Different

Year 44 of Konoha, spring.

Sunagakure broke from its usual habit of hunkering down. Early in the morning, many Sand Ninja had already gathered on the battlefield to challenge Kumogakure.

This... was a huge surprise for Kumogakure.

They were men who went around with their shirts off. How could they be content to skulk around every day? They... had long since grown impatient.

So without another word, the Kumogakure Ninja began howling and gathered at the front line as well.

Even Fourth Raikage A was excited when he saw this scene. He didn't even mind that his brother—the one who could sing, dance, and RAP—had chattered noisily at him early in the morning to get him out of bed. He had even shouted "Good!" twice, and as a result...

Killer B mistakenly thought his brother had finally come to understand his art. Moved to tears, he burst with inspiration and sang several more songs in a row, then...

His brother kicked him out.

The entire shinobi world began preparing for war!

This was his debut after being officially designated as the Fourth Raikage's successor. He could only win, and he had to win beautifully. Otherwise... how could he live up to his still-robust father stepping down and yielding the position to him at this time, allowing him to take charge?!

Although the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning had yet to register him as the Raikage, after this war ended... he would surely be able to officially take over the position of Raikage of Kumogakure!

And to demonstrate the respect Kumogakure, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, held for Sunagakure, another of the Five Great Ninja Villages,

he ordered...

Everyone who could still move, jump, or form hand seals... even those wrapped in bandages, was to get to the battlefield!

So when Rasa saw that the Kumogakure Ninja on the opposite side outnumbered his Sand Ninja several times over, he had something to say but didn't know whether he should say it. Fuck, are you bullying the smaller side with superior numbers?

Sunagakure had no choice. Anyone who could still release ninjutsu or use taijutsu had to go to the battlefield. But you Kumogakure Ninja... why had you even sent out people wrapped in bandages?

What the hell?

Even the Kumogakure Ninja who fought one against four were having such a hard time that they were short on manpower?

But... looking at the densely packed Kumogakure Ninja in front of him... it didn't look that way at all!

Rasa suddenly wanted to postpone the battle. This... wasn't the decisive battle he wanted!

But how could he simply order a retreat now?!

Because the attention of the Kusagakure and Iwagakure ninjas had shifted, the battlefield over there had already reached a fever pitch. No one had won, and no one had lost. Iwagakure was merely responding to Kumogakure's fierce attacks while taking the opportunity to strike at Konoha, so it had no choice but to temporarily withdraw most of its ninjas and transfer them to other battlefields.

As for Kusagakure...

Its boss had called it in for a duo match. How could it not go?

Did it still want to climb the ranks?

So after getting flamed until it lost both its money and its people, Kusagakure simply turned around and ran off to team up with Konoha.

It would probably even report Sunagakure for bullying the smaller side with superior numbers or something~

That was precisely why...

With the pressure on the other battlefield greatly reduced, Moomu decided to bring a group of ninjas over to support this side and ease the tense fighting here.

This truly moved Rasa. He even ignored the Silver Liang Moomu had brought over—enough for a hundred consecutive draws—and deposited it directly into the system.

How could a mere Silver Liang compare with Moomu's sincere determination to protect Sunagakure?

That determination was just like Rasa's own burning passion for spending money in the game... everyone could treat money as dirt for the sake of protecting their homeland!

How genuine, how sincere, how... touching!

So, in order not to let Moomu and the others' sincerity go to waste, he made another hundred consecutive draws that very night.

Unfortunately... the hundred consecutive draws didn't produce a single two-star item.

But now...

Was it really enough?

Seeing the terrifying formation before him, Rasa began to panic a little. He intended to play it safe for a while longer, then... begin the decisive battle.

However, war was the sort of thing where momentum rose once, then weakened with each successive effort!

If he ordered the Sand Ninja to retreat now, the momentum he had finally managed to stir up would probably be completely destroyed. By then... those Sand Ninja who had come out by sheer force of will might never be able to stand again.

So at a time like this...

They really had no choice but to fight~

With a series of furious roars, the war erupted. Every ninja let out a roar, flung both arms back, and charged forward with their own momentum.

When two opponents meet on a narrow path, the braver one wins!

If anyone showed even the slightest hesitation now, then... the war was already destined to end in defeat.

So even if they were afraid, they couldn't let their momentum weaken.

Ninjas were, by nature, a highly mobile military force.

When the ninjas of both sides clashed at close quarters, battle broke out at once. Varied taijutsu, combined with unpredictable ninjutsu, made the entire battlefield roar.

Exploding Tags, kunai, Shuriken... all kinds of weapons, mixed with clouds of dust and sand, began flying through the air.

The problem was...

Their Sand Ninja seemed to be surrounded!

Rasa stared speechlessly at the Kumogakure Ninja, who outnumbered them several times over.

Now they really couldn't escape even if they wanted to.

They were almost completely surrounded. If they showed the slightest timidity or fear and fled backward, they would probably... truly be chased to death by this group of Kumogakure Ninja~

Seeing this, Rasa let out a furious roar. He knew things couldn't continue like this, so he directly engaged the opposing commander in battle.

Was this really not what one would expect from the genius ninja whom his own father had personally approved and recommended for the position?

He had honed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to an extremely high level. His astonishing speed flashed before Rasa's eyes like a blue bolt of lightning.

With his entire body protected by Lightning Armor, his speed and defensive power were both formidable. Combined with his terrifying taijutsu, it left Rasa's hands numb from the impact.

Do you want to capture me alive?

Seeing that Fourth Raikage A kept disrupting his attacks without ever using any lethal moves,

Rasa immediately understood.

After all, he was currently at the height of his fame. Combined with the news that had circulated from the Stone Ninja side and his activity on the battlefield during this period, he was already unquestionably the future Fourth Kazekage. If they could capture him, the blow to Sunagakure would be unimaginable.

But...

Since he could be called the future Fourth Kazekage, it meant that his strength had already won others' recognition. Even if he was weaker than the Fourth Raikage, who possessed the blue lightning, he couldn't be all that weaker.

Not to mention... he was no longer the Rasa of old.

His sincere determination to protect Sunagakure had driven him to keep spending money lately.

He was different!

He had a cheat!

Seeing that the Sand Ninja had fallen into a disadvantage, his expression instantly turned solemn. Then he directly brought out the cards he had accumulated during this period.

Character Card: Desert Emperor Azir (Low). Duration: three minutes.

Skills included: Sand Soldiers, Arise; Quicksand Transportation!

Looking at the character card he had kept saving, Rasa took a deep breath. He stared at Fourth Raikage A, who was enveloped in a streak of blue light and had appeared before him again, swinging a fist at him. He murmured, "I hope my guess is right!"

The moment he finished speaking...

A faint yellow light seemed to appear.

Rasa directly dodged Fourth Raikage A's attack, then... waved a hand.

"Sand Soldiers, Arise!"

At once...

Under the wide-eyed, incredulous gazes of everyone present,

hundreds of soldiers formed from sand and clad in archaic armor appeared across the entire desert.

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