Sunagakure was poor and underpopulated, with little wealth to spare. Higher-ranking ninja had to pay steeper taxes to set an example, making leadership roles…
Physically draining, emotionally taxing, and financially ruinous!
If all had gone as planned, Rasa would've become Kazekage—a father figure to the village, mining gold in the desert to feed everyone.
Only the heavens knew how Momu had endured these past months. No funds, reporting to superiors that this front couldn't hold without reinforcements, only to receive a handful of kids and their Chūnin instructors—five or six squads, utterly useless!
To defend the Land of Wind's border and block Kusagakure and Iwagakure's advance, he'd had to sacrifice lives.
Now, seeing Rasa-sama—missing and presumed dead—return as a powerhouse, storming Kusagakure's camp without a word, Momu was thrilled. All the Sand shinobi were. After two months of stifled battles, they could finally strike back!
Had Iwagakure and Kusagakure not restrained their aggression, fearing heavy losses while awaiting news from the Kumogakure-Sunagakure front to exhaust this defense line, it would've collapsed long ago.
With fervor, under temporary commander Momu's rallying roar, the Sand shinobi charged toward Kusagakure's camp.
---
"What do we do now, Ōtsuchi-sama?" an Iwagakure ninja asked, frowning at the besieged Kusagakure camp, surrounded by one man.
"It's indeed the Third Kazekage's disciple—Rasa," Ōtsuchi said, brow furrowed. "But no word for over two months—what happened?"
"This needs attention," he nodded, staring at the chaos. "And…"
His tone hardened. "Didn't you report Rasa was mentally broken, unhinged from the Third Kazekage's loss? What's this?"
His strength… was terrifying.
[Does the old man have this kind of power?]
Maybe with Dust Release, he'd match it. That ability to desiccate ninja into husks, and turning to sand when attacked…
[A strange ability… a kekkei genkai?]
Was that sand transformation a unique Sunagakure clone technique?
Unable to discern the truth, Ōtsuchi ordered his ninja to record and assess the situation.
As for Kusagakure… whether Iwagakure aided them was irrelevant. Their sacrifice was valuable, providing vital intelligence.
Besides, Kusagakure was Konoha's ally, not Iwagakure's! Even the Uzumaki Clan, once close to Konoha, was… heh. Why should Iwagakure care?
"Record everything—analyze his strength and situation. Wait… that terrifying ability vanished?"
Before Ōtsuchi could finish, a ninja stammered, "Ōtsuchi-sama… the Sand shinobi… they're coming too."
---
The minute ended quickly. As elementalization faded, Rasa relied on his ninja skills to fend off Kusagakure's attacks. Despite losing the card's power, his initial display had cowed them into hesitation.
But soon…
"That weird ability can't last!" a Kusagakure ninja shouted.
"Everyone, attack!"
"Avenge our fallen comrades!"
Realizing Rasa's strange, fearsome power was gone, their fury erupted, and they charged.
Rasa knew he couldn't stay. Sand-transmitted intel revealed Iwagakure had been nearby, observing. If they noticed his weakened state, they'd seize the chance to kill him and study his corpse.
A ninja's secrets couldn't be hidden, even in death.
Facing the frenzied Kusagakure ninja, Rasa sighed, eyeing the surviving enemies and intact camp. "Time to retreat," he murmured.
But then…
He spotted a bloodied, frail Kusagakure ninja, barely clinging to life, bite the arm of a red-haired girl nearby. Instantly, the ninja sprang back, full of vigor!
Rasa's eyes lit up. [Could she be…]
Red hair, immense chakra, healing injuries—unmistakable!
Thinking of Karura's frail health… sure, his gacha cheats could eventually find a cure with enough pulls, but why pass up a ready solution? If Karura bit her arm, childbirth complications would be avoided.
Plus, he was doing a good deed—saving someone from hell, earning merit!
One bite… shouldn't be a big deal, right?
With that, Rasa charged toward the medical ninja's area. [I, Rasa, want to be a good person!]
"Damn it, stop him!" Kusagakure ninja spotted his intent, swarming to intercept. They caused trouble—though easily dispatched, any delay risked entrapment by the entire camp.
This was a war-bound army, not a small training squad. His earlier attack had only thinned their numbers.
To save time, Rasa gathered gold dust to block the charging ninja, keeping them at bay.
"Damn it!" the Kusagakure commander seethed, watching Rasa weave through their ranks untouched. By tomorrow, Kusagakure would be a laughingstock—a single non-Kage ninja storming their camp, unstoppable.
How could others not mock them?
Seeing the panicked medical ninja and Kusagakure's failure to match Rasa's pace, the commander aged visibly.
[This war… Kusagakure has lost!]
His face hardened, glaring at the red-haired Uzumaki Clan member, taken in after their clan's destruction.
"Kill her! Now!"
As Kusagakure's commander, he couldn't let the village be shamed.
But before he could act…
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Shield!"
Rasa remotely shielded the Uzumaki girl, pressing forward. But as he neared, the pressure mounted. Just as he debated retreating to plan another day…
"Rasa-sama, we're here!"
A familiar, infuriating voice rang out behind him.
(End of Chapter)