Rasa, a Kazekage, was among the world's elite.
Faced with undeniable reality…
He recovered from shock quickly.
After all…
Hidden Sand's ninja were watching him.
"No need for you here," Rasa ordered. "Calm the villagers, tell them it's fine, and stay indoors unless necessary. Summon Maki and the other captains to the meeting room…"
His commands gave the ninja purpose.
They snapped to attention.
"Yes, Lord Kazekage!"
To them, no matter the crisis, they entrusted their fate to the Kazekage, believing he'd lead them right.
After handling matters…
Rasa looked at Shen Mo, his gaze deeply respectful.
"Sir, would you join us in the meeting room?"
He didn't want reckless pride or discourtesy to endanger the village.
Shen Mo had no objections.
With Ikaros, he followed Rasa into the desert village.
Unlike Konoha's vibrant prosperity…
Thin sand blanketed everything, buildings were sandy yellow, and shops or restaurants were scarce. No plants, no decorations.
Clearly…
Hidden Sand was struggling.
No merchants, no resources, no industry—just barely sustaining basic needs.
Shen Mo glanced at Rasa.
He knew what series, or even class change, to offer him.
They reached the meeting room.
Many jōnin were already gathered.
Chiyo, however, was absent.
Shen Mo gleaned from Rasa's thoughts: he'd signaled Chiyo to leave via a hidden route. If anything happened to them, only Chiyo's prestige could keep the village from collapsing.
Here…
Everyone looked tense.
They knew…
The apocalyptic scene earlier was caused by these two.
"Lord Kazekage," they said in unison.
"Sit," Rasa waved, then looked at Shen Mo respectfully. "Sir, how many of them qualify to buy cans?"
Unlike Hiruzen Sarutobi…
Rasa's first thought was boosting not just his own power but the entire village's.
With dwindling funds, Hidden Sand had to focus on nurturing elites.
"Ninja, driven by faith, trained rigorously, always advancing," Shen Mo said, his gaze sweeping over them. "They all qualify to buy cans. But… I'm most optimistic about Gaara."
Gaara.
At that name, everyone's expressions shifted.
As village elites…
They knew Gaara's situation.
"Gaara…" Rasa's face darkened. "I once hoped he'd be the village's greatest weapon, protecting its peace. But he couldn't control Shukaku, becoming its biggest threat."
Gaara's failure to control Shukaku and his constant rampages defied Rasa's hopes.
"That's the gap in our vision," Shen Mo said, his deep gaze fixed on Rasa. "You see his failure, not his will. Gaara still has the potential to control Shukaku, but your misguided actions, wounding his kind heart, led to this."
Hidden Sand's Tailed Beast seal was far inferior to the Fourth Hokage's Nine-Tails seal.
Power leaked, sleep was impossible.
Gaara endured pain from childhood, feared and shunned, yet he didn't want to harm anyone.
But…
The killing intent from his closest kin shattered his will.
Without Naruto stirring his desire for acceptance…
Gaara might have sunk into eternal torment.
"Is that… true?" Rasa's body swayed, staring at Shen Mo in disbelief.
"No need to deceive you," Shen Mo said, his voice echoing in everyone's minds. "Your hearts, wills, fates—all are clear to me. But I expect you to change them. That's the true form of fate!"
Fate, initially just Shen Mo's excuse to sell cans.
But now…
He genuinely anticipated how this world's people would change with his arrival and Chamber.
Like Rasa now.
No longer doubting, regret surged within him.
Memories of his past, his wife's face, flooded back.
From the start…
He'd failed as a father—unworthy of the role.
"Gaara…"
Rasa seemed to age years in moments, his once-straight back bending.
"Lord Kazekage," Maki, a jōnin, finally spoke. "Everything you did was for the village. It's not your fault."
"Exactly, Lord Kazekage."
"It's our failure."
"I'll apologize to Lord Gaara, saying I misled you!"
"…"
Rasa's actions toward Gaara earned his hatred but moved these elites to tears.
Shen Mo shook his head, looking at Rasa. "Since I'm here, there's a chance to fix it. It's your choice."
"Can it… really be fixed?" Rasa looked up. "After what I've done, can his fate be saved?"
"I told you," Shen Mo said firmly. "Gaara's heart yearns for redemption. It depends on your resolve."
Besides Naruto, with a similar past…
Only his father, the root of it all, could redeem Gaara.
Knowing the full truth.
Rasa fell silent, his gaze growing resolute.
He looked at Shen Mo, speaking deliberately, "I want to buy cans!"
"Decided on a series?" Shen Mo's smile widened.
"I hope…" Rasa took a deep breath, "to gain power while creating an environment for the village to survive and thrive."
"Oh?" Shen Mo wasn't surprised.
This desire had always been in Rasa's mind.
His attack on Konoha stemmed partly from fear of its growing power, partly from craving its fertile land.
The desert was too barren.