Boom! Boom! Boom!~
Beside the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Roran, two colossal figures were locked in relentless combat. On one side was the One-Tail Shukaku in its complete Tailed Beast form; on the other was Akimichi Tatsuya, enlarged via the Expansion Jutsu.
Their battle had already raged for over ten minutes. It began with an exchange of ninjutsu barrages and had now devolved into direct physical confrontation. Every clash between the two giants sent earth-shattering shockwaves reverberating through the desert.
Far in the distance, Rasa and the contingent of Sunagakure ninja had already retreated further back. The sheer intensity of the battle was extreme, and the destructive aftershocks covered a vast area.
Watching the One-Tail Shukaku being steadily overwhelmed, practically beaten down by Tatsuya, Rasa's expression was incredibly grim. To think Tatsuya could completely suppress the One-Tail using only the Akimichi clan's Expansion Jutsu! Tatsuya's true strength far exceeded Rasa's estimations. Just how much stronger would he be if he utilized his Butterfly Mode and Sage Mode?
Konoha is truly fortunate! Rasa lamented internally. After losing the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, in battle and having Orochimaru defect, they somehow produced yet another young powerhouse of this caliber! Compared to Akimichi Tatsuya, Sunagakure's so-called geniuses seemed utterly insignificant.
With this thought, Rasa manipulated his Gold Dust, lifting himself into the air and flying towards the battlefield. He sensed the fight was nearing its conclusion.
"Lord Kazekage!" The Sunagakure ninja accompanying him quickly followed suit.
On the battlefield, Tatsuya had Shukaku's massive head pinned down and was unleashing a furious barrage of punches upon it.
Boom! Boom! Boom!~
Each fist smashed down with devastating force, sending clouds of sand exploding outwards, the very ground trembling violently beneath the impacts.
"I'll kill you! Kill you!" Despite being pinned and pummeled, the One-Tail Shukaku refused to yield, roaring defiance, its voice thick with rage.
Unfortunately for the beast, its harsh threats only provoked even harsher retribution.
Finally, after one last devastating punch from Tatsuya, the massive sand-body of the One-Tail Shukaku completely disintegrated. Gaara was forcefully ejected from the full Tailed Beast transformation. Amidst the violent tremors, the already unconscious Gaara was sent flying through the air. A cloud of shimmering Gold Dust drifted over, gently catching his small form.
Watching Shukaku dissipate after the beating, Tatsuya made no move to pursue. He calmly deactivated the Expansion Jutsu, returning to his normal size and standing with a relaxed, almost leisurely air. Thanks to the constant enhancement from the Fujinhoin and Body Activation Technique over the years, Tatsuya's taijutsu and ninjutsu had both reached the pinnacle of what conventional shinobi could achieve.
After catching Gaara with his Gold Dust, Rasa didn't spare even a single glance for his injured, unconscious son. He flew directly towards Tatsuya, stopping a short distance away.
"You sealed the Dragon Vein within yourself?" Rasa asked, his voice low and heavy as he stared intently at Tatsuya.
"That's right," Tatsuya nodded, offering no denial. After the commotion they had raised, hiding the fact was impossible, nor did he feel any need to.
Rasa's face darkened further, his voice rising slightly. "Akimichi Tatsuya, do you have no regard whatsoever for the alliance between Sunagakure and Konoha Village?"
Tatsuya simply raised an eyebrow, utterly unconcerned. "Lord Kazekage, I believe you've mistaken something. The Dragon Vein doesn't belong to Sunagakure. Her Majesty Queen Sara has already agreed to sell it to me."
"Sell it to you?" Rasa scoffed sarcastically. "Or perhaps she was forced into it?"
Tatsuya remained noncommittal, but his next words were pointed. "And are the remnants of the ancient kingdom of Roran, still stranded here in the northern Land of Wind after all this time, entirely here of their own free will?"
At this direct challenge, Rasa's expression turned completely livid. He stared hard at Tatsuya for a long, tense moment before finally stating icily, "I will seek an explanation from your village regarding this matter." With that, he turned and departed.
The ninja world ultimately runs on strength, Rasa thought bitterly as he flew away. He possessed absolutely no confidence in being able to defeat Tatsuya in battle. Furthermore, judging by the fight against Shukaku, Tatsuya had clearly been holding back against Gaara. Creating such a formidable enemy for Sunagakure over a Dragon Vein they couldn't utilize anyway simply wasn't worth the risk.
Behind Rasa, the Sunagakure ninja exchanged uneasy glances, hesitated for a moment, and then quickly followed their Kazekage. Sharing Rasa's assessment after witnessing Tatsuya manhandle the One-Tail, none of them had any desire to antagonize him further.
Within moments, Tatsuya was left alone on the battlefield. He watched the retreating figures of Rasa and the Suna shinobi, pursed his lips slightly, then turned and departed as well.
Tatsuya held no particular fondness for the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa. In the world of shinobi, many acted based on their own positions and motivations; it was difficult to definitively label anyone as purely good or evil, as absolute morality rarely applied. Rasa, who had managed to suppress the rampaging Shukaku on multiple occasions in the past, might possess considerable strength. However, the mere fact that he had repeatedly attempted to assassinate his own son, Gaara, made it impossible for Tatsuya to feel any goodwill towards him.
Rasa's situation is entirely different from Itachi's, Tatsuya mused. Itachi faced a desperate, impossible choice, with his actions offering the only chance to preserve even a single Uchiha bloodline. Rasa, however, made a subjective, conscious decision. As a father, Rasa had not only failed to fulfill his fundamental responsibilities and obligations but had actively inflicted severe harm upon his own child. While complex circumstances undoubtedly contributed, Tatsuya found Rasa's actions unforgivable.
Leaving the ruins of Roran behind, Tatsuya quickly caught up with Suijin, Sara, and the others a few kilometers away on the desert gobi.
Seeing Tatsuya approach, Suijin gave a brief nod and then vanished without a word, rejoining Tatsuya's main consciousness or reserves. Throughout the escort mission, Suijin hadn't exchanged a single word with Sara or her people, careful to avoid revealing any unnecessary information about himself or Tatsuya's network.
Sara, Toma, and the others were slightly taken aback by Suijin's abrupt departure but didn't ask questions. They had already gotten a sense of his cold, detached demeanor during the brief journey. Perhaps, they thought, in the eyes of such an unknown powerhouse, only ninja as overwhelmingly strong as Lord Tatsuya are worthy of attention.
"Lord Tatsuya," Sara began hesitantly, noticing he had returned alone, "what about Lord Kazekage and...?"
Tatsuya glanced over the group, confirming they were all unharmed, and replied flatly, "They left."
"They... left?" Sara stared, stunned.
Behind her, Toma and the other Roran remnants exchanged glances, their expressions growing even more grave and deeply respectful. Even Sunagakure, known for its domineering ways, had been powerless against Lord Tatsuya. What chance did they, the weak, scattered survivors of Roran, possibly have to resist him?
A slight smile touched Tatsuya's lips. "Yes, they left. Your Highness Sara, I have successfully acquired the Dragon Vein. Now, it is time to fulfill the conditions I promised you earlier."
Hearing this, Sara stopped walking, falling into silence. After a long moment, she looked up, meeting Tatsuya's gaze directly. "Can we... truly leave the Land of Wind? Can we really start anew?"
Tatsuya nodded firmly. "Of course, you can."
Five days later, inside the Kazekage's office in Sunagakure.
"Lord Kazekage, the remnants of the ancient kingdom of Roran residing in Ryusa Town have all departed the Land of Wind's territory," a Sunagakure ninja reported to Rasa, who had returned to the village.
Rasa remained silent for several seconds before asking, "Which direction did they go?"
"They traveled directly through the Land of Rivers, Lord Kazekage. It appears they are heading towards the northern region of the Land of Fire," the ninja replied.
"The northern Land of Fire?" Rasa's expression flickered with surprise.
The office fell silent for a moment before the reporting ninja spoke again. "Lord Kazekage, should we dispatch personnel to pursue them?"
Rasa considered it, then waved his hand dismissively. "No need. You may leave."
"Yes, sir." The ninja bowed and quickly departed.
Alone in his office, Rasa murmured thoughtfully to himself, "Is Konoha truly willing to antagonize Sunagakure... just for these remnants of Roran?"