Chapter 4: The Beginning of War
War had arrived.
The Hidden Cloud Village took advantage of the chaos and launched a surprise attack on the borders of the Land of Wind. The daimyo, who had long been cutting military funding, panicked and immediately sent envoys to the Hidden Sand Village for aid.
And just like that…
The atmosphere of war swept through the entire village. The attempt by advisors Chiyo and Ebizō to keep things quiet crumbled instantly.
With the Third Kazekage missing, the village leaderless, and now war on the horizon—who wouldn't be panicking?
But for shinobi, staying calm and adjusting swiftly to any situation was fundamental.
Let the civilians panic—ninjas must not.
Even though the daimyo's envoys arrived in a frenzy, they quickly left after a few vague words.
No silver. No supplies. Nothing.
Still, under the swift coordination of Chiyo and Ebizō, the shinobi mobilized and headed for the front lines.
And this... was barely a week after that nighttime meeting.
Every ninja in the village understood the reality: no manpower, no money, and yet no one wanted to become a wandering rogue.
The First Kazekage may have been thick-skinned—during the First Five Kage Summit, holding the One-Tailed Beast hostage while demanding both territory and funding from the so-called "God of Shinobi." But his motive for founding the Hidden Sand was peace.
It's just... this land was cursed. Every year brought more losses. The First Kazekage had no choice but to beg, and he did so for his people. If thick skin was needed to prevent starvation, so be it.
The day after the advisors departed, Rasa and Pakura also led their assigned squads to the front.
Honestly, Rasa had no interest in participating in another Great Ninja War. But in a chaotic world, who could truly remain uninvolved?
Not humans. Not even toads, slugs, or snakes.
Just look at the annihilated Uzushiogakure.
Once an ally of Konoha, now reduced to dust. All Konoha saved was one member to serve as the next jinchūriki. As for past promises? "Sorry, who are you again?"
Any ninja not from your own village? Treated as spies, no exceptions.
Such was the cruelty of the shinobi world. Leaving your village wasn't like applying for a passport—no one would take you in.
And besides…
Karura was in the Hidden Sand. She wasn't leaving, so neither could he.
Why couldn't I have reincarnated into Naruto or Boruto's timeline instead?
In Naruto's era, just lying around on the Hokage Rock meant safety. As for Boruto's era—average ninjas were so strong even Naruto didn't need to lift a finger. Ōtsutsuki? Kara? None of his business.
He thought back to the 100,000 ryō Pakura had lent him last week. Even the ever-diligent elite jonin barely had that much to her name. Everyone was struggling.
Compared to the Hidden Rock, Hidden Cloud, or Konoha, the Hidden Sand had fewer missions and less income. To keep the village running, every mission required a massive cut to be handed over.
Rasa sighed and shook his head. His plan to earn money by mining gold in the desert was now on hold thanks to the war.
He and Pakura parted ways mid-journey, each heading to a different battlefield.
"Lord Rasa," a shinobi beside him called, "do you really think the Hidden Rock will invade us too?"
Rasa, still thinking about ways to earn money, turned and nodded after a moment of contemplation. "Yes."
This was a full-scale war, and the other great villages wouldn't let the Hidden Cloud dominate unchecked. In the end, the fighting would turn into a chaotic free-for-all.
And knowing the muscle-obsessed Hidden Cloud, they'd probably keep provoking everyone just to show off. If the Sand could keep their heads down, eventually the top three shinobi villages would be the only ones left standing in the final battles.
All the Hidden Sand needed now was to survive—and ideally, help him "top up" his funds along the way.
Rasa wasn't clear on every detail of the Third Great Ninja War. But he did remember Might Duy opening the Eight Gates and wiping out half the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Minato's rise to legendary status, and that "grieving son" walking down a path of no return...
As for the rest? No clue.
Rasa figured it was enough to just take care of his small corner of the world—protect his wife, raise his children.
And if he had enough money, maybe one day he could stare down the Nine-Tails and say:
"Your power is too great. For the peace of the shinobi world, I can't let you roam free."
Then, from behind him, 9,999 hands would emerge, one of them gripping the Nine-Tails by the neck and dragging it home to help rebuild the village.
Who would dare argue then?
"So, everyone—prepare yourselves!"
Seeing how downcast his team looked, Rasa sighed inwardly.
The Hidden Sand had been through too much.
The Third Kazekage was missing. The daimyo had cut them off. Even Lord Rasa… seemed like a different person these days.
Facing an overwhelming enemy like the Hidden Cloud… what could they really do?
"Yes, sir!"
Despite their unease, the Sand shinobi stood tall, answering with the discipline born of years of training.
At least Lord Rasa, Pakura, Chiyo, and Ebizō were still leading them. As long as even one shinobi remained, the Hidden Sand would never fall.
Lord Rasa… as the Third Kazekage's student, maybe he really will become the Fourth and lead us back to glory.
Seeing their spirits lift, Rasa exhaled and gazed up at the darkening sky. "Set up camp. We move out at dawn."
The Hidden Cloud was on the offensive. And it was clear—they weren't attacking for mere scraps.
"Leave a perimeter guard. No one gets through."
Meanwhile, back at the Hidden Sand Village…
With most forces already deployed, the village could only send out or recall smaller squads when needed.
Because of their lack of manpower and funds, they couldn't train new shinobi en masse. Worse, many of their best had already been dispatched to investigate the Third Kazekage's disappearance, weakening defenses and exposing them to invasion.
Still, as one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—and bold enough to twice provoke Konoha—the Hidden Sand was no pushover.
They were just… worn thin.
"We need to fast-track some students to graduation," said a jonin to an anxious, frustrated academy teacher. "We need more hands on the battlefield, and we need them fast."
He sighed heavily.
"So please—do your best. Pick the strongest among them, and minimize casualties as much as you can."