"Shut up!"
Hearing Baki utter that name, Chiyo immediately shouted, as if it were some kind of taboo. She then shot him a fierce glare.
A ninja of Kage level exuded an extraordinary presence, and Baki was instantly drenched in cold sweat, unable to say another word.
It was Rasa who stepped in to ease the tension.
"Enough, Elder Chiyo. Don't worry, Baki is tight-lipped. This information will not be leaked."
Seeing this, Chiyo withdrew her oppressive aura, let out a long sigh, and suddenly looked even older.
"I understand. Follow me."
"Sister, you... sigh... I understand..."
From this moment on, at least Chiyo and Ebizō were no longer obstacles to Rasa's control over Sunagakure.
Although Sunagakure was deep in the desert, that didn't mean there was no water. Otherwise, the First Kazekage wouldn't have established the village here.
In fact, beneath the canyon where Sunagakure was located, there was a massive underground river. This allowed for several oases to exist within the village.
At the deepest part of Sunagakure's canyon, there was a sizable lake. Behind the lake stood towering cliffs, and halfway up the cliffs, a massive cave could be seen.
This was where the First Jinchūriki of the One-Tail, Bunpuku, had been imprisoned.
"This is the sealing formula for Shukaku, along with the key to unseal it. Go yourself... hmph..."
Though she had agreed to Rasa's request, Chiyo had been forced into it, and her most beloved grandson had been used as leverage. There was no way she would show Rasa a friendly face. Upon reaching the destination, she simply tossed Rasa a key and a scroll before turning away without another word, heading straight home.
Ebizō, seeing this, had mixed emotions.
"The matters of the Tailed Beasts and Jinchūriki are of great importance. I hope, Kazekage, that you act cautiously and do not bring disaster upon yourself."
With those parting words, Ebizō also left.
Rasa ignored them both.
At this moment, his focus was solely on the Tailed Beast and its Jinchūriki locked away in the cave.
Once he controlled the Tailed Beast and its host, his grip on the village would grow even tighter.
"Maintain strict vigilance around the area. Unless I give the order, do not let anyone approach!"
After giving these instructions to Baki, Rasa raised his hand. From the sand beneath his feet, countless grains of gold dust surged upward like a fountain, lifting him toward the cave entrance.
The two guards stationed at the entrance were surprised by the Kazekage's arrival and quickly bowed.
"Kazekage-sama!"
What Rasa was about to do could not be witnessed by others. He waved his hand and commanded,
"Leave. I have business to discuss with Bunpuku."
The two guards exchanged glances. Though puzzled, they dared not disobey the Kazekage's orders. Since he had arrived, it meant the elders had already given their approval. They simply nodded and responded,
"As you command, Kazekage-sama!"
Once the guards had left, Rasa stepped forward, slowly making his way into the depths of the cave.
The prison holding Bunpuku wasn't particularly deep. After only a few steps, Rasa saw the massive wooden cell that confined him. Inside, an elderly man, bald and draped in tattered monk robes, sat in meditation. Behind him was an enormous tea kettle—the vessel used to seal Shukaku.
Although Rasa had long been aware of the Jinchūriki's tragic fate, seeing an elderly man imprisoned for life still evoked a twinge of pity in his heart.
The old monk's robe was covered in dust, his body was frail and scarred, and his food had been carelessly scattered on the ground.
Bunpuku.
Compared to him, even Naruto had lived a fortunate life.
At that moment, Bunpuku sensed the presence of an unfamiliar visitor. Trembling slightly, he lifted his head and spoke in a hoarse, aged voice.
"Young one... I sense sorrow in you..."
Rasa did not respond directly but instead asked,
"Do you hate this village for what they've done to you?"
Bunpuku did not answer. He simply placed his hands together in prayer, closing his eyes like a devoted monk.
Seeing this, Rasa remained silent as well. Stepping forward, he quickly spotted the seal's keyhole at the center of the prison cell. Without hesitation, he took out the key and inserted it.
With a series of clicks, the sealing formula visibly unraveled, and the massive wooden bars slowly retracted.
Watching his cell open, Bunpuku was taken aback.
"Young one... you are...?"
"I am the Fourth Kazekage."
"I see... so we are already at the fourth generation... It seems much time has passed in the outside world..."
Bunpuku sighed.
Rasa stepped further inside, observing the old monk up close.
He noticed that, unlike Gaara, Bunpuku showed no signs of severe insomnia—there were no dark circles under his eyes from fear of Shukaku seizing control.
"It seems you have a good relationship with Shukaku."
Rasa spoke while unrolling the scroll Chiyo had given him.
Bunpuku, perhaps lonely from years of isolation, responded,
"Tailed Beasts have emotions, just like humans. As long as we treat each other with sincerity, we can coexist peacefully and accept one another."
"You are an admirable person. It's a shame there aren't more people like you in this world—people willing to understand the Tailed Beasts."
Rasa's words surprised Bunpuku.
He could sense something different in Rasa's tone—a sentiment that treated humans and Tailed Beasts as equals. It was something he had never felt from the past Kazekage. To them, Tailed Beasts were nothing more than fearsome creatures or chakra weapons.
For the first time, Bunpuku truly examined the young Kazekage before him.
Unfortunately, Rasa's attention was not on him.
For someone of Rasa's level, deciphering the sealing formula wasn't difficult. Within five minutes, he had already grasped its intricacies.
Rolling up the scroll, Rasa looked at Bunpuku and spoke.
"I came here for one reason—I need Shukaku's chakra."
Bunpuku's eyes dimmed once more.
"I see. So, you too seek Shukaku's power."
"That's right. And given your current condition, if I forcibly unseal and extract a large amount of chakra, you might die. That's why I'm asking you to give me Shukaku's chakra willingly. With your bond, you should be able to use its power, right?"
Bunpuku sighed deeply.
"Thank you, Fourth Kazekage. But unfortunately, though I have made peace with the beast inside me, it still harbors deep resentment toward humans. It refuses to lend me its power willingly."
"I see..."
Rasa hesitated.
In the world of shinobi, killing and death were commonplace. However, facing this tragic old man, he found it difficult to make a decision that might result in his death.
Moreover, while Shukaku appeared weak in the manga, Rasa wasn't certain he could subdue it if released—he hadn't even prepared a new Jinchūriki.
If Shukaku escaped and rampaged through the village, his reputation would plummet.
Sensing Rasa's hesitation, Bunpuku spoke again.
"Kazekage-sama, do you truly need Shukaku's power?"
Rasa nodded slightly.
"I understand. Then do not hesitate—I will endure as long as I can and do my best to survive."
Hearing this, Rasa's gaze sharpened.
With the memories of his predecessor merged within him, he had also inherited some of that ruthless nature.
Without further hesitation, he stepped forward and extended his hand.
"Thank you."
"Great Burial Seal—Release!"
As Rasa lifted the seal, a malevolent purple chakra surged from Bunpuku's body, chilling the entire cave.
Rasa wasted no time, pressing his palm against Bunpuku's head.
The black rhombus mark in his hand touched the chakra, and a powerful suction force erupted.
As Bunpuku groaned in pain, the sinister energy of Shukaku was drawn into Rasa's palm…