Kazekage Building, inside the Kazekage’s office.

“You came back.” Rasa said as he raised his head from the papers he was reviewing.

“You don’t sound surprised.” Pakura said with a frown, causing Rasa to shrug. “Could you tell your guard dogs to leave?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“...” Rasa looked at her for a moment, before nodding. Immediately after, a group of ANBU left the office. “Well, we’re now alone.” He said as he waved at her with his hand, in a gesture to proceed.

“Why?” Pakura asked immediately.

“Why, what?”

“Don’t play with me. Rasa!” She said, causing the Kazekage to frown. “You sold me to Kirigakure. This mission… It was a damned trap to kill me!”

Rasa only looked at her, not saying answering anything.

“Are you not going to say anything? Huh!?” Pakura shouted, fists clenched, her chakra slowly seeping from her, pressuring Rasa, who kept looking at her with a calm face. “I’ve given my life to this village! I’ve fought and suffered for it! And for what!? To be a fucking sacrifice to those bastards from Kirigakure!? Tell me Rasa, WHY!?”

“...” Rasa looked at her for a moment, before sighing, a frown still presents on his face. “Yes. It was an agreement. You might not believe me, but I was forced to do it.” He said with a frown while turning to look at the outside of the village. “Since the war ended, the daimyo has been giving us fewer and fewer requests, and the resources that they have been allocating to us have been reduced too. The village… it’s not in a good spot. We’re slowly losing funds.”

“I know that! Damn it! But why!? Why send me to my death!? Would that even help Sunagakure in any way!?”

Rasa turned to look at her. “It was part of a peace treaty between Kiri and Suna.” He said with a sigh, his fist clenched. “They specifically asked for you to be sacrificed, in order to stop the hostile relationships… I denied it at first, but the council…”

“The council?” Pakura frowned, her teeth clenched. “Are you telling me that those old bastards convinced you to it!?”

“You know that my hand is forced, Pakura. The council is there so the Kazekage can’t have complete power over the village.”

“Bullshit! You could have convinced them!” Pakura shouted. “Weren’t you the first that advocated that we need to start focusing more on the quality of our ninjas instead of the quantity!? If that’s so, why would you send one of your strongest kunoichis to their death, Rasa!?”

“...” He just lowered his head. If there was one physical quality that stand out from Rasa, was his stern face, but now, somehow, his face didn’t look as stern as usual.

“And what about you?” Pakura, who was huffing from anger, calmed herself for a moment and asked.

“What about me?”

“Did you also think it would be for the best to sell me out, Lord Kazekage?” She asked with an expressionless face.

“...” Rasa looked at her. Multiple options passed through his mind. “Yes.” He shortly answered. “With our current situation. Another fight with a great shinobi village is not something we truly want. Iwagakure would take any chance to strike us, and keeping hostile relationships with Kirigakure would make things worse. As much as I value you as a force for Sunagakure, I can’t risk our village. The council’s pressure was the final straw. Those old geezers tried to threaten me to take their clans out! There was no other option.” Rasa said, fury clearly visible in his eyes.

Pakura looked at him. As much as she looked calm, she was still boiling in rage inside. “So that’s my value to this village, huh? A mere sacrifice for a fake peace with the Hidden Mist?”

“If I had any other option, I would never have tried to push you into such a situation, Pakura!” Rasa said. “You’re one of our strongest shinobi! You’re more useful for us alive than dead. If only-”

“If only those imbeciles in the council didn’t act like greedy fools.” Another voice joined them from the door.

“Baki…” Rasa frowned, same with Pakura.

“What are you doing here, Baki?” She asked him.

“I’ve heard you came back.” He said with a shrug.

“Don’t act as if you expected it.” Pakura snorted. “You bastard surely knew of this supposed envoy mission, didn’t you?”

“I won’t lie, Pakura.” He lightly bowed to her. “I knew of the mission.”

“What great news! To learn that I’m surrounded by traitors.” Pakura said while clapping once, her smile not reaching her eyes. “Now, could any of you tell me what I’m supposed to do in this situation?”

“...” Baki just kept his gaze on the floor.

“I won’t ask you to forgive us, Pakura.” Rasa spoke after a small silence. “But… I know that you love this village. I know how much you love its people, so I ask you, please help us protect it.”

“Huh? Are you truly asking me, the one that you sent to her death, to help you all traitors? Ignoring what you did, and what you almost succeed in? Are you such an idiot, Rasa!?”

“I’m asking you, to protect the village. Not me, nor the council.” Rasa said with a frown. “As things are going now, we’re slowly losing strenght. What happened was my mistake, I know it. But the village has nothing to do with it. They still see you as their hero.”

“And what? When another chance comes by and someone else asks for my head in a silver plate, will you give it to them? Huh!?” She glared at him.

“No.” Rasa shook his head. “I won’t commit that mistake again. Now that the mission failed, the council can’t force us again into sacrificing us. Their supposed best decision turned out the wrong way. I’m sure that Kirigakure won’t stay quiet after this, they will surely try to get back at us somehow. I need you here when that happens, fighting beside our shinobi.”

“I can’t believe you… All the blood I’ve spilled, all the fights I’ve gone through for this village…” Pakura clenched her teeth and fists. “But… Fine. Just once. I’ll trust you again. But don’t be mistaken. I’m not doing this for you, I’m doing it for Maki. For the village and its people that have become my family.”

“I couldn’t ask anything else from you.” Rasa slightly bowed to her.

“Lord Kazekage…” Baki looked at Rasa from behind with a worried face. It was, after all, not entirely his fault. Even he thought that it might be for the best, as all the conditions were against them. {If only those damn old fools…} he thought as he clenched his fists.

Pakura just nodded. Her face is now completely expressionless. “There’s something else I should report, Lord Kazekage.” She said, leaving the previous conversation behind. “The reason why I survived was that a child was present when the jonin of Kirigakure tried to backstab me.” She said.

“A child…?” Rasa frowned.

“Yes. He’s an orphan that was hunted by Kirigakure hunter-nins. He somehow managed to survive and train by himself, right now, he should be middle to early-high-tier genin. His mastery over Water Release seems to be quite impressive, even if he just has a few jutsus on his arsenal, while he also seems to have an amazing talent for Wind Release, I personally confirmed this yesterday.”

“...” Rasa thought for a moment. “From how you tell this, it seems you want us to keep this child.”

“That’s indeed the case.” Pakura nodded. “He not only saved my life but also has a promising potential, one that I think we can nurture into an elite shinobi. If he learns the bases of being a shinobi and then pushes him to grow, he will be a great power for Sunagakure. That, I can promise.”

{Even after being betrayed, you still thought of Sunagakure, huh…} Rasa thought. “You know our situation, Pakura.” The Kazekage sighed. “We barely have resources to nurture our own people, and you’re talking about a foreigner here…”

“I won’t ask you to accept him into the academy, I’m more than capable of teaching the fundamentals to him.” Pakura shortly said. “I just need you to accept him into Sunagakure, Lord Kazekage.”

Rasa looked a Pakura for a moment, before nodding. “Alright, but before I make my decision, could I see this child that has caught your attention.”

“Yes.” Pakura nodded and turned to Baki. “Could you please fetch him? He’s currently waiting outside with Maki.”

“Yes.” Baki nodded and went outside to look for Daisuke. Meanwhile, an awkward silence fell onto the office, as Pakura and the Kazekage looked into each other’s eyes.

“Does he have that big of a potential for you to bring him back?” Rasa broke the silence after a short while.

“He does.” Pakura nodded. “Someone capable of doing what he did, while training by himself, is something that I’ve rarely heard of. He might be an equal talent to that famed Uchiha Itachi of Konoha.”

“Why does it feel you’re talking out of hope, instead of facts.” Rasa frowned.

“I’m indeed speaking out of hope, Lord Kazekage, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t evaluated his talent. That kid learned Wind Release: Great Breakthrough in a mere hour.” She said. “I don’t know what’s his ability for other elements, but at the very least, I can attest that his talent for Wind and Water Release is the greatest I’ve ever seen.”

“...” Rasa was deep in thought.

“Also…” Pakura said. “His chakra reserves are enormous… Only by his reserves, he could easily surpass an elite chunin. I don’t know to what extent it goes, but at the very least, I would say that the kid has chakra reserves of at least jonin level.”

Rasa’s eyes widened. “Are you sure of this?”

“Completely sure.” Pakura nodded. “What’s more impressive, is his control. Normally, children with large chakra reserves have a problem controlling it, but this kid has good control of it.”

{If all of this is true… We would really have a great shinobi to help Sunagakure grow. If only Gaara-} Rasa’s thoughts were interrupted by the door opening.

“Lord Kazekage, Pakura, here’s the kid you asked for.” Baki entered the room while leading Daisuke. The first thing that stood out to Rasa was his whitish-blue eyes, at least before he felt the amount of chakra that was exuded by the kid.

{Truly a small monster.} Rasa thought for a moment. {But it’s not a Biju. It’s his own pure chakra, and if he can learn to perfectly control it… He could certainly become a strong Suna shinobi…}

“Hey, brat. Come here.” Pakura said while beckoning Daisuke. “This is Lord Kazekage.”

“...” Daisuke walked beside Pakura and looked at Rasa. {So this is the asshole that broke Gaara, huh? He does look like your regular bastard ruler.} Thought Daisuke as he looked at Rasa, but as he stood there, a slap reached the back of his head. “Ouch! What was that for!?”

“Greet Lord Kazekage and present yourself, you uneducated brat!” Pakura shouted at him.

“Tch.” Daisuke only clicked his tongue while muttering something about a certain brutish woman, which caused a tick to appear on Pakura’s twitching eyebrow. “I greet Lord Kazekage.” But before she could shout at him, Daisuke bowed toward Rasa. “My name is Daisuke, Suzuki Daisuke.”

Rasa nodded at him, giving an amusing glance at Pakura, before turning back to Daisuke. “I’m Rasa, Kazekage of Sunagakure. I’ve heard that you saved Pakura, and for that, you have my, and this village’s gratitude. Now, if you don’t mind me asking, Daisuke, why did you decide to follow Pakura here.” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I was hunted while I was a child-”

“You’re still a brat.” Pakura snorted.

“... As I was saying, I was being hunted as I was a child, my parents decided to escape from the village, but we were finally caught by a group of genins from Kirigakure; by mere luck, I survived, while my parents sacrificed themselves to save me.”

“Hunted…?” Rasa frowned. “Why would you be hunted by Kirigakure? From what I’ve heard, you are quite the talent.”

“They suspect me of having Ice Release, while those of the Yuki clan were being hunted.”

“Ice Release huh…” Rasa frowned. “And you’re not from the Yuki clan?”

“No.” Daisuke shook his head.

“Either way, Kirigakure hunting those from clan families isn’t that much of news…” Rasa said as he turned to Pakura. “It will be your duty to train him, Pakura. He can stay in Sunagakure and become part of the village. But you know what we spoke about, we must focus on quality, instead of quantity. Don’t forget it.”

Pakura snorted. “Yeah, even when quality seems to be sometimes discarded.” At her words, Rasa and Baki could only sigh.

“Well, Daisuke.” Rasa turned to look at him. “From this day forwards, you’re part of Sunagakure. But… you’re still not a shinobi of our village. Pakura here will be in charge of you, she will decide when you’re ready to take a graduation exam from the academy to become a shinobi. This is a special exception that I’ll make for you, as Pakura here is backing you up, don’t let her expectations, and mine, go to waste.”

As the conversation proceeded, Baki couldn’t help but be lost, after all, with Sunagakure's current situation, such an exception is something that shouldn’t be possible. He indeed felt the kid and his abnormal chakra reserves, but that alone wouldn’t make him special enough for him to receive such treatment. {There must be something else…} Baki thought but decided not to ask just now. He will later ask Lord Kazekage.

“You’re all dismissed.”  Rasa said as he waved his hands, turning back to look at the scrolls he had on his office’s table.

“Thank you, Lord Kazekage.” Daisuke said with a bow. “I’ll make sure not to disappoint yours or Bakura’s expectations.”

“Oi. Did you call me Bakura, brat?” Pakura clenched her fists, as another vein seemed to pop in her forehead, right above her twitching eyebrow.

“Mm? No? I just said Pakura?” Daisuke, as a true warrior, just feigned ignorance. Much to the amusement of Baki and Rasa.

{These two… they look like little kids bickering.} Was a thought that passed both of their minds.