After Hiruzen Sarutobi left, Uchiha Ryun slowly picked up the cup of tea in front of him, still steaming, took a small sip, and then drank it all in one go.
As he set the cup down, he let out a faint sigh, as if burdened by endless worries and troubles.
He slowly lifted the teacup again, gently swirling the remaining drops of tea inside, but his gaze was vacant, as if his thoughts had already drifted far away.
After a long while, he murmured to himself, "A storm is coming..." Then, he raised his head and looked up at the sky, lost in thought.
At that very moment, atop a distant mountain, the Third Kazekage stood silently.
His tall figure stood as firm as a mountain, overlooking the vast land beneath him.
His sharp eyes were fixed on the distance, where his gaze fell upon the territories he had already conquered—three mountains now under his control.
A light breeze brushed past, causing the Third Kazekage's deep blue, spiky hair to sway slightly.
At this moment, he was rapidly calculating his next strategic moves, pondering how to lead his army forward.
After Chiyo voluntarily resigned from her position as an elder, he decisively ordered her to return to Sunagakure to protect their village, along with Pakura, who possessed the Scorch Release ability.
However, this decision had displeased Ebizō. Now, Ebizō sat in his tent all day, silent and unresponsive, completely neglecting any involvement in battle plans, as if he was only going through the motions.
The Third Kazekage understood clearly that even though Ebizō held resentment, he did not regret his decision. In his view, only by firmly grasping all authority could he truly feel at ease.
Before long, a loud shout was heard: "Sensei, I'm here!"
The sudden call startled the Third Kazekage, and he instinctively turned to look.
In his line of sight, a figure was approaching quickly—none other than Rasa.
The Third Kazekage felt a flicker of doubt. He wondered to himself, when had he ordered Rasa to come to the front lines?
But before he could ask, Rasa had already stepped forward with a smile and explained, "Sensei, when I heard that you were personally leading this operation, I rushed here without delay to offer my support. I wish to serve as your vanguard, fighting alongside you, advancing and retreating together."
Rasa's words were like a warm breeze, softening the Third Kazekage's sharp, blade-like gaze almost instantly.
Regardless of whether Rasa was scheming or not, the fact that he consistently stood on the same side as the Third Kazekage made the latter feel a natural fondness for him.
"You... Next time, don't act on your own like this! But given your loyalty this time, I'll let it slide. Get out of here! Your teacher isn't so old that he needs his student charging into battle for him!" The Third Kazekage's mood had brightened because of Rasa's arrival, and his tone unconsciously became gentler.
"Understood!" Rasa replied respectfully. He was extremely perceptive and had a deep understanding of the Third Kazekage's personality—his ambitions as well as the soft spots in his heart.
Because of this, he always knew exactly how to cater to the Third Kazekage's preferences, earning his trust and favor.
Was it because they were master and disciple? Or was Rasa simply that good at reading people?
"Rasa, what do you think? When should we launch our attack?" The Third Kazekage looked at Rasa thoughtfully, privately considering this an opportunity to test his disciple's ability to lead in battle.
Rasa saw through this immediately. He knew this was a test from his teacher, so he calmed himself and began to think carefully.
Soon, a glint of insight flashed in his eyes, and he spoke respectfully: "Sensei..."
However, before he could finish, the Third Kazekage frowned sternly and scolded, "During wartime, address me by my title! Don't be so informal!"
Rasa froze for a moment but quickly corrected himself with a smile, "Commander!"
Hearing this, the Third Kazekage nodded slightly in approval, then raised his right hand, signaling for Rasa to continue.
Rasa took a deep breath and confidently analyzed, "Commander, think about it. For shinobi, night is undoubtedly their most reliable natural cover. This isn't just something we know—Konoha is fully aware of it too. So, in my opinion, if we choose to attack at night, it won't work."
Here, Rasa paused briefly, observing the Third Kazekage's expression. Seeing that he wasn't interrupted, he continued, "Instead, we should take them by surprise and attack Konoha immediately! As the saying goes, 'Speed is the essence of war.' This way, we'll catch those Konoha bastards off guard and strike them before they can react!" As he spoke, Rasa wore a look of absolute confidence.
Hearing this, the Third Kazekage was completely stunned. He had expected Rasa to propose some unique and brilliant strategic plan, but instead, he got an answer so ridiculous it was almost laughable.
Now, the way he looked at Rasa had completely changed. The initial intention to test and appreciate him was gone, replaced by an expression as if he were staring at an idiot.
What kind of reverse psychology was this? Attacking at noon? Were you a spy sent by Konoha? Did you want the enemy to spot us that badly?
No, no, even a genin wouldn't come up with such a ridiculous plan, right?
"That's it?" the Third Kazekage asked.
"That's it!" Rasa's eyes gleamed with determination.
The Third Kazekage looked at Rasa's expression, his lips twitching. Then, he patted Rasa's shoulder and said, "Well said. Next time, don't say anything."
With that, the Third Kazekage turned away, inwardly cursing himself. Why had he even thought of testing his disciple? This was just asking for trouble.
Rasa scratched his head but quickly composed himself, following behind the Third Kazekage with a serious expression.
It wasn't until the sun was about to set that the Third Kazekage finally shouted, "All units, move out with me!"
As the sun dipped below the western mountains, light was about to be swallowed by darkness. Now was the perfect time to attack.
The Third Kazekage led at the front, with Rasa behind him. Master and disciple both used Magnet Release to fly in the sky, followed by six thousand shinobi from Sunagakure.
From this, one could see the Third Kazekage's determination to fight Konoha. Six thousand shinobi—this was, without exaggeration, Sunagakure's last remaining strength.
If they won, the Third Kazekage would surpass the previous two Kazekages, having defeated Konoha, and would be remembered as the undisputed strongest Kazekage in Sunagakure and the Land of Wind.
If they lost, he would be nailed to the pillar of shame, despised by the people of the Land of Wind. So, he could only win! He could not afford to lose!
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