Although Rasa hadn't noticed it just now, Karura had clearly seen the complex look in the young chunin girl's eyes.
Yashaka also quickly sensed Karura's gaze.
The two girls soon locked eyes and both caught a glimpse of complicated emotions within each other's eyes.
Moments later, Yashaka averted her gaze, turning her head slightly to the side.
Seeing this, a deepening smile curled on Karura's stunning face, and for some unknown reason, she felt an inexplicable joy.
Yashaka quietly clenched her small fists, her eyes drifting down to her own body—her pale, visible toes just barely peeking out.
She felt indignant. "So what if your body is amazing? So what if you're a jonin?"
"With my talent, in a few more years I'll be a jonin too."
"And judging by my sister's figure, once I've grown a bit more, my body will be just as good as yours!"
A few minutes later, Rasa had just descended the stairs and was about to say something to Karura when—
A rough male voice cut him off before he could speak:
"Lord Rasa, I'd like to spar with you!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Rasa immediately turned to the source.
He saw a rugged, burly man in his forties, with short facial hair and a muscular build.
Rasa's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't even had time to redeem anything to improve his combat power yet—why was someone already challenging him?
Of course, he recognized the man—it was Aoki, the jonin who had played a leading role during the recent meeting.
Rasa thought to himself, puzzled. "That's strange. I didn't say anything during the meeting that should've offended him."
"Well, okay, maybe a few things were a little pointed…"
"But they were all calmly stated facts. He shouldn't be challenging me over something so petty, right?"
"It's not like I have the face of someone begging to be slapped…"
At this point, Rasa was very much in the dark.
The things he said in the meeting wouldn't have offended Aoki.
But Aoki's challenge wasn't out of petty spite.
Standing beside Rasa, Karura immediately understood what was happening. From her observer's perspective, it was obvious.
She glanced around.
It was only four in the afternoon. Plenty of Suna shinobi were moving around on the ground floor of the office building, handling various affairs.
Rasa, Karura, and Aoki—three of the village's top figures—standing outside the building like they were discussing something… of course it drew attention.
Some ninja glanced over briefly before going back to their business.
But a small number of them stopped what they were doing, pricked up their ears, and started watching.
Seeing this, Karura shot Aoki a glare, her light violet eyes brimming with anger.
In Rasa's memory, the original story didn't have him immediately becoming the Fourth Kazekage after the Third's disappearance.
Rather, it was after the Third Shinobi World War began, and Rasa distinguished himself in several major battles.
Only then, due to the long-vacant position of Kazekage, was he accepted and supported by the village to assume the role of Fourth Kazekage.
Given that, there was no avoiding it—he had to fight.
If he couldn't defeat Aoki, a seasoned jonin—
Then even if the Chiyo siblings supported his appointment as Kazekage, it likely wouldn't win over the entire village.
Just like Gaara.
When he became the Fifth Kazekage, assassination attempts from within the village didn't stop for a long time.
Most shinobi remained skeptical or simply watched from the sidelines.
At the time, the only faction Gaara could truly rely on was Baki's group.
It wasn't until the strongest opposing force, Gaara risked his life to save the village that things began to settle.
Although Rasa's popularity was far better than early-stage Gaara, who was hated by everyone…
He still needed to crush the first open challenger to firmly establish his authority.
These thoughts flashed through Rasa's mind, and he slowly nodded to Jonin Aoki.
Seeing Rasa nod, Aoki's face immediately lit up with unconcealed joy. He was about to speak, but Rasa cut him off:
"Tomorrow morning. At the village gates."
With that, Rasa turned to Karura with an apologetic look and said,
"Sorry, I won't be able to have dinner at your place tonight. How about tomorrow night instead?"
Hearing this, a brilliant smile spread across Yashaka's beautiful face. She gently shook her head.
"It's fine."
She understood this was Rasa preparing in advance for tomorrow's battle.
After all, Aoki had been a jonin for over twenty years.
He was one of Sunagakure's most renowned veterans.
Back during the Second Shinobi World War, Aoki had made a name for himself shortly after becoming a jonin—killing over a dozen Kumo ANBU solo with his puppet techniques.
And over the course of the long war, he had killed more than twenty enemy jonin—some of them prominent, up-and-coming names.
Even Yashaka herself didn't have much confidence facing such a seasoned powerhouse.
In her own estimation, lasting fifty moves against him would already be an impressive feat.
In her impression, "Rasa" was stronger than she was—but only slightly.
So if he still came to her house for dinner this evening…
How would he have the energy or focus to prepare for tomorrow's fight?
Besides, it's just a meal—it can wait a day.
Rasa's own thinking was simpler.
His top priority now was to stabilize the village situation and eliminate any stumbling blocks standing in the way of his rise to Kazekage.
Everything else—like meals or bonding—could wait.
Plus… a small, darker thought lingered in his mind.
Karura's affection for him was only in the mid-twenties.
Even if he did go to her place for dinner, nothing would happen.
But if he waited until tomorrow—when her current affection doubled…
That would be a different story.