After Chiyo left with Honoka and Hana, only Rasa and the three members of Akatsuki remained behind.
"Come walk with me."
"Okay."
At this point, with Yahiko's transplant experiment deemed a success, all three of them understood that Rasa was finally about to reveal the true reason he had summoned them here. He led them deep into the heart of the village. When they reached the Kazekage's office, Rasa spoke without delay.
"You must've seen it on the way here."
Yahiko nodded, visibly stirred. In just over half a month, Sunagakure had undergone drastic changes, and once again, the transformation left the three of them shaken. The vast, gleaming lake they had passed earlier, with ships calmly gliding across its surface, left a lasting impression. But what struck them even more were the crowded ports along the lake's shore, where workers bustled to unload cargo in a constant rhythm of motion.
The scene pulsed with the energy of growth. As shinobi from Amegakure, they had never encountered such prosperity. It was hard to believe any other place in the shinobi world could rival this thriving environment.
Rasa gave a small nod and spoke again, this time with a statement that jolted them even further.
"Reto Lake and the River of the Flowing Sand are now in operation. It's still just a trial phase, but do you know how much we've collected in taxes from the Maritime Department over the past three days?"
The three of them exchanged glances and shook their heads.
Rasa then delivered the figure, each word weighing heavily in the air.
"Four hundred million ryō on the first day, two hundred million on the second, and while today's total hasn't been finalized yet, the projection is no less than three hundred million. Do you understand what that means?"
Still absorbing the shock, Yahiko suddenly remembered something Rasa had mentioned during their first meeting. How the Great Nations depended on their daimyō for military funding.
"It means Sunagakure will never again need to rely on the Land of Wind's daimyō for military support."
Rasa's expression sharpened with satisfaction.
"Exactly. And more than that, the enormous influx of goods into Sunagakure will spark explosive economic growth. Before long, everyone will have the chance to earn a living, and the villagers will finally be able to lead peaceful, prosperous lives."
At that moment, Yahiko began to grasp what true peace meant. It had nothing to do with bowing or pleading with the Five Great Nations to end their wars. Real peace was achieved by lifting your people up and making them strong and self-sufficient.
Then, Rasa finally unveiled his true objective.
"Now that Reto Lake is operational and Phase One of the River of the Flowing Sand is complete, we move on to Phase Two. This phase will connect Sunagakure with the capital of the Land of Demons. The terrain there is more complicated than in the Land of Wind, so the construction won't be easy. But based on our current pace, I estimate completion in no more than five months. After that, we proceed to Phase Three—a direct link between Sunagakure and Amegakure."
All three of them immediately straightened, their eyes alight with intensity. A sense of urgency erupted within their chests like fire.
"That's right. I'm sure you understand now. You have five months to eliminate Hanzō the Salamander and take full control of Amegakure. If you fail, I'll reroute Phase Three to another nation."
Konan's expression tightened. After all, Hanzō had once cast fear across the entire shinobi world with his unmatched strength.
But when Yahiko and Nagato looked at each other, there was no longer any trace of doubt. In their eyes, only firm and unwavering determination remained.
"Kazekage-sama, rest assured. Hanzō will not live to see that day."
"Good."
Rasa finally nodded, his tone softening with reassurance.
"I believe in you. With the power you two now hold—one with the Sharingan and Wood Release, the other with the Rinnegan and the Uzumaki clan's body—defeating Hanzō shouldn't be a problem. The true test will come after that. You have no experience ruling a nation or a shinobi village, so I've decided to assign you some tasks to help you learn."
None of them voiced any objections.
"Please instruct us, Kazekage-sama."
"Good. You may come in now."
As soon as Rasa finished speaking, twelve masked shinobi entered the room. He introduced them without delay.
"They were selected from the ANBU and reorganized by me into a special operations group. I call it the Covert Tactical Unit. There are twelve of them now, but I intend to restructure the entire division later, so the current members will eventually be assigned to other duties."
Rasa wasn't offering all this to Yahiko purely out of goodwill. His objective was simple—he wanted to build the Covert Tactical Unit into a powerful force to rival the ANBU. Over time, he had grown increasingly dissatisfied with the ANBU's performance, especially after their repeated failures. True, their opponent had been Madara Uchiha, but that didn't excuse the structural vulnerabilities exposed in the village's defenses. Rasa needed someone strong and dependable to take that burden from his shoulders.
And Yahiko was the perfect choice. His strength, temperament, and judgment were trustworthy. Most importantly, he had no entanglements or lingering affiliations within the village and could carry out Rasa's orders with full loyalty.
"From now on, you'll train under these twelve. They'll teach you everything about the operations of both the Covert Unit and the ANBU. When you're ready, Yahiko, I'll hand the Covert Tactical Unit over to you. As for Nagato and Konan, use this experience well when the time comes for you to govern Amegakure."
All three of them nodded. This was a rare and valuable opportunity. They understood that ever since the moment Rasa had saved their lives, their fates had become inextricably linked to Sunagakure. Becoming part of Rasa's inner circle would only bring long-term benefit to Amegakure.
As for the twelve shinobi themselves, Rasa had no plans to treat them unfairly. Each would be given significant missions. Daikoku, Ishitomo, and Rikuseki were to be dispatched to the Land of Demons as Jōnin commanders in charge of security operations. Raijin, Fūjin, Sand Lizard, and Sand Hawk would be stationed on Summoning Beast Island, serving as its core guardians. Umao and Mamushi were assigned to the newly completed first segment of the River of the Flowing Sand, protecting its waterway routes. Sazumushi, Kuro Gokage, and Akagiku would be responsible for both security and ongoing construction of the river's second segment, now extending into the Land of Demons.
Unlike the Land of Wind, the Land of Demons lacked stability. With the tremendous profits from Phase One becoming evident, it was inevitable that complications would soon arise. Rasa wasn't too concerned about open threats—he had faith the village could handle them. What bothered him were the hidden and insidious ones. He left those to these twelve. As Jōnin-level shinobi, they were fully capable of dealing with such matters.
To make them even more formidable, Rasa had gone a step further. Each member had contracted a summoning beast uniquely compatible with their chakra and nature. On top of that, they had become the first recipients of a new power system: the Sage Mark Seals.
That's right. After an extended period of trial and failure, the Sage Mark Seal had finally succeeded. The harvest had arrived.
"Alright. We have ten days left before the Five Nations Summit begins. Along with the ANBU, the Covert Tactical Unit will be responsible for maintaining overall village security. Also, to entertain the daimyō, the ninja academy will be holding a shinobi exam. I'm leaving that task to you. Treat it as your trial."