"Besides, the view is very wide, and there are several petrified mountains. Standing on the mountains, we can see the details of our competition clearly. It is very suitable for everyone to watch together. What do you think?"
Hearing this, Aoki's eyes narrowed.
He suddenly felt a little confused about Rasa.
Rasa had deliberately chosen a place suitable for everyone to watch.
Wasn't he afraid that if he suffered a crushing defeat, he would lose face even faster?
Although doubtful, Aoki did not hesitate. He laughed heartily and said:
"Of course, shall we go now?"
After saying this, Aoki stepped forward and made a "please" gesture.
The people around were surprised.
They never expected that Aoki, a senior ninja, would be so mindful of etiquette and manners. Their views of him gradually began to change.
Perhaps Aoki's brilliance had always been overshadowed by the glory of the Third Kazekage?
Just like under the sun—no matter how bright a flame burns, it can never compare to the sun itself.
But when the sun sets, that neglected flame shines brilliantly.
And now, the sun had fallen.
The flame of Aoki was no longer restrained as before, but blazed fiercely.
He noticed the change in the way people looked at him and laughed secretly in his heart, proud of himself.
This was the best solution he had come up with after thinking all night.
It showcased both his magnanimity and composure.
Now, it seemed his carefully crafted plan was indeed correct!
"Hmph, pretentious!"
In a building not far away, Hanori crossed her arms and frowned coldly at Aoki's behavior, clearly dissatisfied.
Beside her, Ayame—who had just rushed back from Rasa's side, wearing an eagle mask over her face and with a curvaceous figure—nodded in agreement.
"It's really disgusting. I don't know where Aoki learned this nonsense, but it just looks ridiculous."
The dozen Shadow Guards around them, dressed in cloaks and masks of different colors, heard their words.
They glanced at one another, then remained silent.
"Let's go, they're moving. We'll follow."
"Remember, if Aoki shows any unusual behavior, act together and subdue him immediately!"
The ninjas moved quickly, especially since the weakest among them were Chunin.
Although the distance was forty kilometers, they covered it in less than ten minutes.
Rasa stood on the sunken desert ground, facing Aoki from a hundred meters away.
The surroundings were a mix of sand and rock, with dunes towering dozens of meters high.
The dunes were crowded with spectators.
Aside from those brought by Rasa and Aoki, as well as the obvious Shadow Guards, there were many other Chunin and Jonin—some familiar to Rasa, some not.
They stood atop the dunes, watching the two figures below with solemn expressions.
Everyone present understood: the Third Kazekage had mysteriously disappeared for a day and a half.
Under such circumstances, the victor of this duel would most likely become the Fourth Kazekage.
If one looked from the sky, they would see countless black specks—hundreds of them—rushing toward the scene.
These specks were all Sand Ninjas who had only learned the news that morning and hurried over for various reasons.
Aoki crossed his arms and felt the countless complex gazes bearing down on him from the dunes above.
He felt immensely satisfied, then smiled at Rasa.
"Shall we begin?"
Rasa crossed his arms as well, a gentle breeze blowing across his body.
His black robe fluttered in the wind, giving him an imposing aura.
"Wait a little longer. Many have not yet arrived."
Aoki laughed triumphantly. Raising his head slightly, he looked at the gathering shadows on the dunes.
"You're very confident. If you lose miserably, you may not even have the chance to become the Fifth Kazekage twenty years from now."
Rasa raised his eyebrows slightly and replied with a faint smile.
"Aoki-sama seems quite certain he can defeat me—and that he can sit safely as Kazekage for more than twenty years?"
"Shut up, you arrogant brat!"
After saying this, Aoki's eyes widened, his short, thick eyebrows twitching constantly.
It was clear Rasa's words had struck a nerve.
Until now, Aoki had tried hard to avoid facing such doubts, convincing himself that being Kazekage was far better than remaining a Jonin.
But now that the decisive moment had come—facing Rasa as a rival—he realized something unsettling.
He was afraid.
He feared what awaited him if he became Kazekage.
Just like the First and Second Kazekage, who died in battle against powerful enemies.
He feared even more that one day, while serving as Kazekage, a mysterious enemy would suddenly appear and kill him.
Just like the Third Kazekage—whose body was never found.
As if he had simply vanished from the world, as though he had never existed.
The more wars he experienced, the deeper his fear grew. Aoki had once thought himself fearless, but now he realized he dreaded the war that was surely coming.
Rasa regarded Aoki calmly, expressionless.
He shook his head slowly. This man did not have the resolve to be Kazekage.
Even Rasa himself, who would later be remembered by fans as the worst Kazekage, had been willing to give everything for the Sand Village.
Whether sacrificing Pakura, sealing the One-Tail into Gaara, or gambling everything on the desperate Konoha Crush Plan—his motives had always been for the village.
The results had been poor, yes.
But the intent had always been for Sunagakure's sake.
Aoki, on the other hand, showed no such resolve.
Even if Rasa himself wasn't perfect, he at least would serve the Sand wholeheartedly—and he was confident he could do dozens of times better than Aoki.
Fixing his gaze on Aoki's eyes, Rasa spoke clearly and firmly:
"You crave power, but lack the awareness needed to shoulder the burden of Kazekage."
"You are not worthy of being Kazekage."
"What nonsense are you spouting? How dare you—a boy who's never experienced true war—question my awareness and my qualifications?!"
Hearing this, the anger and fear Aoki had been suppressing exploded into prideful rage.
He slapped his rough left hand against his chest.
"At the end of the First Great Ninja War, I went to the battlefield myself, braving the stench and dangers to collect the bodies of my compatriots. I was only five years old at the time—you weren't even born yet!"
"When the Second Great Ninja War began, I led a team deep behind enemy lines, cutting off their retreat and killing ten Chunin and two Jonin myself!"
He spread his arms wide, turning to face the ninjas on the dunes, his voice hoarse but forceful.
"That's why I was personally awarded the title of Jonin by the Second Kazekage himself. I was only seventeen at the time! You weren't even alive yet!"
"You, who were born in the final years of the Second War—tell me, am I not qualified to be Kazekage? Am I not qualified to lead the Sand Village?!"
Silence fell across the dunes.
Many younger ninjas stared wide-eyed at Aoki, seeing him in a new light for the first time.
The older Jonin and Chunin who had lived through the Second War looked at him with awe, their eyes burning with excitement.
It was as if they saw a new sun rising before them.
Eagerly, they turned their gazes to Rasa—wondering if this young man would shrink back in shame, or even withdraw from the competition altogether.
But Rasa remained calm.
He even let out a small sigh and shook his head slowly.
"So what? By the end of the First Great War, the Sand Village already had very few men left. I've read the records—the Second Kazekage had just taken office and issued an order: all boys over the age of five were to be sent to the battlefield to collect corpses."
"That was a command. You make it sound like you went voluntarily."
"Of course, perhaps so much time has passed that your memory is blurred. But I recall there are still multiple copies of those documents preserved in the archives."
The crowd on the dunes froze in shock.
None had expected such a revelation.
But if Rasa claimed this, it had to be true—anyone could go to the records room and confirm it.
Aoki, however, was stunned.
He had only bragged so boldly because decades had passed and few ninjas who fought in the First War remained alive. Even those who had survived remembered little, and none dared speak out.
He never imagined Rasa had actually studied the records.
Of course, Rasa hadn't.
He was relying on information Hanori had delivered to him the night before. The Shadow Guards had recorded every detail of Aoki's life they could uncover, from childhood to now.
Hanori had even added her own comments at the end.
Just as Aoki prepared to speak again, Rasa cut him off.
"I admit—you did cut off enemy reinforcements in the Second War and kill two Jonin. But do you think you're the only one with such accomplishments?"
"Besides, I wasn't alive then. If a Third Great War were to break out right now, I could accomplish the same—and several times more than you!"
Aoki's prideful façade cracked. His words caught in his throat, and he found no way to refute Rasa.
Enraged, he roared so loudly it echoed for kilometers.
"You bastard! How dare you insult me like this?!"
"Do you think you can defeat me by deliberately provoking my anger?!"
No longer caring about the gathering crowd, Aoki yanked his left hand back. The scrolls on his back floated into the air.
With a loud bang, a thick fog burst from them, engulfing everything.
Within half a second, both the scrolls and Aoki vanished into the smoke.
Rasa looked into the thick fog. His left hand twitched slightly—then relaxed again.