Back in Sunagakure, Rasa imdiately gathered several Fire Style users and handed them the Heavenly Prison sealing scroll. He even created a brand-new departnt called the Supervision Division.
Using the Heavenly Prison technique, they could completely control the prisoners. No chakra use. Couldn't stray too far from the caster. The captives were locked down tight.
Fewer guards. More prisoners. Maximum efficiency.
It didn't take long before the Supervision Division had the hundreds of Mist prisoners working in the mines.
Their days of eating and sleeping in peace were over.
They had their "freedom"—and a job.
Twelve-hour shifts. No downti except for als and the bare minimum of rest. Sand ninja watched them constantly. No slacking allowed.
Rasa had two reasons for this setup.
First: squeeze every last drop of value out of them for Sunagakure.
Second: make them hate the Hidden Mist even more.
The worse they suffered, the more they'd resent their own village for abandoning them after the ceasefire. For not coming to ransom them. For treating them like they were already dead.
"Why?"
"Did Lord Mizukage already forget about us?"
"Did he just give up on us?"
"We fought for the village. We earned our keep. We're still ninja!"
"When the hell are they coming for us?"
One Mist ninja swung his pickaxe, face twisted in pain.
This was brutal. Twelve hours a day was already hell—especially digging in the mines. Sand ninja breathing down their necks every second. The contrast was brutal. They used to be proud Mist shinobi. Now they were slaves while their forr enemies lived easy.
"It's not coming," another Mist ninja muttered coldly.
"If the village was going to send soone, they would've done it already. The fact that no one's shown up ans they're not coming. We've been abandoned."
"In their eyes, we're not worth saving anymore."
The first ninja looked furious.
"Why the hell not? Aren't we still part of the village? We gave everything for them!"
"Because they decided we're not worth the cost. And what can you do about it?"
"Damn it… We were so loyal. We would've died for that village. Now I see how stupid we were."
"If I ever get another chance, I'm never being loyal to them again."
"The Hidden Mist… is trash."
"Compared to Sunagakure? Night and day."
At that mont, many of the Mist prisoners felt genuine envy toward the Sand ninja.
An older Mist ninja spoke up.
"It's not that the Hidden Mist is worse than Sunagakure. It's that our Mizukage is worse than their Kazekage. Sunagakure got lucky this generation. They got a good one."
"Rasa… he's the real deal."
"Yagura Karatachi doesn't even co close."
Rasa read the reports from the Supervision Division and raised an eyebrow, pleased.
He knew the old Mist ninja was right.
A village was huge.
But the culture of a village was almost always shaped by just a handful of people at the top.
Without Rasa, Sunagakure would've been in much worse shape right now. Pakura would be dead. The village would've suffered a crushing defeat. Most of the civilians would be struggling just to survive.
A figure entered the Kazekage Tower.
"Wind Shadow-sama."
"Ebizo. Sit."
"You wanted to see , Wind Shadow-sama?"
"It's about the Hidden Mist."
Rasa's voice was cold.
"The Hidden Mist went too far. We had a peace agreent. Then they stabbed us in the back with no warning and no apology. They just blad everything on that dead elder Genshi. And now they're completely ignoring the hundreds of their own ninja we're still holding."
"Acting like the whole thing never happened."
"Pathetic."
Ebizo nodded.
"The Hidden Mist really crossed the line. This kind of behavior sets a terrible precedent for the entire ninja world. If no one can trust each other after signing treaties, who's going to believe anyone next ti there's a war?"
"They're setting a dangerous example."
Rasa leaned forward.
"That's why we need to make the Hidden Mist pay."
"What do you have in mind, Wind Shadow-sama?"
Rasa thought for a mont.
"Sunagakure is busy right now. We're focused on recovery and building the Sun Disk. The Hidden Mist is too far away anyway. Attacking them directly would be difficult."
"That's probably why they feel safe acting this way."
"So we need a thod that doesn't require sending a big force… but still hits them hard."
Ebizo imdiately understood.
"Wind Shadow-sama… you want to spread a rumor?"
"Not exactly a rumor," Rasa said.
"Ebizo, don't you think the collapse of the Seven Ninja Swordsn happened way too suddenly?"
"Fuguki Suikazan suddenly 'defected' and the Mist accused him of making a deal with us. But you and I both know that never happened. If it had, he'd be here in Sunagakure right now."
"Then Jinin Akebino and the other three went after Baki. Four elite jonin for one target—and they moved so slowly, like soone was deliberately stalling them."
"After all those people had problems, who benefited the most?"
Ebizo's pupils shrank.
"Wind Shadow-sama… are you saying Yagura Karatachi planned all of this?"
Rasa nodded.
"That's exactly what I think."
"Before all this, Yagura wasn't even a serious candidate for Mizukage. Now he's sitting in the seat. You're telling there's nothing suspicious about that?"
"Since there's clearly sothing wrong, let's help the people of the Land of Water and the Hidden Mist see it too."
"This will definitely cause problems for the Mist. Make them pay a price."
"I'm putting you in charge of this, Ebizo."
Ebizo bowed deeply.
"Yes, Wind Shadow-sama!"
[Ding!]
[The rumor you spread — "The Evil Scher Yagura Karatachi, the Betrayed Seven Ninja Swordsn, the Ignorant Villagers of the Hidden Mist" — has begun spreading.]
[Remaining activation points: 1. Activate to boost persuasiveness and earn points.]
[Activate?]
"Activate!"
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