"Lord Kazekage, the Konoha army has arrived in the Land of the River."
"At their current speed, they will reach the borders of the Land of Wind in two days."
In the Kazekage's office in Sunagakure, the intelligence officer reported Konoha's movements to Rasa.
"Two days, huh..."
Rasa's fingers unconsciously tapped against the table, his gaze unfocused. No one could tell what was on his mind.
"Lord Kazekage?"
"Lord Kazekage?"
He was called twice before finally snapping out of his thoughts.
"I see."
"Yashamaru, summon the high-ranking officials for a meeting."
With that, Rasa dismissed his brother-in-law to gather the others.
"Understood."
Yashamaru emerged from the shadows and quickly disappeared from the office.
"Do we stand a chance?"
Rasa directed the question at the intelligence officer, though it sounded more like he was asking himself.
"I... don't know."
After a moment's hesitation, the intelligence officer didn't dare to voice the answer in his heart.
A chance of winning?
Where would that come from?
Even if the Konoha army failed to crush Sunagakure this time, what if they simply reinforced their troops?
He saw no hope.
"I don't know..."
"Heh... Neither do I."
"You're dismissed."
Rasa let out a self-deprecating chuckle. Once again, Sunagakure faced a desperate crisis.
All his years of effort... felt like nothing but a joke.
"Yes, Lord Kazekage."
The intelligence officer bowed and exited, only releasing a long sigh once he stepped outside.
He understood Rasa's feelings—but what difference did that make?
...
In the silent office, Rasa sat still for about fifteen minutes before finally rising to his feet.
By the time he arrived at the meeting room, it was eerily quiet.
The heavy atmosphere hung over the gathered officials, their faces clouded with worry. No one was in the mood to speak.
Even when Rasa entered, their greetings were weak and listless.
Taking slow, deliberate steps, he made his way to the head seat and sat down.
Still, his mind held no clear answers.
Should they fight this battle?
If not, what then?
And if they did—how?
He remained silent, and the tension in the room only grew heavier.
...
After a while, a kunoichi finally broke the silence.
"Lord Kazekage."
"You called this meeting—what exactly do you wish to discuss?"
She had shoulder-length sandy-blonde hair and a gentle demeanor.
Karura, Rasa's wife.
Of course, she knew the purpose of this meeting. She only spoke to nudge her husband forward.
Letting the room stay silent forever wasn't going to solve anything.
Hearing her voice, Rasa finally spoke.
"I'm sure you've all heard by now—the Konoha army is approaching."
"To be frank, my mind is a mess."
"During the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha drove Sunagakure to the brink of destruction."
"This time, they're coming with the recently surrendered Akatsuki ninja at their side."
"So tell me—what do we do now?"
"I want to hear your opinions."
Rasa had no choice but to be honest. He had neither confidence nor any hidden trump cards.
The brutal memories of the Second Shinobi World War were still fresh in his mind. Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.
"Lord Kazekage, what is the Daimyō's stance on this?"
The elder who spoke was sharp. He knew that the Daimyō was in the same predicament as them.
If they were anxious, then the Daimyō would be even more so.
This war was different from those before it.
This time, Konoha wasn't just aiming for victory.
They were coming to take the entire Land of Wind.
"Daimyō? It's better not to mention him."
"He asked me if I had any confidence."
"I haven't responded yet."
Rasa waved his hand dismissively. That miserly old man—was he even worth relying on now?
If Sunagakure truly couldn't hold out, Rasa had no doubt that the Daimyō of the Land of Wind would be the first to surrender.
As for Sunagakure, if it was destroyed, then so be it. The Daimyō wouldn't care in the slightest.
"In other words, there's no room for negotiation, is there?"
Since the Daimyō had asked Rasa such a question, the elder had already guessed that his negotiations with the Daimyō of the Land of Fire had failed.
Perhaps the Land of Wind's Daimyō was unwilling to part with his wealth, or perhaps the Land of Fire's Daimyō had too large an appetite.
But in the end, their final option had been cut off.
It seemed they had no choice left.
"Let's just put it that way."
Rasa didn't elaborate. Only he knew the true result of the negotiations.
The Daimyō of the Land of Fire would accept nothing less than total submission—but the Daimyō of the Land of Wind refused.
He'd rather wait until Sunagakure and Konoha fought to the death before deciding his stance.
"Although I don't want to raise the enemy's morale while crushing our own..."
"But if we really go to war, our chances of victory are slim."
"Konoha alone is already difficult enough to handle."
"And with the Akatsuki ninja reinforcing them, our defeat is almost certain."
The truth was harsh, but someone had to say it.
When the Suna-nin finished speaking, murmurs of anger rippled through the room, but no one refuted him.
It was as if everyone had already accepted defeat as an inevitability.
"Then what do you think Sunagakure should do?"
Rasa turned his gaze toward the ninja and asked.
"I will follow whatever decision Lord Kazekage makes, even if it costs me my life."
Smooth talker.
And yet, Rasa couldn't even be annoyed.
The man had spoken the truth, but also swore absolute loyalty—leaving no room for Rasa to throw the question back.
After all the back-and-forth, the decision was still his to make.
"I can see that none of you have an answer."
"There are only two paths before us now."
"To die with dignity—or to live in disgrace."
"You don't need to consider the Daimyō's thoughts. Sunagakure's fate is ours to decide."
Rasa was done with drawn-out discussions. He laid the truth bare.
Whether they fought or surrendered, it didn't matter—so long as they made a decision.
If they fought, it would be to honor their fallen mentors.
If they surrendered, it would be to protect their innocent villagers.
He didn't believe that either choice was right or wrong.
He had already done all he could.
...
As soon as Rasa finished speaking, the room erupted into chaos.
Some were determined to fight to the bitter end.
Some wanted to surrender.
Some even spoke of abandoning the village and becoming rogue ninja.
The escalating voices gave Rasa a pounding headache.
All I wanted was for you to help me make a decision—is that so difficult?
As the debate grew louder and more heated, Rasa knew they wouldn't reach a conclusion today.
"Enough!!!"
"That's it for today."
"Go back and think about it. We'll continue tomorrow."
Rasa abruptly stood up, threw out those final words, and walked out without looking back.
...
After he left, Bunpuku, who had remained silent the entire meeting, quietly followed behind him.
"Lord Kazekage, I have something to discuss with you."
At a corner of the corridor, Bunpuku quickened his pace and called out.
"Master, please speak."
Rasa turned to face him, his emotions now settled.
"My time is running out."
"Should the Tailed Beast be extracted—or shall it die with me?"
"Please, Lord Kazekage, make your decision."
Bunpuku's face was calm, neither sorrowful nor joyful, as if he were speaking about something that had nothing to do with him.
But Rasa felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. His legs nearly gave out beneath him.
If Bunpuku died—would Sunagakure even have the ability to fight?
"How... how could this be?"
Rasa had always believed Bunpuku was in relatively good health.
He never expected him to say he was dying at such a critical moment.
"Life and death are not for us to decide."
"I have suffered countless internal injuries over the years. Lasting this long has already been a struggle."
"But if my mind fails and I lose control, Shukaku may go on a rampage."
"And if that happens, it will be an unsolvable crisis for Sunagakure."
If Bunpuku had been imprisoned like in the original timeline, perhaps he could have lived a few more years.
But he had endured far more battles than in the original story—his body had long since deteriorated.
"This..."
"Master, please allow me some time to think."
"My mind is in turmoil right now."
Rasa closed his eyes, feeling a wave of dizziness.
"Then, I shall take my leave."
Bunpuku bowed and departed.
Rasa stood frozen in place for a long time before finally recovering.
Could things possibly get any worse?