Chapter 508: I Want It All
"Kazekage-sama, Captain Yecang, is this... Mr. Tao Yu?"
One of the first Jonins to arrive spoke up, and he immediately recognized Tao Yu.
It was the very Jonin Mas who had initially protected Raban and was then captured by Tao Yu.
He was ultimately ransomed back, but after such a disgrace, Mas found his subsequent assignments mostly limited to within the village, akin to being the security captain.
Normally, the sudden return of both the Kazekage and Captain Yecang was odd enough.
If not for the signature Magnet Release, their attacks wouldn't have even stopped; at the very least, they needed clarification of the situation or to use the communication devices obtained from the Harkonnen family for coordination.
The Kazekage and Captain Yecang are top-notch ninjas, they wouldn't make such mistakes!
There are myriad disguises within the Ninja World, and they are vigilant against them.
But now that Mas saw Tao Yu bringing the two back flying, he couldn't help but reveal an amusing and peculiar expression on his face.
Could it be...
The same fate had befallen them as had him?
For a moment, Mas even felt a strange sense of sour satisfaction.
He was almost dying to grab a loudspeaker, to bang on drums and gongs, calling everyone out to see.
Look!
It's not that I was too weak!
Even the mighty Kazekage and Captain Yecang have been captured!
Only this reason could explain all the current changes!
However, only Mas, who had suffered the same fate, could spot the problem at a glance.
The other Sand Ninjas that arrived one after another just asked some questions.
Clearly, this Flying Dragon couldn't have been something from the Harkonnen family, so had they encountered some other new power?
Perhaps from the Death Oasis?
"Are Elders Chiyo and Ebizo here? I have pressing matters to discuss with them."
Rasa did not explain his capture, still maintaining the posture of the Kazekage.
"Everyone else, disperse, Mas stay behind."
Once they confirmed it was the Kazekage himself, along with the earlier display of Magnet Release, the ninjas who came to assess the situation gradually lowered their guard.
They treated it as if the Kazekage had simply arrived unannounced, in a hurry, with someone in tow.
"Captain Mas, it seems like you've been living quite comfortably lately."
Tao Yu looked at his former captive with a mocking smile, causing Mas to show an awkward grin.
"Indeed, no need to take risks anymore; life like this isn't so bad." Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire
He continued,
"I've already sent someone to inform Elders Chiyo and Ebizo. Let's go to the meeting room, Mr. Tao, please follow me."
The reason Rasa kept Mas around was that he guessed Mas had realized something; to avoid complications, it was naturally better to keep him.
As the Kazekage, he needed to save face.
At least now, in his state of capture, this potential future employer had allowed him to maintain dignity in their arrival.
He wasn't hung up and paraded at the gates.
"Hmm, lead the way."
The Kazekage was now in his grasp, and it seemed a vassal relationship could be formed with the Village Hidden by Sand, so of course, Tao Yu wouldn't deliberately stir up conflict.
After all, he would now be responsible for any broken crockery!
This time around with the Spice mining, he demanded half the profits directly from the little heiress, so naturally, he needed to put in a bit more effort himself.
Those with a mere ten or fifty percent stake, I could be a hands-off investor, simply waiting to collect my dividends each month, but for a fifty percent stake here, more effort and attention are required.
At least initially, there would be more issues to consider.
If I could get the Village Hidden by Sand squared away and have them responsible for securing the spice mining operation, it would save me a lot of trouble!
A group arrived in a meeting room filled with an exotic style, which seemed to be made of solidified sand, with just a curtain on the outside, looking somewhat rudimentary.
The entire Village Hidden by Sand, from the moment of entry until now, exuded a sense of poverty, far from the dignity expected of one of the Great Ninja Villages.
Even the Hidden Mist Village, ranked on the lower end of the five, outshone the Village Hidden by Sand in terms of both grandeur and polish.
It wasn't long before Tao Yu sensed two strong presences arriving.
These two auras were very steady and reserved.
If not for Tao Yu, any other ninja with perception abilities would certainly have failed to detect them.
The curtain to the meeting room was then lifted, and an old crone and old man sauntered in slowly.
"You young people just don't know how to respect your elders, what's the trouble this time?"
The old woman came in nagging, appearing to be just an ordinary grandma who liked to fuss over the younger generation.
But she was indeed Chiyo, the strongest puppeteer in the Village Hidden by Sand currently.
Moreover, at this time during the three-wars period, she was quite a bit younger than when Gaara was captured and, retrospectively, even stronger.
In addition to her superb puppeteer skills, she was very adept at using poison and even possessed the Reincarnation Technique, which could save others with her life energy, making her exceedingly powerful.
"You two come back without a word, have you been captured?"
Ebizo, the little old man, also started with a complaining tone.
But his words were filled with all sorts of probing.
No matter how urgent their return was, with the convenient means of communication available today, a 'phone call' in advance was expected courtesy.
Just as the leading figures of some future regions would have to report before leaving their jurisdiction, the actions of a village's leader couldn't be so rash.
Even if they were completing some secretive task, there was no reason to keep it from Chiyo and her brother.
Ebizo's apparently complaining yet probing remark caught the micro-expressions on the faces of Rasa and Yecang, sinking his heart.
The more they understood the reason, the thornier the situation seemed to them!
While they indeed had the advantage in terms of experience, Rasa and Yecang were still slightly behind the older generation.
But the fact that someone could capture them both alive and appear so boldly meant the strength at play was irrefutable!
Seeing the core of the issue, they were even more reluctant to make any rash moves.
It was unwise to rashly fall out with such a formidable enemy, and since the other party had approached them, they must have their reasons.
"How disgraceful, all of you out, we shall have a talk here."
Chiyo waved to dismiss the shadows of the guards and the other protective ninjas, still maintaining a relaxed tone.
Only when the venue was left with just the two siblings and Tao Yu's party did Chiyo begin to speak sluggishly,
"I presume you must be the Pioneer then, your strength is indeed awe-inspiring, a living Kazekage captured, an event unheard of in the entire history of the Ninja World, worthy of the history books, well, if the Ninja World continues to exist…"
Rasa, deeply stung by these words, almost wished to bury himself in sand but sadly realized this was indeed the truth.
There have been Kazekages who died in battle, but never one captured alive…
"Since you've taken the initiative to bring people over, you must want something. Please feel free to make your requests. For our Village Hidden by Sand now, as incompetent as those two may be, they cannot be abandoned."
Ebizo also openly declared his household's sincerity.
The mysterious disappearance of the Third Kazekage and the village's reliance on an elite small-scale training model meant that they now had only those two young individuals capable of carrying the weight of the future – irreplaceable.
"You give too much credit," Mr. Tao responded placidly, unconcerned about the ninjas surrounding the outside, "Earlier, there was a misunderstanding that led to an unexpected attack from them. So to compensate, the Kazekage has offered the Tailed Beast as an apology, gifting it under the authority of the Kazekage. I'm here to collect the 'goods' and, moreover, to discuss our forthcoming alliance..."
I want the Tailed Beasts, and I want the alliance too!