My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

Pakura, who had almost been ambushed and killed, was now filled with rage. Although she was a ninja and understood that life and death were common occurrences, dying in such an inexplicable way would be far too frustrating, especially in front of Rasa.

"Who is it?!"

Pakura glared angrily into the surrounding forest, but there was no response. The forest was eerily silent, as if no life existed within it.

Rasa also observed his surroundings. Just moments ago, he had sensed a strange energy. This energy was not chakra but was similar to the natural energy found in the Dragon Vein. That was why he had been able to detect the trap in advance. However, now, he could no longer sense the presence of an enemy. So, he immediately issued the orders.

"Baki! Force these insects out!"

"Got it!"

With Rasa's command, the furious Baki immediately formed hand seals.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A powerful gust of wind surged from Baki's mouth, blowing toward the forest where the kunai had come from. The immense wind force knocked down a large section of trees.

As Baki used his Wind Release, Rasa once again sensed that familiar presence.

At the same time, Pakura and Yashamaru also saw it—countless figures seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the forest.

They did not look like professional ninjas. Their clothing was simple and tattered, and they each held a kunai. By rough estimate, there were around forty to fifty of them.

Among the four-man squad, only Rasa, due to his advanced perception, had witnessed how these individuals had materialized.

"What is this…?"

They saw countless wisps of purple smoke gather among the branches of the forest, taking the shape of human figures before solidifying into flesh-and-blood bodies.

Rasa was certain this was neither genjutsu nor a transformation jutsu. These were real bodies, formed from condensed smoke. He also detected no chakra fluctuations—only the same kind of natural energy as the Dragon Vein.

"Interesting."

At that moment, Rasa was truly intrigued.

This scene reminded him of the elemental transformation he had seen in the anime One Piece.

Just then, seeing the ambushers forced out, Baki seemed to recall something and spoke up.

"Kazekage-sama, if I'm not mistaken, these should be ninjas from the Iburi Clan."

Baki's words caught everyone's attention.

With an annoyed expression, Pakura raised a question.

"The Iburi Clan? What is that?"

Baki coldly eyed the ninjas before explaining.

"The Iburi Clan is a group of ninjas residing within the Land of Fire. They do not belong to Konohagakure but are instead wandering shinobi. The Iburi Clan possesses a unique ability called the Smoke Transformation Jutsu, which allows them to turn their bodies into smoke, enabling silent assassinations. Even sensory-type ninjas have difficulty detecting them."

"I see!"

Pakura finally understood why she had nearly been ambushed.

Hearing this, Rasa was curious about this kind of clan.

"Is this technique similar to the Hydrification Technique of the Kirigakure Hōzuki Clan?"

"Yes, Kazekage-sama. However, there is a difference. The Hydrification Technique of the Hōzuki Clan is a secret technique that requires training to master. The Iburi Clan, on the other hand, is different. Their Smoke Transformation Jutsu is an ability they are born with. Because of this, they cannot control it as skillfully as the Hōzuki Clan controls their water transformation. This lack of control has led to a high mortality rate among the Iburi Clan's members. Aside from that..."

Baki glared viciously at the Iburi Clan ninjas in the distance before continuing.

"The Smoke Transformation Jutsu, like the Hydrification Technique, has a major weakness and that is, when in their smoke form, the Iburi Clan is extremely vulnerable to Wind Release techniques."

As Baki finished speaking, the expressions of the Iburi Clan ninjas grew even darker.

Seeing this, Rasa immediately understood. It seemed that the Iburi Clan's ability was somewhat similar to Jūgo's, which made it even more intriguing. Taking a few steps forward, he asked coldly.

"Did Konoha send you to assassinate me?"

!!!

Upon hearing the mention of Konoha, everyone's expressions changed. The Iburi Clan ninjas looked utterly stunned.

Upon seeing their reaction, Rasa was certain.

At this point, the only village that had the strength and reason to orchestrate his assassination was Konoha. He had just secured an alliance with Kumogakure and Iwagakure, and he had no significant dealings with Kirigakure. The only village that still held a grudge against him was Konoha.

"It looks like I am right after all."

Hearing this, the Iburi Clan ninjas became even more flustered before one of them roared.

"Kill them!"

In an instant, all the Iburi Clan ninjas transformed into humanoid purple smoke and surged toward Rasa's team.

Baki and Yashamaru were about to act, but Rasa stopped them.

"I'll handle this."

If these had been ordinary ninjas, Rasa wouldn't have bothered Baking a move himself. However, this Smoke Transformation Jutsu intrigued him.

Seeing Rasa's confidence, Baki and Yashamaru nodded and stepped back.

Rasa formed a single-hand seal.

"Magnet Release: Sand Tendrils!"

Fine yellow sand began to spread through the air, condensing into multiple tendrils that lashed out, binding the closest Iburi ninjas.

Whoosh!

However, the captured Iburi ninjas instantly turned into smoke, slipping free from the sand's grasp. It was clear they feared Wind Release, so they immediately reformed into their smoke-like human forms, preparing to turn solid once again.

"How intriguing."

With a sudden movement, Rasa disappeared from his spot. When he reappeared, he was in midair, his right hand reaching out.

Boom!

One of the Iburi ninjas in his smoke form was suddenly grabbed by the throat.

"H-How is this possible...?"

The surrounding Iburi ninjas were dumbfounded. Their Smoke Transformation Jutsu was supposed to make them immune to physical attacks.

And yet...

Their horror had only just begun.

In midair, a purple chakra flared around Rasa's right hand. The smoke-formed Iburi ninja let out a bloodcurdling scream before vanishing completely, seemingly consumed by the purple energy.

This scene shocked not only the Iburi Clan but also Pakura and the others. They had never known their Kazekage possessed such an ability. However, Rasa didn't bother explaining.

As he absorbed the Iburi ninja through the Kāma Seal, he immediately felt a slight change in his body. However, it wasn't enough. The amount of chakra absorbed still wasn't sufficient to cause a complete transformation.

His cold gaze swept over the remaining Iburi ninjas—not as if he was looking at living people, but as if he was staring at mere food.

Since that was the case...

"Five-Seal Barrier."

A massive barrier enveloped all the Iburi Clan ninjas. Realizing Rasa's intent, their expressions turned to sheer terror, as if they were staring at a demon.

Why?

This was nothing like what they had planned.