"Yuzuru Uchiha… you really are terrifying."
Rasa muttered to himself.
He had always thought Yuzuru was nothing more than a powerful brute.
If not for the lucky awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan, the things he had done would have been enough to get him killed a hundred times over.
But now, Rasa realized he had been wrong.
Yuzuru's scheming mind was even deeper than his own. The fact that he had reached this point was absolutely not just because of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Perhaps, even before this war began, he had already envisioned this very scene.
No… maybe even earlier.
Maybe as early as when Pakura defected to the Hidden Cloud, his own fate had already been sealed.
At that thought, Rasa felt a chill run down his spine.
To have been calculated against and led to death by someone's design from over a decade ago… it was truly terrifying.
"Rasa, hurry up and die! You're the sinner of this war!"
"That's right! You should commit suicide like those Anbu and atone for our fallen comrades!"
"You're the disgrace of our village! Someone like you doesn't deserve to be Kazekage!"
"We were blind to risk our lives for trash like you!"
The curses from below grew louder and louder. Rasa no longer bothered to argue.
Even if he were truly innocent, no one would believe him now.
After all, only by nailing him to this pillar of shame could everyone surrender with a clear conscience.
"Rasa, come down and face your death!"
Pakura stood beneath the walls of Sunagakure, hatred burning in her eyes.
As long as she killed Rasa, her revenge would be complete.
The comrades who had died could finally rest in peace.
Rasa still retained some composure. Facing her provocation, he descended directly to the ground.
"Pakura, today I'll show you that I didn't become Kazekage solely because of Magnet Release."
"You were never my match."
After speaking, he glanced at Karura beside Pakura and asked, "Are you joining as well?"
His gaze was complicated.
Back when the Third Kazekage was still alive, he had once mentioned a proposal.
He hoped Rasa and Karura would marry.
Both possessed Magnet Release and had excellent talent.
If they were together, perhaps they could produce an exceptional heir.
Unfortunately, before he could even approach Karura, the Third Kazekage disappeared. Later, Karura was sent to the Hidden Cloud. The matter faded away.
Who would have thought they would now stand as mortal enemies on the battlefield?
At that moment, Chiyo stepped up to Rasa's side.
He looked at her in surprise. "Why did you come?"
Holding an unfurled summoning scroll with both hands, Chiyo replied coldly, "Rather than surrender to Konoha, I'd rather die!"
"Good!"
Having someone stand beside him made Rasa feel slightly less burdened.
He turned his gaze back to Pakura. "Come. Today I'll make you understand that you lack the power to become Kazekage and protect the village!"
With that, he clapped his hands together. Massive amounts of gold dust gathered before him.
"Go!"
With a thought, the overwhelming tide of gold dust surged toward Pakura.
She was forced to flash aside to evade.
"Is that all you've got?"
Rasa mocked as he controlled the gold dust to converge from all directions.
Pakura calmly observed for a moment, then used the Body Flicker Technique repeatedly, dashing straight toward him.
Seeing through her intention, Rasa snorted. A massive cube of gold dust condensed before him, while other streams of gold dust sealed off her front, back, left, and right.
"Crush her!"
The enormous gold cube smashed down toward Pakura.
She did not dodge.
The diamond-shaped mark on her forehead spread across her entire body in an instant. Clenching her fist, she punched straight into the descending cube.
Boom!
With a thunderous roar, the massive gold block was blasted away by a single punch.
"Impossible?!"
Rasa stared in disbelief, unable to suppress his cry of shock.
The weight of that gold cube was incalculable. It had been sent flying by one punch?
Even if she possessed such strength, her body shouldn't have been able to withstand the backlash!
"Hmph."
A cold smile appeared on Pakura's face. Taking advantage of Rasa's momentary shock, she rushed forward.
Since transplanting White Zetsu cells, her body was no longer comparable to what it had once been.
Moreover, as Yuzuru's wife over the years, she had naturally benefited from clan entry draws. Her strength had long since transformed beyond recognition.
In the blink of an eye, she was in front of him.
Rasa's pupils shrank.
A thick wall of gold dust formed instantly before him.
"Scorch Style: Extremely Steaming Murder!"
Several blazing spheres erupted around Pakura. The extreme heat melted a large hole straight through the gold barrier in an instant.
Bang!
Her fist slammed into Rasa's body, sending him flying nearly a hundred meters.
"Pfft!"
Rasa spat out a mouthful of blood and struggled to stand.
Looking at Pakura again, his expression finally turned grave.
He didn't know what had happened, but her strength had undergone a complete transformation.
If not for the layer of gold armor covering his body and the soft sand cushioning his fall, that punch alone would have gravely injured him.
As Pakura charged again, Rasa gritted his teeth and pushed his chakra to its limit.
"Magnet Style: Gold Dust Imperial Order!"
A vast expanse of gold dust instantly enveloped everything within a hundred-meter radius, forming a golden barrier.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Spears!"
With a low shout, countless spears condensed from the gold dust within the barrier, attacking Pakura from all directions.
"Petty tricks!"
Perhaps Rasa's gold dust was formidable against others, but before her Scorch Release, it was hardly worth mentioning.
The seemingly indestructible gold dust melted and disintegrated instantly before the blazing heat of her fire spheres.
Empowered by Scorch Release, Pakura tore through the golden barrier as though nothing stood in her way.
"How is this possible?!"
Watching her effortlessly break his ultimate move, Rasa's lips twitched.
In all his previous battles, Magnet Release had always been unstoppable.
But now, against Pakura, its power seemed completely suppressed.
The feeling of being utterly countered was suffocating.