Chapter 1: Fake Liquor Ruins Lives
At the end of the 41st year of the Hidden Leaf calendar, winter swept across the entire ninja world. Even the sun-scorched sands of the Hidden Sand Village were now dusted with a thin layer of snow.
But just like the cold outside, a deep sadness had settled over the village. The mysterious disappearance of the Third Kazekage—long rumored—had finally become public knowledge.
He had been missing for over half a year, and no one knew where he had gone. Even Rasa, his personal disciple, had no idea. As much as people didn't want to admit it, the truth was clear to most: the Third Kazekage was likely dead.
But the question remained—
Who could possibly kill the Kazekage without a trace?
Was it the Hokage of Konoha? The Tsuchikage of Iwagakure? Maybe the Raikage of Kumogakure, or the Mizukage of Kirigakure?
But in everyone's hearts… Konoha was the most suspicious.
After all, as the strongest village in the ninja world, Konoha had emerged victorious in two world wars. Their power was undeniable.
And to silently eliminate a Kage? That wasn't something one person could manage alone. Maybe—
Maybe the Kazekage had fought Konoha's Hokage and the Sannin all by himself for the village's safety… and fell in battle.
Now, with the Kazekage missing, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind was cutting the village's funding and reducing the number of ninjas. Suna's military strength was falling fast. And now that other villages had caught wind of the situation—
The Hidden Sand Village was in peril.
Even Rasa himself was devastated by his master's disappearance. He wandered aimlessly, dazed and unrecognizable.
Elder Chiyo suspected it was trauma-induced madness.
With no clear successor and Rasa in shambles, the village was gripped by anxiety and hopelessness. No one could see a future for Suna.
---
"Rasa, feeling any better?"
"Sorry for making you worry."
Rasa looked up at the young woman who had just entered—short light-blonde hair, soft smile, deep blue eyes, and a casual dress.
"You don't have to come here every day, Karura."
Karura—his fiancée. Their wedding was planned for this season, but it had to be postponed because of the Kazekage's disappearance.
Rasa didn't mind the delay. After all, he had just arrived in this world. He hadn't even been here a month. He needed time to adjust to his memories—especially now, as a single, broke writer who suddenly had a beautiful fiancée.
Honestly, he was excited. But beneath that, he didn't know how to face such a kind woman.
Because… he was Rasa, but also not Rasa.
Since he'd passed out drunk and was found unconscious, Karura had been visiting daily—cooking, cleaning, and trying to cheer him up.
But no one knew that the Kazekage's disappearance wasn't the only reason for his strange behavior.
Fortunately, Elder Chiyo's diagnosis hadn't revealed he was a different person entirely. He had access to Rasa's memories, which helped him blend in. Otherwise, he'd probably be strapped to a lab table by now.
"I'm fine now. Really. I can manage on my own."
As Karura tied on her apron and got to work cleaning and preparing dinner—
"I'm serious. You can trust me!"
"I believe you." Karura smiled gently, though her heart ached as she thought, You never used to look at me like that.
"I caught a fish in the lake behind the mountain today. Fish are getting scarcer, and the water's been drying up. Some believe this place might truly become a desert one day…"
She turned away from him, still speaking gently. "This fish should help you recover."
"Thanks."
"You never used to say thank you."
"…"
Rasa could only sigh at her sudden change in tone.
"How did I end up being the future Fourth Kazekage…?"
Think about it—what did the Fourth Kazekage even accomplish?
His wife died young. He mentally wrecked his own son. Sure, Naruto later knocked some sense into him with a flurry of punches… but the man never remarried.
And he partnered with Orochimaru—despite Orochimaru being the Third Hokage's student!
Orochimaru destroyed Konoha's foundation while training the "Konoha 12" into elite ninjas. What did Suna gain?
The Fourth Kazekage died mysteriously, their best fighters were gone, and a twelve-year-old orphan took over as Kazekage.
Suna was already in decline.
But none of that mattered now. What mattered was…
With the Third Kazekage's disappearance, another ninja war was brewing.
"Damn that fake liquor…"
Why would a proper ninja drink bargain booze?
At least he had an excuse—he was poor and desperate. Two fake-drunk fools collided, and he got reborn with Rasa's memories.
Looking at the beautiful, gentle woman before him… Was it worth it?
---
The village was in shambles. Even eating fish was a luxury. Income came solely from missions. The Daimyo was cutting support. The land was deteriorating. Birth rate decent, death rate worse.
So why was he here?
To help revive a struggling desert village?
Was this some weird isekai version of "supporting western development"?
Anyway, Karura soon finished preparing a simple dinner—fish soup with wild greens.
Honestly, life in Suna was rough.
Even mildly savory fish soup wasn't an everyday luxury.
"Time to eat~"
Rasa, genuinely hungry, eagerly dug in. Despite its simplicity, Karura's cooking was delicious. He paused when he noticed her watching him with a soft smile, chin resting on her hand.
He glanced at her untouched bowl, hesitated, then added some food to it.
"Why aren't you eating?"
"You're making me feel awkward."
"I'm eating now~"
Once she picked up her bowl, Rasa went back to eating—and finally turned to the one thing that came with him to this world:
The Gacha System.
As long as he "charged" it with money, he could draw items—anything from an apple core to an aircraft carrier.
Of course, as a low-tier player, aircraft carriers were out of reach. Most of what he got were useless junk items, though he'd scored a few decent stat boosters.
He had spent his entire fortune—100,000 silver—on ten pulls. The result: +2 to vitality, +2 to strength, +2 to chakra, and four apple cores.
Not great.
Why was that his entire fortune? Well… Suna was broke. Most ninja mission pay went into keeping the village running. As the student of the Third Kazekage, he wasn't doing much better.
That's also why he'd bought cheap liquor in the first place.
After dinner, Karura handed him a cup of plain hot water. He sat on the tatami mat, watching her quietly resume her chores.
"Honestly… this isn't so bad."
He smiled.
After a moment of hesitation, he softly called out:
"Karura… do you prefer the old me or—"
Whoosh—
A ninja in Suna uniform appeared silently at the entrance.
"Rasa-sama, Elder Chiyo has summoned you to the Kazekage building for a meeting."