Chapter 13: Feeling the Urge to Punch Someone
Sunagakure was poor and sparsely populated. There wasn't much wealth to squeeze out of it. In fact, to set a good example, the higher-ranking the ninja, the more they had to contribute to the village from their missions.
So, in Sunagakure, being part of the leadership…
Was bad for your body, worse for your soul, and devastating for your wallet.
Just imagine: if nothing had gone wrong and Rasa had officially become Kazekage… he would've basically been the village's sugar daddy.
Short on funds? He'd just head into the desert and pan for gold, feeding the whole village.
As for how Mōmu survived this whole stretch of time… only the heavens knew.
No funds, no resources—when he reported to the higher-ups that they might not be able to hold the line and requested reinforcements, what he got in return was... a handful of brats with their chūnin instructors. Five or six squads—useless as bird crap.
Yet to defend the borders of the Land of Wind and prevent Kusa-nin and Iwa-nin from breaking through deeper into their territory, he had no choice… but to plug the gaps with lives.
And now, the man they had thought dead—Rasa—had returned, stronger than ever, and without saying a word, charged headfirst into the Kusa-nin camp to wreak havoc.
Mōmu was fired up. All of Sunagakure was fired up. After two months of humiliating defensive warfare, at last… it was time to strike back!
If it weren't for Iwa and Kusa being cautious about casualties in the early stages—trying to keep the war in check while waiting on intel from Kumo and Suna to collapse the frontline—they'd have already been broken through.
Now…
Fueled by adrenaline, under the thunderous roar of acting commander Mōmu, every Suna-nin charged straight toward the Kusa-nin encampment.
---
"Lord Kitsuchi, what should we do now?"
Watching the chaos unfold across the battlefield—Kusa-nin being devastated by a lone enemy—Iwa-nin began to frown and asked their commander for orders.
"It's definitely Rasa, the disciple of the Third Kazekage. But… he was missing for over two months. What exactly happened during that time?"
Kitsuchi nodded gravely, brows tightly knit as he observed the Kusa-nin being cornered.
"And another thing…"
His tone hardened.
"Didn't our intel say that Rasa had suffered a mental breakdown due to the Third Kazekage's disappearance? That he was delirious and unstable? So what's this then?"
Not to mention…
This power… was terrifying.
[Could the old man (Ōnoki) even match that?]
Maybe if he used Dust Release—but barely.
And that horrifying ability to turn people into mummified corpses, or the way he could instantly turn into sand upon being struck…
[Strange powers… Could this be some sort of Kekkei Genkai?]
Especially the sand-transformation… Was that truly a special Suna-nin clone technique?
They still couldn't see the full picture, but Kitsuchi quickly ordered detailed recording and analysis of everything taking place.
As for the Kusa-nin…
Whether or not they should step in to help was irrelevant at this point. Their sacrifice had value—at the very least, Iwa could gain critical intel from this clash.
And besides… Kusa was Konohagakure's ally. They weren't Iwagakure's ally.
Even the Uzumaki clan, once so close to Konoha, had been wiped out.
So why should Iwa-nin care?
"Record everything and begin assessing his abilities. Hmm… wait. That terrifying power—it seems to have vanished?"
And just as Kitsuchi finished speaking—
"Lord Kitsuchi… the Suna-nin… they're charging in as well."
---
The minute passed quickly. With the elemental transformation wearing off, Rasa had to rely purely on his own ninja skills to face Kusa-nin's attacks.
Still, thanks to the overwhelming fear he had instilled at the beginning, even now—though his card ability had faded—the Kusa-nin didn't dare act rashly.
But—
Not long after—
"That strange ability doesn't last long!"
"Everyone, charge!"
"Avenge our fallen comrades!"
The Kusa-nin quickly realized that the bizarre and terrifying ability surrounding Rasa had finally dissipated. Instantly, their pent-up fury exploded as they surged forward in a wave of vengeance.
Rasa knew he couldn't linger here any longer. Messages carried by sand confirmed his worst suspicion: Iwa-nin had long since moved into the area—they were just hiding and observing from the sidelines. The moment they confirmed his powers had worn off and his strength had waned, they'd pounce without hesitation.
They'd kill him, haul his corpse back to Iwagakure, and dissect it for intel.
Because when a ninja wants information, even a corpse can't keep secrets.
Faced with the horde of enraged Kusa-nin, Rasa sighed helplessly. He glanced at the surviving enemy shinobi and the still-intact campgrounds and murmured:
"Time to pull out…"
But just as the words left his mouth, he caught sight of something unexpected—
Not far away, a heavily wounded Kusa-nin—pale, bloodied, and on the verge of collapse—sank his teeth into the arm of a nearby red-haired girl…
And suddenly sprang back to life as if nothing had happened!
Rasa's eyes lit up. Could it be…?
Red hair.
Vast chakra reserves.
A healing bite that could restore injuries…
No doubt about it!
He immediately thought of Karura's condition. Sure, with enough effort (and maybe some metaphorical pay-to-win), he could find a way to help her body recover. But if a shortcut presented itself—why not take it?
Just imagine—Karura biting that red-haired girl's arm during labor… There'd be no risk of complications at all.
Besides—
He was doing a good deed!
Helping others escape from the abyss of suffering.
A virtuous act! A merit for the soul!
Just one bite… That shouldn't be a big deal, right?
With that thought, Rasa dashed toward the red-haired medical-nin.
"I, Rasa… just want to be a good person!"
"Damn it! Stop him!"
Unfortunately, the Kusa-nin quickly caught wind of his intention. They immediately ordered a squad to intercept him. And to be fair, they did slow him down quite a bit. Though it was just a handful of Kusa-nin, they still managed to cause him some trouble.
After all, if he were to stop even for a second, the rest of the Kusa forces would quickly catch up and overwhelm him.
This wasn't some training squad out on patrol—this was a full-blown military detachment.
Even his earlier blitz had only taken care of a fraction of them.
So, to avoid wasting time, Rasa summoned the nearby gold dust, forming a swirling barrier that blocked the Kusa-nin from getting close.
"Damn him!"
The Kusa commander's face turned livid as he watched Rasa dive in and out of their ranks as if they didn't exist. He knew… by tomorrow, Kusa-gakure would be the laughingstock of the entire shinobi world.
One lone ninja from Sunagakure—not even a Kage—stormed their camp unchecked.
And they couldn't do a thing about it?
How could anyone not laugh at that?
Staring at the panicked medical unit and the Kusa-nin flailing to keep up with Rasa's movements, the commander suddenly felt… old.
This war… Kusa has already lost.
His expression hardened as his gaze locked onto a particular girl in the medical squad—a red-haired refugee from the once-proud Uzumaki clan they'd taken in after the fall of Uzushiogakure.
"Kill her! Kill her now!"
He…
As commander of Kusa-gakure's forces, could not allow their village to be shamed further.
But before the order could even finish echoing—
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Shield!"
With a sigh, Rasa launched a long-range barrier, shielding the Uzumaki girl. Then, gritting his teeth, he charged ahead once more.
But the closer he got, the more pressure he felt. He was starting to wonder—should he just retreat now and think of another plan later?
And then—
"Lord Rasa! We're here!"
A voice rang out from behind—familiar, and so aggravating he immediately felt the urge to punch something.