Chapter 10: The Loyal and Righteous Rasa
[Experience Card: God of the Shinobi — Hashirama Senju's Chakra Capacity (Two-Star): Duration — 10 Seconds!]
This was the only two-star item Rasa had ever pulled after 22 draws—and judging by the description, even among two-stars, it was incredibly rare.
He could only sigh at how hard it was to get something decent.
After cursing the "garbage gacha pool" in his heart, Rasa looked back at the now-calm desert before him.
The Iwa-nin... had all been dealt with.
Hashirama Senju truly lived up to the title: God of the Shinobi.
The moment that surge of chakra entered his body, he felt an overwhelming strength and vitality fill every cell. He trembled instinctively, then let out a satisfied "Mmm~" from deep in his chest.
In one word—ecstasy.
The only downside was that once the ten seconds ended, the emptiness afterward hit so hard he still hadn't recovered. He just wanted to light a cigarette, sit by the window, and quietly enjoy the moonlight.
And that vast amount of gold dust he'd summoned... all gone in a flash!
What a waste.
His current chakra reserves couldn't even come close to recreating that level of output. Even if he wanted to throw money at the problem and brute-force his way through, he couldn't.
Rasa shook his head helplessly and stepped on the sand beneath his feet. Seeing no signs of movement, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Should be all clear now."
After a sandstorm like that, it was nearly impossible for anyone to survive.
Hashirama's chakra was no joke.
As for now...
Rasa glanced around the pitch-black desert night, frowning slightly as he thought aloud,
"Better rest up first. Come morning..."
It's back to gold mining.
As for the Suna-nin... those bastards. Did it ever occur to them to come look for him?
They left him to fend off a whole unit of Iwa-nin alone! If it hadn't been for a lucky draw and a few potions, he might actually have died out here.
"A bunch of heartless ingrates. I'm honestly hurt."
He was, after all, the official disciple of the Third Kazekage. Couldn't they show a little concern?
Forget it. Better to rely on himself, grind, and keep powering up with his own top-ups.
As for the situation now...
Rasa figured it'd be smarter to lay low for a while. After all, Iwa-nin had chased him all the way here under the watch of Grass Ninja. If he showed up on the battlefield again now, he'd only draw even more attention from Iwagakure.
Sure, if he played his cards right and grabbed the spotlight, he'd be a strong candidate to become the Fourth Kazekage—being the disciple of the Third gave him plenty of clout.
But...
What's the point of being a village head in a barren wasteland like Sunagakure?
No money, no manpower, constant sandstorms, and on top of all that, he had to pan for gold just to keep the whole village fed...
It was just too much work.
So why not lie low, mess with Iwagakure's intelligence gathering, and take it easy for a while?
It wasn't like he was afraid or anything!
Really, think about it—he was the Third Kazekage's personal disciple. A mere Tsuchikage? Raikage? Hokage? Who the hell was scared of them?
...
End of Year, Konoha Year 42
The war had already raged on for nearly two months. In the north, the conflict with Kumogakure was becoming more intense by the day. With limited manpower, Sunagakure gradually found itself on the back foot. Nearly every available shinobi had been deployed to the frontlines—even children who had only just entered the Academy.
Under the bloodshot eyes and bitter smiles of their instructors, the children were told:
"You have remarkable potential as a ninja. After a special review, it's been decided—you'll graduate early and become proud shinobi of the village. It's time to shine."
And then…
They were sent straight to the battlefield.
Everyone knew what fate awaited those children who clutched their newly awarded forehead protectors, too excited to sleep the night before. The outcome was clear the moment they set foot on the battlefield—very few would make it back alive.
Even then, their presence wasn't likely to shift the tide. At best, the lucky few might survive under the guidance of veterans and eventually grow into capable shinobi. But for the majority… they were little more than cannon fodder.
In times of desperation, the only thing a village could do was commit everything it had in a bid for survival.
---
At that moment…
After yet another successful defense against a wave of attacks from the Cloud-nin, Chiyo sat in the temporary command center, visibly exhausted. She reviewed a fresh report from another front line—only to have her eyes widen in disbelief.
Her hands trembled.
A moment later, she slammed the table with fury.
"Rasa… that brat—Rasa actually died?!"
"???"
Ebizō, startled by his sister's outburst, turned to her in shock.
"You're saying… something happened to Rasa?"
Chiyo nodded grimly, eyes flickering with both anger and helplessness. Eventually, she sighed and shook her head, voice heavy with sorrow.
"Two months ago, just after Rasa led his unit to the battlefield, they were ambushed by Iwa-nin and Kusagakure forces. In order to preserve as much combat strength as possible, he… sigh… he appointed Mōmu as the acting commander, and then lured all the enemy forces away by himself. Since that day… he never returned."
"Th-this…!"
Ebizō clenched his fists and stormed back and forth in frustration inside the command tent.
"This is outrageous! Even Kusagakure dares to provoke us now?! A minor village dares trample on Sunagakure's pride?"
He sighed bitterly and shook his head.
"Rasa… truly lived up to his title as the Third Kazekage's disciple."
Loyal and righteous—when the Third Kazekage fell in mysterious circumstances, Rasa drank himself into a stupor, devastated in both body and spirit. But when war came and other villages invaded, he still stood up, fought to protect his comrades and preserved Sunagakure's remaining forces.
"If he were still alive… he might've become the Fourth Kazekage. He could've protected Sunagakure."
"…What good is it to say that now?"
Chiyo crushed the paper in her hands, frowning deeply, lost in thought.
"This must not be made public."
The Third Kazekage's disappearance had already cast a long shadow. If news of Rasa's supposed death spread now… the blow to the morale of Sunagakure would be catastrophic.
"I understand."
Ebizō nodded firmly, then turned to scan the faces of the assembled Jōnin. After each of them gave solemn nods of agreement, he looked back at Chiyo.
"…How's the situation on the other front?"
"Not good."
Chiyo hesitated, then shook her head helplessly.
"Most of our reinforcements have already been deployed here. But with Iwagakure and Kusagakure working together, they're barely holding the line. They're requesting immediate support."
Sunagakure…
Had finally fallen into a state of complete disadvantage.
---
At the same time…
On a distant sand dune shaped like a fortress, a young man with short brown hair stood with his arms crossed, scanning the horizon. His brows furrowed as he muttered to himself:
"This doesn't make sense. Wasn't the main battlefield supposed to be against Kumogakure?"
Why did it feel like… this entire front was about to collapse?