In Sunagakure's central hospital, Rasa slowly regained consciousness, his entire body wrapped like a mummy. Waves of pain radiated through his body as he stirred.
The high-ranking officials of Sunagakure, gathered around him, were overjoyed to see him awake.
Maki, his personal guard, smiled and said, "Kazekage-sama, you're awake!"
But seeing Maki's face only irritated Rasa further. Memories of the brat who had humiliated him flashed through his mind, and panic gripped his heart.
That boy, a fighter even he couldn't handle—if he decided to turn against Sunagakure, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Where is he?" Rasa asked hoarsely.
"Who?" Maki blinked, then quickly realized. "Oh! Kazekage-sama is asking about Qi Hai! Hahaha, he's probably eating ramen at the Sand Village Snack Shop."
The others laughed as well, their tone lighthearted. Qi Hai, the powerhouse who had bested their Kazekage, seemed to have fallen in love with the local beef ramen. Over the past two days, while Rasa was unconscious, Qi Hai had been devouring dozens of bowls every day.
Hearing this, Rasa's heart sank. Qi Hai? They were calling that brat by name now? And speaking so fondly of him?
Looking at the admiring faces of his advisors, Rasa felt utterly defeated. "Traitors, the lot of you," he thought bitterly.
They'd forgotten how badly their Kazekage had been beaten. And now they were cozying up to the enemy!
With a sigh, Rasa tried to sit up.
"Wait, Kazekage-sama!" Maki shouted, trying to stop him.
Crack! Pop!
The sound of bones snapping filled the room.
Rasa's panda-like eyes bulged wide. "Aaaaahhhh!!!"
The pain was unbearable.
"So this is how Ōnoki must've felt..." Rasa muttered to himself, thinking of the similarly battered Tsuchikage.
Ebizō, standing nearby, calmly added, "Kazekage-sama, you broke 36 bones. You really shouldn't move right now."
Rasa glared at him. "Why didn't you say that earlier?!"
After hours of treatment, the medics rewrapped Rasa even more tightly, rendering him completely immobile.
Finally stabilized, Rasa turned to the gathered officials and said, "Cough... Let's hold a meeting."
Despite his injuries, Rasa was a diligent leader. Missing two days of meetings was unacceptable.
"Yes, Kazekage-sama!"
One advisor hesitated before asking, "Kazekage-sama, are we still proceeding with the attack on Konoha? Given your condition..."
Rasa let out a cold snort. "The plan to attack Konoha will proceed as scheduled. I'll recover soon enough."
It was true. Though he was gravely injured, Rasa's young and resilient physique, combined with Sunagakure's secret medicines, meant he could recover in about ten days. With the Chūnin Exams a month away, there was still time.
"Ebizō, draft a plan for promoting new jōnin over the next few days," Rasa ordered.
Currently, Sunagakure had only seven true jōnin—an embarrassingly low number for one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. While they had over 50 special jōnin, none had been promoted in years.
Hearing this, Jinto couldn't hold back and immediately spoke up: "Kazekage-sama, my son, Jinbi, is more than qualified to be promoted to jōnin."
Rasa shot him a disdainful glance. "Noted. We'll decide once Ebizō finishes the plan."
After a pause, Rasa added in a calm but firm voice, "Also, promote Qi Hai to jōnin."
The room fell silent.
Qi Hai? A boy who had been in the village for just three days? Who had injured the Kazekage so badly he had to be wrapped in bandages like a corpse? And he was only 15 years old!
Yet Rasa had personally approved his promotion to jōnin—a rank that had become an endangered species in Sunagakure.
But then they remembered the fight. The 40-meter-tall water titan, the crushing power that had overwhelmed Rasa... The logic behind the decision became clear.
Such a person had to be an ally. Better to bring him into the fold than risk making him an enemy.
"Yes, Kazekage-sama. I'll handle it immediately," Chiyo said, her voice steady. Her respect for Rasa grew.
"This is a leader who truly puts the village first," Chiyo thought. "Even after being humiliated and injured, he swallows his pride for the greater good."
Satisfied that the matter was settled, Rasa continued, "Let's implement the three-man genin teams. Each team will be led by a jōnin, following Konoha's model."
While Rasa disliked Konoha, he recognized the effectiveness of their system for training the next generation.
Sunagakure, plagued by rogue ninjas and dwindling numbers, was facing a talent crisis. The lack of jōnin and the inadequate mentoring of younger ninjas had left the village's overall strength in decline since the Second Great Ninja War.
The officials nodded in agreement. Sunagakure's leadership, unlike Konoha's, was remarkably unified. There were no major clan disputes or personal agendas to undermine the village's interests.
Finally, Rasa said, "Gaara, Temari, and Kankurō will be assigned to Qi Hai for special training."
At the Sand Village Snack Shop.
A mountain of empty bowls towered on Qi Hai's table.
Other diners stared at him in shock as he slurped down bowl after bowl of ramen.
"49... 50... Done!" Qi Hai cheered.
"Pay up, everyone! Fair's fair!"
"I told you Qi Hai-sama could eat 50 bowls. Haha! Big winnings today!"
The rowdy betting irritated Qi Hai, who turned to glare at Otada Momonosuke, the bookmaker gleefully collecting money.
The gamblers, seeing Qi Hai's darkening expression, quickly scattered.
"Run! Qi Hai-sama is mad!"
"Wait, I haven't paid my bet yet... Haha, just kidding! I'm out of here!"
Annoyed, Qi Hai asked Momonosuke, "What were you all betting on?"
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