Boom!
Susanoo's massive greatsword came crashing down. The towering, multi-layered sand pyramid—Rasa's strongest defensive construct—split cleanly in half before rapidly collapsing into a cascade of golden dust.
"How… how is this possible?"
Rasa's eyes widened in disbelief. His ultimate defense, a technique he believed to be impregnable, was destroyed as if it were nothing more than brittle clay. The shock paralyzed him for a heartbeat—but the Susanoo's blade did not pause.
Panicking, Rasa's hands flashed through a rapid sequence of seals. One after another, three defensive layers materialized: Sand Shield… Sand Armor… Air Sand Protective Wall.
But it was pointless.
With a deafening crack, Susanoo's blade smashed the Air Sand Protective Wall into glittering fragments. The Sand Armor and Sand Shield disintegrated immediately after, shredded like wet paper.
A sharp sound rang out—ka—and Rasa's lower body vanished in a blur of force. Sand exploded around him, revealing torn flesh, exposed white bone, and fallen clumps of golden dust dripping with blood.
"Susanoo… truly terrifying power."
Rasa coughed violently. Blood and sand streamed down his face as he stared at Uchiha Hikari in disbelief. His Magnet Release had allowed him to rise to the position of Fourth Kazekage—yet it was utterly meaningless before such overwhelming might. His pride, built over decades, shattered in that moment.
Neji appeared beside the dying Kazekage, pulling Samui and Uchiha Izumi with him using his Body Vibration Technique.
"Fourth Kazekage," Neji said calmly, "this is a miserable sight for someone who once ruled the Hidden Sand."
At that instant, another figure landed lightly on the battlefield—Sasori, descending from his puppet with a cold sneer.
"Kazekage-sama," Sasori said with open disdain, "to think you would end up like this."
Rasa looked up, shocked. "Sasori… you? Why? I always gave you everything you asked for. For over ten years we cooperated—why betray me now?"
"Blame yourself," Sasori replied indifferently as he collected the severed half of Rasa's body into a scroll, "for starting a war so casually."
Rasa laughed bitterly, coughing blood. "This world… thrives on war…! I fought for the sake of the Hidden Sand. For the good of the village, I abandoned my teacher, my comrades… even my wife and child. But in the end…"
He paused, the light in his eyes fading.
"…it seems I've never lived even a single day for myself. How pathetic."
With that final thought, the Fourth Kazekage died, his golden dust drifting like dying embers in the wind.
---
Hidden Sand Army Camp, Land of Frost
Inside a large command tent, a dozen senior Sand shinobi sat around a round table. The atmosphere was tense, the air heavy with unspoken fear.
"It has been a week," Ebizo said, rubbing his tired eyes. "Still no leads. We must make a decision."
"The Fourth Kazekage vanished just like the Third," another high-ranking shinobi growled, slamming the table. "This is absurd!"
The man with long black hair and a red robe—Masa, one of Rasa's closest confidants—stood up angrily.
"No need to think further. This is clearly the work of the Hidden Cloud. At first, I didn't understand why the Cloud's garrison in the Land of Hot Water moved straight to the Western Front—but now everything makes sense."
Many nodded in agreement. Accusatory murmurs filled the tent.
Only Chiyo and Ebizo remained silent.
They had personally led the search. They found traces of battle and large amounts of golden dust near the border between the Land of Frost and the Land of Lightning—but no body. Knowing the army's morale would collapse, they secretly suppressed the news, declaring the Kazekage "missing."
Everyone, however, understood what "missing" meant.
The purpose of the meeting was clear: electing the Fifth Kazekage.
After a long silence, Ebizo finally spoke.
"Hidden Sand cannot remain leaderless for a single day. Speak your thoughts."
The tent fell silent. No one dared to put themselves forward—being Kazekage in wartime was a death sentence.
Seeing the hesitation, Ebizo called out directly:
"Baki. Masa. Have neither of you anything to say?"
Baki shook his head immediately. "It's not that I don't want to help, but… I do not possess the strength needed to stand as Kazekage."
Though an elite jōnin with a strong reputation, Baki understood well that the Kazekage must be capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with other Kage. Without that power, he would shame the entire village.
Masa snorted. "If Baki refuses, then I will not. I, Masa, am willing to take up the position of Fifth Kazekage and lead the village through this crisis."
Though lacking the strength of his predecessor, Masa had influential connections among the clans. And right now, Hidden Sand needed someone, anyone, to stabilize the chaos.
Chiyo sighed quietly. Masa was not an ideal candidate—but he was the only feasible choice.
Ebizo produced an emergency Kazekage headpiece—a simple green hat—and placed it into Masa's hands.
Masa donned it proudly and walked to the Kazekage's chair.
"Now," Ebizo said sharply, "the most important matter: how do we end this war?"
Masa raised his chin, confidence swelling.
"Hidden Cloud is powerful. We cannot defeat them. But we also cannot simply retreat, or we will become a laughingstock among the Five Great Nations."
He paused.
"I propose we station our main forces here in the Land of Frost and wait for the Cloud to send diplomatic envoys. Once negotiations begin, we can retreat honorably."
The jōnin exchanged uneasy looks.
Chiyo finally opened her eyes. "That is too dangerous. First, withdraw the puppet corps to the village. As for negotiations with Hidden Cloud—leave that to us."
Masa frowned, touching the Kazekage hat on his head.
"So it seems this hat doesn't automatically make someone Kazekage."
The remark clearly jabbed at the two elderly advisors. Tension rippled through the tent. Their opposing intentions clashed sharply, and the meeting dissolved in frustration.
---
Three Days Later — A Mountain Hollow in the Land of Frost
Neji reviewed the latest intelligence report delivered by Sasori.
"So, Hidden Sand has chosen their Fifth Kazekage… Masa. Hmph. His tenure will be short-lived."
Sasori, polishing the new Fourth Kazekage puppet, smiled faintly. "What do you plan to do?"
"Three days," Neji said flatly. "I want news spreading across the world: the Fifth Kazekage has vanished."
"No need for three days," Sasori replied, chuckling. "You'll hear it tomorrow."
True enough.
Using Yura—the traitor deeply embedded within the Hidden Sand—Sasori infiltrated the camp effortlessly. Masa, wearing his new Kazekage hat for less than two days, was slain instantly. His body was sealed into a scroll for future puppet crafting.
Samui watched the scene unfold, twirling a short knife between her fingers.
"So that was the new Kazekage… unbelievably weak."
"Indeed," Sasori said without looking up. "But within the Hidden Sand, no one can stand against a Kazekage puppet."
Pakura crossed her arms. "Don't be too confident. Their Jinchūriki—Gaara—has already matured."
"Gaara?" Sasori paused, recalling the sand demon. "A true monster."
Moments later, Yura arrived to report.
"Sasori-sama, we must retreat. The next patrol team is approaching."
Sasori thanked him lightly. Yura's eyes shone with fanatic loyalty.
By the following morning, the news spread across the entire shinobi world:
The Fifth Kazekage has mysteriously disappeared.
---
Hidden Cloud Village — Western Front
"Hahahaha!"
The Fourth Raikage slammed the table so hard it exploded beneath his fist. His laughter echoed through the command tent.
"Hidden Sand… always producing the most ridiculous jokes!"
When Neji first proposed the plan to eliminate the enemy Kage, even the Raikage had his doubts. Taking the head of a Kage hidden among tens of thousands of soldiers seemed impossible.
But now?
Two Kazekage had vanished within days.
"Neji," Tsuchida said with a sigh, "that boy is frighteningly capable."
With Yugito and Shisui already deployed, the Hidden Cloud no longer needed to stay on the defensive.
The Raikage donned his war hat and barked toward Tsuchida:
"Prepare for battle! Ōnoki will panic after this. It's time to strike!"
---
Iwagakure Army Headquarters
Ōnoki was trembling with rage.
"How dare those fools from the Hidden Sand call themselves one of the Five Great Nations?! Useless! Worse than useless!"
He tore the intelligence scroll into pieces. His furious movements nearly strained his already aging back, but he ignored the pain.
The disappearance of the Fourth Kazekage had destabilized their joint operation. Before Iwagakure could even react, the Fifth Kazekage vanished as well.
Another elder spoke anxiously:
"With Hidden Sand unreliable, we cannot confront Hidden Cloud alone. Their Jinchūriki and elite forces are too strong."
Iwagakure had the largest number of shinobi and devastating Earth Release combination techniques—but their high-tier combat power had sharply declined after losing two Jinchūriki.
A hawkish elder tried to salvage the mood. "Our initial objective was weakening the Cloud. In that sense… we succeeded."
But even he sounded unsure.
Kitsuchi added grimly, "Reports say the Hidden Cloud is preparing for a counterattack."
Ōnoki took a slow breath, rubbing his aching back. Regardless of his frustration, he knew Iwagakure could not fall here.
He remembered a certain shadowy group…
"…The Akatsuki Organization. If necessary, I will hire them. We need every advantage."
---
Land of Rice Fields — Village Hidden in the Sound
In a dim room, Orochimaru lay on a bed, pallid and weakened. His arms—sealed away by the Reaper Death Seal—hung lifeless at his sides.
Without his arms, his strength and research capabilities were crippled. Regaining them was his only priority.
The Shinobi World continued to descend into chaos, but for Orochimaru, one truth overshadowed everything:
Power must be reclaimed. Whatever the cost.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)