"So..." Rasa fell silent for a moment, a trace of struggle flashing in his eyes.
"So we can't hesitate any longer." Hoshino voiced the thought in Rasa's mind.
"As the Kazekage, you represent Sunagakure's legitimacy. Declare every ninja in the Red Sand Clan a missing-nin, then issue a wanted notice and call on every ninja in the village to join the fight against them."
"As the saying goes, nothing can be built without first being broken. I might not suggest this at another time, but right now is the perfect opportunity."
Judging from the files Hoshino had found in the Anbu and the information he had learned in his previous life,
Konoha was broadly divided into the Hokage faction and the Root faction.
The Uchiha Clan stood apart from both factions, so the two had joined forces to suppress it.
That suppression had reached its peak after the Nine-Tails' attack.
In the original story, Sasuke was about half a year older than Gaara, and the Uchiha Clan had been wiped out when Sasuke was roughly in his second year at the academy.
By that calculation, there was only a little over half a year left.
Konoha couldn't concern itself with what was happening in Sunagakure for the time being, leaving only the other neighboring village, Iwagakure.
It was known to have three Kage Level shinobi, two of whom were Jinchūriki.
Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, was extremely unfriendly toward Ōnoki, and could even be said to be hostile.
Their ideals had clashed, and he had now gone so far as to leave the village and become a wandering monk.
As for Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, he was utterly loyal to Iwagakure.
But with only one Tailed Beast left, there was very little chance that Ōnoki would send him to the front lines.
And there was even less chance of Ōnoki going to the front lines himself.
In other words, Iwagakure was currently in no position to make any major response to the turmoil about to unfold in Sunagakure.
Not to mention that the conflict between Iwagakure and Kumogakure was no small matter either. Ōnoki had to concentrate his forces on dealing with the threat of those barbarians to the west.
Hoshino laid out all these reasons to Rasa in full, seeking his support.
Of course, he changed the way he presented them to a certain extent, but he conveyed the core meaning clearly.
After listening to Hoshino's analysis, Rasa knitted his brows, evidently weighing the pros and cons.
But it had to be said, he was tempted.
After that analysis, it did seem that the time had come for him to show what he could do.
Seeing this, Hoshino continued, "Lord Kazekage, I know you have reservations! How about this? I'll handle the matter, but I need your support in name."
Rasa pondered for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "How do you need me to support you?"
Hoshino smiled faintly and said calmly, "It's simple. You only need to issue an order publicly, reveal what the Red Sand Clan has done, and declare them missing-nin."
"Then authorize me to handle the matter with full authority."
"That way, I can take action against the Red Sand Clan with a legitimate reason, while you retain some room to maneuver if the situation remains unclear."
Rasa frowned slightly. "You mean you want me to remain neutral on the surface, while actually giving your actions legitimacy?"
Hoshino nodded. "Yes! As the village's supreme leader, taking action against the Red Sand Clan yourself could provoke an even greater backlash."
"But if I'm the one to carry it out, you can step in to mediate when necessary, or even shift the blame onto me."
"That way, no matter the outcome, you'll hold the initiative."
Rasa fell silent for a moment, a complicated look flashing in his eyes.
It was indeed a strategy that could both weaken the Red Sand Clan and preserve his own reputation.
"Then what do you get out of it?" Rasa asked.
From what he had shown so far, Hoshino was immensely ambitious.
If Hoshino hadn't still been young, with strength and influence far inferior to his own, Rasa would have worried that he was after the position of Kazekage.
At Rasa's question, Hoshino smiled faintly and asked in return, "Lord Kazekage, what do you think Sunagakure's future should look like?"
Rasa was surprised by Hoshino's question, but still answered in a low voice, "Sunagakure's future should naturally be strong and united, no longer constrained by threats from outside forces, and a power in the Shinobi World that cannot be ignored."
Hoshino nodded slightly. "And what I want is to help Sunagakure bring about that future."
"The Red Sand Clan's power has seriously obstructed the village's development, and they have even cooperated with outside forces. Only by eliminating them completely can Sunagakure truly grow strong."
Rasa stared at Hoshino as he listened, trying to read something in his eyes.
But Hoshino's gaze was clear and resolute, without the slightest evasion.
"You're right, but I don't believe you're doing this solely for the village's future." A note of doubt entered Rasa's voice. "What do you really want?"
A noble cause was nothing but a pretext for concealing ambition.
He had seen too many people wave the banner of "for the village" when they were really acting in their own interests.
Hoshino might have been young, but his strength far surpassed that of his peers, enough to make even Rasa wary.
He wouldn't have believed Hoshino had no other motive even if he were beaten to death.
Seeing Rasa's piercing gaze and realizing he clearly only half believed him, Hoshino sighed inwardly.
These days, nobody believes you even when you tell the truth.
If I weren't really doing it for the village, who would willingly be your black glove and charge into battle for you?
Of course, the main reason is that I can't beat you.
Hoshino let the smile fade from his face and said frankly, "Lord Kazekage, then I'll speak plainly."
"I hope that after eliminating the Red Sand Clan, I can gain more resources and power so that I can push forward reforms in the village."
"Sunagakure needs new strength and new ideas, and I hope to lead that force."
Understanding flashed in Rasa's eyes, and he felt somewhat satisfied with Hoshino's "frankness."
So he wants to raise his own status and influence.
"Hoshino, your candor is heartening," Rasa said slowly. "But you must understand that ambition needs to be matched by strength."
"Otherwise, you'll only bring fire upon yourself."
Hoshino bowed slightly and said respectfully, "Your reprimand is well deserved, Lord Kazekage. I will remember your instruction and act carefully."
"Very well. I'll issue the order as you proposed and authorize you to handle the Red Sand Clan's affairs with full authority," Rasa said. "But if your actions threaten the village's stability, I'll stop you."
Hoshino replied, "Please rest assured. I'll bring this matter to an end as quickly as possible and will never let the village fall into turmoil."
Rasa nodded and said one more thing before leaving.
"Everything in the Red Sand Clan's compound is yours. Consider it my support for you!"
With that, he turned into a streak of light and vanished before Hoshino.
After Rasa had completely departed,
Hoshino watched him leave, then turned with Hizuki and walked deeper into the compound.
As one of Sunagakure's oldest clans, the Red Sand Clan possessed a great number of Ninjutsu scrolls, puppet techniques, and precious resources.
All of these would become important capital for his future efforts to push forward reforms in the village.
Rasa had been generous enough to give it all to him!