A pretty boy preserved for decades?
Rasa didn't care one bit.
After all, Sunagakure was a village built on honesty, warmth, and harmony—an upright shinobi village that pursued nothing but truth and integrity. But Jiraiya's demands were practically asking them to throw their honesty into the desert and let it bake in the sun.
Unfortunately for him, Sunagakure prided itself on being straightforward and trustworthy. They would never resort to deception. Everything had to be based on cold, hard facts!
The reason Jiraiya had arrived in Sunagakure so early was twofold.
For one, he had been wandering aimlessly for source material and, before he realized it, ended up not far from the Land of Wind. So he figured—why not head to Sunagakure directly? It was already late July, nearly August. The tournament was only a month away.
That's just how the Toad Sage traveled—wandering without direction, led only by inspiration and impulse.
The second reason seemed to involve that old goat Chiyo's brother, Ebizō. But as the Kazekage, Rasa had no intention of prying into someone else's private business.
Right now, the top priority was prepping for the massive events kicking off in September.
As for Elder Ebizō… he still hadn't returned. He was out leading Shukaku on a project in the Land of Rain.
That operation in the Land of Rain was a crucial one—it was part of Sunagakure's century-long development plan!
—
Time flew.
Late August, Year 53 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar.
With the tournament date fast approaching, more and more shinobi from across the ninja world were arriving in Sunagakure to compete.
Jiraiya wandered idly through the village streets.
Compared to the earlier, boring weeks here, things were a lot more lively now.
Unfortunately…
"Why hasn't Tsunade arrived yet?"
He sighed helplessly as he munched on a grilled volcanic rock sausage—a Sunagakure specialty.
No starch added, made from pure natural pork—70% lean, 30% fat. The casing had the perfect snap, and the moment you bit in, the juicy, savory flavor exploded in your mouth.
Delicious, affordable, and packed with meat—definitely one of his favorite snacks during this stay.
Earlier this month, once the registration window opened, he had moved out of the budget mud-brick inn and into the luxurious Grand Sail Hotel, where all tournament participants could stay for free.
Though he'd given up on entering the 4WD and Beyblade tournaments, he had signed up for the Shinobi King Tournament. He was even scheduled to guest-host the event—joining the same loudmouth who'd been tied to a cross during the last 4WD event as co-host.
Busy times ahead.
Which meant he wasn't just a contestant—he was a temporary co-host, too.
As for why he'd spent the past month in a dusty old inn made of adobe walls?
He had to pinch pennies for the sake of his goddess, of course~
He was drowning in debt. Even his book royalties couldn't dig him out. How could he indulge himself at a time like this?
He, Jiraiya, was not that kind of man.
The only disappointment was that he hadn't seen any more "Star God" at the Star Gazing Platform this month. He was highly suspicious that the so-called Star Gods were all a scam orchestrated by that conniving Fourth Kazekage.
Trying to deceive shinobi? Unforgivable!
As one of the Legendary Sannin, the Toad Sage, and heartthrob of the ninja world, he couldn't stand for this kind of fraud. It was a disgrace to the Five Great Villages.
He had decided—when Tsunade arrived, he would drag her to the observatory. They'd go together. Again and again, if they had to. He would uncover Sunagakure's tricks.
Because that's just how righteous he was!
He took a swig from a glass-bottled soda. Compared to the canned version, the glass bottle held more, cost less, and tasted better. The only downside was needing to return the bottle to get your deposit back.
"All right, that's enough. I'll just finish up here and fill my stomach at the Grand Sail Hotel."
Plenty of free food there—no need to waste money outside.
He'd also heard that old geezer from Sunagakure wanted to discuss some big business deal with him. But it'd been a month and the guy still hadn't shown up. Supposedly, he was busy working in the Land of Rain.
Jiraiya knew about the alliance between Sunagakure and the Rain.
Unfortunately, thanks to Danzō's antics, the folks in Amegakure weren't exactly fond of Konoha right now. Sure, Danzō was officially a Sunagakure partner now, monopolizing the Fire Country market, but…
The grudge Amegakure held against Danzō wasn't going to disappear anytime soon.
He bought a popsicle—it was scorching in Sunagakure at midday—and paused as he noticed a group of shinobi walking in through the village gate.
"Huh? Kumogakure's finally here?"
Over the past few days, more and more shinobi from other villages had begun arriving for the tournaments.
The Grand Sail Hotel had very limited rooms. First come, first served. Anyone arriving late would have to stay in cramped, cheap inns—or worse, get stuffed into dormitories in the industrial district.
He frowned slightly, eyeing the Kumo-nin who had just arrived.
"Where the hell are Konoha's guys? Why aren't they here yet?"
His gaze landed on one particular figure at the front of the Kumogakure delegation.
"…The Fourth Raikage?"
What was he doing here?
Was he planning to compete too?
Jiraiya's thoughts flicked to the "all-black" character in the Shinobi King game—only the teeth were white. Honestly, it wasn't surprising the guy had come in person.
It was… humiliating.
After the Second Great Ninja War, Konoha's old man Hokage rarely left the village—maybe an occasional trip to the Fire Daimyō's mansion, tops. But the other Kage? They came and went all the time.
So the Fourth Raikage showing up wasn't out of the ordinary.
Still, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.
"That sneaky wind bastard… Did he make the character look that hideous just to bait other villages into showing up?"
What a devious move.
—
"What? The Fourth Raikage is here?" Rasa frowned as he looked across the table at Yashamaru.
"Do we know why he came?"
"Maybe… he's upset his character is too black?"
"..."
Rasa gave Yashamaru a deadpan look, clearly unimpressed by the joke.
He folded his hands in front of his face, still frowning in thought.
"That's definitely not it. The Fourth Raikage is famous for being a tough guy. Sure, he once drank my used footbath water, but—"
"…Footbath water?"
"Don't worry about that detail. My point is, that guy wouldn't come all this way just because of a video game character."
Rasa's face darkened. He pressed his palms together in front of his brow, deep in contemplation.
"Think about what he did in Konoha after the war—he made the current Hyūga clan head kneel. So… this isn't simple. There's definitely some plot here targeting our village."
"You want me to…?" Yashamaru felt that the Kazekage's words made sense. He narrowed his eyes and made a hand gesture. "Or maybe… just keep them outside the village?"
"No need," Rasa shook his head.
"Just assign more people to keep eyes on the Kumo-nin 24/7. And make sure our key facilities are guarded tightly. No unauthorized personnel allowed near them—at all."
His tone was firm, serious, commanding.
"Remember—no matter what it takes, we must uncover what kind of scheme Kumogakure is planning."