"Hmph! You bastard—if you want to start a war, then come at me!"
"I am the Fourth Kazekage. I will never bow to a Konoha ninja."
"Especially not someone like you!"
Rasa's fury only grew at Kazuyama Gekkō's words.
Kazuyama, however, laughed heartily. His sudden appearance in the Land of Wind wasn't just to witness Shukaku—his real purpose was to find someone capable of testing his new abilities.
Rasa was the perfect opponent. Though his methods were a bit over the top, this was far better than sparring with anyone back in the village.
After all, despite stirring up chaos in Konoha all year, Kazuyama's Taijutsu attribute still hadn't reached its peak.
So now, he had to take an unconventional approach.
"Oh come on, look at you—why so petty?"
"If you let Gaara take me as his master, I can guarantee it: Konoha and Sunagakure will form an alliance."
"What do you say?"
Kazuyama waved his hand again, scattering the Gold Dust with an invisible force.
But his words shocked Rasa far more than his technique.
An alliance between Konoha and Sunagakure? For the Sand Village, that would be nothing but beneficial—assuming the alliance was formed on equal terms.
After all, though the Land of Wind had vast territory, its resources were scarce. If not for Rasa's ability to manipulate Gold Dust, the situation in Sunagakure would have been far worse.
As Kazekage, Rasa naturally placed the welfare of his village first. He'd even considered forming alliances with other hidden villages—especially now that the Third Shinobi World War had ended.
The villages had mostly returned to normal life. There were still occasional skirmishes, but no one wanted another war.
Kirigakure: ??? Are you serious?
Kumogakure: Cough cough...
"Hmph! Why should I believe anything you say?"
"You, Konoha's Ghost, the man who walks in shadows—can you really speak for your Hokage?"
Rasa swung his arms again, unleashing wave after wave of Gold Dust that surged toward Kazuyama.
But every time the Gold Dust neared him, an invisible force repelled it, causing the glittering particles to vanish without a trace.
The strange phenomenon made Rasa even warier. For a moment, he couldn't see through Kazuyama at all.
"Tch, what's wrong with being a ghost?"
"A ghost is still one of Konoha's Twin Stars. Not to brag, but aside from Hokage Minato Namikaze, I'm the next in command."
"When I speak, the Hokage usually listens."
"Besides, alliances mean resource exchange. Even a desert like yours has something to offer."
"I know Sunagakure maintains an herb cultivation base—and the medicinal plants there are excellent."
"Of course, we'd trade with equal value in return."
Kazuyama's plan was sharp and calculated. Taking advantage of him was impossible.
"Hmph. I still don't trust you."
"Still don't? Then look over there."
Seeing Rasa's skeptical expression, Kazuyama grinned and gestured toward the sand dunes behind him.
Rasa followed his gaze—but everything beyond was blurry, completely out of focus.
"What's over there? It's all hazy. I can't see a thing."
"Ah…"
Only then did Kazuyama realize it was the side effect of his Senjutsu. He quickly explained, "Stop the Gold Dust attack. I'll lift the technique, and then you'll see."
Rasa frowned. So it really was a technique. But what kind?
Driven by curiosity, he halted his attack. Immediately, his vision cleared.
The blur disappeared, and two figures became visible in the distance. The moment he recognized them, his guard shot up.
"Konoha's White Fang? Lady Tsunade?"
"When did they appear?!"
Without hesitation, Rasa formed a mass of Gold Dust and hurled it skyward, where it exploded into a radiant burst.
Kazuyama didn't react. It was just a signal flare—calling for backup.
But what did it matter? Even if reinforcements came, he could leave whenever he wanted. Taking Sakumo and Tsunade with him would be no problem either.
"Hey, hey, no need to call for help. If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't need them."
"I brought them here only to show you my sincerity."
"We're both fathers. Those two over there—one is my son's teacher, the other is my daughter's."
"If you agree, I'll be your son's teacher from now on."
"Once that happens, Konoha and Sunagakure will form an alliance. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone got along?"
"As for Shukaku, the One-Tail—don't worry. With me here, you won't have any trouble."
Kazuyama spread his hands. His technique test was complete; now came the real goal—recruiting the One-Tail's Jinchūriki.
That was the reason he had set his sights on Rasa.
The Two-Tails was already an ally. The Seven-Tails was himself.
He'd sent people to locate the Five-Tails. The Four-Tails had left its village.
The Six-Tails had changed hosts, and the Three-Tails hadn't yet revived. It was time for him to start arranging the next step of his plan.
"What exactly are your intentions? I don't believe you came to Sunagakure just for my son."
"It's Shukaku you're after, isn't it?"
"Hmph. Don't take this the wrong way, but you know what would happen if Konoha held two Tailed Beasts."
"Even if Konoha is powerful, it doesn't have another monster like the First Hokage."
Rasa wasn't wrong—that was precisely why Kazuyama had kept his identity as the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki a secret.
Konoha, already possessing the Nine-Tails, could never openly take another Tailed Beast without shattering the balance of power. That would lead to every major village turning on Konoha.
Ahem. Not that they hadn't done so already—but this time, it would mean something very different.
"I told you, your son and I are a perfect match, got it?"
"He's meant to be my disciple. As for you... we can barely be considered equals."
That last line made a vein pop on Rasa's forehead. His rage boiled over.
"You bastard! Die!"
"Gold Dust Waterfall!!!"
"Die here in this desert!"
The Gold Dust surged again, transforming into a massive golden cascade.
"Ah, come on—still so short-tempered?"
"In that case, let me show you what I mastered during my year of training."
"Senjutsu: No Interval."
Kazuyama extended his index and middle fingers, forming a sword-like seal. Chakra condensed tightly around him—then burst forward just as the Gold Dust Waterfall came crashing down.
The next instant, a terrifying sight appeared.
The waterfall of Gold Dust split open down the middle, a massive hole tearing through it—and that hole kept spreading outward, widening by the second.