My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

Although Rasa's presence as Kazekage exerted pressure on the ordinary shinobi, it did not affect the remaining five people.

Among them, except for Baki, the other four were either equal to or not much weaker than Rasa. Trouncing them was impossible. Thus, when Rasa posed his question, the four remained seated in silence, each maintaining their own posture. Only Baki finally spoke up.

"Kazekage-sama, the Anbu are ready. We're just awaiting your orders."

Rasa gave Baki a satisfied nod before turning to the remaining four.

"Good. Baki, ensure the Anbus remain on standby since we will have great use for them soon. Now, what about the rest of you?"

Despite his inquiry, the four still refused to speak, subtly opposing Rasa's authority.

However, Rasa was in no rush. He held the legitimacy of the Kazekage title. While the ninja world was chaotic, it still followed a traditional structure—especially within a military village like Sunagakure, where hierarchy and authority held significant weight.

So, he continued staring them down, allowing the room to sink into an eerie silence.

Perhaps the oppressive atmosphere became unbearable, or maybe they felt the need to acknowledge Rasa as the Fourth Kazekage—either way, the first to break the silence was Ebizō, who spoke in his hoarse voice.

"Fourth Kazekage, this is no longer a matter that Sunagakure alone can decide. The Daimyō has also expressed interest in involving us."

"Hmph! Sunagakure is Sunagakure, and the Daimyō is the Daimyō. They have no right to order us around!" The voice came from Pakura, her tone cold and proud.

"That may be true, but our village is located in an impoverished desert. If we want funds for development, we can't ignore the Daimyō's support," Mijikawa added with a sigh.

"Heh!" Pakura knew this was the reality and let out a frustrated scoff.

Sunagakure's current predicament was dire. Without the Daimyō's financial backing, the village struggled to obtain food supplies. Sometimes, even having money wasn't enough—someone had to be willing to sell them food.

Now that everyone had spoken, only Chiyo remained silent. Rasa turned his gaze to her, not speaking—just waiting.

At this point, Chiyo had little reason to resist any further. With a dry chuckle, she finally addressed him.

"Kazekage-sama seems to have already made up his mind. Whether I speak or not, it makes no difference, does it?"

With her words, the rest of the group turned their eyes to Rasa, waiting for his response.

Rasa was satisfied with how things had progressed so far. At the very least, it showed that his position as Kazekage still held enough weight to command attention.

So, he didn't waste time. Instead, he got straight to the point.

"I do have a plan. However, before I explain, I must confirm one thing first."

He scanned the room and then asked his question.

"Do you all truly believe we can defeat Konoha?"

Silence.

But this time, the silence wasn't eerie—it was heavy, laced with quiet sighs and unspoken truths.

Unlike the others who had been debating so heatedly earlier, the five before him were among the village's most experienced and powerful individuals. They had seen too much and knew the true answer to this question.

As much as they hated to admit it, Sunagakure was simply not on the same level as Konoha in terms of strength.

If not for the current turmoil—where Iwagakure and Kumogakure had already made their moves—Sunagakure would never have considered launching an attack on Konoha.

Seeing their reactions, Rasa didn't push for an answer. Instead, he spoke again.

"It seems you all already know the answer. Since its founding, Sunagakure has fought countless battles against other nations and ninja villages. Many have died, yet what have we truly gained?"

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle in.

"Not just our village—even our country remains the same. For decades, our borders have not changed. We are still trapped in this barren desert, with nothing to show for our struggles."

Rasa's words made everyone reflect.

Though they were all warriors, none of them actually enjoyed war. Wherever there was war, there was death. Each of them had lost loved ones to battle. They knew its cost too well.

"Then, are you saying we should avoid this war?" Ebizō asked, his tone shifting slightly as if he was beginning to understand Rasa's reasoning.

"No. We will fight," Rasa declared firmly.

He had no intention of backing down. If anything, he intended to use this war to solidify his authority as Kazekage.

"Otherwise, neither the Daimyō nor the villagers will accept it. Because of what happened to the Third Kazekage, Sunagakure has long held a grudge against Konoha."

Rasa paused for a moment before opening his eyes firm.

"However, this time, we will not fight as we have before. Before we act, we must clearly define our goal."

This statement left room for many interpretations. Each person present had their own thoughts on what the goal of the war should be.

While some were still contemplating, Chiyo grew impatient.

"If you have a plan, Kazekage, just say it. I'm getting too old to sit here all day," she grumbled.

Rasa gave the old woman a sharp look but refrained from commenting. Instead, he got straight to the point.

"Since Elder Ebizō mentioned our village's economic struggles, let's address that. Sunagakure is located in a barren desert, making financial growth difficult. While my Magnet Release allows me to extract gold dust from the sand, this is not a sustainable long-term solution."

His gaze darkened as he continued.

"Because of this, our objective in this war cannot be territorial expansion. This time, we will not fight for the Land of Fire's land. Instead, we have only one goal—plundering its wealth and resources to secure Sunagakure's future."

At this, the room fell silent.

Regardless of their opinions on Rasa as Kazekage, there was no denying that Sunagakure needed funds and resources.

Seeing their reactions, Rasa pulled out a map of the Land of Fire and laid it on the table.

"This is the Land of Fire's map. Here's the plan: Pakura, Michikawa, and I will each lead a group of shinobi. We will strike fast and hard, reaching this point within a single day."

He traced a line dividing the Land of Fire into two sections.

"As we all know, outright defeating Konoha is impossible. Our goal is not victory but stalling for time."

"Stalling for time?" Some of them were confused.

Rasa nodded and elaborated.

"As I said, our objective is wealth and resources. The Land of Fire is extremely wealthy. Even if we only occupy a third of its territory, we'll have access to major cities like Moriya, Monobe, and Daika—all filled with nobles and aristocrats."

His eyes sharpened.

"Our mission is to rob them of everything they own."

Now, he had their full attention.

No matter what opinions they held of Rasa, his plan undeniably benefited Sunagakure's future.

Satisfied, Rasa gave his final instructions.

"Once we reach this area, our only priority will be to stall Konoha's counterattack. During this time, Elder Ebizō and Baki, I need you to lead your teams and strip those cities of all their wealth. Every single valuable must be taken back to Sunagakure."

At last, the room no longer held doubt—only anticipation.