While both Chiyo and Ebizō were extremely optimistic about Rasa's potential
Judging from his previous battle record and his current age of 23—
He probably needed a few more years before he could rank in the top five of the entire village.
Their original plan had been to delay the war as long as possible.
The longer they could postpone the outbreak, the more time Rasa would have to grow.
Then, once he had matured, they could push him to become the Fourth Kazekage.
But now…
It seemed Rasa had recklessly accepted Aoki's challenge.
Whether Rasa failed to understand the significance behind this sparring challenge—
Or he did understand but still accepted out of pride—
Both options pointed to one thing: Rasa might not yet be qualified to serve as Kazekage.
Ebizō sighed softly.
"At the end of the day, Rasa is still just a 23-year-old youth. He's spent most of his time inside the village and hasn't even completed that many missions."
Chiyo was silent for a moment, then lifted her head slightly to look at the woman standing quietly in the center of the room.
"Kōzuki, you'll personally attend their spar tomorrow. As soon as there's a result, report it to us."
The graceful woman in the rabbit mask—Kōzuki—hesitated. Though her face was covered, her dark eyes, visible through the mask, flickered with doubt.
Chiyo immediately caught her hesitation and added in a gentle voice:
"Don't worry. We two old fossils, for all our faults, still have enough pull to protect ourselves within the village. And the one who murdered the Third Kazekage has probably fled long ago."
"As vice-captain of the Kazekage's personal Shadow Guard, it's only proper you see for yourself what kind of man the next captain might be."
Hearing that, Kōzuki finally nodded silently. She gave the two elders a slight bow—then disappeared in a blink.
The Shadow Guard reported directly to the Kazekage. But with the Third Kazekage now missing for a full day and most likely dead…
Until a Fourth Kazekage was officially selected, the Guard would temporarily follow the Chiyo siblings' orders.
Even so, as vice-captain of the Kazekage's personal force, Kōzuki only needed to give a slight nod in greeting or farewell—one of the privileges afforded to the Shadow Guard.
Once she left, the room fell into a long silence.
Only after half an hour did conversation resume.
"Sister," Ebizō began, "Aoki may be rash, and full of petty schemes with no real strategic mind, but with war looming… perhaps it's best to let the stronger man lead."
Chiyo's voice soon echoed through the room.
"Ah… why didn't that boy Rasa just refuse the match? Then at least there'd be room for us to salvage the situation."
"Alright. If he can last ten minutes against Aoki tomorrow, we'll throw away our pride and keep the Kazekage seat empty for another year."
"And if he can't even last ten minutes?" Ebizō asked.
"Then Aoki will be the Fourth Kazekage," Chiyo said firmly. "And that child—Rasa—will serve as a military advisor. He's still young. Time is on his side."
"Besides, Aoki isn't the only Jonin in the village aiming for the position."
"But he was the first to challenge Rasa—publicly, no less. In that sense, the brat does have a bit of boldness and cunning."
___________________
Meanwhile, word of the Third Kazekage's disappearance—most likely his death—had quietly spread to every experienced Jonin and above in the village.
Before the shinobi had time to grieve or even be surprised…
News of Rasa's upcoming spar against Jonin Aoki also reached their ears. These two events, so close together, made the message crystal clear to all but the dullest shinobi.
In an instant, ambitious Chunins began preparing gifts and finding middlemen to deliver them to Aoki's home.
Many Tokubetsu Jonin personally made their way to Aoki's home with presents in hand.
As for the remaining full Jonin—other than those already friendly with Aoki—most chose to stay silent.
They were well aware of Aoki's flaws.
Even if he became Kazekage, he'd likely serve only as a short-term placeholder.
And Rasa?
Most in Sunagakure held a pessimistic view. They didn't believe Rasa stood a chance against Aoki.
They acknowledged Rasa's potential—perhaps in a few years, he could surpass Aoki.
But right now, at just 23 years old, Rasa was no match for the battle-hardened Aoki, whose name carried weight across the entire shinobi world.
Rasa made his way home at a calm and steady pace.
To every shinobi and civilian who greeted him, he nodded politely in return.
Their reactions were practically identical—shock, then flattered surprise, then heartfelt gratitude.
You couldn't blame them. Sunagakure had a rigid class system, and its shinobi were known for being hot-tempered.
A shinobi like Rasa, who treated everyone with courtesy regardless of rank or background, was exceedingly rare.