War had come.
Kumogakure took advantage of the chaos and launched a surprise attack on the border of the Land of Wind. The daimyō—who had been cutting military funding for years—panicked and immediately sent envoys to Sunagakure begging for aid.
And just like that—
The entire village felt the pressure of war. Whatever secrecy Chiyo and Ebizō had been trying to maintain… was now shattered.
With the Third Kazekage still missing, the village was leaderless. And now, a full-scale war loomed on the horizon. Who wouldn't panic?
But as shinobi, emotional control was a basic requirement.
Let the villagers panic—that was their right. But the shinobi could not afford to lose composure.
The envoy from the daimyō had only stayed long enough to deliver a few anxious, vague requests before fleeing the village.
No gold.
No supplies.
Nothing.
Even so, the shinobi of Sunagakure didn't hesitate. Under the command of Chiyo and Ebizō, they mobilized immediately.
It had only been one week since that late-night strategy meeting.
The entire village understood the reality: no money, no manpower. But no one wanted to become a wandering rogue.
The First Kazekage—yes, he was a little shameless. At the first Five Kage Summit, he held Shukaku hostage while demanding both land and funding from the "God of Shinobi." Still, the man's original dream was peace for the shinobi world.
It was just… Sunagakure's territory was such a nightmare. The village struggled to make ends meet year after year. The First Kazekage didn't have the luxury of pride.
Because without that thick skin, everyone would've starved.
So what if he was shameless—he did it for the village.
The day after Chiyo and Ebizō left, Rasa and Pakura began leading their assigned units to the frontlines.
To be honest, Rasa had no desire to get involved in the mess of a Third Shinobi World War. But in times like these, who could really stay untouched?
Forget humans—even toads, slugs, and snakes weren't spared.
Just look at the fall of Uzushiogakure.
They had been Konoha's ally. And yet now, Konoha's only offer was to take a single survivor as the next Jinchūriki. All those past promises of loyalty?
"Sorry, who are you again?"
Anyone from outside the village? Treated as a spy on sight.
That was the harsh truth of the shinobi world. Leaving your village didn't mean you'd be welcomed elsewhere like you'd gotten some kind of ninja visa.
Besides…
Karura was still in Sunagakure. She wasn't leaving.
So Rasa had only one option — find a way to earn money, no matter how difficult.
Why couldn't I have reincarnated into Naruto and Sasuke's era… or even Boruto's?
During Naruto's time, you could take a nap on the Hokage Rock and still live peacefully. And in Boruto's era? With Naruto and Sasuke casually carrying the entire ninja world, what was there to worry about?
Kaguya? Kara? Ōtsutsuki clan? None of them needed his help.
He remembered the ten thousand ryō Pakura had loaned him last week. Even she was struggling—elite jōnin, always working missions, and that's all she had.
If someone like her only had ten thousand, what about the rest?
Sunagakure simply didn't have the same mission opportunities as Iwagakure, Kumogakure, or Konoha. And what little they did get? A huge cut went back to the village.
Rasa sighed and shook his head. His plan to sneak off into the desert and dig for gold would have to wait. War came first.
He and Pakura had already split up, each heading toward separate fronts.
"Lord Rasa, do you think Iwagakure will really invade Sunagakure?"
The voice came from one of the shinobi walking beside him. Rasa, still deep in thought about how to make money, turned his head, paused, then nodded.
"They will."
This war wasn't just Kumogakure's fight. No way the other villages would let them take all the spoils. In the end, it would become a massive, chaotic brawl where everyone fought everyone.
And knowing Kumogakure's over-the-top bravado and thirst for domination, they'd keep pushing until someone hit back.
Rasa's goal for now? Stay steady. Let the other villages tear each other apart.
And if they could help him make some cash while they were at it, even better.
He didn't know the full outcome of the Third Shinobi War—but he remembered a few big things:
Might Duy opening the Eight Gates and taking down half of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Minato Namikaze earning the title of "Yellow Flash" and basically solo winning the war for Konoha.
Obito's tragic fall down a path of no return.
That much, he was sure of.
As for the rest?
No clue.
Honestly, Rasa was fine just managing his own corner of the battlefield. As long as he protected his wife and guided his future child well—that was enough.
And maybe, just maybe, if he gathered enough funds…
He could one day stand tall like the God of Shinobi himself, facing a rampaging Nine-Tails and calmly saying:
"Your power is too dangerous, Kyūbi. For the sake of the ninja world's peace… I can't let you run free."
And behind him, 9,999 chakra arms would rise up—one of them grabbing the Nine-Tails by the throat and dragging it back to the village to help build infrastructure.
Who would dare say no?
"So, everyone—get ready!"
Rasa looked at the nervous shinobi around him and sighed quietly.
Sunagakure had suffered blow after blow.
The Kazekage was missing.
The daimyō wasn't providing any support.
Even Rasa himself seemed like a completely different person lately.
And now, with Kumogakure breathing down their necks…
What could they even do?
"Yes, sir!"
But at Rasa's command, the Suna shinobi straightened their backs and responded without hesitation—disciplined as always.
To them, as long as Rasa, Pakura, Chiyo, and Ebizō were still fighting… Sunagakure still had hope.
Maybe Lord Rasa—the disciple of the Third Kazekage—will become the Fourth Kazekage and lead us back to strength.
Rasa saw that they were beginning to regain morale, and exhaled in relief. He glanced at the dimming sky.
"Set up camp here. We need to reach our destination by tomorrow."
Kumogakure wasn't coming just to mess with a poor, crumbling village.
No.
This was a power play.
"Set up a perimeter and assign sentries."
Meanwhile, back in Sunagakure—
With the first waves of shinobi already deployed, more would trickle out over time—either newly sent out or returning from field missions.
But the village still faced enormous problems: lack of manpower, lack of funds, and the early war effort having drained their forces in the search for the missing Kazekage.
That's how their defenses had been weakened—and why other villages were emboldened to strike.
Still, Sunagakure was one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
Any village bold enough to poke the tiger twice—like they did with Konoha—wasn't going down without a fight.
They were no longer in a position to charge blindly into war.
"Per Chiyo-sama's orders, we need to fast-track graduation for a group of Academy students," one jōnin said seriously, facing a clearly frustrated teacher.
"We don't have a choice. The village needs numbers. Please… just do your best."
"Choose the best among them. The ones with potential. The rest…"
He sighed.
"…Do what you can to keep those kids alive."