Yashaka noticed the subtle shift in Rasa's expression—his previously calm face now touched with something unreadable. She hesitated for a moment, then asked with a hint of concern,"Lord Rasa?"
"It's nothing. Since it's urgent, let's not waste time."
Rasa waved his hand and turned toward the Kazekage's office, relying on the memories he'd inherited for direction.
Yashaka followed immediately, staying three steps behind.
Hierarchy and social status were always present—especially in a shinobi village, where strength dictated everything.As a mere chūnin, Yashaka naturally wasn't qualified to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with the esteemed Lord Rasa, a jōnin and the personal student of the Third Kazekage.
Rasa moved swiftly, acknowledging shinobi and villagers with polite nods along the way.
Roughly ten minutes later, they arrived at the Kazekage's office. Before Rasa could knock, Yashaka stepped forward and did it for him, announcing his name clearly.
Rasa found the gesture pleasing—especially as his gaze flicked, briefly, toward her round, well-shaped backside. Just a reflex. Probably.
Once he entered, Yashaka gently closed the door and stood at attention outside, joining the other stationed shinobi on guard.
Inside, Rasa stepped in with calm, deliberate strides, casually sweeping his gaze across the gathered crowd.
There weren't many—perhaps twenty or so.
Thanks to the memories he now possessed, he recognized all of them immediately. These were the elite jōnin who had remained in the village: the strongest of the strong.
Sitting among them was someone else—Karura.
The woman who, in the original timeline, would have become his wife.
Off to the side sat two elders. One was Chiyo—appearing in her sixties, younger and sharper than the future version Rasa remembered from the anime. Beside her stood Ebizō, her brother.
But it was the tall, voluptuous woman nearby who truly caught his eye.
She exuded a cool, almost icy demeanor. Her green hair was styled in two buns, with orange bangs framing her face—an unusual look that would've appeared ridiculous on anyone else.
But not on her. On her, it worked. It was bold, unique, memorable.
What really stood out, however, were her curves. Specifically, her chest.
Two spectacular mounds pushed against the fabric of her outfit, and even without any precise measurement, Rasa could tell—both his hands together probably wouldn't be enough to cup just one.
His gaze lingered for two, maybe three seconds, before moving on.
This was someone he vaguely remembered—a minor character from the original series, resurrected during the Fourth Great Ninja War. A scorch release user named Pakura.
Seeing anime proportions translated into real life truly stretched the limits of realism. E-cup? At least.
After scanning the room, Rasa casually made his way to the only empty seat—right next to Pakura.
There were exactly twenty-one chairs in the room. With only one unoccupied, he didn't have much of a choice.
As soon as he sat, Chiyo—silent until now—lifted her left hand.
In an instant, all the windows and doors slammed shut with a heavy BANG!
The already-dim office fell into near darkness.
Chiyo's murky, half-lidded eyes swept slowly across the room, pausing a second longer on Rasa than the others.
Then, in a raspy voice devoid of emotion, she spoke:
"The Third Kazekage and his two personal guards have been missing since this morning.The Shadow Guard has already searched the entire village in secret—there's no trace of them."
Her words shattered the heavy silence like glass.
Murmurs broke out at once. Most of the jōnin's eyes widened in disbelief as they turned to look at one another in shock. Only a handful remained calm.
Rasa, however, didn't react. He simply let out a quiet breath.
Just as I thought.
Only an incident of this magnitude could've pulled Chiyo and Ebizō out of semi-retirement and prompted them to bypass the Kazekage's usual authority.
In this era, what else could it be?
The disappearance of the Third Kazekage.
The fuse had been lit.
The Third Great Ninja War… was about to begin.