By the afternoon of the fifth day, they finally reached the designated border. After days and nights of relentless travel, all the ninja were understandably exhausted.
But…
Given the Hidden Sand Village's dire situation, they couldn't afford a moment's rest. To ensure the village's survival in this sudden war, they had to give it their all.
In this chaotic world, no one could be trusted. Even the Whirlpool Country, once backed by the strongest ally, had fallen, hadn't it?
Being a rogue ninja was no easy path.
No one would take you in, no one would trust you, and even if you were lucky enough to be accepted, you'd just be a tool.
Unlike the other ninja who began setting up camp, Rasa furrowed his brow, sensing the direction of the wind. As the Third Kazekage's disciple and the only ninja in the village to have mastered Magnet Release, he was, in a way…
The hope of the entire village~
His strength was undoubtedly formidable.
Especially here, at the border adjacent to the Land of Birds and the Land of Rain, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
And…
"Something's off!"
As he entered this seemingly tranquil desert, he sensed something strange. With his natural talent for panning gold in the desert, no subtle change in the sands could escape his notice.
"Lord Rasa…"
Seeing Lord Rasa frown and silently observe their surroundings, the other ninja sensed trouble too. They gathered around him, vigilantly scanning the desert.
But all they saw was… an endless expanse of barren sand, with nothing visibly amiss.
Then—
"Explosive tags! Take cover!" Rasa shouted, finally pinpointing the anomaly. While attempting to use his Magnet Release to pan for gold and earn some extra cash, he discovered… explosive tags hidden beneath the sand.
As soon as he spoke—
The other ninja reacted swiftly. One of a ninja's core skills was quick reflexes!
No matter the danger, they could instantly respond with the most appropriate action.
Rasa quickly formed hand seals, deploying his Magnet Release to shield the surrounding ninja.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Shield!"
Instantly…
A shimmering wave of gold dust surged from the desert, enveloping the nearby ninja in a protective barrier.
As for those outside its range—
"Earth Release: Mud Wall!"
Following his warning, they hurriedly used their own defensive techniques.
Rasa sighed, eyeing the tantalizing gold dust before him, muttering, "Nice, another haul of gold?!"
But this gold was impure and needed refining before it could be sold. Gold dust, after all, was a mix of gold and sand, with low purity. Skipping the refining process meant a lower selling price.
Magnet Release didn't just attract gold dust—it could manipulate other metals too.
So, despite the dazzling, golden spectacle, its actual gold content wasn't high.
Rasa hadn't yet embarked on the path of panning gold to sustain the village, so for now, he hadn't enlisted other ninja to help refine it.
When he became the Fourth Kazekage and saw the village's constant financial deficits…
He…
Would likely walk the irreversible path of a gold panner.
But that was the old Rasa. The current him… might… still do it.
After all, he needed money to pay for his system, right?
Feeling the surrounding shockwaves subside, Rasa controlled the gold dust to reveal the scene before him. Most of the ninja were injured, but thanks to his timely warning, the injuries weren't severe. They gripped their kunai, faces filled with anger and vigilance as they eyed the enemy ninja who had suddenly emerged.
"The Hidden Grass Village?" Rasa muttered, frowning at the ninja wearing headbands with wavy, seaweed-like patterns, who had greeted them with explosive tags.
"They set up an ambush this quickly?"
Or perhaps…
After hearing of the Third Kazekage's disappearance, they had already prepared for war?
[Trying to replace the Hidden Sand Village as one of the five great ninja villages?]
Rasa smirked and shook his head.
Did these guys really think allying with the Hidden Leaf gave them free rein?
"Stay on guard!" he ordered the ninja beside him.
With the situation unclear, they couldn't act rashly. Whether this was the Hidden Grass Village's independent decision or the Hidden Leaf's doing was critical information.
And for them to dare show themselves after a barrage of explosive tags… Rasa didn't believe the Grass Village's commander was a fool!
They must have some means they thought could defeat the Hidden Sand Village—especially since Rasa's vanguard team consisted of capable Jonin and Chunin.
"Something's wrong. Arrange for a retreat immediately!" Rasa commanded.
First, he'd give his comrades a heads-up like a true leader. Otherwise, running away on his own would be pretty embarrassing, right?
But just as he spoke—
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Another group of ninja appeared, their headbands different from those of the Grass Village.
"The Hidden Rock Village?!" Rasa's expression darkened, his heart sinking as he saw the encircling ninja.
[Why is the Hidden Rock Village teaming up with the Hidden Grass Village now?]
And wasn't the Grass Village worried about the Hidden Leaf's disapproval for getting so cozy with the Rock Village?
"The Third Kazekage's disciple… Rasa," said a ninja, likely the Rock Village's commanding Jonin, stepping forward. He frowned, studying Rasa. "According to intelligence, Rasa was mentally shattered by the Third Kazekage's disappearance, his mind unstable. Yet here you are, sent out as a commander."
Was the intelligence wrong, and the Third Kazekage's disciple wasn't broken, making him fit to lead? Or was the Hidden Sand Village so desperate for manpower that they had no choice?
Either way, it didn't matter. As a ninja sent by the Tsuchikage to gather intelligence…
[This information is enough.]
The Tsuchikage would use the Grass Village as a pathway, and their main forces would soon descend on the Hidden Sand Village!
The Hidden Cloud Village wasn't the only one eyeing the leaderless, vulnerable Hidden Sand Village as a juicy target. The Hidden Rock Village… was just as eager!
"Attack!" the Rock ninja commander ordered.
Now, it was time to test how much strength the Third Kazekage's disciple—Rasa—still had!
And so, under Rasa's bewildered and confused expression, the Rock ninja charged at him!
"???"
What was this about?
They thought he was unhinged, so they wanted to test him?
This was too much!
Rasa quickly turned to the Sand ninja beside him, his face serious. "The village's hope rests with you. You must escape!"
"Lord Rasa!" The Sand ninja were moved to tears by his sudden words, about to say something when—
Whoosh!
A golden wave surged from beneath Rasa's feet, carrying him away at high speed.
[This is too terrifying! They outnumber us by dozens! What's the point of fighting?!]
Without a second thought, Rasa bolted. He'd already entrusted the team to the other ninja. That guy… uh, what's-his-name… Rasa had high hopes for him!
But—
"Chase him!" The Rock ninja commander, seeing this, didn't hesitate, waving his hand and leading his ninja in pursuit.
Meanwhile, the Sand ninja, watching their commander flee without a word, were utterly dumbfounded.
"Momu, what do we do now?" they asked, turning to the ninja Rasa had designated as the temporary commander.
"This…" Momu, his head wrapped in a turban, was at a loss. He looked at the Grass ninja, who were equally confused by the Rock ninja's departure. [Can we take them?!]
They were just a minor ninja village~
Sure, they had a slight numbers advantage, but they seemed to have far fewer Jonin.
Fighting head-on would still cost them dearly.
After a moment's thought, Momu's complex gaze met the equally complex stares of the Grass ninja. Gritting his teeth, he said firmly, "Retreat!"
In that moment, he recalled Lord Rasa's serious expression as he drew the enemy away.
[Lord Rasa… he wanted me to preserve our forces for the battles ahead, so he resolutely led the enemy away!]
A wave of admiration surged within him.
What a great Sand ninja Lord Rasa was!
(End of Chapter)