Sunagakure stood in one of the few strategic strongholds within the Land of Wind.
Towering cliffs hundreds of meters high served as its natural walls, with only a single opening several dozen meters wide on the southeastern side.
Following the rugged terrain, the Sand shinobi had transformed the entire village into an impregnable fortress.
Within this naturally gifted location lay more than a dozen underground springs, supplying all of Sunagakure’s water.
Deep beneath the village center, inside an underground chamber, Chiyo and Ebizō had not left for quite some time.
The siblings, who quietly directed Sunagakure’s affairs from the shadows, were fishing as they usually did.
A vast underground water system flowed beneath the village.
One of its branches formed a gentle subterranean river here, where blind fish that had nearly lost their eyesight survived in the eternal darkness.
These unusual creatures, so different from those living on the surface, had become Chiyo’s and Ebizō’s favorite pastime.
At this moment, seated not far away, was Rasa, who usually concealed his appearance beneath a kasa hat and face covering.
With short brown hair and dressed in a black shinobi uniform over a mesh undershirt, Rasa lacked his usual air of mystery.
He looked like nothing more than an ordinary man in his forties, quietly waiting for the elders’ guidance.
Chiyo remained silent, seemingly completely immersed in the joy of fishing.
Ebizō sat with his eyes half-closed, lost in thought.
After a long while, he finally let out a helpless sigh.
“So you’ve made your decision?”
“Yes.”
“We can no longer afford to wait.”
Rasa’s deep voice was firm and resolute.
“Or rather…”
“…you no longer wish to wait.”
Ebizō put away his fruitless fishing rod and turned to sit face-to-face with Rasa.
“The young man who turned the tide of battle against Kumogakure and became Kazekage shortly afterward…”
“…isn’t young anymore.”
More than ten years ago, Sunagakure had been living through a nightmare.
The Third Kazekage disappeared without a trace—neither alive nor dead.
Soon afterward came their crushing defeat in the Third Great Ninja War.
Iwagakure remained poised to strike, while Kumogakure seized the opportunity to invade.
With enemies on three sides, Sunagakure was also at odds with Kirigakure, locked in bitter conflict.
Supported by Chiyo and Ebizō, Rasa successfully became the Fourth Kazekage.
Leading from the front, he rallied the shaken Sand shinobi and repelled Kumogakure’s invasion.
He then handed over the renowned Scorch Release shinobi Pakura to Kirigakure, temporarily settling the conflict with the Mist.
Afterward, he signed a humiliating peace treaty with Konohagakure in exchange for support, allowing Sunagakure to focus entirely on its northern enemy, Iwagakure.
For every person who condemned Rasa’s weakness, there was another who thanked fate that Sunagakure finally had a Kazekage who knew when to advance and when to retreat.
Whether it was the humiliating armistice with Konohagakure…
…or sacrificing Pakura to appease Kirigakure…
…the important thing was that the battered Sunagakure had survived.
Every time Rasa came to meet Chiyo and Ebizō, it meant Sunagakure was about to make a major move.
“Whether we can no longer wait…”
“…or simply don’t wish to…” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“…the outcome is the same.”
“And have you considered what happens if you fail?”
“Fail?”
A trace of determination appeared on Rasa’s stern face.
“By then…”
“…I imagine I’ll already have died in battle.”
“Let the life of the Fourth Kazekage be enough to appease Konohagakure’s anger.”
“If that isn’t enough…”
“…then my three children can be included as well.”
Hearing his answer, Ebizō’s brows twitched slightly.
“Every Kazekage Sunagakure has ever produced…”
“…has met a poor end.”
Bearing the burden of a faltering village had always been the Kazekage’s duty.
“The bitter fruit I planted back then…”
“…I’ll uproot it myself.”
Sunagakure had gone too long without showing its fangs.
It was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain its status as one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Powerful villages like Takigakure and Amegakure were already eager to test whether Sunagakure still deserved that title.
Even opportunists like Kusagakure had begun baring their teeth at the Sand.
The desire to change the village’s worsening situation had become a consensus shared by every Sand shinobi, from top to bottom.
While waiting for the right opportunity, Rasa had relentlessly squeezed every ounce of potential from the village, hoping to restore its strength as quickly as possible and recover from the losses caused by the Third Kazekage’s disappearance and their defeat in the Third Great Ninja War.
Even his youngest son, Gaara, had become a sacrifice, turned into the One-Tail’s Jinchūriki.
These next few years would represent Sunagakure’s peak.
If they delayed any longer, the courage and spirit of the Sand shinobi would begin to fade.
“Since you’ve made up your mind…”
“…we’ll do as you say.”
“If there’s anything you need us to do, simply tell us.”
“After all…”
“…you are the Kazekage.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Rasa respectfully bowed deeply, just as he had when he first ascended to the position of Fourth Kazekage years ago.
“If I do not return from this journey…”
“…I leave Sunagakure in your hands.”
After saying that, Rasa stood and departed.
Only after a long silence did Chiyo put away her fishing rod.
“I’m tired of fishing today.”
“Ebizō, let’s go back.”
“Very well.”
“The Rasa just now…”
“He always was the Kazekage.”
“It’s just that, Sister, you’ve always treated him like a child who never grew up.”
In Chiyo’s eyes, every shinobi in Sunagakure was still one of her young juniors.
…
Most Genin missions in Sunagakure took place within the Land of Wind.
Before becoming Chunin, the vast majority of shinobi never even saw what the world outside the Land of Wind looked like.
There were simply too few opportunities for outsiders to hire Sand shinobi.
And because of Sunagakure’s geographical location, many troublesome missions weren’t worth accepting in the first place.
The upcoming Joint Chunin Exam offered many Genin a rare chance to visit Konohagakure and see the outside world.
There was still some time before departure.
It was already too late to leave the village for a C-rank mission.
As for those dull D-rank missions, they held little value for Genin about to participate in the Chunin Exam.
Nearly all of the qualified candidates were quietly making their own preparations.
Daimaru was no exception.
As far as talent went, he wasn’t bad.
But he wasn’t an extraordinary genius either.
His diligence couldn’t compare to Rock Lee’s or Shira’s.
Knowing his own limits, Daimaru understood that his body simply couldn’t endure training of that intensity.
Chi and Yome also seemed to have their own plans and had disappeared somewhere for special training.
Captain Otofū appeared to be extremely busy lately and had no time to look after his three newly acquired students.
That suited Daimaru just fine.
When it came to cultivating his own path, he had always preferred making his own decisions.
Aside from building puppets and maintaining his daily training routine, he spent his spare time wandering around the village.
He could already feel that his strength had reached a bottleneck.
To advance any further…
…he couldn’t find the opportunity.
Unlike those shinobi born into powerful inheritances…
…who only needed to learn a secret technique, sign a contract with a powerful summon, or inherit a legendary weapon to become vastly stronger…
…he had none of those advantages.
Everyone experienced moments of confusion.
Even after deciding to forge his own path, he still occasionally wondered whether it was truly possible.
The Chunin Exam would be the perfect opportunity.
It would allow him to discover exactly how strong he really was.
More and more shinobi are hurrying about…
Even the military ration pills at the ninja supply shops are frequently sold out…
The war machine has begun to move.
Daimaru’s expression grew serious.
It was probably time…
…to prepare another trump card that might just save his life.
(End of Chapter)
Enjoying the story?