Never Let Lord Rasa Down

Perhaps because they had been toyed with all the way here~

This group of Stone Ninja began to go a little crazy, throwing themselves at him without regard for their lives.

And Rasa... while refining Gold Dust to charge up, he dodged the incoming Kunai, Shuriken, Exploding Tags, and ninjutsu. Perhaps because he had not used any ninjutsu since he began fleeing for his life, the group before him had come to believe that he...

Couldn't use ninjutsu?

Otherwise, he truly could not figure out where they found the nerve to abandon their defenses and charge straight at him!

The fact that the Fourth Kazekage had needed to risk his life just to seal the One-Tail into the Black Cauldron proved that... Rasa was not weak. But now... he was Rasa, yet not Rasa.

Ninja were called ninja because they were full of uncertainty!

Rasa sighed helplessly inwardly and glanced at those Stone Ninja, their faces crazed as they abandoned all defense. Should he... wait a little longer?

With that thought, he stopped paying them any mind. Looking at the dim night sky, he muttered, "Looks like... I'll be panning for gold all night today."

After all, judging by these Stone Ninja who seemed to have gone mad... they definitely would not let this Lunatic go anytime soon!

"Kumogakure Ninja?!"

Chiyo looked at the ninja lying on the ground, his forehead bearing Kumogakure's distinctive forehead protector, and immediately frowned. Her aged face was filled with exhaustion as well.

"I never thought their vanguard had already penetrated so deeply into the Land of Wind."

"What should we do now?"

The worry between Ebizo's brows would not fade. He sighed as he looked at the Sand Ninja gathering the bodies nearby, then shook his head.

"We didn't have many ninja to begin with. If this keeps up... sigh~"

"It's fine. Have you forgotten what I used to do? Numbers aren't important!"

"Playing with puppets?"

"Playing with poison!!!"

Chiyo shot a glare at her improper old brother. Then, looking at the weary Sand Ninja, her expression turned serious.

"We need to withdraw. We can't stay here any longer!"

And Ebizo was right... Sunagakure's puppet techniques were famous throughout the entire ninja world!

White Secret Technique: Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets!!!

She had once used this collection of puppets to capture an entire city.

What a pity. Her Grandson had been unable to inherit her White Secret Scroll in order to protect Sunagakure. Perhaps... her White Secret Scroll would be lost forever in the future.

"Erase all traces around us. Withdraw now—we must scout out another place to set up camp!"

After all, the battlefield...

Was in the Land of Wind!

"The battlefield is in the Land of Wind!" Moomu raised his head to look at the moon in the night sky. The cold night wind blew against him as he sighed and muttered, "I wonder how Lord Rasa is doing now!"

There was very little greenery in the Land of Wind—so little that even Sunagakure had only managed to find one tiny lake.

There had still been fish in the lake a few years ago, but in recent years... as the sandstorms grew worse and worse, the lake's water had dwindled as well. Most Sand Ninja understood... if Sunagakure did not find a solution, then perhaps... in several decades, or several centuries... Sunagakure would vanish.

Just like the Ancient Kingdom of Roran from the legends... swallowed by the desert!

"Lord Rasa is the Kazekage's Disciple, the only powerful warrior in the village who has mastered Magnetic Shield!" The Sand Ninja beside him also gazed into the sky, his face firm with determination. "He is the hope of our entire village. Nothing will happen to him."

Yet after saying that, he felt helpless inside. As one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, even though they had lost the previous wars, they could still proudly say: We dared to challenge the strongest ninja village in the ninja world—would you dare? Who would have thought that now... even a tiny Kusagakure dared to attack Sunagakure?

"Did the Kazekage... really meet with an accident?"

"..."

Moomu fell silent. He knew... everyone actually understood that if the Kazekage were truly still alive... he would never stand by and watch Sunagakure be invaded by other ninja villages.

Because...

He was the village's shadow!

A moment later, he turned to look at the dispirited Sand Ninja. With the Kazekage missing, Lord Rasa's fate unknown, and no leader to guide them, they all looked dejected.

He drew a deep breath, rose to his feet, and fixed them with a determined gaze.

"We absolutely cannot go on like this! Lord Rasa drew away the Stone Ninja alone in order to preserve our strength for the coming war and protect Sunagakure. How can we be so discouraged now?!"

He shouted at all the Sand Ninja.

"Even if we die, we must make these ninja villages that prey on others' misfortune understand that Sunagakure is absolutely not to be bullied!"

He raised his clenched right fist, his tone grave.

"We absolutely cannot let Lord Rasa down!"

"That's right, we absolutely cannot let Lord Rasa down!"

"We Sand Ninja have never been afraid! It's just war, isn't it? When have we ever won one?!"

"Shut up!"

"..."

Seeing all the Sand Ninja growing fired up again, Moomu felt a surge of comfort in his heart. At the very least... we Sand Ninja haven't admitted defeat yet! Raising his head to gaze at the bright moon in the night sky, he seemed to feel Lord Rasa watching over them, illuminating their lost eyes like moonlight.

The corners of his mouth rose slightly, and an unconscious smile appeared on his face.

"Lord Rasa... we definitely won't let you down!"

Just watch over us properly from up there!

"Achoo, achoo~"

Even at night, the weather was still a little cold~

Rasa didn't know whether he was imagining things, but why did he keep feeling like someone was talking about him?

"Could Karura be missing me back in the village?"

Thinking of that, warmth filled his heart.

Heh~

There was still someone looking forward to his return!

He pulled his clothes tighter around himself. Seriously... the temperature difference between day and night in the desert was far too great, especially now that it was the end of the year. The nights in the Land of Wind... were simply freezing.

The cold wind even made his gold-panning hands tremble.

Forming hand seals was truly too difficult!

The Stone Ninja were not doing much better either. After attacking with all their might for so long, they were starting to run out of breath. Of course... it wasn't as though they had gained nothing. At the very least, all of his most precious Blue Potions were gone. As for the Red Potions... he looked at the last bottle in his hand...

Rasa sighed inwardly, then poured it directly into his mouth.

"Just as expected of the Stone Ninja vanguard. They really are persistent!"

And no matter how hard he defended, he had still suffered quite a few injuries. Especially since he... had to pan for gold while defending himself. It was simply too exhausting.

And besides...

"Why haven't those Sand Ninja come to reinforce me yet? Looks like I really have to waste it."

"We must retreat!" The Stone Ninja Commander stared grimly into the night as he spoke in a low voice to the Stone Ninja beside him. "We absolutely cannot remain in the Land of Wind for long!"

After fighting for so long, the nearby Sand Ninja should have received word by now, right?

And honestly...

As expected of the Third Kazekage's direct disciple. He was truly cautious. Although his Chakra refinement seemed to be going poorly, causing his ninjutsu to lag when cast, he... had an excellent grasp of timing and could basically defend against everything. And... his vitality was actually this tenacious. He had clearly suffered so many injuries, yet even now... he was still standing?!

Looking at Rasa, who was hiding within the Gold Sand with blood scabs congealed all over his body, he couldn't help but feel a trace of admiration. Was he refusing to fall through sheer force of will? What a terrifying opponent!

However...

Just as that admiration arose in his heart—

His expression suddenly changed. Or rather, the other Stone Ninja also revealed looks of disbelief as they stared at the sand and dust continuously writhing beneath them.

"Retreat!"

The Stone Ninja Commander hurriedly shouted.

But... it was already too late!

"Magnet Release: Sand Gold Burial!"

A cold voice rang out through the dark, freezing desert alongside a terrifying howl!