"S-rank techniques: Sand Soldier Emergence, Flowing Sand Shift, Arc-Moon Sand Dune, Antlion, Sandification, Bestow S/N."
"Kekkei Genkai: Magnet Release, Byakugan."
"Summoning beasts: Yatagarasu, Chameleon, Giant Bull, Hellhound."
"Ninja swords: Lightning Blade, Samehada."
Rasa ran through his current arsenal, lips curving into a satisfied smirk.
He also had the hybrid techniques. White Eye Reconnaissance, born from Byakugan and the Telescope Technique. Sand Gold Thunder Cloud, forged from Sand Soldier, Flowing Sand Shift, and raw lightning—strong enough that the Lightning Blade was almost redundant now.
That sword could go to someone else in the village. It would make a solid upgrade.
Rasa's mind drifted over candidates. Besides the Lightning Blade, there were the Long Blade, Blunt Blade, and Executioner's Blade. Six of the Seven Ninja Swords now sat in Sunagakure's hands.
The Long Blade and Blunt Blade could go to Ryo. Those two Mist puppets already hit harder when they held the swords. With them, Ryo's strength would jump straight to elite jonin level.
The Lightning Blade and Executioner's Blade could each go to a different shinobi.
Rasa waited patiently for his points to climb.
He never expected what came next.
Before the fifth rumor even finished delivering its final thousand points, fresh intelligence hit his desk: dozens of Konoha shinobi had appeared along the Land of Wind border. Sneaky. Hostile. Clearly not there for a friendly chat.
"Does Konoha actually want war?" Rasa muttered. "Did the Minato rumor finally push Hiruzen over the edge?"
In the original timeline, the Third Great Ninja War should have been followed by years of fragile peace. The Fourth War wouldn't ignite until Obito's Moon's Eye plan was nearly complete. Minor friction was normal—Orochimaru's later attack on Konoha, for example—but this felt different.
Report after report landed on Rasa's desk.
Then it clicked.
Jiraiya—one of the Sannin who had spent years wandering outside the village, barely participating in the Third War—had finally returned to the Leaf. The place he loved most.
Hiruzen Sarutobi. Jiraiya. Orochimaru.
Three Kage-level shinobi in one village.
Inside the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen called a small, high-stakes meeting. Only six people attended: Hiruzen himself, Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya.
Hiruzen's face was carved from stone.
"I thought peace would follow the end of the Great War. I was wrong."
"Sunagakure has shown its true, wolfish nature. They took the Nine-Tails disaster—our tragedy—and turned it into a weapon. They slander my name. They sow division inside the Leaf. This is a probe. If we back down now, they will only grow bolder."
"We cannot sit idle. Otherwise the Mist's fate will become ours… and we may end up worse."
He turned to Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya. I want you to lead the strike force. Will you?"
Jiraiya nodded once. "I will."
Word spread through Konoha like wildfire. Elite shinobi and clan members alike heard the news. Some were eager. Others were furious.
"War? The last one just ended. Why the hell are we starting another?"
"Because Sand keeps running their mouths in that damn Weekly?"
"Because they dragged the Hokage's name through the mud?"
A Hyuga shinobi spoke up, voice tight with old anger. "The Mist stole our Byakugan—our bloodline—and the village told us to swallow it. Now we're going to war over the Hokage's reputation? A reputation that hasn't even taken real damage?"
Another Hyuga nodded. "Exactly. His pride is worth more than our lives? Worth more than everything we sacrificed before?"
A tired jonin sighed. "Another war. Against Sand this time. Who knows how long it'll drag on… or if we even win."
Danzo sat in silence, torn in two directions.
Part of him—the old, ruthless part—wanted to crush Sunagakure. He hated them. Deeply. But another part of him watched Hiruzen and felt pure disgust.
You hypocritical bastard, Danzo thought. When the choice fell on someone else, you could endure anything. When it's your own reputation on the line, you can't tolerate even a scratch.
He remembered the day Tobirama asked who would stay behind. Hiruzen had volunteered first. Danzo had been a step slower—but he had meant it. He had wanted to die for the village.
Tobirama had chosen wrong.
And now, after decades in the seat, Hiruzen still refused to hand it to Orochimaru.
When will you finally step down, old man? When you're dead?
Orochimaru's golden eyes were cold.
So even after Minato's death, you still don't trust me enough to give me the hat. You dragged Jiraiya back just to keep me in check.
Teacher… do I really mean so little to you?
Back in Sunagakure, Rasa tapped his fingers on the desk, calm as ever.
"If Konoha wants war, Sunagakure will meet them head-on."
"Two Sun Disks are already complete. A war won't slow the third. We have the top-tier strength. Our mid-tier forces grow stronger every day with more Grell Stones—more Devil Fruits. We will win."
He smiled.
"And once the fighting starts, spreading the sixth rumor becomes even easier."
Rasa glanced at the system panel.
One thousand points.
He didn't hesitate.
"Ten consecutive draws. Start."