Being a Kazekage is very dangerous. But isn't being a Jonin dangerous as well?
Rasa silently looked at the back of Jonin Aoki and shook his head.
He didn't remember seeing this Jonin Aoki in the anime.
That could only mean one thing—
Most likely, Aoki died during the Third Ninja World War.
Since he had no relatives or friends connected to the main characters, his existence and deeds went unnoticed.
Rasa glanced at the growing number of ninjas gathering around him.
He turned, greeted Pakura, and headed toward his house.
With only 370 skill points, there was no need to even consider top-tier combat items.
As for Aoki, judging from the information in his memories,
He was at least an elite jonin.
But Rasa wasn't overly concerned.
Because he had the system. Embarrassing as it was to admit, the system was undeniably part of his strength.
Once he got home, he would convert all of his skill points into favorability items and focus on improving others' impressions of him.
Given the two-day time difference between tonight and tomorrow, he should be able to gain several thousand skill points by then.
Though not enough to exchange for things like the Eternal Mangekyō or the Rinnegan,
It would still be enough to redeem valuable items.
After all, he had only seen the first page of the system's exchange menu—already filled with 100 items.
There were still 900 billion more pages, with over 90 trillion items waiting to be browsed.
"Let's spar. Aoki has always had his eye on the Kazekage seat, and now he finally gets his chance."
In the center of Sunagakure, inside a plain-looking room—
Chiyo sat in her chair and spoke expressionlessly.
"Haha, sister, Aoki always loves his little tricks.
That's also why, despite his talent, he hasn't progressed much in actual strength."
Ebizo, seated beside her, wore a faint smile.
But in his cloudy eyes, there was no hint of amusement.
The siblings had already made Rasa's position clear earlier, and no one had objected.
Yet afterward, Aoki openly challenged Rasa.
Such cunning behavior was no less than a challenge to their authority.
"Do you want me to warn Jonin Aoki?"
A soft female voice suddenly broke the silence.
The speaker wore a black windbreaker and a rabbit mask.
Even hidden beneath her coat, her figure was unmistakably elegant.
She wore black half-heels, standing about one meter seventy tall.
Her pale, delicate feet peeked slightly from her shoes, smooth and flawless, glowing faintly in the dim light.
Her ankles were slender and refined, perfectly proportioned.
But unlike her feet, faint lines could be seen on her exposed neck—evidence of an experienced puppeteer.
This woman was the same one who had been watching from the office's upper corner earlier.
Chiyo thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"No. Aoki's challenge is reasonable, and Rasa accepted.
We have no grounds to interfere. And even if we did, it wouldn't matter. Dissatisfaction would still linger."
Ebizo added,
"If Rasa had refused, we'd have had the right to intervene. But since he agreed on the spot…"
He shook his head slightly, as though pitying Rasa.
A Kazekage didn't always have to be the strongest person.
But he should at least rank among the first tier—within the top five or six of the village.
Rasa, though gifted, was still only 23.
It might take him a few more years before he reached that level.
That was why they had hoped to delay the war, giving Rasa one or two more years to grow before making him the Fourth Kazekage.
But now, it seemed he had been too rash in accepting Aoki's challenge.
Perhaps he hadn't realized the deeper meaning behind it—
Or perhaps he had, but pride wouldn't let him refuse.
Either way, it showed he might not yet be ready to serve as Kazekage.
"After all," Ebizo sighed, "Rasa is just 23. He's spent most of his time inside the village and hasn't taken many missions."
Chiyo was silent for a while, then lifted her head toward the woman in the rabbit mask.
"Hanori, watch their duel tomorrow yourself. Report the result to us immediately."
The graceful woman hesitated, her dark eyes flickering despite the mask.
Seeing this, Chiyo softened her tone.
"Don't worry. We're not gone yet. We can still protect ourselves in the village. Besides, the one who killed the Third Kazekage is surely long gone.
As deputy commander of the Shadow Guard, it's time you saw the man who may become your next commander."
Hanori nodded silently. She gave the siblings a slight bow, then vanished instantly.
As guards directly under the Kazekage, their orders were absolute.
But with the Third Kazekage missing for a day—and likely dead—
And the Fourth not yet chosen, the Shadow Guard temporarily followed the siblings.
Still, as deputy commander, Hanori's simple nod was courtesy enough—one of the privileges of the Kazekage's guard.
After she left, the room sank into silence once more.
Half an hour later, the conversation resumed.
"Sister, Aoki may be cunning and quick-tempered, but he lacks foresight.
With war approaching, I think it's better to let someone stronger take the Kazekage seat."
Chiyo's voice echoed softly:
"Why didn't Rasa refuse? At least then there would still be room to maneuver.
If Rasa can last ten minutes against Aoki, then we'll leave the Kazekage position vacant for a year, even if it costs our reputation."
"Sister, even ten minutes is too long. I couldn't withstand fifty moves."
"Then let Aoki be the Fourth Kazekage. As for Rasa, he can serve as advisor. He's young—he has time.
Besides, Aoki isn't the only one vying for the seat.
But he's the first to openly challenge Rasa, daring to slap us in the face. In that sense, Aoki does show courage and resourcefulness."
Meanwhile, the Third Kazekage had been missing for an entire day—
And was likely already dead.
This news spread quietly among the higher-ranking chunin and above.
Before they could even process their shock and grief,
Word spread that Rasa would be dueling Senior Jonin Aoki.
With both events happening so close together, even the slowest ninja understood the meaning.
Chunin eager to advance rushed to send gifts to Aoki's home.
Special jonin prepared offerings and delivered them in person.
The rest of the jonin, except those friendly with Aoki, stayed silent.
They knew his flaws.
Even if he became Kazekage, he'd likely only serve as a transitional figure for a few years.
As for Rasa—
Most in the village doubted him.
They believed he wasn't Aoki's match.
They acknowledged his talent, certain he would surpass Aoki one day.
But right now, at just 23, he couldn't compare with a seasoned veteran known throughout the ninja world.
Rasa walked slowly home, nodding politely to ninjas and civilians who greeted him.
Their reactions were nearly identical—surprise, flattery, then emotion.
No wonder.
The class divisions in Sunagakure were strict, and its ninjas were known for their bad tempers.
Few would return greetings regardless of rank, as Rasa did.
Ten minutes later, he arrived home.
Heading straight to the kitchen, he suddenly vanished.
In truth, he had entered a secret chamber seven meters underground.
Seated cross-legged on a stone bed, he shook his head.
Rasa hadn't expected his predecessor to be so paranoid.
To train in peace, he had bought a house with a secret underground chamber.
Clearly, the anime story hadn't shown this side of him.
But remembering his role as a minor character in the anime, Rasa let out a quiet sigh of relief.