Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Chapter 85: Sand Shinobi Rasa

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Under the night sky, the Land of Rain, known for its constant downpours, rarely reveals the moon.

As Uchiha Yosuke wearily returned to his tent, he encountered Uchiha Mikoto and Uzumaki Kushina.

"Yosuke, you worked hard," Mikoto said with a smile as she habitually took his rain cloak.

Seeing this, Kushina couldn’t help but smirk and tease, "So, Yosuke, how does it feel to be a commander for the first time? With Mikoto chatting with me to push you toward cultivating allies, how’s it feel to hold real power?"

Kushina was always forthright. Growing up in her environment, she had become accustomed to discussing such things openly. Mikoto had cleverly given Yosuke the chance by staying out of the spotlight, essentially allowing him to shine.

Upon entering, Yosuke gave Mikoto a grateful look before turning to Kushina with a faint smile. "How to describe it? It feels... different!"

Seated, he took a sip of tea that Mikoto handed him, savoring it with a satisfied expression. "The feeling of holding power... it's comforting. While there’s pressure, having power and some strength makes me feel less like an uncontrollable tool."

Yosuke didn’t bother to hide his desire for power, even showing a bit of enjoyment in front of Kushina. He understood that power not only represented strength but was also a catalyst for growth—important in acquiring resources for training and high-level techniques.

Kushina was surprised by Yosuke's straightforwardness. People usually hid behind noble reasons when speaking of power, but Yosuke admitted openly that he enjoyed it.

“Typical Uchiha personality, huh?” Kushina finally muttered, at a loss for words. She glanced at Mikoto, who simply nodded with a smile, saying, “I trust what Yosuke says.”

A man unafraid to admit his ambition held a unique allure, making Mikoto’s smile grow. Ambition was expected in Uchiha men.

With that, Kushina sighed, rolling her eyes at the sight of them. “Alright, alright, since your Yosuke is back, I’m off to get some rest.”

---

The next day.

In the steady drizzle, twenty-one shadowed figures cloaked in rain gear sprinted out of the Konoha camp and vanished into the mist.

Meanwhile, in the command post, Tsunade studied a marked map, her lips curling into a smile. “So unabashed in his desire for power… truly an unlovable Uchiha,” she chuckled. Despite her words, Tsunade’s face softened, fully aware of Kushina’s grumblings from the night before.

The Uchiha might be proud and difficult, but in some ways, they were straightforward. As long as you had strength, you earned their respect—simple as that.

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The Land of Rain, abundant in mineral resources, had also become a battleground due to Hanzo the Salamander, whose prowess had given it the status of an almost sixth great shinobi village. However, with the region embroiled in constant wars between nations, it became a disaster zone.

The valleys and hills teemed with rogue ninjas and mercenaries, while ambitious individuals lurked everywhere. Even with Hanzo’s strength, he could only watch as his homeland slowly crumbled.

In the muddy rain, twenty-one figures moved swiftly through the downpour. Each Konoha ninja, cloaked and resolute, peered ahead into the haze.

“Captain Yosuke, our destination is up ahead. Our forces stationed there are currently under attack by rogue ninjas,” one ninja reported.

Through the rain, they could hear explosions from detonation tags echoing from the valley near a distant town.

“Hiashi, Hizashi, stay on guard for traps. The rest of you, come with me to repel the enemy,” Yosuke ordered, his face tense. He never took any battle lightly.

---

In the valley, Konoha ninjas desperately defended against the rogue shinobi assault. The rain poured as explosive tags shattered the earth, and kunai and shuriken cut through the air in a deadly barrage.

High above, a young shinobi with short brown hair and a black uniform looked coldly down at the scene. “If not for this cursed rain, there’s no way these Konoha ninjas would be so brazen.”

In the chaos, one rogue ninja, sporting only one eye, growled at the group of watching Sand Shinobi, displeased. “My men are fighting, and you Sand Shinobi are just standing there?”

The brown-haired shinobi turned, revealing a Sand forehead protector and a calm yet deadly gaze. “We Sand Shinobi are aiding you, but don’t think for a moment that we’ll let stray dogs like you boss us around,” he sneered.

A soft wave of golden sand materialized in front of him, making the rogue leader scoff but nod in deference. “Understood, Jōnin Rasa.”

This brown-haired shinobi was Rasa, the future Fourth Kazekage, though now he was only a skilled Sand Jōnin.

In the valley below, a loud cheer rang out as Konoha reinforcements were sighted in the sky above.

Seeing the Konoha reinforcements, Rasa smirked cruelly. “Just in time for us to bury them all.”

The rogue leader beside him grinned darkly. “Perfect. We’ll handle the Konoha shinobi in the valley, then.”

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