Ebizō had returned.
This time, once the tournament ended, he probably wouldn't be heading back right away. Word was that after the competition, he was planning to discuss a big business deal with Jiraiya.
Just how big?
Rasa didn't particularly care. After a few simple questions, he signed the approval slip and granted Ebizō a vacation.
The length? Indefinite. The dates? Whenever Ebizō wanted.
Alongside Ebizō came… three kids, as well as one of Sunagakure's most important shinobi—the village's "backbone," Jonin Mōmu.
It had been over a hundred chapters since this guy had last appeared—Rasa had almost forgotten his name.
Currently, the only person in the entire shinobi world capable of producing black receiver rods was Uzumaki Nagato, so… he was still doing quite well for himself. Every time Sunagakure sold a set of ninja toys, he got a cut.
Indeed—rare materials were a gold mine~
As for Ōtsutsuki Kaguya… without the Ten-Tails inside her, she couldn't awaken the Rinnegan, and therefore couldn't produce chakra rods—making her unqualified to be a partner in Sunagakure's business.
With the recent migration of people, increased trade, and domestic development, Sunagakure's ties with the Land of Rain had grown even closer.
Mōmu's return this time was mainly because his child was officially entering the Ninja Academy. As a father, how could he not be there?
Even though he had already missed the entrance ceremony, he still needed to return to let his child know—he had a father quietly contributing to Sunagakure's growth.
So, after expressing heartfelt thanks to the Fourth Kazekage, he immediately rushed off to see his child.
Rasa, knowing he had kept Mōmu away from his wife and child on long-term assignments, felt a pang of guilt. He sighed inwardly—truly the backbone of Sunagakure—and promptly approved a long vacation for him.
A long vacation.
He wouldn't have to leave until Adviser Ebizō did.
After sending off the tearfully grateful Mōmu with a smile, Rasa took a sip of plain water and looked at Nagato and the others in front of him.
"Well then—you'd better enjoy Sunagakure's celebrations to the fullest. You three deserve credit for this as well."
Without those chakra rods, the competition wouldn't have been nearly as exciting.
"Of course. That's exactly why we came." Yahiko smiled and nodded, but with a hint of regret. "It's a pity we missed the last Shinobi World 4WD Grand Prix. This time, no matter what, we're participating."
"And you? Any other events you want to join?"
"Uh…"
The three exchanged glances before Yahiko scratched his head. "Konan's going for the 4WD Grand Prix. Nagato and I will be entering Shinobi King."
"You're not going to join all the events?" Rasa gave them a slightly surprised look. "Sure, in Shinobi King only the first-place winner gets to design a character, but if you wanted, Sunagakure could just design one for you."
"Haha, no need." Yahiko shook his head with a smile. "We're just here to take part, not to win first place. We've already discussed it—if too many people learned about Nagato's Rinnegan, it could cause trouble. So this time, Nagato will wear glasses while playing, so his identity stays hidden."
"In that case, do as you like." Rasa nodded approvingly. "That's a good approach. Entering without worrying about rank is the best way to truly enjoy the competition. It's just that…" he hesitated slightly, "Jiraiya and Danzō are both in Sunagakure right now, so if you—"
"Huh? Jiraiya-sensei's here too?" Yahiko froze, glanced at the Kazekage, then at the dark-faced Nagato behind him. After a brief pause, he smiled in relief. "Sure, I'd like nothing more than to kill that guy—but… forget it. If I really did, Jiraiya-sensei would be upset. And besides, I'm still alive, aren't I?"
"Yahiko, you…" Nagato frowned at him.
As for Konan… she had no opinion, as always. Among the three, she was the quietest, simply following Yahiko and Nagato's lead.
"I'm fine, Nagato. You know as well as I do—we can't kill him now." Yahiko shook his head, speaking with the warmth of an older brother. "If Danzō died, Konoha would never let us go. And when that happened… word of the Rinnegan would spread. The best option is to ignore him. Of course…"
His expression hardened.
"If Danzō harms you or Konan again, I won't let him off."
"Impressive!" Rasa nodded in genuine admiration. "If someone had nearly killed me, I'd have finished them off without hesitation. You've got a big heart, Yahiko."
As for forgiveness?
That was the Shinigami's job.
"…"
The three stared at the Fourth Kazekage, black lines forming on their foreheads.
"Kazekage, is that really something you should be saying?"
Come on—they'd just agreed to coexist peacefully.
"What's wrong with it?" Rasa took another sip of his water. "If you've got a grudge, settle it. If you've been wronged, address it."
"But with that attitude, how will the shinobi world ever know peace?" Yahiko suddenly fixed him with a serious gaze. "Aren't you worried that the conflict between Danzō and the Rain Village will hurt business?"
"The only thing that affects business is profit." Rasa shook his head. "As long as Danzō's alive and Sunagakure keeps bringing him profit, even the worst grudges won't change anything. Why? Are you seriously thinking about making a move?"
At most, they'd just swap out business partners. Plenty of people in Konoha wanted to work with Sunagakure—just not many with Danzō's deep pockets.
"Forget it." Yahiko shook his head in resignation. "We can't kill Danzō. If we tried, it would only spark a conflict between the Land of Rain and Konoha. What would Jiraiya-sensei do then? He might act carefree and goof around for his writing, but deep down, he cares for Konoha more than anyone. We're his students—hurting Konoha would only hurt him."
"No problem. He's already suffering enough. He's a lovesick fool drowning in debt, gave up a luxury suite on the Grand Sail to the goddess of his dreams, and probably licks his wounds alone every night. What's a little more pain?"
"???"
"…Forget what I just said." Rasa smiled. "So, where should I arrange your accommodations? Jiraiya's already moved out of the Grand Sail for various reasons. Danzō, on the other hand, is in the ship's top suite. Do you want to stay on the Grand Sail, or with Jiraiya? The Grand Sail's service and environment are excellent; Jiraiya's place is… well, average."
"Uh…" The three looked at each other, then smiled and made their choice. "We'll stay with Jiraiya-sensei. We've lived in worse places, and it's been a long time since we last saw him."
They couldn't help wondering how Jiraiya-sensei was doing now.