My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

This marked Rasa and Minato's first encounter, a moment that would become etched in their minds.

It must be said, though, despite their belonging to rival factions, Minato made a striking impression. His demeanor exuded the radiance of a bright and cheerful young man, someone whose energy was immediately uplifting. It was easy to see why he had earned the nickname "Yellow Flash."

Unfortunately, as the sun ascended, its golden rays slowly bathed the two of them, casting the vast plain in a soft light. Yet, strangely, neither man felt the warmth one would expect from such a scene. Instead, an almost palpable tension filled the air, a stark contrast to the serene setting around them.

"War!"

Rasa's cold eyes remained fixed on Minato, his voice cutting through the otherwise still atmosphere. It was a tone that betrayed no warmth, only ice-cold resolve.

"It was Konoha that provoked this war, wasn't it?"

Minato blinked in surprise, momentarily caught off guard. His brow furrowed, and he replied,

"Unless I'm mistaken, this is still the Land of Fire's territory, not the Land of Wind, Kazekage?"

Rasa's gaze hardened, unwavering. "If you acknowledge that this is the Land of Fire's territory, then you must also admit that our Kazekage went missing in your land, correct?"

Minato's eyes widened in shock. His thoughts froze for a moment.

He knew of the Third Kazekage's disappearance—of course, he did. But what, exactly, did this have to do with Konoha? What did the Land of Fire have to do with this loss?

Frowning deeply, Minato's voice was tinged with disbelief. "Kazekage, are you suggesting that this is some sort of joke?"

Rasa's tone remained icy, but now there was an undercurrent of fury beneath the surface. "I am most certainly not joking. According to the investigation conducted by our village's Anbu, the disappearance of the Third Kazekage is directly connected to Konoha!"

!!!

This was no small claim. The shockwaves from this revelation rippled through the battlefield, not only rattling the Konoha shinobi but also causing a stir among those from Sunagakure.

The Third Kazekage was an icon in his village, a figure revered by all. His absence had been a major blow to Sunagakure, and the idea that Konoha could be involved in such a tragedy shook the very foundation of both villages. Even Minato himself hadn't been prepared for such an accusation.

He stepped back slightly, brow furrowed, and asked with growing skepticism, "Kazekage, are you implying that the disappearance of your Third Kazekage is tied to Konoha—do you have any evidence?"

Did Rasa have proof?

Of course not. The accusation was, in fact, entirely fabricated. But would that matter?

The truth was, aside from a handful of people—himself, Chiyo, Ebizō, Baki, and Sasori—no one knew the full story behind the Third Kazekage's disappearance. Not even a body had been recovered, and of those few who knew the true cause, none would dare speak out.

In the end, evidence mattered little to Rasa. He knew that with his position, he could say anything and cause ripples across the battlefield. Even if he had no proof, his words would carry weight. After all, how could anyone challenge him when no one else knew the truth?

"I have no evidence."

A heavy silence fell over the battlefield.

"But I know who killed the Third Kazekage."

"What!!?"

From the ranks of Sunagakure, Michikawa's body trembled, his shock evident on his face.

"The one responsible is someone all of you in Konoha should be well-acquainted with—your very own Root leader, Danzo!"

The revelation hit like a thunderclap.

That's right. Danzo had already earned the infamous title of "the scapegoat Kage." What harm was there in adding another crime to his list?

As soon as Rasa's words pierced the air, a stunned silence overtook the Konoha shinobi.

"It was Elder Danzo?!"

Oddly enough, if Rasa had named any other figure from Konoha, the shinobi of the village might have dismissed the claim outright. But given that it was Elder Danzo being accused, hesitation rippled through their ranks.

Seeing the uncertainty reflected in the eyes of the Konoha shinobi, Michikawa—who had been harboring doubts of his own—could no longer contain his fury.

He had long suspected Konoha's involvement in the disappearance of the Third Kazekage. After all, in the entire ninja world, there was only one village capable of making such a disappearance happen without a trace—Konoha.

Rasa's words, though full of holes, struck a chord. When emotions ran high, logic often took a backseat. The shinobi of Sunagakure already held deep resentment for Konoha, and now, with their Fourth Kazekage openly accusing the elder of their rival village, their anger reached new heights.

Seizing the moment, Rasa raised the stakes.

"Danzo, the leader of your Root organization, secretly murdered the Third Kazekage to obtain the secrets of his most powerful Magnet Release!"

"It can't be…!"

Minato's shock was palpable. He stood frozen for a long while, struggling to come to terms with what he had just heard. Finally, he managed to stammer, "Kazekage, if you have no evidence, then how can you be so certain that the disappearance of the Third Kazekage is tied to our elder, Danzo?"

To this question, Rasa had come prepared. After all, when will his anime knowledge will come if not now?

"I may not have direct evidence, but during our search for the Third Kazekage, our Anbu uncovered some crucial intelligence!"

"Crucial intelligence???"

Minato's confusion deepened. Rasa's words were so confident—could the Third Kazekage truly have been murdered by Danzo? Was there something Minato had missed?

At that moment, however, Michikawa's patience snapped.

"What intelligence? Why haven't I heard about this before?!"

Rasa turned his gaze to Michikawa, a slow smirk curling his lips.

"During our Anbu's search for the Third Kazekage, they discovered traces of a battle at one particular location. According to their investigation, they found clear evidence of Wood Release techniques used there."

"What!!!"

"Wood Release?!"

The reaction from the Konoha shinobi was far more intense than the one from Sunagakure's ranks.

Minato, on the other hand, exhaled a long breath of relief and shook his head.

"Impossible, Kazekage. While Wood Release was indeed a secret technique of our First Hokage, there are no longer any shinobi in Konoha who possess the ability to use it."

Rasa's lips twisted into a mocking smirk.

"Really? Konoha shinobi, are you so absolutely certain that no one in your village is capable of using Wood Release? Perhaps you should conduct a more thorough investigation..."

"Investigation… B-but…"

Minato hesitated. For the first time, the certainty in Rasa's words made him falter. Even his fellow shinobi, including Choza, visibly shifted in their stance, their faces betraying a flicker of doubt.

"Don't be so hasty. I have one more piece of information for you..."

"More information?" Minato was now visibly tense, "What other information?"

Rasa's voice cut through the tense atmosphere like a sharp blade. His words, though unsettling, were not yet finished.

"When examining the bodies of the shinobi who died alongside the Third Kazekage, we also found traces of genjutsu. Do you know what kind of genjutsu it was?"

Minato's narrowed his eyes, his thoughts racing. There were very few genjutsu in the ninja world that could affect a Kage-level shinobi. He knew this well, and this new revelation added another layer of complexity to the already confusing situation.

Meanwhile, Michikawa's emotions, which had been stirred moments before, began to settle. He had personally overseen the search for the Third Kazekage, and the findings—if one could even call them that—had always been scarce. There had been no bodies found, let alone those of fallen shinobi.

In other words, Rasa's story was a fabrication.

Yet, despite his suspicions, Michikawa remained silent, unwilling to expose his Kazekage. Instead, curiosity took hold. What was Rasa trying to accomplish with such a bold accusation?

"It seems you already know. That's right—it was the Sharingan from Konoha."

!!!

The reaction from the Konoha shinobi was immediate and even more intense than before.

Rasa's words hit their mark with pinpoint accuracy, sending shockwaves through their ranks. Doubts began to creep into their minds as they exchanged uncertain glances.

But—

"Impossible..."

Minato immediately denied the accusation. He had no room for doubt.

"While the genjutsu of the Sharingan is indeed powerful, it is absolutely impossible to use it to control a Kage. And even if that were possible, what does this have to do with Elder Danzo?"

Rasa's eyes were cold as he met Minato's gaze, his voice steady as he prepared to reveal his final piece of the puzzle.

"What does it have to do with him? The answer is simple~!"

With those words, Rasa leaned forward, his expression hardening with the weight of his next revelation.

"It was through a secret technique that we were able to view the final memories of the fallen shinobi. Do you know what we saw?"

The entire battlefield seemed to hold its breath. Every eye was fixed on Rasa, waiting for the next shocking statement to spill from his lips.

And then—

Rasa's voice broke the silence like a thunderclap.

"Your esteemed Elder Danzo... is one scheming fox. He actually transplanted both the First Hokage Hashirama Senju's cells and the Sharingan into his right arm."