Late Spring, Year 44 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar.
The Hidden Cloud Village had lost the war against the Hidden Sand. Their logistics corps was reportedly wiped out by a covert Sand ninja unit that infiltrated deep into enemy lines—none survived.
It was a devastating blow. And though the Cloud nin were seething with rage, they had no choice now but to sit down and negotiate peace.
In short...
The Hidden Cloud's surprise invasion of the Land of Wind had completely failed.
After all, their future Fourth Raikage had been sealed away by Rasa of the Hidden Sand—inside a basin, no less.
For the Cloud, this wasn't just a strategic loss—it was humiliation. And with the still-unretired Third Raikage issuing a direct order: "Bring my son back," they had no choice but to go to the table.
What were they going to do—storm the Sand camp?
If that sly bastard Rasa decided to destroy the seal, it would all be over. The risk was too great. They had to compromise.
So here they were.
Killer Bee strolled into the makeshift Sand negotiation tent with a bright smile on his face, seemingly unconcerned about the fact that his brother had been captured. Anyone unfamiliar with him might've thought he was happy about it—eager to take the Raikage's seat himself.
But the Cloud nin behind him knew better.
At that moment, Rasa also entered the tent with a contingent of Sand shinobi.As the key figure behind this victory, there was no way he'd miss the negotiation.
"Good morning, everyone!"
Rasa wore a pleasant smile, fully in control of the situation, as he greeted the Cloud shinobi like a generous host.
This was their turf now. The Hidden Sand held all the cards.
After all, they were the ones holding the Fourth Raikage hostage.
"Come in, don't be nervous! Make yourselves at home."
But no matter how friendly Rasa pretended to be, the bare-chested Cloud brutes just glared at him, not even bothering to hide their hostility. They didn't offer him the slightest respect, while the Sand side looked like they'd won the lottery—grinning from ear to ear.
As expected…
People really should smile more. Keeps the mood light.
Thankfully, the Cloud's head negotiator—Killer Bee—wasn't one of those grim-faced types. Still, the fact that he hadn't broken into freestyle rap by now… honestly made Rasa a little too suspicious.
After all, being a rapping, rhyming shinobi was Bee's signature move.
Rasa turned to Bee, smiling, and gave a slight nod.
"Looks like the Third Raikage picked the right guy to lead your side of the talks."
If there was anyone in the Cloud who would genuinely prioritize A over protocol and politics, it was Killer Bee.
Even the Third Raikage, if he'd come in person, probably would've prioritized the village's honor over his own son if push came to shove.
He was the Raikage, after all.
Sometimes, duty came first.
And perhaps knowing that—knowing his own limits—that stubborn old man had chosen not to come in person.
"So… what have you decided?"
Rasa spoke casually. Ever since he'd returned from the battlefield with A sealed inside that basin, he held all the leverage.
Unless the Cloud wanted to replace their next Raikage—something that would be a global embarrassment—he wasn't worried.
After all…
If they gave up on A now, how could Killer Bee trust them to protect him, a Jinchūriki?
Let's not forget—Bee wasn't just A's brother. He was the village's strongest weapon. If they let his brother die, what would stop Bee from going rogue?
And even if the Third Raikage could justify such a decision now, who knew what would happen later?
Every year, plenty of ninja "disappeared on secret missions" that no one ever saw again.
"So, shall we get to the point?"
But just as Rasa finished speaking—
"The Hidden Cloud agrees to a full withdrawal and will not hold the Hidden Sand accountable for the destruction of our logistics corps."
Killer Bee, still smiling, held up two hands for emphasis.
"Yo yo—Fourth Raikage's in a—"
"Not now," Rasa cut him off with a sigh, massaging his temple. "Let's save the freestyle for later. Also—your conditions…"
He raised an eyebrow.
Hold us accountable?
For what, exactly?
You're the ones who started this war, and now you're trying to flip the script?
Rasa narrowed his eyes at Bee.
"In that case, we'll be formally demanding reparations for your unprovoked invasion of Wind Country."
Sure, the Daimyō of the Land of Wind was stingy and meddlesome, but right now, the Sand Village had to hold the line. If they showed even a hint of disloyalty, they'd risk losing political favor entirely.
After all…
If the Daimyō turned around and said, "Hey, Cloud nin, come cleanse the traitors from my backyard," then the war would be reframed not as a defense—but as a rebellion.
And that would justify a foreign invasion backed by their own feudal lord.
Diplomatically speaking—it'd be checkmate.
"First," Rasa declared firmly, "the Hidden Cloud must withdraw immediately and issue a formal statement acknowledging defeat."
"Impossible!" one of the Cloud brutes barked. "We haven't been defeated! Agreeing to withdraw is already more than—"
Rasa didn't give him a chance to finish.
He slammed his hand down on the table.
"Fine! Go back to your camp, restart the war. Just know—if we fight again, the first thing I'll do is kill A."
Sure enough, the moment he put his foot down, Killer Bee started rapping again.
Could this guy read the room?
Fortunately, even the other Cloud nin looked embarrassed by Bee's antics. They pulled back their hotheaded teammate and leaned in to whisper, urging their own rep to take this seriously.
This is a negotiation, not an open mic.
Once the tent quieted down again…
Bee gave Rasa a look—half sheepish, half resigned. He whistled softly, shrugged, and shook his head.
"The Hidden Cloud won't accept that. Not even the Third Raikage would. We didn't lose this war."
If they officially declared defeat, their reputation would be shattered.
But…
Rasa just smiled back, slow and confident.
"No. You'll agree. And you're the only one who needs to."
"…???"
"If you don't," Rasa said calmly, "I'll just kill your brother. And then we'll restart the war."
"…"