As the back-and-forth continued between Akihiko's Sand Village and Danzō's Allied Shinobi Forces, the requests for funds became increasingly extravagant. Each new demand from Sand Village was met with an even more outrageous counter-request by Danzō to the Daimyō of the Land of Wind. The cycle seemed endless, with neither side showing any sign of stopping.
Akihiko: "Sand Village's electrical systems and streetlights have long since deteriorated. The village urgently needs 30 million Ryo to replace the wiring and lighting, but Sand Village is so impoverished that it can't afford the cost. The village's ninjas are worried about the danger of walking in the dark and believe the village can't be sustained. Therefore, we request a 30 million Ryo subsidy."
Danzō: "Inform the Daimyō of the Land of Wind that Sand Village is fiercely resisting and putting up a tough fight. Our forces have been halted halfway, but since we've accepted the mission from the Daimyō, we will do our utmost to complete it. However, Sand Village's tenacity has exceeded our expectations, and we urgently need 60 million Ryo to purchase supplies from Kusagakure; otherwise, we cannot proceed."
Akihiko: "Sand Village's main gate has become a severe safety hazard due to years of neglect. The village requests 50 million Ryo to rebuild the gate to ensure the security of Sand Village."
Danzō: "Tell the Daimyō of the Land of Wind that Sand Village is despicable and shameless and has even threatened to storm the Wind Daimyō's palace. The Allied Shinobi Forces have suffered heavy losses, and we now need 300 million Ryo to resist Sand Village."
Akihiko: "The streets of Sand Village have become severely eroded over time. The village requests 100 million Ryo to repair the roads."
Danzō: "Inform the Daimyō of the Land of Wind that Sand Village is planning to blow up the streets of the capital. The Allied Shinobi Forces urgently require 400 million Ryo to stop them."
Akihiko: "The village needs to build a new house and requires 200 million Ryo for construction."
Danzō: "Tell the Daimyō of the Land of Wind that an additional 500 million Ryo is needed."
Akihiko: …
Danzo: …
…
As more and more messages were exchanged, the shinobi of Sand Village watched in disbelief as the funds and letters from the Ninja Alliance piled up. The sheer scale of the requests and the audacity of the claims made them question the sanity of the situation. Did the Allied Shinobi Forces really agreed to such extravagant demands? It seemed impossible, almost absurd. What could they possibly be thinking?
For Chiyo and Ebizō, veterans who had witnessed Sand Village's rise since its inception, the shock was even more profound. In all their years, they had never encountered a battle conducted in such an unorthodox manner. It was as if the entire situation had turned into some surreal negotiation rather than a conflict. This was truly a revelation.
Could this be the power of what Pakura had referred to as the "Grass spirit"? No wonder Grass and Rain Village had been developing so rapidly.
Chiyo glanced at Akihiko, her expression a mix of disbelief and admiration. She couldn't help but sigh, "As expected of the leader of Grass Village."
This strategy was... truly unconventional. If the Fourth Kazekage had possessed such shrewdness back then, Sand Village would never have had to cut its shinobi ranks, nor would the Fourth Kazekage have had to resort to such drastic measures.
However, what they didn't realize was that, at that very moment, both Akihiko and Hanzō were equally stunned as they watched the situation unfold. Had Danzō really agreed to all of this?
As 'allies' of Konoha, both Akihiko and Hanzō were acutely aware of the village's internal struggles over the past few years. Despite its own tight budget, Konoha had still 'managed to provide' billions to support the reconstruction of Grass and Rain Village. But in doing so, Konoha had stretched its resources to the limit.
Rumor had it that even the once-formidable Root organization, which had operated in the shadows of Konoha with an iron grip, feared and respected by all, was now teetering on the brink of collapse. The reason? Danzō's excessive spending habits during his numerous travels. The organization was reportedly so financially strained that it was on the verge of disbanding.
A once-mighty force, now nearly bankrupt due to reckless financial mismanagement—this painted a grim picture of Konoha's current state.
So the question remained: Where did this money come from?
Akihiko scratched his head, letting out a deep sigh. "Danzō, my friend... what a generous soul he is."
Hanzō's eye twitched slightly, and with a mix of amusement and nostalgia, he added, "Indeed. Next time, we must arrange an exclusive luxury solo tour package for him."
Pakura rolled her eyes at the absurdity, while Chiyo and Ebizō exchanged puzzled glances with the leaders of Grass and Rain, clearly not understanding the hidden sarcasm behind their words.
After a moment of contemplation, Chiyo decided to move past the cryptic remarks and instead focused on the pressing matter. "Leader Akihiko, what's our next move?"
Should they continue to let this bizarre situation play out? While it seemed advantageous on the surface, the true intentions behind Danzō's actions remained a mystery. Should they maintain the status quo, or was it wiser to step back and disengage before things spiraled further out of control?
As she pondered this, her thoughts turned to the Daimyō of the Land of Wind. With the Four Great Shinobi Villages' alliance now encroaching on their territory, how would the Daimyō respond?
But Chiyo already knew the answer. The Daimyō, short-sighted as he was, had not only slashed funding to Sand Village but had also contemplated dissolving it entirely. Without a functioning shinobi village, how did he expect the Land of Wind to defend itself against other nations? By hiring rogue ninjas? The very thought was laughable. Yet, it was the grim reality they faced.
"What should we do?" Akihiko pondered for a moment, his eyes drifting toward the letter on the table. This Danzō... he really knows how to complicate things.
Just as he was about to respond, the space in front of them began to warp and twist. Chiyo and Ebizō immediately sensed the disturbance, their instincts kicking in as they shouted, "Watch out! There's an enemy—"
But before they could finish, a figure emerged from the distorted space, his voice brimming with irritation. "You bastard! What do you take me for? Don't you know I'm the head of the Uchiha clan now? I'm really busy, you know!"
As the figure fully materialized, the tension in the room shifted. Chiyo, Ebizō, and the Sand ninjas quickly realized that this intruder wasn't an enemy.
"Uchiha Obito," someone muttered in recognition, piecing together the identity of the former Konoha rogue ninja who had since become a shinobi of the Grass Village. The realization settled over the room, and all eyes were on the man who had just interrupted their discussion.
Obito, hearing his name, gave a brief glance toward the speaker before dismissing them with a wave of his hand. He turned his attention to Akihiko and grumbled, "So, who are we taking this time? Another shinobi clan?"
He scanned the Sand ninjas present, noting their small number with a frown. "There aren't many of them this time."
"Ahem," Akihiko cleared his throat awkwardly. "There's no rush. Something unexpected came up, so we won't be heading back immediately."
"Seriously?" Obito's tone was incredulous. "Then why call me here in such a hurry? My friend just started a company and was planning a big feast for me. I turned it down to be here, so you'll have to make it worth my while." He glared at Akihiko, his voice tinged with annoyance.
"We'll discuss that later," Akihiko replied, trying to suppress a grin. "But... this time, there might be quite a few people to bring along." His mouth twitched slightly as he considered the situation.
"Quite a few?" Obito frowned, puzzled by Akihiko's statement.
No matter the number, it wouldn't be a problem for his Kamui dimension, as long as he had enough chakra. But how many could there be? Out of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Sand and Mist Villages have the fewest ninjas, and Sand Village doesn't have many Shinobi clans. Most of their techniques were developed by their own Kage, or so he read. How many could Akihiko possibly take? At most, it would be around a hundred.
Obito asked with a hint of amusement, "You're not planning to take the whole village with you, are you?"
Akihiko, caught off guard, attempted to diffuse the situation with an awkward chuckle. "Ahem! Let's not dwell on that for now. Hahaha~"
Seeing Akihiko's reaction and the uneasy glances from the surrounding ninjas, Obito's suspicion grew. And Akihiko's forced laughter did little to reassure Obito, who was now even more apprehensive.
Obito's eyes narrowed, his voice tinged with disbelief, "You... You're not really planning to move the entire village, are you?"
The question hung in the air, and the surrounding ninjas exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to respond. Akihiko's smile faltered, and he scratched the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken.
Akihiko, sensing Obito's growing agitation, spoke in a low, somewhat embarrassed tone, "Well, there have been a few unexpected developments…"
Obito's expression twisted in disbelief. What kind of unexpected developments could there be? Was Sand Village destroyed or something? At first, it was just shinobi clans, and now it seemed like he was talking about relocating an entire village. What's next, bringing a whole nation?
His eyelid twitched with frustration as he became more agitated. "That many people? Do you know how much chakra that'll require? What do you think my Kamui dimension is? I'm telling you—"
However, Before Obito could finish, Akihiko quickly interjected, "I'll pay you more."
At those words, Obito's expression brightened instantly. "Geez! You should have mentioned that sooner. So, when do we leave?"
The room fell into stunned silence at Obito's sudden change in attitude.