Chapter 149: Five Kage Summit
The rain was still falling, beating down on Rasa's body, dripping down the hem of his clothes, and streaming down his cheeks.
He maintained his posture, head tilted upward, staring in the direction Uchiha Taiga had jumped down from, remaining motionless for a long time.
"Is this the true way to use ninjutsu..."
He muttered to himself in a low voice. It was so quiet that it was completely drowned out by the sound of the rain, to the point where even he could barely hear it.
But this sentence echoed in his mind repeatedly, over and over, unable to stop.
He felt a complex mix of emotions.
From childhood to adulthood, everything he had learned, seen, and experienced taught him that ninjutsu was meant for fighting, for killing, and for seizing victory on the battlefield.
He had never considered that ninjutsu could be used so purely like this.
Not for destruction, but for creation.
Rasa slowly descended, the Gold Dust retracting into the soles of his feet as he stepped onto the damp sand. The rainwater seeped into his boots, the cold sensation traveling up from his soles, snapping him slightly out of his daze.
He looked down at the sandy ground beneath his feet.
The originally dry, grayish-yellow sand had now turned into dark brown, wet soil.
His eyes reddened once more.
Then, he took a deep breath, suppressing those complicated emotions, turned around, and walked toward the crowd.
The Sunagakure shinobi were still standing in place, every one of them drenched to the bone, yet no one left, and no one spoke.
They all looked at Rasa, waiting for him to speak.
Rasa walked to the front of the crowd and came to a halt. The rain battered against his Hokage robes, producing a rhythmic pattering sound.
He spoke, his voice not loud, but clear enough for everyone to hear over the rain.
"We're heading back."
He said these few words, then turned and walked toward the village.
The crowd silently followed behind him. No one spoke, but an unprecedented emotion surged within everyone's hearts.
Since that day, the entirety of Sunagakure had been in an uproar. Uchiha Taiga's name spread to every corner of the village overnight.
A new forest had appeared outside the village—Uchiha Taiga's masterpiece, his gift of aid to Sunagakure.
This was the official statement.
The forest was only ten miles from the village, less than two hours away on foot. Some people specifically went to see it and returned saying it was a true forest, complete with trees, grass, and water. The air was sweet, the wind was cool, and the ground was soft beneath their feet.
All of this was done by Uchiha Taiga.
Thus, this name, which represented trouble and pain elsewhere, became that of a hero and benefactor in Sunagakure.
After the news spread, countless people wanted to catch a glimpse of Uchiha Taiga.
Whether due to his past life or his upbringing in this one, Uchiha Taiga was highly unaccustomed to this kind of attention, so he dismissed the idea of going out for any more strolls.
Over the next two days, the situation did not improve.
Someone had discovered Uchiha Taiga's residence and spread the word. More and more people gathered at the courtyard gate. Not only ordinary villagers, but even some shinobi mingled in the crowd, hoping for a chance to speak with him.
Uchiha Taiga naturally knew this was the result of Rasa and the others pushing things behind the scenes. Elevating his reputation in Sunagakure and framing him as the village's benefactor brought only benefits to Sunagakure and no harm.
The higher Uchiha Taiga's reputation became, the less likely he was to act against Sunagakure; otherwise, he would just be slapping his own face.
As for whether Rasa had any other motives, Uchiha Taiga couldn't be bothered to think about it.
But regardless, he didn't want to stay any longer in a situation where he was surrounded and gawked at like a deity.
"It's about time."
He said to Yugito Nii, "Pack up, we can leave now."
Yugito Nii didn't hesitate and nodded.
"Alright, I've been wanting to leave for a while now. I really can't stand the sandstorms in this place."
After speaking, she turned and went into the house to pack her things.
Sunagakure truly wasn't a pleasant place. It was dry, hot, and dusty. The food was also quite monotonous—if it wasn't flatbread, it was dry rations, and there were rarely any decent dishes.
Although Yugito Nii hadn't been exceptionally wealthy back in Kumogakure, her livelihood was at least guaranteed, and supplies were abundant. But after coming to Sunagakure, all of that was gone.
Now that Uchiha Taiga said they could leave, she naturally agreed.
Their packing in the courtyard was quickly noticed.
The Sunagakure shinobi guarding the gate saw Yugito Nii packing her luggage, and his expression instantly changed. He turned and ran, his footsteps swift, as if something were chasing him.
News spread fast. In less than ten minutes, Rasa arrived.
His dark circles were still heavy, but his spirit was noticeably much better than a few days ago.
"Your Excellency, is there something we have done poorly?" he asked immediately, his tone laced with tension.
Uchiha Taiga was in the middle of storing items into a sealing scroll. Hearing this, he looked up at him and shook his head.
"No, it has nothing to do with you."
Rasa's expression didn't relax; instead, he grew even more tense.
"Then why are you leaving, Your Excellency? If you feel the accommodations are unsuitable, I can arrange a better place. If you feel the villagers are disturbing you, I can order that no one is allowed near here."
His attitude was incredibly sincere, and he spoke rapidly, as if desperately trying to retain an important guest.
Uchiha Taiga rolled up the sealing scroll, tied it to his waist, then stood up and dusted off his hands.
"I've stayed long enough. I'm heading elsewhere."
He spoke casually, his tone completely normal.
Rasa opened his mouth, hesitating to speak.
On his way here, he had considered many possibilities. He wondered if he had done something wrong to anger Uchiha Taiga, if someone in the village had said something they shouldn't have, or even if Chiyo had said something to him.
The only thing he hadn't considered was that Uchiha Taiga had simply stayed long enough.
After a moment of silence, Rasa asked another question: "Does Your Excellency intend to go to Iwagakure?"
Uchiha Taiga's hands paused for a moment. He didn't deny it and nodded.
"Pretty much."
Rasa looked at Uchiha Taiga's expression and understood.
Then he suddenly smiled. The smile wasn't polite like before, but carried a sense of earnestness.
"If that is the case, then the timing is perfect."
Uchiha Taiga looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Iwagakure has proposed convening a Five Kage Summit,"
Rasa said, "We are currently preparing to depart and attend it. If Your Excellency doesn't mind, we could travel together."
Uchiha Taiga was somewhat surprised.
He naturally knew about the Five Kage Summit, but for Iwagakure to actually initiate one at this point in time?
He thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright."
A relieved expression appeared on Rasa's face, and he quickly bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Your Excellency. I will go arrange it immediately."
A few days later, Uchiha Taiga and Yugito Nii left Sunagakure alongside Rasa's group.
On the morning of their departure, the weather was cooler than usual, without much wind. Many villagers had gathered at the village entrance; having heard that Uchiha Taiga was leaving, they had come spontaneously to see him off.
Uchiha Taiga walked in the middle of the group, with Yugito Nii walking beside him.
He had changed his outfit.
Sunagakure had prepared many things for him, including clothing.
It wasn't a Sunagakure-style combat uniform, but rather some casual everyday clothes, which were actually quite nice.
Besides clothing, there were also dry rations, waterskins, medicine, and daily necessities—a massive pile of miscellaneous items that took up three whole sealing scrolls to store.
These were all prepared by Rasa's people, enough to last him for a very long time.
The group exited the village, passed through the newly grown forest, and continued heading north.
The road was the same road, but the scenery was entirely different. The edge of the forest was still expanding outward. Although the newly sprouted saplings weren't large, they were growing vigorously, forming a lush green expanse that swayed gently in the wind.
This was because Uchiha Taiga's chakra still lingered within this forest. The Wood Style trees, in particular, possessed the ability to absorb faint natural energy and gradually spread outward once they formed a forest.
Senju Hashirama's Wood Style was the same; for instance, Konoha's Forest of Death remained undiminished year-round.
Rasa walked at the very front of the group, with Maki right behind him. Chiyo and Ebizo walked toward the middle-rear, while Uchiha Taiga and Yugito Nii were positioned right in the center. The group thus departed from the Land of Wind in a grand procession.
The journey was completely normal, and they encountered no trouble along the way.
They crossed the border of the Land of Rivers, traveling northeast along the road, and after a few days, they entered the territory of the Land of Rain.
The weather in the Land of Rain was completely different from that of the Land of Wind.
The sky was always gloomy, the clouds hung low, and the air was incredibly damp, with moisture permeating everywhere. The trees on both sides of the road grew lushly, their leaves washed shiny by the rain, and the chirping of insects could be heard from the grass.
Walking in the middle of the group, Uchiha Taiga suddenly raised an eyebrow, though he didn't stop his footsteps.
He sensed a gaze spying on him from the shadows.
Meanwhile, the others around him seemed completely unaware of it.
The corners of Uchiha Taiga's mouth curled into a faint half-smile. He wondered what they might encounter in the Land of Rain, finding the prospect rather intriguing.