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My Journey as Fourth Kazekage 158
🕑 Added 2025-04-25 16:00:07 +0000 UTCChapter 158: Kirigakure Enters the Stage
Although Kumogakure and Iwagakure had gone to great lengths to conceal their military preparations, the mobilization of such massive quantities of supplies and shinobi simply couldn't be hidden from the various intelligence networks embedded within their villages.
However, this very transparency served to underscore the seriousness of their intentions, this wasn't like six months ago when they had merely been posturing to pressure Sunagakure into joining their campaign against Konoha. This time, both villages were clearly preparing for all-out war.
Land of Fire, Konohagakure
When reports of Kumo and Iwa's movements reached the Hidden Leaf, the initial wave of relief among Konoha's shinobi quickly gave way to barely contained excitement.
The shifting strategic focus of these two major villages meant that Konoha had finally weathered its most dangerous period. If Kumogakure and Iwagakure truly turned their full military might against Sunagakure, it would free Konoha from the threat of multi-front warfare that had been hanging over them like a sword.
Yet within the village leadership, a sharp divide emerged regarding how to respond to this development.
One faction, driven by raw emotion and the thirst for vengeance, argued vehemently for joining the assault on Sunagakure. The memories of Suna's surprise attack on the Land of Fire territory, which had not only caused significant damage but also brought tremendous political pressure from the Daimyō, still burned fresh. Combined with the humiliating defeat in the Land of Rivers, where over a thousand Konoha shinobi had lost their lives, the desire for retribution ran deep through the ranks.
The opposing camp, guided by cold strategic calculation, advocated for using this opportunity to rebuild Konoha's strength. Their position was simple: let Kumo and Iwa bleed themselves dry against Suna's defenses, then assess the situation once both sides had weakened each other sufficiently.
While both approaches ultimately leaned toward aggression, they represented fundamentally different mindsets, one driven by passionate emotion, the other by dispassionate logic.
From a purely tactical standpoint, remaining on the sidelines was undoubtedly the wiser choice. Yet Sunagakure's repeated provocations had left Konoha's shinobi seething with barely contained rage, and suppressing that collective anger would require tremendous political will.
Fortunately for the more cautious faction, their position was strengthened by one crucial factor: Konoha's military commander and strongest weapon, Namikaze Minato, remained deep in training at Mount Myōboku, mastering the ways of senjutsu. Without their Yellow Flash present, any aggressive moves would be significantly riskier.
---
Land of Wind, Sunagakure
A full week had passed since the abrupt departure of Iwagakure and Kumogakure's diplomatic delegations.
On the surface, Sunagakure appeared to have returned to its previous state of rapid development and reconstruction. The streets were bustling with activity, construction projects continued unabated, and the markets thrived. Yet beneath this facade of normalcy, an undercurrent of tension pulsed through the village. Despite the ANBU's best efforts to control information flow and maintain morale, news of the impending storm had inevitably seeped into the collective consciousness.
---
Dragon's Oasis
At the very heart of the vast, artificially created forest, beneath the towering form of the Divine Tree that served as the nexus of natural energy, Rasa sat in deep meditation.
Two figures stood watch over his practice, the venerable monk Bunpuku, current jinchūriki of the One-Tail Shukaku, and the serpentine sage Tagitsuhime from Ryūchi Cave.
Bunpuku maintained his characteristic air of tranquil detachment, his aged face the picture of serenity as he observed the proceedings with the calm demeanor of one who had long since made peace with the world.
Tagitsuhime, by contrast, watched with barely concealed astonishment, her slitted eyes widening periodically as she bore witness to the unprecedented chakra manipulation unfolding before her.
Rasa sat bare-chested, his torso exposed to reveal an intricate seal emblazoned over his navel, a complex spiral-patterned fuinjutsu array surrounding a central eight-trigram formation. The surrounding atmosphere crackled with energy as visible streams of emerald-green senjutsu chakra swirled violently through the air, being drawn inexorably toward the vortex-like seal before being compressed and absorbed into the eight-trigram's core.
Within the sealed alternate dimension, a space roughly equivalent to a football field in size, the influx of energy created a surreal spectacle. The entire space had become saturated with dense, mist-like senjutsu chakra that swirled and eddied like water filling a vast pool.
Yet this energy was anything but placid.
Guided by some unseen force, the chakra moved in deliberate, spiraling patterns, all currents converging at the dimensional space's exact center. There, through unimaginable compression, the energy had formed into a fist-sized sphere of pure power, a Rasengan formed not from ordinary chakra, but from the most refined senjutsu energy.
This was the essence of Ryūchi Cave's most guarded secret, the Dragon Transformation Technique.
The principle was deceptively simple yet incredibly profound: through continuous compression and refinement of natural energy (or in this case, senjutsu chakra), the accumulated power would eventually reach a critical threshold where quantity transformed into quality. Once this metamorphosis occurred, the refined energy would then rebound into the user's physical form, catalyzing a corresponding evolution at the cellular level.
It was this very technique that explained the monstrous size, unnatural longevity, and terrifying power of Ryūchi Cave's serpentine inhabitants.
Even in its unrefined state, simply having access to such vast reserves meant Rasa no longer needed to worry about exhausting his senjutsu chakra reserves in battle. With this foundation established, he had finally gained the right to participate in the highest levels of this world's power struggles.
Now, all that remained was to wait for the opportune moment to strike.
Yet before that moment arrived, Baki returned from his intelligence-gathering operations with a development that even Rasa hadn't anticipated, a delegation from Kirigakure had arrived at Sunagakure's gates.
---
Sunagakure, Kazekage's Office
When Rasa returned from his training session and entered his office, he found an unexpected group of visitors awaiting his audience.
The delegation consisted of five figures, each more distinctive than the last. At their forefront stood a youthful-looking boy with striking green hair, a unique flower-petal-shaped weapon strapped to his back. Beside him stood a familiar face, the hulking form of Kisame Hoshigaki, leader of Kirigakure's infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Behind this pair stood a man with unkempt gray-blue hair, his right eye concealed beneath a leather eyepatch, with what appeared to be sealing talismans dangling from both ears. The remaining two members of the delegation seemed comparatively ordinary, their appearances failing to register any particular recognition from Rasa.
The green-haired youth stepped forward and executed a perfect formal bow.
"I am Yagura, jōnin of Kirigakure. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Kazekage-sama."
Rasa's eyes narrowed slightly in recognition.
‘So this is the boy who will become the Fourth Mizukage... and later, the jinchūriki of the Three-Tails.’
Returning the greeting with a slight nod, Rasa studied the group with calculated interest.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit from Kirigakure? Don't tell me you've come simply to offer congratulations on my ascension to Kage again."
Kisame's shark-like grin widened, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
"You flatter us with your humor, Kazekage-sama. This time, Yagura-sama and I come bearing an official gift from the Mizukage himself, a token of our village's goodwill."
"Goodwill?"
Rasa's tone remained carefully neutral.
"Indeed,"
Kisame confirmed, producing a sealed scroll from within his robes.
Baki stepped forward to accept the document, performing a quick security check before passing it to Rasa. Breaking the seal, Rasa's eyebrows rose slightly as he scanned the contents.
"Your Mizukage proposes a formal alliance between our villages? Surely you're aware that Kumogakure and Iwagakure are currently mobilizing for war against Sunagakure?"
It was Yagura who answered, his voice soft yet carrying an undercurrent of steel.
"Precisely why our offer carries such weight, would you not agree? In times of crisis, true intentions are revealed. This is Kirigakure's genuine sincerity, Kazekage-sama."
Rasa's lips quirked in the barest hint of a smile.
"Then perhaps you'd care to elaborate on how exactly Kirigakure envisions supporting Sunagakure in this... alliance?"
Yagura didn't hesitate.
"The Mizukage is prepared to deploy a contingent of our finest shinobi to serve as auxiliary forces alongside Sunagakure's troops. These would operate as elite mercenary units specializing in countering Iwagakure and Kumogakure's tactical advantages."
"Generous terms indeed~."
Rasa mused.
"But such generosity surely comes with expectations beyond simple camaraderie between villages?"
Yagura conceded with a polite nod.
"Naturally. Beyond standard operational compensation, the Mizukage hopes to establish... deeper collaborative ties between our villages. Specifically regarding certain unique assets Sunagakure has acquired, the First Hokage's cellular research, Sharingan specimens, and the complete Uzumaki clan sealing techniques you obtained from Konoha."
