Because Baki had said he was on the verge of death, he asked that Rasa come quickly so he could deliver important information before it was too late.
Rasa didn't have time to gather a full escort. He hurriedly left the village with only a handful of Anbu at his side.
Normally, whenever the Kazekage traveled outside Sunagakure, he would be accompanied by a formidable guard. After all, the mysterious disappearance of the Third Kazekage—the strongest Kazekage in their history—still cast a long shadow over the village.
A few hours later, at the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers.
The harsh, suffocating wind and sand had weakened considerably here. Though it could not compare to the fertile Land of Fire, the Land of Rivers was far better off than the barren deserts of the Wind Country.
Sunagakure had long coveted this small but prosperous trading nation. Unfortunately, the Daimyō of the Land of Rivers was cunning. Back in the era of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, he had declared his country a vassal of the Fire Nation.
To attack the Land of Rivers would be tantamount to declaring war on the Land of Fire itself. That alone had kept Sunagakure from claiming the prize dangling so temptingly before them.
The group descended from a stream of flowing sand, landing lightly on the ground.
Rasa's gaze hardened as he spoke.
"According to Baki's letter, this is where they were ambushed by Uchiha Itachi. Search the area immediately."
"Yes, Lord Kazekage!"
The Anbu nodded and dispersed.
Within minutes, one of them called out from the left flank.
"Lord Kazekage, I found something!"
Rasa and the others rushed over.
Three bodies lay sprawled across the ground, each bearing the Sunagakure forehead protector. Rasa recognized them instantly—three of Baki's elite Chūnin.
"Damn Uchiha! Damn Konoha!" Rasa roared, his fury echoing across the borderlands. "This debt must be repaid in blood!"
Since the Daimyō of the Wind Country had ordered mass disarmament, Sunagakure had been starved of manpower. Even elite Chūnin were treated as priceless resources. To lose three at once—one of whom was Rasa's personal confidant—was a bitter blow.
His voice was grim as he demanded,
"Have you found Baki?"
"Lord Kazekage! Over here!" another Anbu shouted from beneath the shade of a tree.
They rushed over, only to find Baki's body slumped lifeless against a rocky hillside.
"Too late?" Rasa's teeth clenched in frustration.
"No," a voice drawled from behind them. "You're not late. He's been dead for a day already."
Everyone spun around at once, startled by the unfamiliar presence.
Rasa's eyes narrowed. "Uchiha Kenya!?"
The man shrugged casually. "What's the matter? Oh, nothing much. Itachi and I just accepted a generous bounty on Sunagakure's finest. You know how it is for us missing-nin… living isn't easy. Gotta make a little cash somehow."
Of course, Kenya's words were nonsense—merely a convenient excuse to mask his real purpose.
Even so, Rasa and his men stiffened.
Two Uchiha missing-nin, both S-rank, working together? That was a terrifying prospect.
At once, the Anbu formed up around their Kazekage, blades at the ready.
Rasa spoke coldly, his gaze unflinching.
"So you've joined forces with Uchiha Itachi? Then why are you here alone?"
Kenya smiled faintly. "Ah, so Lord Kazekage would prefer we face you together? Too bad. That guy still hasn't fully mastered his Mangekyō Sharingan. Every time he uses it, he needs time to recover. So for now, it's just me."
Mangekyō Sharingan… the legendary eye of the Uchiha clan.
Rasa remembered hearing tales of it as a child, dismissing it as myth. Could it truly exist?
If so, he thought, then perhaps it was fortunate that Itachi wasn't here. Facing both of them at once would have been far too dangerous.
"Then so be it," Rasa growled. "You'll die here, and your head will be my bargaining chip with Konoha!"
He dropped into a crouch, pressing his palms against the ground. Instantly, the sand beneath their feet transformed into shimmering gold. The Gold Dust Technique surged to life, spreading like a tide.
But Kenya only smiled. Slowly, he drew his blade—Kyōka Suigetsu—its tip angled down.
"Shatter… Kyōka Suigetsu."
A faint blue light pulsed across the steel as the Shikai's hypnosis took hold.
Rasa and his men knew better than to meet an Uchiha's gaze. Their eyes stayed fixed on Kenya's throat, refusing to lock with his Sharingan.
But the glimmer of blue from his blade slipped past their defenses, embedding itself in their vision.
Rasa instinctively raised a wall of golden sand before him. Five seconds passed. Nothing happened.
"Hmph. Tricks? When did the Uchiha start relying on parlor games like this?" one of the Anbu sneered.
Blades gleamed as the four Anbu charged straight at Kenya.