My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

Let's count all the wars in Naruto. Aside from the Fourth Great Ninja War, the other three Great Ninja Wars—no matter how you look at them—were all wars between the nations that controlled the major ninja villages.

On their own, the ninja villages had little reason to fight each other. After all, while the ninja world wasn't vast, it wasn't small either.

If it were just the ninja villages, there would be more than enough space for everyone to develop peacefully.

Take Konoha and Sunagakure, for example. Both are essentially just large villages, with a population of at most a hundred thousand. The land they occupy is less than one-thousandth of their respective nations.

If not for the conflicts between the countries backing them, both villages could have stayed in their own territories, minding their own business and developing independently. Given their relatively primitive state of development, there was no real reason for them to engage in large-scale wars.

The only tangible benefit war brought to ninja villages was military funding from the daimyō.

As for the spoils of war—land, population, resources—those primarily benefited the countries, not the villages themselves.

Rasa's words cast an eerie silence over the entire tent.

Yahiko, despite his somewhat naïve idealism, wasn't stupid. Having grown up in the war-torn Land of Rain, he had matured early due to hardship. With just a little guidance from Rasa, he quickly grasped the deeper implications.

Pakura also fell into deep thought.

To be honest, as a high-ranking member of Sunagakure, she wasn't oblivious to these things. However, as a shinobi, her ingrained mindset made it difficult to see beyond the perspective of a ninja. Like Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, she had always viewed herself as a key player in the war.

She lifted her head slightly, her sharp eyes meeting Rasa's, and a strange emotion stirred within her. Truthfully, as representatives of different factions, Pakura and Rasa had rarely interacted outside of official settings.

For the longest time, they had opposed each other as rivals, but she had never truly understood what kind of person Rasa was. This was part of why she had always resented his rise to the position of Kazekage. But now that Rasa was truly leading the village, whether she liked it or not, they had been forced into closer contact.

And the more she got to know him, the more she realized—Rasa was nothing like the arrogant, insufferable man she had once thought him to be.

Now, he exuded a different aura—one of charisma, maturity, wisdom, generosity, and an unshakable sense of security.

Even if she didn't want to admit it, she had to—when it came to being Kazekage, she couldn't do a better job than Rasa. That realization made her even more curious.

"Then why are the daimyō so eager to wage war?"

It was Pakura who raised the question.

Yahiko and his friends, still lost in thought, raised their heads in surprise. They glanced at Pakura, then turned to Rasa, waiting for his answer.

Rasa's response was as straightforward as ever.

"Simple. Because this ninja world was born into an unequal distribution of resources."

"???"

Everyone once again looked confused.

"The land distribution in this world is inherently imbalanced. Take the Five Great Nations, for example. The most fertile land on the entire continent belongs to the Land of Fire. With vast, arable fields, it can sustain a large population, which is why it is so wealthy. But what about the other four nations?"

After pausing for a moment, Rasa continued.

"Over 80% of the Land of Wind is desert. Most of the Land of Earth is barren rock and mountains where nothing grows. The Land of Lightning is dominated by steep, treacherous peaks. And the Land of Water is scattered across countless small islands.

With such poor natural resources, the other four nations have only one way to secure what they need—by taking it from others. And the fertile lands of the Land of Fire have always been an irresistible target."

Rasa's words were like a thunderclap, shaking the four people before him. They began to realize—this was truly an unsolvable deadlock.

"So, even if you try to convince the daimyō, it won't change anything. Because the real cause of war in this world isn't the people—it's the twisted distribution of land and resources. This isn't something that Akatsuki, or even a single ninja village, can decide. Even if a 'savior' were to bring temporary peace, after their death, the ninja world would inevitably fall back into war over resources."

Having said this, Rasa had nothing more to add. But the four before him—Pakura, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan—were all lost in thought.

For the first time, they could see it: no matter how much time passed, no matter how many years went by, the ninja world would remain trapped in endless chaos and war.

Yahiko wanted to argue, but he knew Rasa was right. That bleak future crushed his dreams once again. He clenched his fists tightly and asked,

"Is there really no hope at all?"

Rasa smiled and shook his head.

"No... there is still hope. Either find an enemy so great that all ninja must unite against it, making war between nations less appealing… or unite all the fragmented countries into one, solving the issue once and for all."

Pakura had already heard this answer from Rasa before, so she wasn't too shocked. But Yahiko and his friends were stunned, staring at Rasa as they struggled to process his words.

After a long silence, Yahiko let out a deep breath. Then, with a bright smile, he said,

"That's a headache to think about... but still, thank you, Kazekage-sama. I can tell—you're different from everyone else I've met. Not only were you willing to see us, but you also took the time to explain all of this."

At that moment, Rasa couldn't help but see traces of Naruto in Yahiko. A strange thought crossed his mind.

Could it be...?

Is Yahiko, like Naruto, also a reincarnation of Asura?

That foolish optimism—it was just too similar.

Come to think of it, the timeline matched. Yahiko was born after Hashirama Senju's death, which would make him the reincarnation of the previous Asura. And Yahiko died during the Third Great Ninja War… right before Naruto was born.

And then there is Jiraiya's "Child of Prophecy" belief.

Nagato, as a member of the Uzumaki clan, seemed like the obvious candidate for the prophecy. But he lacked that unique, almost naive charisma that Hashirama, Yahiko, and Naruto all shared. And maybe… that quality was more important than raw power.

Was it just a coincidence?

Rasa didn't know. But for some reason, a bold idea formed in his mind.

"You don't need to thank me. I only agreed to meet you because I never imagined that such fools could actually exist in this ninja world."

"E-eh?"

Being called fools, none of the three looked offended. Rather they were a little embarrassed. Yahiko even scratched his head and laughed, as if Rasa had just complimented them.

And then, Rasa said something that shocked everyone.

"But now? I have a different idea… Would you like to join Sunagakure?"