Kazekage Ninja: The Rise of the Hidden Sand Chapter 179 - 74: We Take Nothing But the Sign

"These conditions must be unconditionally accepted by your Sandglass Group. Otherwise, we will use every ans necessary to reclaim all industries along the Shule River!"

"Bang!"

Yahiko, exuding an air of dominance, slamd the table and pushed a docunt toward Yashamaru, the manager of the Sandglass Group's Rain Country branch.

Behind him, Nagato and Daibutsu, acting as bodyguards, straightened their backs and took a half-step forward, seemingly in sync with Yahiko's rhythm, applying even more pressure on the other side of the negotiation table.

Yashamaru, however, remained unhurried and unruffled. He calmly opened the docunt, carefully turned the pages, and began reading it thoroughly.

Yahiko restrained the excitent surging within him. At this mont, he was accomplishing a feat that even his idol, Tadano Myawata, had not achieved—nationalizing "foreign capital" and returning the wealth created by the people of Agakure to its rightful owners. Just the thought of it filled him with exhilaration.

The reason Yahiko didn't choose to expel the Sandglass Group through violence was a result of careful consideration. Opting for a "peace before force" approach stemd from his understanding that Sunagakure (Hidden Sand Village) was no pushover, and the Third Kazekage Jinghang was no incompetent figure like Rain Shadow Nenshin Kongo. Currently, Sunagakure was at its peak strength, and any rash actions would undoubtedly provoke a fierce retaliation.

This was, after all, a village that had gone to war with Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village) over twenty-four workers and had annihilated the eastern and western deserts of the Land of Wind over a fifty-person caravan. They were not to be trifled with.

Moreover, the Sandglass Group had been entrenched along the Shule River for nearly a decade, with deeply rooted influence. Despite being a foreign entity, they had provided indirect protection to the local populace along the river. Apart from the chaos caused by the "Dawn Rebellion," there had been no significant bloodshed, and the Sandglass Group enjoyed considerable support among the locals.

However, Yahiko knew he needed to take a stand. On one hand, Akatsuki had just assud power in the Land of Rain and had been formally recognized by the daimyo. Without tangible achievents, how could the people distinguish the new "governnt" from the old one?

On the other hand, the temptation was simply too great. The Sandglass Group's assets included a ninja tool factory, a canning factory, a logistics center, an office building, two iron mines, two direct-owned stores, three hotels, and various other riverfront businesses. The total value was astronomical—so much so that Yahiko, who wasn't great at math, couldn't even calculate it. But he knew it was a fortune. With this wealth, he could recruit more soldiers, expand his forces, and build a strong, democratic, and free nation.

At worst, it would be a mutually destructive outco. The higher-ups in Konohagakure (Hidden Leaf Village) had already begun communicating with Akatsuki. If Konoha diated, Sunagakure might not dare to retaliate.

Yahiko had carefully deliberated over the terms of the agreent. In the end, he decided to go big—all or nothing!

"Start high, settle for less." This was one of Yahiko's political principles, which carried a hint of street-smart cunning: coax when you can, deceive when you must, and intimidate if necessary.

And what if it actually worked? Wouldn't that be a huge win?

Yashamaru read the docunt slowly, seemingly unaffected by the pressure from across the table. Occasionally, he even picked up a pen to circle typos. The oppressive atmosphere that Yahiko had painstakingly built was gradually eroded by Yashamaru's calm corrections.

After about two hours, Yashamaru finally finished reading. He leisurely picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "You should revise this docunt. It's practically unreadable. Even our worst clerks write better than this."

Yahiko was furious. He stood up abruptly and slamd the table again.

"I warn you, this represents the voice of the Rain Country's people, who have been exploited by you for ten years. If you don't agree, do you believe—"

"I believe."

Before Yahiko could finish, Yashamaru calmly interrupted him.

"Young man, there's no need to get so worked up or rush things. Sit down and listen to first."

Yashamaru gestured with a smile, inviting Yahiko to sit.

"Go ahead, speak," Yahiko said, puffing up indignantly as he sat down. After all, you don't hit soone who's smiling at you, and negotiations require hearing the other side out.

"Look, this is an important docunt between villages. Setting aside the sloppy handwriting, just look at the sentences—one awkward phrasing after another, not to ntion the nurous typos. These could easily lead to misunderstandings. Leader Yahiko, how can I sign such a docunt?" Yashamaru spread out the docunt, pointing to the sections he had marked in red pen, and explained patiently.

"Moreover, for a docunt that determines asset ownership, there should be two copies. You've only given one. After I sign it, should I take it with or leave it here? If I take it, you'll have no proof. If I leave it, how will I report back to Lady Yura and Lord Jinghang?"

By the end of his explanation, Yashamaru's expression was almost one of exasperation, while Yahiko's face turned bright red.

It wasn't entirely Yahiko's fault. He and Nagato and Konan had grown up as war orphans on the streets of Agakure, with little access to formal education. The three years they spent with Jiraiya had taught them so basic literacy, but only enough to escape illiteracy. They were far more interested in ninjutsu than in learning how to draft official docunts. Later, they were too busy "revolutionizing" to learn much else.

This lack of education was not unique to them. Most of Akatsuki's core mbers had similar backgrounds. Ninjas, after all, were not scholars; as long as they could understand orders, that was enough. Ninjas like Jiraiya, who excelled in both ninjutsu and novel writing, were exceedingly rare.

"Let's set that aside for now. The docunt can be fixed. What I want to know is whether you accept our terms!" Yahiko demanded, his frustration evident.

"Sure," Yashamaru replied calmly.

"Good! I knew it. Don't bla for not warning you in advance if—wait, what did you just say?"

Yahiko seed unsure if he had heard correctly.

"I said, sure," Yashamaru repeated with a smile.

"Years ago, Lord Rasa, under the orders of the Third Kazekage Jinghang, established the Sandglass Group along the Shule River to create mutual benefits for both villages. Since the people of Agakure no longer welco us, we have no choice but to leave."

Yahiko had envisioned countless outcos and prepared countless counterasures, including contingency plans for being taken hostage by Yashamaru. But he had never expected Yashamaru to agree so readily.

Sensing Yahiko's lingering doubts, Yashamaru added, "Rest assured, I'm being truthful. Once you finalize the docunt, I and all our staff stationed in the Rain Country will withdraw within a week. You can send people to take over the accounts today."

Yashamaru clapped his hands, and a secretary imdiately brought in a large stack of account books.

As Yahiko stared at the account books, he still couldn't believe how smoothly everything was going.

"Other than the Sandglass Group's sign and our personal belongings, we won't take anything else," Yashamaru said with a smile.

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