The Sand Hidden's Weapon

"Hmph!"

"Looks like this time,"

"Amegakure is dead set on attacking Sunagakure. They've even sent someone with Kage Level strength..."

Rasa gazed into the distance, then suddenly narrowed his eyes and said gravely,

He had clearly figured it out.

Anyone capable of killing an Anbu Jonin in an instant... had to be Kage Level!

At a time like this,

Sending ordinary shinobi to face him would be nothing short of feeding them to the enemy!

With that thought, Rasa's gaze darkened. He looked at the shinobi and said coldly,

"Come."

"Come with me,"

"Tell me everything about his fight just now. Then... I'll deal with him myself."

With that, Rasa took the Kazekage robe from beside him, draped it over his shoulders, and strode out.

His confident steps spoke to the formidable self-assurance of the Fourth Kazekage!

At the sight, a glimmer of hope slowly appeared in the Sand shinobi's eyes. He hurried after Rasa.

But,

The moment the two of them stepped out of the office,

an unexpected figure suddenly appeared in front of Rasa.

"々"?"

He was a child of only seven or eight,

with dark circles under his eyes and short red hair like Rasa's. On his forehead was the character for "love."

Though he looked young and tender,

the bloodlust and murderous intent in his eyes were especially intense!

It was hard to believe that a child of seven or eight could have the eyes of someone who had weathered countless battles...

He was Sunagakure's One-Tail Jinchuriki—

Gaara!

At the sight of him, the Sand shinobi beside Rasa immediately flinched and hurriedly looked away.

He didn't even dare meet Gaara's eyes.

Rasa, meanwhile, first froze for a moment, then seemed to think of something. His gaze flickered.

He looked at Gaara impassively and spoke without a trace of emotion:

"Sunagakure has been invaded by an enemy."

"I'm going to protect the village myself. You're coming with me, Gaara."

"Let the people of Amegakure feel the power of the ultimate weapon."

With that,

he didn't even look at Gaara. He simply swept his robe aside and strode forward.

After hearing those words, Gaara's expression didn't change at all. He remained silent as ever.

Even the words "ultimate weapon" had long since ceased to affect him. He merely watched Rasa's retreating back and said softly,

"Yes... Father."

Then he stepped forward and followed Rasa toward the outskirts of Sunagakure.

A short while later,

Kazekage Rasa arrived in haste with a group of Sand shinobi.

The Sand shinobi gathered here all brightened, and a glimmer of hope appeared in their hearts once more.

"It's Lord Kazekage!"

"Lord Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, came in person!"

At their shouts,

Chen Xiaoxi raised his eyes expressionlessly and looked ahead.

What he saw took him completely by surprise—

Following close behind Rasa was the small figure of a child. It was Gaara!

Chen Xiaoxi raised an eyebrow and couldn't help smiling.

He'd planned to figure out how to find the One-Tailed Shukaku Jinchuriki after defeating Rasa.

He hadn't expected this bastard Rasa to bring his son along himself.

This was getting interesting.

As Chen Xiaoxi pondered,

Kazekage Rasa also immediately took in the situation.

First, he saw ruins everywhere and sand scorched black in places. Then he saw countless Sand shinobi lying on the ground...

The more he saw, the darker Rasa's expression grew.

How could Sunagakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, have been pushed to such a state by a small country?

It was a disgrace!

"Thump."

Rasa landed two meters away from Chen Xiaoxi.

Only then did he get a clear look at his enemy.

Short brown hair, an Amegakure Forehead Protector, golden eyes, a sharply defined face, and a casual, relaxed smile.

A Kage Level shinobi this young... Rasa had never heard of anyone like him.

Stranger still, the man was from Amegakure.

Had the new generation of shinobi from that little village really become this terrifying?

As Rasa pondered,

Chen Xiaoxi's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Chen Xiaoxi lifted his chin slightly and glanced at Gaara before turning to Rasa. Then he said with a faint smile,

"As expected of the Ninja World's number one loving father, Kazekage Rasa."

"You even bring your young son along when you go to battle. Truly admirable."

"..."

At those words, Rasa froze.

What?

The Ninja World's number one loving father?

Was he talking about me...

Chen Xiaoxi's sudden opening line left Rasa's mind blank for a moment.

But only a moment later,

he realized that he'd just been mocked!

"¨〃!"

Rasa's heart sank. He narrowed his eyes at Chen Xiaoxi and said gravely,

"Hmph, all you have is a sharp tongue!"

"Shinobi of Amegakure... you'll pay with your life for underestimating him!"

As he spoke,

Rasa didn't waste any time. He looked toward Gaara, his gaze cold, and ordered,

"Go, Gaara!"

"Use your power and Shukaku's... and crush him completely!"

"Show the people of Amegakure what a true ultimate weapon is!"

At those words,

Gaara lifted his eyes slightly and looked coldly at Chen Xiaoxi. He stepped forward and answered impassively,

"Yes... Father!"

As soon as the words left his mouth,

he controlled the Sand Storm and attacked!

Seeing this,

the surrounding Sand shinobi were all shocked, their hearts churning.

W-what?

Lord Kazekage had ordered Gaara to fight?

Didn't that terrifying monster live inside him?

What if he went berserk—

That monster would attack everyone indiscriminately!

With that thought,

one of the guards immediately stepped forward, his face troubled, and said,

"Lord Kazekage! Please reconsider!"

"Gaara hasn't fully mastered his power. We can't let him fight!"

"If he loses control and Shukaku goes berserk... Sunagakure will be in an even worse position!"

At those words, Rasa's expression darkened. He barked,

"Fool!"

"Gaara is Sunagakure's weapon. Every battle he fights is a test of that weapon!"

"If he can't even control Shukaku's power, he'll never reach his strongest form!"

"Sunagakure has no use for a weapon like that!"

"Understood?"

At the last words, Rasa's gaze was cold.

"!!"

At that, the Sand shinobi beside him shuddered and hurriedly replied,

"Y-yes, Lord Kazekage!"