Localization & Editorial Rewrite
Despite the apocalyptic scale of the attack, the three Kage-level powerhouses of the Hidden Sand were still breathing. Even the thousands of shinobi who had been violently thrown into the abyss had only sustained minor injuries. The Sand vanguard still had nearly a thousand combat-ready ninja standing on the field... yet, it was utterly meaningless.
It could not change the reality of the war they had initiated. A war that Ikki had unilaterally crushed with a single swing of his arm.
Yes, they had their lives, but the courage, faith, and willpower required to actually fight had been ruthlessly pulverized. The surviving Sand shinobi lining the rim of the colossal crater stared down into the gorge with dull, vacant eyes, looking entirely devoid of their souls. In such a catatonic state, they couldn't even muster the strength to draw a kunai, let alone mount an offensive. If forced into battle now, they would be nothing more than livestock waiting for the slaughter.
Crunch... Crunch...
The slow, heavy sound of leather shoes against the dirt abruptly trampled out Rasa's manic, hysterical laughter.
Lying paralyzed at the epicenter of the fist print, Rasa, Chiyo, and Ebizō struggled just to turn their bloodshot eyes. A towering shadow eclipsed the sun, falling over Rasa's broken body. Ikki stood over them, his black suit still immaculate.
"Iron Fist!" Rasa's eyes bulged.
A maelstrom of fear, unwillingness, and violently misplaced indignation boiled over, twisting his face into a mask of feral resentment. This was the monster who had effortlessly shattered his grand ambitions, throwing him into the abyss just as he was about to cement his legacy as the greatest Kazekage in history.
"Why?!" Rasa howled, his voice cracking into a hysterical screech that echoed across the dead-silent battlefield. "Why did you have to come back?! This isn't your era anymore! This is the era of the Hidden Villages! This is my era! Why couldn't you stay dead?!"
"Are you quite finished?" Ikki stared down at the broken Kage with cold, detached pity.
"You... ah... cough... Iron Fist, what are you—"
Just as Rasa bared his teeth to snarl again, a glittering waterfall of gold dust cascaded directly onto his face, pouring into his eyes, ears, and screaming mouth.
"I heard more than enough barking from beaten dogs during the Warring States. I've grown thoroughly tired of it," Ikki said casually, opening his fingers to let the crushed, molecular remnants of Rasa's ultimate jutsu spill over the Kage's face. "Besides, your bark is terribly grating. In comparison, Uchiha Izuna's screams were far more melodic when I broke all four of his limbs."
"Iron Fist, you— ACK!"
The moment Rasa opened his mouth to curse, a lungful of gold dust poured down his throat. He gagged violently, violently convulsing in the dirt as he choked on his own weapon.
"Little Kazekage," Ikki said, dusting off his hands. "Gold dust is only good for selling. But since you clearly refuse to sell it... you can eat it."
"If your goal... cough... was to humiliate me... then you've done it!" Rasa roared, spitting up mud and gold. "But I will never bow to you!"
"Humiliate you? Don't flatter yourself," Ikki replied, his tone entirely devoid of emotion. "This old man doesn't waste time on meaningless parlor tricks, and you certainly aren't worthy of my active humiliation. I am merely keeping a promise."
Ikki's gaze sharpened into a razor-thin glare, pinning Rasa to the earth like a physical blade. "Decades ago, I told your First Kazekage that creatures who call themselves 'Kazekage' are only fit to eat sand in the Land of Wind. I told him that if he refused to eat, I would force-feed him myself."
Ikki sighed, looking at Rasa with profound disappointment. "As for you, the Fourth... I initially intended to show some leniency to the younger generation. I gave you a choice. But you actually had the audacity to demand that I step aside. Out of four generations of Kazekage, you are the only one stupid enough to speak to me that way. Not even Reto dared. In terms of sheer, suicidal bravery... I suppose I must call you the strongest."
Ikki withdrew his oppressive gaze, turning his back on the broken men and walking toward the crater's edge.
Just as Rasa blinked in confusion, a heavy, resounding THUD vibrated through the earth beside his head. He turned his eyes—along with the dying Chiyo and Ebizō—only to feel his blood run completely cold.
Sitting directly beside Rasa's face was a massive, meter-high mound of condensed gold dust.
"Please, enjoy the sand, Fourth Kazekage," Ikki said without breaking his stride.
He had said that if the Kazekage wanted to eat sand, he would eat sand. He had said that if Rasa wanted to meet the previous generations, he would send him. Ikki's words were absolute law.
"Do you honestly think I will let you subject me to this?!" Rasa screamed, staring at the mound of dirt in pure, unadulterated horror. "Yes, compared to your power, I am nothing but an ant! But I still possess the courage to die!"
"Excellent." Ikki paused at the rim of the crater, not bothering to look back. "Since you have the courage, finish eating that pile of sand, and then you can go to the afterlife and find the First Kazekage yourself. I won't bother seeing you off."
"I am the Fourth Kazekage! I will not be humiliated!" Rasa shrieked at Ikki's retreating back, his voice tearing his throat raw.
But Ikki didn't even pause his stride.
A/N: For this week, every 100 Powerstones will get ya'll an extra chapter! Thank you!