My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

Land of Wind, Sunagakure.

After receiving the latest intel from the Anbu, Rasa was forced to abandon his jutsu development and return to the Kazekage office from the desert.

"Akatsuki?"

Rasa raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"That's right, Kazekage-sama. Those ninjas go by that name!"

Baki, too, seemed taken aback, a hint of disbelief crossing his face.

By now, it had been five days since Pakura and Michikawa had led the Sunagakure forces to the border of the Land of Wind to confront the combined forces of Kumogakure and Iwagakure. Over the course of these days, the two sides had exchanged small skirmishes, but neither seemed eager for a full-on battle. As a result, no major conflict had broken out—yet.

However, just last night, both Kumogakure and Iwagakure had ramped up their actions, clearly preparing for a full-scale invasion of the Land of Wind. It seemed that their patience had worn thin after Sunagakure's unwavering stance over the past few days.

The purpose of the Kumogakure and Iwagakure forces at the border was clear: by combining their strength, they intended to pressure Sunagakure into softening its position and joining them in an attack on Konoha.

But Sunagakure wasn't backing down.

"You march right up to someone else's doorstep, and this is your way of negotiating?"

"Sunagakure will never be cowed by any village!"

"If you want to meet with our Kazekage, then first pull back your forces!"

Pakura and Michikawa's response was firm, unwavering, and direct. They weren't just tough with their words—they meant every action they took. Over the past few days, Sunagakure had given a fierce counterattack to any Kumogakure or Iwagakure ninjas who dared cross the Land of Wind's border. This relentless pushback made the enemy forces second-guess their next move.

And that was exactly why Kumogakure and Iwagakure had reached a tipping point. They were done waiting. It was time to teach Sunagakure a lesson they wouldn't forget.

But just as they were preparing to make their move, a new group of figures appeared on the battlefield.

"The Akatsuki."

(AN: Yeah, I know Akatsuki didn't wear red-cloud cloaks during the pre-Pain era. Just think of this as an AU.)

Rasa, still holding the intelligence in his hand, was once again taken aback.

He couldn't recall Akatsuki having any involvement during the Third Great Ninja War. Moreover, judging by the intel in his hands, it seemed a significant number of Akatsuki ninjas had appeared on the battlefield, which meant that this version of the Akatsuki hadn't yet transformed into the notorious S-rank rogue organization that would come to define the future.

That made sense. After all, Obito Uchiha hadn't yet become Madara Uchiha, and Nagato and Konan hadn't fallen into darkness. The leader of Akatsuki should still be Yahiko, the one who believed in peace.

However, this was the real ninja world, and Rasa didn't fully trust all the information he remembered from the story. He decided to clarify.

"What's the origin of this Akatsuki organization?"

Baki seemed to have already prepared an answer.

"Kazekage-sama, the Anbu has some records on Akatsuki. They're a mercenary group that originated in the Land of Rain, in Amegakure. Their motto is to achieve peace in the ninja world through nonviolent means."

Baki paused for a moment, then seemed to take a deep breath, as if explaining to a group of children.

"Peace in the ninja world… truly a noble ideal."

Rasa muttered under his breath, intrigued, then gestured for Baki to continue.

"Well, because they come from a small country, Akatsuki's main goal is to protect Amegakure from the larger nations' wars. They want to shield their people from the conflicts that affect small countries. As a result, they've recruited many ninjas from other small countries, so their numbers are not insignificant."

"I see."

From the intelligence, Rasa learned that Akatsuki's presence on the battlefield between Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure numbered around five to six hundred ninjas—far from a small force. No wonder Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and even Pakura and Michikawa appeared so on edge.

"So, what's their goal this time? Are they planning to take advantage of the chaos?"

"No…"

Baki shook his head, scratching his chin.

"Akatsuki sent someone to meet with Pakura-sama and Michikawa-sama. Their purpose is clear: they want to stop the war. Their reasoning is that once a war breaks out, small countries will inevitably become battlegrounds for the larger nations."

"Interesting…"

Rasa thought for a moment, then asked.

"Why didn't they show up when Kumogakure and Iwagakure were attacking Konoha? Do they think Sunagakure is weak and easy to intimidate now?"

"Pakura-sama asked them that, but Akatsuki's response was that smaller countries like the Land of Grass, Land of Taki, Land of Frost, and Land of Iron—while small—are strong and have their own ninja villages to protect them. But countries like the Land of Rain, Land of Birds, and Land of Swamps…"

Baki trailed off, but Rasa understood what he meant.

Still, he didn't buy this excuse.

What Baki had said wasn't the real reason. The main forces of the ninja world were on the battlefield between Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Konoha. Akatsuki's forces couldn't pose much of a threat, but this situation was different. Neither Sunagakure, Kumogakure, nor Iwagakure had deployed their main forces.

"Ignore them. We will continue with our plan as usual."

Rasa made his decision without hesitation.

He wasn't worried about Akatsuki. If it were just him, he might have been open to engaging with them, but as the leader of a village, he couldn't afford to appear weak.

Baki hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

"The Akatsuki ninjas said that whoever initiates the war will be their enemy."

"Hmph!"

Rasa shot Baki a cold glance, making him break into a cold sweat.

"I… I'm sorry, Kazekage-sama! I will inform Pakura-sama and Michikawa-sama of your decision!"

Rasa turned his gaze away and replied,

"Is there anything else?"

Baki, relieved by the Kazekage's response, answered quickly.

"It's Michikawa-sama. He believes Kumogakure and Iwagakure's patience has reached its limit. If things continue like this, we might end up fighting. Kazekage-sama, what do you think?"

Rasa thought for a moment before answering,

"Tell Michikawa to let the Kumogakure and Iwagakure forces know that if they want to meet with me, they can send the Third Raikage and Third Tsuchikage."

After all, both sides were eventually going to face Konoha in the end, so it was time to discuss terms.

"Hai!"

With that, Baki left, and Rasa didn't waste any time. He headed back to the desert to continue refining his technique.

Knowing that he would soon face the Third Raikage and Third Tsuchikage, it was crucial to prepare based on the latest intelligence he had received.

---

Less than a day later, both the Third Raikage and Third Tsuchikage received news from the front lines.

"Interesting, is this little brat going to soften up?"

In Ōnoki's eyes, Rasa's message seemed like a sign of retreat.

With that thought, Ōnoki wasn't bothered by the prospect of meeting the young Kazekage of Sunagakure.

To be honest, Ōnoki was quite curious about the clever young leader of Sunagakure.

As for Akatsuki, the naive fools, Ōnoki didn't take them seriously at all.

The Third Raikage, A, shared the same opinion.

After consulting with each other, the three parties decided that the summit of the Three Shadows would take place three days later in the Land of Birds, the site of the current war.

Neither Sunagakure, Kumogakure, nor Iwagakure intended to hide this meeting, and soon, news of the summit spread across the ninja world.

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