A Deal in Sunagakure

Kumogakure had obtained the legacy of the Uzumaki Clan, sealing the Eight-Tails, communicating with it, and domesticating it; now, all they lacked was a crucial piece of the puzzle.

That was why they had come here to strike a deal with Senju Nawaki.

Senju Nawaki even suspected that in the original timeline, Sarutobi Hiruzen had traded away this very same sealing technique just to appease Kumogakure.

He had wanted to project an image of Konoha as weak and easy to bully.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's reputation was that of a man incompetent in foreign wars but peerless in internal strife.

In the future of Konoha, ninja clans more powerful than the Sarutobi Clan had vanished under his machinations, including the Senju Clan, the Uchiha Clan, and even the Hyuga Clan.

It was enough to make Senju Nawaki suspicious.

"I will give you the complete Uzumaki Clan sealing technique, but on one condition: you must announce the true culprit behind the destruction of the Uzumaki Clan to the Ninja World."

Senju Nawaki's face was cold as he laid out his terms.

If he hadn't been vigilant, the Senju Clan would have been the next Uzumaki Clan.

He wanted to seek justice for the Uzumaki; they did not deserve to be wiped out in such an obscure and unexplained manner.

How would the future Fourth Hokage and his wife face this outcome?

The Uzumaki Clan's only ally in the entire Ninja World had been the Senju Clan.

"Agreed. Kumogakure also despises petty villains."

A looked slightly surprised; the condition was excessively simple.

If the Senju Clan were still in Konoha, no one would believe them if they spread this news, as the Senju had already exhausted more than half their strength supporting the Uzumaki back then.

Now, however, spreading this information could weaken Konoha's prestige and cause internal turmoil—which was exactly what they wanted to do. It aligned perfectly with Senju Nawaki's intentions.

The two reached an agreement quickly.

After Senju Nawaki saw A off, the next to arrive was the representative from Sunagakure, Chiyo's younger brother, Ebizo.

Like most people living in the desert, his skin was dry, and he wore a white headscarf. His squinting eyes gave Senju Nawaki the feeling of being watched by a venomous snake.

Currently, Ebizo served as the head of Sunagakure's Anbu.

"Sunagakure congratulates the Senju Clan on breaking free from the darkness of Konoha."

Ebizo said with a smile, as if addressing a junior, yet there was a peculiar glint in his eyes as he watched for Senju Nawaki's reaction.

His words disparaged Konoha to test Senju Nawaki's attitude and see if he truly hated Konoha as much as he had previously shown.

This would influence their upcoming war strategy.

"No, not the darkness of Konoha, but the darkness of the Sarutobi Clan. We, the Senju Clan, are the true orthodoxy of Konoha."

Senju Nawaki shook his head, rejecting Ebizo's framing.

From a different, sharper angle, he made his current stance clear.

The Sarutobi Clan was their common enemy.

Previously, Sunagakure had controlled a portion of the grain trade in the Land of Fields, barely managing to avoid a famine.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had used the influence of ninja clans and Konoha to control the Land of Fields and encroach upon the Senju Clan's grain routes, which had also infringed upon Sunagakure's interests.

The grain trade provided a foundation for cooperation between the two sides.

Yet, looking at Ebizo's attitude now, he was full of contempt.

"You are right; the Sarutobi Clan is our common enemy. But where is Tsunade? My sister asked me to convey her regards."

Ebizo changed the subject.

Before coming, his sister had specifically told him to keep an eye on Tsunade.

On the battlefield in the Land of Rain, Chiyo and Tsunade had clashed briefly; although Tsunade lacked experience in medical ninjutsu, her wild imagination and unique chakra were highly effective at countering Chiyo.

His sister had once said that if a war broke out, Tsunade's medical ninjutsu would play a vital role.

Aside from securing the trade of daily necessities, one of his tasks was to monitor Tsunade's whereabouts.

He felt a secret joy; this alone was enough.

With the Senju Clan and the Sarutobi Clan having broken ties, Tsunade would not appear on the battlefield.

The grain monopoly formed by Konoha would also dissipate.

They would have the opportunity to obtain strategic supplies like grain from the hands of the Senju Clan.

It would also form a united front against the Sarutobi Clan.

For Sunagakure, this was all good news.

"Are you already preparing to launch a war?" Senju Nawaki asked.

He didn't believe the relationship between the Senju and Tsunade was particularly close; they merely appreciated each other in the field of medical ninjutsu.

He had to prepare for the coming war.

"I won't continue to probe. The Sarutobi Clan's actions in the Land of Fields have caused damage to the interests of both our sides."

Sunagakure could purchase all of the Senju Clan's grain at a low price, with only one condition: the Senju Clan must not appear on the battlefield, including Tsunade.

Ebizo no longer bothered to conceal his objective.

In Senju Nawaki, he saw a level of calculated caution. It bore no resemblance whatsoever to the rumors circulating in the Ninja World that labeled Senju Nawaki a hot-blooded idiot with no depth.

"Hahaha!"

Senju Nawaki burst into laughter.

Some people were always unable to recognize the situation, still believing that the Senju Clan could not function without them.

During this period, with war on the horizon, the grain and medicinal supplies held by the Senju Clan were scarce resources.

They were the ones in the weaker position, yet they made demands with such self-righteousness; it was truly eye-opening.

"If this is the attitude of Sunagakure, then there is no need to continue this conversation." Senju Nawaki's words were absolute.

It was Sunagakure that needed the supplies in the Senju Clan's hands, not the other way around.

Sunagakure clearly lacked the status of a prince, yet they suffered from a prince's delusions.

In every Ninja World war, they jumped about frantically, yet because their strength was insufficient, they were often the first to be eliminated. They never looked for problems within themselves, only blaming their misfortune.

Back when the Tailed Beasts were being distributed, they had even made a mockery of themselves by trying to play clever tricks.

They were originally supposed to be allocated the One-Tail and the Seven-Tails, but they ceded the Seven-Tails to Takigakure, hoping to use that to establish a close relationship with Takigakure and even control them.

Takigakure not only had abundant water resources but also possessed the experience from the ancient era of Asura in reversing desertification—all things Sunagakure coveted.

Yet, they underestimated Takigakure's strength and the extent to which other nations would keep Sunagakure in check.

Sunagakure had no possibility of controlling Takigakure across such a distance, so they were forced to give up, turning instead to demand a large sum of capital from Takigakure.

Because of this incident, Sunagakure became a laughingstock among the other four great ninja villages.

"It was a slip of the tongue; I was confused."

Recalling the current state of Sunagakure, Ebizo had no choice but to swallow his pride and quickly admit his mistake.

Resource-poor Sunagakure was in desperate need of a shipment of survival supplies, which was the very reason they had launched a war in the Land of Rain.

He put on a smiling face and asked, "As the head of the Senju Clan, what are your thoughts? Whatever requirements you have, our Sunagakure will do its best to meet them."

Ebizo recognized the reality; he no longer treated him like a junior to be fooled, but rather as an equal—or even someone who held an absolute advantage.

His attitude was entirely humble; for the sake of his village, he could endure any grievance.

His previous probing had been based on the assumption that Senju Nawaki was a political novice.