Rasa couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. This was the full military might of Sunagakure. And he was the future Fourth Kazekage—who wouldn't be fired up?

Ebizo, trembling slightly, recounted the events that had just transpired.

Now, Chiyo was so enraged that she had coughed up blood and fainted. As the leader of a defeated force, the responsibility now fell squarely on Rasa's shoulders.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The more Rasa listened, the more twisted his expression became. When he finally heard everything, his fury nearly boiled over.

Half of Sunagakure's forces annihilated—over what? A prank by Tsunade-sama?

Turning sharply, Rasa looked first at the distant Konoha encampment, then at the lightning-shrouded Kaito.

His voice was grim.

"Is what Ebizo said true?"

"Yes," Kaito nodded calmly, not bothering to deny it.

"Fine. Fine!" Rasa laughed bitterly, his anger audible in every syllable.

He shouted, "All Sand Shinobi, listen up! As the future Fourth Kazekage, I order you to follow Pakura! Head to the Fire Country border. Do not allow any Konoha ninja to enter the Land of Wind!"

Then he turned to Ebizo. "You stay. If the intel is right, neither Bunpuku nor I can handle this alone."

Ebizo nodded. Honestly, if he weren't overwhelmed, he wouldn't have let it slide after so many shinobi were killed. Now that Rasa was stepping in, it was the perfect opportunity to avenge their losses and bring down this man named Kaito.

"Pakura!" Rasa barked suddenly.

"Yes, Rasa-sama!" A woman in her twenties appeared beside him and bowed respectfully.

"You heard my orders."

"Yes, Rasa-sama!"

"Go! No matter the cost, don't let them through! Take Chiyo with you. If she wakes up, you can transfer command back to her."

"Understood!"

Pakura's eyes turned sharp as she raised her voice. "All Sand Shinobi, follow me to the Konoha front line! Prevent their reinforcements!"

She lifted Chiyo onto her back and charged toward Konoha's position. Without hesitation, the other Sand Shinobi followed. In moments, what was once a massive crowd had vanished—leaving only Rasa, Bunpuku, and Ebizo.

"Have you tied up all your affairs?" Kaito asked coolly.

"I'm not letting you leave," Rasa replied, pressing his palms to the ground.

Chakra surged violently through him. The earth trembled. Sand and wind rose all around them.

This was the Wind Country—a nation of endless desert. And Rasa, master of Magnet Release, was in his element.

Buzz!

From beneath Rasa, a tide of golden sand spread outward, surrounding everything but the area electrified by Kaito's lightning.

Unlike normal sand, this glimmered with golden flecks—each grain infused with chakra and magnetized metal.

Magnet Release: Gold Dust Wave!

The golden sea surged like a tsunami, crashing toward Kaito.

Bunpuku and Ebizo stood back, letting Rasa take the lead—either out of trust or for show.

Ebizo, always calculating, understood why Rasa insisted on fighting. As the next Kazekage, he needed a decisive victory to cement his reputation. Without achievements, his candidacy would remain fragile. If he could defeat Kaito, that would be all the proof needed.

To Rasa, Kaito was the perfect stepping stone.

But Ebizo was uneasy. Would this man really become the stepping stone Rasa hoped for?

As the golden wave loomed, Kaito remained still, his expression calm. The blinding white lightning around him crackled louder, transforming behind him into a massive, open maw.

Like a gluttonous beast, it devoured the golden sand wave entirely.

Rasa's smirk faded.

He clapped his hands again—but then his face changed.

None of the gold dust that entered Kaito's lightning field responded to his control. It was as if it had vanished.

He quickly recalled the remaining sand not yet swallowed, eyes narrowing with frustration.

Ebizo understood immediately—Rasa had just lost the first exchange.

"We have to move!" Ebizo said urgently to Bunpuku. "He's too much for Rasa alone!"

"Understood," Bunpuku replied with a nod.

Crimson chakra exploded from his body, his eyes transforming into those of a beast. He entered a half–Tailed Beast state.

Unlike others like Han or Roshi, who struggled with control, Bunpuku retained full consciousness. It was a testament to his strength and connection with the tailed beast within him.

Ebizo formed seals rapidly, his chakra stirring the air.

Wind Style: Thousand Faces Gale!

A massive storm erupted, whipping up sand and slicing it into thousands of wind-infused blades. The storm shot toward Kaito with blinding speed.

Not to be outdone, Bunpuku raised a massive claw glowing with red energy and slammed it to the ground.

The earth erupted. From beneath the sand, a swarm of black particles emerged, swirling into the air like locusts.

They merged—forming massive, gleaming black spears.

"That… That's the Third Kazekage's technique!" Rasa exclaimed. "Magnet Release: Iron Sand Secret Technique!"

Bunpuku had just unleashed one of the most feared techniques in Sunagakure's history.

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