He really couldn't feel at ease leaving Ōtsutsuki Kaguya in someone else's hands anymore.
Just thinking about it… he merely took a trip to the Land of Rain, and now… she's probably almost mastered Sunagakure's secret technique—Puppetry.
Rasa was starting to worry that if this continued, all of Sunagakure's jutsu would end up being drained dry by her~
A max-level player farming starter zone loot?
She basically learned simple ninjutsu just by glancing at it.
So in the end, he had to keep an eye on her himself.
If this went on… what if she learned Eight Gates too?
With that undying body of hers, it'd be over…
Even if the Sage of Six Paths and his sons all ganged up on her again, they might still not win!
...
Late spring in the Land of Wind.
The nights were still a little chilly.
Jiraiya had already been taken away by Kabuto to be settled into lodging. Upon hearing that Konoha had actually sent ninja to eliminate his disciple, he had felt—helpless, ashamed, and furious, all at once.
As a disciple of the Third Hokage, he was no stranger to the darker side of Konoha.
After all—
Before Hiruzen's reign, there had been no Root, no Anbu Black Ops quietly operating beneath the surface.
...
Holding little Temari, who had been tormented by homework for over half a year—especially with that dazed look in her eyes and her head constantly nodding like she was fishing—Rasa couldn't help but feel even more helpless.
But then he remembered: when he first returned to the village, his secret savings stash had already been emptied. The two big goldfish he'd carefully saved for a "100 pull gacha" were stolen by that little gremlin—who even had the nerve to proudly declare, "Daddy took my 200,000, so I'm taking two~"
And just like that, his heart instantly thought:
Still not enough homework~
If she had more homework, she wouldn't have had time to mess around digging through his stuff!
As for puppetry? She eventually gave up on it.
After all, no talent meant no talent. Ninjutsu, in many ways, still depended heavily on a ninja's aptitude and natural ability.
Looking at little Temari, who was yawning while operating the [Constellation Legend Simulator], Rasa nodded thoughtfully to himself.
In a little while she'll be a year older—not just a toddler anymore. It's time she started shouldering more responsibility.
"??!"
Temari suddenly shivered, curling up into herself.
"Papa~ It's cold!"
"You're right. Nights have been chilly lately."
As a father, Rasa immediately pulled his windbreaker around Temari, wrapping her up in his cloak.
Shielding one's child from the wind and rain was a duty every father should fulfill.
And at that moment…
Under the flickering moonlight, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya emerged once more.
She looked at the drowsy little Temari without any particular expression, just giving a faint nod. She knew the Kazekage of Sunagakure likely suspected something… but so what? This wasn't her real body. Without the power of the Ten-Tails, this wasn't the true her.
She couldn't die.
And to think—after a thousand years, the world had changed so drastically. She had managed to evade the seals of Hagoromo and Hamura, projecting herself once again into this world. Perhaps…
This, too, was fate.
Letting her reappear in this era, stripped of her invincibility—she now only wanted to witness more of this transformed world.
Besides, she was absolutely certain: if she made any wrong move, this man before her would seal her back on the moon without hesitation and never let her out again.
His strength… was even greater than during their last encounter.
Could it be that only those with rapidly increasing power are chosen as Kage?
Otherwise, even if his rate of growth wasn't as fast as the Ōtsutsuki clan's direct consumption of chakra fruits, it was still terrifying.
Kaguya glanced at Rasa, then lowered her gaze to the sleeping Temari in his arms.
"How surprising," she said flatly. "After all these years, the children of this world… are still pushed so hard."
"…"
Rasa gave an awkward laugh. He knew his own business best. Right now, among the preschool classes of the academy, there were only two kids with particularly heavy workloads—
Mōmu's Daimaru, and his own Temari.
But as a father and the village leader—what was wrong with having the academy teachers give his daughter a little extra tutoring?
This was all…
For his child's future!
To make sure she started ahead of the competition!
His awkward smile faded, replaced with a calm, fatherly expression.
"What are you planning to do tonight?"
"Do?" Kaguya frowned slightly, as if unsure herself. After a moment, she turned to the side and said expressionlessly, "There are two little rats nearby. Are you aware of that?"
"???"
Rats? In the desert?