Rasa opened the letter anyway.
"The Will of Fire is a dream. A world where everyone is born equal. No wars. No blood. Everyone gets to live in peace, marry the person they actually love, raise kids, and grow old together. Wake up with the sunrise. Sleep when the sun sets."
Rasa had only been guessing before. But now, especially that part about marrying whoever you wanted, he was pretty damn sure "A Fei" was Uchiha Obito.
The guy was out here writing fan letters instead of focusing on his Moon's Eye plan? And after he'd personally killed Minato and Kushina?
Minato's death wasn't all Hiruzen's fault. The direct cause was Obito. A student who tested Tailed Beast control by going after his own teacher's wife. Took out both of them in one shot. Left little Naruto to grow up in hell.
"This one's trash."
Rasa tossed Obito's submission straight into the trash.
He grabbed the next letter.
"The Will of Fire is sacrifice. When danger comes, the older generation goes first. They buy time for the young because the young can build a better future. They're worth more alive. That's how you maximize the village's gains. That's how you make the village stronger."
Rasa nodded. He didn't fully agree, but printing this one in the Weekly would hit Hiruzen like a gut punch. Stir the whole Leaf into another round of arguments. Feed him fresh points.
"Hiruzen doesn't understand the Will of Fire at all."
Danzo snorted as he read the same line in his own copy.
"But I don't think he actually killed Minato either. Hiruzen's too soft. Too indecisive. At worst he's just scared of dying. Not like me."
Danzo's lip curled.
"Hiruzen's way more selfish than I ever was. I've sacrificed for the Leaf for decades and never once complained. If Tobirama-sensei could see us now, he'd regret picking Hiruzen. He'd look me in the eye and say, 'Danzo, I was wrong. I should've chosen you.'"
The bounty contest was setting the entire ninja world on fire.
Part of it was the raw heat around the phrase "Will of Fire." Part of it was the hundred-thousand-ryō prize. Together they pushed the Ninja World Big Events Weekly to a whole new level.
"Best paper out right now, hands down."
"The stories are fire. First Basilisk Scroll, now One Piece. Can't put it down."
"News section actually picks the right stuff. None of that boring village gossip the Rock paper prints. I read one line of theirs and I'm already done."
"Plus they invented character interviews. They grab whoever's hottest and let them talk. No holding back just because it might piss off another village."
"Now they added the bounty contest. Win and you get serious cash."
"Rasa's actually talented as hell. Forget his personal strength for a second—his leadership is on another level. No other Kage comes close. He's brought things to the table nobody else even thought of."
Rasa's reputation had never been higher. Some people still questioned his raw power since he hadn't gone all-out against Hiruzen or Ōnoki yet. But when it came to overall ability, almost nobody doubted him. Most figured any other Kage in his seat would've done worse.
Plenty of shinobi from other villages even felt jealous.
"Why couldn't Rasa have been born in our village?"
"A leader like that would keep a place strong for decades."
They usually stopped short of imagining themselves in Sunagakure, though. The desert was still brutal. Even with Rasa fixing it, it wasn't paradise overnight.
Knock knock knock.
Rasa looked up. "Who is it?"
"Lord Kazekage, it's me. Ebizo."
"Come in."
Ebizo walked in grinning.
"Lord Kazekage, I've got good news."
"What kind?"
Ebizo pulled a strange stone from his robe and set it on the desk.
"This, Lord Kazekage. An old miner found it and brought it straight to us. The stone's packed with serious energy. If we can figure out how to use it, it could help the village a lot."
Rasa stared at the rock and his eyes narrowed.
He knew this stone.
The Grell Stone.
It wasn't supposed to exist outside that movie timeline, yet here it was, real and sitting on his desk.
The Grell Stone came from ancient ruins. It could fuse with a human and turn them into a half-beast hybrid with massive power. Not quite as strong as a real kekkei genkai or Ōtsutsuki bloodline, but still dangerous.
More importantly, the fusion looked exactly like a Zoan-type Devil Fruit from One Piece.
And One Piece was currently the hottest thing in the entire ninja world.
A real-life "Devil Fruit" showing up right now? People would lose their minds. The bidding war would be insane. Sunagakure could sell it for a fortune and pour every ryō straight into more Sun Disks and the Mirage.
Rasa looked at Ebizo.
"Ebizo, send a team. Secure every Grell Stone you can find and bring them back here."
"Yes, Lord Kazekage."
Rasa's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Hours later Ebizo returned with a much larger haul.
They stood inside a massive underground lab. An old miner waited beside a table full of the glowing stones.
"Lord Kazekage, ready when you are."
Rasa nodded.
"Let's begin."