Chapter 138 – Three Lottery Draws, Formation of the Ninja Alliance, and a Drastic Shift in the Ninja World!
"Sister, this situation is bad for us. And isn't that guy supposed to be on the northern battlefield?"
Elder Chiyo's brother Ebizō frowned deeply. Renji showing up here was definitely not good news for them.
What exactly allowed Renji to traverse two battlefields like this?
"He knows the Flying Thunder God."
Chiyo stared at the scroll in Renji's hand, thinking of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, who had once rushed between multiple battlefronts.
Thanks to that technique, he had truly become a variable in this war.
"Even if he knows Flying Thunder God, the northern battlefield isn't that easy. What are the Cloud and Stone shinobi even doing!?"
Ebizō muttered, clearly frustrated with their unreliable allies.
Without pressure from that front, Renji could freely move between both battlefields. If they lost here, they'd be the ones blamed for everything.
"Now's not the time to dwell on what the others are doing. Our situation is already bleak. That fool Rasa…"
Chiyo was on the verge of snapping. The current state of Sunagakure made everything painfully clear.
No matter how Rasa framed it—whether it was "for the village" or "for the other shinobi"—he had still betrayed his own people.
It was confirmed fact. How could anyone trust him now?
Those who had once supported Pakura obviously weren't going to fight wholeheartedly. Could they really rely only on the other faction?
They were already weaker to begin with, and now with half the forces unwilling to fight, how could they possibly win?
"I'll handle Rasa."
Pakura glanced at Renji. She intended to face Rasa alone.
Rasa was never stronger than her in combat. The only reason he had become Kazekage was because the conservative faction had more influence than the reformists at the time.
"Whatever."
Renji shrugged, showing no objection to her decision. He was only here to see if there was an opportunity to earn some points.
On the last battlefield, he had only managed to get lottery rewards from Ōnoki and A. As for Killer Bee and the others, he hadn't triggered any rewards—perhaps because they weren't critical figures at that stage of the story.
The other Jinchūriki were irrelevant, sure, but Killer Bee had plenty of screen time later. And yet, no rewards—maybe they'd only unlock after the Akatsuki were dealt with?
Renji speculated as much. So after wrapping up there, he headed for the Sand battlefield. If there were no draws to be earned over there, he'd make sure to reap some here.
"Did you really resolve things on that side?"
Taking advantage of Pakura leaving to face Rasa, Terumi Mei came up to Renji and asked about the intelligence she'd received from Tsunade.
While she didn't think Renji would lie, the situation sounded so exaggerated that it felt unreal.
"Of course. How else could I be here?"
If he hadn't resolved things over there, how could he just show up here? That would be way too reckless.
They were only a few steps away from unifying the entire ninja world.
Once he finished handling the Ninja Alliance, his next target would be the Akatsuki.
No matter what, the Akatsuki still had strong combatants—including the rogue shinobi, Itachi.
Itachi had always believed that Renji's actions would lead to the destruction of the Uchiha and of Konoha. Yet now, not only had neither fallen—they were flourishing more than ever.
Renji was actually looking forward to seeing Itachi's reaction later. That was going to be something.
"Hmph. If I hadn't agreed back then, would Kirigakure have been your next battlefield?"
Ever since Renji entered Kirigakure, every step he took seemed aimed at taking control. Terumi Mei felt like nothing more than a pawn in his strategy.
"I actually thought highly of the Mist. That's why I came right after resolving the Konoha situation."
"Not because Mist is easier to control?"
"Wrong. It's because of you—I chose to cooperate with the Mist."
"Are you an idiot?"
Terumi Mei turned her head sharply to stare at Renji. Did he even know what he was saying?
Or was he just doing it on purpose?
"I'm serious."
The old man from Iwagakure was too scheming. A wouldn't submit unless beaten senseless. And Rasa? Renji couldn't even be bothered with him. So the obvious choice was Terumi Mei.
Besides, when choosing among a bunch of rough men, wouldn't a beautiful woman be the better partner?
Of course, there was also the fact that, as Terumi Mei said, Kirigakure was easier to control. With no war as a pretext, it was the ideal candidate. Mist needed help—while they would've eventually recovered on their own, it would've taken a long time.
The Blood Mist policy had lasted too long. The Mist had already been severely weakened. The only way to recover was with Konoha's support—and that kind of Mist Village was perfect for cooperation.
"There's hope!"
Master Gen's eyes twitched, and a wave of joy surged in his heart. Based on how things looked between Renji and Terumi Mei—there was definitely potential for sparks to fly!
His only concern had been that the two had zero chemistry.
Perfect!
He'd play matchmaker a bit more. Surely, he could make Renji fall for the Mizukage!
"Isn't flirting on the battlefield a bit much?"
Tsunade gave Renji a sideways glance. Was this guy taking things a little too far?
With so many shinobi watching, did he really just say "because of you"?
How cheesy could he get?
Disgusting.
"I didn't mean anything else. I choose partners based on people, not the strength of their village. None of them are stronger than us anyway. Besides, didn't I choose you too?"
Back when it was between Tsunade and Jiraiya over who should stay in the village, Renji had chosen Tsunade.
First, Jiraiya's personality didn't fit. Second, his presence in the village wouldn't benefit anyone—especially not the women. He had a bad habit. Keeping him there would only cause problems. Letting him leave was better.
But Tsunade was different. She could train medical shinobi and wouldn't cause trouble. That's why Renji let her stay.
"You really are a moron. Stop spouting nonsense on the battlefield!"
Tsunade gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as if she was about to punch him.
Did this guy even know what he was saying?
"Knew it! There's something going on between them!"
Shizune's face lit up with a "just as I suspected" expression. She had doubted those gossip leaks before—no proof, no pictures—but now she'd seen it with her own eyes.
To Shizune, this was clearly a love triangle.
The Mizukage, the Hokage, and Lady Tsunade—an affair filled with forbidden romance!
Ah!
When she retires, she's absolutely writing this into her memoir!
"Looks like Miss Pakura is about to win."
Before Shizune could plot the next chapter of her book, she noticed that Rasa was already at a disadvantage. After becoming Kazekage, Rasa had grown complacent in battle, and Pakura was already stronger than him.
Fueled by hatred, Pakura hadn't held back at all.
Rasa was miserable.
He glanced behind him at the Sunagakure shinobi—and felt even worse.
It had come to this. Were they really just going to stand there?
He was the Kazekage!
Even if he had made some bad decisions in the past, could they really watch him die?
"Pakura is no longer one of us. She's siding with Konoha. Attack together!"
Now that everything was exposed, Rasa had nothing to hide.
Rather than worrying about how to explain things later, his priority was to not get killed by Pakura.
If he hesitated any longer, she really would kill him. He had to ensure his survival.
The beneficiaries of the conservative faction also knew they had all been complicit in betraying Pakura. So of course, they couldn't just sit back and do nothing—especially when Pakura's supporters hadn't moved yet.
It was true that Pakura had now sided with Konoha, but that didn't mean the others could simply stand by, betrayed, and then serve her as if nothing had happened.
If Rasa could betray Pakura today, then tomorrow he could betray any one of them—unless they pledged loyalty to him.
But they had opposed the conservative faction precisely because they couldn't stand to see Sunagakure ruined by them any longer. They wanted change.
"Everyone, do me a favor—let the two of them fight one-on-one, how about it?"
Renji stepped alone between the battlefield of Rasa and Pakura, blocking the path of the Suna shinobi.
He raised his hand and grasped the air—instantly, a blade formed from lightning appeared. With one swing, he slashed a deep chasm between the two sides.
"Cross this line, and die."
This guy… surprisingly gave people a sense of security—even on the battlefield.
Watching Renji's back, Tsunade and the others couldn't help but feel a strange emotion. As a comrade, he truly was reliable in certain moments.
The Suna shinobi exchanged looks, hesitating. But seeing Rasa clearly about to lose, the conservative faction leaders couldn't wait any longer. If Rasa fell, they would be purged next.
So what if he's the Hokage? Couldn't they kill the Hokage?
A group of Suna shinobi ignored Renji's warning and charged at him—planning to take him out first, then kill Pakura!
"Die."
A skeleton half-body formed on Renji, crackling with lightning and laced with traces of Sage chakra.
Susanoo's blade, enhanced with Sage Lightning, cleaved forward—instantly annihilating all the charging shinobi in one blow.
"What?!"
"One move?!"
Is this guy a Tailed Beast?
"That's the Uchiha clan's ultimate power!"
Chiyo stared deeply into Renji's eyes—that must be the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Truly terrifying.
This was her first time facing someone from the Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyō.
"Renji, hasn't Kumo and Iwa made any moves yet?"
Chiyo stood before the line of death, looking to Renji.
She knew Suna's defeat was now inevitable. Pakura would kill Rasa, and the reformists would rise again. With so many conservative elites killed by Renji's blade, there was no longer a path forward.
Chiyo's thinking was simple—if Suna admitted defeat and Pakura returned as Kazekage, then even if they needed time to recover, Konoha likely wouldn't exterminate them entirely.
So they still had a way out.
"You mean Iwa and Kumo? They've already surrendered. They'll be joining our Ninja Alliance. So… will Suna join too?"
Suna was the last one left. But Renji wasn't about to force it. If Suna joined, great—like completing his stamp collection. If not, then they'd simply be destroyed.
"No way…"
The Suna shinobi froze in place. They couldn't believe what they'd just heard.
Could those two villages really have surrendered so easily?
"Come on, Chiyo. You're one of the few smart ones in Suna. You know what to do."
Renji tossed her a scroll. Chiyo hesitated, but eventually opened it. She didn't believe Renji would stoop to poisoning it—an Uchiha wouldn't bother with such tricks.
Besides, in terms of poison, she was far superior to any of Konoha's medical-nin.
Upon seeing the scroll's contents—and the seals and chakra signatures of Kumo and Iwa—no matter how unwilling she was, she had to accept it.
"Sister?"
"They really did it… Konoha won."
Chiyo handed the scroll to Ebizō, fully admitting she had underestimated Renji. Now, there was only one choice: surrender.
The other two villages were stronger than Suna, and even together they'd lost. What chance did Suna have alone?
"If Suna surrenders, what will you do?"
"Chiyo!! I'm still the Kazekage!!"
Though on the verge of death, Rasa couldn't stand hearing talk of surrender.
He was still Kazekage!
How could Chiyo make such a decision without him?
"Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage is history now."
A cold smile flashed across Pakura's face—victory was in her grasp.
The Fourth Kazekage was about to be written into the history books.
"Kill Rasa. Then Suna will merge into the Ninja Alliance. I'll grant one of the five seats to Suna."
"Agreed."
The tide had turned. Even if Chiyo wanted to resist, she knew it was impossible now. All she could do was protect what little interest they had left.
Moving to the Land of Fire wasn't all bad for Suna—they would no longer have to endure their harsh environment.
And having one of the five seats meant Suna's position would be like before—still influential. There would be a leader above them, but they could still fight for their share of benefits.
Most likely, Pakura would be chosen as that representative. Chiyo knew she herself was too old for the role.
She also felt Renji had been pushing Pakura forward all along—avenging her alone made that clear.
So now: Mizukage was Terumi Mei, Suna was Pakura, Konoha would likely be Tsunade—possibly Jiraiya, Uchiha Fugaku, or Uchiha Shisui. Whoever it was, Renji already had support from three.
That idea of four votes being able to override the leader?
Chiyo saw now—it was never going to happen.
What a calculated man.
Chiyo closed her eyes and sighed inwardly.
Even though she saw through Renji's schemes, she also knew she couldn't stop them. He simply held absolute power.
"I'm the Kazekage… I'm the Kazekage…"
Rasa muttered faintly. Behind him, the others had already decided to surrender. Meanwhile, his life was slowly being consumed by Scorch Release.
He knew—he had failed. Completely and utterly.
His reputation from now on would be in ruins.
But everything he did… it was all for Suna!
"Rasa, die. As for your children—I won't kill them."
"…Thank you."
In his final moment, a trace of gratitude flickered in Rasa's eyes.
Pakura turned away from him. She would tell his children the truth of what happened—not kill them.
But to let them live and loathe their father forever—wasn't that more cruel than death?
[Ding! You have altered Rasa's fate. Reward: one lottery draw.]
Nice!
A glint of joy flashed in Renji's eyes.
He now had three lottery chances. There weren't many items left he could draw, but as long as he didn't get some garbage, the odds were in his favor.
"The war is over, everyone. There's no need for pointless fighting. From this day forward, we are no longer Suna-nin—we are shinobi of one village. There will be no daimyō above our heads. We will live in the fertile Land of Fire and enjoy equal resources!"
What… what even were they now?
The Suna shinobi listened to Pakura's words, a little dazed.
The war… really seemed to be over.
And now they'd be living in Konoha. So what was the point of all the fighting until now?
They'd gone through so many wars, so many small skirmishes. Could they really just let go of all the hatred and start over?
The fate they had always believed in—now, many felt lost.
They didn't know what the future held. But if they refused now… what else could they do?
"Surrender, everyone. Let's go to Konoha. The war is over—there will be no more war from now on."
Chiyo comforted the Suna shinobi behind her.
If they didn't go… they really would die.
(End of Chapter)
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