They didn't make Uchiha Ran and Namikaze Minato wait for long.
Only three days later, Rasa arrived at the border.
He had short brown hair and wore a black shinobi outfit, with a mesh undershirt visible beneath it. Rasa came accompanied by four members of his personal guard.
With a single glance, he took in the scene.
The blond one was Namikaze Minato.The black-haired kid bore the Uchiha clan crest—clearly an Uchiha.
As for Yakura, Rasa cast a brief look at her lying on the ground.
Tsk… embarrassing.Was she really taken down by two Uchiha brats?!
Having already received reports that Namikaze Minato was Konoha's representative for this matter, Rasa went straight to him.
He formally stated that he would be serving as the temporary Fourth Kazekage, and that in the near future he would officially assume the position and notify all nations and shinobi villages.
Minato expressed his approval, saying that Rasa-senpai's succession as Fourth Kazekage would help maintain the friendly relationship between Konoha and the Sand Village.
In a warm and cordial atmosphere, Rasa and Minato held in-depth discussions regarding bilateral relations between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, as well as Yakura's unauthorized incursion deep into Fire Country territory—reaching broad consensus.
Both highly praised the friendship that had formed after direct hostilities between Fire and Wind ceased, unanimously agreeing that the two sides had always trusted and supported one another—true friends, true partners, true brothers. Cooperation across all fields should be fully advanced for the benefit of both villages' civilians.
Rasa also spoke highly of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's political maneuvering, stating that the Hokage's goodwill had played a crucial role in sustaining long-term peace between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.
Both sides agreed to jointly advance the search for the Third Kazekage's whereabouts.
After saying all this, Rasa reached into his sealing pouch and took out several heavy bags of gold.
"Jōnin Minato," he said, "this is the agreed-upon payment for assisting in the search for the Third Kazekage's whereabouts. The Sand Village will also send designated personnel later to handle further coordination."
Minato accepted the bags, weighed them in his hand, and after confirming the amount was roughly correct, signaled to Ran to return Yakura to the Sand shinobi.
At that moment, Ran released the Sharingan genjutsu controlling Yakura—then casually tossed her straight in front of the Sand ninja.
"Damn you, Uchiha brat! How dare you treat me like this—I'll remember this!" Yakura shouted the instant the illusion was lifted.
For three whole days!
It seemed even basic necessities—eating, using the restroom—had all been dictated by Ran's Sharingan control.
"This humiliation—I'll never forget it! Don't let me get my hands on you, you damn Uchiha!"
Listening to her shouting, Ran felt a bit speechless.
Seriously?I just controlled you with the Sharingan for a few days and tied you up once with turtle-shell binding. Is that really worth remembering this deeply?
Girl, you're yelling all this out loud. When I get back to the village, I'll live my life like normal—if anything happens, Minato-senpai can testify for me.
If word gets out, people might think you're destined to marry me or something.
Then Ran suddenly realized—
Wait. This is actually a great opportunity.
He abruptly drew his sword.
"Are you trying to force me to give you another unforgettable lesson with Floating Life, Dreamlike Illusion, Yakura?"
Seeing Ran draw his blade, Rasa—standing beside Yakura—finally spoke.
"So you're the one who defeated her, along with another Uchiha girl?"
Yakura felt an intense wave of humiliation.
She already knew how terrifying the Sharingan was—and yet she'd still fallen into their trap without realizing it.
She had no mood left to answer Rasa's question.
Once her rival, Rasa was now the Fourth Kazekage, while she herself had become nothing more than the one who needed saving.
Wait… something's wrong.
Suddenly, Yakura's mind cleared.
If Rasa has already become the temporary Fourth Kazekage, then he must have the elders' full support.Now he's even "rescued" me—adding another achievement to his record.Once he petitions the Wind Daimyō for formal appointment, it's basically guaranteed.
Then… what about me?
A chill ran down Yakura's spine.
Rasa is terrifying.He's absolutely a schemer.
Looking at the entire disappearance of the Third Kazekage, the greatest beneficiary was Rasa. And by personally rescuing her, he had effectively made it impossible for Yakura to investigate or oppose him in the future—otherwise, she would become an ungrateful traitor in the eyes of the village.
"Young Uchiha, there's no need to be so tense," Rasa said calmly, lifting his chin with arrogance. "Your weapon is far too weak against someone like me, who possesses the Magnet Release: Gold Dust bloodline. If we were to fight, I wouldn't waste much time on you—just a few seconds would be enough to end it."
"So confident—worthy of a man about to become the Fourth Kazekage," Ran replied lightly as he sheathed his zanpakutō. "But being overly confident is a great way to get slapped in the face."
He was quite pleased.
Another objective had been achieved.
"Jōnin Minato, we'll leave the rest to you," Rasa said. "We'll be taking our leave."
With that, Rasa departed the Fire Country border, leading the silent Yakura and his four guards away.
Along the way, he continuously worked on Yakura—subtle brainwashing disguised as heartfelt speeches.
For the village.For your disciples and your legacy.For the future prosperity of the Sand Village.
He urged her to deepen her cooperation with him, to work together wholeheartedly for Sunagakure's future.
Though Yakura felt disgusted by Rasa's methods, there was nothing she could do.
The deed was done.The situation was set in stone.
She could only accept it.
—
On the other side, Namikaze Minato and Ran immediately divided the spoils—No, not spoils.Profit.
Out of the fifteen shares of reward, 2.5 shares were given to Ran on the spot. Uchiha Ruka's portion was also entrusted to Ran to take back and distribute.
The remainder would be brought back to the village by Minato.
"This really is winner-takes-all," Ran said with a grin. "Minato-senpai, honestly, if we'd asked for more ninjutsu or techniques, the Sand Village might've actually given them."
"But they'd never hand over their secret techniques," Minato replied flatly. "And as for ordinary Wind Release, Konoha already has plenty archived."
Way to crush the mood.
"Yeah, yeah—Sensei, stop chanting already," Ran waved him off. "It's annoying just listening."
Hearing Ran call him Sensei, Minato couldn't help thinking:
This junior really is something else… what kind of personality does he even have?
Minato felt his own steady, composed nature was closer to Orochimaru-sensei, while someone like Ran would probably get along frighteningly well with Jiraiya-sensei. Those two would absolutely click.
"Minato-senpai," Ran suddenly said, "do you really think this matter is just… over?"
Minato blinked.
"Huh?"
There could still be changes?
Seeing Minato's disbelief, Ran calmly explained.
"There are plenty of schemers in the shinobi world. The disappearance of the Third Kazekage might've been staged by their own people from the start. This play may not be finished yet."
He paused, eyes sharp.
"And on our side, things could change too. As far as I know, Konoha's upper ranks aren't exactly a solid block. Everyone up there has their own little agendas."