My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

"First, I have an important announcement to make."

Rasa's gaze swept over the small group in the room before finally resting on Sēramu.

"As you may already be aware, the people of Rōran have now joined our village, Sunagakure. While we cannot hold a welcoming ceremony for them due to the looming war, I trust that all of you here will help guide the villagers and ensure their smooth integration."

His eyes shifted to the rest of the room.

"Additionally, Sēramu, as the former queen of Rōran, has outstanding abilities in governance. It would be a waste not to make use of such talent. I have decided that she will join the upper ranks of our village."

As soon as the words left Rasa's mouth, Sēramu's eyes widened in shock, quickly giving way to joy.

If she could become a high-ranking member of Sunagakure, it would greatly help her people settle into the village. However, Rasa's words caused some unease among the other high-ranking officials present.

First, Sunagakure, being a relatively small village, had limited positions of power. Bringing in a new member would undoubtedly affect the interests of others.

Second, Sēramu, while skilled in harnessing the energy of the Dragon Vein, was not a formidable kunoichi. Despite her past as queen, she lacked combat abilities, and in a shinobi village, the distinction between shinobi and ordinary citizens was clear. It was rare for non-shinobi to rise to high positions.

Fortunately, Rasa was not the same as he had been two months ago. His standing in the village had significantly improved, especially after the success of the Three Kage Summit. As a result, after his announcement, the officials exchanged glances but remained silent.

It was Michikawa, a representative of the noble faction, who finally spoke after a brief pause.

"Kazekage-sama, where do you intend to place Lady Sēramu?"

Rasa did not plan to immediately assign her to a high-ranking position. Instead, he offered a carefully thought-out plan.

"At first, she will serve as my assistant in my office, helping with village affairs. Once she becomes more familiar with the village, we will find a more appropriate role for her. Sēramu, what are your thoughts on this?"

Naturally, Sēramu did not object.

"As a member of the village, I am willing to serve in any capacity."

Since the position was merely an assistant to the Kazekage—a personal role—no one voiced any objections.

"Very well. From this point on, Sēramu, you should take your time to learn about the village. Karura will be there to assist you."

Karura smiled kindly at both her husband and Sēramu, giving a subtle nod. With Sēramu's role settled, the conversation turned to the topic of the upcoming war.

Sunagakure had long been ready for an official war against Konohagakure. There was little need for further discussion; all that was left was to execute the plan. However, as Rasa detailed the specifics, the officials began to sense something different about him. He appeared genuinely furious this time. It didn't take long for them to understand why.

"Konohagakure has underestimated us for far too long. They have never given us an explanation for the death of the Third Kazekage, and now, they have attempted to assassinate me. I believe it's time to make them remember who they're dealing with."

The group nodded in agreement—no objections. After all, an attempt on the Kazekage's life was nothing less than a slap in the face to every shinobi of Sunagakure.

However—

"Kazekage-sama, how do you plan to respond?"

Ebizō asked calmly. Rasa's answer was nothing short of shocking.

"It's simple… This time, I want to completely annihilate the Konoha forces that come to challenge us."

In that instant, everyone—including Karura—stared at him in disbelief. Their eyes were wide, mouths slightly open, unsure of how to react. Only Sēramu appeared confused, not fully grasping the magnitude of Rasa's words. Rasa's ambition was immense.

The idea of utterly destroying Konoha's forces had been a thought shared by many in Sunagakure, but it was an ambition that had never been realized in history.

"Something like this…?"

"Is it even possible?"

Michikawa and Ebizō looked visibly shaken. Pakura, ever direct, cut to the heart of the matter.

"What's your plan?"

Rasa turned to Sēramu and spoke, his tone serious.

"From this point forward, listen to me closely. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, as I will be explaining the strategy."

Sēramu, slightly nervous, nodded. Karura kindly handed her a notebook, signaling for her to take notes.

With that, Rasa shifted his gaze to the others and began.

"First, I am calling this operation the Konoha Annihilation Plan."

The name alone made the air grow tense, and everyone in the room held their breath.

"This mission requires an even higher level of secrecy than our last raid on the Land of Fire. Everything shared in this room today must remain strictly confidential. If any of you leaks this information, you will be treated as a traitor. Your subordinates only need to know their specific roles—nothing more."

During the previous raid on the Land of Fire, Rasa had not possessed the authority to issue such strict orders. Now, however, everyone understood the gravity of the situation and nodded solemnly in response.

"The Konoha Annihilation Plan can be broken down into a series of actions designed to deceive Konoha, giving them a false sense of security. We'll gradually lead them into our carefully constructed trap, and in the end, deliver a crushing blow. To accomplish this, the operation will unfold in three phases."

Rasa began outlining the details of the plan.

"The first phase, which I call the Deception Plan, follows the approach of our original strategy. Pakura and Michikawa will each lead 800 shinobi into the Land of Rivers and engage Konoha's forces in battle. You will have full freedom to choose your tactics, but there's only one condition: neither victory nor defeat."

"Neither victory nor defeat?"

Both Pakura and Michikawa were taken aback, unsure of Rasa's exact intentions.

Rasa explained further.

"Much like our last raid on the Land of Fire, you must make Konoha believe that we aren't interested in an all-out war. Instead, they should think we're just stalling for time."

Pakura's eyes lit up in understanding.

"I see… But after they've fallen for our deception once before, do you really think Konoha will take the bait again?"

Rasa smirked and raised a finger.

"That brings us to the second phase, the Reassurance Plan. During this phase, I will intentionally leak certain details about our dealings with Kumogakure and Iwagakure. If needed, we can even plant false intelligence."

The officials in the room looked around with realization.

Michikawa nodded, impressed.

"A brilliant move. Konoha will definitely want to avoid over-committing their forces against us. If we do this right, they'll lower their guard and send fewer troops."

Pakura nodded as well but added.

"Even so, completely wiping out Konoha's forces won't be easy."

Given the shinobi's ability to travel across land, sea, and sky, as well as their advanced intelligence networks, even with reduced numbers, completely annihilating them would still present a monumental challenge.

Rasa's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he responded,

"That's where the third phase comes in—the Bait Plan."

"Bait?"

"Yes, but to make this phase work, we'll need a bit of luck."

"Luck?"

Rasa's cryptic tone left everyone wondering about his next move.

Just then, a knock echoed through the room. The door to the office opened, and Baki entered, bowing respectfully as the gathered officials turned their attention to him.

"Kazekage-sama, we've received word from the advance scouting units. The commander leading Konoha's forces against us is… Danzo."

"Oh? It seems that luck is on Sunagakure's side after all."

The satisfaction in Rasa's voice was evident, and everyone in the room could feel it.

But Baki wasn't finished. He continued,

"There's one more thing—the Uchiha Clan has also joined the battle."