Being the weakest of the Five Great Ninja Villages, the Hidden Sand's shortcomings were becoming increasingly apparent.
Their supplies were no longer keeping pace with the demands of war, while Konoha had an endless stream of resources being delivered to the camp.
Compared to the well-funded Konoha, the Hidden Sand simply wasn't in the same league when it came to provisions.
Looking at the supply logs, the Third Kazekage's head was practically splitting.
He'd much rather be out on the battlefield, trading blows with Sakumo Hatake, than sitting here dealing with these logistical headaches.
"Is there still no word from the Daimyo?"
The war continued, but their supplies were running out. The only options left were to loot what they could or buy it.
But making those purchases would depend on the Daimyo's negotiations.
After the Third Kazekage had assured the Daimyo of the Hidden Sand's imminent victory, the Daimyo agreed to purchase additional supplies and provide some support for the war effort.
"They're currently negotiating with the Daimyo of the Land of Fields. As for the Land of Fire, after what happened with the Hidden Rain, and considering the ongoing war, the Daimyo has refused to sell any resources to the Land of Wind."
When push came to shove, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire knew where his loyalties lay.
If his sale of resources caused Konoha to lose the war, he'd be branded as a traitor to his own country.
The situation had changed drastically since the early days of the conflict.
Even Konoha's resources were beginning to stretch thin. If the Daimyo started selling to the Hidden Sand, there would be plenty of outrage.
Not to mention, during the early days of the war, many Sand ninjas had infiltrated the Land of Fire, causing chaos and looting supplies. All of these factors combined had made the Fire Daimyo choose his side.
The Sand Village liked to stir up trouble, and now they were coming to Konoha for help?
Dream on!
Forced into a corner, and with no support from the Land of Fire, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind was now turning to the Land of Fields, hoping to purchase large quantities of grain to support the Hidden Sand's war efforts.
As long as they won the war, the Daimyo stood to make a hefty profit, and they could carve out a chunk of the Land of Fire to make up for their losses.
But if they lost...
The compensation alone would be enough to bankrupt the Hidden Sand.
At that point, the Third Kazekage would be reduced to little more than a miner, constantly digging for resources to cover the village's losses.
Frustrated, the Kazekage massaged his aching temples and muttered through gritted teeth, "Has that brat made it to the frontlines yet?"
"..."