My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

The battlefield had descended into chaos. The massive golden spikes, like deadly spears, erupted from the ground, forming a nearly impenetrable barrier around Rasa. The sheer sight of it stunned both the Sunagakure and Konoha shinobi. It was as if the earth itself had turned against Minato, trapping him outside the lethal thicket.

"Incredible!"

"So this is the Kazekage's Magnet Release?"

"As expected of Lord Kazekage!"

Rasa's Magnet Release was awe-inspiring. The golden barrier was not just a defensive structure but a testament to his mastery of his Kekkei Genkai. It was a perfect counter to Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique. For many, this was their first time witnessing the power of the Fourth Kazekage up close, and it left them in complete awe.

Meanwhile, on the Konoha side, the mood was much different. The Jonin and high-ranking shinobi understood the implications of what had just transpired. They knew Minato's abilities well, and now they saw him facing a formidable obstacle.

Minato himself stood outside the barrier, his expression grim as he analyzed the golden thorns blocking his path.

"He really understands my Flying Thunder God Technique…" Minato muttered to himself.

The dense thicket of golden spikes made any head-on assault impossible, and that meant he needed to change his approach.

He took a deep breath, and then, without hesitation, he began running along the perimeter of Rasa's golden sand barrier. Minato's plan was simple—find a weak point, a gap in the defense, and exploit it. His speed alone would allow him to locate an opening if it existed.

However, Rasa was no amateur. The moment Minato moved, Rasa's trained instincts kicked in. He recognized Minato's intent immediately.

"He wants to find a weak point in my defenses by moving quickly?" Rasa thought, a smirk forming on his face. But Rasa was not the type to let his opponent have the advantage. Staying on the defensive wasn't his style. He wasn't just going to sit back and let Minato pick apart his defenses.

With that thought in mind, Rasa pressed his hands together again, channeling his chakra. The golden spikes around him, previously stiff and immovable, began to shift and writhe like living creatures. The sharp, thorn-like protrusions became flexible, forming whip-like tendrils that lashed out at Minato with startling speed.

Minato, however, remained unfazed. His reflexes were as sharp as ever. Without altering his expression, he moved even faster, weaving his body in and out of the golden spikes' range. His hands flew through a series of seals as he ran.

"Wind Release: Chaotic Air Dance!"

In an instant, a powerful gust of wind erupted from Minato's position. A violent storm of sand and dust whirled into the air, obscuring his form. The swirling sands created a cloud that completely concealed Minato's presence. Rasa's keen senses immediately told him what had happened—Minato had activated the Body Flicker Technique, disappearing from view and leaving the golden tendrils to lash out at nothing.

Rasa's sharp gaze remained focused, though his face was expressionless. He knew that, while the sandstorm obscured Minato's form, it didn't obscure his presence. As a Kage-level shinobi, Rasa's sensory abilities were far beyond those of most shinobi. He could feel Minato's movements in the air, even if he couldn't see him directly.

Rasa wasn't about to let Minato gain an advantage.

"You think you can hide from me?" Rasa muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the surrounding chaos. He wasn't the only one with Wind Release in his arsenal.

Without skipping a beat, Rasa clasped his hands together once more, channeling his chakra into another Wind Release technique.

"Wind Release: Chaotic Air Dance!"

This time, he conjured another massive sandstorm, obscuring not only Minato's position but his own as well. The golden thorns around him shifted and moved, reinforcing his defenses as the sandstorm spiraled through the air, creating an impenetrable veil of dust and wind.

Rasa's goal wasn't to reveal Minato's location—it was to avoid direct confrontation.

With Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique and his ability to appear and vanish at will, Rasa knew he had to keep his distance. He couldn't afford to let Minato close the gap. Even with all the power Rasa wielded, the speed and precision of Minato's movements made him a deadly enemy in close combat.

Both Minato and Rasa were now hidden within their respective sandstorms. The battlefield was completely obscured by swirling dust, leaving the watching shinobi from both Sunagakure and Konoha stunned.

The tense atmosphere on the battlefield thickened as Minato, frustrated by the stalemate, took matters into his own hands. He had already realized that Rasa's defense was too solid, but he could not allow himself to be driven into a corner, especially when the fate of the Land of Fire was at stake. With his mind focused, Minato revealed himself from within the sandstorm, his eyes sharp with determination. He had to break through the Golden Sand Barrier if there was any hope of defeating Rasa and pushing him back.

Rasa's barrier had withstood the test of Minato's Flying Thunder God kunai and his earlier evasive maneuvers, but Minato was far from giving up. He was proficient in not just Wind Release, but also Fire and Lightning Release—two elements that, when combined, made for devastating offensive techniques.

Minato formed the seals for his Fire Release technique and summoned a fierce torrent of flames.

"Fire Release: Grand Blaze Technique!"

The flames shot forward with incredible speed and intensity. Minato had calculated it perfectly—the golden sand, although tough, was nowhere near as durable as iron. The heat of the flames would melt the sand and break the barrier apart. Minato's mind raced as he watched the flames roar toward Rasa's defense.

Inside the swirling golden dust, Rasa could feel the intense heat building up. He knew that he couldn't afford to take Minato's fire attack head-on. The heat alone would melt his sand, leaving him vulnerable. But Rasa wasn't caught off guard. His mastery of Sand Manipulation came into play once again.

Rasa was a Wind, Earth, and Water Release user.

In this situation, Sand Manipulation consumed far less chakra than Water Release techniques—and since water could counter his own gold dust, he wouldn't trouble himself unnecessarily.

Just as Minato anticipated his Fire Release technique to break through, a massive sand hand emerged from the swirling dust.

With a powerful swoosh, the sand hand struck the fire attack, swatting it away effortlessly as though the flames were nothing more than an irritating fly.

Pa!

Minato's eyes widened in surprise. The flames, which he had expected to break through the barrier and force Rasa to retreat, were dismissed with such ease. His calculated attack had been countered effortlessly, leaving him stunned and momentarily uncertain.

"!?" Minato thought to himself, fully grasping how formidable Rasa truly was. This wasn't just any ordinary Kage—this was a shinobi who could effortlessly control the battlefield, both offensively and defensively.

Rasa's mastery of Sand Manipulation was clearly superior, and the Sunagakure shinobi erupted into cheers at the sight of their Kazekage's overwhelming power. The sight of the massive sand hand dispatching Minato's fire attack with ease filled them with pride and confidence.

However, not everyone was cheering. Two experienced Sunagakure shinobi, Pakura and Michikawa, exchanged puzzled glances, their expressions reflecting growing confusion.

"That's the Second Kazekage's Sand Manipulation technique?" Pakura asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and curiosity.

Michikawa's brow furrowed in thought. "When did Rasa...?"

A sudden realization struck both of them. If Rasa had mastered Sand Manipulation—an ability that was linked to Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast—then it meant something far more significant was at play.

"Could it be that Elder Ebizō entrusted Shukaku to Rasa?" Pakura whispered.

The thought was startling. If Rasa had somehow come into possession of Shukaku, it would explain how he had managed to master Sand Manipulation. After all, it was Shukaku's power that had allowed the Second Kazekage to develop the technique, and no one else had been able to replicate it successfully—not even the Third Kazekage.

The two shinobi exchanged concerned looks, realizing that there was far more to Rasa's story than they had known. From the mystery surrounding the Third Kazekage's disappearance to Rasa's sudden mastery of an ability that only a few others had ever wielded, it was clear that Rasa had hidden depths they hadn't anticipated.

On the battlefield, as Minato stood there, his mind reeling from the defeat of his attack, Rasa's sharp gaze remained unwavering. His hand, still made of sand, hovered as the golden sandstorm swirled around him. But he knew he had to be cautious. As strong as his Golden Sand Barrier was, it came with a disadvantage.

The sand, though formidable as a defensive tool, restricted Rasa's movement. He couldn't afford to stay in one spot for too long, as his mobility would be compromised. The longer the battle stretched on, the more potential openings there were for Minato to exploit.

Rasa quickly realized the flaw in his barrier. It was strong, but its defense came at the cost of his own freedom of movement. If he continued to rely on it, Minato would eventually find a way to break through.

With a decisive motion, Rasa made a swift decision.

"Pa!" The crisp sound of the sand barrier breaking echoed as he dispelled the Golden Sand Barrier.

His hands then slammed into the ground with immense force, triggering the activation of his jutsu.

"Sand Release: Cycle of Erosion!"

The earth cracked open, and from the fissures, countless grains of sand erupted, rapidly transforming the once-solid ground into a sprawling desert. The horizon seemed to distort as the terrain became a vast expanse of shifting sands.

"BOOM!!" The explosion of sand and earth sent a shockwave through the battlefield, and Minato's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I-Impossible..." Even the seasoned shinobi in both Konoha and Sunagakure were taken aback by the sheer scale of Rasa's jutsu. The magnitude of the transformation was beyond what they had seen. It was a level of mastery few could imagine.

The new battlefield was a far cry from the open plains that had existed just moments before. It was now a barren desert, the landscape completely altered. Minato landed swiftly, appearing as though he had taken to the skies in a bid to avoid the devastating jutsu.

But the moment his feet touched the sand, a sense of unease gripped him. His feet sank slightly into the soft surface of the desert. The sand beneath him shifted, and an uncomfortable pressure settled in his chest. It was as if the very ground was now in Rasa's control.

Minato's mind raced as he locked eyes with Rasa. The Kazekage's plan had been executed flawlessly. This new terrain had completely neutralized Minato's most effective strategy—the Flying Thunder God Technique. The sand, ever shifting, would swallow up his kunai, leaving him unable to use teleportation to close the distance between them. His greatest strength, his speed and ability to appear in an instant, was effectively nullified.

"This entire desert is under his control," Minato thought, realization dawning on him. Rasa had transformed the battlefield into a trap. The sand would absorb his kunai, leaving Minato unable to use his teleportation strategy.

Minato's expression hardened. He was facing a true master—one who knew how to counter every move. It felt as though Rasa understood him intimately, predicting his every tactic and neutralizing them with ease. The frustration was palpable, but there was no time for hesitation. As Konoha's commander, Minato knew that the survival of his village depended on his ability to eliminate the enemy commander. If he allowed Rasa to continue to gain ground, the morale of the Konoha shinobi would collapse, and the entire Land of Fire would be in peril.

"Looks like... I'll have to use that technique," Minato murmured, his eyes narrowing as he made his decision.

He wasted no time. Biting his thumb, he smeared the blood across his palm, forming the necessary seals with practiced precision.

"Summoning Jutsu!"