Naruto: Reborn as Yagura Karatachi

Early the next morning.

Yagura, escorted by Sunagakure shinobi, arrived at the venue for the second round of the Chūnin Exams.

Seated at the observation platform on the top floor were the three Kage. Yagura once again saw Rasa, whom he had met yesterday, and also the recently arrived Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had come early that morning.

As the host, the Kazekage sat in the center seat. Yagura and Hiruzen took their places to his left and right.

With all three major figures present, the opening act for today's proceedings began—observing the joint Chūnin Exams hosted by Konohagakure and Sunagakure.

Yagura didn't have high hopes, the political undertones of this gathering were overwhelming.

Still, by the end of the morning, having watched the elimination rounds from the quarterfinals to the final match, Yagura turned out to be the most engrossed observer among the three Kage.

The other two were clearly distracted.

"This guy… is he seriously here just to watch the exam?"

Rasa had originally wanted to use this time to break the ice and start a casual conversation.

But seeing how absorbed the Mizukage was in the matches, there simply wasn't a good opening. He and Hiruzen could only let the idea go for now.

Neither of them brought up sensitive topics that might disrupt the mood of the occasion—and that was just how Yagura liked it.

He was well aware of his role here: the decoy, the one sent out to draw attention.

By putting himself front and center, he was buying time for the Daimyō's office of the Land of Water to work behind the scenes.

It would be far easier to break through Sunagakure by going around the Land of Wind's Daimyō than by confronting the village head-on.

...

Given that the exam came on the heels of war, the genin who had survived and grown stronger through those harsh times displayed remarkable skill.

Even though none of them were names Yagura had heard before, their abilities were clearly above average compared to genin from peacetime.

In the end, the winner of the final match was a shinobi from Sunagakure.

Whether this victory was due to the Sunagakure ninja truly being that strong, or because Konoha had held back stronger candidates as a diplomatic gesture to mend ties with Sunagakure—that was up for debate.

Yagura kept his opinions to himself and refrained from asking questions.

Once the exams concluded, he congratulated Rasa with a calm and measured tone, even offering praise for the skill and potential of the Sunagakure genin who had won.

He also expressed polite regret to Hiruzen, though he noted that Konoha's runner-up had also performed impressively.

Yagura's well-balanced remarks offered both Rasa and Hiruzen a chance to ease into friendly conversation.

As the victor, Rasa responded with modesty.

"Haha, you're too kind. Our youngster just got lucky, that's all. If the youth from Kirigakure had been able to participate, the results might've been completely different."

Translation: He was trying to bring Kirigakure into the fold.

Hiruzen chuckled lightly. "Indeed. The younger generation of Kirigakure shinobi has gained quite the reputation in recent years. We've heard many stories from various factions. Sadly, we haven't yet had the opportunity to witness their abilities firsthand."

On the surface, it was praise. But underneath, he was also subtly reminding everyone that during the war, Kirigakure had been accepting missions from various countries.

At the same time, he was playing along with Rasa's effort to win Kirigakure over.

For Konoha and Sunagakure—both significantly weakened after the war—securing Kirigakure as an ally would be a huge gain.

Externally, it would allow them to counter the growing ambitions of Kumogakure and Iwagakure and isolate those two expansionist villages.

Internally, it would give them a chance to discuss Kirigakure's growing presence and investments in the Lands of Fire and Wind—investments that were draining Konoha and Sunagakure's wealth. And as for the debts Sunagakure owed Kirigakure, turning from debtors into allies might at least open the door for negotiation.

Yagura quickly picked up on the shift in tone from both men and began thinking from their perspective.

Clearly, Rasa and Hiruzen had coordinated before deciding to invite him to this exam.

"No, no—our genin are nowhere near your level," Yagura replied with a small wave of his hand.

"My stance has always been one of peace. Kirigakure hasn't seen real conflict in a long time. I've already ended the Third Mizukage's blood mist policies… Honestly, I don't even have the heart to let them out where they might embarrass themselves."

Kirigakure's diplomatic stance had been carefully deliberated between Yagura and the elder. It was now clearly defined.

Kumogakure was their equal ally. Iwagakure was a secondary enemy. And Konoha was their primary threat, to be kept in check.

With a simple wave of his hand, Yagura firmly rejected the olive branch Rasa and Hiruzen were offering.

The two men's carefully laid plans immediately began to unravel.

Tension hung in the air atop the observation tower, and a spark of hostility began to brew between the three Kage.

...

"Lord Kazekage, Kirigakure sincerely hopes Sunagakure can become our friend."

Yagura turned to Rasa, singling out Sunagakure.

"We received your earlier message of goodwill. But if we're to become friends, I believe it's best if there are no financial matters between us that might damage our relationship."

In other words: If you want to be friends, start by paying back your debt.

"I believe we've shown more than enough goodwill already," Yagura said. "During the war, Kirigakure never once demanded repayment."

Yagura glanced at the time.

"It's been what—three, almost four months since the war ended? Your village pulled out of the war a full year before Kumogakure did. I'm not even holding you accountable for that time. But now that peace has returned, I hope Sunagakure won't betray Kirigakure's goodwill."

Rasa's expression darkened further.

If they could pay it back, they would've done so already.

Sunagakure was in no position to offend Kirigakure, which had quietly built up its strength.

If they pushed Yagura too far, Konoha wouldn't help. Kumogakure and Iwagakure might even take the opportunity to strike. Rasa would have to thank his ancestors if those two didn't kick him while he was down.

But why hadn't they paid the debt?

Because they were broke.

Those war-time loans from Kirigakure—used to purchase military supplies—had ballooned with interest. The total now exceeded Sunagakure's projected income for the next several years.

And with the war over, they now needed funds to rebuild and reorganize the military. They also had to pay compensation to the families of fallen shinobi. Everywhere they turned, they needed money.

On top of that, the Land of Wind's Daimyō had slashed their military funding—and Kirigakure's cunning tactics had undermined them from the ground up.

...

"This isn't the right place to discuss official matters, Lord Mizukage, Lord Kazekage."

In the end, Hiruzen—older and more seasoned than both Yagura and Rasa—stepped in to restore order.

"The Chūnin Exams have concluded. How about we take some time to rest? Lord Mizukage, would you be willing to speak with us this afternoon, alongside Lord Kazekage?"

He could see that Kirigakure had no intention of aligning with the Konoha-Suna partnership—not in their current strategic outlook.

This was clearly a carefully considered diplomatic stance, not something that could be changed with a few words.

Still, the very fact that Yagura had accepted the invitation meant there was a window of opportunity. It was a chance for Rasa and Hiruzen to slowly chip away at his stance.

Rasa took the opportunity Hiruzen had laid out for him.

"Lord Hokage speaks wisely. Lord Mizukage, would you honor us by visiting the Kazekage Tower at one o'clock?"

If they could get Yagura to the table, then they could begin unraveling Kirigakure's current priorities—one by one—and start negotiating through diplomacy and trade-offs.

Yagura agreed.

...

That afternoon, at one o'clock sharp, the three Kage gathered at the Kazekage Tower.

The meeting began. Rasa proposed that Sunagakure would completely abandon its D-rank mission market in exchange for leniency on its debts to Kirigakure.

A trade between two poisons: one slow-acting, the other deadly and swift.

After consulting with Chiyo and the other senior leaders, Rasa chose to swallow the slower poison. It was the only way Sunagakure could stay afloat in the short term.

Hiruzen, meanwhile, played the supporting role throughout—using polite but empty words to try and soften Yagura's stance.

For three days straight, the talks continued.

To say there was no progress would be inaccurate—but in the end, they got nowhere.

Yagura didn't want Sunagakure to pick between two poisons.

He wanted them to drink both—and then kneel.

But he, too, was stalling for time.

...

On the third day, during the midday break, Yagura finally got what he was waiting for.

A delegation from the Land of Wind's Daimyō had arrived.

An official brought with him a treaty jointly agreed upon by the governments of the two nations.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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