Naruto: Reborn as Yagura Karatachi

The entirety of Sunagakure went into full battle readiness.

"YOOOSHAAAA!! This great lord finally gets to come out!!"

Shukaku's high-pitched roar echoed across the village.

The moment the presence of a tailed beast's chakra was sensed, the shinobi of Sunagakure mobilized without hesitation.

Having experienced the bloodshed of war, Sunagakure's forces were exceptionally disciplined. The moment the order was given, they rushed to the frontlines.

A Tailed Beast Ball launched from Shukaku's mouth struck directly on the defensive wall known as "Thread of Heaven."

The explosion of energy bloomed like a second sun, obliterating the entire northeastern defense line.

That same defense had held against Iwagakure's forces—outnumbered three to one—for over three hours. Now, a single Tailed Beast Ball had reduced it to rubble.

Watching the puny, despicable humans be annihilated in his attack, Shukaku howled with maniacal laughter.

"Hahahahahaha! Die! All of you, DIE!!"

Inside the Kazekage's tower, Rasa watched from afar as Sunagakure's shinobi launched a wave assault against Shukaku.

His hands gripped the windowsill tightly.

Unless one had the power of a Kage-level shinobi, no one below Jonin could stand a chance against a Tailed Beast. The only thing they could do was trade lives for chakra depletion.

Shinobi who had survived wars were priceless assets to any village.

A Jonin who had earned their rank through battlefield experience was leagues above one who passed a test.

Yet now, they were reduced to sacrificial pawns.

Behind him, Yagura's voice sounded, calm and unhurried:

"Kazekage-dono, the Tailed Beast has gone berserk. It's sudden and urgent—you don't need to worry about someone like me."

Rasa sneered inwardly.

Isn't this exactly what you wanted?

Sunagakure, starved for funds, could only afford to maintain a few thousand active shinobi.

And even their combat ability had to be discounted.

Those veterans returning from the battlefield would now die in droves fighting Shukaku's rampage.

Thousands of seasoned warriors were not the same as thousands raised from scratch inside the village.

"No need. Sunagakure still has powerful shinobi."

Rasa flicked his sleeves and returned to his seat.

"Let's continue, Mizukage. Since you're so eager to make Sunagakure Kirigakure's ally, tell me—what exactly is your village offering?"

"Since the time of the Third Hokage, Konohagakure has always been Sunagakure's ally. There was some... misunderstanding before, but that's all resolved now. We remain friendly partners."

During the Third Great Ninja War, the very first term in the peace treaty between Sunagakure and Konoha stated: Sunagakure must acknowledge that the death of the Third Kazekage was not caused by Konoha.

Thus, the public explanation framed it as a tragic misunderstanding, and the Third Kazekage's death once again faded into mystery.

Konoha had won the war—they had the authority to refute Sunagakure's accusations.

Ironically, that led everything back to the truth.

This time, Sunagakure stood with Konoha.

Yagura's plan succeeding hinged largely on one fortunate event: Hiruzen Sarutobi had already left the village.

The Third Hokage was now preoccupied dealing with domestic issues in Konoha and had no time to linger.

If Sarutobi had stayed, he would never have allowed Kirigakure to snatch Sunagakure away.

With Shukaku's rampage, Sarutobi could've kept an eye on the unstable Yagura. Rasa could've focused on suppressing the beast. Casualties wouldn't have been so devastating.

Rasa's sharp gaze fixed on Yagura.

"So tell me, Mizukage. What reason does Sunagakure have to betray Konoha?"

But fate wasn't on Sarutobi's side.

He would never have expected Yagura to stir up a storm right here in Sunagakure, under the Kazekage's watchful eyes and surrounded by countless shinobi.

Even Rasa himself hadn't foreseen it.

Yagura thought to himself, Sasori truly lives up to the name—Kazekage Slayer.

Gambling on recruiting Sasori had paid off beyond expectations.

Thanks to the intelligence network Sasori had left behind in Sunagakure, Yagura had forced the village to bow its head to Kirigakure. Konoha was about to lose its only true ally.

Outside, the thunder of battle between Shukaku and the village shinobi echoed through the window.

Even though Thread of Heaven had been reduced to ruins, the shinobi still held it as a frontline, preventing the Tailed Beast from advancing into the village proper.

The shockwaves of combat were so intense that even the Kazekage's tower trembled.

Rasa sat motionless, eyes ringed with exhaustion, bloodshot with strain, waiting for Yagura's offer.

He had accepted the reality that they were outmatched. Now, for the heroes bleeding and dying for their village, he would negotiate for the highest possible return.

Casualties?

He'd seen worse during four years of war. He would not let mere numbers shake his reason or resolve.

One hand holds the stick. The other, a sweet fruit.

Yagura understood well—everything up to this point was about weakening Sunagakure, forcing them into Kirigakure's arms.

Now came the part where he had to offer terms that Rasa and the village couldn't refuse.

"Sunagakure lies in the desert—resources and habitable land are scarce. I can promise you this: everything you once traded for with Konoha, you can now obtain from Kirigakure."

If Kirigakure wanted to poach Sunagakure, then whatever Konoha once provided, Kirigakure—and even Kumogakure—had to match or exceed.

"Our prices won't exceed market value. Allies don't cheat allies. Shinobi don't betray shinobi."

Rasa gave no reaction.

For a village so impoverished it could barely feed its own people, basic trade goods were the bare minimum Kirigakure needed to offer.

The real bargaining chips were still to come.

Kirigakure had to give Sunagakure something Konoha never could.

...

Smart people don't need to say much.

Yagura cut to the chase. "First. Sealing techniques for Tailed Beasts."

Of course, he wasn't about to hand over the Uzumaki clan's original formulas.

He'd water them down—two tiers weaker. Still enough for Sunagakure to study and use.

Their current sealing technique was trash. Jinchuriki had to stay awake constantly to suppress the beast. If they fell asleep, the Tailed Beast broke free. What kind of garbage was that?

The former Third Mizukage had thought Kirigakure's sealing methods were weak.

If he'd seen Sunagakure's, he would've realized there's always something worse.

Outside, Shukaku was still on a rampage.

Chiyo had entered the battle.

To minimize casualties, she didn't hold back—she went all-in with her strongest puppet technique: White Secret Technique: Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu.

"You need this, don't you?" Yagura asked plainly.

Rasa silently weighed the offer.

That monk, Bunpuku, had been a miracle—Shukaku had remained dormant in him ever since the time of the Second Kazekage.

But Bunpuku's time was almost up. After this rampage, Rasa didn't expect him to live much longer.

When a Jinchuriki dies, the Tailed Beast inside also "dies" for a time, before reappearing later.

And when that happened, Rasa would need to find a new Jinchuriki.

Not everyone was Bunpuku. Few could endure decades with Sunagakure's sorry excuse for a sealing jutsu.

...

Rasa's eyes slowly settled into a calculating calm.

He was acknowledging Yagura's first offer.

"Second."

Yagura laid out three scrolls and unrolled them in front of Rasa.

"Crow. Black Ant. Salamander. You know these, don't you?"

They were all elite puppets, widely used by Sunagakure's puppet corps. How could he not recognize them?

But how did the Mizukage get his hands on them?!

The answer was obvious.

Rasa clenched his fists.

Yagura continued, "I propose that the genius puppet artisan behind these designs create a new batch—on par with Crow, Black Ant, and Salamander—for Sunagakure. What do you say?"

Sasori had crafted those three puppets as toys in his youth. Kankuro would later train with them from childhood.

A few more like those, and Kankuro would hit the jackpot.

Not that Sasori still played with ordinary puppets anymore.

"Sasori of the Red Sand..."

So it was true—just as intelligence had hinted during Yagura's battle with the Third Raikage.

So this is how it all connects!

The intel on Jinchuriki. The information on chakra barriers. It all likely came from Sasori of the Red Sand.

In an instant, Rasa connected the entire chain of events. His expression turned three shades darker.

"You Kirigakure people took in an S-rank rogue ninja from Sunagakure."

And now, you use the creations of a man who should've been ours... as bargaining chips?

Yagura remained calm. "Since he's a rogue ninja, which village he joins is his own decision. I never lured him in."

Facing Rasa's fury, Yagura didn't flinch.

"Rather than blaming us, perhaps you should reflect on how Sunagakure treats its talent."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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