Making Rasa smile was no small feat for Shiraishi.
One could argue that sending Rasa to "smile in the afterlife" would be the simplest solution, but that was a dark jest Shiraishi kept to himself.
The friction between the Fourth and Fifth Kazekage had been so sharp that many in the village still remembered the sparks.
In a sector of the New Oasis district, the former Kazekage, Rasa, sat alone in his office wearing a specialized mining helmet.
He was engrossed in a massive stack of mineral survey reports. Since stepping down, Rasa's primary contribution—aside from his titular role as a consultant—was providing high-precision geological analysis for the village's industrial expansion.
It had to be said: from a geographical and excavation standpoint, Rasa was a godsend. He had earned a staggering number of S-rank payouts recently, all tied to his "Gold Dust" sensing and mining expertise.
"Fifth... what brings you here?"
Rasa's office was Spartan, filled with ink-stained maps and neatly categorized data sets, reflecting a meticulousness he had brought to his new labor.
Before Shiraishi could answer, little Temari peeked out from behind him, beaming at her father.
"Daddy! I made Uncle Shiraishi come see you!"
Seeing Temari's adorable face, Rasa's cold demeanor softened instantly. He allowed her to nestle beside him. Even at three years old, Temari was remarkably perceptive and devoted.
"It was Temari's request," Shiraishi added, his voice neutral. The air between the two men remained thick with years of unspoken history, and Shiraishi wouldn't have set foot here if the little girl hadn't practically dragged him by the sleeve.
Rasa looked at Shiraishi, his expression settling into a weary calm. "My current state has nothing to do with you. Karura's death... it remains a nightmare.
I still don't know how to face Gaara, the one who caused it all."
Rasa still harbored a deep-seated resentment toward his youngest son. In his mind, had Shukaku not run rampant within the womb, Karura might have survived a normal delivery.
Shiraishi remained silent; the tragedy of Karura was a regret they both shared. After a long pause, Rasa shifted the subject. "I heard you placed Roshi in Chengaki Tsukasa's squad."
That team—Kumatake Yamamichi, Tomoki Uzumaki, and Roshi—was a delicate blend of old-guard nobility and the new Uzumaki bloodline.
Rasa, a veteran politician, knew exactly what this meant: this was the "Seedling Squad" of the next generation. Roshi was of his own kin, and he naturally cared for her future.
"Roshi has incredible talent," Shiraishi noted. "Her sand control is average, but her Taijutsu foundation is immense. She is the chosen successor for the Eight Heavens Breathing."
The Eight Heavens Breathing had been classified as a Forbidden Jutsu in the Sand. Its power rivaled the Eight Inner Gates, and Shiraishi took it very seriously.
The ban was due to its lethal side effects; without sufficient physical conditioning, the user's internal organs would rupture by the fourth or fifth activation.
"I'll take my leave then."
As Shiraishi reached the door, Rasa spoke softly, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm sorry..."
Shiraishi didn't turn around. He simply shook his head. "The one you should apologize to isn't me. Instead, pull yourself together. Use your skills to seek redemption and contribute more to the village."
In the past, Rasa had betrayed the interests of the Sand and the Land of Wind multiple times to undermine Shiraishi.
Though Shiraishi had turned every disaster into an advantage, many good shinobi had fallen because of those schemes. Shiraishi wouldn't pursue a vendetta, but his demand was clear: Keep mining for the village.
The Fog Rises
Returning to the Kazekage's office, Shiraishi summoned his inner circle—Jogaki Shikasa, Arakawa Arashi, and Morimoto Ryoji—for a high-level briefing via projection.
"The internal situation in the Mist has entered its final stage," Shiraishi announced.
The secret of Hozuki Kaigetsu being a double agent—and the mystery of Shiraishi's Heaven Curse of the Five Phantom—wasn't public, but everyone in this room knew Kaigetsu was their "man in the Mist."
"If Kaigetsu succeeds, the Mist will be under our total surveillance."
The maritime strategy was moving flawlessly. While the Mist self-destructed, Shiraishi preferred to install a friendly puppet rather than let the village rot into total non-existence. As a Hozuki, Kaigetsu had a natural claim to the title of Mizukage.
"We are temporarily halting the landing operations on the southern islands of the Land of Water," Shiraishi ordered.
Currently, Morimoto Ryoji was using the Land of Artisans as a base to exert control over the eastern peninsula—specifically, the Land of Demons.
Rumors spoke of a lineage of Priestesses there who could seal monsters and predict the future. Unlike the shinobi-heavy mainland, the Land of Demons relied on pure swordsmanship and Shrine Sealing Arts that tapped into natural energy.
Historically, the Mist had ignored this "primitive" eastern continent in favor of the mainland. Shiraishi, however, saw its potential.
While he halted pressure on the Mist to let the civil war burn hotter, his vanguard units were already silently infiltrating the Land of Demons.
The Longest Night
Just as the two factions in the Mist were maintaining a tense, limited standoff, the unexpected happened.
Ao, a ninja possessing a captured Byakugan, publicly exposed the fact that the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, was being controlled by a Genjutsu. He managed to break Obito's spell in front of the village elite, temporarily restoring Yagura's sanity.
Enraged that a "minor character" had upended his plans, Obito appeared in his masked persona to kill Ao on the spot, but he was intercepted by other high-ranking Mist officials.
Receiving this news, Hozuki Kaigetsu realized his window was closing. With Yagura regaining his senses, the "legitimacy" of a coup would become harder to maintain. He made a bold, ruthless decision.
Launch the attack now.
Kaigetsu had no intention of letting the seat of the Fifth Mizukage slip through his fingers. The bloodiest night in the history of the Mist had begun.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: Patreon.com/kazama677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 60 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.