Not wanting to continue the discussion about Konoha's proposed reinforcements, Rasa decisively ended the meeting and asked Roshi to leave.
Even with the Kazekage's verbal assurance to uphold the alliance, Team 5's movements within Sunagakure remained tightly restricted.
Only after Roshi's repeated requests did the Village reluctantly allow them a sliver of freedom—permission to visit designated commercial districts, and even then, they were closely watched by accompanying shinobi.
"It's so strict here…" Anko muttered under her breath, feeling several gazes pricking her back. "We don't treat foreign envoys this way in Konoha, do we?"
"The current Konoha has been reorganized," Roshi replied calmly as he browsed a row of shelves in a Sunagakure shop. "All clan compounds and important zones are now outside the main districts. The commercial areas are open even to outsiders, for trade and diplomacy."
The shop shelves weren't bare—far from it. There were luxury items like goldwork, high-grade spices, and rare medicinal herbs. But the selection of daily necessities was limited, and the prices were absurdly high.
Roshi's fingertips trailed across several items before stopping at a small bottle of perfume, elegantly packaged.
He picked it up.
'This can be reimbursed, right…?'
That thought lingered as Roshi paid for it.
"Captain," Anko said with mild shock, eyeing the price tag. "You're actually buying that? Is it a gift for someone?" She leaned in and sniffed. "Well… it does smell amazing."
Roshi smiled faintly. "You could say that. A gift."
He slipped the perfume away, lost interest in shopping further, and led the team back to their assigned quarters.
When they returned, Ebizo was there—napping in a chair.
The old man's head drooped forward, his chest rising and falling with shallow snores, as though he'd been waiting for hours.
"Advisor Ebizo," Roshi greeted quietly.
"Mm… oh, little brat Roshi, you're finally back." Ebizo stirred, lifting his head with half-lidded eyes. "Old bones can't stand long waits."
His sharp gaze flicked to the small cloth bag Roshi carried. His nostrils twitched almost imperceptibly.
"The brat's got good taste," he said, grinning like a shopkeeper greeting a big spender. "Sunagakure's goods aren't bad, eh? Buy more, spend more!"
Then, his smile thinned. "By the way, when are you leaving? Konoha must be getting anxious to hear our stance. Don't tell me you plan to stay and eat back all the money you've spent."
Roshi set the bag aside, unhurried, and poured himself a glass of water before answering.
Konoha might have been anxious at first. But as days passed without any hostile moves from Sunagakure, that calm in itself was an unspoken message.
There was no need to rush.
"We haven't received the Kazekage's formal reply yet," Roshi said evenly. "It wouldn't be right to return empty-handed."
Ebizo stretched out an arm, and a small scroll slid from his wide sleeve, landing with a soft thud on the table.
"This is it. Time to head home, kid."
Roshi didn't reach for it. "Kazekage-sama doesn't seem to want to see me personally."
Ebizo snorted. "Your sharp tongue is a menace. The Fourth Kazekage has better things to do than argue with you."
He slammed his palm lightly against the table. "You keep talking about reinforcements—what reinforcements? Stop dancing around it. Unless Konoha delivers what it promised, Sunagakure won't move a finger!"
His voice sharpened. "I even turned a blind eye when you killed the Iwagakure envoy. Isn't that sincerity enough?"
"Kid, who do you think you're threatening? Even if that old fox Ōnoki is unreliable, if he truly wanted to fight Konoha, he could still throw money at the problem."
"I chose Konoha," Ebizo went on, his tone rising with each word, "because among the entire ninja world, only Sunagakure and Konoha have the best foundation for cooperation—not because you were our only option. Understand, brat?!"
His voice grew louder, his breath heavier. Roshi quietly refilled the old man's cup.
Ebizo glared but still took it, gulping the water down in irritation. The silence that followed was heavy but calmer.
Only then did Roshi reach for the scroll. He examined the seal and signature carefully, confirmed they were authentic, and tucked it away.
Ebizo watched him coldly, then snorted and stood.
"Leave tomorrow. Sunagakure will send three squads to escort you out."
"Advisor Ebizo," Roshi said suddenly, his tone calm but edged with curiosity. "Since we both understand we're the best partners available, why can't we cooperate more openly?"
He met the old man's eyes. "In this world, aside from the Hidden Mist, the village least likely to attack Sunagakure is Konoha."
"The village that most sincerely seeks lasting peace with Sunagakure… is also Konoha."
"And now," Roshi continued, "is the best time for our friendship to deepen—and the perfect chance to weaken our common threat, Iwagakure."
Ebizo's face was unreadable. He said nothing.
Without Iwagakure's pressure, would Konoha still offer such generous terms? He didn't believe it. Rasa didn't either.
Permanent peace? That was a dream for people who didn't have to fight the wind for their next meal.
When Ebizo finally left, Roshi sat in silence, his mind troubled.
Why was Sunagakure suddenly in such a hurry?
Had something changed within the Village—or somewhere else in the ninja world?
Team 5 had heard no news in Sunagakure; information was sealed tight.
Either way, it was time to return. As the leader of the envoy, Roshi had done all he could.
Ebizo's "tomorrow" came quickly.
Early the next morning, Team 5 departed Suna, escorted by three full squads—twelve Sunagakure ninja in total.
They barely stopped along the way.
Their so-called escorts behaved less like protectors and more like wardens, ensuring the Konoha team didn't stray an inch from the assigned route as they sped toward the Land of Fire.
The only upside was that with such a large escort, Team 5 could afford longer rest periods.
The downside—everything else. The pace was relentless. The urgency palpable.
It was strange. Even for cautious Sunagakure, this was excessive.
Roshi's doubts only grew, but with so many eyes watching, there was no chance to investigate.
After a full day and night of travel, the familiar green canopy of the Land of Fire finally came into view. The border outpost's watchtowers and fences rose like old friends on the horizon.
At last, the Sunagakure squads halted.
Their leader—a composed jōnin—stepped forward and gave a curt bow.
"Jōnin Roshi," he said, "we were ordered to escort you this far. Beyond this point lies the Land of Fire. Farewell."
With that, all twelve Sunagakure ninja turned in unison and disappeared into the desert wind without another word.
The Konoha shinobi stationed at the border had already spotted them approaching. A few approached cautiously, verifying identities before the middle-aged captain came forward.
"Jōnin Roshi! You're finally back! The Village's been worried sick about you in Sunagakure…"
His eyes were full of curiosity, searching Roshi's face for answers.
Roshi nodded curtly. "Mission complete. Sunagakure remains cooperative."
He produced the sealed scroll. "I have the Kazekage's formal reply. I'll report directly to the Third Hokage."
At that, the Chūnin exhaled loudly, relief washing over him. He turned and called out to the others:
"You heard him! The alliance stands—Sunagakure's still with us!"
Cheers broke out behind him, brief but heartfelt.
For now, at least, the fragile peace held.
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