Under the night sky, within the Sand Clan's compound.
As the clock approached eight, Michikawa, having finished dinner, prepared to head to the Kazekage Building for the meeting. However, judging by his furrowed brow, his mood was far from light.
The decision Rasa had made earlier that day—to abolish the creation of jinchūriki in the village—struck him as overly idealistic.
He was well aware of the dangers involved in creating a jinchūriki and the hostility they faced within the village. But in his view, these sacrifices were worth it for the sake of possessing a tailed beast, a weapon of war that far surpassed human capabilities.
Until now, Michikawa had believed Rasa was a competent Kazekage. In fact, he had even admitted to himself that Rasa had, at times, outperformed his own mentor, the Third Kazekage. This was why he had changed his stance and begun supporting Rasa.
But now, Rasa's decision to abolish the jinchūriki system made him question whether his support had been misplaced.
As he pondered this, footsteps echoed from outside.
His son, Kunmi, walked in. Seeing his father, Kunmi was slightly surprised but quickly composed himself and bowed respectfully.
(AN: Kunmi is an OG.)
"Father."
"Hmm."
Like most fathers, Michikawa wasn't the type to express his emotions openly. His interactions with his son were restrained, almost formal, as if they were strangers.
"Why are you back so late?"
Kunmi, much like his father, replied calmly.
"After school, I spent some time playing with my classmates from the ninja academy."
"I see. How are your studies at the academy going?"
"The classes are boring. They're teaching things I already know."
This didn't surprise Michikawa. The first year of the ninja academy focused on basic cultural education, something the son of the Sand Clan's leader had long since mastered.
"Don't waste your talent. Make sure you keep up with the clan's curriculum as well."
"Understood, Father."
With that, the conversation between father and son came to an end, and Michikawa prepared to leave for the Kazekage Building. But then, recalling how his son had seemed slightly more cheerful recently, Michikawa thought of something and asked,
"Do you enjoy attending the ninja academy?"
The question caught Kunmi off guard. He thought for a moment, then nodded nervously.
This puzzled Michikawa.
"But you just said the classes are boring."
Kunmi hesitated, then replied with a mix of uncertainty and determination,
"I enjoy spending time with my classmates."
After saying this, he looked up at his father, bracing for a reprimand.
Michikawa's face turned a little grim. While he had sent his son to the ninja academy partly as a gesture of goodwill toward Rasa, he couldn't tolerate Kunmi wasting his potential by playing around at school.
Just as he was about to scold his son, he suddenly remembered Rasa's words from earlier that day. He paused, then asked,
"Kunmi, let me ask you something."
"W-what is it?"
Kunmi hesitated before Michikawa asked again,
"If one day, you were forced to choose between the village's interests and your friends, what would you choose?"
This question left the six-year-old Kunmi stunned.
His small face scrunched up in thought, and after a moment of contemplation, he asked,
"Father, do I have to choose only one?"
Michikawa, intrigued by his son's response, asked,
"What difference does it make?"
Kunmi beamed a smile.
"If I don't have to choose just one, I want to protect both the village and my friends!"
Michikawa narrowed his gaze slightly and pressed further.
"But what if your strength isn't enough to protect both? What if you can only choose one?"
Kunmi's small face showed an unusual determination as he replied,
"Then I'll train harder to gain the strength to protect both! As a ninja, isn't the purpose of training to protect the village and our comrades? That's what you taught me, Father!"
At that moment, seeing the resolute expression on his young son's face, Michikawa's eyes widened in realization. It dawned on him why Rasa had made the decision he did.
He stood up, gently patted his son's head, and, in a rare display of tenderness, praised him.
"That's a good answer. It seems I, as an adult, failed to see what you could."
This unexpected warmth left Kunmi's face filled with astonishment.
But the surprises didn't end there.
"From now on, spend more time with your friends at school. You can even invite them over to our home if you'd like."
"Really?!"
Kunmi's face lit up with joy.
Michikawa smiled, ruffled his son's hair, and then left.
He didn't mention that he had already found a good teacher for Kunmi. His son's outstanding response had already satisfied him. Perhaps this was the reason why the Kazekage had decided to abolish the jinchūriki system.
---
Under the dark night sky.
By 8:10 PM, the nine individuals had gathered on the rooftop of the Kazekage Building.
Though only half a day had passed since they last met, everyone could sense that Rasa was in an exceptionally good mood. The usual stern demeanor of the Kazekage was replaced by a rare smile.
This piqued everyone's curiosity.
Unfortunately, Rasa had no intention of explaining. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he used his Gold Dust to lift everyone onto a cloud of sand and took off into the sky.
As they soared through the air, Pakura, standing on the sand cloud, couldn't help but ask,
"Where are you taking us?"
"Be patient. You'll find out when we get there."
"Tch."
Pakura clicked her tongue in annoyance and stepped aside. Karura, standing next to Rasa, recalled something Seramu had mentioned—Pakura seemed to have some unusual feelings toward her husband. A strange, mysterious smile appeared on Karura's face.
Among the nine people present, only Baki likely knew their destination. But since the Kazekage hadn't said anything, he didn't dare speak up. And so, the group flew toward their destination.
The desert night was undeniably beautiful. The endless night sky was clear, adorned with countless stars, and the moon was large and bright.
Most of the group were women, and they marveled at the breathtaking scenery.
Even Karura and Pakura, who had lived in Sunagakure their entire lives, rarely had the chance to admire the desert nightscape from such a height. The two young girls were especially captivated.
The men, however, remained calm and composed.
Just then, Chiyo, who had been standing on the sand cloud and avoiding the younger crowd, glanced down at the desert below. Her eyes widened in shock as she spotted something unbelievable.
"How is this possible? What is that?!"