My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

Future timeline.

Sunagakure.

The deaths of the two elders indeed caused quite a stir within Sunagakure, but with the Anbu in control and Chiyo and Ebizō stepping in, the situation was swiftly suppressed.

As for the official reason for executing the two elders, it was claimed they had collaborated with the Konoha rogue ninja Orochimaru in a plot to assassinate the Kazekage.

Sometimes, the excuse didn't matter. After all, those around them had no means to verify the truth. Just as things were beginning to settle down in Sunagakure, the final word arrived from Konoha.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had indeed been confirmed dead at the hands of his former student, Orochimaru.

One of the Legendary Sannin, Princess of the Senju clan, Tsunade Senju, had succeeded him as the Fifth Hokage.

Not long after Tsunade took office, she immediately sent an official letter to Sunagakure, demanding an explanation for the attack on Konoha during the Chūnin Exams. But Rasa, after merely glancing at the letter, tossed it aside and said to the visiting Konoha ninja:

"Go tell your new Hokage, if she wants an explanation, she can bring her shinobi and come to the Land of Wind herself."

The implication was clear. There would be no explanation, only war.

After sending off the visibly furious Konoha shinobi, Baki asked with some concern,

"Is this really alright, Kazekage-sama?"

Well, after spending the past few days together, Rasa had noticed something.

This timeline's Baki was more timid than the one from his own timeline, especially when it came to dealing with Konoha.

Not that he could blame him. In this future world, Rasa had never existed in the past.

"Don't worry. Konoha right now doesn't have the strength to wage war against us."

Though still a bit hesitant, Baki nodded.

"By the way, in the coming days, I'll be taking Temari, Kankurō, and Gaara to a special place for training. If you need to see them, just let me know, I'll bring them back."

Baki's sweat dropped, but he shook his head.

"No… it's naturally best if Kazekage-sama personally trains them!"

Rasa smiled and nodded.

"Good. I'll be counting on you to manage the village for now."

"Hai!"

After Baki took his leave, Rasa, having sensed Black Zetsu's reappearance, turned into sand and vanished from his office.

---

On a cliff not far from Sunagakure's "Heaven's Line" canyon.

Rasa stood there, facing the newly reappeared Black Zetsu, who was on high alert.

"So? Have you made up your mind?"

Black Zetsu's voice was hoarse.

"Let's talk about how this cooperation is supposed to work first."

Hearing that, Rasa felt confident the collaboration was indeed moving forward, and his interest was piqued.

"Did you find traces of Jigen, or rather, Isshiki?"

Black Zetsu didn't respond, but his serious demeanor already said enough. Seeing that, Rasa didn't waste time with unnecessary words.

"It's simple. First, we share the same goal, to stand against the looming threat of the Ōtsutsuki clan, and specifically the hidden presence of Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. For that, power is essential. And to gain that power, or rather, to revive Kaguya, the Tailed Beasts are indispensable. That gives us the foundation for our alliance."

"So you're saying you want to help me capture the Tailed Beasts? Even if I needed help with that, isn't the One-Tail's Jinchūriki your own son?"

Black Zetsu said in a sinister tone.

"No... Of course, I won't help you capture the Tailed Beasts. You already have the Akatsuki at your disposal, so capturing them isn't a problem for you. As for Shukaku inside Gaara, I won't hand him over to you either. But at the same time, I won't stop you. My children have their own paths to walk."

Black Zetsu looked at Rasa, completely unable to discern what he was really thinking.

"What a cold-blooded father… So, what do you want from me in return?"

"All information on the Tailed Beasts. I need the chakra of all the Tailed Beasts."

Black Zetsu's non-existent eyebrows knitted together slightly.

Seeing this, Rasa explained.

"Relax. I only want half the chakra from each of the Tailed Beasts. It's just a small portion for them. They'll recover quickly. If you're concerned, you can follow me and watch as I extract it."

Black Zetsu fell silent, pondering. After a while, he finally spoke.

"What do you want their chakra for?"

"That's something I don't believe I need to explain to you."

Black Zetsu wasn't irritated by the refusal. Instead, his gaze shifted to Rasa's right hand.

"Then can you explain why you carry Mother's presence?"

"!"

Rasa was briefly stunned. Then, sensing Black Zetsu's gaze, he looked at the [Kāma] on his right hand and asked curiously:

"You mean this [Kāma]? Don't ask me, I was going to ask you the same thing. As Kaguya's will, shouldn't you understand better than I do why I bear her Kāma?"

Black Zetsu's expression turned grave. After some thought, he slowly said,

"That's what puzzles me. This shouldn't be possible. But if I had to offer an explanation, there's only one possibility."

"Heh…"

Rasa gave him a sideways glance and said,

"You know, I really hate people who speak in riddles."

"Hmph."

Black Zetsu snorted before finally explaining:

"Mother did abandon her Kāma… but that doesn't mean she gave up her immortality. Instead, she embedded her Kāma into the chakra of this world."

"Chakra!?"

Rasa was visibly startled, as though he had just realized something.

"No wonder Kaguya couldn't be killed, only sealed."

"Exactly. After Mother embedded her Kāma into the chakra of this world, she essentially became one with it. That means, any lifeform using chakra in this world can serve as a vessel for her resurrection."

Then Rasa suddenly thought of something.

"But that vessel wouldn't include Hagoromo."

"Of course not."

Black Zetsu smirked faintly at this point.

"Otherwise, do you think Hagoromo would be hiding away in the Pure Land, never daring to return to the shinobi world? Because the moment he appears, the chakra inside him would resonate with Mother's will, awakening it."

Rasa narrowed his eyes.

"That doesn't add up. After sealing Kaguya, didn't Hagoromo go on to found Ninshū, raise his children, and live a full life before passing on?"

"Hehehe, that's because at that time, Hagoromo's chakra wasn't yet complete. He had absorbed the Ten-Tails' chakra, but not its body. However, as he continued cultivating, his chakra grew stronger, and he began sensing traces of Mother's consciousness within it. That's why he ultimately split the Ten-Tails' chakra, distributed it among others, and founded Ninshū. He realized that since Mother had merged with the Ten-Tails, her resurrection was inevitable. Even without the God Tree, the Ten-Tails' latent power hidden within chakra would endlessly convert the world's natural energy into chakra. That's why he entrusted his power to his two sons, hoping that one day, they might once again seal Mother away."