"Phew… finally, it's over…"
Inside the inn where the Sunagakure delegation was staying, Rasa returned utterly exhausted. He looked weary, but his eyes glinted with excitement.
Because at last, the genjutsu game deal with the Hidden Leaf Village had been finalized.
Although both sides had agreed in principle to the transaction as early as the second day of meeting with Hiruzen Sarutobi, the exact terms took a grueling series of negotiations to iron out.
These past few days, Rasa and two aides had engaged in long, mentally taxing talks with Konoha's delegation, led by the Nara clan.
Both parties haggled over every detail. For the Leaf, it was about political achievement, and even the Nara had to fight for the best terms. For Sunagakure, which was simply poor, every bit of benefit mattered—they needed to gain the most at the lowest cost.
In the end, while the deal didn't meet Rasa's highest hopes, the outcome was still satisfactory.
From Konoha's perspective, it was merely a matter of how much profit they could make. So once it seemed fair, Lord Third agreed to the terms—especially since the genjutsu game proposal submitted by Uchiha Kei had emphasized the importance of market control over immediate profit in early-stage expansion. Once they controlled the market, greater returns would come.
Hiruzen didn't fully understand commerce, but his advisors assured him that prioritizing market dominance was the right move. So he went along with it.
For Rasa, this negotiation had been more exhausting than an all-out battle. But the results were promising: Sunagakure secured import rights for the genjutsu game, an unaltered version no less—albeit at three times the price compared to Leaf prices, with import limits. Furthermore, Sunagakure had to permit Konoha's Game Association to open arcades in the Land of Wind and ensure their protection from sabotage.
However, the arcades would pay mission fees to the Suna ninja hired for guard duty, classifying it as a formal employment mission.
To Rasa, this condition was extremely generous. He had expected Konoha to demand unpaid protection as part of the agreement. Instead, the Game Association was willing to pay regular fees. This was a boon for Suna, where employment issues had long plagued them.
Indeed, the poorest village among the five great nations, Sunagakure had always struggled with job scarcity. Mission issuers tended to overlook Suna, which led to fewer assignments and job scarcity for its regular ninja.
With arcades offering formal contracts to Suna shinobi, a decent number of jobs would be created. Even if the Land of Wind was mostly desert, there were still several cities where arcades could be opened. Ten guards per arcade meant dozens of new jobs.
Better yet, Suna could rotate those guards on shifts, extending employment opportunities even further. For ninjas so poor that hardship was their only virtue, pay wasn't the issue—just having work was enough.
Relieved, Rasa was ready to share the good news… only to discover most of the delegation was missing from the inn.
Normally, he returned late due to negotiations. After all, like their Earth counterparts, shinobi also had to wine and dine their counterparts.
But now that the talks were over and he returned early, he found the place empty.
After asking a few who remained, Rasa learned that most had gone off with Sasori… to play games at the arcade.
His face darkened instantly.
Damn it. While he'd been breaking his back negotiating with Konoha, these people were off playing games—with the delegation's budget!
Especially Sasori—his second-in-command! To take a whole group on an official expense-paid game spree was utterly outrageous!
Even though genjutsu games had proven beneficial to ninja, Rasa had learned that the arcade versions were heavily nerfed—more for entertainment than training. To spend money on that was a complete waste.
Investigating such games only took a few days at most. Yet Sasori went every day, spending entire days there, dragging everyone along.
What was he doing? Trying to corrupt the entire elite team of Suna?
Rasa's fury, built up over days, now zeroed in on Sasori.
And with the team leader's simmering rage, the mood in the inn grew tense. The remaining Suna shinobi tiptoed around, fearing they'd trigger a volcanic eruption.
Time passed.
Rasa's temper didn't cool—it worsened.
He stared at the clock, determined to see when Sasori would return. He forbade anyone from alerting them. Everyone was ordered to wait in the inn, making the wait unbearable.
Finally, around 7 PM, Sasori returned with a crowd of shinobi who were still animatedly chatting about their in-game experiences.
They looked just like delinquent kids from Earth, coming home from an all-day gaming session at a net café.
Then they saw Rasa—sitting expressionless at the entrance.
The cheerful mood vanished. The air grew tense.
The returning shinobi grew stiff, their limbs awkward, like children caught doing something wrong.
Only Sasori remained composed. "Is something wrong, Rasa-senpai? Sitting here like this—do you want to tell us something?"
That calm tone was the final spark. Rasa's fury exploded. He stood up and snapped:
"You're seriously asking? You have the nerve to ask me that? Sasori, do you even know what you're doing?! You dragged a whole group out to play genjutsu games—are you insane?!"
Frowning slightly, Sasori replied coolly, "Is there a problem? I was leading an investigation into the genjutsu game. A detailed one."
"Investigation? This needed such detail? You can figure out those games with a quick probe—why take so many people?"
"Sasori, don't tell me you didn't realize the public game versions are nerfed. They're mostly for entertainment. For us ninja, they're practically useless!"
"And yet you waste days investigating them? With a whole group?! Are you joking? You're just playing around!"
"Sasori! You're neglecting your duties!"
He ended in a roar. The room went dead silent.
Realizing he had lost his composure, Rasa took a deep breath and continued coldly:
"I will report this matter truthfully to the Kazekage. He will decide what comes next."
With that, Rasa returned to his room.
The others scattered too. Only a few comforted Sasori before heading to their quarters.
Sasori remained silent the entire time. Once alone, he murmured a single word:
"Pointless…"
Yes, it was all pointless.
Sasori might have been young, but he wasn't a fool. He was sharp—he could tell that Rasa's public outburst had been half performance. An attempt to damage his reputation and plant seeds of doubt in the Kazekage's mind.
After all, both men were candidates for the Fourth Kazekage. And though Rasa hid it well, no one wanted the role more than he did.
Naturally, given the opportunity, Rasa wouldn't hesitate to drag Sasori down a notch. While his methods weren't exactly refined, in a village like Suna, it didn't take much.
Some in the delegation had already figured out Rasa's angle. But since it was a rivalry between future Kazekage candidates, none of the underlings dared get involved. They simply watched.
But to Sasori, it was all just boring. He never cared about the Kazekage title.
Back in his room, Sasori silently opened the sealing scroll containing his newly purchased copy of *Left 4 Dead*, preparing to solo the game—starting with the puppet-heavy maps.
Except… this time, the game launch failed.
Instead of entering a scenario, his consciousness arrived in an endless grassland.
There was nothing around.
What's more, he hadn't transformed into a game avatar—he was standing in the field as himself.
Frowning, Sasori cautiously observed his surroundings. Then a voice rang out—electronic and synthesized.
"Sasori of Sunagakure, the prodigy of the puppet arts, unmatched even in your youth. Your heart pursues the pinnacle of puppet techniques, desiring to make them into eternal art."
"Hm… quite the ambitious young man. But do you truly understand what the pinnacle of puppetry means?"
Sasori whipped around toward the voice—and froze.
A figure stood not far away.
It was a metal-clad man, wearing a crimson armor of exquisite craftsmanship. A light glowed in his chest. Golden electronic eyes flickered from behind his cold helmet.
The entire metal suit was composed of countless perfect components—crafted with precision far beyond anything Sasori had seen.
A level of tech far beyond any puppet art in the shinobi world. Truly a creation of supreme craftsmanship.
If an Earthling saw this scene, they would only cry out one word—
"Holy crap, it's Iron Man!"