After realizing they'd been played, the Iwa-nin flew into a rage. Shuriken, kunai, explosive tags—everything they had, they hurled at Rasa without hesitation.
Especially now that they were convinced of one thing: this so-called disciple of the Third Kazekage must have suffered some mental trauma, leaving his chakra flow impaired—explaining his stuttering movements and unstable chakra fluctuations.
Which meant…
If they didn't finish this now, when would they ever get such a chance again?
More importantly, Rasa still had those strange vials—medicine that could restore chakra rapidly. No matter how they looked at it, this man had to be either captured or eliminated.
"Everyone, go! Don't hold back!"
The Iwa commander had clearly lost his temper. After being strung along and humiliated for so long, he was no longer thinking clearly.
He had been entrusted by the Third Tsuchikage to lead a reconnaissance unit into the Land of Wind, to evaluate the current state of Sunagakure. And by some twisted luck, he'd actually stumbled upon the village's most valuable person: the missing Third Kazekage's direct disciple.
According to rumors, the man had gone mad.
And they still failed to catch him.
He could already imagine the jeers waiting for him when he returned to the village. This story would spread. It would follow him for years.
So he had to kill this young Suna shinobi—one of the most promising of his generation—right here and now.
The Iwa-nin surged forward. Ten jōnin. Fifteen chūnin. A full squad of elite combatants.
Just one young man stood before them—barely in his twenties.
But Rasa…
He looked down at the item he'd just drawn, sighed in relief… and shook his head slightly.
I'll need the right moment to use this.
End of Year, Konoha Year 41
The year was drawing to a close.
The sudden, unexplained disappearance of the Third Kazekage had thrown Sunagakure into chaos. No warning. No trace. And with their Kage gone, the village was left vulnerable and leaderless.
In the aftermath, Suna dispatched large search teams to locate their leader.
The other great villages, of course, noticed.
They had all received reports: that the Kazekage had vanished, and that the Wind Daimyō had been cutting back on financial support to the village for years. Suna's resources were thin. Their shinobi numbers were dwindling.
To the other nations, it looked like blood in the water.
This was prey—a former giant on the brink of collapse.
When news broke that Kumogakure had already mobilized and launched an assault on the Wind Country border, the other villages sprang into action.
No one believed that the Third Raikage had led an army to the border without planning it well in advance. Kumo had been preparing for this war for a long time.
So the other Kage were under no illusions—Kumogakure intended to seize more than just territory.
They wanted to reshape the balance of the Five Great Nations.
To stop Kumo's advance, Chiyo and Ebizō led nearly all of Sunagakure's remaining elite forces to the border at full speed.
Though Sunagakure's spies had sensed irregular activity in the Land of Lightning, no one had expected Kumogakure to move this quickly. The enemy was already on the doorstep.
There could be no mistakes now.
If they failed here, Sunagakure might not survive the next war.
So they marched—not just as shinobi, but as defenders of their home, their comrades, and their loved ones.
Every Suna shinobi on that march was ready to die.
Their only regret?
Even now, no word had come from the Kazekage.
They could endure the lack of supplies from the Daimyō. They could fight without reinforcements. They could even survive without payment, without rations, without medical support.
But what they couldn't do was fight without hope.
All they needed—was for their Kage to return.
To stand in front of them, even once.
To say: "I'm here."
Because that's what a Kage is.
He is the village's symbol. Its pillar. The one shinobi whom every other shinobi trusts with their life, honors without question, and follows without hesitation.
He is their shield. Their voice. Their heart.
"What could have happened to the Kazekage…?" muttered Ebizō, voice weary as he marched through the sandstorm beside his sister. His robes were crusted with dust.
"Why did he vanish without a trace? Could it really have been the Hokage and the Sannin, acting together?"
Chiyo furrowed her brow and sighed. "Even those three wouldn't be able to make the Kazekage disappear without a trace—unless they lured him into a pre-set trap. A barrier seal, maybe. But… we've sent out countless teams. Not a single clue."
She shook her head slowly.
"…To be honest, I fear the worst. He may already be dead."
She paused, then added bitterly, "Although… Kumogakure remains a suspect. The fact they deployed so quickly—mobilized their entire force right after he vanished—tells me this war was planned well in advance."
"But what good does guessing do us now?"
Ebizō was silent for a moment. Then:
"…Sister. You know what I'm getting at."
His voice was low. Hoarse. His eyes were cloudy, but filled with concern.
"Sasori disappeared the same day."
His grandnephew—Chiyo's only grandchild.
Compared to the Kazekage's disappearance, the loss of Sasori had gone largely unnoticed. But to them, it mattered just as much.
"We've asked others to help search, but there's been no sign of him either."
Chiyo said nothing.
But her expression said everything.
That boy… he was going to be the future of our village.
Her heart tightened.
My precious grandson…
She blinked quickly, surprised to feel her eyes stinging.
She didn't want to believe something had happened. Didn't want to think about the worst-case scenario.
But given the circumstances…
Sasori… must've sacrificed himself to protect the Kazekage. That has to be it. That child… loved this village just like his father did
"Sister…"
Ebizō noticed her eyes were red, her voice stuck.
She waved him off, smiling faintly.
"It's nothing. Just the sandstorms. Even after all these years, I still haven't gotten used to this damn desert."
She laughed bitterly.
Why is it that we had to build our home in such a harsh, cursed land?
Why does Konoha get the fertile forests, the clean rivers?
She clenched her teeth.
The so-called God of Shinobi... is long gone.
"But enough about that. We—"
She stopped.
Her expression changed in an instant.
"Enemy attack!!"