The news of the Ichibi Jinchūriki Bunpuku being captured quickly reached Sunagakure, throwing the entire leadership into shock and fury.
An emergency council was convened immediately.
Inside the conference room, the core leadership sat in grim silence, their expressions dark. The original plan—to push further on the Mount Kikyo battlefield—was completely abandoned.
Now, everything revolved around one issue:
The loss of the One-Tail.
After intense deliberation, a decision was made—
Recall Rasa immediately.
Meanwhile, Chiyo would temporarily take over command at Mount Kikyo.
This was not a decision made lightly.
Mount Kikyo was critical. Sunagakure had sacrificed heavily to seize land and resources from Konoha, and those gains were essential for the village's survival.
No one wanted to give that up.
But compared to that—
The Tailed Beast was irreplaceable.
Shukaku was not just a weapon, but a symbol of power—one of the pillars that secured Sunagakure's position among the Five Great Nations.
Now that the Jinchūriki had been captured, the situation had crossed a red line.
They had no choice.
Everyone present understood what recalling Rasa meant.
Without him, the Mount Kikyo front would collapse.
As Sunagakure's strongest combatant, his Magnet Release: Gold Dust was the key to holding back Konoha.
It was precisely because of him that they had managed to reach a stalemate against opponents like Jiraiya and Tsunade.
Now—
With only Chiyo remaining—
The outcome was obvious.
"Konoha will definitely counterattack," someone muttered.
No one disagreed.
Facing Jiraiya alone was already difficult.
With Tsunade supporting him, the pressure would be overwhelming.
Even at full strength, they had only managed a draw.
Now?
There was no illusion left.
"To save Lord Bunpuku, we have to give up Mount Kikyo…" one elder sighed heavily.
"I just hope Rasa can resolve the Hidden Mist threat quickly."
But even as he said it—
He didn't believe it himself.
Because everyone knew the truth:
The one leading the enemy forces…
Was Asuka.
---
Sunagakure Camp – Wind-Water Border
A figure descended from the sky, surrounded by floating gold dust.
Rasa had returned.
Instead of assembling his commanders, he went straight to one place—
Pakura's tent.
She was the only one who had fought Asuka directly.
Her assessment mattered more than any report.
Inside the tent, Rasa sat calmly, his gaze fixed on her.
"Tell me," he said, voice low, "what do you think of Asuka?"
Pakura fell silent.
For a moment, she didn't answer.
Then she looked up—
Her expression unusually serious.
"Strong," she said.
"Unimaginably strong."
"When I faced him… I didn't see even the slightest chance of winning."
Rasa's eyes narrowed slightly.
He knew Pakura's personality.
Proud. Confident. Never one to admit weakness.
Even when facing him, she had never spoken like this.
Which meant—
This wasn't exaggeration.
This was reality.
"And Shukaku was there too," she continued.
"Even with both of us… he still captured Bunpuku."
Silence filled the tent.
Rasa didn't respond immediately.
He wasn't someone who doubted his own strength.
In the past, he had suppressed a rampaging Shukaku multiple times alone.
But now—
He had to face facts.
Asuka was operating on an entirely different level.
"Tell me everything," Rasa said finally.
"Every detail. His abilities. His attacks. His defenses."
Pakura nodded.
She recounted the entire battle—
The eye lasers.
The bone attacks.
The direct clash with the Tailed Beast Ball.
Every detail.
Rasa listened without interruption.
Committing everything to memory.
---
The Next Morning
He didn't sleep.
By dawn, a detailed report had been completed and sent back to Sunagakure.
Inside the letter, Rasa laid out his conclusion clearly:
Sunagakure could not win.
Not against the Hidden Mist—
Not with Asuka leading them.
Continuing the war would only bleed the village dry.
His recommendation was direct:
Negotiate peace.
Exchange Bunpuku—
Even if it meant giving up territory and paying reparations.
---
Sunagakure Council Chamber
The room erupted into argument the moment the letter was read.
"Peace talks?!" one official slammed the table.
"We fought so hard for Mount Kikyo, and now we're just giving it back?!"
Another responded coldly:
"And what's your alternative?"
"Rasa himself said he can't defeat Asuka."
"Our simulations show less than a 30% chance of victory."
"If we keep fighting, we won't just lose land—we'll lose the entire village."
The argument escalated rapidly.
One side clung to pride.
The other faced reality.
Then—
A calm voice cut through everything.
"Enough."
It was Ebizo.
The room fell silent instantly.
As the most senior advisor, his authority was unquestionable.
He slowly picked up the letter and spoke:
"I agree with Rasa."
"Our priority is preserving the village… and recovering Bunpuku."
That settled it.
Even those who opposed the idea knew—
The decision was final.
Reluctantly—
They accepted it.
---
Soon after, official scribes began drafting the terms of negotiation.
A peace agreement.
One that would determine the future of Sunagakure.
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