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My Journey as Fourth Kazekage 219
🕑 Added 2025-07-04 16:00:05 +0000 UTCChapter 219: The Five Kage Conference
“Earth Style: Willed Transformation!”
It was a remarkable jutsu among Earth Release techniques. While categorized as a summoning jutsu, its function was unique, upon activation, it summoned vast quantities of rock and soil, which could then mold themselves into precise formations if guided by a predesigned layout.
Once the decision was made to use shinobi techniques for constructing the River of Flowing Sand, Rasa immediately chose this one. The reason was simple. The river’s path stretched across the great expanse of the Land of Wind, a land dominated by soft desert sands. That terrain posed a deadly challenge. There were no natural rocks or stable ground, only ever-shifting dunes. Any trench dug into it would inevitably be swallowed again, buried under waves of sand. Even seawater, if channeled through it, would be absorbed quickly, turning the entire region into a toxic saline marshland.
But Willed Transformation offered a perfect solution. It didn’t excavate, it replaced. It allowed for the direct formation of a structured stone riverbed atop the sand, bypassing all the hazards of the environment.
Of course, Rasa himself possessed an even greater ability. His Object Conversion Technique allowed him to transmute any material into solid earth or stone. With enough time, he could have handled the entire project alone. But he had two reasons not to. First, the scale of the river was immense, and time was limited. Second, and more importantly, he intended to use the project as a means to generate income for the village’s shinobi.
A total of just over nine hundred shinobi were mobilized for the project. That number wasn’t chosen randomly. It represented the full roster of Earth Release users within Sunagakure. Rasa organized them into three rotating teams, ensuring constant, uninterrupted progress while maintaining efficiency and energy.
That didn’t mean Rasa stood idle.
At regular intervals, he stepped in personally to carry out the river’s ecological phase. Using his Object Conversion Technique and other powerful nature-based methods, he planted vegetation along the banks and reshaped the surrounding landscape. This wasn’t just for appearance. It was a deliberate effort to gradually modify the entire environment, preparing it for sustainable life and growth.
Rumble... rumble...
Under the astonished eyes of thousands, hundreds of shinobi from Sunagakure formed seals in perfect synchronization.
In the next instant, the golden desert cracked and split. A massive trench, four hundred meters wide, carved itself from the sand. Simultaneously, a deluge of stone materialized out of thin air and paved the channel, transforming the raw trench into a reinforced stone riverbed capable of withstanding both time and water.
Then came the greenery.
Lush vines and vibrant foliage erupted from the newly formed banks, weaving threads of green into the barren desert. Grass, shrubs, and trees flourished where nothing had grown before. In a matter of minutes, the lifeless sand had become a corridor of flowing vitality.
To the gathered villagers and foreign merchants, it was nothing short of a miracle.
The riverbed extended steadily, crawling toward the desert’s endless horizon like a great serpent of stone and life. It was a spectacle no one would ever forget.
The villagers of Sunagakure erupted in cheers, elated by the strength of their village. The visiting merchants, seasoned, shrewd, skeptical men and women, were shaken to their core. Their skepticism was gone. Now they knew with certainty: Sunagakure had not exaggerated. At this terrifying pace, the river truly could be completed in just one month.
All that remained was for them to return home and prepare. The wealth promised by the canal was real. The opportunity of a lifetime was upon them, and they would not let it pass.
Joyous cheers rose like waves across the desert skies, echoing from the canyon walls surrounding Sunagakure.
---
Land of Fire, Konohagakure
The grand succession ceremony of the Fourth Hokage had concluded days earlier, and the village of Konohagakure now basked in the afterglow of celebration.
But that celebration was not for Minato Namikaze.
As the newly appointed Hokage, he didn’t have time to enjoy the festivities. The moment the Hokage’s cloak had settled on his shoulders, so too had the burden of the entire village. The weight of every life within Konoha now rested on him, its safety, its politics, its future. And Minato, though brilliant and respected, felt that burden with suffocating clarity.
To better understand the duties of the Hokage, Minato hadn’t returned home in three days. An unending torrent of official work had piled up, pressing down on him with an almost physical weight. He couldn’t help but feel that even facing off alone against a hundred Iwagakure shinobi had been less exhausting than this. Fortunately, amidst the relentless workload, there was at least one piece of uplifting news: now that he was Hokage, the restriction placed on Kushina had finally been lifted.
Just as he was buried under a mountain of paperwork towering over a meter high, there was a knock at the office door. Without waiting for a response, a familiar voice rang out.
“So, Minato, not so easy sitting in that chair, is it?”
Jiraiya strolled in with his usual irreverent grin. Seeing his master, Minato let out a rare sigh of exasperation.
“Yes, sensei. I feel like my head is about to explode.”
Then his eyes fell on the three younger figures trailing in behind Jiraiya. His weary expression softened.
“Sorry, Kakashi, Obito, Rin. I’ve been so busy these past few days.”
Rin, as neat as always with her forehead protector tied snugly and her cheeks painted, quickly shook her head and spoke cheerfully.
“No, not at all! We’re just happy you became Hokage!”
As she finished, she reached behind her and revealed a small, ribbon-wrapped box.
“This is a gift we prepared for you, sensei!”
“Thank you.”
Kakashi stood silent and aloof as usual, offering a polite nod, while Obito stepped forward with a worried look on his face.
“Sensei, now that you’re Hokage, does that mean you won’t have time to train us anymore?”
“Of course not.”
Minato smiled warmly.
“As soon as I get the village affairs under control, I’ll be back to training you like before.”
Jiraiya added with a laugh,
“Yeah, don’t worry, brats. Minato’s just busy for now. Look at the old man, he’s still Hokage and spends most of his days peeking into bathhouses.”
“...”
A wave of silence swept through the room.
Minato quickly cleared his throat and changed the subject.
“Alright, you three go rest for now. Jiraiya-sensei and I have some things to talk about.”
“Okay! Bye, sensei!”
Once the three had left, Minato sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. But as he turned back to the mountain of documents, his brows instinctively furrowed again. Seeing that, Jiraiya spoke with a half-serious tone.
“Minato, you really need someone to help you with all this.”
“I’ve already reached out to Shikaku and the others.”
Then, as if remembering something important, Minato said hesitantly,
“Sensei, I’ve also been considering bringing Fugaku in.”
Jiraiya’s expression immediately darkened.
“Minato, I know you promised Fugaku some things before becoming Hokage, but don’t move too fast. Forget the old man, those two elders and Danzo won’t stand for it. Right now, you need to focus on getting used to your new role first.”
Minato’s gaze dropped slightly. After a moment of silent thought, he gave a subtle nod.
Jiraiya relaxed a little and continued,
“Next up, you’ll have to prepare for the Five Kage Summit. But this one’s going to be tough. Given how things are across the shinobi world, getting all the Kage to sit down together won’t be easy, especially that Kazekage.”
But Minato’s eyes lit up with resolve.
“No matter how difficult, it has to be done, right, sensei? And honestly... I think the Kazekage might actually be the easiest one to convince.”
Jiraiya blinked, surprised.
“Oh? Why do you say that?”
“You’ve seen the latest intel too, haven’t you, sensei?”
“I have,” Jiraiya admitted with a sigh. “That Kazekage really is something else. He’s nothing like the Kage that came before.”
“I think so too. Rasa-san doesn’t just stand at the peak of the shinobi world with his strength. When it comes to development and leadership, he’s on a completely different level. I feel like there’s a lot I could learn from him. And maybe that’s exactly why... I don’t believe he has any interest in war.”
“Maybe. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to let Iwagakure or Kirigakure off the hook. And that old fossil Onoki? He won’t budge easily either.”
Minato’s face grew serious. He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice as he spoke.
“Sensei... don’t you feel like something about the Tailed Beast Riot in Sunagakure doesn’t add up? Like it wasn’t just a random incident... but something more?”
