If Rasa remembered correctly, in this war, he was supposed to use Magnet Release: Gold Dust on the battlefield against Kumogakure, repelling their invasion and protecting the village, thus rightfully earning the title of Fourth Kazekage.
But now… no matter how he looked at it, he had no chance to leave this front, let alone make a grand show on Kumogakure's battlefield.
Hiding himself, Rasa rubbed his chin. The past two months had been fruitful. By diligently mining gold from morning onward, he could manage a ten-pull gacha every day and a half. Over two months, he'd racked up five or six hundred pulls, but…
The drop rate was abysmal. Most were useless junk or minor attribute boosts, with only three two-star items pulled, including the rare two-star card he got initially. Roughly one two-star item per hundred one-star pulls—a pitiful rate.
Still, the pile of attribute boosts had made him noticeably stronger, especially in controlling Magnet Release through the repetitive gold-mining. After this, he might actually be able to seal the One-Tail in a desert duel.
But pulling off a Shinobi God-level feat? That was a long way off. The Nine-Tails could take on eight other tailed beasts, while the Shinobi God could pin it down with a single claw among thousands. The gap in power was vast!
As for the heaps of junk—apple cores, pear pits, kitchen scraps—he'd sorted them meticulously. Most were useless, but a few had intriguing descriptions like [Use it right, and you might get unexpected results~]. He'd stored those "mutated scraps" carefully.
Yet… they seemed no different from the trash he'd toss after eating.
Rasa gazed toward Kusagakure's camp. Spring had arrived, but the Land of Wind remained parched, with no spring rains—a rare occurrence here, regardless of season. The climate barely changed, posing no obstacle to those prepared for war.
This front lacked reinforcements, as most were sent to face Kumogakure. So, losing here… was expected.
Sunagakure's puppet techniques could offset numerical disadvantages, but masterful puppet control wasn't universal. Without a Kage as their pillar, the village's morale was half-broken.
Facing multiple villages, holding on this long was already impressive.
Rasa had scouted the Sand shinobi's situation a few days ago. It wasn't good—fewer veterans than two months ago, replaced by young, inexperienced faces. Sunagakure had started sending academy kids to the battlefield to bridge the manpower gap, a common practice among villages. These naive children had little impact and could panic, dragging others down. But in numbers and morale, they kept appearances.
This was why a certain Kage, always ranting about "flying leaves," rushed students to graduate and fight during wartime shortages. Some shouted slogans; others, like Sunagakure's leaders, issued orders without fanfare.
Despite having the second-highest birth rate after the future Blood Mist Village, Sunagakure couldn't match other villages' numbers. Everyone knew it, but no one had a solution.
As a potential future Kage, Rasa's heart ached seeing those innocent kids. After all, the future economy… might depend on them. Who else would fund his ten-pull gachas?
"Those kids… they're money!" he muttered.
So, he decided: time to make a big move!
Squinting, Rasa eyed Sunagakure's camp.
---
Though Iwagakure had allied with Kusagakure to strike Sunagakure, ninja alliances were never straightforward.
Even close allies kept their distance during such times. Neither Iwagakure nor Kusagakure camped too near each other—close enough for coordination, but not too close.
Near Kusagakure's camp lay Iwagakure's. As temporary allies, they held occasional strategy meetings, especially since Kusagakure was Konoha's ally. Would Konoha intervene, and how? Kusagakure's ninja might hold clues.
In Iwagakure's temporary command tent, a stocky middle-aged ninja with an Iwagakure headband frowned at his subordinate. "Still no word from Hatsu's vanguard team?"
"No, Ōtsuchi-sama," the ninja replied, shaking his head. "With so many Jōnin, even if they were outmatched, they wouldn't vanish without a trace."
"The Third Kazekage's disciple—that supposedly unhinged Rasa—disappeared too," Ōtsuchi mused, frowning. "Both sides vanished together?"
Was Rasa really that strong? Did he take Hatsu's team down with him in a final stand? As the Third Tsuchikage's son and a war veteran, Ōtsuchi couldn't imagine another explanation.
As for the Third Kazekage… no need to guess. Konoha's handiwork, surely.
His father was formidable, but erasing a Kage without a trace? Only Konoha had that capability. Other villages would struggle.
It might sound self-deprecating, and Iwagakure often boasted being the strongest village, dismissing Konoha as past its prime.
But as the Tsuchikage's son, Ōtsuchi knew better. Slogans were for attracting clients. Losing sight of reality would doom them.
"Keep searching. If Rasa was that strong…" Hatsu's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. Sunagakure would struggle to find a capable Kage anytime soon.
But before he could finish…
"Ōtsuchi-sama! Ōtsuchi-sama!" A panicked Iwagakure ninja burst in.
"What's with the panic?" Ōtsuchi snapped, glaring at the gasping ninja. "Have you forgotten our Will of Stone—unyielding and steadfast?"
"But… Kusagakure's camp…" The ninja took a deep breath to steady himself. "It's under attack by an unknown enemy!"
"?!"
(End of Chapter)