Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

Rasa stood opposite him, his bamboo hat already removed, wearing a perfectly composed expression.

The surrounding people all assumed this was Rasa's way of stabilizing Uchiha Taiga, a strategic retreat to gain the upper hand.

But no one knew what Rasa was truly thinking in that moment, or why the dignified Kage of a village would lower his stance so much.

Only Uchiha Taiga, who was meeting his gaze, could understand a little.

Rasa was nervous.

Not a single flaw could be seen on his face; his posture was as steady as an old tree rooted in the desert.

However, in Uchiha Taiga's knowledge, Rasa's rise to the position of Fourth Kazekage was far from honorable.

It was no secret within Sunagakure that he had caused Pakura's death for the sake of the Kazekage seat.

Scorch Style Pakura was a hero of Sunagakure, having made immense contributions to the village.

Yet, she was betrayed by her own village and died in an ambush set by Kirigakure.

And Rasa was the one who made that decision.

Knowing his methods for securing this position were disgraceful, he worked harder than anyone else to prove he was worthy of it.

But things were not that simple.

Compared to the Third Kazekage, he also fell short in terms of pure power.

The Third Kazekage was hailed as the strongest Kazekage in history. Possessing the Magnet Style: Iron Sand ability, he was a man who stood at the pinnacle of the ninja world in his era.

Although Rasa also possessed the Magnet Style Kekkei Genkai, he manipulated Gold Dust, which was more than a tier lower in destructive power.

This was an unchangeable fact.

The shadow of the Third Kazekage constantly weighed down on him, suffocating him.

And from the end of the Third Great Ninja War until now, Sunagakure's situation had only grown more difficult. The shadow of defeat had not fully dissipated, and the village had yet to recover its vitality.

To make matters worse, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind was steadily decreasing his support for Sunagakure. Feeling that the village had performed poorly in the war, the Daimyo slashed their budget and invested more funds elsewhere.

Sunagakure was already poor, and the Land of Wind was inherently desolate. Without sufficient financial backing, life in the village became even harder.

Rasa was under immense pressure.

He had to find ways to make money, maintain the village's operations, and ensure Sunagakure kept its standing among the Five Great Nations.

And now, Uchiha Taiga had arrived.

A young man who had defeated Uchiha Madara ran right up to the gates of Sunagakure, claiming he wanted to be a guest, see the One-Tail Shukaku, and take some of its chakra.

It would be a lie to say Rasa wasn't nervous.

His anxiety wasn't written on his face, but hidden deep in his bones. He had no idea what Uchiha Taiga truly wanted to do, what kind of impact this youth would have on Sunagakure, or if his own response was even correct.

So, Rasa could only take things one step at a time, starting by keeping his posture extremely low.

It wasn't out of fear; it was because he had no other choice.

Looking into Rasa's eyes, Uchiha Taiga nodded.

"Yeah, thanks."

His tone was casual, lacking much formality or enthusiasm—just two plain words.

Rasa smiled. It was a proper smile, perfectly capturing the demeanor of a Kazekage.

"This way, please."

He turned sideways, gesturing with his hand, and then walked ahead to lead the way.

Uchiha Taiga followed, with Yugito Nii walking slightly behind him to his side. Under Rasa's guidance, the two headed toward Sunagakure.

Along the way, the two exchanged a few words from time to time.

Rasa asked about their journey, whether Maki had been a poor host, and if they had encountered any trouble on the road.

Uchiha Taiga answered each question with a normal tone and brief responses.

Their conversation sounded ordinary, like two regular people making small talk. However, those following behind knew that beneath this seemingly mundane exchange, two figures standing at the apex of the ninja world were probing each other.

Well, that was what Rasa thought, anyway. He was trying to uncover Uchiha Taiga's true motives through his words.

As for Uchiha Taiga? He was mostly wondering if there were any good fishing spots in Sunagakure. *'Is there even a river here?'*

On the surface, the atmosphere was harmonious, but beneath it all, no one dared to let their guard down.

The Sunagakure higher-ups trailing behind the group did not look nearly as relaxed.

Chiyo walked near the middle-back of the procession. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes remained fixed straight ahead.

She was already quite old, with gray hair and a face covered in wrinkles, but her gaze was as sharp as ever, capable of catching the slightest disturbance.

She stared at Rasa's back, then shifted her gaze to Uchiha Taiga, a trace of worry in her eyes.

Beside her, Ebizo appeared somewhat calmer, but his brows were slightly furrowed and his lips pressed tightly together, clearly indicating that his heart was not as tranquil as his face suggested.

They all knew that Uchiha Taiga's visit to Sunagakure was definitely not just a simple sightseeing tour.

Yet, they all chose to remain silent, because the one speaking right now was the Kazekage.

The group soon entered Sunagakure.

The architectural style of Sunagakure was completely different from Konoha.

Konoha was a village built in a forest, surrounded by greenery. The houses were scattered neatly among the trees, full of life and vitality.

Sunagakure, on the other hand, was a village built in the desert.

Most of the buildings here were constructed from sandstone and limestone, colored in earthy yellows and ochre reds, blending seamlessly with the surrounding desert. The structures were mostly low, either square or circular, lacking any complex decorations and looking quite plain.

The village was situated in a massive natural basin, surrounded by towering rock walls that separated it from the desert outside. Many caves and passages had been carved into the rock walls; some were storehouses, some were shelters, and others were secret tunnels leading out of the village.

At the highest point of the village stood a domed building. That was the Kazekage's office, the center of power in Sunagakure, from which one could overlook the entire village.

The streets were not wide, but they were orderly. The ground was paved with stone slabs, feeling solid underfoot, unlike the sinking sands outside.

Various shops lined the streets, selling daily necessities and ninja tools. Since it was daytime, there weren't many people out. Occasionally, a few villagers could be seen buying goods, or a few ninjas hurrying along.

All of their eyes fell upon Uchiha Taiga.

There was curiosity, wariness, and awe.

The news had clearly spread; everyone in the village knew that the man who defeated Uchiha Madara was coming to Sunagakure.

Rasa personally led Uchiha Taiga and Yugito Nii to the eastern side of the village.

Here lay a secluded courtyard built of sandstone. It wasn't large, but it was very tidy.

A few trees were planted in the yard. In this village filled with yellow sand, trees were a rare luxury; any place that could grow them had a special water source.

There was also a small pool in the courtyard. The water was so clear that the stones at the bottom were visible.

Having both trees and water made this the best environment in Sunagakure. However, compared to other places in the ninja world, it still seemed lacking.

Standing at the courtyard gate, Rasa addressed Uchiha Taiga. "I apologize for the humble accommodations. If you need anything, feel free to tell me at any time."

Uchiha Taiga glanced around the yard and nodded.

"Sure, this will do."

Rasa gave a few more instructions and arranged for several Sunagakure ninjas to stand guard nearby. Uchiha Taiga knew perfectly well that these people were both attendants and monitors.

He didn't say anything about it; if he were in Rasa's shoes, he would have done the exact same thing.

Rasa quickly left with his subordinates, not rushing to have a formal conversation with Uchiha Taiga just yet.

After leaving, Rasa did not return to his office. Instead, he led a group of higher-ups to a hidden room deep within the village.

This secret room was built underground, its walls covered in various sealing formulas, making it completely undetectable from the outside.

There weren't many people attending the meeting, but each one was a core figure of Sunagakure. Chiyo and Ebizo sat on one side, both wearing grim expressions.

Maki was also present. Sitting in the corner, his smile had long since vanished, replaced by a look of exhaustion and solemnity.

Several other members of the Jonin Council were there as well, all serving as the backbone of Sunagakure.

Sitting at the head of the table, Rasa wore a stern expression, completely devoid of the gentle demeanor he had shown outside.

He tapped his finger lightly on the table twice before speaking. "I have made my decision. Tomorrow, we will hand over the Jinchuriki."

The moment those words were spoken, the faces of everyone present changed.

Chiyo's brow furrowed even deeper, and Ebizo's fingers twitched slightly. Maki's expression didn't change much, as he had already guessed this outcome during the journey.

But the others were different. One Jonin abruptly stood up.

"Lord Kazekage, this is absolutely unacceptable! The Jinchuriki is the village's weapon. How can we just casually hand it over to an outsider?"

Rasa glanced at him without saying a word.

Another Jonin chimed in. "That's right, Lord Kazekage! What if he means harm to the Jinchuriki? What if he wants to take Shukaku away? We cannot agree to this! After all, the woman by his side is Kumogakure's Jinchuriki."

For a moment, the secret room was filled with heated discussion, with almost everyone voicing their opposition.

Rasa listened quietly, not interrupting anyone. Only when their voices gradually died down did he speak.

"Do you have a better idea?"

The room instantly fell silent. No one spoke.

"Do not forget."

Rasa's voice lowered. "That young man is an existence who defeated Uchiha Madara."

After those words fell, no one made another sound.

Those who had just been objecting all lowered their heads and shut their mouths.

Uchiha Madara. That name alone represented everything.

Everyone knew that they could disagree with Rasa's decision or question his judgment, but they could not ignore Uchiha Taiga's strength.

Looking at these people, Rasa sighed inwardly, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

Sunagakure was still too weak.

He had been Kazekage for so many years, desperately trying to make the village stronger, to allow Sunagakure to hold its head high among the Five Great Nations. But reality was cruel. No matter how hard he tried, the gap between Sunagakure and villages like Konoha or Kumogakure had not narrowed.

Now that Uchiha Taiga was here, he could only choose between two options.

One was to clash head-on, which would likely result in Sunagakure's destruction.

The other was to show weakness and satisfy the other party's demands in exchange for the village's safety.

He chose the latter.

If the other party simply wanted to take whatever he pleased, then he had no choice but to accept it.

Just then, footsteps echoed from outside the secret room.

They were light and fast—the footsteps of a ninja.

A knock came at the door. Three rhythmic taps.

Rasa frowned slightly and called out, "Come in."

The door was pushed open, and a masked Sunagakure ANBU walked in.

He quickly approached Rasa, bent down, and whispered something into his ear.

Rasa's expression instantly changed.

Everyone present stared at him, wondering what the ANBU could have possibly said to make Lord Kazekage reveal such an expression.

Rasa remained silent for two seconds before speaking, his voice carrying an uncontrollable tremor.

"The Five Kage Summit initiated by Iwagakure... when is it?"