ninja within the village itself. There has been a history of the village only having a single S ranked ninja at a time unlike the Leaf which has between four and five each generation. There was once a golden period for the village when three S ranked ninja appeared - Sasori of the red sands, the Third Kazekage and Chiyo the puppet master; but this was ended too soon to make a real impact after the Third Kazekage was assassinated, Sasori became a missing nin and Chiyo soon lost much of her power to old age and inactivity. Now, there is only a single S ranked ninja as usual - the Fourth Kazekage.
The second reason would be that of its own geography. Whilst its desert makes for incredible defensive terrain that has allowed the Sand village to remain untouched throughout all three Ninja Wars, this works against it in its acquisition of resources. The country itself is rich in mineral and chemical deposits, but more essential resources are lacking within. Water is an expensive resource, having to be piped from the coast once it is purified or tapped from the rare natural deposits there are. Food is just as expensive, as the country has little opportunity to grow its own food - something it has always sourced from Konoha. However, prices will have steeply risen given its recent ending of the alliance and re-application of tariffs and checks to items from the Land of Fire.
The third and final reason is the economy itself. It has reached even the public that the Wind Lord is favouring Konoha over his own village in the distribution of a lot of the missions from the Land of Wind. Combined with the relative slow rate of trade, given how Konoha was always better off in trade when they had an alliance and now this position has been worsened that the alliance is gone; and Iwa still does not trade with Suna from being enemies in the last two wars - Suna's economy is struggling.
This is a brief summary of the main three reasons for Suna's problems. More detailed analysis of the economy and military may be found on other pages of the report, but this front cover is only my own advice for the jonin commander after spending some time going through intelligence reports.
Lord Pain may more easily secure an alliance with the Sand village, if that is indeed his intention, by showing how these three main problems can be worked around with Ame's help. A display of how Ame has powerful ninja ourselves with Lord Pain, or Hanzo should our Leader choose to keep up the disguise, as well as the elite units can show how Suna can benefit militarily. Economically, I advise on one thing - a comprehensive trade agreement. We can bring three things to the table that could influence such an agreement. Our need for mineral resources is one - whilst we could technically be self-sufficient from our recent captured lands, it would be much easier for our industries should a boom in cheap acquisition of raw resources be achieved; perhaps putting expansion plans ahead of schedule for our own industries and economy.
Another is that of water and food. Water is a luxurious resource we have in our own adeptly named country, and so I am sure we have plenty to trade with a desert country. Food saw a massive increase in production ever since the majority conquering of the previous Land of Grass, and some of it could be traded provided we meet the demands of our population first and foremost of all. This would need to be checked by a person more knowledgeable upon the subject than I, but I raise this only because it would be beneficial for the Sand and thus how it can be used as a good bargaining point.
The final point is our own economy. Whilst I obviously do not recommend giving the complete information on how well our economy is doing, a glimpse as to how far our own economy has risen may well entice the Kazekage. It would show that trade with an economically strong village would help them.
Combined with the blackmail I have personally handed to Lord Pain, and our Leader may well have good chances of securing an alliance.
- Head of the elite ninja battalions, [REDACTED].'
SIXTEEN YEARS AFTER THE THIRD NINJA WORLD WAR.
UNDERGROUND CHAMBER OF AME'S PIPELINES.
The red haired boy gave a groan as he clutched his head, groggily seeing only the dim, shady surroundings around him. He realised that he had been reminiscing as per usual on a random rooftop in the Sand village, watching the glowing dusk sky, when a shadow had risen up behind him. The ten year old had had no time to react when he had know no more. As young as he was, even he realised he had been knocked out - the perks of growing up in a military village and receiving advanced training for his age.
And that was when his eyes widened - he had been asleep.
"Calm down." A deep-sounding voice spoke out as the boy seemed to suddenly sit up and bring his hands to his neck. A pair of green eyes, rimmed by a black outline, slowly traversed to a figure in a dark cloak sat in a chair in front of him. In the dark room, all that could be seen was the brief outline of a medium-sized man with luminescent purple eyes - something Gaara was inwardly shocked at but gave no outward emotion to. "Good. Welcome to my abode, Gaara Subaku."
It was as if some of his very energy had been suppressed within him, leaving him feeling a bit more tired and powerless. "What happened to mother?" Gaara simply asked instead. Indeed, it seemed as if the Racoon monster inside him had not taken over him whilst he slept, as it had once when he had fallen asleep - the shoddy seal allowing it to take over. The results had not been pretty - and he had become a long term insomniac thereafter.
In fact, he could not hear the sand monster's ravings now that he thought of it - the aura of its malice and craziness seemingly suppressed.
"May I ask whom you are referring to?" The figure asked, curiosity in their tone. "It is well known in your village that the Fourth Kazekage's wife, your mother, died during the sealing of the monster within you."
Gaara didn't react to the statement about his biological mother. "The monster. It's not demanding blood." Gaara spoke, seeming to himself.
The figure leaned forward, closer to the boy. Gaara was seemingly not as blood-crazy as Zetsu's reports would suggest, as he had anticipated when he would wake up in a strange place and assuming, correctly, that he had been kidnapped. Perhaps it was the fact that without the Racoon's hateful presence on his mind he could think for himself, or his stoic attitude refused for him to tremble in front of his enemy - merely gleaning information as he could.
"The one-tail in that seal on your neck has been suppressed by the addition of a few safety features of mine." The figure answered Gaara calmly, before sitting back to just gaze and await the boy's next question.
However, it seemed to be that Gaara, too, was just fine with sitting there and staring at the man - at least, he would've been had some time not already passed and the thoughts in his mind had not decreased. It felt emotionally uncomfortable to Gaara, who was used to feeling the overbearing presence of the Racoon and his ravings, and now only had his own thoughts to accompany him.
"How did you get me here?" Gaara let out, asking a question that was prominent on his mind. "My sand should've stopped you from getting near me."
The man gave a grunt, which seemed to be some sort of expression of humour from him. "As a ninja, you really should not come to rely upon a sole ability, Subaku." The man stated, crossing a leg over the top of another. "As my agent was able to completely bypass detection from both you and your sand due to his... unique abilities, so to say."
The figure seemed to be once more waiting for a question, and Gaara knew he would say no more upon the previous topic. "What do you want with me?" Gaara asked the man. They had not killed him yet, nor done anything with him - it was as if they just wanted to talk to him. That much, Gaara could work out.
"Two things, really." The man replied, flexing a hand. "The first being your joining of my ninja forces. In return for you fighting under me, you will see that there is a range of benefits... for orphans like yourself." Gaara gave no upstart to that. In a sense, it was true when the people who claimed to be of your blood either ran from you or ordered hit men upon you. "Free food whilst you are in training, a wage which will increase as your rank does with a danger contribution to it, and lodgings in a barracks with fellow comrades. A fresh start for someone like yourself must be a good deal, no?"
Gaara gave no reaction again. "Do not assume what I would want." He merely spoke. He hadn't made a single friend in ten years - he didn't need one now.
The man seemingly only raised an eyebrow at the statement as his left eye contorted in such a manner. "Very well." The figure spoke dryly, as if amused in a fashion where he knew Gaara was no threat to him. "The second thing is the tailed beast inside of yourself."
"So you wish to take mother?" Gaara's voice raised slightly as his face tightened its complexion, the purple eyes of the figure narrowing in response as their arms were slowly placed onto the sides of the chair they were on. "And kill me by doing so? No, I refuse! You will not erase my existence!" Gaara ended up shouting at the end.
Sand shot up from the surrounding area from where the red head had been subtly creating more from what little sand had been present, the gourd he normally carried having been confiscated. The sand swirled around him, forming his natural ring of defence as Gaara smiled crazily.
The figure merely shook their head as they stood up slowly with the assistance of their arms. "So naïve..." They intoned, before the purple eyes focused right on Gaara. "Were you not listening? I wanted you to join me, you have misunderstood me-"
"Sand burial!" Gaara interrupted them with a shout, thrusting his hand forward - the mass of sand obeying him as he directed it to the figure, racing along the ground to reach the man in under a second.
The man was even faster. A chakra rod fluidly slid into the man's hand as he then pulsed his chakra down the strong metal construct - swiping the rod across himself towards the onward-rushing sand. The very air itself rippled as a high-pitched blast-like noise rang out, gouges of earth being ripped out as the solid wall of propelled, transparent chakra blasted forth and pushed aside all over the sand in its path; leaving the figure unharmed.
Gaara seemed shocked as the figure merely lowered their chakra rod and glanced at him. "So..." The figure started, making Gaara anticipative as he coiled his remaining sand around him. "You can control sand even without the chakra and influence of the one-tail? Interesting. I sense potential in you. But whether you have any use to me is another matter..."
The smile from Gaara's face had definitely been wiped away by now, a frown etched into his expression instead as his eyes showed wariness. He realised he may have just bitten off more than he could chew, listening to what this man was saying.
"I think I've changed my mind about you." The man spoke, taking a step closer to the tensing Gaara. "Tell me, now that your thoughts are indeed your own - what do you think of the monster locked up inside of you?"
"Mother? Why do you wish to know about mother? You want to get mother out of me!" Gaara snarled at the man.
The man in the cloak in front of him merely gave a dry, mirthless chuckle as he looked amusingly down at Gaara now that he was closer than before. "Indeed. I won't deny that." The man spoke. "But I wanted to know of your reaction should I do so."
Gaara was about to respond angrily to the man when something made him stay his hand. He was... unsure. He'd never been given the chance to think for himself before, having always been driven crazy by the racoon - and thus never formed a true opinion on the sand monster that took control of his life. He'd hated because it simply had - but now it wasn't here.
"I see it." The man spoke. "What you call 'mother', you actually hesitate about when simply asked about your opinion on it. Which means a part of you truly does hate it, as it prevents you from even defending it."
Gaara's eyes only widened as the man spoke, before looking at the sand around him, swirling about.
"Don't look to the sand for guidance. You've done quite enough of that all your life." The man stated, jolting Gaara as he realised the man had crept to within a metre of him undetected. "Now tell me, Gaara Subaku. How would you like it if you kept this freedom of thought that you now have, the ability to control sand and even move without having to ask for the permission of a monster inside you that you never asked for?"
Gaara's fortitude was breaking, not that it was particularly difficult once the dominating presence in his life had been stripped away; shown that he was powerless before the man in front of him and made to realise what it was like to truly think for himself.
"But removing it from inside me would kill me." Gaara muttered, expecting an answer anyway.
Deva did his best to keep from smirking. "There is many things people don't know about the rinnegan, child. It includes the ability to heal people from physical afflictions and similar causes, even on the brink of death. You would be alive long enough after the removal for me to heal you."
Gaara hesitated, before his own mind won him over - and he nodded. "Fine. Do it." The red head muttered.
Deva did smirk then. "Then you do have use for me." He spoke. "When we are done here, you will listen to what I have to say."
A seal tag being applied to the back of Gaara's head forced him back to sleep as another figure could be made out, purple eyes looking at Deva. Deva was still smirking as he saw the rest of the Paths joining him - as he was going through the hand motions for a summon.
"Summoning jutsu - Gedo Mazo!"
THREE DAYS LATER, PAIN'S TOWER - HOSPITAL ROOM ON THE UPPER LEVELS.
Gaara suddenly took in a breath as he awoke, before coughing as a sudden spell of nausea overcame him. He could hold it in no longer as he simply leant on an elbow, turned to the side of the bed he was on, and vomited straight onto the floor.
"Disgusting." A voice spoke as he finished puking.
Looking up warily, Gaara saw a boy his age sitting upright on a bed in a corner of the room he was in. The room itself was painted white on all the walls, not the porcelain white that could be found at hospitals but more of a muted vanilla tone that blended well with the smooth grey floor. The room was currently lit up by the sunlight streaming in from the window in the wall opposite the door which was to his right. As he was sat in the top left corner of the room, there was a wooden table to his right which preceded a second bed in the left corner close to the door. Another boy his age was there, the white blanket pulled up to his head of which Gaara could only see the back of - a spiky set of red hair upon it.
And there was the other boy who was awake in the corner opposite to him. Looking at him, Gaara could see that, despite his eyes being wrapped up in a bundle of gauze, he was looking straight at him. Short black hair was the only thing Gaara could really distinguish of the boy, as half his face was covered in bandages and he was dressed in typical hospital linen. Gaara's own curiosity was raised as one more thing about the boy became apparent - a purple insect skittered across the bandages of his face before disappearing into his hair.
"Who are you?" Gaara asked tiredly, and indeed - his body felt much more tired than even usual. It didn't really hurt that much, but more like large amounts of energy had been taken out of him - which it had.
The boy in front of him cocked his head to the side a bit, and Gaara got the distinct impression that the boy was somehow looking at him through the bandages. "You know, some people might consider it rude if you don't introduce yourself first." The boy rebuffed, some amusement in his tone.
Gaara merely looked at the boy for a while, both tired and feeling a lack of energy. Plus, the very reason for his anger and aggressive behaviour was no longer present and shaking up his mental state. "Gaara." He merely stated.
The boy opposite him gave a grin. "I'd say it's a pleasure, but I don't know you yet or what you're going to do." The boy spoke. "My name's Shino. Supposedly you'll be joining us." With that, the now named Shino laid back on his bed.
Gaara kept looking at him, however. He was still getting over the fact that supposedly the beast inside him was gone, and that the people he'd met thus far after didn't regard him with fear. "You're rather strange." Gaara spoke his mind, comparing the boy to what he did know of social interaction.
"That's kinda ironic, coming from you, no?" Shino rebuffed once more. "Nevertheless, there's plenty of people like me in this world. Take Konoha for example. Plenty of children there forced to become ninja and other things. Kakashi Hatake is one, as well as Maito Gai. All they probably know is how to kill. Even today you've got it - the Leaf has one called Itachi Uchiha. He joined the ANBU corps when he was ten, did you know? He was even prepared to slaughter his clan when he was fourteen, two years ago."
Gaara really didn't know what to think of Shino who seemed to regard him amusingly. "How do you know these things?" He asked.
"I read." Came Shino's instant reply. "I'm a bit smarter than I perhaps should be for my age, but who cares? As for what should probably be kept in a spy's report? Well, I read what I get access to as well. After all, that information only hurts Konoha, not anyone else. It would be interesting to hear of who else knows all that in this little country."
Gaara just regarded the boy some more, but his questioning state of mind spiked at that mention. "Do you know where we are?" He asked.
"That would be telling." Shino answered with an obviously amused tone this time.
Having perhaps had enough of this boy's strange personality, even for someone like him, Gaara laid back and just began thinking. It was a strange freedom to have.
A while later, the door to the room swung open - Gaara looking over to see a woman with long blue hair walk into the room. She had amber eyes which piercingly looked over each of them before she walked over to the red-haired boy's bed and placed one of her hand's on his head. Her hand lit up with green coloured chakra, Gaara becoming a bit confused at the strange technique he'd never seen before.
But then again, he never would have considering he'd never been hurt before.
Seemingly satisfied with checking up on the boy from what Gaara could guess, she walked away from the boy and cast a glance at him, before stopping at Shino's bed; who only sat up a bit as he heard her coming. "Shino." The woman spoke, moving to take a diagnostic of him but Shino waved her off. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine." Shino answered as he laid back down - it wasn't like he could see her anyway. "How long until these things come off?"
The woman shook her head at the seemingly rude boy, but she seemed used to tolerating it. "Another day, I'm afraid. Your body needs more time adjusting to the eye transplants in order not to reject them with stimuli overwhelming them."
Shino only gave a nod at her, the blue haired woman shaking her head silently before finally turning to Gaara. Amber eyes stared down at the red head, the crimson red clouds emblazoned on her dark cloak apparent now.
"Hello, Gaara." The woman spoke to him, her hand lighting up green once more before she placed it on his torso. "You're in a medical room right now, recovering from when we removed the tailed beast from you. Lord Pain did as he said he would, and kept you alive after the extraction. Your body is adapting from no longer having the beast's chakra within you, and a positive of it will be that you will have bigger chakra reserves to match what the beast once gave you."
Gaara only nodded, blinking and pondering for a moment before he spoke. "What are you going to do to me?" He asked.
The woman gave a short chuckle. "Lord Pain will speak with you tomorrow concerning such matters, as you still require at least twelve hours to recover and regain your chakra from such an event. Waiting until tomorrow will be more than enough time."
Gaara nodded again. "Thank you." He whispered, the words sounding foreign to his ears. He wasn't used to this - being in a hospital bed, being checked up on, talking to anyone his own age without fear and using manners. It was too foreign right now.
The woman merely swept her hand up to his shoulder, where he winced. He remembered that was where the seal had been located. "Don't worry Gaara." The woman spoke again as she reached her hand towards the wooden table, and picked up a piece of paper from it. "Your seal became defunct after all the chakra it was meant to contain was removed, and we took it off. Truth be told, it was easier than we anticipated - I'm afraid whoever put the tailed beast in you did a rather poor job." The white sheet of paper was smudged with ink, distinct letter shapes in a ring formation upon it with three spikes set evenly apart from one another.
Gaara put a hand to his own neck at that, feeling down to his shoulder in a symbolic gesture. "Then it's all gone?" He questioned quietly.
"Very much so." The woman confirmed. "Now rest. You shouldn't move whilst your body is still recovering from such a removal process."
Having done all she needed to, the woman put the paper down upon the table again and walked out, closing the door behind her. Silence returned for a while as Gaara did as the lady had said - getting comfortable and trying to get to sleep whilst his mind buzzed, in part euphoric and relieved emotions.
"So, you're a jinchuuriki too, huh?" Shino's voice interrupted said thoughts, causing Gaara's eyes to drift in order to look at him. "Or were, from the sounds of it. I'm impressed, it's said to kill the person if their beast is removed."
Gaara gave a grunt at that. "This Lord Pain of yours kept me alive." Gaara stated, getting Shino to nod from his bed as if that answered everything. "What is a jinchuuriki, anyway?"
"A human container. For tailed beasts, more specifically." Shino answered, before giving a snort at the curiosity that appeared unwillingly upon Gaara's face. "There are nine tailed beasts that inhabit our fair continent. From what seemed to be yours, the one tailed racoon, all the way up to the nine tailed fox."
"You read about all that?" Gaara stated dryly, responding in kind to the boy's own tone.
Shino chuckled more heartily at that one. "Yes, but there's more to it than that. For my brother over on your right there is the jinchuuriki to the nine tailed fox."
PAIN'S TOWER, TOP FLOOR.
Darkness surrounded the two rouge ninja, thousands of pinpricks of white light standing out in the darkness. The two shimmering projections that distorted into the differing colours of the rainbow faced each other - the two figures that were made up of the projected light looking at one another.
There was much less animosity that one might expect for two missing ninja, especially two of the most powerful people in the world.
"Sasori." Spoke the more upright, cloaked man with purple eyes to the hunched figure opposite him. "For eleven years you have served me, giving me access to your spy network, materials and you have conducted services for me under my orders. Tell me, how do you truly feel of this and your role in the Akatsuki?"
The hunched figure merely took a second to articulate their thoughts and speech before responding. "It's been a pleasure, Lord Pain. This has been beneficiary for the both of us, for in the Akatsuki I have not had the worries of finance nor resource acquisition for my puppets and art that I did years ago. I should be thanking you."
Deva gave a chuckle, just a bit more emotion in it than his usual mirthless laugh - and few people got even that. "I'll admit, I have realised that I can place at least some of my trust in you, Sasori of the Red Sands. Your services to me and the Akatsuki have been most helpful, so incredibly useful that I have not placed you with a partner unlike the four others in our detestable group. It is for this reason, Sasori, I offer you a proposition."
Sasori appeared intrigued now, the gentlemanly missing ninja who had manners than legions of other missing ninja and yet would just as quickly turn his puppets upon, listened to Pain. The man certainly knew how to command his respect and honour, at least, that much Sasori knew. As long as this continued, Sasori was loyal to the Akatsuki and Pain - and Deva knew it to. Sasori was no mere missing ninja out for money. "Please, go on, Leader."
"I'm afraid I have not quite worked out the details totally yet, and perhaps we may need to... compromise, on certain aspects. But I intend for great things to happen, Sasori, and for that I need you, your resources and knowledge." Deva spoke.
Sasori gave a nod, knowing that Pain probably meant his areas of expertise - he had a few, including finer details of building and engineering which fed his puppet making, intelligence and poisons among others. "What can you reveal of these things, Lord Pain?" Sasori asked, knowing better than to totally push for answers. Pain would never trust any of the criminals that much.
"Hmm." Pain let out. "You would work with me for five years, helping to build up certain departments I command and devoting time to ironing out certain problems I need dealing with quietly. You would also help to train some students of mine. There may be other things, but as I have said, we need to discuss this face-to-face."
Sasori gave a nod. What he felt right now was of no consequence, he had spent years of his life hiding and perfecting his art. Five more helping to perfect something else which may serve to be beneficiary to him in the end might be a refreshing change. "And how would we meet up to discuss this, Lord Pain?"
Deva gave a grunt, before locking eyes steely with Sasori. "I will not lie with you, Sasori. You would encounter things I have dedicated much of my life to building up from the ground itself, as well as meet the lives of people I actually care about. So I give this warning now, Sasori." Deva strengthened his tone as a sheer aura of malice suddenly slammed down, causing Sasori to lose his inner composure for a second before he countered the effects with his own chakra.
Sasori was reminded of exactly why he should never cross the man before him given that he had felt that through a projection of all things.
"I will place something on you which will allow me to know where you are at all times, and whether you mean any harmful intent. It will even allow me to summon you at my own leisure." Deva informed Sasori as he withdrew his killing intent, the fact that Pain could summon him into a trap not needing to be said. "Removal of this object will result in me ordering the whole of the Akatsuki to find you, and bring you to me so that I may personally deal with you. Do not underestimate the lengths I can go to in order to enjoy the suffering of those who betray me, Sasori. Even as we speak, thousands each day are being put through the process for even daring to attempt to betray me."
Sasori may have regained his composure, but his instincts were in full analytical mode. Pain was most likely not lying.
"So this is your warning, Sasori." Deva concluded. "Should you accept to see me, you will have already accepted our proposition, leaving only room for compromise. You cannot back down from it once you have seen me in person where I live. Do we have an accord, Sasori of the Red Sands?"
Normal people might fully well have turned it down to keep away from such a man, but S rank missing ninja were not normal people. Sasori was not normal for such types of criminal, even. On the contrary, his intrigue had heightened throughout such warnings. "We do indeed, Leader. I fully understand what you have said."
"Good." Pain spoke, before giving off a smirk. "Meet up with an armoured squad of ninja on the border to what used to be where the Kanabi Bridge once stood. You will be escorted from there on where to meet me. Wear your Akatsuki cloak, and upon being challenged, respond with the counter phrase - 'A red dawn will rise.' I look forward to our meeting, Sasori."
The projection ended swiftly as Pain ordered it to end, quickly returning his vision back to the attic that was currently in. A massive space, it was host only to his mechanical chair that the chakra rods were set into, and six desks beyond that. Wooden flooring made up the entirety of what was a vast expanse of wasted space beyond that as an entire floor was put together in one space, not a single window but lines of electrical lighting instead making the place bright with a white tinge.
With but a mental command, the Deva Path marched forth and opened the door, beckoning in Konan and the Fox who he had ordered to meet him here. Shutting the door behind them and sealing the door with silence and locking seals, Deva promptly sat in a chair and closed his eyes. Meanwhile, Konan and the Fox had walked up to where Nagato sat in his mechanical chair, the nine tails leaping up onto a desk as Konan stood close to where Nagato sat, who slowly opened his deep purple eyes to gaze at the two.
"Thank you for coming." Nagato spoke first. "I invited you up here to discuss our end goals for the Akatsuki and the future, and how they may have changed."
Konan appeared confused at that, as did the nine tails. "Changed?" Konan spoke. "In what way, Nagato?"
The nine tails merely listened in as Nagato cast his gaze on Konan. "I know we had a good plan before Konan, but with the actual experience of seeing the one tails being... removed, a change is necessary as we have underestimated what it requires. All in good time, however." Nagato stated with a firm tone, with Konan getting the hint. "Firstly, I would like to ask our resident tailed beast a few questions."
"Me, hmm?" The Fox spoke. "And what would you like to know? I'm still trying to work out where I fit in with your special little 'Red Dawn' group, since we agreed that the furthest I'll ever have to go is giving you some chakra when you completed whatever you needed to do with them." The Fox finished with a more lazy tone, lying down on the desk he was upon.
"That will be answered depending upon how this goes." Nagato responded. "But let's first talk of Naruto. You said we would talk more of his condition, well, now is the perfect time."
"Right." The Fox nodded. "There isn't much to say, really. His chakra and own body was changed a bit due to the process, but it's more his future as a ninja that's been changed because of it."
"How has his chakra and body changed, really?" Konan asked.
"Well, it's changed quite a bit." The nine tails started ambiguously. "His body has become quite a bit tougher, he'll be able to endure quite a few more hits with his endurance and stamina. The healing factor has become better, too. His chakra has become a lot more dense. Even more so than your average Uzumaki. The coils, however, were the most interesting part - his coils had to adapt to."
"They increased in size, didn't they?" Nagato intoned to the Fox, who only nodded. "By how much?"
"Roughly your size." The Fox stated, making himself more comfortable as Nagato raised an eyebrow and Konan looked shocked.
"But I have double the estimated reserves of Minato Namikaze." Nagato stated.
"Exactly." Came the Fox's response.
"But how can his system handle it? As a child he shouldn't be able to support that much." Konan spoke, clearly looking for clarification.
"That would be true if the child in question wasn't an Uzumaki, jinchuuriki and procedure patient to boot. He was always going to have even more than Uzumaki in the chair there, but the procedure forcibly opened and adapted his coils. Combined with his natural regeneration factor and the tailed beast healing factor, it's got to be no wonder he is where he's at now." The Fox spoke. "But of course, whilst that all sounds good, it does come with its disadvantages. Namely, broken chakra control, reliance on my chakra, probably a few other things."
Nagato gave a nod as Konan seemed contemplative, before he spoke. "Is there anything else we should know?"
"Nah." The nine tails answered. "That's all about his condition. Everything else I'm gonna run by the kid first."
Giving a grunt, Nagato eyed the Fox. "Speaking of your chakra, I wish to inquire as to the state of your very being. When the Namikaze sealed you, was your whole being sealed away?" He asked. "Some disturbing information from our spies suggests that the Yellow Flash very well knows how to spilt a tailed beast into its constituent chakra properties, like ying and yang."
The Fox gave a grunt, pondering before speaking. "Whilst that is a scary thought for someone like me, I assure you I am very much complete and whole. Whatever chakra was lost or expended in the attack ten years ago was regenerated in only a day."
Nagato gave a nod, satisfied at that. "And that leads onto the main topic I wish to ask of you. Tell me, what is your relationship like with your fellow tailed beasts?" Nagato asked, somewhat apprehensive about the question as Konan became curious as to where the topic had gone.
The nine tails snorted that time. "Primal, is a good way of putting it. I can't stand them."
Nagato raised an eyebrow at that, sharing a look with Konan before prodding the Fox onward. "Please, if you could tell us more."
"Curious, are we?" The Fox spoke dryly. "Well, let's put it this way. Us tailed beasts are very important to humanity, what with the fact that we make up your superweapons and we helped shape your race. You know I'm right, there's a reason the Land of Fire developed in the territory of a fire-natured beast and the Land of Water in the territory of a water-natured beast. Heck, the weakest of your major villages has the weakest beast and the strongest one had the strongest tailed beast."
Allowing a seconds pause for smug gratification, the Fox stopped patting himself on the back and got on with it. "To us tailed beasts, a dynamic was also worked out like a dynamic played out between us and you humans. We each had a slice of territory, and we would mainly stick to it. There were quite a few friendships between the tailed beasts too, all bar myself. You see, as the strongest beast, I rightly got the largest territory in the centre - which of course, came with consequences. And before you imagine some all out war over territory, no, that never happened. No, my territory was where we usually met up to speak as it was in the centre. At first, ten centuries ago, it went well. But as the years wore on, arguments broke out. Differing ideals began to emerge, friendships and rivalries arose, and I found myself alone."
Nagato could see where this was going, and merely gestured to the Fox. "Can I ask what ideals these were?"
"Did you know our creator was the Sage of Six Paths?" The nine tails spoke, awaiting their reaction - and found himself disappointed.
"Yes, actually." Nagato answered, with a nod from Konan. "The Uchiha who I killed showed me a tablet, explaining the history of the tailed beasts. It's where I've got a lot of my plan from, actually."
The nine tails gave another grunt. "Well, I don't know what tablet you're on about, but this makes things easier. Needless to say, six of us got our ideals from the Sage - to avoid war with the humans, to stay at least somewhat friendly towards one another, and await some magnificent prophecy at the end of an era. Pah." The Fox spat on the desk at the end of that. "The other three? Well, there's the one tail. He used to be the most enthusiastic of us for the ideals and aspects of the Sage, but he was the first to be sealed two hundred years ago. He's been driven insane ever since. Then there's the slug. Never gave a jot, that thing. Didn't care for anything. I particularly hate that detestable personality it had. And then there's me."
"And why don't you follow the ideals of the Sage?" Konan asked.
"Have you heard of his ideals? All about cooperation and peace, understanding between humans? He never even explained how we fit in the picture, just to await some chosen figure. Odds are, he became senile at the end of his life." The Fox rambled, before shaking his head. "Me? I just gave up. Couldn't stand it. You humans wore me down, made me hate you for a long time I'll say, before I gave up on even that. The others with their magnificent ideals of just watching and not getting into conflict with the humans, to share news among one another and see what they could do. I gave up - in the end, I advocated one time we just avoid the humans altogether."
Nagato regarded the Fox for a moment. "How did that end?" He asked.
"Not well, that's for sure." The nine tails answered as he looked at Nagato. "I ended up kicking them out of my territory and banning their little gatherings in my woods. And with that, I went to ground. I was the last one to be sealed because of my caution and knowledge of your specie's true nature, until one Madara Uchiha found me. And we all know how that went." The Fox muttered as he put his head to the desk. "That's one thing I would never give up on. To shred his body limb from limb and reduce it to atoms."
Nagato and Konan shared another look, exchanging a few words the tailed beast pretended not to hear before Nagato looked once more at him. "So if I told you that I had sealed away the one tailed beast in a container, how would you react?"
"Couldn't care less." The Fox speak instantly, and without regret. "I know your not going to seal me into anything when I'm in your own nephew, so you aren't pulling any heart strings here."
Nagato raised his head a bit to carefully stare at the Fox with an analysing look. "And if I said the container was the Gedo Mazo?"
The Fox slowly looked up at Nagato, before raising his head to a more alert position. "Well, that would change the game a bit now, wouldn't it?" The tailed beast muttered, before speaking directly to Nagato. "I'll have no part of that, you hear me? You say you know what it is, well keep it away from me. You can lock away all the other eight in it for all I care, but I'm not going near it. You humans may not feel it, but I can still remember its hunger from when I last saw it, ten centuries ago."
"Calm down." Nagato spoke in a firm tone. "I have no such plans. Though what I would ask in relation to my plans is this - will you help me?"
The nine tails gave a chuckle. "Uzumaki, I like the fact that we're on good terms, OK? But let's get this straight, right now. I am not your toy." The nine tails spoke, with a conclusive tone that would accept no argument.
"I would have expected nothing less." Nagato replied, rinnegan eyes firmly matching the Fox's own crimson ones.
"Good. Then, yes, I will help you, so long as your nephew wants to and you treat me right. I can still remember what you humans have done to me, and I know for a fact that the hate in me will never truly be gone. But think of it like the eight tailed beast's container relationship - we can be 'friends', whatever you want to call it, but there has to be trust from you too." The Fox clarified to Nagato.
Nagato had narrowed his eyes a little, but nonetheless nodded his head. "Very well. Then allow me to 'prove' this trust to you." Placing his hand into the Akatsuki cloak he wore on his main body, Nagato withdrew a folder from the inside of the cloak and with an accurate throw, made it land on the desk beside the nine tailed fox.
Giving a grunt, the Fox eyed Nagato before turning the folder around to be properly accessible, and opening up the black cover on the folder. Immediately facing the Fox was a map of the elemental nations, with a lot of Nagato's own writing surrounding the four great nations which had tailed beasts. Kanji for one through to nine were labelled in the locations of their corresponding countries, with two of them having a tick beside them - number one in Suna and number nine in Ame.
"So, you really meant it when you said you had sealed away the one tail." The Fox commented casually as he read through the scribbles Nagato had jotted beside each kanji - especially his own which merely read 'safe'.
"Of course." Nagato spoke, making a motion to the folder. "I have yet to lie to you. Besides, what could you do with this information?"
The Fox didn't respond as he turned the page, and was met with a blank page on the left and a somewhat comprehensive report on the left about a Kumo jonin who contained the two tails. The blank page merely had a red cross on it. Flipping through some more, the Fox discovered four more profiles and two more missing profiles on the six-tails and the five-tails.
"What is this, some report on all the details you have on the jinchuuriki so far?" The nine tails asked as he flipped the page again.
"Mainly, along with ideas of what to do in the future." Nagato answered simply, just watching for the Fox's reaction as Konan looked on in with not just a little concern. It seemed a little mad to show one of the very tailed beasts some of their plans.
There, on five sets of two pages, lay detailed information on each Kage, each leader of the five great nations. From the Namikaze and his repertoire of feared jutsu, the Raikage and his physical prowess to the Mizukage and how he himself was a jinchuuriki.
Another map of the elemental nations lay on the next spread of double pages. Scribbles as well as printed information adorned each and every nation upon the pages, showing their main strengths and weaknesses as well as troop numbers and general information.
"You've been busy." The Fox commented idly, but got no response from Nagato other than a simple instruction.
"Skip to the second to last pages from the back, and you'll see." Nagato spoke cryptically.
Glancing at the rinnegan user for a second, the nine tails did so - and gazed at a final map of the elemental nations, which was much more scribbled across this time. For the simple fact that Sunagakure, the Lands of Grass and Stone in the outdated map and three more countries had green circles around them, the Land of Rain had a blue circle around it whilst every other country had a red cross right on their names. The entire Western continent had been crossed out.
The Fox had lost all sense of humour or goodwill as he stared at the implications of the map. Kumo had the same red cross as the other minor nations did, but Iwa and Konoha seemed to be much different. The crosses had been enlarged, and were blood red.
Turning over the page, the Fox took one look before sharply glancing at Nagato. "You're crazy." The nine tails spoke, the staggering incredulity in his voice giving away his disbelief.
Nagato allowed a smirk, somehow more sadistic than ever before, to cross his face. "No. I'm a realist." He replied with a tone of amusement.
"But how can such a thing be done? The chakra - it shouldn't be able to do that. The densities would not allow for merging." The nine tails informed in the same incredulous tone.
"You underestimate the rinnegan, and the power it holds over the Gedo Mazo and chakra itself." Nagato spoke, more calmly than the Fox was portraying. "If the statue can receive chakra and then expel it into the exact likeness of a chakra construct, it is therefore logical that the process can be reversed in such a way."
The nine tails merely slowly looked at the page again, and seeing the seal theory emblazoned upon it. A few prominent kanji had been drawn in the top left corner as a few paragraphs about chakra transference and how to facilitate high volume, high density energy had been written in. On the right side of the page was a diagram showing just what Nagato Uzumaki intended to do as his final act for the Akatsuki.
"Me." The nine tails stated, before looking at Nagato.
"Yes." Nagato simply replied, rinnegan eyes gazing neutrally down at the Fox.
The differing kanji for the tailed beasts up to the eight tails were drawn within an outline of the Gedo Mazo, which was then funnelled directly by an arrow into the kanji for the nine tails.
FIVE DAYS LATER, TEN MILES INSIDE THE LAND OF WIND FROM THE AME BORDER.
Rasa was known to be a patient man that you should not cross. Iron-willed, he would wait for opportunity to present itself before he would do everything in his power to seize it to strengthen his nation. Or he could create his own opportunity - which had led to the creation of Suna's second jinchuuriki. A poor decision, given that the brat had disappeared without trace and taken the tailed beast with him. Leaving a nation, already viewed as the weakest, without its greatest potential weapon and trump card.
Rasa wasn't known for being surprised much, either. He had deliberately cut off Konoha from its alliance due to the fact that their military strength had been steadily being sapped from a few reasons, primarily the Wind Lord deciding to favour Konoha with mission assignments rather than his own military village. So, he had hoped to raise the village's military strength on his own initiative - but that had been thrown into disarray to his unfortunate surprise.
The disappearance of a tailed beast was big news. If the news got out, then hunter ninja would drop everything and every target at the hope to recover another tailed beast for their village. Hence, he had kept it quiet and sent out his own ninja to find his son.
But he himself couldn't go, and he had a village to still maintain. If he was being honest, Rasa was worried. His ninja could defend their territory, the geography allowed them that. But international politics and military drama demanded more than that - it demanded influence across borders, trade and keeping an eye on your enemies. Combined with being the weakest major village, the loss of their tailed beast, loss of a symbolic alliance (however internally damaging it had been) and other factors would mean their standing internationally would decrease.
He needed a solution. Solutions that involved perhaps new alliances, a surge in military strength, some way to gain new influence abroad or such matters. Or Suna would soon find itself too damaged, and allow another village to overtake it within a matter of years.
His solution had perhaps appeared in the form of a radio message, broadcasted most curiously from the Land of Rain. Given its international isolation of being in a civil war for a decade and having completely locked down its borders for the duration, Hanzo had ensured Ame was not weakened by outside espionage or forces; but at the cost of letting all of Rain's international assets go to waste and destroying their international influence. It had shown in the international suspicion of when they absorbed the Land of Stone, and the precarious interventions from two major powers when they marched into Grass. They had been saved by political greed, that much Raze was sure of when even Konoha stood down for favourable resource and trading rates as well as the threat of Hanzo stepping down from Ame. He was one man, but a man who would probably have required the personal intervention of Minato Namikaze to defeat - something which would have escalated the war beyond such a situation with Iwa lying right next door.
So they had now lain quiet for four or so years, trading and building up better relations; but their international influence for one of the bigger minor nations was still poor when compared to one of their rivals like the Land of Waterfalls.
Hence why the radio message had stayed his hand from refusing to meet someone like Hanzo of the Salamander. Given recent events that had put his own village in a precarious situation and a minor nation looking to rebuild itself to greater heights, he had a potential solution to his situation. An offer of an alliance. Even if they were a minor nation, it was one of the biggest militarily and as such would make a nice ally for the weakest major nation. Even if Rasa wouldn't show it, he couldn't afford to be picky right now - Konoha had been a blight for them, honourable Hokage be damned, but he needed more military strength soon. Building it at home would take time, but with Rain perhaps looking for an ally in a neighbour that hadn't almost intervened in the conflict four years ago, he could get a good buffer. And alliances allowed for good trade - with Rain's acquisition of the fertile farmland from Grass, he could get the answer to his problem of where to source cheap food from where he had cut Konoha off.
As such, here the tall, red-headed man was, striding across the desert with a full platoon of jonin with him. His face seemed to be in its normal position, that of a cross between a neutral expression and a scowl, something his son Gaara had inherited well. He wasn't stupid, and so he had taken along reinforcements. The jonin behind him weren't enough - Hanzo was said to be the direct rival to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the acclaimed God of Ninja in power and they would be crushed in probably under a minute if it did come to hostilities. Not even he himself could match the man, however old he was. Hence why two hundred ANBU Black Ops, a large chunk of his most elite force, had been mobilised - with forty of them in a second platoon behind the jonin, a hundred were patrolling the region; some would be tailing further behind the two platoons and the rest would already be observing Hanzo at their destination.
It sounded like a lot. But a man who had been legendarily been debated about if he was an SS-rank threat or not in his prime would also be a lot to handle.
The meeting house finally came into view. Perfectly situated, for it was still within his own borders for quicker access to reinforcements and retreat if needs be, but also close enough to Ame that Hanzo would not be put off. The structure itself was different to those found in the Sand village where the buildings were the same shade as the sand around them, but rather they were coming upon a more regal residence. The noble who lived there had been temporarily ordered to vacate, leaving his expensive, white-painted three-storey house available for discussion between two village leaders.
Approaching the paved area, Rasa took a moment to look around at the house and its surroundings before continuing forth to the two ANBU at the door. Giving a nod, he would've just strode in had it not been for the fact that the one on the left called out to him.
"My Lord, I'm afraid there is a complication." The ANBU spoke as they bowed to him. Eyeing the ANBU on the right who remained unmoving, Rasa returned to glaring at the ANBU who'd spoken.
"Well, go on. Tell me what complication there is when I'm about to meet one of the most dangerous men in the world, soldier." Rasa spoke firmly. He hadn't raised his voice, but the ninja flinched all the same.
"That's just it, sir." The ANBU spoke, allowing themselves a moment to correctly string their thoughts together. "Hanzo of the Salamander is not here. Instead, a cloaked man with five armoured bodyguards arrived instead."
Rasa stood still for a moment, a bit of concern in his eye before he looked at the ANBU. "And this man is what, his representative instead?"
"No sir." The ANBU shook their head. "He claims to be the Leader of Ame. We would've investigated more had it not been for the fact that they showed us the very corpse of Hanzo of the Salamander. We let them in under guard, sir, and split them up. The cloaked man is in the meeting room with one of his bodyguards whilst the other four are in an adjourning room."
Rasa knew exactly why they had let the cloaked man stay. They were definitely from Ame if they had the body of Hanzo, but the motives and plans from there were completely in the dark. They couldn't turn the man away given that there had been no hostility so far and the intelligence to be gained on at least what happened to Hanzo, but nor could they take risks with someone who had perhaps set something like this up.
"Say that again, soldier." Rasa stated. "Can you confirm to me that Hanzo of the Salamander is dead?"
"As far as we know, yes sir." The ANBU replied without hesitation. "Our most adept medic and genjutsu specialist overlooked the body. There's no implanted seals, techniques or genjutsu upon the body to disguise it, and our medic has insured us that as far as they can tell without more advanced equipment, it is most likely the body of Hanzo of the Salamander. Poison was found lining his mouth and trachea, sir, and the scars and other distinguishing features all match his Bingo Book entry. However, it was also noted that the body had underwent quite a bit of damage, including a direct stab wound straight through the heart."
Rasa only nodded, concern more evident in his eyes. "Good. Have the ANBU patrols come closer to the house, and I want all guarding units on standby, ready to engage." He ordered.
"Yes sir." The ANBU nodded to his superior who had turned away from them at that point, pulling out an ANBU squad from the second platoon who then followed Rasa inside the house.
Striding down the hall that he stepped into, Rasa went past several pairs of ANBU before he reached a door at the end that four ANBU had lined up before.
"I'm going in. Do not seal the room behind me, and you are to enter at the first sign of commotion." Rasa ordered as the ANBU closest to the door replied in affirmation before opening the door for the Kazekage.
Walking in, Rasa first took stock of the room. Two shelving units stood against the back wall, displaying a lot of books for someone of nobility, with a few paintings hung on the wall. A velvet, soft carpet covered the floor as in the middle of the room lay two comfortable green sofas, in the middle of both lay a low-lying, wide wooden table.
The armoured figure behind the sofa was immediately noticeable, given how much they stood out against the regal settings. They were completely decked out in black - a helmet of good metal quality having been painted a deep black which encompassed the entire skull of the man within. A hardened, blackened plastic-looking screen completely covered their face that made them look completely non-human. The rest of the figure wads made up of black-painted chakra armour, metal plates that lined the limbs but allowed space for the joints to move. Somewhat weighty, but the man would obviously be trained to utilise fighting in all the armour. The torso was completely lined in the metal armour, a metallic sheen coming from the armour that only highlighted the obsidian black this figure was dressed in. Combat boots added to the professional air of this figure standing straight, gloved hands clutching some metal chunky weapon. Somewhat circular in shape, the weapon clearly had a tube in it that ran the length of it, ending in a grip the figure was clutching before a box attached to the bottom of it the size of a kunai.
The second man was the one who was obviously here to see him. Sat upon the sofa was a man with vivid ginger hair, cloaked in a brighter shade of black than his bodyguard with red clouds spaced out along the cloak. A look of utter disdain marred his face, made even more intimidating by the amount of metal seemingly stabbed into the face of the man given how big the metal rods were. But the thing that drew the attention of the Kazekage the most was the vibrant purple eyes that covered the entire expanse of the man's two eyes, concentric black rings visible in the depths of the purple. Even the iris was just a solid black pupil.
"Lord Kazekage." The man spoke out in a deep tone, but with such neutrality that it seemed the voice was dead of emotions. "How nice it is to meet you."
Rasa had stepped into the room and stopped a couple of metres from the man, the ANBU squad behind the Kazekage filing behind the opposite sofa much like the cloaked man's bodyguard was.
Having observed enough, Rasa utilised his diplomatic skills born from a decade of being the leader of a nation. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't say likewise, but I was under the impression that I was to meet Hanzo of the Salamander, leader of Amegakure." He spoke diplomatically, remaining standing and beginning his probe for answers. "Only to be informed upon my arrival here that his corpse was presented to my men. Perhaps you could inform as to just who you are."
The man gave a chuckle, before he started speaking. "I guess there should be equal formalities between leaders." The man paused for a moment to seemingly ponder before resuming the conversation. "I call myself Pain. You do not need to know my actual name. I won the civil war of the Land of Rain, and thus became its new leader."
Silence descended between the two, before Rasa stepped around the table and sat down on the sofa, Pain doing the same and sitting down opposite the Kazekage. It was obvious that the leader of the sand village was thinking, analysing the man before him. "So you managed to take down Hanzo of the Salamander." Rasa spoke, clearly fishing for information - but also testing the cooperativeness of the man before him.
"How would you know that?" Pain countered. "I could be just the messenger, after all - one of my ninja could've done it."
"I assure you, I know full well it would take a ninja of high calibre to kill such a man." Rasa stated, eyes serious as he stared knowingly at Pain. "Out of all the Kage today, only Minato Namikaze could truly defeat him, and the Fourth Raikage match him in his old age. It must be you, the bearer of the Rinnegan." The ANBU squad behind Rasa noticeably tensed at the proclamation, disbelief etched into their body language.
"Oh?" The animated corpse gave a small smirk. "So you do know what I have. A lot of people know of it, but few would be able to recognise it."
"Any Kage-level ninja who has read their history would be able to recognise the distinct mythical eye. They are built into the very legends of this world. Not that I ever expected to see it." Rasa answered civilly, body posture non-threatening but ready to take defensive action as he sat, back straight on the edge of the sofa. It would be a simple matter to swipe his hand from his position to send golden dust soaring across the room - but the eye was said to be powerful for a reason. Tangling with the man was a no-no, that much Rasa knew if he wanted to live, and so he moved on with the topic. "It's for that reason that I'm going to put some faith in what you say about being the leader of Ame. After all, it's clear that Hanzo is now indisposed if I am to trust what my own soldiers say, and that would leave it logically to you."
Pain's face became neutral again. "Good, that will make these proceedings smoother. I wish to apologise for the deception, but I am afraid it was quite necessary. You would have had to see it first hand to believe these events occurred. So, are you still interested in an alliance with the Land of Rain, Lord Kazekage?"
"I am indeed interested, Lord Pain." Rasa replied. "Let us see what we bring to the table for one another." Having long been the weakest power in negotiating contracts with the other major powers, it made a refreshing change for the Sand leader to be the assumed stronger power in the negotiations for an alliance; not that he wouldn't be cautious when it came to the complete unknown strength of the Land of Rain and the rinnegan bearer in front of him. Rain had proved that all estimations of their strength were wrong four years ago.
"Alright then, Lord Kazekage. Let us begin." Pain stated, voice taking a complete serious edge. "I propose this between our nations - two treaties. A trading agreement, consisting mainly of each Land's resources and industries. It is of no doubt that your land requires food, something you got cheaper from the Land of Fire. Following our acquisition of the Land of Grass, we have food we can spare to trade with you. Also, Ame has a robust industrial base that we can utilise to supply weapons to you. As a sign of good faith, we even offer to supply you with water from our country."
"That sounds like a good offer." Rasa started, reclining a bit on the sofa. "But what would you like in return?"
Pain looked at Rasa before speaking. "Very astute. We would like the mineral resources your country has quite a lot of, as well as other raw resources that would help our industry. I have heard that the Northern sandy plains are rich in iron ore, for instance. There is also the matter that my country, no matter how well it is doing, is small. I would like access to some of your country for rugged terrain training, and if at least one port could be given to my military."
Rasa raised an eyebrow. "That is not something I expected, but I confess it can be easily done - something you perhaps already know if you ask for it. But such a thing would fall under an alliance treaty, no?"
"Indeed." Pain agreed. He merely pulled a storage scroll out of his cloak, taking no notice of the sharp eyes of the Kazekage's ANBU as he did so. Pulsing chakra within it and taking out a bunch of documents which he then placed on the table for the Sand Leader.
Certain formalities in the ninja world had to be observed. Leaders between nations didn't shake hands or make physical contact - and neither was anything handed direct to them. Instead, it was allowed for them to observe the contents before they were handled - and Rasa didn't see any kanji on the first sheet of paper.
Picking it up, Rasa saw an economic output report. Much of it had been heavily redacted, but the general trend was clear - a great rise in wealth. Flicking his eyes to meet the unmoving Rain ninja in front of him, Rasa clearly saw the bait. But whether it was dangerous bait was for him to determine.
"Whilst this is all well and good." Rasa stated. "I'm afraid our own economy is heading in a completely different direction. There would have to be quite some work on both our behalves to make our trade and economies compatible to the standard you perhaps want."
Rasa felt distinctly uncomfortable for the first time since he entered the room as Pain looked at him knowingly. As if he wasn't truly threatened before, but now Pain held clear leverage over him. "Oh, you don't have to hide it so much, Lord Kazekage. I know all about your economic woes." Pain stated ambiguously.
"Oh?" Rasa responded with a serious tone. "I suppose the actions of the Wind Lord are a bit more transparent on the international scale than I thought."
"Indeed." Pain confirmed to Rasa that he did indeed know all about what was going on. "I also know about your attempts to remedy said situation."
Pain's hand moved slowly with no threatening gesture, and simply split the pile of paper on the table in half. What was glaringly revealed was something that caused Rasa to frown - and the ANBU behind him to put their hands on their weapon hilts. Pain's own bodyguard never moved.
The clearly stamped 'CLASSIFIED' document detailed the proposed operation to assassinate the Wind Lord in control of most of the country's finance.
"To admit to such a thing takes a lot of nerve." Rasa idly commented. Formalities had to be observed, especially when a power difference had been established ever since they walked into the room. And Rasa was intrigued on an internal level - to continue the conversation may provide a boon for him yet. At least in terms of just how much their intelligence reports knew of Suna. Not good, if such a classified document was testimony to anything. Rasa had always been a man of unique temperament, using just as much wit with skill as he could unlike other leaders such as the Raikage. "One would wonder what you would gain from revealing such a thing to the very people who you ask an alliance from."
"Now, that is very simple." Pain responded with a calm tone. "I'm offering to help you in such endeavours."