Sunagakure.
"Kazekage-sama, someone is looking for you."
"Who?"
"He didn't say. He only sent a letter, saying he is waiting outside the village and has something very important."
The ANBU shinobi paused before adding,
"This may be a trap. Kazekage-sama, why don't I bring an ANBU squad and provide support from nearby?"
Rasa waved his hand and refused.
To be honest, with the strength of an ANBU squad, Rasa did not think they could help him much.
It was not that the ANBU squad was weak.
Those who could join ANBU, especially the ANBU of a great shinobi village, were all elites of their respective villages.
Sunagakure was no exception.
These ANBU shinobi were not weak. They were talented, and their loyalty had also been tested. Barring any accidents, they would at least become part of the village's middle ranks in the future.
The reason Rasa refused was mainly because his own personal strength was too powerful.
With Rasa's strength having reached this level, an ANBU squad would only become a burden.
Against a powerful enemy, if even Rasa could not defeat them, an ANBU squad would be useless.
They would only slow Rasa down if he had to retreat.
The current Rasa had long since passed the period where, in order to subdue a powerful attack-type summoned beast, he had to deliberately choose a place near Chiyo's residence so she could help suppress the situation.
"Situational Awareness!"
An invisible circle spread outward with Rasa at the center.
It covered an area of more than thirty kilometers.
Rasa sensed it.
"This aura feels a little familiar."
Rasa's eyes flickered.
The next instant, a mass of gold dust appeared beneath his feet, carrying him into the sky before flying toward the location of that person.
Before long, Rasa stopped directly above him.
"I'm here. Come out."
As Rasa's voice rang out, a figure emerged from the shadowed cover.
It was a person—but not entirely human. His body carried many toad-like traits.
"Did he eat a Toad Fruit?"
Rasa subconsciously thought of the Grelel Stones he had named Devil Fruits.
At present, in the shinobi world, anyone who displayed such changes would basically be regarded as a Devil Fruit ability user.
But upon closer inspection, this person was clearly different from other Devil Fruit ability users.
Uchiha Fugaku had suspected the same thing at first.
But as the fight went on, Fugaku had dismissed the idea that the opponent was a Sunagakure Devil Fruit ability user. The aura on that person had instead made Fugaku think more of Mount Myoboku.
"Rasa, long time no see."
Jiraiya looked up at Rasa, his emotions extremely complicated.
On one hand, having lost to Rasa, Jiraiya was honestly unwilling to accept it.
He believed that if he had gathered natural energy in advance and entered Sage Mode at that time, he might not necessarily have lost to Rasa.
The crippled state he had fallen into had also been caused entirely by Rasa.
But at this moment, Jiraiya felt that the only one who could help him was Rasa.
"Is it convenient for you to come down and talk in detail? Surely you don't still fear a defeated opponent like me?"
Jiraiya smiled self-mockingly.
"Jiraiya?"
Rasa controlled the gold dust and slowly descended.
At that moment, Jiraiya canceled his fusion technique with the Iron-Arm Toad.
The two separated.
The Iron-Arm Toad crouched on the sand.
Jiraiya was carried on the Iron-Arm Toad's back.
He was tied down with ropes.
"You came looking for me. What is it?"
Jiraiya's eyes were exceedingly complicated as he said,
"Rasa, you and I were opponents. Victory and defeat are common matters for shinobi. I will not blame you just because I became like this. After all, you fought for Sunagakure, and I fought for Konoha."
"Now, I am no longer a person of Konoha. Between you and me, it can be said that there is no hatred left."
"Even though we were once enemies, I have to admit that you are an exceptionally outstanding man."
"For Sunagakure to have you is their fortune."
"To lead such a terrible Sunagakure out of the mire is truly remarkable. In the entire shinobi world, other than you, I'm afraid no one else could have done it—unless Lord Hashirama returned from the dead."
"You are a good man."
"As an enemy, you were willing to speak out for Minato."
"As an enemy, you were also willing to speak up for me."
"I ask you to help me with something."
"Something that will also benefit Sunagakure."
A strange expression appeared on Rasa's face.
Jiraiya had suddenly come to him, first praising him endlessly, then saying he needed his help.
It had to be said—Rasa's interest had successfully been piqued.
Then Rasa thought of something.
"Jiraiya, don't tell me the rumor that Uchiha Fugaku was the true mastermind behind the Nine-Tails' rampage was spread by you?"
Jiraiya nodded.
"That's right. It was me."
"But that is not a rumor. It is the truth."
Jiraiya's expression turned solemn as he said, "I tested Uchiha Fugaku. He is not remotely as mediocre as he usually appears."
"Rasa, you are the Kazekage. You should have heard of the eye of the Uchiha clan that stands above the three-tomoe Sharingan, an eye that possesses extremely powerful abilities. Uchiha Fugaku awakened those eyes."
"They are called the Mangekyo Sharingan."
Rasa's heart stirred.
This point could be said to be something Rasa knew, and also something he did not know.
After all, different versions described this situation differently.
Now that Jiraiya was saying it with such hatred, Rasa felt there was a high probability it was true.
He simply did not know what Fugaku's Mangekyo ability was.
Even though Rasa's strength was no longer weak, and he could rank among the very top of the current shinobi world, he still felt some wariness toward Mangekyo Sharingan abilities.
For example, Kotoamatsukami.
With a single glance, it could directly alter another person's thoughts.
The eye Danzo had taken and used showed ordinary performance, and had been seen through by Ao, a half-baked Byakugan user.
But the other eye had directly controlled the Edo Tensei version of Uchiha Itachi.
That was the reincarnated body of a Mangekyo Sharingan wielder who was also highly proficient in genjutsu.
It was not only necessary to control Uchiha Itachi, but also to break the control of the Edo Tensei technique itself.
"However, even Kotoamatsukami would not find it easy to threaten me."
"First, I possess both the Mangekyo Sharingan and the Byakugan."
"Second, in a real battle, I can completely fire an ultra-long-range electromagnetic cannon directly at the enemy."
"Or use a large-scale ninjutsu like Gold Dust Thundercloud to launch indiscriminate attacks."
Facing Jiraiya, Rasa pretended to be shocked.
"The Mangekyo Sharingan?"
"That's right. I saw it with my own eyes. The pattern on those eyes was not three tomoe at all. It was far more complex than three tomoe—and extremely eerie."
Jiraiya recalled the scene from that time.
"With the strength I had after fusing with the Iron-Arm Toad, I might not compare to my former self, but I would not be much weaker either."
"Yet facing Uchiha Fugaku, I actually felt my hair stand on end."