Rasa's Compromise

Sunagakure

The Kazekage Office

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, gave Elder Chiyo a grim order. "Find that man named Gaara. Now."

Elder Chiyo answered calmly, "Lord Kazekage, do you still not understand?"

"The only thing we can do now is order everyone to stop testing Konoha."

"If we keep this up, Sunagakure will cease to exist."

Rasa slammed both hands onto his desk. "Listen carefully, Chiyo. I am the Kazekage."

"Find that brat named Gaara. Now."

"And the moment you find him, kill him on the spot!"

"He's a disgrace to Sunagakure!"

"To think a Kazekage of Sunagakure would betray his own village."

"I swear on my name as Kazekage that I will never spare that brat from the future."

Rasa went on with open contempt. "How dare a Kazekage side with those people from Konoha?"

"My future self must have been blind to hand the position to a treacherous brat like that."

"Now that I know Sunagakure will fall because of that brat named Gaara, I can't stand by and do nothing."

"That's an order. Your only job is to carry it out."

Seeing Elder Chiyo remain unmoved, Rasa scowled. "Chiyo, are you planning to betray Sunagakure?"

Elder Chiyo answered with disappointment in her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, Lord Kazekage. This old woman wouldn't dare."

"I was born a ninja of Sunagakure, and I'll die one."

"I would never betray the village."

Rasa let out an angry laugh at her words.

"Then I'm asking you as Kazekage: all these days, have you listened to a word I've said?"

"I told you to find out about that brat named Gaara."

"Did you actually do it?"

Elder Chiyo replied evenly, "First of all, I investigated. I found no child named Gaara."

"I can tell you quite plainly, Lord Kazekage: that child may not even have been born yet."

Elder Chiyo pushed down her emotions and fixed Rasa with a resolute stare. Anger filled her voice. "But, Lord Kazekage!"

"If this old woman is fortunate enough to find that child named Gaara, I will never let anyone hurt him. As far as I'm concerned, that child will be Sunagakure's salvation."

"If anyone is going to lead Sunagakure to ruin, it's one person."

"Want to know who?"

Rasa stared at Elder Chiyo with murder in his eyes but said nothing.

Elder Chiyo could no longer keep her composure. "I'll tell you who!" she roared.

"The one who's about to lead Sunagakure to ruin is you, Rasa!"

"Hahaha..."

Rasa's voice dropped. "Do you think I wouldn't dare kill you?"

Elder Chiyo stopped laughing and replied calmly, "If this old woman's worthless life could bring you to your senses, even for a moment..."

"I'd gladly give it. One old woman's life in exchange for thousands upon thousands of others? That sounds like a fine bargain to me."

As though a weight had lifted from her shoulders, Elder Chiyo spoke with a resolve to die. "Don't you agree, Your Exalted Lord Kazekage?"

"These past few days, I've come to realize something."

"It's almost laughable. But it seems I have to say it."

"Lord Kazekage, you're becoming less capable than this old woman."

"Even..."

Bang!

A fist of Gold Sand, formed with Rasa's Magnet Release, struck Elder Chiyo hard.

The sudden blow caught her in the stomach and sent her flying out of the Kazekage Office.

"Cough, cough."

Elder Chiyo adjusted her position and slowly got to her feet.

Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, but she ignored it.

She stared resolutely at Rasa as he approached.

"Do you really think I wouldn't dare kill you?"

Rasa walked toward her slowly, looking down at the battered Elder Chiyo. "I'm warning you one more time, Chiyo. Don't test my patience."

"Hahaha."

Elder Chiyo spoke with a strange half-smile. "Rasa, I told you you weren't as capable as this old woman, but you wouldn't admit it."

"Hahaha."

"The Shinobi World has fallen into chaos. If you keep clinging to those old ways of thinking, I'll say it again: Sunagakure will be destroyed by your hand."

Rasa's face had darkened, but this time he did not interrupt the seemingly deranged old woman. He kept listening.

Seeing that Rasa meant to let her speak, Elder Chiyo continued. "The Third Kazekage watched both of us grow up."

"The Third Kazekage wasn't wrong, and neither is what you want for the village now."

"Didn't the First Kazekage found Sunagakure so the other four villages couldn't take it over?"

"Didn't he want Sunagakure to surpass Konoha and become the strongest village in the Shinobi World?"

Elder Chiyo's tone softened. "But Rasa, you must understand: our predecessors never faced what we face now."

"So many powerful, troublesome enemies appeared out of nowhere."

"What I've been trying to tell you is that you need to wake up. The Shinobi World has changed."

"I don't believe you can't see it. You're just afraid to face it."

"You keep thinking you can take on enemies like that."

"I understand what you're thinking. You believe these enemies aren't that powerful yet."

"That we only need to kill them before they grow stronger."

"But things rarely go that smoothly."

Elder Chiyo's expression turned grave. "I received word yesterday that Iwagakure has already sided with Konoha."

"I hear Ōnoki sent his granddaughter and son to Konoha."

"He must have seen those glimpses of a future where everyone lives in peace."

"If Ōnoki can do it, why must we refuse?"

"Our best choice now is to side with Konoha as soon as possible and call off the ninja about to hunt Sasuke Uchiha there."

Rasa turned away and gazed at the distant Kazekage Monument. Slowly, he closed his eyes.

"Sigh."

Seeing that Rasa had softened a little, Elder Chiyo continued. "I believe it won't be long before every village in the Shinobi World gathers around Konoha."

"If we keep standing apart, I'm certain the Mystery Masked Man will set his sights on us."

"By then, it truly will be too late. We have to make our choice now."

"Wasn't the First Kazekage's final wish to keep the village from destruction?"

"If we want to save it, we must choose quickly."

With his back to Elder Chiyo, Rasa remained silent.

Elder Chiyo knew Rasa would never bow his head to anyone, even when he was wrong. His silence now meant her words had reached him.

Seizing the chance, she added, "And there's the child named Gaara. I truly saw hope in him."

"We mustn't judge him too soon. Let the future reveal more first."

"If the future Gaara truly is a monster beyond redemption, I'll deal with him myself. Would that satisfy you, Lord Kazekage?"

Rasa's face betrayed nothing. "Understood."

Elder Chiyo paid little attention to the pain in her body.

Instead, she hurried off to stop the Sunagakure ninja preparing to attack Konoha.