Chapter 144: I Know the Murderer Who Killed Your Kazekage!

In the afternoon, the weather at the boundary of Sand Ninja Village began to deteriorate. The wind picked up, lifting clouds of yellow sand into the air. The once-clear sky became obscured by the storm, darkening rapidly.

Under Rasa's guidance, Uzumaki Raiden and Ebizo entered the Kazekage office building. In a secret conference room on the third floor, Rasa and Ebizo met with Uzumaki Raiden.

Meanwhile, Pakura had been sent by Ebizo to monitor the puppet-class ninjas temporarily detained by Rasa outside. At the same time, Pakura was tasked with ensuring the safety of the office building, prohibiting anyone from coming within five meters of it.

"For the safety of this conversation, I want to establish a barrier," Rasa said as Uzumaki Raiden entered the meeting room and sat down. Rasa had informed Raiden beforehand to avoid raising suspicion and alarming Ebizo unnecessarily.

"It's fine. Don't worry. Since I chose to sit down, I'm not afraid of your tricks," Raiden replied with a relaxed smile, crossing his legs in his chair. His demeanor conveyed complete confidence in his abilities to see through any of Rasa's actions.

Moreover, Ebizo's life was in Raiden's hands. Judging by Rasa's earlier reaction, it was evident he wouldn't dare put Ebizo in harm's way.

Rasa nodded and began setting up the barrier in the meeting room while Ebizo sat down directly across from Uzumaki Raiden. The elder scrutinized the young Konoha ninja who had taken him hostage.

"You're really young!"

Ebizo sighed inwardly. Although Uzumaki Raiden was tall and carried himself with maturity, his youthful face betrayed his age. Ebizo felt both envy for Konoha's exceptional talent and deep worry for Sand Ninja's future.

"As an elder of the Sand Ninja, I need to confirm whether you are truly qualified to speak on Konoha's behalf before we proceed," Ebizo said firmly. "Uzumaki Raiden, how can you prove to us that what you say here will hold any weight?"

Straightening his robes, Ebizo leaned forward, clasping his hands on the table. Although he acknowledged Raiden's strength, Ebizo questioned whether someone so young should handle such critical diplomatic matters.

"Proof? Does it matter?" Raiden leaned back with a smile. "For you Sand Ninjas, whether my words are meaningful or not will become clear from the results. I'm not asking you to cede land or pay reparations. If Konoha fails to honor my words, you can always raise your troops and declare war. You're risking nothing in this peace agreement."

Raiden's calm confidence irked Ebizo, but his logic was undeniable. If the agreement didn't harm Sand Ninja's interests, it didn't matter whether Raiden had the authority to speak.

"In that case, state your terms," Ebizo said, his tone steady but cautious. "But know this—I have lived long enough to willingly accept death. I won't allow Sand Ninja's interests to be compromised, even at the cost of my own life. So don't waste your time with unreasonable demands."

Rasa, who had just finished setting up the barrier, sat beside Ebizo. Hearing his elder's words, Rasa felt a wave of emotion but remained composed.

"It's not an unreasonable demand. My goal is to ensure peace and stability between our two villages," Raiden replied.

"My request is simple: I want Sand Ninja to fully withdraw from the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain, leaving no Sand Ninja forces behind.

"Second, I hope you and Elder Chiyo will come to Konoha to live out your years in peace.

"Third, I request that this Rasa Jonin be seconded to Konoha for a year. Don't worry; I promise not to harm him. If you can agree to these terms, I assure you that your lives and the safety of Sand Ninja Village will remain intact."

Raiden understood the art of negotiation, asking for a high price knowing he could settle for less. While Rasa was prepared for outrageous demands, Raiden still presented his conditions boldly. From his perspective, he wasn't asking for reparations, apologies, or territorial concessions—far from unreasonable requests given his position of power.

"Impossible! Your demands are outrageous!"

"Ebizo-sama and Chiyo-sama are our most respected elders. How could we allow them to be taken as hostages by Konoha?"

"As for retreating, forget it!" Rasa declared vehemently. "Kazekage-sama was killed by Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hokage of Konoha! This blood debt must be repaid with blood!

"If you want us to retreat, hand over Hiruzen Sarutobi's body, and we'll withdraw immediately!"

Rasa's abrupt refusal made Uzumaki Raiden glance at him a few more times. Raiden couldn't help but wonder if Rasa was a fool. To anyone listening, it sounded as though Rasa was the one being held hostage, not Ebizo.

It wasn't the Sand Ninja who had been attacked on their home turf—it was Konoha.

After sizing up Rasa for a moment, Raiden realized what was happening. Rasa, too, was skilled in negotiation and clearly understood the principle of starting high to bargain down later.

"Then there's nothing more to discuss?" Uzumaki Raiden asked coldly, narrowing his eyes at Rasa.

"There's nothing to discuss!" Rasa responded sternly, crossing his arms.

"If that's the case, then..." Uzumaki Raiden stood abruptly, preparing to leave. At that moment, Ebizo's expression shifted. Rising from his seat with a smile, he gently caught Raiden's sleeve and said calmly:

"Don't be so hasty. You young people need to learn patience."

"You should at least listen to the entire conversation."

Acting as a peacemaker, Ebizo held Raiden's hand firmly, offering him a knowing smile while thinking to himself, "This young fox..."

"Alright, let's continue," Raiden said, sitting back down. He inwardly cursed, "Old man, go ahead and test me all you want!"

"Now, since we are here for peace talks, our mutual goal should be to work toward peace between our villages and avoid further war," Ebizo began. "I don't have the authority to agree to all three of your demands, but I can order the withdrawal of troops if Konoha provides Sand Ninja with an explanation for the truce. This is within my power."

Ebizo was skilled at reading people, and he knew precisely what Uzumaki Raiden wanted. Even under threat, Ebizo was determined to extract benefits for Sand Ninja.

"An explanation? What kind of explanation?" Raiden asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You aren't referring to the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, are you?"

"If it's something else, I may not have an answer for you. But if it's about your Kazekage's disappearance, then I can explain," Raiden replied, a sly smile creeping onto his face.

Ebizo had been blaming Konoha for the Third Kazekage's disappearance, hoping to leverage the accusation to gain concessions. But Uzumaki Raiden understood this matter better than anyone.

"When I was traveling to Sand Ninja Village, I encountered a puppet master in the Land of Rivers. We had a brief fight," Raiden said nonchalantly. "He was rather impressive—young, and quite skilled. He introduced herself as Sasori."

"The puppet he used was remarkable. Despite being just a puppet, it could manipulate iron sand. Quite interesting wouldn't you agree?" Raiden's eyes gleamed as he spoke.

Of course, Raiden hadn't actually encountered Sasori, but that didn't stop him from fabricating a convincing tale. His goal was to plant the idea that Sasori was behind the Third Kazekage's disappearance. Once Ebizo followed up, he would discover the truth himself.

"What did you say? Sasori?!"

"Where did you hear that name?" Ebizo's calm demeanor cracked for the first time. He hadn't expected to hear Sasori's name from Uzumaki Raiden.

As Chiyo's grandson, Sasori was a figure deeply connected to the Sand Ninja. Few even knew of his existence, and his disappearance from the village had been shrouded in secrecy.

"Speaking of which, the puppet that puppeteer used was called Hiruko, if I'm not mistaken," Raiden added.

Hearing this, Ebizo's eyes widened. The name Hiruko was known only to Sasori, Chiyo, and Ebizo. Uzumaki Raiden's knowledge left no doubt in Ebizo's mind that Raiden's claims were true.

"Are you saying... Sasori assassinated the Third Kazekage?" Rasa asked, clearly shaken.

What startled Rasa most was that Ebizo didn't immediately refute the claim. Instead, he lowered his head, deep in thought. This made Rasa start to believe that Uzumaki Raiden's information might be genuine.

If this revelation were true, then Sand Ninja's war declaration against Konoha might have been based on a grave misunderstanding. However, Rasa also understood that the declaration had been a necessary move. The Kazekage's disappearance had thrown Sand Ninja into chaos, and a show of strength was required to stabilize the village.

Still, if this news reached Konoha, it would crush Sand Ninja's morale. Without the rallying cry of revenge, how could Sand Ninja soldiers continue the fight?

"Lord Ebizo, I trust you can make your own judgment," Raiden said with a smile. "I haven't told Hokage-sama this information yet. You're the first to hear it."

"Does my explanation satisfy you?"

Raiden understood the weight of this information. It didn't need to convince everyone in Sand Ninja; it only needed to sow doubt. Once morale faltered, Sand Ninja's fighting spirit would crumble.

"Where is Sasori now?" Ebizo finally asked, breaking his silence. His tone was grave, and even Rasa was shocked by the question.

"Lord Ebizo!" Rasa growled in protest.

"Rasa, be quiet," Ebizo said firmly, his rare show of determination silencing the younger man.

"After our fight, his whereabouts became unknown," Raiden replied calmly. "But don't worry—I didn't harm him."

Hearing this, Ebizo exhaled slowly, processing the information. "The information you provided is valuable," he said at last. "But withdrawing troops immediately is impossible."

"I'm sure you understand the current situation."

Ebizo shook his head lightly. The war had escalated far beyond the Kazekage's disappearance. Sand Ninja's weakened position had forced them to act preemptively to secure their standing in the ninja world.

Raiden, however, had anticipated this response.

"Heh, I've already thought of a solution to that problem," he said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "And it might even bring some benefits to your Sand Ninja."

As Raiden continued, he thought to himself, "Perhaps this will even create some trouble for Uchiha Madara!"

(End of this chapter)