Uchiha Ran and Minato Namikaze didn't have to wait long.
Only three days later, Rasa arrived at the border.
He had short brown hair and wore a black shinobi outfit with mesh armor underneath. Four members of his personal guard followed closely behind him.
At a glance, it was easy to identify the people present.
The blond man was clearly Namikaze Minato.
The black-haired youth bearing the Uchiha clan crest was an Uchiha.
As for Pakura—
Rasa merely cast a glance at her lying on the ground.
How disgraceful.
So she'd really been taken down by two Uchiha kids?
Having already received reports that Minato was Konoha's representative, Rasa walked straight toward him.
He formally announced that he was now the acting Fourth Kazekage, and that he would soon be officially instated. Once that was done, notifications would be sent to all nations and shinobi villages.
Minato expressed his congratulations, stating that Rasa's succession would help maintain the friendly relationship between Konoha and Sunagakure.
In an atmosphere that was warm, cordial, and almost too harmonious, Rasa and Minato held in-depth discussions on bilateral relations between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, as well as Pakura's unauthorized entry into Fire Country.
They reached broad consensus.
Both sides highly praised the friendship that had followed the ceasefire between the two nations, emphasizing mutual trust, support, and cooperation. According to them, the two villages were true friends, partners, even brothers, and should continue expanding cooperation in all fields for the benefit of their people.
Rasa went so far as to praise the political handling of the situation by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stating that the Hokage's goodwill had been instrumental in preserving peace between Wind and Fire.
They also agreed to continue joint efforts to search for the Third Kazekage.
Once the formalities were done, Rasa took several heavy bags of gold from a sealing pouch.
"Jōnin Minato," Rasa said, "this is the agreed reward for assisting in the search for the Third Kazekage. Sunagakure will send dedicated personnel to coordinate further matters."
Minato accepted the bags, weighed them briefly in his hands, and, satisfied that the amount was correct, nodded toward Ran—signaling him to release Pakura.
Ran immediately dispelled his Sharingan genjutsu and casually tossed Pakura back toward the Sand shinobi.
The moment control was lifted, Pakura exploded.
"Damn you, Uchiha brat! How dare you treat me like that—I'll remember this!"
Three whole days.
Even eating and using the restroom had been dictated by Ran's Sharingan.
"This humiliation—I'll never forget it! Don't ever let me catch you again, you bastard Uchiha!"
Ran felt utterly wronged.
All I did was control her with genjutsu for a few days… and okay, tie her up once or twice. Is this really worth holding a lifelong grudge over?
You can shout all you want. Once I'm back in the village, I'll go on with my life like nothing happened. Minato-senpai can vouch for me if needed.
If your version of events spreads, people might start thinking you're destined to marry me or something.
As Ran was thinking this through, he suddenly realized something—and abruptly drew his sword.
"Are you trying to force me to give you another unforgettable lesson with Fushō no Yume, Pakura?"
Standing beside her, Rasa noticed Ran's movement and spoke coolly.
"So this is the boy—and the other Uchiha woman—who defeated you, Pakura?"
Pakura clenched her teeth.
She knew how terrifying their Sharingan were. And yet, she'd still fallen into their trap without realizing it.
She didn't even have the mood to answer Rasa.
Once rivals for the Kazekage position, the gap between them was now painfully clear.
Rasa was the Fourth Kazekage.
She was merely the one who had to be rescued.
Then—
Something clicked.
Wait…
Pakura's mind suddenly cleared.
"If Rasa is already the acting Fourth Kazekage, that means he has the elders' full support. Now he's also 'rescued' me, earning even more political credit. Once he petitions the Wind Daimyō, his position is basically guaranteed."
Then… what about me?
A chill ran down her spine.
Rasa was terrifying.
Looking back at the entire incident—the disappearance of the Third Kazekage—the one who benefited the most was Rasa. And by saving her, he'd ensured she could never investigate or oppose him again.
If she did, she'd be branded an ungrateful traitor.
"This Uchiha youngster doesn't need to be so tense," Rasa said arrogantly, lifting his chin.
"To someone like me, who wields Magnet Release: Gold Dust, your weapon is far too weak. If we fought, I wouldn't waste much time—just a few seconds would be enough to end you."
Ran calmly sheathed his blade.
"As expected of a man about to become the Fourth Kazekage—your words are full of confidence. Still, being too confident often leads to getting slapped in the face."
He was quite satisfied.
Another objective had been achieved.
"Jōnin Minato, I'll leave the rest to you. We'll be taking our leave."
With that, Rasa departed the Fire Country border, taking the silent Pakura and his four guards with him.
Along the way, he constantly indoctrinated her.
For the village.
For her students and legacy.
For Sunagakure's future.
He spoke of cooperation, unity, and shared prosperity.
Pakura felt sickened by it—but there was nothing she could do. The situation was already set in stone.
On the other side, Minato immediately split the spoils—no, the dividends—with Ran.
Out of the fifteen rewards, 2.5 shares were given to Ran on the spot.
Ruka's share was entrusted to him as well, to deliver later.
The remainder Minato would take back to the village.
"This really is winner-takes-all, Minato-senpai," Ran said. "Honestly, if we'd asked for some ninjutsu too, I bet Sunagakure would've agreed."
"They wouldn't give you their secret techniques," Minato replied calmly. "And we already have plenty of Wind Release ninjutsu."
"Yeah, yeah—sensei, stop preaching. It's annoying."
Minato twitched slightly.
Sensei?
This junior really was something else. What kind of personality did he even have?
Minato suddenly felt that his own steady temperament suited Orochimaru far more…
while Ran would probably get along frighteningly well with Jiraiya.
Those two would absolutely hit it off.
"Minato-senpai," Ran continued, "do you really think this matter is over?"
Minato paused.
"…Isn't it?"
Seeing Minato's disbelief, Ran explained patiently.
"There are plenty of conspirators in the shinobi world. The Third Kazekage's disappearance might very well have been staged from the inside. This play probably isn't over yet."
"And on our side, things might not be stable either. As far as I know, Konoha's upper ranks aren't exactly united. Everyone has their own agendas."
In the shinobi world—
Victory belongs to those who take everything.
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