A night passed without incident.
The next day, Mikami Yuu went to see Rasa.
The man was being held alone in a reinforced stone chamber. His whole body was wrapped in bandages, and he was locked down by strict sealing formulas. His face was gray and lifeless, and even moving a finger looked difficult. Yet when he spoke, his voice was unexpectedly forceful.
"You want to ask me about the Weasel clan?"
"Hmph, Konoha brat, I think you still haven't woken up. You captured me, imprisoned me here, and subjected me to this humiliation. And now you actually want to get information about the Land of Wind's summoning beasts from my mouth? Keep dreaming! Even if I, Rasa, die, even if I jump off Mount Kikyo, I will never tell you!"
"…"
Alright.
Although the original storyline had already shown that Rasa's brain was not especially useful, after actually interacting with him, Yuu realized that his assessment had even been a little too generous.
Do you not know what your current status is?
If I give you face, I call you Kazekage. If I don't, you're just a prisoner. And you still have the nerve to shout here and bark like a mad dog?
"Brat, what's with that look? Are you looking down on me?"
Rasa furrowed his brows. From Yuu's gaze, he sensed something was off.
Yuu let out a soft breath and said flatly, "I'm not targeting you. I just can't be bothered to argue with a defeated opponent."
"…What did you say?!"
Rasa's temper instantly flared. "What defeated opponent? I was only careless for a moment and got ambushed by you! If you have the ability, undo the sealing formulas on me, and we'll fight again! This time, as long as I, Rasa, still draw breath, I will be undefeated!"
As he spoke, Rasa suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit. It seemed his emotional fluctuations had affected his injuries. But very quickly, he raised his head again, looking ready to die rather than submit, as if mentioning any of Sunagakure's secrets was an insult to him.
"…ha."
Yuu almost laughed out loud.
How should one put it? His defeat of Rasa this time did involve some opportunistic elements. Yuu knew Rasa's abilities very well, while Rasa knew nothing about him. It had been a case of calculation against ignorance.
However, if they really fought again, Yuu was not afraid.
After all, he still had several trump cards he had not had time to use. If it were a private deathmatch, he would not mind using Rasa to test his blade. But if it were just an ordinary spar, forget it. There was no need to leak his own intelligence.
"…Forget it."
Yuu had originally considered using the agency rights for Konoha Raw Cola to trade with Rasa.
The Land of Wind was also one of the Five Great Nations. Although its population was not as large as the Land of Fire because of its geography, it was still much larger than countries like Rain or Waterfall. Under normal circumstances, it would not be easy for Raw Cola to expand its market there. It would require time and opportunity.
Rasa was able to become Sunagakure's Fourth Kazekage in the original story, and even after making such a mess of things, he still wasn't impeached. That showed that his identity, family background, and connections were all strong enough. In theory, he was someone who could help Raw Cola open up a new market.
If he could do that, Yuu would not mind giving Rasa twenty or thirty percent of the profits. At that point, Raw Cola would gain a new market, and Sunagakure would gain extra income. A win-win.
But…
looking at Rasa's completely uncooperative attitude, Yuu decided to forget it.
Considering this guy's hatred toward Konoha and Yuu himself, plus his rare, god-tier brain circuitry even by the standards of the entire ninja world, if Yuu really cooperated with him, who knew what kind of nonsense he might cause? Dealing with it afterward would definitely bring a pile of trouble.
It would be better to find a way to contact Pakura later.
She was also a native of Sunagakure. Even if she did not know information about the Weasel clan, helping ask around should not be difficult. And if Pakura could spread Raw Cola through the Land of Wind and open up another path to wealth…
then who would become Sunagakure's next Kazekage might become hard to say.
Compared with the militant Rasa, Yuu felt that if Pakura became the Fourth Kazekage, he—and probably Konoha—would be more willing to accept that.
At once,
Yuu stopped wasting words with Rasa and got up to leave the stone chamber.
Another day passed in training.
By evening, Kakashi and Obito appeared at Kikyo City's camp. Both looked somewhat listless. Obito, in particular, rushed toward Yuu the moment he saw him and excitedly recounted the "Root atrocity" he had witnessed.
"…You don't even know! At the time, we were trying to negotiate with those two Suna ninja and see if we could save the people. Then that Root ninja just attacked directly! In the end, the whole house was blown apart, and everyone inside died! Right in front of us!"
"Is that so… I understand."
Yuu nodded. "I'll report this matter to Lord Jiraiya and have him give those Root ninja the punishment they deserve."
"As for the two of you, hurry up and take a bath, change clothes, and get some rest. Our squad may receive a new mission soon, and there won't be much time to recover."
"…Alright."
Obito originally seemed like he wanted to say more and did not appear satisfied with simply "reporting it upward." But seeing Yuu's serious tone, he reluctantly nodded, then returned to the barracks with Kakashi.
Yuu let out a long breath, then headed toward the command post where Jiraiya was.
Although Root ninja had always acted like this, and civilian casualties during wartime were unavoidable, a stance still had to be taken regarding the other party's behavior.
In a certain sense…
this was also for Konoha's future.
After all, the last civilian child caught up in Konoha's military operations had been named Nagato. The difference was that Nagato had obtained the Rinnegan and had the ability to speak for himself, giving Konoha a Shinra Tensei. Most others who suffered similar fates did not have that chance and could only cause small disturbances.
Yuu himself was not afraid of Nagato. After all, by the time the latter came to Konoha carrying rice, it would already be more than ten years later. And even Super Shinra Tensei was really just a move for clearing mobs. For jōnin and above, as long as they did not directly run into Pain's Deva Path, surviving was still fairly easy.
But he still had friends and family living in Konoha, so it was better to plan ahead.
…
Konoha Village, Senju residence.
Bang—!
A wine bottle was slammed onto the stone table, producing a crisp sound.
Tsunade sat cross-legged on the wooden corridor. Drunken-eyed, she raised her head and stared at Shizune in disbelief.
"Say that again?"
"That white-haired brat… defeated Sunagakure's Kage on the southwestern battlefield? Was it that guy who uses iron sand, the Third Kazekage who was called the strongest Kazekage??"
"No, Lady Tsunade…"
Shizune corrected softly. "It was the newly selected Fourth Kazekage on Sunagakure's side. His name seems to be Rasa. According to the intelligence sent back from the southwestern battlefield, he's also a Magnet Release user, but he uses gold dust, not iron sand…
"As for the Third Kazekage, he hasn't appeared at all since the beginning of this war. According to information sent back by our informants in Sunagakure, he really seems to have disappeared. His life or death remains unknown…"
"Who cares which generation he is? That was still a Kazekage!"
Tsunade braced herself on the stone table and suddenly straightened up. Because the motion was so large, the loose collar of her yukata slipped down a little, revealing a broad area of honey-colored skin across her chest. Yet she seemed completely unaware, merely casually pulling the fallen collar back together before continuing to ask in shock,
"Mikami Yuu… how did that brat do this? Did he use poison?!"
"Well…"
Shizune gently placed a scroll on the stone table and said softly, "This was sent by the Third. He said it is a battle report written personally by Lord Jiraiya. Please take a look yourself."
Rustle—
Tsunade grabbed the scroll and swept her eyes over the words. Relying on her battle-hardened experience, she quickly transformed the contents described in the report into images in her mind.
"Fire Release broke through Magnet Release, he seized an opening, and with one sword strike, severely wounded Rasa, forcing Chiyo to lead a small unit to break out…
"This…"
Tsunade's fingers tightened slightly around the scroll, making faint cracking sounds.
Although she did not know Rasa, Tsunade understood what "Kage" meant. Even if he was only a temporarily appointed acting Kazekage, the fact that Sunagakure had pushed him forward meant his strength stood at the peak among countless ninja.
She, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru had been over twenty when they fought Hanzō of the Salamander to the death in the Land of Rain and earned the name "Sannin." Only after that battle had they truly been able to stand on their own and confront the Kage of other villages.
Someone as astonishingly talented as Namikaze Minato, a genius seen only once in several decades, had only been a jōnin in his early teens. At most, he could be counted as an elite jōnin.
But Mikami Yuu…
How old was this kid?
Had he even turned eleven?
At this age, he could already cross swords with Kage-level fighters?
Then what did that make her, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru? Were they all useless fools who had lived all these years for nothing?
"What a little monster…"
After the initial shock,
Tsunade seemed to remember something. She suddenly slapped the table, and the corner of her mouth revealed a hint of irrepressible pride. Her massive peaks, far beyond those of ordinary female ninja, also lifted slightly with the motion.
"Ha! As expected of me!"
"…?"
Shizune froze. What did that mean?
After a brief pause,
Tsunade continued talking to herself. "What's this? Looks like my eye for talent is still quite precise! When we first met, I could already tell that brat was no ordinary child. That's why I picked him out at a glance from among so many kids…
"And before that brat came to me to become my student, he had already studied in Konoha Hospital's medical class for more than half a year. At least thirty percent of his ability must be credited to me, Tsunade! My insight is truly sharp!
"Haha, let's go, Shizune. Come with me to the casino for a couple of rounds! I have a feeling my luck today will be off the charts!"
"…"
Shizune was speechless.
No, would you like to hear yourself?
If she remembered correctly, the first person who discovered Mikami Yuu's talent seemed to be Jaji. If not for the recommendation letter she wrote, Yuu probably would never have entered the advanced medical class, and then he would never have crossed paths with Tsunade as a lecturer.
And if they traced things back even earlier, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had arranged Yuu into Namikaze Minato's squad and placed him in the Hokage master-student line, should be the first benefactor.
I think your gambling addiction is just acting up, and you're casually finding yourself an excuse to go enjoy a few rounds!
Although Shizune thought this,
she did not dare go against Tsunade's wishes. She could only say helplessly, "Um, Lady Tsunade, the Third is summoning you. He wants to discuss the follow-up strategy against Sunagakure and Mikami-kun's merit evaluation. Going to the casino right now may not be very appropriate…"
"Hm?"
Tsunade frowned.
Ever since she had developed hemophobia, she rarely participated in Konoha's political affairs. Sarutobi Hiruzen knew this too, so he rarely disturbed her unless something special related to the Senju clan occurred, like the Uzumaki Kana matter.
But this time…
"Fine, fine. Since it's about that brat, I'll go take a look."
"He's still on the front line right now and won't be able to return for a while. Minato isn't here either, so as his teacher, I'll go speak for him and get him some benefits from the old man! And those bastards from Sunagakure—hmph, always causing trouble for no reason. This time, we have to make them lose a layer of skin…
"Come on, Shizune. We're going to the Hokage Tower!"
As she spoke, Tsunade grabbed the green robe with the gambling character draped over the chair and swiftly put it on, then strode outside.
Shizune had long been used to Tsunade's swift and decisive style. At this moment, she sighed and followed helplessly.
…
Konoha's reply arrived very quickly.
Around the evening of the fourth day after the Battle of Mount Kikyo ended, Kikyo City received a secret letter delivered by the ANBU. The letter approved Nara Shikaku's encirclement plan, deciding to stabilize their current advantage and slowly force Sunagakure to surrender. If the other side decided to fight to the death, launching a final offensive then would not be too late.
At the same time, they also had to guard against Sunagakure's rescue operations.
After all, Konoha had captured quite a lot of prisoners this time. In addition to Rasa, there were also one or two hundred Suna ninja who had surrendered. With so many prisoners, simply imprisoning and guarding them was a troublesome matter. If any negligence occurred, it was very possible for them to stir up trouble.
Furthermore,
Konoha also gave rewards to certain ninja who had performed outstandingly in this round of battle.
"Yuu! Did you hear? You really were nominated for jōnin!"
Early in the morning, Kurenai rushed excitedly to find Yuu.
"Oh, is that so? That's good."
Yuu smiled.
"…Your reaction is that calm?"
Kurenai choked slightly, and the smile on her face froze for a moment. Then she continued, "I heard from Asuma that in response to the merit you earned this time, the village has decided to reward you with a special ninja tool. It's a short sword, apparently called the Sword of the Thunder God or something…"
~~~
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