My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

"Maybe."

Rasa didn't hold anything back.

"The forces from Kumogakure and Iwagakure are heading toward the Land of Wind's border. It's looking like things might not stay calm for much longer."

Sēramu had already expected this, but the uncertainty surrounding the ninja world still made her uneasy.

Thankfully, Rasa offered reassurance.

"Don't worry. It won't turn into an all-out war. Kumogakure and Iwagakure are just trying to intimidate us. As for the Rōran citizens joining Sunagakure, we'll stick to the original plan, though the welcoming ceremony might need to be postponed for now."

Sēramu understood Rasa's apology and exhaled slowly.

"It's fine. I've already made my choice, so I understand the price that comes with it."

"I see."

Rasa nodded, then glanced between his wife and Sēramu, both of whom seemed to have gotten along well. After a brief pause, he spoke again.

"Here's the plan: Sēramu, I can see you and Karura have developed a strong rapport. Karura, you're someone I trust, so I'll leave the matter of the Rōran citizens joining Sunagakure in your hands. Feel free to tell Karura anything you need. I trust her to manage it well."

!!!

Both Karura and Sēramu were taken aback.

However, while Karura was genuinely surprised, Sēramu was pleasantly surprised.

Sēramu understood that, as outsiders, the Rōran citizens would face numerous challenges in adjusting to an unfamiliar village. Having Rasa's wife help them would alleviate many potential problems.

Through their interactions over the past few days, Sēramu had come to appreciate Karura's gentle and easygoing nature. Rasa's decision was a clear show of goodwill toward the Rōran citizens, and it eased some of Sēramu's concerns about the impending conflict.

After marrying Rasa, Karura had intended to focus more on domestic matters, taking care of the home and raising children. She hadn't expected Rasa to assign her such an important task.

Yet, she didn't refuse. She could sense her husband's trust in her and understood the deeper strategic reasons behind his decision.

Rasa had his reasons for this move.

First, it was to reassure Sēramu and the Rōran citizens.

Second, given the shortage of talent in Sunagakure, it would be a waste to let an experienced jonin like Karura become a housewife. Although he hesitated to send her into the battlefield, within the village, she would be just fine.

Finally, Rasa intended to create a Rōran faction within the village, helping to balance the power dynamics between the aristocratic and commoner factions in Sunagakure.

When Rasa finished speaking, Sēramu immediately turned to Karura.

"Karura, I'll be counting on you from here on out."

"Do you really think I can handle it?" Karura asked with uncertainty in her voice.

"Of course!" Rasa reassured her confidently.

"As the Kazekage, I'm making this decision. I'll make sure the ANBU supports you."

"I... I understand."

With Rasa's encouragement, Karura accepted the responsibility, her cheeks flushed. But after a moment, she shook her head, suddenly becoming serious.

"Have the Rōran citizens been given a place in the village?"

Rasa smiled and nodded.

"Yes, it'll be in the area around the Sand Temple."

Karura's eyes lit up as she quickly grasped Rasa's reasoning.

As someone who had once been a test subject for the Shukaku chakra, Karura knew exactly what the Sand Temple was. That area had remained abandoned for years due to concerns about potential rampages by Shukaku. However, after more than a decade, Shukaku was long gone. Choosing this location would not only prevent interference with the other villagers' interests but also provide a suitable living area for the Rōran citizens.

Karura nodded thoughtfully.

"That's actually a good choice. But it's been empty for so long that it probably needs some repairs."

Hearing Karura confirm that the location was a good one, Sēramu felt a sense of relief. Rasa continued.

"That's why I'll leave the repairs to you, and the village will cover the costs. Just make sure it's signed off by me when the time comes."

Currently, Sunagakure was focused on showcasing its financial strength.

"Alright, I'll take Sēramu to check it out now," Karura said.

"Mm," Rasa nodded, granting them permission to leave.

Karura and Sēramu headed out.

Karura didn't bring up the matter of the wellhouse. Despite being the Kazekage's wife, she had once been a jonin herself and knew that there were certain boundaries to be respected as a ninja. If something was important for her to know, Rasa would tell her. If it wasn't, she understood she shouldn't pry. As Kazekage, Rasa was fully aware of any changes related to the wellhouse.

Rasa, of course, knew about it but chose not to say much. He didn't want to draw too much attention to the village's internal changes, especially concerning the existence of the God Tree.

---

After Karura and Sēramu left, Rasa stayed behind, leaving a clone to handle some of the village matters. Meanwhile, his main body took control of the Gold Dust Cloud and soared into the vast, barren desert to continue developing techniques related to the Dragon Vein Chakra.

On the yellow sands, Rasa joined his hands, beginning to sense the Dragon Vein Energy in the surrounding natural world.

No... to be more precise, it should be called: Dragon Vein Energy.

Since Rasa had never learned Sage Mode, he wasn't sure if Dragon Vein Energy was fundamentally different from the natural energy used in Sage Techniques. To avoid any confusion, he decided to refer to it as "Dragon Vein Energy."

This was the ability Rasa had gained through the [Kama Seal], which allowed him to perceive and absorb Dragon Vein Energy from the natural world, a crucial step in using Dragon Vein Chakra.

However, during this process, his body didn't undergo the typical changes seen in the three great Sage lands or Hashirama's Sage Mode, such as the appearance of Sage Mode's eye patterns or any physical transformations. To be more precise, Rasa didn't notice any significant changes in his body, so he chose not to call it Sage Mode, but rather Dragon Vein Mode.

Perhaps due to the [Kama Seal] directly altering his physical constitution, Rasa found that he could activate Dragon Vein Mode instantly. Furthermore, while in this mode, he could continue absorbing Dragon Vein Energy, meaning there was no time limit on the mode.

However, just like with the natural energy in Sage Mode, the amount of Dragon Vein Energy his body could store was limited over time. It had to be balanced with the mental and physical energy within his body.

After several days of research, Rasa had managed to determine the energy ratio. It wasn't the usual 1:1:1 ratio found in Sage Mode, but rather 1:1:0.5.

This meant that for every unit of mental and physical energy, only half a unit of Dragon Vein Energy could be used.

When Rasa entered Dragon Vein Mode, the three energies blended together in this proportion to form the unique Dragon Vein Chakra. Abilities such as inorganic reincarnation, metamorphosis, rapid self-healing, and chakra absorption all came from the Dragon Vein Chakra.

So, to be precise, Rasa didn't gain all these abilities from the [Kama Seal] itself. The [Kama Seal] only granted him the ability to perceive and absorb Dragon Vein Energy and enter Dragon Vein Mode. All the other abilities stemmed from the powers granted by the Dragon Vein Chakra.

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