"So, according to Lord Ikki... there is no further room for negotiation?"
Chiyo's expression darkened, her tone dropping to a frigid register. "Lord Ikki, my brother and I have afforded you the utmost reverence due to a legend of your stature. But do not mistake our respect for cowardice, nor assume our deference is unconditional."
A glacial glint flashed in Ebizō's eyes as the dormant chakra within his coils began to surge outward.
"Hah! I haven't entertained a single negotiation since the Warring States period." Ikki laughed. "From the moment you encountered this old man, you had exactly two choices: crawl back to the Land of Wind and eat sand like your First Kazekage, or let me send you down to meet him!"
Ikki grinned. The suffocating, majestic aura that had once brought an entire era to its knees erupted from his body like a localized hurricane. The previously still desert border instantly dissolved into howling gales and roiling sandstorms, blotting out the sun.
"Iron Fist, I strongly advise you to curb your arrogance!" Rasa shouted. "The Hidden Sand has shown you every courtesy, senior. Yet, instead of appreciating our grace, you have done nothing but humiliate my elders at every turn. Do you truly believe we are still living in the Warring States? Do you think the Sand is entirely devoid of capable shinobi? Do you really think that I, Rasa, am afraid of you?!"
Seeing Chiyo and Ebizō finally stand their ground, Rasa nodded inwardly. These were the elders of his village. These were the subordinates of the Kazekage. However, their newfound resolve did nothing to quench the blazing inferno of pride in his chest. His voice rose, carrying absolute authority:
"How my predecessors feared you—how the former Kazekages cowered before you—I do not know, and I do not care! But I, Rasa, am standing here today, and I say this: On this road, the Hidden Sand will not detour, and we will certainly not retreat! If you are willing to step aside, Ikki, then naturally, that is for the best. If you refuse, then we will carve our path through you! I swear this upon the mantle of the Fourth Kazekage—I will no longer allow you to trample and humiliate the Hidden Sand as you did in the past!"
Rasa punctuated every single syllable. His voice roared like a peal of thunder, vibrating across the volatile border between Wind and Rain.
"Hidden Sand! Invincible!"
"The Sand fights without fear!"
Witnessing their Kazekage stand so valiantly—facing the legendary Iron Fist without a shred of hesitation—the thousands of Sand shinobi gathered behind him erupted into a frenzy of fanatical excitement.
Instantly, the morale of the army skyrocketed. Fueled by Rasa's defiance, their collective killing intent surged, forming a unified front that miraculously pushed back against Ikki's oppressive aura. Even the roiling sandstorms seemed to bend to their collective will.
Perhaps I didn't choose the wrong man after all. He is worthy of the Kazekage title, Chiyo thought, staring at the imposing silhouette of the Fourth.
If Pakura had become the Fourth, she would never have dared to use such a commanding tone with Ikki—or even with my sister and me, Ebizō mused, his heart skipping a beat. The lingering resentment from being berated by Rasa earlier largely evaporated. A Kazekage who fiercely defended the village's interests, who stood unflinching against apocalyptic threats, would always command more loyalty than a pliable coward.
"Iron Fist, do you see?!" Rasa roared over the cheering army. "The times... have changed. The Hidden Sand that stands before you today, led by me, Rasa, is no longer the village that feared you like a demon in the Warring States!"
Hearing the thunderous roars of his shinobi at his back, Rasa was drunk on adrenaline. So what if he is the Iron Fist? So what if he is a legend? No one could stop him from leading Sunagakure to true greatness.
"Are you quite finished?"
Facing the impassioned Sand army, Ikki exhibited zero emotion. Instead, he lifted a hand and carelessly picked his ear. It was as if the three Kage-level powerhouses and the thousands of elite shinobi mobilized before him were nothing but empty air.
"Sister!" Ebizō hissed. Seeing Ikki so utterly relaxed sent a violent shiver down his spine. The feverish morale inspired by Rasa's speech plummeted in the elder's mind.
"It has come to this. There is no turning back," Chiyo declared, her gaze hardening. Any lingering hesitation vanished. If they didn't want to retreat to the wastelands and eat sand, they had to try and shatter this immovable mountain.
"For the sake of the Third Shinobi World War... the Hidden Sand formally declares war on you!"
Rasa threw his arms wide. Immediately, every Sand shinobi present felt the desert floor beneath their feet begin to violently vibrate, then fracture. "Step aside, Iron Fist!"
With an earth-shattering roar, the very crust of the desert ruptured. A massive tsunami of Gold Dust—shining like a king's raging sea—surged nearly a hundred meters into the air, an apocalyptic tidal wave threatening to submerge everything in its path.
Simultaneously, Chiyo unrolled a sealing scroll with a sharp snap. Poof! In a plume of smoke, she summoned the legendary Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets, the very arsenal that had cemented her terrifying infamy. Beside her, Ebizō's hands flew through a blur of hand seals. His immense chakra flared like a raging river, condensing into a devastating ninjutsu primed for absolute destruction.
Zzz... snore...
Yet, as three Kage-level experts unleashed their ultimate fury—standing directly in the shadow of a heaven-piercing tsunami of Gold Dust—Ikki's eyes had drifted shut. He was standing completely upright, fast asleep.
He... he actually fell asleep?! Witnessing this absurd scene, Rasa—who had just staked his life and pride to declare war with awe-inspiring momentum—suddenly felt a sickening, hollow lurch in his gut. The sheer, maddening anti-climax of it all made him want to vomit blood on the spot.
A/N: For this week, every 100 Powerstones will get ya'll an extra chapter! Thank you!