The Icy Vein

Hoshino Maki looked at the person in front of him, and his heart gave a sudden leap. He nearly lost the connection on the spot.

"Orochimaru!"

"So you know who I am~"

Orochimaru ran his snake-like tongue over his lips. "But I don't remember ever meeting you."

"As a competent shinobi, it's only natural that I'd recognize your face."

Orochimaru chuckled without replying, then rose from the Samurai Armor before him.

Danzo had put Hoshino Maki's puppet inside the armor and displayed it openly in his Reception Hall.

"Is there something you need?"

Orochimaru shook his head, a hint of fervor in his eyes. "I'm just curious. How did you transfer your mind all the way to Konoha from a thousand miles away? Combined with a human-like exterior, that technique has a lot of potential as a Ninjutsu~"

Hoshino Maki's heart tightened. If this mad researcher took an interest in him, there'd be no end to the trouble. He quickly laughed it off. "It's just a few cheap tricks, similar to the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Body Switch Technique. Their Ninjutsu is much more sophisticated than mine, though. Why not ask them?"

Orochimaru only smiled. Hoshino Maki decided he should remind Danzo to hide him somewhere safe. He didn't want to wake up next time and find this puppet had been reduced to a head.

Just then, the lattice door outside slid open. Danzo wore his usual stony expression, his gaunt frame hidden beneath a loose, plain robe.

"Hokage-sama."

Hoshino Maki bowed slightly.

Danzo frowned. "I've told you many times: the Hokage is in the Hokage Building. Stop with that damn scheme to drive a wedge between us!"

Hoshino Maki gave him an apologetic smile.

The old geezer said that every time, but he'd never actually seemed angry.

"Lord Danzo, I have some bad news. The Sand Shinobi are preparing to send out troops."

"What?!"

For the first time since entering, Danzo's usually placid face shifted dramatically.

"Those old fossils would dare?"

Danzo seemed to realize something. He looked at Hoshino Maki, murder in his eyes. "You're behind this, aren't you?"

Hoshino Maki spread his hands, looking as wronged as an MVP. "After I told the Elders about the intelligence, I also explained why we should hold back. But Rasa and Chōjūrō both insisted. Lady Chiyo has always been hostile toward Konoha because of her son. I couldn't exactly oppose her decision, could I?"

Danzo's breathing grew heavy. He gave a cold snort. "You can't do this, you can't do that. And you still want to become Kazekage?"

"Lord Danzo, it's precisely because I have so little influence that I need your support~"

Hoshino Maki's words left Danzo speechless, his breath caught in his chest for a long moment.

Still, there was no denying that Hoshino Maki was already his highest-ranking source of intelligence in Sunagakure. And given the village's unique system of governance, it really would be difficult for him to influence the Elder Council's decisions.

"I'm warning you. Don't try anything."

In the end, Danzo could only leave him with a powerless threat.

"Lord Danzo, surely you know I'm counting on you to help me become Kazekage."

Hoshino Maki spoke with a smile, then glanced at Orochimaru.

Danzo noticed his gaze and spoke casually. "Orochimaru, go back to the lab."

Orochimaru said nothing. He smiled at Hoshino Maki, nodded, and left.

Hoshino Maki knew this was really just an attempt to cover their ears, but as a full-time undercover agent, he still had to be cautious.

Only after Orochimaru had left did Hoshino Maki speak in a low voice. "The Elder Council is planning to have Rasa lead the troops. They haven't decided on the direction of attack yet."

Danzo rubbed his chin. Rasa was the leading shinobi of Sunagakure's younger generation. If he led the troops, he would command a force that couldn't be ignored.

"Lord Danzo, how is Minato's injury? With him around, Rasa shouldn't be a problem."

Danzo glanced at him. "Minato hasn't fully recovered, but his love for the village will let him overcome any obstacle."

Hoshino Maki nodded. So he was almost well. Then he couldn't let Minato go to the Western Front.

"What about Choza Akimichi? If Ino-Shika-Cho defends the Western Front, Rasa will have a hard time dealing with them."

Danzo stared at Hoshino Maki. "You seem very interested in Konoha's defenses."

Hoshino Maki nodded openly. "Lord Danzo, if Rasa attacks Konoha and wins, there'll be very little left to stop him from taking power. I don't want Rasa to reach Konoha's doorstep, then return in triumph and put on the Kazekage Robe."

Danzo stared into his eyes. After a long moment, he said, "No one will reach Konoha's doorstep. Rasa doesn't have that ability. I guarantee it."

Hoshino Maki nodded. Whenever it came to a conflict between Konoha and the Sand Shinobi, Danzo's lips tightened.

The rest of their conversation was pointless. Now that Danzo was on guard, it wouldn't be wise to fish for more information.

Hoshino Maki opened his eyes in bed and sniffed. The air still smelled of familiar heat and sand.

"Did I leave the window open yesterday?"

Hoshino Maki got up to close it. Just then, he saw Kazaguruma jogging over outside, drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through.

"My lord!"

Kazaguruma pushed open the door. When he saw a dark shape flying toward him, he instinctively caught it. The coolness in his hand made him pause. It was a chilled drink.

"Drink it before you talk."

Kazaguruma didn't hesitate. He tipped his head back and gulped it down.

Hoshino Maki shook his head. He tells you to drink, and you just do it? What an idiot.

Kazaguruma let out a satisfied belch and sheepishly wiped his mouth.

"My lord, Rasa agreed."

"What did he look like?"

"Look like?"

Kazaguruma hesitated, furrowing his brow as he thought it over.

"I don't think anything changed."

Hoshino Maki nodded. He'd only asked on a whim. It was asking too much to expect him to read something from Rasa's expression.

"That's all. Go back to practicing your Ninjutsu."

"My lord..."

Kazaguruma didn't leave. Instead, he looked at Hoshino Maki timidly.

"If you have something to say, say it."

"C-can I still follow you?"

Hoshino Maki stepped forward and ruffled his hair. "If you want to follow me, then work harder."

"Yeah!"

Hoshino Maki watched his excited figure retreat without saying a word. He turned to the mirror, rolled his neck, and muttered, "I hate solving problems with violence."

At night, as electricity became widespread in Sunagakure, the village was no longer completely dark. Pinpricks of light shone from the windows of homes throughout the village, making it look especially beautiful beneath the protection of Windbreak Rock.

Unfortunately, the dunes in the distance were too low to offer a view.

"You're early, Lord Rasa."

Hoshino Maki approached slowly, wearing a brown cloak. Rasa was already waiting there.

"Since your sights are set on the Kazekage seat, you don't need to call me 'Lord' anymore."

Hoshino Maki nodded. "You don't seem surprised."

Rasa looked at him calmly. "You know, I've known you longer than you think. Back then, I thought of you as a catfish, one that would stir up ripples in Sunagakure's stagnant waters. I just didn't expect you to..."

"To want to leap through the Dragon Gate?"

Hoshino Maki interrupted him, just as he had when he first appeared at the public hearing.

Rasa looked at him. "Who's behind you now? Chiyo or Chōjūrō?"

"Who do you think is behind me?"

Rasa watched Hoshino Maki approach. Their eyes met.

"My backing could be Chōjūrō, Chiyo, or the Kazekage faction, like Sajiu and the others. But what I want most is Sunagakure."

Rasa shook his head, disappointed. "Honestly, I didn't expect such an immature remark from you."

Either you depended on the collective power of one clan, or you became subordinate to all the clans. Except for the First Kazekage, that was the model followed by the Second and Third Kazekage.

Among Sunagakure's leaders, this model was also the consensus.

"You're wary of me, aren't you?"

Rasa felt that Hoshino Maki wasn't being honest.

Hoshino Maki stood beside him. "If you depend on one clan, can you really be a 'Kage'? I never met Lord Lie Dou, but I've heard things weren't like this when he was around. The two sides stood as equals, and he was even the stronger one. Why can't it be that way now?"

"That was a special period, right after the village was founded. It has nothing to do with the present."

"Special periods can happen again, can't they?"

Rasa's gaze turned hostile.

Feeling the other man's stare, Hoshino Maki chuckled. "Don't misunderstand. I have no intention of destroying Sunagakure. By a special period, I mean change."

"Change?"

"The Elder Council is a decent form of governance. The Elders balance and restrain one another. But its fatal flaw is that there's no person or organization able to stop them from exploiting those below them. An Elder Council without oversight is like a greedy viper, devouring everything it can—commerce, agriculture, the military industry, and more. Every profitable industry in the village is controlled by the Elders' clans or clans dependent on them. Isn't that an abnormal state of affairs?"

"Here's something you should know: the village's civilian birth rate has been declining for five years in a row. And those five years haven't even included a major war! That's why I've been trying to attract more talented people to Sunagakure. Otherwise, this village really won't have any hope. Do you understand?"

Rasa said nothing. He looked out into the darkness. The scenery had been the same since he was a child, through his adolescence and into adulthood.

People changed. The desert was the one thing that never did.

He thought of his teacher, an excellent shinobi—one who, in his eyes, had been far better than himself.

His teacher had taken him to many places throughout the Land of Wind. They had discovered more than a dozen oases and found many mineral veins. Rasa still remembered how his teacher had wept with joy when they found the enormous Silver Mine. He had said that from then on, the people of Sunagakure would have better lives.

That was the first time Rasa had seen his teacher cry. The man hadn't wept when a blade pierced his chest, but he'd shed tears at the sight of that icy silver mine.

Rasa hadn't understood why his teacher was crying, nor how the mineral vein could bring prosperity to the village.

Especially since, after the mine was developed, it remained in the red until the day his teacher disappeared. It hadn't brought the village a single coin.

Of course, Rasa now understood why his teacher had cried, and why the mine had kept losing money for years. But he still couldn't understand why his teacher had naively believed those people would share the money with the villagers below them.

Their greed was written all over their faces!

That was why Rasa had changed. The mineral vein was no longer a gift to the village without strings attached. He used it to make deals with the Elders and gain more influence. So although the Kazekage faction had put him forward as Kazekage, he wasn't a puppet. He could take part in the faction's decisions.

And he firmly believed that his was the only path that could restore Sunagakure to greatness.

"Hoshino Maki, perhaps you're right. But I still believe I'm the only one who can put Sunagakure on the right path."

Rasa turned sideways, his gaze cold. "Since you want to compete for the Kazekage seat, then show me whether you're qualified."

Hoshino Maki scratched his head and said helplessly, "So... we still have to fight? Why does this feel like one of those forced boss battles in a game? Can't we just talk it out?"

Rasa didn't understand his nonsensical words. He frowned. "If you want to split the troops into two routes, then show me your strength. The weak don't deserve to lead the Sand Shinobi."

Hoshino Maki nodded, but the instant he did, a Sand Spike made of Gold Dust burst out of the ground beneath him!

"Coward!"

Hoshino Maki leaped into the air, scolding Rasa for his dishonorable behavior as he sent the puppets he'd already hidden beneath the sand to surround him.

Two shields of Gold Dust appeared at Rasa's sides. The gleaming blades of the puppets met the Gold Dust with a clanging crash.

Rasa didn't even bother with the blades at his sides. He had absolute faith in his shields.

He stretched out his hand and clenched it toward Hoshino Maki. A gigantic hand of Gold Dust erupted from the ground and quickly closed around him.

Rasa squeezed hard. The hand of Gold Dust clenched shut, but instead of looking pleased, he frowned.

At that moment, one of the puppets beside him suddenly dropped its blade and rushed forward. Its arms drew back like a strung bow. Taking one step in, it punched the Gold Dust shield.

The puppet shattered into countless pieces. Beneath it, a fist wrapped in pale blue Chakra slammed into the shield. Cracks spread rapidly from the point of impact. The rock-solid shield lasted less than a second before giving way, and the punch smashed into Rasa.

Bang—!

Rasa's body turned to sand where the fist struck. Hoshino Maki's danger sense blared, and he immediately leaped up and twisted around, raising both arms to shield himself.

Several thin, pointed cones of Gold Dust had already pierced into the sand where he'd been standing.

Though he'd sensed the danger, four or five of the Gold Dust spikes still pierced his arms.

The two men retreated to a distance. Hoshino Maki pulled out the Gold Dust spikes, and his arm wounds healed rapidly.

"You're really troublesome~"

Hoshino Maki sighed.

"I'd appreciate it if you stopped making those little moves while you talk."

Rasa crossed his arms over his chest, his expression calm. But the shield beside him remained raised, with several line-shaped scratches across it.

"Honestly, you're putting me in a difficult position. If the Kazekage faction's representative is badly injured, I'll be in a lot of trouble."

Hoshino Maki shook his head. Wind and sand blew past, lifting his cloak as his bones crackled.

Rasa narrowed his eyes, sensing danger on instinct.

Hoshino Maki tilted his head back. "Have you heard of the Eight Inner Gates?"