"Old man!" Tsunade and Jiraiya channeled Chakra to their feet, leaping high.
However, as they charged towards the rooftop barrier, two massive shadows intercepted them, one from the left, one from the right.
Seeing the block, Tsunade roared, "Iwagakure, Kumogakure! Do you two wish to declare war on Konoha?"
With the Third Hokage currently unable to command, Tsunade was the only one with the authority to make such a statement on Konoha's behalf, possessing more legitimacy than even the other three Hokage Advisors.
"Princess Tsunade, what harsh words. This old man merely wishes to discuss the future development strategies between our two villages." Onoki showed no fear of Tsunade at this moment.
While he lacked the nerve to start a real fight within Konoha, his courage to kick someone when they were down was not only present but substantial.
"Hmph! So you're Jiraiya. We in Kumogakure have received numerous reports of a powerful Ninja peeping on the women of our village. We need to have a... thorough... discussion with you!" The Raikage crackled with lightning Chakra, his hair standing on end as he adopted the stance of a wronged party seeking justice, clamping a hand on Jiraiya's shoulder.
"Sakura!" Knowing the two Kage were here to delay them, Tsunade and Jiraiya could only pin their hopes on their final student.
"Sorry..." Sakura trailed off, warily eyeing the Kazekage before her, "And what's your reason, Kazekage-sama? Catching up? Or perhaps the women's bathhouse?"
Facing these adults who had clearly abandoned all pretense of propriety, Sakura saw no point in maintaining surface-level courtesy and opted for direct mockery.
"Haruno Sakura... your power is far too great..." Rasa's words made question marks practically appear above Sakura's head.
'What now? Are you going to seal me away too? Make a Jinchuriki out of me?'
"I cannot allow a genius like you to grow unchecked. Otherwise, the Land of Wind will inevitably become your exclusive playground!" Rasa, arms crossed, stood on a small platform of golden sand floating in the air, looking down on Sakura.
"You say that as if it isn't already your playground even without me," Sakura muttered under her breath, pulling a kunai from the pouch on her back.
Being inside the village with countless Konoha's civilians below, Sakura didn't dare use large-scale attacks.
Rasa, as an outsider, had no such restrictions. Weighing her options, Sakura decided to change the battlefield.
"What did you say?!" Rasa's sensitive and fragile ego took a critical hit.
He tapped his foot, and a massive wave of golden sand erupted, surging towards Sakura like a tidal wave.
The gold dust ran rampant, shaping into blade-like forms that casually sliced through walls, sending stone chips flying.
"Just get out of the village already!" Sakura raised her hand and hurled the Flying Thunder God kunai with all her strength towards Rasa.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
The kunai shot forward, piercing through the golden sand, aimed directly at Rasa's head.
"Hmph, amateur!" Rasa tilted his head, easily dodging the thrown kunai.
What he failed to notice was that after passing his head, the kunai embedded itself squarely in the air behind him.
Instantly, intricate sealing formulae, similar to those used in summoning technique, spread across the space behind Rasa. Within seconds, they tore open a portal leading outside the village.
Below, Sakura took a deep breath. Her Devil Fruit ability guided a cycle of thermal energy, forging a massive storm sword in her hands.
"Old friend, it's been a while!" Sakura gently ran her fingers along the blade, settling into a stance. An aura of immense pressure and crackling dark lightning erupted from her, spreading outwards.
The onrushing tidal wave of golden sand reached her, only to be met and seemingly shaken by a mighty roar from Sakura.
"Spear of Elbaf: Ikoku Sovereignty!"
A hurricane converged. Haki erupted.
A light, burning like fire, rose from the sea of golden sand. A spear capable of tearing the ocean asunder connected the sky and ground, distorting the air before it, swelling as if inflated.
"Wha...?!" Rasa's pupils contracted. He desperately gathered all the golden sand around him into a solid sphere.
The expanding shockwave swallowed Rasa in an instant, propelling him backward towards the Flying Thunder God portal.
The four Kage-level figures, locked in their standoff on the high platform, had no time to react before the impact shattered the roof beneath their feet.
All of them tumbled into the massive crater plowed by the blast.
In an unnoticed corner, the stands filled with politicians and nobles also took the full force of the impact, followed by numerous lives being buried in the ensuing wave of golden sand.
Outside Konoha Village, Naka Forest.
The Flying Thunder God portal slowly closed, the marker Sakura had left during her previous training sessions with Sasuke now completely destroyed.
"Damn Konoha monster!" Rasa cursed, coughing violently within the dust cloud.
Unfortunately for him, the monster he cursed was already upon him, using Soru to close the distance instantly.
Her delicate face was flushed, her emerald eyes alight with excitement.
"You're a Kage, so at least entertain me properly!"
In that instant, the girl shed the carefully maintained disguise, revealing the battle-hungry demon lurking beneath.
The Ninja World was a place of solace for Sakura, but as her Haki refined, her thirst for combat grew increasingly rampant.
Staying in the village in such a state would only bring trouble to her family and friends. So she wore a mask, enduring... every single day!
Now, with that one released strike, who could possibly imagine her sheer elation?
"Ahahahahaha!"
The heavy greatsword clashed with the golden sand swirling around Rasa, producing sounds like crashing ocean waves.
A fiery will sang, making each swing of the greatsword heavier, more... deadly!
"Enough! Get away from me!" Rasa slammed his palms together, abandoning defense with his remaining golden sand.
[Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral]
Vast amounts of golden sand gathered, blooming from the earth like thorny vines, sprouting sharp spikes intended to force Sakura back.
Unfortunately, with a series of ear-grating screeches, countless sharp spikes and pointed clusters were torn asunder by violent power.
Then, Rasa saw...
The girl, her Ninja Attire torn, her exposed skin scraping against the golden sand and throwing off sparks, raised the greatsword and charged towards him.
'What the hell kind of human is this?!'
'What kind of Jutsu allows someone to block Ninjutsu with their bare skin? It might be Lightning Release Chakra Mode, but she isn't even from Kumogakure!'
But there was little time for Rasa to ponder. A greatsword wreathed in Armament Haki was already swinging towards his face.
"Not good!" Rasa knew perfectly well that taking a direct hit meant a swift reunion with his deceased wife.
In the instant his hands formed a seal, the golden sand at his feet drilled a large hole into the ground. Arms of sand shot out, grabbing his legs and yanking him underground.
The howling greatsword brushed past where he had been. Immediately after, a small hill behind him was sheared clean in half.
The earth shattered. Dust, given no time to rise, was whipped into a spiraling tornado soaring into the sky.
Fierce winds swept across the ground. As soon as Rasa poked his head out, flying debris already cut his face.
A hurricane gathered within the dark clouds, punching a massive hole through the cloud layer. Dark lightning danced between the streamlined cloud formations.
Gradually, rain began to fall, drenching everything within a radius of several hundred meters.
Gazing upon this man-made cataclysm resembling the end of the world, Rasa could only mutter to himself...
"What in the world is this?!"