By the afternoon of the fifth day, they finally reached the designated border. The relentless march had left the shinobi weary.
But Sunagakure's dire situation allowed no room for rest. To ensure the village's survival in this sudden war, they had to fight with everything they had.
In this chaotic world, no one could be trusted. Even the Land of Whirlpools, once backed by the mighty Konoha, had fallen. Rogue shinobi faced a grim fate—unwanted, untrusted, and, if lucky enough to be taken in, reduced to mere tools.
Unlike the others who began setting up camp, Rasa furrowed his brow, sensing the wind's direction. As the Third Kazekage's disciple and the only shinobi in the village to master Magnet Release, he was Sunagakure's hope.
His strength was undeniable.
This border, adjacent to the Land of Birds and the Land of Rain, demanded his utmost vigilance.
And… something felt off.
Entering this seemingly calm desert, Rasa sensed something strange. With his natural talent for sifting gold from the sand, no change in the desert could escape his notice.
"Rasa-sama…" the other shinobi said, noticing his furrowed brow and silent observation. They gathered around him, warily scanning the desert.
But all they saw was endless sand, with no sign of anything amiss.
Then—
"Explosive tags! Take cover!" Rasa shouted, realizing the issue. While attempting to use Magnet Release to sift gold for extra cash, he discovered explosive tags buried beneath the sand.
The shinobi reacted instantly, their reflexes honed as a core ninja skill, ready to respond to any danger with the best course of action.
Rasa swiftly formed hand signs, deploying his Magnet Release to shield those nearby. "Magnet Release: Gold Dust Shield!"
A shimmering wave of gold dust surged from the desert, enveloping the shinobi in a protective barrier.
For those outside its range, a shinobi called out, "Earth Release: Mud Wall!" and raised a defensive jutsu.
Rasa sighed, eyeing the alluring gold dust. "Nice, another haul?" he muttered. But this gold was impure, requiring refinement before it could be sold. Gold dust, a mix of gold and sand, wasn't highly pure, and skipping refinement meant a lower price.
Magnet Release could attract not just gold but other metals too, so despite the dazzling display, the actual gold content was low.
Rasa hadn't yet taken up gold mining to sustain the village. That path awaited the Fourth Kazekage, driven by the village's constant deficits. The old Rasa would have walked that road. The new Rasa… might still have to.
After all, he needed money for the gacha system.
As the shockwaves subsided, Rasa parted the gold dust to reveal the scene. Most shinobi were injured, but thanks to his timely warning, the wounds were minor. They gripped their kunai, faces filled with anger and vigilance as enemy shinobi emerged.
"Kusagakure?" Rasa frowned, eyeing the ninjas with wave-patterned, seaweed-like headbands who had welcomed them with explosive tags.
"They set up an ambush this quickly?"
Or perhaps, upon hearing of the Third Kazekage's disappearance, they'd already prepared for war? [Are they aiming to replace Sunagakure as one of the five great villages?]
Rasa smirked and shook his head. Did they think allying with Konoha gave them free rein?
"Stay on guard!" he ordered the shinobi beside him.
With the situation unclear, rash moves were unwise. Whether this was Kusagakure's independent action or Konoha's doing was critical information. And for them to emerge after a barrage of explosive tags… Rasa doubted their commander was a fool.
They must have some strategy to defeat Sunagakure's vanguard, composed of capable Jōnin and Chūnin.
"Something's off. Arrange for a retreat!" Rasa said, giving his team a heads-up like a true leader. Fleeing without warning would be embarrassing.
But just then—
Whoosh! Another group of shinobi appeared, their headbands different from Kusagakure's.
"Iwagakure?!" Rasa's face darkened, his heart sinking as he saw the encircling forces. [Why are Iwagakure and Kusagakure working together now?]
And didn't Kusagakure fear Konoha's wrath for aligning so closely with Iwagakure?
"The Third Kazekage's disciple… Rasa," said a Jōnin, likely Iwagakure's commander, stepping forward and frowning. "According to intel, Rasa was mentally shattered by the Third Kazekage's loss, barely coherent. Yet here you are, leading."
As a commander? Was the intel wrong, and Rasa wasn't broken, making him fit to lead? Or was Sunagakure so desperate for manpower?
None of that mattered. As a scout sent by the Tsuchikage, this information was enough. Soon, the Tsuchikage would use Kusagakure's route, and Iwagakure's main force would strike Sunagakure directly.
Kumogakure wasn't the only one eyeing the leaderless, vulnerable Sunagakure—Iwagakure hungered for it too.
"Attack!" the commander ordered, testing the strength of the Third Kazekage's disciple.
Under Rasa's bewildered gaze, the Iwagakure shinobi charged.
"???" Rasa thought, stunned. Were they attacking because they thought he was unhinged? That was just bullying!
He turned to the Sand shinobi, his face grave. "The village's hope rests with you. Get out of here!"
"Rasa-sama!" The shinobi, moved to tears by his words, tried to respond.
*Whoosh!* A golden wave of dust surged beneath Rasa's feet, carrying him away.
[Too scary! They outnumber us by dozens! No way I'm fighting!]
Without hesitation, Rasa fled, entrusting the team to another shinobi. That guy… uh, what's-his-name… Rasa had high hopes for him!
But—
"Chase!" The Iwagakure commander, seeing Rasa flee, led his shinobi in pursuit without a second thought.
Meanwhile, the Sand shinobi stood dumbfounded as their commander bolted without a word.
"Momu, what do we do now?" they asked, turning to the shinobi Rasa had designated as temporary commander.
Momu, head wrapped in a scarf, was at a loss. Facing the equally confused Kusagakure shinobi, he thought, [Can we take them?]
They were just a small village. Sure, they had more numbers, but far fewer Jōnin. A hard fight would cost both sides dearly.
After a moment's thought, Momu met the Kusagakure shinobi's complex gaze with his own. Gritting his teeth, he said firmly, "Retreat!"
In that moment, he recalled Rasa's serious expression as he drew the enemy away. [Rasa-sama… he's preserving our forces for the war ahead, sacrificing himself to lead them away!]
Admiration swelled in his heart.
What a great Sand shinobi Rasa-sama was!
(End of Chapter)