Before arriving at the mines, Elder Chiyo and the Sand shinobi had imagined various scenarios of meeting the Fourth Kazekage.
Although Rasa ruled the village with an iron hand, his dedication to the village was beyond question. Not only had he never used his position for personal gain, but he had even exploited his Magnet Release to mine resources and fill the financial gaps of Sunagakure.
A Kazekage of such integrity was a rarity in the ninja world.
Thus, as long as Rasa did nothing to overtly threaten the village, Elder Chiyo and the jonin were willing to turn a blind eye to his autocratic ways. They had even tacitly allowed him to eliminate Yekura, a political rival.
However, upon arriving at the mines, they were confronted with an unimaginable scene.
In a time of crisis for the village, the Kazekage, Rasa, was caught meeting in secret with a ninja from another village—Orochimaru, a former enemy of the Sand, also known as the "Cold Lord."
In the last Ninja World War, Orochimaru led the forces that defeated Sunagakure, forcing them into submission. Now, witnessing Rasa chatting and laughing with Orochimaru made them question the events of that war. Could it be that Rasa and Orochimaru had always been on such good terms?
If their suspicions were correct, what had the war between Konoha and Sunagakure really been about?
Under the watchful eyes of the gathered Sand shinobi, Rasa's face turned visibly awkward. He quickly withdrew his hand from Orochimaru's grip, fixing him with a sharp glare as though attempting to deflect attention.
Inwardly, Rasa was perplexed. Wasn't this supposed to be a secret meeting with Orochimaru? How had Elder Chiyo found him here? Could there be a mole among his subordinates? If so, a thorough purge of the Anbu would be necessary once he returned.
Orochimaru, glancing at Elder Chiyo and the others, smirked faintly. "Kazekage-sama, it seems your control over your subordinates is lacking. If that's the case, I may have to reconsider our cooperation…"
"Shut up!"
Rasa's face darkened as he retorted. He was already debating whether to make a move against Orochimaru.
Unlike other village leaders, Orochimaru was not only responsible for the deaths of many Sand shinobi but also a rogue ninja from their ally, Konohagakure—a highly sensitive and dangerous individual.
Orochimaru, sensing Rasa's intent, silently stepped back. Having accomplished his goal, he had no intention of lingering and used his Great Snake Substitution Technique to retreat deeper into the mines.
With Orochimaru gone, the awkwardness surrounding Rasa only deepened.
Forcing himself to remain composed, Rasa approached Elder Chiyo and the others, asking, "Elder Chiyo, why have you suddenly come to the mines? Did something happen in the village?"
Elder Chiyo fixed Rasa with a piercing gaze and replied coldly, "If I hadn't come, I wouldn't have witnessed Kazekage-sama meeting with Orochimaru. Might I ask what important matters you were discussing?"
Hearing the accusatory tone, Rasa chose to explain honestly, "Orochimaru is a buyer for our ore. I brought him here to inspect the quality. Beyond that, we discussed interfering in the war between Iwagakure and Konohagakure. Look, while the Konoha is our ally, their restrictions on us are too severe. And so, we need to secure more favorable terms for the village and gradually free ourselves from their influence."
Having spoken his mind, Rasa looked at Elder Chiyo, hoping for understanding. After all, Chiyo had been instrumental in elevating him to the Kazekage position. She should comprehend his motives, as they were always for the benefit of Sunagakure.
Elder Chiyo listened intently before asking, "I believe your explanation. However, when did this cooperation with Orochimaru begin?"
Failing to catch the underlying suspicion, Rasa answered earnestly, "We've been in contact before, but this is our first official collaboration. Orochimaru's status as a rogue ninja makes it tricky if Konoha finds out."
"So, this isn't the first time…"
Elder Chiyo nodded thoughtfully while the surrounding Sand shinobi began exchanging uneasy glances. Their perception of Rasa had shifted dramatically.
It turned out that while they had been fighting life-and-death battles on the front lines, their Kazekage had been secretly colluding with Orochimaru.
No wonder the war between the Konohagakure and Sunagakure had ended so abruptly.
No wonder the village had been forced to sign those blatantly exploitative treaties.
So, everything seemed to boil down to a deal between the Fourth Kazekage and Orochimaru. But why did Rasa agree to such terms?
The answer was obvious: to secure his position as the Fourth Kazekage and establish himself as the sole ruler of Sunagakure.
At that moment, the Sand shinobi were reminded of the Third Kazekage's disappearance and their earlier discussions about the Puppet of the Third Kazekage and Sasori of the Red Sand. Their expressions became increasingly complicated. They couldn't help but wonder why Sasori hadn't returned to Sunagakure all these years.
If Rasa had attacked both Sasori and the Third Kazekage back then, everything would start to make sense.
Rasa, being a master of Magnet Release, would have had the capability to assassinate the Third Kazekage. After Rasa had gravely injured the Third Kazekage, leaving him on the brink of death, the Third Kazekage might have encountered Sasori.
Sasori, realizing that Rasa was the true perpetrator, likely chose not to return to the village because he lacked the strength to confront him.
Instead, Sasori bided his time in the ninja world, lying low for years. Now, having turned the Third Kazekage into a puppet and possessing the strength to contend with Rasa, Sasori might have finally decided to return, searching for an opportunity to topple Rasa from the shadows.
With these speculations, even without concrete evidence, the Sand shinobi began to doubt the Fourth Kazekage.
After all, Rasa himself had admitted to collaborating with Orochimaru, and their ears and eyes couldn't deceive them simultaneously.
It was at this point that Rasa finally sensed something was amiss. Frowning, he demanded, "What are those expressions on your faces? Do you suspect that I've been colluding with Orochimaru for a long time, betraying the interests of the village? Heh! I am the Kazekage of Sunagakure! How could I possibly betray the village?"
The Sand shinobi exchanged glances, refraining from openly rebuking Rasa but also making no effort to dispel their suspicions.
Never before had Rasa seen such expressions on his subordinates' faces, nor could he understand what had caused such a change.
His face grew darker as he turned to Elder Chiyo, questioning sharply, "Elder Chiyo, what on earth has happened in the village for you to mobilize like this?"
"Did the Konohagakure launch an attack during my absence?"
"That's not the case…" Elder Chiyo shook her head before continuing, "But just a moment ago, Gaara was attacked and went berserk in the village. The attacker's identity is quite unusual—it was Yashamaru."
The old veteran folded her arms before raising a brow, "According to Yashamaru's testimony, the order to assassinate Gaara came from you. Rasa, do you realize your actions nearly caused a Shukaku rampage in the village?"