Kazekage Tower.
A massive, rough fortress shaped like a gourd loomed in the heart of Sunagakure. Buildings in the village of sand were often built this way — practical defenses against the constant windstorms of the Land of Wind.
Escorted by a jōnin, Rasa stepped into the meeting room inside the Kazekage Tower. The walls were still the usual sun-baked, sand-colored stone. Chairs, stools, tables—these were considered some of the more refined furnishings here.
After all, while Sunagakure had plenty of skilled craftsmen, especially in woodworking, the village severely lacked access to trees and lumber. Even though their craft was top-notch, the scarcity of materials stifled any true development.
And if even basic supplies couldn't be replenished, the state of the village would only continue to decline.
Rasa glanced around the room. The village council had already assembled — though "council" was perhaps generous. As he had long observed, Sunagakure was critically short on talent. Most of the older generation had perished in the past great ninja wars. The few survivors had grown weary of conflict and quietly retired from the spotlight.
Even Elder Chiyo and her younger brother Ebizō had considered stepping down. But ever since their grandson, Sasori, had gone missing, they'd put retirement on hold in hopes of finding him.
Sasori—he had once been the greatest hope of the younger generation. If it hadn't been for his descent into criminal activity, perhaps the future of Sunagakure wouldn't have fallen to the point where a single jōnin now represented their peak military power.
Of course, things were more complicated. Sasori and Rasa had a bitter blood feud. After all, Rasa's own teacher, the Third Kazekage, had vanished—murdered, as Rasa later learned, by none other than Sasori.
But right now, Rasa wasn't just himself—he was a man caught between identities, and this wasn't the time to stir up tensions with Chiyo and Ebizō.
Because the Third Great Ninja War… was about to begin.
"Rasa, take a seat."
Chiyo's face wore a grandmotherly smile, but her eyes lingered on the current state of Sunagakure — a village in decline. She let out a quiet, mournful sigh.
If Sasori were still here… maybe he could have become the right hand of the next Kazekage. If no other candidate emerged, he might've even taken on the mantle himself.
But now wasn't the time for dreams or regrets.
Internal decay. External threats. If these weren't dealt with soon, Sunagakure might not survive the war to come.
After the village's defeats in the previous two wars, the Land of Wind had grown increasingly dissatisfied with their performance. Their daimyo began slashing financial support year after year. With dwindling resources, the village had no choice but to reduce the number of active shinobi. Coupled with the unforgiving desert conditions, low birthrates and high mortality had become the norm.
Sunagakure's current state… was the result of a long, inevitable decline.
The one thing no one saw coming was the sudden disappearance of the Third Kazekage. Because he vanished before naming a successor, the village was left leaderless, and the shinobi were thrown into confusion and fear.
Chiyo's gaze turned sharp. The time for soft feelings had passed.
"I know the disappearance of the Third Kazekage hit you hard," she began, her voice steady but weary. "But…"
She sighed again.
"You're aware of the situation in the village. We've received intel that the Land of Lightning is mobilizing its forces. Something's stirring in Kumogakure. Their military movements are too large to ignore."
She looked directly at Rasa.
"We believe someone is planning to exploit Sunagakure's vulnerability… and attack."
"Sister," Ebizō cut in, his expression serious despite the familiar tone. "It's not just the Land of Lightning. There's something suspicious going on in Kusagakure too — even though they're allied with Konoha. If Kusa is making moves, Konoha might get involved. And once Konoha joins in, the other Great Nations won't just sit back and watch."
"The Third Shinobi War is coming."
After all, the other nations wouldn't just sit back and let Kumogakure reap the rewards alone.
"I know," Chiyo replied, shaking her head. "But this information isn't something we can reveal publicly. You know how anxious the shinobi are already. If this spreads, it could break morale entirely."
"Even if we can only delay the inevitable… we have to keep this under wraps for as long as possible."
"…Yeah, you're right," Ebizō muttered after a pause. He glanced at Rasa, who hadn't flinched since hearing the news. As expected of the Third Kazekage's disciple, he thought. Not even a hint of panic.
After a beat, Ebizō continued.
"You probably already guessed why we called you here."
"War preparations?" Rasa replied plainly.
Chiyo nodded, her tone still edged with helplessness.
"We can't afford to let our guard down. Kumogakure won't let an opportunity like this slip by."
War between nations… was war between villages.
"This time, Ebizō and I will personally lead a squad to fortify the eastern border with the Land of Lightning. As for you…"
She paused, her finger pointing at the map of the shinobi world spread across the table, toward the border with the Land of Earth.
"You'll take a unit and hold this position. We need to stop Iwagakure or Kusagakure from launching an attack while our forces are stretched thin. You're one of the few elite shinobi we have left."
"And what about Pakura?" Rasa asked.
From the side, the woman in question—wearing a tight-fitting ninja outfit that accentuated her form—watched Chiyo calmly. Her twin-bun hairstyle swayed slightly as she moved.
"Pakura will monitor the sea border. We can't ignore Kirigakure across the waters. We don't know if they'll join the conflict, but we must be ready. If the war breaks out in full…"
Another bitter smile.
"…Things will get very ugly."
Sunagakure was poor, underpowered, and undermanned. If this really turned into another full-scale shinobi war, Chiyo couldn't even imagine how the village would survive. Especially now—with no one ready to become the next Kazekage.
Without a Kage to lead them… how could the shinobi possibly fight without fear?
"We'll do everything we can to hold off the Lightning forces," Ebizō said, his usual cheerful tone trying to lighten the room. "All we can do now… is pray you all make it back alive."
But no one was in the mood to laugh.
Pakura gave a solemn nod. "I swear on my life—I will protect Sunagakure."
As for Rasa…
He wanted to refuse. He didn't want to be a shinobi anymore. He'd even come up with excuses to quit. But Rasa was him—and also not him. And walking away… would only bring regret. This was the village he'd spent over twenty years in.
Still… war.
He was afraid of it.
Especially when the only advantage he had now… was a "cheat" ability that required money to activate, not effort.
A pay-to-win power… in a world where there's no grinding for strength.
In the end, he merely gave a calm, unreadable nod.
"…Understood."