139 Chapter 138
"No matter what the bingo book says, isn't this missing Nin from your Leaf village? So you should take some responsibility in this matter, don't you think?" Chiyo smirked, implying that Obito's origins tie back to Konoha, hence the responsibility.
"Is that how the Sand Village works? If I'm not mistaken, isn't Sasori one of your village's missing-nin? Are you suggesting that you'll take responsibility for his actions? In that case, why don't you explain his involvement in the Third Ninja War? After all, it was your own grandson who killed the Kazekage, if you're not aware," Tsunade retorted with a smirk. Even the Sand Village was unaware of the fate of the Third Kazekage; they believed it was an enemy village that had stealthily eliminated their strongest leader.
"You... what do you mean?" Chiyo abruptly stood, shocked by the revelation. Even old man Ebizo was taken aback. Recently, the Sand ANBU found evidence suggesting Sasori's involvement in the matter of the broken puppet remnants and traces of iron sand. However, it wasn't confirmed until now that Sasori was truly involved in the third Kazekage's matter, leaving them reeling in shock from the Hokage's words.
"Mind your manners; you are in the presence of the Hokage-sama. This isn't your Sand Village," Kakashi intervened just in time. Chiyo seemed poised to leap across the table, eager to pry more information from Tsunade, who was practically taunting her.
"Sister, calm down. This is not the time to lose your composure." Ebizo restrained his sister, preventing her from making any rash moves.
"I apologize for my sister's behavior, Hokage. But could you please share the information you have regarding the matter of the third Kazekage and Sasori?" Ebizo reined back his sister and earnestly requested information from the Hokage.
For Tsunade, this information was worthless. She needed to maintain a facade suggesting that the Leaf Village was not aware of Rasa's nefarious plans. She was biding her time, waiting for the Sand Village to cross a certain line. Once they did, the wrath of the Leaf Village would descend upon them. As of now, the Sand Village was safe only because they hadn't acted in any way that would harm the Leaf Village's interests.
Tsunade maintained a composed facade, her expression revealing nothing of the storm brewing beneath the surface. "I understand your concerns, Elder Ebizo," she began, her voice steady. "However, the matter concerning the third Kazekage and Sasori is complex and sensitive, and our ANBU has made quite the sacrifice to attain such information. Rest assured, we are actively investigating the situation and will provide information when appropriate."
Chiyo's eyes narrowed, suspicion evident in her gaze. "You expect us to simply accept your vague assurances? The safety of our village is at stake here."
"Of course not," Tsunade replied smoothly, her tone diplomatic. "I assure you, we take this matter very seriously. But revealing information prematurely could jeopardize our ongoing investigations. I trust you understand the need for discretion."
Chiyo remained unconvinced, but Ebizo's hand on her arm restrained her from pressing further. "We will trust in your judgment for now, Hokage-sama. I just hope that once you have the complete picture as your allies, you can share this intel," he conceded, though his tone hinted at lingering doubts.
Tsunade nodded, acknowledging his words with a smirk that was borderline haughty. "Thank you, Elder Ebizo. I assure you, the Leaf Village remains committed to maintaining the peace and stability of our alliance. After all, Sunagakure is someone who we Konoha can trust our backs with."
Both Elder Chiyo and Ebizu knew that Tsunade's words carried more meaning than they conveyed. Despite being aware of the meeting organized by the Land of Iron, they were not privy to the entire agreement reached by the collaboration of the four major villages and various powers in the Shinobi world.
"Tsunade, you are playing a dangerous game. Although you might have the upper hand now because of the Leaf Village's victory in the last war, don't become complacent. That's my advice as the elder of the Wind Village," Chiyo commented in a low tone.
Since she had come here in the name of a diplomatic mission, everything had been going downhill. They had originally imagined that once they crossed the main barrier, they would somehow be able to discern more information on the current state of Konoha. However, only after entering the village did the Sand Shinobi realize how wrong they were.
On the surface, Konoha looked the same as the old Konoha, but as Shinobi, their instincts screamed at them. Especially for Kage-level Shinobi like Chiyo and Ebizu, this was evident, as they knew that putting one foot out of line in Konoha could lead to death.
They were originally provided with what was called a visitor ID, and the Konoha welcome team had stressed its importance and the areas that could be accessed using the visitor ID. Chiyo very much wanted to sneakily send an Elite Jonin to check if the so-called IDs were as wondrous as they sounded.
However, because of Ebizo's cautious nature, they abandoned the plan. If they were caught, the relationship between the two villages would sour, which would inevitably be bad for their plan. Rasa had heavily banked on the elders' visit to Konoha to gain some sort of access to the Leaf village.
"Elder Chiyo, is that supposed to be a threat? Be careful about your next words. The only reason you still hold the one tailed bijuu is because I have allowed it , so dont forget it, and I dont like it when people threaten me," Tsunade commented in a low tone, and by her tone, it meant that she was being serious about it.
Tsunade's words hung in the air, heavy with implication. Chiyo's expression hardened, but she held her tongue, recognizing the weight behind the Hokage's statement. Ebizu, too, remained silent, understanding the delicate balance of power between their villages and the crucial role Konoha played in maintaining it.
After a tense moment, Tsunade leaned back in her seat, her demeanor softening slightly. "Let's remember why we're here," she said, her voice more measured now. "I did not accept this meeting to entertain your antics; this meeting is so that we can discuss a few important matters."
Chiyo nodded curtly, though her distrust for Tsunade and Konoha remained evident. Ebizu exchanged a glance with his sister, a silent reminder to tread carefully. Despite their disagreements and suspicions, they knew that open conflict with Konoha would serve no one's interests, especially not theirs, because even now no one knew the true depth of Konoha's strength.
With that, the meeting continued, the tension in the air a reminder of the delicate dance of diplomacy that held little to no value in their world.
"Here, this is a proposal that we, Konoha, have. I hope the Sand Village will agree to it," Tsunade remarked as she pushed forward a scroll towards the two elders. Although the Senju princess stated it was a proposal, her demeanor left no room for negotiation or saying no in this matter.
With confusion etched on his face, Ebizo picked up the scroll and started going through it. The more he read, the more shocked he became. Now, he was sure that the Leaf Village was directly involved in the recent activity in their country.
Seeing her little brother shell-shocked, Chiyo pulled the scroll from Ebizo's hand and started going through it herself. Her face displayed a mixture of emotions; she had no idea how to react exactly.
"Like the scroll says, we wish to buy Pakura of the Scorching Style from your Sand Village," Tsunade remarked casually. This was unprecedented; not once in the history of the Shinobi world had anyone proposed to buy a Shinobi. But what shocked them even more was that Konoha had somehow become aware of Pakura's existence; the Leaf Village had already captured the Kage-class Shinobi.
They had no idea that Pakura was still alive. The recent battle traces were thought of as an unknown Scorch Style user because, back at the end of the Third Shinobi War, Sunagakure had officially confirmed Pakura's death.
Originally, Tsunade didn't want to care about what Sunagakure thought about making Pakura a Leaf Shinobi. However, one of Pakura's conditions was to pay a certain amount of resources to Sunagakure in exchange for her loyalty. This decision was selfish on Pakura's part, considering all that Sunagakure had done to Pakura. But after long contemplation, Tsunade surprisingly agreed to Pakura's request.
She thought it might help mitigate Pakura's guilt to a certain extent. In the Shinobi world, attachments worked in weird ways. Even Shinobi, who had been betrayed by their own village, held some love for their village in some cases.
Tsunade herself, back in the days before she had taken Kazuki as her student when she was outside the village after the village's betrayal towards the Senju clan, still held some attachment towards the Leaf Village. Tsunade understood Pakura to a certain extent, so she agreed to her request as a way of closure for Pakura towards her attachment to Sunagakure.
Most Shinobi villages had similar dark pasts where individual Shinobi were sacrificed in the name of the greater good. However, the truth was that these were all political power plays done to keep power in the hands of certain circles within each Shinobi village.
These dark histories were often buried deep within the annals of each village's past, obscured by layers of secrecy and manipulation. Yet, the echoes of these sacrifices reverberated through the present, shaping the attitudes and actions of Shinobi generations to come.
For Tsunade, the scars of betrayal ran deep, ingrained in her from the moment she witnessed the fall of her own clan. Despite the bitterness that lingered, she understood the complex web of loyalties and obligations that bound Shinobi to their villages. It was this understanding that led her to agree to Pakura's unusual request, seeing in it a chance for closure, not just for Pakura, but perhaps for herself as well.
"Tsunade-hime, is this supposed to be some sort of joke? If it is, then it's one with a bad taste. If you have Pakura, she should be rightfully returned to Sunagakure. What nonsense is this about buying our Suna Shinobi as if she's some sort of commodity? Have you in Konoha gone mad?" Chiyo's voice crackled with indignation, her eyes flashing with anger.
The mere idea of entertaining Tsunade's proposal seemed ludicrous to her. If what Tsunade mentioned in the scroll was true, then Pakura was a Kage-class Shinobi, and they could simply concoct a story, scapegoating some Shinobi in the Sand Council, making Pakura believe that it wasn't the village that betrayed her, but rather that faction. Back when they got wind of the matter, it was already too late to rectify the situation.
"Pakura is a Sand Shinobi. She was ambushed during a diplomatic mission to Kiri. You need to return her to our village immediately!" Elder Chiyo's voice echoed through the room, filled with righteous anger. Normally, if anyone dared to speak to Tsunade in such a tone, they would have found themselves buried six feet under, given the reverence Konoha Shinobi held towards their Godaime Hokage.
Tsunade gestured for the ANBU to stand down. Despite the elder's outburst, Tsunade treated Chiyo with respect, acknowledging her as an elder. A large part of Tsunade's growth in the field of Iryo Ninjutsu could be attributed to the Second Shinobi War, where she clashed with Chiyo.
The necessity to save the lives of her comrades had propelled Tsunade beyond her threshold, so she still held a modicum of respect for Chiyo, even though she had been considered an enemy back then.
"Elder Chiyo, does it seem like I am joking? No, I am absolutely serious about this matter," Tsunade declared firmly. "I am not asking for your Sand Village's permission. Pakura of the Sand Village is officially declared dead by your village. I am merely informing you out of courtesy. This resource that the Leaf is offering is only out of respect for the Shinobi, who was once known as Pakura of the Scorch style."
While Tsunade spoke, sitting opposite her, Ebizo's mind raced, seeking countermeasures. Pakura, as a Sand Shinobi, also had access to many of the Sand Village's secrets, so letting her go was not something they could entertain.
Chiyo's gaze hardened, her eyes narrowing in disbelief at Tsunade's audacity. "Respect for a Shinobi? More like an attempt to exploit our past," she retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You think offering resources will make up for the betrayal? For the loss of trust between our villages?"
Ebizo remained silent, his mind churning with the weight of the situation. The Leaf's proposition threatened the delicate balance of power between the villages, and accepting it would mean relinquishing control over the valuable intelligence held by Pakura. But refusing could lead to diplomatic turmoil, potentially sparking conflict between Sunagakure and Konoha.
Tsunade observed their reactions impassively, her expression unreadable. "The decision is yours to make, but remember, this offer stands only out of courtesy. We have no obligation to provide resources for a Shinobi who no longer exists," she stated firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"We would like to discuss this matter with Pakura. I am sure she would choose wisely. Please, order her to come and discuss this matter," Elder Ebizo finally spoke. He knew that trying to reason with Tsunade, who held absolute authority, was futile. According to him, their best chance of sorting out this matter was speaking directly with Pakura. If they could talk to Pakura, they might manipulate her into returning to the village with them.
"Elder Ebizo, Pakura is no longer your Sand Shinobi. She is a Leaf Kunoichi. You do not get to order one of my shinobi. Is that understood?" Tsunade glanced at Ebizo, making it clear that the matter was not up for discussion. She knew that Pakura was currently undergoing a kinjutsu ritual to ensure she wouldn't betray the Leaf in the future on a whim.
"Tsunade, do you want to start a war with Sunagakure?" Chiyo glared angrily at the Hokage, who was snickering at them from her seat of power. The sand village's current condition left them stuck between a rock and a hard place. They couldn't outright demand Pakura be handed back to them, nor could they, in good conscience, let Konoha have its way.
"I am ready to declare war right now with Sunagakure. Do you want to bet on it?" Tsunade questioned, and even Kakashi stirred as if he were ready to initiate the war mobilization order.
"You... You..." Chiyo was so frustrated and angry that she choked on her words. Countless curse words ran through her mind. Tsunade had the audacity reaching the heavens, but Chiyo knew the Leaf village could truly start a war if they felt like it. With Sunagakure's current condition, they would be razed to the ground, even if just one or two of their Jinchuriki made it to Sunagakure.
The tension in the room reached its peak as Tsunade's bold declaration hung in the air like a storm cloud, threatening to unleash chaos. Chiyo's fists clenched at her sides, her knuckles white with frustration as she struggled to contain her anger. Ebizo, though visibly shaken, maintained his composure, his mind racing with thoughts of how to navigate this perilous situation.
"Sis, let's not make hasty decisions that could lead to dire consequences," Ebizo urged, his voice steady despite the turmoil brewing within him. "We must find a way to resolve this peacefully, for the sake of both our villages."
Chiyo shot Ebizo a fierce glare, her eyes blazing with defiance. "And how do you propose we do that when the Leaf village is holding one of our own captive?" She retorted, her voice sharp with indignation.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, a smirk playing on her lips as she observed the exchange. "It seems we've reached an impasse," she remarked coolly, her gaze flickering between the two elders. "But rest assured, the Leaf village will not hesitate to defend itself if provoked."
The gravity of Tsunade's words hung heavy in the room, casting a shadow over any hopes of a peaceful resolution. Chiyo and Ebizo exchanged a resigned glance, knowing that they were trapped in a precarious situation with no easy way out. As tensions continued to simmer, the fate of Pakura and the fragile alliance between their villages remained uncertain.
