Lord Wind Shadow, Rasa

Boom!

Countless people looked up in astonishment, only to discover that a massive hole had been blasted straight through their Wind Shadow Building. A great white snake was coiled proudly atop the structure.

That was the building they revered, the unshakable symbol of authority and military might—yet it had been struck by such a sudden attack!!!

Could the One-Tail have gone berserk again?

The white rattlesnake was seven or eight meters long, and as wide around as a cartwheel. Even with hundreds of people gathered below, its eyes remained filled with an inexplicable arrogance.

"I didn't expect there to be so much food. What a pleasant surprise."

The fact that it could speak human language gave many of those nearby quite a fright.

It had only been a week since Mamba last saw Itachi, but with the help Itachi had provided, he had swiftly occupied a small part of Dragon Cave. The snake horde under his command had grown to several thousand.

With those resources, Mamba had grown several times larger in just a short period.

"Where did this filthy beast come from? Get the hell out of here!"

A Sand Village ninja operated a mounted crossbow from a raised platform and fired directly at the giant snake. The mountain-piercing bolt tore through the air with a shriek like a vicious owl in the night. If it hit a crowd, it would surely skewer another group of people like candied hawthorns.

Clang!

Unexpectedly, the arrowhead snapped apart with a metallic ring. Mamba flicked his tongue and watched the crowd with interest. His mission was merely to intimidate the insignificant insects below and stall for time for his boss—but judging by the situation, it wouldn't be impossible to go down and feast first.

"Truly delicious."

Mamba's tail swayed briskly. The sandy environment was scorching and rough, and that sensation of friction truly excited him.

"Lord Wind Shadow, I hope you've been well. If I'm not mistaken, that was the throat of the One-Tail beast you just summoned. I never expected your control over a tailed beast to have reached such a level."

Itachi pursed his lips as he faced the calm, unflustered middle-aged man amid the encirclement. He had short brown hair and wore black ninja clothes over a mesh undershirt. His bearing alone marked him as extraordinary.

"Heh, remnants of Konoha Village. I didn't expect you to come knocking so quickly."

Rasa sneered without answering him.

Looking at these childlike ninjas, he was secretly alarmed. Had Konoha's combat strength already reached such a level?

They had broken through the guards at the entrance one after another, then escaped from his grasp. That ability alone was enough to let them establish themselves across the major nations, even if his control over the One-Tail still fell short—

Or did they think a bunch of children would be enough to deal with him? This was simply too insulting. At that thought, Rasa clenched his fists tightly.

But why had they come? Had Orochimaru's matter been exposed, or was there another reason? The incident had happened too suddenly for him to think it through, but given the situation, he first needed to ensure his own safety.

"We had no intention of offending Lord Wind Shadow. The two sides had only just laid down their arms and restored friendly relations. Why let war ravage this scarred land once again?"

Itachi's voice was neither servile nor overbearing, and he paid no heed to the change in the other man's expression.

The more it came down to a moment like this, the less they could show weakness. Otherwise, once the enemy believed they had a chance to devour them, they would not hesitate to bare their fangs and claws.

"So this is your reason for standing before me with weapons in hand?"

Rasa narrowed his eyes. The fact that they had made it this far proved that they were far more capable than he had imagined. What he couldn't understand was how a group of fledgling children could possess such exceptional skill.

He had seen every bit of it clearly through the Eye of Sand above.

"Perhaps this is merely a misunderstanding. We came here under orders to carry out a mission, but we never expected to encounter something like this."

Itachi briefly explained the mission, but he couldn't help feeling alarmed. The more he recalled its details, the more wrong it seemed. Their employer had paid a deposit of one hundred thousand gold coins in advance, yet why had he bypassed the ninjas of Sand Village and traveled all the way to Konoha to post the commission?

At first, Itachi had assumed that the employer was unfamiliar with Sand Village and feared disputes upon entering the Land of Fire, so he had hired locals to assist him. But now that he thought about it, the matter only seemed more and more suspicious.

Damn it!!!

"You think it's a misunderstanding?"

Hearing that, Rasa immediately relaxed. He sat back in his chair, adopting a comfortable posture as he eyed them sideways.

"You're Itachi Uchiha, aren't you? You really are quite capable. It's rare for Konoha to produce a genius like you. What a waste to have Konoha send you on such a mission. It seems the rumors about Konoha suppressing the Uchiha Clan aren't unfounded after all."

Rasa exposed the heart of the matter in a single sentence, and Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly.

This guy's investigative instincts are decisive.

No wonder he could become a Kage-level powerhouse.

"If this is a misunderstanding, then Lord Wind Shadow only needs to give us a fair judgment."

Itachi took a deep breath and stated his request, but the man unexpectedly shook his head slightly!!!

"What? You refuse? Aren't you afraid of Konoha's retaliation? Once the rift and distrust between us expand, our army will be at your borders."

Izumi Uchiha shouted from the side. They were furious at this man, who was as silent and unmoving as a stone.

This guy really was like rotten mud—impervious to reason.

"And how do you know this is a misunderstanding? Perhaps this is exactly what I wanted. Your employer, Takita Kaito, was executed by me several days ago. How could there possibly be a bride here for you to find?"

Thump. Thump. Thump.

At those words, everyone felt as though something had seized their hearts. It was like a little snake continuously coiling around them.

It wasn't a misunderstanding.

Then what was it?

Could it be...

"That's right. I never expected one stone to kill so many birds. Using you Konoha ninjas to make a spectacle of things—if word spreads to every nation, it would count as quite the international scandal. Attempting to overthrow another country from within and without through a mission, then seize its property... Tsk, tsk. Just imagine how much this scandal will spread once it gets out."

Rasa's voice was especially piercing beneath the dim evening sky. Even Itachi felt a sense of helplessness.

After all, this was a Kage-level powerhouse. They were unfamiliar with the area and had brought so many Genin with them. What awaited them was the combined assault of an entire ninja village—a superweapon in itself.

Imagine being so isolated and without aid. Even Orochimaru, with his immortal body and expertise in escape, would probably have to take several slaps before he could make it back.

"So you have only two paths before you. The first is to fight your way out, but facing so many ninjas, I doubt your outcome will be pleasant. Perhaps you'll get the chance to experience Sand Village's ten great tortures. You might even make excellent trial customers. As for the second path, lay down your weapons and submit to me. As a strong man, I naturally welcome your joining me. The environment here may not suit you, but compared to the oppression you suffer in Konoha, this may offer you better opportunities for growth. I'm even willing to take you as my disciples, my personal students. You should know that I have yet to accept a single disciple. This is an immense honor. In the future, your prospects in the Land of Wind will naturally be limitless."

Seeing the group waver at his tempting words, Rasa hurriedly added fuel to the fire. After all, he was no slouch when it came to grasping human nature.

After all, it all depended on how they chose.

No matter what they chose, Rasa felt that victory was already in his grasp.