Yes, the Hokage

Rasa sat down opposite Minato. "Hokage-sama, I really thank Konoha for their righteous help this time. Otherwise, Sunagakure would have lost all face."

"Huh? Uh..."

However, Minato didn't know exactly what had happened. He had only just heard Feng Lan mention that the Cloud Village had blocked the gate, and he was still a little confused. But when Feng Lan secretly kicked him, he immediately replied seriously, "It's nothing. It's just what our ally should do."

"Humph."

Granny Chiyo snorted. She had a deep-seated hatred for Konoha. During the Second World War, she fought to the death in Amegakure. Her son and daughter-in-law were killed by Konoha's White Fang. She was a true anti-Konoha faction. However, since Rasa was recommended by her and Ebizo, she had to come and give her advice for both public and private reasons.

Furthermore, since Konoha had helped Sunagakure no matter what, Granny Chiyo didn't intend to dwell too much on past grudges—at least not for the time being.

However, her not pressing the issue doesn't mean Feng Lan is magnanimous: "Lord Feng Ying, although we are allies, this favor isn't done for nothing."

"Hmm?" Granny Chiyo's old eyes immediately glared at him. "Boy, the situation just now was less about Konoha helping Sunagakure get revenge and more about Sunagakure putting pressure on Kumogakure for Konoha. It was a mutually beneficial situation. What more do you want?"

"You're overthinking it." Feng Lan chuckled. "Whether Sunagakure comes or not, Kumogakure will have to apologize. It's just a matter of whether Sunagakure is included in the apology. The only pressure you can exert is probably..."

He raised his right hand, thumb and forefinger spread apart, and innocently said with a gesture of regret for losing the South Korean market, "This little bit."

"Ha! What a boastful tone!"

Granny Chiyo sneered and was about to speak again when, by sheer bad luck, she noticed Obito appearing from the Kamui dimension. Although our Kenji was so engrossed in absorbing Rin that he had no idea what was happening outside, he still instinctively stood back behind Minato, next to Furan.

[This is the kid with the legendary Mangekyou Sharingan and Wood Release...]

Granny Chiyo was immediately startled. Although Pakura had already relayed information that this brat's abilities were extremely strange and troublesome, she hadn't expected him to appear out of thin air. Had he just been teleported here, or had he always been here without her noticing?

Rasa waved to Chiyo to calm down, and asked, "I wonder what kind of thank-you gifts the Hokage and the advisor would like?"

“Well…” Feng Lan tapped his chin, “I heard that when they were blocking the gates of Yunyin, this old woman took out some kind of trump card to intimidate them, and even the irritable Raikage didn’t dare to make a move for a while. Let’s use this as a thank you gift.”

"You!" Granny Chiyo nearly choked on her breath, coughing violently. "Shameless brat, don't even think about it!"

The weapon she used to intimidate the Raikage was undoubtedly the legendary White Secret Technique: Chikamatsu Ten Guards. This was the masterpiece of the first puppeteer, Monzaemon, and a war machine that Granny Chiyo once used to conquer a castle. It could almost be considered a deterrent weapon at the level of a half-Jinchūriki, and its ease of use was far superior to that of a Jinchūriki who was always at risk of going berserk.

Feng Lan wasn't actually very interested in this thing. The strength of a puppet depends on the controller. Konoha Village had never studied puppetry, so even if they obtained this treasure, they wouldn't be able to control it.

His real purpose was to make Granny Chiyo realize the situation in Sunagakure and stop her from acting like an old woman.

"Both Sunagakure and Konoha can benefit from this Five Kage Summit, so why are you asking for more!" Granny Chiyo was so agitated that her hair stood on end, like an angry lioness.

"Based on this operation, Konoha is in charge," Feng Lan said calmly. "All the cards that Sunagakure can play right now were given to us by Konoha. If you don't understand your own position, I can take the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki away and let Konoha and Kumogakure continue the negotiations."

Granny Chiyo's wrinkles twitched a few times: "But in this way, Konoha's credibility will completely collapse. If such a great power can go back on its word, aren't you afraid that the small countries that depend on you will become fearful and lose the benefits that should belong to you?"

"Going back on your word?" Feng Lan laughed as if he had remembered something happy. "Has Konoha ever said anything publicly? It was Akatsuki that captured the Eight-Tails, and it was Sunagakure that used it to blackmail Kumogakure. Even if I use Killer Bee to trade with Kumogakure, it will only be a statement that [Kokuni believes that Sunagakure is being unreasonable, so Konoha has launched a full-scale rescue operation to return the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki to Kumogakure].

"On the contrary, Sunagakure... while saying they want to settle scores about the Third Shinobi World War, they publicly slapped Kumogakure in the face, and just now they forced the Raikage to apologize in front of everyone. Do you think if the Eight-Tails returns to Kumogakure and loses Konoha's protection, won't that big black guy interfere with you?"

"you!"

Granny Chiyo was furious. She realized that while it was true that Fenglan had helped her get revenge, it was also true that he had used this opportunity to completely pit Sunagakure against Kumogakure! With its current strength, Sunagakure was no match for Kumogakure. If it lost Konoha as its protector, it would probably be doomed!

"It was my oversight, old woman..."

At the time, she was only thinking about getting revenge for being publicly humiliated and clearing Sunagakure's name, ignoring the deeper meaning behind Fenglan's actions. Most importantly, Sunagakure had already done everything it needed to do—publicly declaring that Killer Bee was in their hands, demanding that Kumogakure pay the price for the crimes committed in the Third Shinobi World War, and just now forcing the Raikage to bow his head.

But Feng Lan gave nothing in return for what she promised! The low-priced supplies will have to wait until after the Five Kage Summit. Right now, she helped them get back at them, but they can change their minds at any time tomorrow. In fact, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki is not in Sunagakure's hands at all, but in Amegakure!

Turning against them now is arguably the worst possible time. Sunagakure will gain nothing and gain two more mortal enemies: Kumogakure and Konoha. Not to mention the future developments, they won't even be able to get through tomorrow's Five Kage Summit.

“Hokage…” she looked at Minato, “Are you really just going to let this little advisor bully us, completely disregarding the relationship between our two countries? Don’t forget, we still have the information about the Edo Tensei!”

"It would be best if you refrained from making provocative remarks." Although Minato is a gentle and forgiving person, you cannot speak ill of Fenglan in front of him. "Such words show that you completely disregard the friendship between our two countries."

"As for the information about the Impure World Reincarnation..." Feng Lan shrugged. "Sunagakure only has a mouth left now. Putting aside the fact that you have no evidence, if you really intend to fight to the death, we can also release the news that the Third Kazekage was assassinated by Sasori of the Red Sand. At that time, not only will Sunagakure become a laughing stock in the outside world, but you, Granny Chiyo, will probably have a hard time explaining to the elders in the village!"

"Damn it...you wretched brat..." What Scorpion did was Chiyo's lifelong pain, and now that Fenglan had stabbed her in the back again, she felt like a ball of fire in her heart was about to explode.

“Advisor Fenglan, how about we change it to something else?” Luo Sha was clearly much more pragmatic. “Chikamatsu Ten Guards are Chiyo’s private property, and I have no right to ask her to hand them over… This is a family heirloom.”

"A family heirloom? Her precious grandson has become a traitorous ninja, who else could it be passed down to?"

Feng Lan scoffed, his sarcastic words nearly driving Chiyo to madness. But just as she was about to explode, Feng Lan wisely stopped, saying, "Well... Konoha really doesn't have much use for this puppet, so let's change the terms."

It's still the classic negotiation tactic of lifting the roof or opening the window: first propose a condition that the other party can never agree to, and then change your real goal after being rejected. Rasa and Granny Chiyo are well aware of this routine, but they also understand that they absolutely cannot fall out with Konoha right now.

"Please speak, consultant."

This time, even Granny Chiyo obediently lowered her head and adopted a listening posture.

“This is it.” Feng Lan pointed. “I want… Pakula.”

“Me?” Pakula was clearly not expecting the topic to suddenly shift to him.

"What does this mean?" Luo Sha asked, somewhat taken aback.

“It’s very simple. Pakula is the liaison between the two sides. During this Five Kage Summit, he will accompany me as my bodyguard. After the summit, he will return to Konoha with me directly.”

Feng Lan smiled and said, "You two won't be reluctant to part with them, will you?"

Rasa and Granny Chiyo fell silent. During the Five Kage Summit, the Kazekage was missing one of his guards, and this guard was brazenly following behind the Hokage. Wasn't this an open declaration that Sunagakure was Konoha's underling?

Once this decision is made, it's likely that for at least ten years, Sunagakure will be unable to hold its head high when facing Konoha.

Luo Sha's expression was somewhat hesitant, unable to make a decision for the time being.

But Granny Chiyo was cunning and shrewd. She turned to Pakula and asked, "Would you be willing to become Advisor Maplestorm's bodyguard?"

"I?"

Pakula was startled at first, but then his face turned ugly. Clearly, Granny Chiyo had passed the buck to him!

She refused, which caused a falling out between Sunagakure and Konoha, making her a traitor!

And what if they agree? Then Sunagakure will distance themselves, saying that this was purely Pakura's personal action and had nothing to do with the official will of Sunagakure.

Admittedly, doing so would give Sunagakure more initiative and the leverage to turn against others, preventing them from being completely controlled by Konoha.

And the price is... Pakula.

Just like in the original work where she was sold to Kirigakure, now she's been sold to Konoha.

He could either become a sinner or a rogue ninja; either way, he would only face death!

Realizing this, the girl subconsciously looked up and saw that Chiyo's old face was stern and iron-like, as if she were just discarding a broken puppet.

She looked at Rasa again, only to see him sigh and close his eyes, clearly acquiescing to Granny Chiyo's actions.

At that moment, even though it was a warm indoor space, Pakula felt a chill run through his body.

He had always been loyal to Rasa, devoting himself to Sunagakure and fighting bravely against the enemy, but in the end... he ended up like this.

It's pathetic, lamentable... and laughable.

Although ninjas are called tools, they are not truly without feelings or will. At this moment, Pakura wanted to cry, make a scene, and grab Granny Chiyo's collar to demand why!

But what she learned in elementary school taught her was that obedience is a ninja's duty, and sacrificing for the village is her honor.

Her fingers clenched and unclenched inside her sleeve, her knuckles turning white before regaining their color, but in the end, Pakula simply lowered her head silently, adopting a submissive posture:

"Yes, Kazekage."

Chapter 116 I'm Super Brave!

After Pakula lowered his head, the room remained quiet for several minutes, and everyone's expression was different.

Minato's face showed sorrow, but he was not a saint. He would not protect the ninjas from other villages as he would protect his own village's comrades, nor would he blame Fenglan for fighting for the village's interests.

Feng Lan still wore that smiling expression, making it impossible to tell what he was really thinking.

Luo Sha closed his eyes, raised his head slightly, and loosely gripped his knees with both hands.

Only Granny Chiyo's expression remained calm. She had experienced this kind of thing countless times before; in the world of ninjas, it was nothing new.

Pakula kept her head down, and no one could see her expression, but the sound of tears falling could be heard from the tatami mat beneath her.

However, the one who reacted the most was not them, but Uchiha Obito.

His feelings for Fenglan were always very complicated. He was grateful that Fenglan saved him and went to great lengths to help him become a ninja again, devising a series of schemes. However, he also harbored resentment towards Fenglan for causing Rin to be seriously injured in order to help him awaken his Mangekyou Sharingan.

Ultimately, because Rin was still alive, Obito accepted the outcome and was willing to be used as a pawn of Fenglan. In addition, the other party plotted to let him learn the Wood Release technique from the First Hokage. Rin also mediated between them, and his attitude towards Fenglan softened somewhat, but there was still a thorn in his side.

But after seeing how Sunagakure treated its loyal and elite ninjas today, Obito suddenly had a different feeling.

He hadn't thought it was a big deal when he saw Minato and Fenglan protecting Hyuga Hiroshi and withstanding the threat of war from Kumogakure. The Will of Fire teaches us that we are all comrades, and it is only natural to do these things to protect our comrades.

But as the saying goes, everything is relative. With the fact that Sunagakure so decisively abandoned Pakura right in front of him, he suddenly felt how precious Minato and Fuyuki's previous actions were—even Fuyuki's plan to use Rin as bait was not incomprehensible, at least he did everything he could to save Rin's life.

Of course, it's just understanding, not acceptance. But compared to the Hyuga main clan who abandoned their clansmen without hesitation, the Third Hokage who tried to hand over Hiroshi to appease the situation, and the Sunagakure high-ranking officials whose subordinates were willingly made rogue ninjas, Obito still felt that he was a ninja under Konoha... or more accurately, under Minato-sensei and Fuyuki. It's really great.

Finally, Luo Sha took a deep breath: "Consultant Fenglan, are you satisfied with this result?"

"Satisfied, very satisfied." Feng Lan said with a smile, "The higher-ups in your village are really decisive. They sacrificed the pawn to save the king without hesitation, which is truly admirable."

"Hmph, hypocrite." Granny Chiyo sneered, "Don't tell me you Konoha haven't done this kind of thing before."

"This may have happened frequently during the Third Hokage's reign, but after the Fourth Hokage took office, it was no longer allowed." Feng Lan's words were soft, yet they struck the three Sand Village members like a heavy hammer.

Because what he said was true, the kind of thing that Kumogakure did to Hyuga had actually been done to every village, and with great success, which is why it became a path dependency and continued to be used.

Using this tactic of the villain accusing the enemy first, Kumogakure stole sealing techniques and Magnet Release from Sunagakure; Lava Release from Iwagakure; and the Eight-Tails' Iron Armor Seal from Uzushiogakure. They had even succeeded once before in Konoha, stealing the Konoha-ryu sword technique and improving it to form Kumogakure.

Therefore, during the Five Kage Summit in the original work, Onoki publicly accused Kumogakure of plundering the secret techniques of various villages, because at that time, no one in the entire ninja world could counter Kumogakure's rogue tactics.

However, in this timeline, the bullying style of the Hidden Cloud Village directly backfired on the Hidden Leaf Village under the Fourth Hokage. Not to mention taking away the Hyuga branch family, Fenglan's countermeasure was to directly take away your Eight-Tails Jinchuriki!

Rasa and Chiyo couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If Sunagakure had such strong national power and such fearless leaders, then even with scarce resources, they wouldn't have fallen to such a state where they had to be subservient to others.

Even if Pakula tried to restrain himself, he couldn't help but think—if I were a Konoha ninja, would Minato and Furan abandon me in this situation?

The answer seems obvious...

"Sunagakure has made enormous sacrifices for the alliance." After a moment of silence, Rasa could only say this, "Fourth Hokage, Advisor Fenglan, please keep your promise, otherwise..."

"Don't worry, don't worry." Before the other party could even utter the words of fighting to the death, Feng Lan had already reassured them with a smile, "After all, allowing Sunagakure to continue is beneficial to both of us, isn't it?"

Rasa stared at him for a while before reaching out to Minato: "Then, thank you for your trouble."

"Please rest assured, Lord Kazekage." Minato, being an honest man after all, shook hands firmly with the other party. "Konoha will do its utmost."

After receiving a reply, Luo Sha got up and left quickly, without glancing at Pakula again, perhaps afraid that the sound of her crying would soften his heart.

As Granny Chiyo left, she gave Pakura a few deep looks. This woman possessed a great deal of information about the village, and if she were to be subdued by Feng Lan, it would be extremely detrimental to Sunagakure. They had to find a way to eliminate her...

If Konoha only had one Danzo, then the entire Sand Village's elders would be Danzo; otherwise, Pakura wouldn't have been betrayed and killed in the original story.

After the two from Sunagakure left, the house fell eerily quiet again. Pakura held back her tears, but still dared not raise her head, because she didn't know how to face herself.

What am I now? An envoy of Sunagakure? Everyone knows in their hearts that I am not; I have become a discarded pawn.

A Konoha ninja? Of course not. Although she had never clashed with Konoha in the Third Shinobi World War, she was, after all, a hero of Sunagakure. Rasa had taken her to various events to promote her and portray her as an role model for the young people of Sunagakure. Of course... she was also a thorn in the side of other villages.

The world is so vast, yet there is nowhere for her to find refuge. After much thought, only one word best describes her current identity—a rogue ninja.

The moment Sunagakure turns against Konoha, his reputation as a rogue ninja will be confirmed. At that point, both sides will be eager to get rid of him immediately. So the most rational idea is... to run away now.

But putting aside the fact that Pakula doesn't have the absolute composure of Fenglan, even if she were truly determined, how could she possibly escape right under the nose of Golden Flash?

So Pakula had no idea what to do. She just kept her head down instinctively. She could feel the eyes of the three people in the room on her, which made her even more nervous. She didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

The feeling of being at the mercy of others is undoubtedly terrible, so even a battle-hardened elite ninja's body trembled slightly uncontrollably.

"you……"

After a long pause, Minato spoke, but he was stopped by Feng Lan with a wave of his hand after only uttering one word: "You and Obito go to the Kamui Dimension for a while. I have something to say to her. Come out in half an hour."

He knew that Minato must have taken pity on him and couldn't bear to see such a loyal and excellent ninja fall into such a state, so he prepared to recruit him into his ranks.

But Pakura isn't ready yet. No matter how desperate and numb she is, she still leans towards Sunagakure. She has been baptized by the "Will of Wind" since childhood. Even if she is abandoned as a pawn, she will not easily side with Konoha.

Moreover, her current state is extremely dangerous; she's a ticking time bomb—because she has nothing left to lose, so she's capable of anything.

Feng Lan was prepared to use this person depending on the situation. Even if she eventually became his subordinate, she would first have to sever the last trace of affection the person had for Sunagakure.

"Alright, alright." Minato shrugged helplessly and walked towards Obito. "Let's go, I'll go check on Kakashi and the others."

Obito glanced at the two and couldn't help but smile. The advisor was so rude to the Kage, yet the Kage obediently followed his orders. This situation was probably only found in Konoha among the Five Great Nations... no, in the entire ninja world.

"Pfft—!"

Once inside the Kamui dimension, with no one else around, Minato finally couldn't help but plop down on the floor: "I'm exhausted."

"Minato-sensei/Master!"

The little ninjas inside the space were startled and quickly gathered around, including Obito, who had just entered, who looked over with concern.