Carl didn't think much of Rasa as a person. In terms of strength, Rasa could only be considered mediocre among the Kage. In the original timeline, his death had been equally sloppy. As the leader of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, he tried to cooperate with Orochimaru to disgust Konoha, only to be betrayed and killed by that very ally. Truly pathetic.
So even though Rasa's attitude toward Carl at their first meeting was already far better than that of the previous three Kage, Carl merely replied calmly to his question:
"My identity is none of your concern. If you don't want anything destroyed, have your youngest son come forward. I'm here to retrieve the tanuki inside him."
Hearing that Carl had come for the tailed beast—the very foundation of Sunagakure—and speaking so arrogantly about it, the Suna shinobi immediately revealed murderous intent.
Granted, Sunagakure was somewhat weaker than the other four great villages, but it was still far beyond the level of minor villages or wandering shinobi. The heritage of a great ninja village was not something the small fry could compare to.
Moreover, the power of the tailed beast was crucial to Sunagakure's survival. Even Rasa, who had intended to resolve the situation peacefully, narrowed his eyes slightly as strands of pale golden sand rose around his feet.
Magnet Release: Gold Dust — Rasa's signature technique.
"It seems you intend to make an enemy of Sunagakure. In that case…"
A sharp glint flashed in Rasa's eyes. He raised both arms, and a massive amount of gold dust shot into the sky, forming a golden cube above his head before crashing toward Carl.
Carl's lips curled into a disdainful smile. Such tricks were nothing but child's play to him. Cubes? Perfect. Not long ago, he had obtained quite a few abilities from Isshiki — including his signature technique, Daikokuten.
Under the watchful eyes of the Suna shinobi, Carl stood motionless. In his golden eyes appeared eight vertical patterns arranged in a ring. Before him, a black cube of equal size materialized out of thin air.
The next second, the golden cube slammed into the black cube. The impact felt like an egg striking stone — the gold dust cube instantly disintegrated into a shower of particles, while the black cube remained perfectly intact, floating in place without moving an inch.
Rasa's heart sank. But since he had already chosen to act, he could not stop now. He clapped his hands together, preparing a more powerful Magnet Release technique.
Carl gave him no such chance.
He simply pointed at Rasa.
The black cube vanished from midair — and reappeared above Rasa's head the next instant.
"Impossible… Space–time ninjutsu?!"
Rasa's pupils shrank. He released his hand seal and tried to escape the cube's range, but his speed was far inferior to its descent. Before he could move, the black cube came crashing down.
At the last moment, Rasa hastily mobilized gold dust to shield his body. Even so, the tremendous impact forced blood from his mouth and nose. With a single blow, he was critically wounded and completely lost the ability to fight.
Seeing their Kazekage defeated in an instant, the Suna shinobi froze in shock.
Carl, however, looked impatient. He raised a hand glowing faintly with white light and said coldly:
"Looks like I'll have to clear the field first."
The Suna shinobi swallowed nervously as they stared at the white glow in his palm. Their instincts told them that Carl's next technique would bring utter destruction to Sunagakure.
...
"Please wait!"
An aged voice rang out.
"Hm?"
Carl raised a brow and glanced sideways. A small elderly woman arrived with three youths in tow. From their attire alone, Carl easily recognized their identities.
The elderly woman at the front was Chiyo, an advisor of Sunagakure. The face-painted boy was Kankuro. The beautiful girl holding a giant fan was Temari. And the last one — with a gloomy expression, heavy dark circles, and a massive gourd on his back — was Carl's target: the One-Tail jinchūriki, Gaara.
Seeing Gaara, Carl wasted no words. He raised a hand and unleashed dark gravitational force. Even with Chiyo standing protectively in front, Gaara was instantly dragged forward, about to be seized by Carl.
Suddenly, a torrent of sand burst from the gourd on Gaara's back, forming a female-shaped sand sculpture that tightly protected him in midair, blocking Carl's hand.
A hint of surprise flashed through Carl's eyes before he quickly understood.
It appeared — the legendary Mom Susanoo!
Rasa, pinned to the ground, stared blankly at the sand figure protecting Gaara and murmured:
"Karura… is that you?"
Protected within the sand, Gaara himself looked bewildered. Carl's attack had been too fast — he hadn't even reacted. He had no idea how this sand had suddenly appeared.
But Carl gave him no time to think.
Black energy spread from Carl's hand pressed against the sand. Before the power of darkness, the indestructible Mom Susanoo meant nothing. The sand was completely devoured, and Gaara ultimately fell into Carl's grasp.
Examining Gaara's panda-like eyes, Carl said calmly:
"Kid, your mother was a great woman. That was the embodiment of her love."
Gaara's pupils shrank. He immediately fell into hysteria and roared:
"Let me go! What do you know!?"
At this moment, Chiyo hurriedly shouted:
"You can take the One-Tail! Please don't harm him!"
On the ground, Rasa coughed up another mouthful of blood and shouted:
"Lady Chiyo!!"
But Chiyo ignored the Fourth Kazekage and stared fixedly at Carl.
Carl narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Oh? In your heart, is Gaara more important than the tailed beast? Or do you not know what happens to a jinchūriki after the beast is extracted?"
Chiyo nodded. Determination flashed through her cloudy eyes.
"I know. But I have my own way to preserve Gaara's life."
Carl chuckled softly.
"Interesting. Your method… is the One's Own Life Reincarnation Technique, isn't it? But that requires your life in exchange."
Chiyo's pupils shrank. She hadn't expected Carl to know even that. The Suna shinobi stared at her in shock, while Temari tugged at her sleeve, whispering sorrowfully:
"Lady Chiyo…"
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+80 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg