"Tell me what happened in Konoha," Rasa said softly as he greeted everyone with a smile, walking leisurely to his chair and sitting down.
Before returning, Rasa's heart had been burning with anxiety.
He had constantly speculated, imagining all the possible scenarios unfolding in Konoha.
The anxiety was like a tangled mess of hemp rope, tightening around his heart.
But now that he was back, his inner turmoil had strangely subsided.
What's done is done. Worrying wouldn't change the past.
It was better to calm down and think carefully about how to deal with the fallout.
Hearing Rasa speak, Pakura turned her head slightly, glancing at Nono Yakushi beside her.
Sensing Pakura's gaze, Nono quickly adjusted her glasses and spoke rapidly:
"Lord Kazekage, based on our intel combined with the report Konoha voluntarily sent over this morning..."
"Last night, the Uchiha Clan in Konoha staged a rebellion."
Rasa looked up slowly, meeting Nono's gaze.
There was no surprise on his face, as if he had expected this all along.
The possibility of an Uchiha rebellion had been within his calculations.
However, an Uchiha rebellion alone couldn't possibly account for the deaths of both Danzo and Minato in such a short timeframe.
Nono's expression grew complicated as she continued:
"The Uchiha and Root joined forces to revolt. However, at the most critical moment, two strange men and a young boy suddenly appeared on the Hokage Rock."
"Then, a chaotic three-way battle erupted between them, Minato Namikaze, Danzo, and Fugaku Uchiha..."
After a few minutes of explanation.
Rasa nodded slightly, falling into deep thought. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
Urashiki Ōtsutsuki, Sasuke, and Boruto?
But logically, they should have traveled back to the time of young Naruto, about ten years from now.
Why did they arrive in this era? And why did Sasuke die?
Is this another butterfly effect caused by my presence?
seeing Rasa's expression, Nono hesitated for a moment before whispering:
"My Lord, according to private intel we gathered..."
"Some residents claimed to see Danzo being killed multiple times, only to reappear in their field of vision."
"Furthermore, the strange-looking man reportedly cut off Danzo's arm at the end and swallowed the eyeballs embedded in it one by one."
Hearing this, Rasa understood immediately.
So Urashiki had harvested Danzo's Sharingan collection for himself.
With multiple extra lives, it wasn't surprising that he managed to take out Sasuke, Minato, and the others.
Urashiki trading lives one-for-one was a viable strategy for him.
After all, not everyone was as useless as Danzo.
Having so many resurrection coins and failing to make use of a single one was a special kind of incompetence.
Rasa stood up slowly, his voice gentle.
"Send someone to contact Konoha immediately. I'm going there this afternoon."
After giving the order, Rasa asked:
"Has Tsunade arrived?"
Pakura smiled and nodded.
"She arrived three days ago."
"She's been with your daughter constantly. Temari likes her very much."
An involuntary, gentle smile spread across Rasa's face, his tone softening even further.
"A baby only a few days old doesn't know what liking is."
"Is Karura okay? She delivered ten days early, after all."
Pakura shook her head, a hint of envy in her tone.
"Everything is normal. Tsunade said Karura just needs to rest in bed for a few days, and she'll be back to her old self."
"Good. Let's go home!"
"Nono, I'll leave the rest to you."
Having said that, a surge of urgency filled Rasa's heart. He grabbed Pakura's hand and practically dragged her out the door.
This was his first daughter across two lifetimes.
Even knowing they were safe, he was desperate to see them.
Nono Yakushi watched quietly as Rasa and Pakura left.
She let out a soft sigh, walked elegantly in her high heels to her desk, and sat down slowly to continue working.
Minutes later.
In Karura's room at Rasa's mansion.
Rasa sat carefully on the edge of the bed, cradling the infant in his arms with a look of pure ecstasy. He gazed lovingly at the sleeping Temari.
Lying on the bed, looking slightly weak but radiating maternal warmth, Karura smiled softly.
"Don't let her sleeping face fool you. The moment she wakes up, she's a little demon king. She cries non-stop."
Rasa nodded, his voice filled with emotion.
"It's fine. Babies are supposed to cry."
Sitting nearby, Tsunade crossed her arms, staring enviously at Karura, occasionally stealing glances at Rasa.
Beside Tsunade, Shuang Uchiha forced a smile onto her face, though her eyes were filled with anxiety.
After chatting softly with Karura for a few minutes while holding Temari.
Rasa carefully handed the sleeping baby to Akatsuki nearby, then stood up and walked toward the door.
Seeing this, Tsunade and Shuang quickly followed him.
Rasa walked to the living room sofa and sat down.
Tsunade and Shuang sat closely on either side of him.
Rasa spoke to Tsunade first.
"Mother, something must have happened in Konoha last night. I assume you know by now."
"So... do you still plan to stay in the Hidden Sand?"
Tsunade wasn't surprised by Rasa's directness.
A complex emotion flashed in her eyes. She shook her head slowly, her voice tinged with sorrow and resolve.
"I'll return to Konoha with you later."
"If the old man is fine, I'll come back here."
Rasa showed no surprise at her answer.
He nodded slightly, then turned to Shuang Uchiha.
"Shuang, you don't need to worry too much."
"According to our latest intel, Konoha has only cordoned off the Uchiha compound. They haven't taken further action."
hearing this, the anxiety in Shuang's eyes faded slightly, but she remained worried.
"Rasa, but the Uchiha committed treason. They publicly besieged the Hokage."
"The Third Hokage might be holding back for stability now, but later... who knows?"
Rasa nodded in agreement.
"That is indeed a very high possibility."
He turned to Tsunade.
"Mother, what do you think?"
Tsunade fell silent. After a dozen seconds, she sighed softly.
"The seeds of hatred have already sprouted..."
"Once a seed sprouts, is there any way to stop it from growing besides digging it out by the roots?"
Hearing Tsunade's words, Shuang's face turned deathly pale.
Rasa's eyes flickered with a calculating light.
"But we can transplant the seeds of hatred to different soil."
Originally, Rasa had planned to execute this scheme a few years later.
But heaven's plans always supersede man's.
Since this event happened so opportunely, he might as well poach the Uchiha now.
Shuang's eyes lit up. She grabbed Rasa's hands urgently, her elegant voice filled with desperation.
"Yes!"
"We can migrate the remaining Uchiha to the Hidden Sand!"
Tsunade pondered for a moment, then shook her head slowly.
"Rasa, the old man will never agree to that."
"No, he will. Even in the worst case, he will give his tacit consent!"
Rasa stood up, radiating confidence.
He gently stroked Shuang's cheek, whispering:
"However, the Uchiha who participated in the siege and survived... I cannot save them."
The sorrow in Shuang's eyes deepened, but her voice was filled with gratitude.
"It doesn't matter. As long as we can save the innocent ones—even half of them—it will be enough to preserve the Uchiha lineage. I believe they will be satisfied!"
Rasa nodded. He looked out the window for a few seconds before heading downstairs.
"Good. Let's go pick a site for the new Uchiha district."
Two hours later.
Several Swifts slowly taxied onto the runway and took off, heading toward Konoha.
Rasa sat in the pilot's seat of one of the planes, watching the clouds rush by outside the window.
Urashiki Ōtsutsuki had escaped.
That was unacceptable. He had to be eliminated.
If Urashiki realized that this timeline was different from the history he knew.
What if he started harassing this world periodically?
As for Sasuke and Boruto... they had come to this era, and Sasuke was already dead.
That meant this Sasuke and Boruto were definitely not the ones from the original timeline Rasa knew.
Perhaps his theory was correct: every world has countless branches, and every branch has countless parallel worlds.
Meanwhile, in a cave somewhere in the Land of Fire.
Urashiki Ōtsutsuki sat weakly deep inside the cavern, his voice filled with confusion.
"This past is definitely not the past I know!"
If Urashiki only had suspicions yesterday.
Now, he was absolutely certain.
After all, how could the Third Great Ninja War end in just six months?
And how could the Fourth Kazekage be so powerful, killing the Third Raikage and his son single-handedly?
Furthermore, he had created flying machines that shouldn't exist for another thirty years.
And they seemed even more advanced than the aircraft of Boruto's era!
Those things called "Swifts" had tailed him for over an hour last night.
Urashiki's eyes flickered constantly as he muttered to himself:
"The problem lies with the Fourth Kazekage of the Sand."
"Before his appearance, history matches perfectly."
"But after he appeared, everything became... similar but different."
He touched his bandaged abdomen gently, whispering:
"By the way, Isshiki should be active by now."
"Should I find him and ask for help..."
Before he could finish, Urashiki shook his head violently, refuting himself.
"No. Isshiki is cold-blooded and ruthless. Even if this past isn't my past, his personality won't change."
"If he sees me in this state, he will definitely kick me while I'm down..."
Urashiki closed his eyes slowly.
Given the current situation, his only option was to find the Karasuki of this era at the bottom of the ocean and return.
He would heal his wounds in his own time and come back later!
Anyway, Sasuke was dead, and Boruto was left unconscious in Konoha.
Without those two nuisances, his era would be much easier to handle.
Meanwhile, at the Konoha Hospital.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, wrapped in bandages, lay on a hospital bed, his tone flat.
"Fugaku's wife and dozens of Uchiha clansmen escaped?"
An Anbu bowed slightly.
"Yes, Lord Third."
"We sent pursuers immediately after discovery, but we found nothing..."
Hiruzen's eyes flickered, but he eventually closed them again.
"Ignore them."
"Rasa will be here soon. Prepare for his reception."