Sarada stood outside the door, listening to the sounds inside growing louder and louder, until her legs felt weak and jelly-like.
Half an hour later.
Sarada suddenly heard the noises inside cease.
She quickly moved her trembling legs and hurried away from the door.
Inside the room, Rasa lay on the bed. He glanced at the door, shook his head, and closed his eyes.
Sakura, like a traveler in a desert finally finding an oasis, lay satisfied in Rasa's arms and fell into a blissful sleep.
That evening, when Rasa woke up, he found that Sakura was no longer in bed.
Moreover, the bedsheets, mattress, and pillows had all been replaced with brand-new ones.
Looking at the fresh bedding, Rasa narrowed his eyes slightly, then shook his head with a chuckle.
For Sakura, who had been bitterly in love with Sasuke for so long, a true, deep exchange with him would inevitably reveal the truth. She would know he wasn't the real Sasuke.
However, because he had already raised her Favorability by over a hundred points, Sakura would simply choose to accept it willingly.
Creak!
Suddenly, the door was pushed open with a soft sound.
Sakura, her face glowing with a radiant flush, walked in and gently closed the door.
She walked to the bedside, looked at Rasa, and spoke softly:
"Sasuke-kun, you're awake. Let's eat!"
Rasa nodded, threw off the new duvet covering him, and got out of bed.
Since Sakura chose not to expose him, he wouldn't bring it up either.
One day later, in the Main World.
The time was now March, Konoha Year 46.
Dozens of miles away from the Hidden Stone Village, Killer B, wearing his signature sunglasses, glanced at the massive iron towers surrounding him.
He shook his head and began to run along the road.
Around him, a dozen Jonin from Kumogakure formed a tight protective circle, escorting him.
Running beside Killer B, Yugito Nii asked in confusion:
"We couldn't find any issues at all. Could we have guessed wrong?"
Killer B adjusted his sunglasses and lowered his voice:
"We haven't detected any obvious problems yet."
"Besides, we are allies with the Hidden Stone. We can't be too aggressive. Let's put this matter aside for now."
Yugito nodded slowly, though a hint of unwillingness remained in her expression.
For this trip, the Cloud Village had made ample preparations.
The ninjas accompanying them were the cream of the crop.
Furthermore, the village had deployed a special ops unit stationed just a hundred miles outside the Hidden Stone.
Once they detected any abnormality with the Third Tsuchikage, they would immediately send a distress signal.
With the combined strength of B, Yugito, and these elite Jonin, holding the line until reinforcements arrived wouldn't be difficult.
After Killer B's group disappeared into the distance.
An hour later.
A masked young man and a man with a long braid appeared at the spot where they had stood.
Obito crossed his arms, speaking with a tone of frustration:
"These guys are really vigilant. They never separate, no matter what."
Jigen chuckled lightly. He had been the one to suggest the plan initially, but now he seemed indifferent.
"It doesn't matter."
"The most critical thing right now is to clean up those grotesque creatures!"
As soon as he said this, Jigen spun around, scanning the surroundings.
"Argh! AHH!"
Screams of agony suddenly erupted from underground.
The screams were shrill at first, then gradually faded, as if swallowed by darkness.
Obito shook his head without surprise, laughing:
"Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, you guys really couldn't hold back. I thought you'd wait a few more months before making a move."
As Obito's voice fell, thousands of White Zetsu clones emerged from the ground.
They stared straight at Jigen and spoke in unison with low voices:
"We guessed right. Obito, you really are colluding with this guy."
They turned to Obito, their faces expressionless.
"Obito, do you know what this guy's true identity is?"
Obito waved his hand dismissively.
"Oh, of course I know. He's an Otsutsuki."
Hearing this, a look of shock finally appeared on the emotionless faces of the White Zetsu clones.
Before they could speak, Jigen, standing beside Obito, laughed mockingly:
"Hehe. You defective products, did you really think I would hide things like you do?"
"I have already told him how you deceived him and what your true ultimate goal is."
"Otherwise, why do you think Obito would cooperate with me without any defenses?"
Obito nodded slowly, looking as if he agreed deeply.
"Although Jigen hasn't revealed his true body yet, he has explained his goals very clearly to me."
"Compared to your goals, his objectives and the power he possesses offer a much better win-win situation for me."
Seeing that their attempt to sow discord had failed.
The White Zetsus roared in anger and charged at Obito and Jigen.
"Bastards!"
They screamed furiously.
In an instant, lightning snaked wildly across a radius of several miles.
Blinding lights flashed continuously, and explosions rang out one after another, as if threatening to shatter the earth itself.
However, dozens of miles away in the Hidden Stone Village, the Rock ninjas—having received prior orders from the Third Tsuchikage—acted as if they had reached a tacit agreement to ignore the massive disturbance completely.
One hour later.
Obito looked at his tattered clothes, which hung in strips as if torn by countless claws.
Then he looked at the ground, which was covered in a sea of white corpses.
It looked like a white ocean, but devoid of life—only the silence of death remained.
Obito shook his head, speaking with certainty:
"The main bodies of those guys definitely didn't show up here."
Jigen nodded in agreement, speaking slowly:
"Indeed. But we have plenty of time to deal with them slowly in the future."
"And rest assured, they will absolutely not dare to inform the other ninja villages."
"After all, they are creatures that cannot exist in the light. Like rats hiding in dark corners, they wouldn't dare expose themselves easily."
Meanwhile, in the Boruto World.
Rasa had recovered half of his strength and began moving actively around Konoha.
Half a year passed quietly.
Rasa tilted his head back slightly, waving to the women behind him.
Sakura's eyes were filled with reluctance, her gaze glued to Rasa.
Her lips trembled slightly, as if she had a thousand words to say but didn't know where to start. In the end, she only nodded silently.
Standing next to Sakura was a beautiful woman with white pupils.
Hanabi Hyuga clenched her slender fingers into a fist, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force, and whispered:
"You must come back to see us often when you have time..."
Standing beside her, Ino laughed softly, her smile like a blooming flower.
"Hehe. Hanabi, are you worried he won't come back?"
"There are so many beautiful people waiting for him here."
Hanabi, dressed in a vibrant kimono, glanced at Ino with a hint of envy.
"Sister Ino, you have such a good mindset."
Ino shook her head slowly, her ponytail swaying like a lively tail, and whispered:
"A good mindset is better than a bad one..."
Rasa glanced at the women.
His gaze lingered on Ino for a moment longer, a trace of guilt flashing in his heart.
During his six months in Konoha.
Rasa had successfully taken over Sasuke's role and performed far better than the original Sasuke ever did.
He had successfully helped Boruto defeat every enemy.
However, the only difference from the original plot was...
Kawaki was not as lucky as in the original story; he was eventually killed.
Perhaps in this world, the scenario where the entire village's memories and cognition were altered by Eida's "Omnipotence" would never happen.
Boruto would no longer be treated as a rogue ninja.
Furthermore, Sai and Inojin had unfortunately died in battle a few months ago.
During these six months.
After defeating all members of Kara, Rasa found the remains of Shibai Otsutsuki.
Using the system, he successfully transferred all of Shibai's abilities to himself without any side effects.
Now, Rasa's original abilities had multiplied hundreds of times over.
Combined with the various Shinjutsu he had acquired, he was invincible in this world.
And after two months of concentrated research.
Today, Rasa finally successfully activated the spatial positioning beacon he had left in the Main World.
Rasa suppressed the guilt in his heart, nodded slightly, and said seriously:
"Don't worry. I will definitely come back."
As soon as the words fell, brilliant lights flickered around Rasa.
A few seconds later, he vanished into the light.
Back in the Main World.
The time was now Konoha Year 61.
In the Kazekage's Office in the Hidden Sand.
"Konoha is hosting a Joint Chunin Exam this time. We must treat it with caution."
"The Hidden Stone has been getting more and more restless over the years. I am worried they will pull some dirty tricks during this exam."
Akatsuki, still disguised as Rasa, sat leisurely in the Kazekage's chair, scanning the people around her as she spoke softly.
Pakura, who still looked as beautiful and moving as she did in her twenties despite the passage of fifteen years, nodded with a grave expression.
"That is true. Especially after Aoki's rebellion a few years ago... the other major villages have likely figured out our true situation."
At this, Pakura clenched her fists tight, a flash of resentment in her eyes.
Five years after Rasa went missing, in Konoha Year 51.
Aoki had suddenly gone mad and launched an armed coup.
Although the rebellion was quickly suppressed.
It was inevitable that the other villages, who were always watching keenly, noticed some cracks in the facade.
Rakuman, who still looked to be in her early twenties but had a much more mature temperament than fifteen years ago, frowned.
"That rebellion was truly strange. How did Aoki suddenly recruit so many rogue ninjas to the vicinity without us noticing anything?"
"And those rogue ninjas... their strength didn't match that of normal strays."
"It felt as if someone was helping him from the shadows."
Sitting on the other side was the mature and beautiful Karura.
She gently stroked the purple jellyfish resting on her lap, smiling gently.
"We've been investigating these things for years; there's no rush now. Let's discuss the Chunin Exams first."
"Have the candidates been decided?"
Hearing Karura, Akatsuki blinked and said without hesitation:
"Temari must participate."
Hearing Temari's name, Rakuman hesitated.
"Isn't that a bit too dangerous?"
"I heard the Hidden Stone is sending their genius monster, Itachi Uchiha, to participate."
"The reason they kept Itachi as a Genin all this time seems to be specifically for this Chunin Exam."
Due to Rasa's butterfly effect constantly altering the plot, and fifteen years of natural evolution, everything had changed beyond recognition.
Pakura frowned, speaking with dissatisfaction:
"So what if he's a genius? He only has a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, right?"
"Temari, whom we have raised with such care, will absolutely not lose to him!"
Shuang Uchiha, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly interjected:
"No, it's still too dangerous."
"Although we haven't seen Itachi Uchiha, the Uchiha clan in the Hidden Stone holds a deep-seated hatred for us and Konoha."
"A genius who grew up under the influence of such hatred... there will be no mercy in his actions."
Pakura stood up quickly.
Her voluptuous chest, though covered by conservative clothing, bounced violently with her movement.
"A genius who hasn't experienced setbacks cannot be called a genius."
"We can't protect Temari forever. Besides, with her strong and stubborn personality, if we don't let her participate, she will definitely throw a tantrum, maybe even resent us!"
Karura sighed softly, rubbing her smooth forehead with a headache.
Temari had grown up in an environment with many mothers but no father.
Although she hadn't gone astray thanks to the gentle care of her many mothers...
Her personality was good, but in critical matters, Temari was no less fierce than any man.
Shuang Uchiha glanced at the purple jellyfish on Karura's lap and smiled.
"Who said I wouldn't let her participate?"
"But just in case, let's find her a summon beast right now."
Hearing this, Pakura clapped her hands, realizing the plan.
"Right! Among the dozens of Immortal Jellyfish Rasa left behind to be cultivated, there was one excellent seedling."
"That seedling has become very strong by now and hasn't contracted with anyone yet. Let Temari contract with her!"
Meanwhile, a hundred miles outside the Hidden Sand Village.
BOOM!
A tremendous noise suddenly erupted in the desert.
A colossal scorpion crawled slowly out of the sand.
It began to roll violently on the ground, as if trying to shake something off its back.
If one looked closely.
They would see a slender girlish figure standing steadily on the back of the giant scorpion.
The girl had short blonde hair and wore a Genin vest. She looked both dashing and gentle.
At this moment, she was excitedly swinging her fair, delicate-looking fist, punching the scorpion's hard carapace again and again.
The armor of the twenty-meter-long black scorpion, which looked impenetrable...
Was actually denting and cracking under the girl's seemingly soft punches!
CRACK!
With a crisp sound, the giant scorpion collapsed onto the ground, completely lifeless.
Temari frowned slightly with her heroic eyebrows. She extended her long leg and kicked the scorpion beneath her feet.
Confirming it was truly dead.
Temari shook her head in boredom, her crisp, pleasant voice flowing from her red lips:
"Really. With just this much strength, why go around harming the caravans? Couldn't you just hunt normally? Then no one would have issued a mission to subjugate you."
"The desert isn't lacking in wildlife these days."
After saying this, Temari was about to jump down, but she suddenly turned her head to look into the distance.
In the distance, a figure was running toward her at extreme speed.
Seeing the rapidly approaching figure, a flash of vigilance crossed Temari's eyes.
She jumped lightly from the scorpion's back, landing steadily on the sand.
Just then, the running figure seemed to notice her and actually sped up.
Temari frowned, about to ask who it was.
But suddenly, the figure was right in front of her, bringing with him a massive cloud of dust.
Temari immediately stepped back, but couldn't avoid coughing.
She instinctively pulled out a fan to cover her face, hiding her coughing fit from the stranger.
"Cough! Cough cough!"
"Do you have any common sense?! Running so fast in the desert and suddenly..."
Halfway through her sentence, the dust settled.
Temari saw the man's face. Her eyes widened in shock, and she said strangely:
"Wait... Aunt Akatsuki?"
"Weren't you in a meeting at the village when I left? Why did you suddenly send a Shadow Clone out here?"
Since Temari could remember, her father had always been played by Akatsuki.
For fifteen years, her father had never appeared.
Therefore, Temari subconsciously assumed the man before her was Akatsuki using the Transformation Jutsu.
Rasa stood before Temari, looking at the girl who resembled his memories but with subtle differences.
His eyes were filled with nostalgia, emotion, and excitement.
His daughter had grown so big.
It seemed the time flow between the Main World and the Boruto World was much faster than he had imagined.
And from his daughter's words...
Akatsuki was still faithfully playing his role. That meant the Hidden Sand hadn't undergone any major upheavals in the last fifteen years.
Seeing the strange look in "Aunt Akatsuki's" eyes, confusion flashed in Temari's mind.
Strange. Why does this Aunt Akatsuki feel completely different from the one I know?
A brilliant, warm smile appeared on Rasa's face. He instinctively reached out to touch the girl's cheek.
But remembering something, Rasa suppressed his excitement and lowered his hand halfway.
Rasa glanced at the giant scorpion nearby and asked softly:
"Temari, are you on a mission?"
Temari's eyes flashed with suspicion, then realization dawned on her. Visible excitement appeared on her face.
Temari lowered her head. Although she tried to suppress it, her body was clearly trembling.
Her voice became incredibly soft:
"Mmh. Father, I was on a B-rank mission. It's completed now..."
Hearing this, Rasa could no longer control the emotions he had been holding back.
He stepped forward quickly and pulled Temari into a tight embrace, his voice thick with emotion:
"My daughter has grown up!"
When Rasa first hugged her, Temari stiffened, her instinct to resist flaring up.
But a second later, her body relaxed.
She buried her head in Rasa's chest, greedily inhaling the stranger's scent, murmuring:
"Father, why didn't you come back for fifteen years?"
Hearing Temari's words, a trace of guilt flashed across Rasa's face. His excited tone dropped:
"I'm sorry. There was an accident."
Rasa prepared himself for his daughter to scold him.
But Temari's next words exceeded his expectations.
She looked up, reaching out to gently stroke Rasa's face, smiling as she did:
"Since Father is back, that's all that matters."
Growing up surrounded by the love of Rasa's harem, Temari held no hatred for her missing father.
On the contrary, for the father who was fanatically worshipped by the village and whose glorious deeds were legendary...
Temari felt not only admiration but also deep longing and adoration.
Rasa breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried his daughter might have become a delinquent growing up without a father.
But it seemed Karura and the others had done a great job.
Thinking this, Rasa didn't notice that beneath the admiration in Temari's eyes...
There was a deeply hidden obsession.
Rasa released her and took a half-step back.
"Alright, let's go home!"
Leaving Rasa's embrace, a look of deep reluctance crossed Temari's face for an instant, but it vanished quickly.
She nodded obediently and naturally extended her small, fair hand to hold Rasa's.
One hour later.
Rasa and Temari arrived at the village entrance.
The guards stepped forward formally to greet them.
But the moment they saw Rasa, they froze.
Their mouths dropped open in disbelief. Eventually, tears streamed from the eyes of these grown men.
They knelt silently on both knees, pressing their foreheads to the scorching ground without a care.
"Lord Fourth! You've finally returned?!"
Hearing the excited shouts of the guards.
Dozens of Sand ninjas on duty nearby ran over.
After taking a few looks at Rasa, every single one of them knelt in excitement.
One ninja suddenly realized something and created a Shadow Clone.
The clone ran back into the village, shouting at the top of his lungs:
"THE FOURTH HAS RETURNED!"
Hearing this shout, the Hidden Sand Village began to boil.
Ninjas and civilians who heard the news flooded the streets, cheering with fanatical fervor.
"LONG LIVE THE FOURTH!"
For the people of the Sand.
No matter how perfect Akatsuki's disguise was, they could tell the difference after a few looks.
The news of Rasa's disappearance fifteen years ago hadn't been made public.
But inside the village, it was an open secret that everyone tacitly kept.
From the civilians to the ninjas, everyone silently agreed to treat Akatsuki's disguise as the real Kazekage.
But Akatsuki was ultimately not Rasa.
Rasa walked through the streets, looking at the dense crowds kneeling around him. His eyes were filled with nostalgia.
In his vision, the surroundings were filled with black and purple Faith Threads.
These threads, which usually connected to the sky (to his statue), began to surge madly toward him upon his arrival.
Looking at these threads, Rasa was moved.
Fifteen years ago, most believers in the Sand were white (shallow faith).
But now, ninety percent had turned black (fanatic).
The remaining ten percent were purple (zealot).
This meant the entire Hidden Sand had essentially become a cult of personality dedicated to him.
And this was despite him being absent for fifteen years.
If he had stayed here the whole time...
Perhaps the purple faith would have reached fifty percent.
Standing beside Rasa, Temari looked at the villagers kneeling in unison—a black mass of backs as far as the eye could see.
Her heroic, beautiful face was filled with shock.
Although she knew her father had high prestige in the village from daily life.
Without seeing this scene, she hadn't fully grasped the magnitude of it.
But now, seeing this, Temari finally understood her father's authority.
Forget the history of the Sand Village.
Even among the Kages of the Five Great Villages, no one had ever possessed such commanding prestige.
Rasa extended his left hand and grasped the air.
Instantly, massive amounts of Faith Power—invisible to the naked eye—flooded into his palm.
Hidden Steam Village.
The tower destroyed fifteen years ago had long been rebuilt.
And with technology surpassing the current Ninja World, it had been built to thirty stories, a hundred meters high.
This tower stood as the symbol of the new Yugakure, attracting countless visitors.
On the restricted 20th floor.
A stunning purple-haired woman in a kimono walked to the window, squinting at the distant sky.
Ziyou looked at the sky, her face a mix of joy, nostalgia, excitement, and resentment.
Her red lips parted, her ethereal voice drifting out:
"My Lord has just returned, yet he makes such a big move, forcibly absorbing faith to build the Divine Kingdom. My Lord truly hasn't changed a bit."
One hour later.
Sand Village Kazekage Office.
Rasa sat in his chair, looking affectionately at the women in the room, laughing:
"Fifteen years apart, and you beauties haven't aged a day!"
Pakura smiled happily, crossing her arms.
"If it weren't for that Jellyfish Summon project you started, how could we have kept our looks from our twenties?"
Rasa nodded, feeling a pang of guilt.
After all, he hadn't been by their side for fifteen years.
Two hours later.
After listening to the summary of events from the past fifteen years, Rasa nodded thoughtfully.
"I see."
"But since I'm back now, let's take the initiative!"
After saying this, Rasa blinked. Dozens of Shadow Clones instantly appeared behind him.
The clones smashed through the window, jumping down and scattering in all directions.
"My clones will handle the accumulated Swifts, Sea Swifts, and aircraft parts. Now, I will spend some quality time with you all."
Meanwhile, in the Hidden Stone Village.
Uchiha Compound.
A beautiful woman in her thirties looked down tenderly at the boy in front of her. She reached out with a trembling hand, stroking his face, and whispered:
"Itachi, I am so happy you could make up your mind..."
"The hatred of Konoha, and the traitors who fled to the Sand... you must avenge me and your father..."
Having said this, the woman collapsed weakly to the ground, bright red blood spreading rapidly from the wound in her heart.
Itachi Uchiha took a deep breath and dropped the bloodstained dagger.
Suddenly, a male voice came from the side:
"Hehe. Not bad, not bad. To think you really had the resolve to kill the mother who always loved you."
"Truly someone capable of great things!"
Itachi turned to look at the masked man walking out of the shadows.
He wiped the bloody tears from his eyes and blinked.
When he opened his eyes again, they had transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Itachi spoke in a flat voice:
"It is all for revenge. To gain enough power."
Obito nodded, spreading his arms, his voice fanatical:
"Let this Chunin Exam in Konoha become the day of Konoha's destruction!"
Konoha.
Kushina sat at the table, resting her chin on her hand, smiling as she watched the girl eating beside her.
"Naruko, eat slowly. Really, for a girl, you always wolf down your food."
The girl looked up, revealing a delicate, fox-like face.
"But Mama's cooking is too delicious!"
Kushina shook her head gently, looking out the window, her eyes losing focus.
She had learned of Rasa's disappearance fifteen years ago, just three months after he vanished.
Now, fifteen years later.
Kushina thought she would have forgotten him.
But instead of fading, her impression of him had grown clearer.
Even the smallest details of their time together remained vivid.
Hidden Rain Village.
The Prophet, having just finished her work, suddenly turned her head, her body tensing.
But in less than a second, she relaxed.
She watched the man walk out of the vortex, her voice filled with surprise and excitement as she stood up:
"Rasa, you're finally back?!"
Rasa nodded, looking at the masked Prophet, and spoke softly:
"I'm back. Now I need you to do me a favor."
The Prophet nodded excitedly without hesitation.
"Of course. What do you need?"
Rasa smiled.
"Take off your mask first."
The Prophet hesitated for a moment, then removed the mask, revealing a youthful, beautiful face.
Seeing this familiar yet strange face, Rasa nodded, his tone unsurprised:
"I see. Naori Uchiha?"
Naori smiled happily.
"I haven't heard that name in decades. I almost forgot it myself."
Three days later.
The Joint Chunin Exams began in Konoha. The Kages of the Five Great Villages were invited, drawing the world's attention.
Rasa walked into the venue, shaking hands with the now incredibly aged Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen, despite trying to control himself, couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.
He whispered while shaking hands:
"It has been a long time, Lord Kazekage."
Rasa smiled, chatted briefly, then released his hand and looked at the other Kages.
Half an hour later, the Exams officially began.
During the second round, chaos erupted.
The Uchiha genius monster, Itachi Uchiha, summoned his Susanoo on the spot and began a massacre.
An Anbu beside the Fourth Raikage suddenly split into four teenagers.
These four quickly surrounded the Third Hokage and erected a barrier formation.
Once the formation was set, the only girl among them threw a dagger from her clothes.
The dagger hit the ground and exploded into smoke.
A pale-skinned, middle-aged man walked out of the smoke.
Then, a giant snake smashed through Konoha's barrier.
Hordes of inexplicable Rock, Sound, Cloud, and Mist ninjas followed.
But events quickly took a turn.
The Mist ninjas turned traitor, standing with the Leaf and Sand ninjas to resist the invaders.
Seeing this, the tall and muscular Killer B roared at Yagura beside him:
"Mizukage, you traitor!"
Yagura shook his head, waving his hand to summon a water mirror.
"What if I told you I was never on your side to begin with?"
"Water Style: Water Mirror Jutsu!"
...
Elsewhere.
Orochimaru, who was attacking the Third Hokage, snapped his head around, shocked to find the barrier had already been broken!
A young man with the Rinnegan looked at Orochimaru coldly.
"Trying to kill your own teacher... you disgust me!"
Orochimaru frowned, realizing things were going off script.
"You are Nagato of the Akatsuki from the Rain Village?"
On the other side.
Kushina wiped the sweat from her face, staring warily at the two men in front of her.
Obito whispered:
"After extracting the Nine-Tails from her, we'll go for the Fourth Raikage and Fourth Mizukage's beasts. That will complete a huge part of our goa—SQUELCH!"
Before he could finish, Obito felt a sharp pain in his neck.
His eyes shifted, only to see his own headless body collapsing to the ground!
The smile on Jigen's face froze instantly.
Even he hadn't detected when Obito was attacked.
Who in this Ninja World could move that fast?
He turned to look and saw a handsome man standing next to Kushina!
Jigen swallowed hard, whispering:
"You... weren't you missing for fifteen years?"
"Why are you suddenly back, and with such power?!"
Rasa patted Kushina on the back, then looked at Jigen. He said nothing, simply charging forward.
VROOOOM!
Thousands of Swifts appeared in the sky above Konoha, launching missiles simultaneously.
Thousands of missiles struck the enemy forces with precision!
Sitting on a rooftop controlling hundreds of puppets, Sasori nodded with satisfaction, muttering:
"The effect is good. It wasn't a waste of fifteen years focusing on these external objects."
Half a day later.
The turmoil in Konoha subsided.
Large swathes of the prosperous village had been reduced to ruins.
Rasa stood on the rubble, looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who lay on the ground missing the lower half of his body. He sighed.
Even with his preparations.
Hiruzen couldn't escape his fate.
Though this time, he was killed by the Third Tsuchikage (Onoki), but luckily half his body remained.
As for Onoki?
Naturally, he was killed on the spot by Rasa.
The only pity was that although Rasa killed Jigen...
Isshiki's true body didn't appear.
He would have to spend time flushing him out later.
Tsunade reached out and gently closed Hiruzen's eyes, whispering:
"Such is the fate of a ninja."
Rasa nodded.
"Mother, I leave the rest to you."
Tsunade took a deep breath, suppressing her grief, determination rising on her face.
"Don't worry. I will succeed as the Fifth Hokage!"
(Note: Since Minato died before taking office, Hiruzen resumed command, so Tsunade would be the Fifth, or strictly speaking the Fourth if Minato wasn't counted officially, but usually fanfic counts Minato as 4th anyway. The text says "Fourth", implying Minato was never inaugurated). Correction based on text: "I will succeed as the Fourth Hokage!" (Since Minato died 15 years ago before inauguration).
Elsewhere.
Shuang Uchiha, Naori Uchiha, and Ziyou exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison.
In front of them, a young boy lay dead.
The boy's lifeless Mangekyō Sharingan stared blankly at the sky.
Nagato sat beside the boy, glancing fearfully at his Six Paths of Pain, which had all been destroyed.
Konan floated in the air like an angel, watching Rasa silently.
One day later.
The Hidden Sand, Konoha, and Hidden Mist issued a joint statement publicly condemning the actions of the Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud.
They formally declared the start of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
VROOOOM!
Thousands of Swifts sped through the air, crossing the border into the Land of Earth.
Just then.
On dozens of tall iron towers, prepared Rock ninjas began aiming massive ballistae at the planes.
BANG!
Giant arrows flew into the air and exploded.
Clouds of colorful dye splattered onto the cockpits of the lead planes.
Blinded, the formation of the front dozen planes fell into chaos.
They collided with their wingmen, causing explosions.
But before the Rock ninjas could celebrate.
They realized the planes behind had raised their altitude and fired missiles from their bays!
The massive towers the Hidden Stone had worked so hard to build were defenseless against missile technology.
Half an hour later.
The Swifts arrived over the Hidden Stone Village and began bombing.
Minutes later.
A girl with short black hair and a slender figure, her clothes stained with blood, rushed to a rooftop.
She held a loudspeaker with bloodstained hands, shouting desperately:
"I am Kurotsuchi, granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage!"
"I have just emergency succeeded as the Fourth Tsuchikage. As the Tsuchikage, I decide to surrender unconditionally! Please stop the bombing!"
Hidden Cloud Village.
Yugito Nii, covered in bandages, clasped her hands and bowed her head.
"As the emergency elected Fifth Raikage, I represent Kumogakure in surrendering unconditionally!"
Half a year later.
Rasa nodded as he looked at the maxed-out Favorability of Kurotsuchi and Yugito.
Suddenly, he turned his head.
A strange white creature emerged from the ground.
Rasa raised an eyebrow, smiling:
"White Zetsu?"
White Zetsu smiled grotesquely, wobbling his head.
"You aren't surprised."
"It seems the White Zetsu clone captured in Konoha fifteen years ago was your doing?"
Rasa nodded, admitting it.
"Indeed."
"What do you want?"
White Zetsu's smile vanished, his expression turning dark.
"Obito betrayed us. For fifteen years, he used various forces to hunt us down."
"Now that he's dead by your hand, you've avenged us."
"Don't you want to know where the guy behind Jigen is hiding?"
Minutes later.
Rasa smiled with satisfaction, standing up.
"So he was hiding there. No wonder we couldn't find him."
Seeing White Zetsu about to leave, Rasa quickly added:
"White Zetsu, I can offer another cooperation."
"You've always wanted to save your mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki, right? I can help you."
Rasa held up three fingers.
"After it's done, you just have to serve me for thirty years."
"That time is nothing to you, right?"
Shock appeared on White Zetsu's face.
"How do you know these things?!"
Rasa smiled silently at him.
Seconds later, White Zetsu gritted his teeth resolutely:
"Fine! I agree, as long as you save my mother!"
Three days later.
A massive earthquake occurred in a certain sea region.
A colossal monster appeared briefly on the surface before vanishing.
Floating in mid-air, Rasa cracked his neck, the stone in his heart finally lifted.
Isshiki Otsutsuki's true body had finally been destroyed.
Two years later. January 1st, Konoha Year 63.
The Hidden Mist officially announced its merger, becoming a branch of the Hidden Sand.
Konoha followed suit.
The Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone announced simultaneously.
From then on, there were no longer Five Great Villages—only the Hidden Sand.
Kazekage Office.
"Father, you've unified the Ninja World!"
Temari, now seventeen and an official Jonin, hugged Rasa's arm tightly, speaking with adoration.
She shook her body excitedly as she spoke.
In the process, Temari didn't seem to notice her full chest pressing tightly against Rasa's arm, rubbing constantly.
Rasa looked out the window and shook his head.
"This is only a superficial unification."
"To achieve true unity, we must merge the Five Great Nations and then annex all the smaller countries."
"And because of people's current mindset, the Sand Village cannot be the face of this."
"We must rely on your Aunt Tianyi and secular power to do it."
Rasa stroked Temari's smooth cheek, smiling:
"After that, we upgrade the title of Kazekage and change the system."
"This process can't be rushed. It will take ten or fifteen years to do slowly, followed by decades of stability to let the new generation accept it subconsciously."
One year later. January, Konoha Year 64.
A massive noise came from the moon, followed by a quick return to silence.
The next day, a noble woman with white hair and white eyes appeared in the bustling Hidden Sand Village.
One year later. January, Konoha Year 65.
Daimyo Tianyi suddenly launched a massive army to attack the Land of Lightning.
A few days later.
The Daimyo of Lightning surrendered. The Land of Lightning fell, becoming territory of the Land of Wind.
March, Konoha Year 65. The Land of Wind launched an attack on the Land of Fire.
The following month, the Land of Fire surrendered.
September, Konoha Year 65.
The Land of Water and Land of Earth surrendered successively, merging into the Land of Wind.
Two years after unifying the Five Great Nations, in January, Konoha Year 67.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind decided to abdicate and cede the throne to the Fourth Kazekage of the Hidden Sand, Rasa.
This decision shocked the world.
Daimyo's Palace.
Rasa, still looking young, sat on the throne. A white-haired beauty sat in his lap.
After a few seconds, the white-haired beauty pressed her soft cheek against Rasa's face, her eyes full of love.
"Soon, I'll have to call you Daimyo."
Rasa moved his face slightly, looking at the woman in his arms.
Nostalgia flashed in his eyes; he could still see traces of the unloved princess from all those years ago in this regal woman's face.
Rasa gently stroked Tianyi's face, whispering:
"Daimyo is just a transitional title."
"Once I secure the position and the people accept it, I will change the title to something else."
Tianyi narrowed her eyes comfortably, enjoying Rasa's touch, and asked softly:
"What title?"
Rasa smiled.
"Emperor."
In Rasa's view, the situation in the Ninja World didn't fit the various systems of his previous life.
If he blindly applied those systems without considering reality, it would only lead to unimaginable disaster.
Only an Imperial System could properly fuse the fragmented Ninja World together.
...
The End.