This feeling was wonderful—he had never experienced anything like it before.
Rasa did not pull away from Karura's fingers. Instead, he simply waved his hand and said:
"I've been busy these past few days, I…"
But Karura suddenly retracted her hand, stepping back with her arms behind her. Tilting her head slightly, she looked at Rasa.
Her gentle demeanor made the playful gesture appear perfectly natural.
She acted as though she hadn't heard his words. Her lively eyes sparkled as she smiled:
"Then, Rasa, will you really come to our house as a guest tomorrow?"
Seeing her like this stirred an indescribable emotion in Rasa's heart.
He nodded stiffly, swallowing back the excuses he had already prepared.
On his way to the Kazekage's office, Rasa still felt dizzy.
After promising Karura, he quickly said goodbye to the two sisters and walked away with haste, as if trying to escape.
"I didn't expect Karura to be so skilled at flirting," Rasa thought to himself.
He had always assumed Karura was the Yamato Nadeshiko type of woman—gentle, quiet, and far too shy to speak when faced with the man she admired, much like Hinata.
But now it was clear he had misunderstood.
Judging from her behavior both this morning and now, Karura was indeed gentle, but she was also someone who could take the initiative.
Compared to Hinata, who only found the courage to confess at a critical moment, Karura was far braver in ordinary situations.
And that was the type of woman Rasa found difficult to deal with.
Having lived in the modern world for more than twenty years, he had grown accustomed to classmates and colleagues who wore masks—saying one thing while meaning another, pretending to be friends on the surface.
Meanwhile, outside Sunagakure's walls—
Yasha Rei, who had been staring at her sister's behavior in shock, finally came back to her senses.
She glanced at her sister, who was still gazing in the direction Rasa had gone.
After hesitating for a long time, Yasha Rei cautiously approached her and whispered:
"Sister, what was that just now…"
Karura kept her eyes fixed on the path Rasa had taken. Without turning her head, she replied:
"What is it? Do you think what I did was strange?"
"Yes, sister," Yasha Rei answered tentatively.
Suddenly, Karura moved slightly, then turned around.
Yasha Rei's eyes widened, her dark pupils locked on her sister's face.
Karura touched her smooth, delicate cheek curiously, her expression puzzled.
"What is it? Do I have dust on my face? Why are you staring at me like that?"
"No, sister… I've just never seen you smile so happily and sweetly before."
Her words made Karura both laugh and sigh.
Walking up to her, Karura reached out and gently brushed Yasha Rei's face. Then she turned once more, gazing at the direction Rasa had gone.
"Because I've found a man worthy of my lifelong trust. How could I not be happy?"
Karura smiled and lifted her eyes to the sky.
"Of course, there are other women around him, watching and waiting."
"But luckily, one of them still doesn't understand her true feelings. She seems to think of him only as a good friend, even a brother."
"In a situation like this, if I don't take the initiative—if I cling to useless reservations instead of pursuing my happiness—"
"Then when that woman finally realizes her own heart and takes action, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."
Karura's eyes lingered on the path Rasa had taken, unaware of the complicated look that crossed Yasha Rei's face at her words.
...…
Three hours later.
Rasa walked along the street, gazing at the bustling crowd before letting out a slow breath.
Three hours earlier, he had entered the Kazekage's office and spoken with the Chiyo siblings.
He had given them a brief explanation of his situation—though, of course, he concealed anything related to the system.
He attributed his ability to manipulate iron tools to years of hard work and practice, claiming it led him to new insights and breakthroughs.
After the explanation, their talk shifted to everyday matters.
As Rasa recalled this, he shook his head slightly.
Why had so many shinobi suddenly learned that the Third Kazekage had gone missing—or worse, been killed?
The culprit was none other than that fool Aoki.
To draw more witnesses to his display of power, and to prevent unexpected complications, Aoki had told every jōnin and senior chūnin that the Third Kazekage was most likely dead.
Chiyo had asked Rasa what he thought about this.
He could only reply that they should strictly monitor those aware of the truth, keep them within the village, and cut down on unnecessary missions.
As for adjusting defenses, increasing patrols, transporting supplies, and purchasing resources—Rasa suggested assigning only the most trustworthy shinobi.
Beyond that, there wasn't much he could do.
He wasn't a god.
Other than the spies controlled by Sasori, the original records gave no details on who might be working for which village.
And for those bound by Sasori's secret brainwashing techniques…
Rasa warned Chiyo of the danger and urged her to stay alert.
Then another thought struck him.
Wait—there was a way to identify spies!
Rasa suddenly remembered the favorability list.
By checking it, he could easily spot those who held negative impressions of him.
Not everyone with a positive impression was trustworthy, but a spy certainly wouldn't appear with a positive one.
Lost in thought, Rasa realized he had already arrived at his destination.
A three-story house stood before him, plain and ordinary in appearance, with nothing that stood out.
He decided to postpone the search for spies until nightfall.
Walking to the door, he knocked lightly.
"Wait, I'm coming!"
Pakura's voice called out from within, and moments later the door creaked open.
"Crack!"
Standing there was Pakura herself.
Rasa's gloomy mood lifted in an instant, replaced by amazement.
She hadn't changed into casual clothes; she was still dressed in her signature backless, sleeveless outfit.
But instead of her ninja sandals, she wore wooden clogs.
Her feet—slender, flawless, snow-white—were a work of art.
Clearly, she took great care of them.
As sunlight spilled over the doorway, making them shine, only one thought filled Rasa's mind:
"Yu! Yu!"
"Her feet are exactly as I imagined yesterday—beautiful!"
Later, seated in the living room on the first floor, Rasa silently took in the house's layout.
He had expected someone like Pakura to keep her home sparsely decorated.
Yet to his surprise, it radiated warmth.
From the outside, the house looked no different from its neighbors.
But inside, the cozy arrangement immediately gave one a sense of belonging.
It was strange. Rasa had lived in houses for more than ten years without ever feeling at home.
Yet here, listening to the sounds of Pakura busy in the kitchen, he felt it instantly.
A quiet warmth rose in his chest.
He realized then that he had developed strong feelings for Pakura.
Whether it was truly love, he couldn't be sure.
But he knew without a doubt that he was drawn to her beauty.
As for Pakura—what did she think of him?
Rasa had no idea.
Although he wanted to believe it was love, her favorability rating, hovering close to fifty, told him otherwise.
From his limited experience, he had already learned that high favorability didn't always mean love.
Each woman's feelings were shaped by her past and her personality.
Take Hanori and Ayame, for example.
Their devotion was little more than blind worship.
They saw him as a savior, obeying his every word.
That wasn't love—it was idolization.
And Yasha Rei?
To Rasa, she had simply never known a close male figure while growing up.
So once her favorability rose, she naturally began treating him like the older brother she never had.