Watching the Sand shinobi charge forward with battle cries, some bearing light wounds, Rasa had one thing to say:
[Who the hell led this team?!]
When he needed help, they were nowhere. Now that he was ready to retreat, why were they so excited?
And… they'd brought Iwagakure's ninja along?!
[Do I even get to escape now?]
His heart sank with frustration. Seeing the situation turn sour—Kusagakure even planning to kill the red-haired girl—he'd decided on a strategic retreat. Not out of fear, of course. How could he, so brave, fear a mere… group of Kusagakure ninja?
Really!
But then, these sand-brained Sand shinobi showed up, with Iwagakure in tow.
[They're trying to get me killed!]
Fleeing again risked drawing another Iwagakure pursuit, followed by yet another chase. His face darkened as he addressed the approaching Sand shinobi. "Who? Who gave the order to come here?"
Not earlier, not later—why now? Which idiot made this call?!
"No need to thank me, Rasa-sama—it was me!" Momu emerged, covered in dust, grinning and brandishing a kunai. With resolute conviction, he said, "As Sunagakure ninja, how could we let Rasa-sama face danger alone?"
"…"
Thanks a lot.
Rasa stared speechlessly at the earnest, serious, and slightly giddy Momu, sighing mournfully. He didn't scold the sand-brained fool, especially seeing the other Sand shinobi—dust-covered, bandaged, and equally fervent.
Then he noticed Iwagakure and Kusagakure encircling them.
[A bunch of idiots!]
What now? Abandon them and flee, letting a horde chase him? Or stay and fight together?
Rasa realized… he had no real choice.
Glancing at his two remaining cards: one, a ninjutsu [Flying Thunder God Technique], usable once, but teleportation distance depended on his skill. Without markers, he had no idea where he'd end up.
The other…
[OK Bandages x6: Strong hemostasis, antibacterial, itch-relief, greatly aids wound recovery~]
"…"
No idea how effective, but… it's trash.
Rasa fell silent, then sighed deeply, eyeing the Sand shinobi readying for battle, glaring at the surrounding enemies.
"Do you have any money?" he asked. "I want to make a quick gacha pull."
"???"
Though puzzled by Rasa-sama's odd request at such a tense moment, the Sand shinobi soon emptied their pockets. One ryō, three ryō, ten ryō, three ryō—the biggest bill was a mere hundred ryō, and most had nothing.
"…"
Just over 6,000 ryō. Rasa sighed, shaking his head. [This won't cover much!] With a disappointed look, he stuffed the money into his ninja pouch.
[Everyone's really broke, huh?]
Then…
"Surrender, Sand shinobi!" Iwagakure's commander, a stocky ninja with a red headband, stepped forward, voice booming with authority. "You've lost!"
"Bullshit!" Momu snapped before Rasa could respond, hurling insults.
"Sunagakure's lost countless times—have you ever seen us surrender?"
Surrendering would crush Sunagakure's spirit, dooming the village. How could they yield?
The other Sand shinobi joined in, defiant.
They were Sunagakure ninja—always reckless, never fearing failure!
"Very well…" Ōtsuchi frowned, shaking his head and waving a hand. "Attack!"
The outcome wasn't bad. At least Rasa wouldn't escape tonight. Any useful intel could be extracted from him later.
As Ōtsuchi gave the order, Kusagakure's commander, gnashing his teeth, signaled his ninja. "Kill them all!"
"Earth Release: Flowing Earth River!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"Earth Release: Tearing Earth Turning Palm!"
Countless ninja began forming seals, unleashing techniques. Sunagakure responded swiftly.
"Wind Release: Blade of Wind!"
"Wind Release: Great Vacuum Sphere!"
"Wind Release: Wind Killing Formation!"
Dust and sand swirled, whipped by fierce winds, obscuring the battlefield. Ninja squinted in the dark, clashing in the chaos.
But for the Sand shinobi, this was an advantage. Raised in the desert, they thrived in such conditions.
So…
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Stealth Technique."
Through gold-mining, Rasa had honed his gold dust control, developing this technique by studying the Hidden Mist Stealth Technique. It used surrounding sand to cloak his body, rendering him nearly invisible.
Now was the perfect time for assassination.
Weaving through the swirling dust, augmented by his gold dust, Rasa was untouchable—unless a sensory ninja was present.
"Behind! A chakra signature's attacking from the rear!" an Iwagakure ninja shouted, pointing at Rasa. "Everyone, watch out!"
"Earth Release…"
"…"
Rasa sighed as ninja blindly unleashed techniques his way. [Of course, no village goes to war without sensory ninja—unless they truly have none!]
But… it was too late.
The desert was his domain. Even without gacha pulls, he could solo the desert-dwelling One-Tail, though it'd cost him dearly.
Grabbing the bewildered red-haired girl, who looked panicked and uneasy, Rasa revealed himself. Perhaps he'd gripped too hard—her arm bore clear teeth marks.
[Already playing the healing pack?]
Ignoring her cries for help, Rasa stood atop a towering wave of gold dust, facing the shocked Kusagakure ninja and wary Iwagakure forces.
"I'm taking her today. Let's see who dares stop me!"
…Oops, wrong script. Noticing the confused ninja below, he coughed awkwardly.
"Can we sit and talk? Otherwise, I'll…"
Before he could finish, a cold voice cut through the night.
"Kill her!"
(End of Chapter)