Rasa felt a mix of emotions at those words.
So if he'd hesitated for even a few more seconds… the system wouldn't have activated perfectly?
He shook off the thought and refocused on the system interface hovering before his eyes.
Three icons were now visible:
Host
Affection Meter
Exchange
Rasa kept his excitement buried deep and selected the Affection Meter icon first.
"First-time use of Affection Meter detected.One free item granted: Medium-Tier Affection Multiplier Fruit!"
"This item allows the host to select a character whose affection will increase at double the normal rate each day, capped at 100 points!"
As the emotionless voice explained the item, Rasa's mind was instantly flooded with its detailed description.
It was so comprehensive that his eyes practically lit up, though he kept his head bowed. Still, his breathing grew heavier.
With something this overpowered… all those harem dreams he'd buried deep inside—could now become a reality with ease.
Eager, Rasa continued and opened the full Affection Meter page.
A new notification appeared:
"You've received 1 freely assignable affection point."
He ignored that for the moment and checked the full list.
The Affection Meter displayed a complete ranking of every individual who had even the slightest level of affection toward him, neatly sorted by score.
Rasa's eyes quickly landed on #19: Pakura.
Her current affection level?
Seven points.
Before Rasa could even think to ask anything, the system's robotic voice echoed in his mind:
"Everyone here represents the backbone of the village's strength. What are your thoughts?"
Chiyo's old, raspy voice wasn't loud. Under normal circumstances, it would've been drowned out by the room's rising chatter.
And yet, the moment she spoke, the noise died instantly.
It was a testament to the immense authority Chiyo still commanded in Sunagakure.
After a brief silence, a burly, middle-aged jōnin in his forties cautiously spoke up:
"Lady Chiyo, since the Third Kazekage has disappeared, I believe we should immediately mobilize the entire village and conduct a full-scale search, both inside and out."
It was the most logical and expected response—one that mirrored the thoughts of many jōnin in the room.
After all, this was no ordinary person we were talking about. This was the Kazekage—the village's cornerstone. His sudden disappearance was nothing short of catastrophic.
Chiyo nodded slightly, then turned her gaze to Rasa.
"Rasa, what do you think?"
From the moment she had revealed the Kazekage's disappearance, she had been observing every face in the room.
And of all the reactions, Rasa's had stood out the most.
No panic. No confusion.He looked… as though he had already expected it.
That was why she called on him directly.
Rasa had already prepared his response.
He raised his head, met Chiyo's gaze squarely, and said in a calm but unwavering voice:
"Lady Chiyo, I believe that would be a mistake."
The moment the words left his mouth, every head in the room turned toward him.
But Rasa remained composed and continued steadily:
"You know my teacher's character well. There is no way he would leave the village—especially with both his personal guards—without informing anyone."
"So if we eliminate the possibility of him leaving on his own, then there's only one explanation—"
"He may have been assassinated. And most likely… within the village."
Chiyo's half-lidded eyes shot open, narrowing in sharply on Rasa.
It was as if… she were seeing him for the first time.
Before she could respond, the burly jōnin from earlier slammed a hand on the table and stood up, glaring at Rasa.
"Rasa, watch your mouth! The Third Kazekage is the strongest Kazekage in our village's history! How could he be killed—especially inside the village?!"
Another jōnin joined in, voice harsh:
"Aoki-senpai is right. How could someone as powerful as the Third be silently assassinated in the heart of our territory?"
"Exactly! He always has two elite jōnin guarding him."
"Who in today's shinobi world could take down the Kazekage and his guards in the middle of the village without triggering any alarm?"
"To pull that off in total silence, it'd have to be done in under a minute. Maybe even thirty seconds. That's insane!"
As more voices joined in, jōnin after jōnin stood up, their faces tense, their tone hostile.
Even those who didn't speak wore expressions of deep disapproval.
To them, Rasa's words weren't just speculation—they bordered on blasphemy.
The Third Kazekage was the pride of Sunagakure.
In a village long overshadowed by its more powerful counterparts, the Third had given them dignity—proof that they could stand shoulder to shoulder with any of the Five Great Nations.
And now here was Rasa, essentially suggesting their pride had been quietly snuffed out in the night.
Still, despite the building pressure and the glares of seasoned shinobi, Rasa didn't flinch.
His gaze remained locked on Chiyo as he said, calm and resolute:
"Lady Chiyo, you've fought in both the First and Second Great Ninja Wars.Among the Five Great Nations' Kage… where would you honestly rank my teacher?"