"To think Rasa would try to kill his own child... I don't even know what to say. For Gaara, his father's death might actually be a blessing in disguise," Daniel thought to himself as he watched the scene unfold.
In contrast to Itachi's actions, which could be justified as an attempt to maintain peace in the village, Rasa's reasons for attempting to kill Gaara were entirely based on his own paranoia. His actions were nothing more than repeated experiments to test Gaara's control over the One-Tailed Beast, Shukaku.
Jinchūriki were already despised and isolated in their villages. All the ones who managed to avoid falling into darkness did so because of the bonds they formed with others. Without those ties, most Jinchūriki, except perhaps Naruto—the reincarnation of Asura's chakra—would have abandoned their villages or succumbed to the hatred surrounding them. Even Killer Bee, the Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, rarely appeared in front of the villagers despite his close relationship with the Fourth Raikage, A.
This isolation was one of the reasons why the Akatsuki had been so successful in capturing Jinchūriki. If these powerful individuals had stayed within their villages, capturing them would have been far more difficult. Naruto's capture, for instance, had caused tremendous destruction when Pain launched an all-out assault on the Leaf Village.
Gaara's capture in the Sand Village wasn't due to a lack of power on the village's part. Many elite ninjas had been held back by internal resistance from the village's conservative factions. Had they fully mobilized, Gaara would not have been so easily captured. As a Kage, Gaara was protected by more than just the village's general strength.
The hidden villages remained silent about the abuse Jinchūriki endured, and this was true even in the Leaf Village with Naruto. Yet Rasa took this one step further, trying to kill Gaara repeatedly to test his stability, even going as far as sending Gaara's beloved uncle Yashamaru to betray him. This was what ultimately caused Gaara's descent into madness.
If Rasa had allowed Yashamaru to remain by Gaara's side as a source of comfort, Gaara might have turned out more like Naruto or Killer Bee, both of whom found important figures who guided them through their struggles. But with the Sand Village's harsh environment and a leader who delighted in such cruel tactics, it was hard to imagine anything else.
As for the Konoha Crush Plan, even if Orochimaru had genuinely allied with Rasa, the Sand Village was unlikely to gain much from it. If the Leaf Village were truly weakened, it would be the Cloud and Stone Villages that stood to benefit most, as these two villages had always harbored ambitions of expansion.
The Sand Village, by contrast, was too weak—geographically disadvantaged and with fewer resources. The village's jutsu often had limitations, as shown by Rasa's current situation. If the fight had taken place in a desert, even with a three-against-one scenario, Rasa wouldn't have been so easily overwhelmed. Yet here, only Kimimaro had been seriously injured, while Orochimaru and Kabuto were barely scratched.
Rasa had held his own, but given the environment's disadvantages, it was no surprise that he was losing. Sand techniques relied heavily on geography, and without the right terrain, the Sand Village was severely limited in expansion and defense. Even if the Leaf Village had been severely weakened, it could have triggered a Fourth Great Ninja War rather than any real gains for the Sand.
The Third Great Ninja War had ended years ago, and since then, there had been relative peace. But the major villages had since recovered from their losses, with Stone and Cloud eager for conflict. If not for the quick end to the Konoha Crush Plan and the subsequent peace treaty between the Leaf and Sand Villages, those other villages might have seized the opportunity to strike.
The history of alliances between the major villages was fraught with betrayal. When the Stone and Mist Villages had once planned a joint assault on the Leaf, their plans were thwarted when the Second Tsuchikage and the Second Mizukage ended up killing each other in a duel. And the Cloud Village had no love for the Stone Village, especially since the Third Raikage had died at their hands.
"The Sand is simply too weak, but Gaara, through his friendship with Naruto, managed to turn things around for them," Daniel mused. As he reflected on the Sand Village's plight and Rasa's reckless actions, the battle between Rasa and Orochimaru was drawing to a close.
Kimimaro, with the combined power of his Devil Fruit, Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse), and Cursed Seal Level Two, managed to withstand Rasa's final, desperate attack—the Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral. This created an opening for Orochimaru to land a fatal strike, piercing Rasa through the chest with his sword.
"His devotion to Orochimaru is terrifying," Daniel thought, watching Kimimaro collapse to the ground, grievously injured after withstanding the onslaught of Rasa's attacks.
"Looks like he won't be able to participate in the upcoming battle," Kabuto remarked after examining Kimimaro, noting the severe toll the battle had taken on his body. Kimimaro's bloodline illness, combined with the strain of his Devil Fruit powers and the Cursed Seal, had left him in no condition to fight.
"If Kimimaro's Zoan-type Devil Fruit were awakened, giving him the enhanced regeneration, I wonder if it would delay the progression of his illness," Daniel pondered as he watched Kimimaro struggle.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru busied himself with inspecting Rasa's body. Partly to confirm his death, but also to collect materials for later research and Edo Tensei. While Rasa's belongings had been consumed during the battle, Orochimaru carefully harvested what remained of his biological material, ensuring that Kabuto could later summon the Fourth Kazekage through Edo Tensei.
After finishing, Orochimaru disposed of the bodies—Rasa and his two ANBU guards—by throwing them into a secluded valley. He didn't want to risk taking the bodies with him, as the Sand Village would undoubtedly hunt him down if Rasa's body were discovered missing. The death of a Kage was a serious matter, and the Sand Village would seek answers.
In the past, when the Third Raikage had died, the Stone Village had returned his body to the Cloud. War was inevitable, but having the body of a Kage fall into enemy hands was an unacceptable disgrace.
"I hope my teacher enjoys this little surprise," Orochimaru said with a twisted smile as they neared the Leaf Village.
As they approached the village, Daniel and Kabuto split off from Orochimaru. The two quietly re-entered the Leaf, while Orochimaru, now disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, made a grand entrance at the Leaf's gates.
Orochimaru had carefully timed his arrival. The final round of the Chūnin Exams was set for the next day, and Orochimaru didn't want to spend too much time in his disguise. The longer he stayed, the more likely someone familiar with the real Fourth Kazekage might notice something amiss.
"The Fire Daimyō has arrived. He brought some of the Twelve Guardian Ninja with him," Daniel noted, spotting the grand entourage. Although the Daimyō of the Great Nations weren't always prominent figures, they were always well-guarded. Even if the Hidden Villages were powerful, the Daimyō understood the necessity of keeping their own elite warriors for protection.
Along with the Fire Daimyō, some of the lesser daimyō from smaller countries also attended. Representatives from the other Great Nations had sent envoys instead of coming in person.
"Please take your seats," an announcer called as the Third Hokage, wearing his ceremonial robes, and the Fourth Kazekage (Orochimaru in disguise) took their places at the high platform. The final round of the Chūnin Exams was about to begin, with Naruto facing Neji in the first match.
"This kid is no ordinary genin. He can summon multiple shadow clones that are solid," one of the watching shinobi commented. Many in the audience were surprised by Naruto's proficiency with the Shadow Clone Technique, a jutsu known for its high chakra consumption. However, they were less impressed by his decision to divide his power among so many clones.
"Wait... Could it be?" Orochimaru, seated next to the Third Hokage, raised an eyebrow in surprise when Naruto formed the Rasengan. "I didn't expect to see that jutsu here."
The Rasengan, made famous by the Fourth Hokage, was a technique known across the ninja world. While younger shinobi might not understand its significance, older veterans knew all too well the terror of seeing the Yellow Flash of Konoha—the Fourth Hokage—on the battlefield. He was so feared that enemy nations had standing orders to retreat immediately upon encountering him, without fear of punishment for abandoning their missions.
"If fifty jonin stood together, I could take them all out with a single move, but if they were scattered... not even I could manage that," Daniel thought to himself as he watched Naruto's Rasengan clash with Neji's Rotation technique. The force of the collision sent sparks flying, and shockwaves rippled through the arena.
The spectators were stunned. "What kind of jutsu is that?" Ino, Shikamaru, and others from Naruto's generation stared in amazement at the spinning sphere of chakra in Naruto's hand. They had never seen a technique like it before.
"Neji's in trouble," Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyuga, muttered under his breath as
he watched the two techniques collide. He could see that the Rasengan posed a serious threat to Neji, who was relying on his Rotation technique to defend himself.
The Chūnin Exams were supposed to be a demonstration of each village's strength, but with a technique like the Rasengan on display, Naruto's opponents would be in for a tough fight.
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