The red-haired ninja stood amid the drifting sand, his expression shifting with uncertainty as he faced a phenomenon he had never encountered before.
If Hayashi was an ordinary player, then Rasa was a pay-to-win type of player.
But even pay-to-win players had limits. Against someone with a cheat-like ability, even overwhelming resources could lose their meaning.
Rasa narrowed his eyes, clearly unsettled.
Magnet Release, in simple terms, was the conversion of refined chakra into magnetic force to control metallic substances.
Both the gold dust and sand were still present in the battlefield, yet they were no longer under his command. That did not mean his technique had been neutralized, but rather that his chakra had been absorbed entirely.
This was the first time Rasa had encountered a shinobi capable of directly absorbing chakra.
He wanted to continue testing the strength of the red-haired ninja in front of him, but Hayashi and the others had already taken advantage of the opening to retreat and widen the distance.
The situation shifted immediately.
"Hidden Sand ninjas, what is the meaning of this?" Hayashi asked again, his tone carrying restrained anger.
Ebizo stepped forward, his expression cold.
"You are suspected of murdering Sunagakure shinobi. You will remain here for investigation."
At his signal, several ninjas emerged rapidly from the surroundings, closing in on the members of Akatsuki.
Hayashi gritted his teeth and glanced at his subordinates.
"Retreat."
The Sunagakure camp was right ahead, and their numbers were overwhelming. If they were surrounded, there would be no escape.
As soon as the command was given, Konan brought her hands together and clapped lightly.
In an instant, paper tags hidden beneath the ground rose into view.
Explosive tags.
There were at least a hundred of them, clearly prepared in advance to prevent pursuit.
Konan formed hand seals.
A chain reaction of explosions erupted across the field. Heat waves surged outward, kicking up dense yellow sand that swallowed visibility and forced the pursuing ninjas to halt their advance.
Rasa reacted instantly, forming a hand sign. Sand rose up like a massive barrier, shielding Sunagakure's forces from the blast.
When the explosions finally faded, the members of Akatsuki had already vanished without a trace.
Inside the main command tent of Sunagakure.
A shinobi with a dark expression and a white headscarf slammed his fist down.
"We cannot let the Rain ninjas get away with this."
He was referring to Amegakure.
Although Hayashi had tried to explain the situation, no one had truly listened. In their eyes, he was simply another subordinate of Hanzō.
If they were Hanzō's people, then Hanzō would naturally bear responsibility.
Hanzō, the so called demigod of the ninja world, had once been defeated by Konoha's Yellow Flash, and his deterrence had weakened significantly.
Even if he still held his title, so what?
A small country like the Land of Rain had no right to provoke Sunagakure.
In the hierarchy of the ninja world, a clear chain of contempt existed.
Konoha looked down on the Five Great Nations, the Five Great Nations looked down on each other, and all of them looked down on smaller countries.
Sunagakure, having suffered the humiliation of losing the Third Kazekage to Konoha, sat even lower in perception among the great powers.
To them, small nations were nothing more than tools, buffers, or disposable pawns.
Amegakure, as the strongest of the minor villages due to Hanzō's presence, occupied a slightly higher position in that hierarchy, but it was still insignificant in the eyes of the great nations.
The death of Sunagakure ninjas at the hands of so called Rain ninjas could not simply be ignored. If they stayed silent, it would only damage Sunagakure's standing.
This was why many lower ranking shinobi demanded retaliation against the Land of Rain.
However, Rasa and Ebizo remained silent.
Amegakure itself was not the real concern.
Konoha was.
Konoha and Hanzō were currently allied. A direct invasion of the Land of Rain could easily be interpreted as hostility toward Konoha.
"We do not have time to worry about Sunagakure right now. Their forces are clearly moving toward the Land of Earth," someone in the tent said.
The concentration of troops near Iwagakure's border was far greater than here. It was obvious that a larger conflict was brewing.
Ōnoki had already begun maneuvering, seeking alliances to counter Konoha.
Sunagakure and Iwagakure had long maintained an alliance, strengthened further by mutual opposition to Konoha.
But this time, the Third Kazekage had given no clear response to Ōnoki's proposal.
That silence was effectively a refusal.
Every major village was calculating for itself.
Iwagakure wanted Sunagakure to act as pressure against Konoha.
Sunagakure wanted Konoha distracted in the Land of Rain so they could focus elsewhere.
Konoha wanted to keep the Land of Rain as a buffer against surprise attacks.
And because of Danzo's interference, the situation had become even more unstable.
In the end, Sunagakure found itself trapped in the middle.
Rasa and Ebizo exchanged a glance, both aware of the same truth.
They were being pushed forward by circumstances they could no longer control.
Finally, Ebizo made his decision.
"We will advance into the Land of Rain and declare war on Hanzō."
Only Hanzō.
He still hoped the distinction would be understood, that Konoha would not misinterpret their actions.
But even as he said it, he understood how naive that hope was.
A heavy silence settled over him.
Meanwhile, in a cave deep within the Land of Rain.
Hayashi sat facing his companions as tension filled the air.
A man in black robes spoke first.
"Why don't we just drop this? Sunagakure is not someone we can afford to provoke."
He did not say the rest aloud, but his meaning was clear.
Even Hanzō would struggle against Sunagakure. For people like them, getting involved would only mean getting crushed in the aftermath.
"But we cannot just let Sunagakure slaughter the civilians of the Land of Rain," Kyusuke frowned.
"That is not the main issue right now," Konan said softly after a pause. "They might declare war on the entire Land of Rain."
Hayashi fell silent for a moment. He had already considered that possibility.
If the Land of Rain was dragged fully into war, the civilians would suffer without end.
"Send word to Hanzō immediately, and also to Konoha," Hayashi said. "Sunagakure is stationed at the border. Even if they claim to be targeting only the Land of Rain, Konoha must be prepared."
"I will go," Konan said immediately.
Nagato glanced at her, a slight dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes.
He had intended to go himself, but Konan had spoken first.
He did not like Konoha, yet the commander there was Sakumo, and more importantly, he wanted to see what had become of those people from the past.
Konan noticed his expression and subtly smiled to herself.
Hayashi did not notice the quiet exchange between them. His thoughts remained fixed on the future of the Land of Rain.
"This situation started because of Akatsuki," he said finally. "If war breaks out, whether to protect the civilians or to correct our mistake, Akatsuki will take part in it."