A Plan is Made

The Sunagakure higher-ups erupted after hearing Rasa's unequivocal answer. Even the confidants who had originally supported him looked shocked and angry, as if asking, "Have you gone mad?"

Pakura fixed Rasa with a sharp gaze and asked sternly, "Since we have already noticed something amiss, why does Lord Rasa still insist on carrying out the previous order? Without a suitable reason, forgive me, but I cannot comply!"

Rasa swept his gaze over the other higher-ups present and replied with a question instead. "What about you? Do you share Pakura's opinion?"

The other higher-ups all wore grim expressions and remained silent. Some even looked ready to act at any moment. Their answer was already obvious.

Seeing their reaction, Rasa gave a cold laugh, his smile filled with mockery. Not one of those so-called confidants who had once sworn to be loyal to him unto death supported him now. Human hearts truly were the least trustworthy things; only strength and interests were real. At that moment, Rasa made a certain decision.

"Of course there is a reason!" Rasa said coldly as he looked at Pakura. "If we had discovered these abnormalities at the beginning of the surprise attack, or somewhere along the way, perhaps we could still have found a way to change the situation. But now, it is too late!

Whether our earlier suspicions were true or not, there are only two possibilities before us. The best-case scenario, naturally, is that everything is normal and all these doubts are merely wild speculation. But the odds of that are far too small. The most likely, and worst, possibility is that we have already been surrounded by Skywalker's two hundred thousand Konoha shinobi!

No matter which situation it is, stopping now would be the worst choice. Either we would miss the opportunity for