Rasa summoned an intelligence shinobi and asked about the situation in the ninja world.
Very quickly, he learned the answer.
Someone had copied his trick of scattering leaflets and used it to strike at Konoha, causing the rumor about Uchiha Kagami to spread even further.
If nothing unexpected had happened, it was most likely Iwagakure.
And in the end, it was Rasa who received the points from that wave.
A smile appeared on his face.
"I didn't expect a bonus like this."
Suddenly, two figures entered the Kazekage Building at high speed.
"Kazekage-sama."
The one who had come was Ebizo.
Behind him stood a young ninja.
"Ebizo, this is?"
"Kazekage-sama, this is Akayama Lie."
Ebizo first introduced the young ninja, then said, "As for the situation of the Akayama Clan, I'll let Akayama Lie explain it to you personally."
Rasa looked at Akayama Lie with a subtle expression.
Akayama Lie stepped forward.
"Kazekage-sama, as a member of the Akayama Clan, I'm ashamed of my surname."
"They've gone too far."
"At a time when Sunagakure is in such a difficult situation, when everyone in the village is resisting Kirigakure's invasion with everything they have, those scum from the Akayama Clan actually cooperated with Kirigakure and sold out the village."
"I truly couldn't bear watching anymore."
"So, Kazekage-sama, I want to report them."
"I want to report the Akayama Clan."
"These are the incidents I've collected, and the people involved in the Akayama Clan's betrayal of the village."
Ebizo took the file from Akayama Lie and placed it on Rasa's desk.
Rasa opened it and read.
And the moment he did, the sight was almost blinding.
The Akayama Clan had done far too much.
Compared to Konoha's Uchiha Clan and Kirigakure's Kaguya Clan, it was an entirely different matter.
Konoha had suppressed the Uchiha.
Kirigakure had suppressed the Kaguya Clan.
But Sunagakure had not suppressed the Akayama Clan at all.
And had the Uchiha sold out Konoha?
No.
Had the Kaguya Clan sold out Kirigakure?
No.
But the Akayama Clan had truly sold out Sunagakure.
And not just once or twice.
It could be said that if not for the Akayama Clan, Sunagakure would never have fallen into such a miserable state before.
"I never expected this. Truly never."
At first, Rasa had thought it might only be a few isolated cases.
But after reading this file, he now understood.
The vast majority of the Akayama Clan cared only for the clan, never the village.
For the sake of clan interests, they sold out the village.
Some of them had even already prepared to defect to another ninja village.
"Sunagakure never wronged the Akayama Clan, and yet the Akayama Clan intends to betray Sunagakure?"
Rasa's expression was dark.
Then he looked up at Akayama Lie, and his gaze softened considerably.
"Akayama Lie, you've done very well."
"Kazekage-sama, I only did what a person of Sunagakure should do."
Ebizo's expression was grave.
"Kazekage-sama, what should we do?"
The Akayama Clan's crimes were undeniable.
The question now was how exactly to deal with them.
The Akayama Clan was not weak. If it was mishandled, it could very easily trigger internal conflict, just like Konoha's Uchiha rebellion and Kirigakure's Kaguya rebellion.
And that would make Sunagakure's already terrible situation even worse.
"If this were peacetime, it would be simple. We could act against the Akayama Clan directly."
"But right now…"
Ebizo sighed.
Rasa thought for a moment.
"Let me think about it. Ebizo, go back first. Don't alert them yet."
"And Akayama Lie must be protected properly. If someone is good to the village, then the village must also be good to him."
Rasa's gaze shifted to Akayama Lie.
"Akayama Lie, you've rendered a great service. But before the Akayama Clan matter is settled, it would be difficult for me to reward you openly."
"I hope you can understand."
"But the village will absolutely not let you down."
Akayama Lie nodded heavily.
"I understand, Kazekage-sama."
"And I didn't report them for merit. I truly just couldn't stand it anymore. I don't want the village to be destroyed by their hands."
"That alone is enough."
After seeing Ebizo and Akayama Lie off, Rasa looked once more at the system panel.
"Originally, I wanted to wait longer. To gather a few more points."
"But now that the Akayama Clan matter has surfaced, there's no need to wait."
"Akayama Lie's report may already have caused some people inside the Akayama Clan to suspect something."
"And once the Akayama Clan senses something is wrong, they may strike at the village before the village strikes at them."
Rasa's thoughts moved.
"Draw."
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained an F-rank item: One tael of gold.]
…
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a B-rank item: Ninjutsu Scroll (Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet Technique).]
…
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained an A-rank item: S-rank Ninjutsu (Sand Soldiers Arise).]
Rasa rubbed his eyes.
"Another A-rank?"
"And this time it's a ninjutsu. An S-rank ninjutsu."
"But since it isn't a ninjutsu scroll, that means only I can use it? No one else can learn it?"
Still, he did not care much about that.
The ninjutsu scrolls he had drawn before had not been given to anyone else either.
"Sand Soldiers Arise?"
"I don't think there's any ninjutsu like this in the ninja world."
Rasa narrowed his eyes.
Those four words instantly reminded him of a certain game character's skill.
The Emperor of the Sands. Azir.
In a way, he himself could also be considered an emperor of the sands.
[S-rank Ninjutsu (Sand Soldiers Arise)]
[—Consumes a certain amount of chakra to create yellow sand soldiers. The more chakra consumed, the stronger the sand soldiers become, with the upper limit being half the user's strength.]
[There is no numerical limit to the sand soldiers, and in desert regions they receive a tremendous boost.]
"It's similar to Azir's skill, but not exactly the same. More like an enhanced version."
"From the description alone, it's hard to tell how strong it really is."
"I'll have to test it personally."
"The key lies in the ratio between the chakra consumed and the strength of the sand soldiers."
"But if it's classified as S-rank, then it shouldn't be weak."
Rasa flashed out of the Kazekage Building.
Because it was a ninjutsu rather than a scroll, he didn't even need to learn it. He already understood it instinctively, as though the relevant information had been carved deep into his mind.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust!"
A mass of golden sand appeared beneath his feet, lifting him into the air and carrying him outside the village.
Before him stretched endless yellow sand.
Rasa did not hesitate.
"Sand Soldiers Arise!"
As chakra surged out of him, the sand before him began to move.
A sand soldier instantly took shape.
Its whole body was golden-yellow. It wore a yellow cloak, a yellow helmet, and carried a yellow spear and shield.
"Attack me."
The moment the sand soldier charged, Rasa's eyes lit up.
"It's strong."
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