My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

The Land of Grass.

A small nation ensnared in a web of danger.

Surrounded by the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Waterfall—each posing its own threat.

The Land of Fire and the Land of Earth were undisputed great powers.

The Land of Rain, though small, had produced Hanzō of the Salamander, the legendary "Demi-God" who had shaken the world during the Second Shinobi War.

The Land of Waterfall? Though seemingly insignificant, it possessed a Tailed Beast.

With such formidable neighbors, the Land of Grass had survived only by mastering the art of diplomacy, skillfully navigating the tensions between them to ensure its continued existence.

But now, with the Land of Earth launching a full-scale invasion into the Land of Fire, the Land of Grass was no longer the battlefield between the two giants.

For the first time in years, there was peace.

Or so it seemed.

---

Unbeknownst to the world, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had entered the Land of Grass under the cover of night.

Alongside him were nine elite members of Suna's Secret Mobile Corps.

Upon crossing the border, three more agents—already embedded in the Land of Grass—emerged from the shadows.

Their codenames: Sand Rat, Black Scorpion, and Red Thistle—each named after deadly creatures of the desert.

"Kazekage-sama!"

"We move while we talk."

"Understood!"

A team of twelve jōnin, led by the Kazekage himself.

This was no ordinary mission.

As they sprinted through the dense forest, Black Scorpion, the most physically imposing of the three scouts, reported their findings.

"Kazekage-sama, we've located the woman you asked us to investigate. She is from the Uzumaki clan. Her name is Hana Uzumaki."

At the mention of the Uzumaki Clan, the nine masked agents tensed.

The Uzumaki had been all but wiped out. Why would the Kazekage be searching for one?

Black Scorpion continued.

"After the destruction of Uzushiogakure, Hana wandered into the Land of Grass, where she was secretly taken in by Kusagakure."

"Why?" Rasa asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Because she has a unique ability. Any injured shinobi who bites her skin can instantly heal their wounds and restore their chakra. It is said she can even save those on the brink of death."

The revelation sent shockwaves through the squad.

Rasa, however, remained calm, his expression unchanged.

"Does she have any living relatives? Any other Uzumaki?"

"No, Kazekage-sama. Hana is only 13 or 14 years old."

Rasa lightly bit his finger, his mind turning over the information.

"I see. That means… Karin has not been born yet."

This was valuable information.

"Where did you learn this?" 

"Kazekage-sama, Kusagakure is riddled with corruption. Money can buy almost anything." 

Black Scorpion's tone grew darker. 

"More importantly, there's a growing division within Kusagakure itself. The village is controlled by two opposing factions." 

"The first is the war faction, calling themselves 'Grass Fruit'—the Grass Fruit. They seek to strengthen the village through conflict and expansion." 

"The second is the anti-war faction, known as 'Grass Flower'—the Grass Flower. With the world at war, they have steadily lost influence." 

"Currently, Grass Fruit holds most of the power, while Grass Flower is being suppressed." 

Rasa processed the information quietly. 

"So, Grass Flower is desperate for support." 

Black Scorpion nodded. 

"Yes, Kazekage-sama. We've already made contact with members of Grass Flower. In exchange for our backing, they provided us with this intelligence." 

"Oh? Well done." 

Rasa's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. 

"It seems my plan can proceed even more smoothly than expected." 

The twelve shinobi exchanged glances. 

Until now, Rasa had kept the purpose of this mission secret. But now, he saw no reason to withhold it any longer. 

"It's time." 

His voice was calm, but it carried an unmistakable authority. 

"Our objective is simple—we attack Kusagakure and take Hana Uzumaki with us." 

The twelve jōnin, all highly intelligent, instantly connected the dots. 

With the ongoing war, Sunagakure's Tailed Beast—Shukaku—needed a new host. The current Jinchūriki was too old to continue serving as a weapon. 

That explained why even the Kazekage himself had mobilized for this mission. 

However— 

"Kazekage-sama, if we only need Hana Uzumaki, we can use our connections with Grass Flower to have them smuggle her out quietly." 

"No." 

Rasa shook his head firmly. 

"If that were our only goal, I wouldn't be here personally. We have another mission—one just as important. We are going to be bait." 

"...Bait?" 

That was never a good word to hear during a mission briefing. 

"Yes. Our real target is Konoha's commander in the Land of Rivers—Danzo." 

!!! 

A heavy silence fell over the group. 

Danzo. 

The man who had orchestrated the assassination of the Third Kazekage and even attempted to eliminate Rasa himself. 

And now, the Kazekage was planning to strike back.

Rasa didn't feel the need to elaborate further. 

Instead, he gave direct orders. 

"We will launch a full-scale assault on Kusagakure, forcing them to hand over Hana Uzumaki. In the meantime, I need you to use your contacts within the village to convince Kusagakure's leader to request help from Danzo. Can you do that?" 

The twelve shinobi now fully understood Rasa's true strategy. 

Sand Rat, responsible for contacting Kusagakure's leadership, thought for a moment before nodding. 

"It won't be difficult. The hostility between Kusagakure's factions is severe. If we assist Grass Flower in eliminating some key members of Grass Fruit, they will be willing to cooperate. But Kazekage-sama, let us handle the diversion. There's no need for you to risk yourself." 

Of course, Rasa had no intention of taking that risk. 

In truth, he had no interest in eliminating Danzo. 

Danzo was like a poison, slowly rotting Konoha from the inside—exactly what Rasa wanted. 

However, Danzo possessed something far more valuable to him. 

Hashirama's cells. 

Sharingan. 

And most importantly, at this point in time—he did not yet possess Shisui's eye. 

His power was at its lowest. 

This was an opportunity too tempting to ignore. 

"No... Whether it is revenge for the Third Kazekage, or justice for his attempt on my life—this village deserves an answer. Since Konoha refuses to give us one... we will take it ourselves." 

"Understood!" 

Seeing Rasa's unyielding resolve, the twelve jōnin could only obey. 

Just then, Red Thistle, the final member responsible for gathering intel, spoke up. 

"Kazekage-sama, while investigating the Land of Grass, we came across another interesting rumor. It's about a legendary artifact said to have been left behind by the Sage of Six Paths—the Box of Ultimate Bliss." 

Rasa paused. 

He knew that name. 

A relic that had appeared in a certain timeline—a so-called "treasure of the Sage of Six Paths." 

He wasn't particularly concerned about it now, but… 

"Interesting. Keep investigating." 

He turned his gaze toward the rest of the team. 

"In the future, if you uncover anything like this—any legends, artifacts, or secrets—report them to me immediately." 

After all, even though Rasa had knowledge of the future, there were always details that could slip through the cracks. 

"Yes, Kazekage-sama!" 

"Good." 

With their objectives clear, the thirteen shinobi vanished into the forest—moving toward Kusagakure.