Faced with Rasa's question, the room fell into an uneasy silence. Indeed, if the exchange involved the Dragon Vein Chakra, Rōran's integration into Sunagakure seemed less consequential. However—
"So, if we could master Dragon Vein Chakra, would we be able to use the power of Sage Techniques?"
Pakura asked, curiosity clear in her voice as she turned to both Rasa and Ebizō. Unfortunately, the answer was still a firm no.
"No... In truth, even now, I can't confirm whether Dragon Vein Chakra is truly natural energy, let alone if it could be used for Sage Techniques. Even if it is natural energy, Sage Techniques aren't simply about infusing natural energy into one's body and mixing it with chakra. To put it bluntly, I still have no clue how to harness the power of Dragon Vein Chakra."
At this point, Rasa's tone became more resolute.
"However, just because we don't have any clear leads doesn't mean we should let such power go untapped or, worse, fall into the hands of our enemies. I've always said the gap between us and Konoha can't be bridged by time alone. Konoha's foundation runs too deep. Take Sage Techniques for instance. Konoha has mastered not one, but three distinct styles of Sage Techniques. Meanwhile, Sunagakure has none."
"Three styles of Sage Techniques?"
Chiyo and Ebizō both looked surprised at this revelation.
Rasa didn't hold back, both to unite Sunagakure against a common enemy and to shed light on Konoha's overwhelming strength.
"From what I know, there are currently three Sage Techniques, each tied to one of the three great sacred lands of the ninja world: Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest. As for Mount Myōboku's inheritors, we've already encountered them on the battlefield."
"Encountered them?"
Pakura and Michikawa were taken aback, their brows furrowing as the pieces slowly came together.
"It seems you've figured it out. That's right—it's the Toad Sage Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, and the opponent we've fought: Minato Namikaze. Their summoning beasts originate from Mount Myōboku."
"Does that mean Jiraiya and Namikaze Minato have mastered Sage Techniques?" Michikawa asked, but Rasa shook his head in response.
"I can't confirm if Minato Namikaze has mastered them, but Jiraiya—I'm certain he has. That's why, during our last battle, I repeatedly warned against escalating the conflict. If Jiraiya were to use Sage Techniques, even I wouldn't stand a chance."
!!!
The room fell deathly silent. To hear the Kazekage himself admit that he wouldn't stand a chance was deeply unsettling.
After a long pause, Pakura spoke, unwilling to accept the situation.
"Didn't you say there are also Ryūchi Cave and Shikkotsu Forest? If we could find these two sacred lands and learn their Sage Techniques, wouldn't we have a chance against Konoha?"
"Unfortunately..." Rasa's voice carried a note of disappointment as he continued.
"Ryūchi Cave's inheritor is Orochimaru. Shikkotsu Forest's inheritor is Tsunade."
"..."
The silence in the room deepened, the weight of the realization settling heavily on everyone present.
At that moment, the atmosphere in the Kazekage's office grew heavy, as though dark clouds were pressing down on the city. Everyone felt like a mountain was crushing them, their chests constricted as they struggled to breathe.
Rasa sighed deeply.
"So now you understand—sitting in the Kazekage's seat is no easy task."
Hearing his words, everyone lifted their heads and looked at Rasa, seated in the Kazekage's chair. In that instant, Rasa's figure seemed to grow taller, more commanding in their eyes.
"This world really is unfair,"
Chiyo lamented, to which Rasa could only offer an apologetic smile.
"It is. This is why, even though Konoha is fighting on three fronts right now, I honestly don't have high hopes for the outcome of this war. As for Dragon Vein Chakra, although we still don't know how to use it, giving up on it is not an option. It's our only chance to catch up to Konoha."
"Hai!"
Everyone nodded firmly.
Seeing this, Rasa felt a sense of relief. Though Sunagakure had its share of internal conflicts, at least the highest-ranking leaders wouldn't undermine him when it came to the village's interests.
With that, Rasa brought the meeting to a close.
"Once Rōran officially becomes part of Sunagakure, I'll assign ANBU operatives to guard the Dragon Vein. If any of you are interested, you're welcome to investigate it yourselves. Perhaps you'll gain some unique insights."
Though Rasa had already absorbed the Dragon Vein's chakra, as a source of natural energy, the Dragon Vein's reserves would gradually replenish over time.
Chiyo added.
"At the very least, this puppet technique created by that man named Anrokuzan has inspired this old lady. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave and dive into some research."
Rasa nodded before adding.
"Good. In the meantime, I'll ensure the Queen of Rōran familiarizes herself with our village. Preparations will also begin to welcome Rōran's citizens. In seven days, Sunagakure will formally integrate them into our village."
With heavy expressions, Chiyo, Ebizō, Michikawa, and Pakura left one by one. Yashamaru also excused himself alongside Chiyo.
But Rasa had no time to rest.
News of the Kazekage's return spread quickly, and he was soon approached by key department heads. The Education Department's head, Goshima, the Logistics Department's head, Ryūji, and the Medical Department's head, Iris, all arrived to present their plans.
Rasa briefly reviewed them.
To be honest, there were no great surprises, but there were also no glaring flaws. Both Goshima and Iris's plans focused on expanding the ninja academy and the village hospital.
The ninja academy would train more shinobi, while the hospital would cultivate more medical-nin.
They also presented lists of candidates—chūnin from the village—whom they hoped could serve as teachers for the academy or as doctors in the hospital.
If their plans went smoothly, this year's enrollment would double, increasing from 300 students to 600. The number of classes would expand from six to twelve.
Though the graduation rate would likely drop, the academy's current graduation rate for genin was already high—around 90%. Even with a slight decline, the academy could still produce over 500 new ninjas for Sunagakure annually. Even if these new ninjas remained at the genin level for their entire lives, the ability to use chakra alone would make them far more capable than ordinary civilians.
Moreover, with an increased graduation rate, the number of medical-nin would also grow significantly. Even those who couldn't become full-fledged medical-nin could learn basic healing techniques, which would greatly enhance the safety of shinobi teams and improve the village's overall medical infrastructure.
Of course, this wasn't an overnight process—training ninjas required time.
Goshima even proposed extending the ninja academy's program from four years to six years, mirroring Konoha's system.
Rasa approved this change without hesitation. After all, it wasn't practical to expect ten-year-olds to fight on the battlefield.
Ryūji, on the other hand, proposed improving the village's compensation system and establishing an orphanage.
Rasa agreed, though the choice of who would oversee the orphanage gave him other ideas.
Once he finished reviewing the proposals from Goshima, Ryūji, and Iris, Goshima handed Rasa another document—a list of names.
As Rasa glanced through it, he realized that the current class of students at the ninja academy was about to graduate.