My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

"Ah... my leg..."

"Help me..."

"Cough... cough..."

The relentless explosions had collapsed the riverbanks, cutting off the entire ravine. The scene was one of chaos and despair. Some were buried alive under the rubble. Others had their legs crushed by falling debris. A few, caught in the shockwaves, coughed up blood as their lives slowly slipped away.

Shisui Uchiha's dark eyes widened in shock. This was the first time he had witnessed such devastation up close. The cries of the wounded, the blood-soaked earth, the broken bodies—it was overwhelming. His heart ached, and his instincts screamed at him to act.

He wanted to jump down and save them.

But before he could move, a fellow Uchiha clan member grabbed his arm firmly.

"Where do you think you're going?" the older Uchiha demanded.

"I have to save them!"

Shisui protested, his voice filled with urgency.

The older Uchiha shook his head, his gaze cold and unyielding.

"They're already beyond saving. If you go down there, you'll just end up like them!"

"But... we can't just stand here and watch them die! They're our fellow villagers!"

Shisui argued, his voice trembling with emotion.

The chūnin's expression remained unchanged. His tone was calm, yet it carried a chilling weight.

"Look closely, Shisui. You are not a god. This is war. Life is fragile here."

Shisui's pupils constricted. His small frame trembled slightly, but he didn't take another step forward. The words struck him deeply, and for a moment, he felt paralyzed by the harsh reality of the situation.

Around him, the other Konoha shinobi stood helpless, their faces etched with frustration and anger. Against the sheer destructive force of the explosions, there was little they could do but hide and curse their powerlessness.

"Damn it! How many explosive tags did the Sunagakure shinobi plant?!"

The explosions raged on for a full three minutes before finally subsiding.

Yet, even as silence followed, the Konoha forces remained on edge, weapons drawn, waiting for an ambush.

But the attack never came.

The smoke began to clear, and all that remained was the wreckage—no enemy in sight.

"Captain Aburame!"

All eyes shifted to Fuka Aburame.

He felt the messages his insects were sending, and, gritting his teeth, he replied.

"Sunagakure didn't advance."

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he gazed down at the devastation below.

"Search for survivors. It looks like we'll have to find another route."

---

The rest of the journey was silent.

No one spoke.

The weight of war had settled deeply into their hearts.

Even Shisui Uchiha, once so full of energy, now remained quiet.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached Konoha's outpost in the Land of Rivers—Tsurumaru Castle.

(AN: I believe it's an original location since I've never heard of it in Naruto.)

"Alright, I'll arrange a place for you all to rest," Fuka Aburame said. "I need to report to Danzo-sama."

The mention of that name caused the three Uchiha to tense.

The relief they had felt upon reaching the camp immediately evaporated.

"Thank you for your help," one of the chūnin said, his voice stiff.

Fuka Aburame nodded.

Of course, he understood their reaction.

The tensions between the Uchiha and Danzo Shimura were no secret.

Personally, Fuka sympathized with the Uchiha.

His older brother, Aburame Shibi, was a close friend of Minato Namikaze. As a high-ranking member of the Aburame clan, Fuka knew all too well the kind of man Danzo was. But, for the sake of the village, he kept those thoughts buried deep within.

---

The moment Fuka stepped into the command tent, a cold, oppressive atmosphere settled over him. At the center sat Danzo Shimura, Konoha's notorious spymaster. Beside him stood Ryoma Aburame, one of Danzo's most trusted subordinates—an Aburame who had defected to Root long ago.

Perhaps because of this bond, the village had assigned Fuka Aburame's unit to assist Danzo, despite Fuka wanting nothing to do with him. The tension in the air was palpable, as it always was in Danzo's presence. Though they were all Konoha shinobi fighting for the same cause, the shadow of Danzo turned the room into a silent battlefield.

It was Shibi Aburame, the head of the Aburame clan, who finally broke the silence.

"You're here, Fuka. I heard you were attacked by Sunagakure?"

Fuka hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, but as before, the Sunagakure shinobi only harassed us and then retreated."

Danzo, his face as unreadable as ever, finally spoke, his voice cold and precise.

"It seems our intelligence was accurate."

Fuka's frown deepened in confusion. Sensing his confusion, Ryoma Aburame spoke up, offering clarification.

"We've just confirmed it. Sunagakure has no intention of engaging us directly in combat."

"What?" Fuka's confusion only deepened.

Shibi stepped in to explain further.

"According to intelligence from our spies in Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure, the recent Three Kage Summit resulted in an agreement. The Fourth Kazekage convinced the Raikage and Tsuchikage that Sunagakure would not commit its forces fully to the war. Instead, Sunagakure will only engage Konoha in limited skirmishes, using mercenaries rather than their own shinobi."

"Mercenaries?" Fuka repeated.

"Yes," Shibi confirmed. "Kumogakure and Iwagakure will issue missions to Sunagakure, who will complete them for payment, rather than formally declaring war."

Fuka blinked, taken aback by the revelation.

"I see... I never expected Kumo and Iwa to agree to such a deal. This new Kazekage is more cunning than we thought."

Danzo's sharp gaze narrowed at that. His expression remained impassive as he spoke in his usual, emotionless tone.

"This benefits Konoha."

Shibi nodded in agreement.

"If Sunagakure isn't looking for a full confrontation, then we don't need to force one either. We should instruct our shinobi to hold back unless absolutely necessary."

Danzo, despite his ruthless nature, was not a warmonger. His true goal wasn't simply to fight for Konoha—he was here to uncover the secrets hidden in the Kazekage's plans.

If a full battle could be avoided, it only made sense to conserve their forces. Though always cautious of Danzo, Shibi felt a sense of relief at this decision. But then—

Danzo suddenly steered the conversation in a new direction.

"Shisui Uchiha... the prodigy of the Uchiha clan. He has arrived, hasn't he?"

---

Meanwhile, in Sunagakure

A vast, ever-expanding oasis stretched before them—Dragon's Oasis, a new land personally named by the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa. It was no ordinary oasis. The divine tree at its core pulsed with pure senjutsu energy, transforming the barren desert into a lush, vibrant green. Every day, the oasis grew, and the changes were nothing short of astonishing.

Bunpuku, the Jinchuriki of Shukaku, was left stunned each morning by the rapid growth. Baki, the head of the Anbu in Sunagakure, felt even more unnerved. The deeper he observed Rasa's work, the more he sensed that the Kazekage was beyond human comprehension.

As for Rasa himself?

For the past seven days, he had immersed himself in relentless training within this sacred land. Apart from returning home at night to be with his wife, every waking moment was spent here. His sole focus? Mastering senjutsu.

His chakra reserves, once vast, were now only half of what they had been. That was unacceptable. Rasa knew that to proceed with his next plans, he needed to push beyond his current limitations. But how?

With no clear answers, he resorted to the only option he had—return to the basics. He forced his body to its limits with intensive taijutsu training, using senjutsu energy to refine his physique, pushing his body to evolve.

After a week, the results were evident. His physical strength had improved, and his capacity for senjutsu energy had expanded. But—

It still wasn't enough. Not nearly enough.

The progress was too slow. The efficiency was too low. At his current level, he had already reached the peak of what most shinobi would consider Kage-level. But his future enemies were far beyond that.

Ōtsutsuki-level. Six Paths-level.

If he wanted to stand among gods, minor improvements would never suffice.

There was a shortcut.

Bunpuku.

If he could convert Shukaku's chakra into pure senjutsu energy, the results would be nothing short of staggering. Not only would his body undergo a radical transformation, but the world's senjutsu energy would rise exponentially.

But there was a problem. A serious problem.

The Sage of Six Paths was still watching.

That ancient specter lurked in the shadows, silently observing the world. Rasa had no intention of drawing his attention—at least not yet. It wasn't time to take that risk.

For now, he would have to find another method. Something faster. Something more efficient.