Kakashi's disappearance left Sarutobi feeling deeply uneasy.
Naturally, Rasa had no intention of letting such an opportunity slip by.
Before long, rumors began spreading that Kakashi had already been secretly detained by Konoha.
But the versions varied wildly.
Some claimed he had already been killed by Konoha.
Some said he had merely been placed under control.
Others insisted Kakashi had defected.
From Kakashi's own perspective, during the entire incident in which Danzo attacked him, no Sunagakure shinobi had been present.
That meant Sunagakure should not know his true situation.
If the rumor matched reality too closely, Kakashi would very easily become suspicious.
But if Sunagakure spread many different versions at once, Kakashi would assume that because he had not appeared on the battlefield for so long, Sunagakure was simply fabricating rumors at random.
Yet once enough people began talking, even the people of Konoha started to feel that something was off.
"It really is strange. Kakashi vanished as if he disappeared into thin air."
"He isn't on the battlefield, and he isn't in the village either."
"Could he really have been dealt with by Hokage-sama?"
"If Hokage-sama really did deal with him, doesn't that mean what happened to Konoha's White Fang back then was true? Doesn't that mean Minato-sama really was dealt with because he threatened the Hokage position?"
"Is Hokage-sama really that kind of person?"
Some Konoha shinobi wore pained expressions.
A figure they had worshiped and admired without question had suddenly begun to collapse before their eyes.
Of course, there were still some who firmly believed in Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Maybe Kakashi ran away?"
"We all saw what happened that day. After Kakashi heard the rumor shouted by those Sunagakure shinobi, something about him clearly changed. He may have believed Sunagakure's lies."
"Kakashi thought Hokage-sama had really done something like that. He thought Hokage-sama would come after him, so he left in advance and became a rogue ninja. That's possible too, isn't it?"
But regardless of which version people believed, discussion surrounding the Konoha White Fang incident was pushed to a new peak.
Sunagakure.
Kazekage Building.
Rasa looked at the number of points displayed on his system panel, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Faster than I expected."
"As expected, it still has to be Konoha."
"Whether it's the rumor about Minato Namikaze or the rumor about Konoha's White Fang, the speed of point accumulation is far beyond anything the Yagura Karatachi rumor could compare to."
"Three thousand points acquired."
"It's time to start the draw."
With a thought from Rasa—
"Thirty consecutive draws. Begin!"
An invisible roulette wheel began spinning rapidly.
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained an F-rank item: One tael of gold.]
…
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a C-rank item: Chicken Lizard Egg.]
…
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained an A-rank item: S-Rank Ninjutsu Upgrade Card.]
"Chicken Lizard Egg?"
[Chicken Lizard Egg]
[—Can hatch a type of lizard suited to survival in the desert. It possesses extremely strong drought resistance and survival ability. Its meat is nutritious, rich in protein, and tastes like chicken.]
Rasa: "…"
"Before this, I drew several plants suited for desert cultivation. Now it's animals?"
"Lizards aren't exactly rare in the deserts of the Land of Wind. Many people catch them and turn them into food. They're a little small and a little ugly, but when it comes to filling the stomach, they're very real."
"Will this Chicken Lizard taste better than those?"
After thinking for a moment, Rasa still handed it over to the person in charge of the Sun Disks.
At present, Sunagakure had already completed construction of two Sun Disks.
The third Sun Disk was currently being built.
However, once the third Sun Disk was finished, the resources Sunagakure currently possessed would no longer be enough to build a fourth.
But the Sun Disks' own economic value would slowly begin to show.
One Sun Disk could improve a ten-kilometer stretch of desert into an area suitable for survival.
They could plant sand grass there, and now they could also raise Chicken Lizards.
The Sun Disk area was divided into inner and outer zones.
The inner zone was mainly occupied by shinobi, responsible for regional security.
The outer zone was for civilians, responsible for planting and breeding.
Rasa gave them a dedicated name: the Sun Disk Production Squad.
"But what is this S-Rank Ninjutsu Upgrade Card?"
It had never appeared before. This was the first time.
[S-Rank Ninjutsu Upgrade Card]
[—Three random ninjutsu will appear. The Host may choose one of them to upgrade to S-rank.]
Rasa raised a brow.
"Upgrade a ninjutsu to S-rank?"
"What kind of upgrade?"
"Even low-level ninjutsu can be upgraded?"
Rasa immediately became interested.
No matter what the method or process of this upgrade was, judging by the system's description, the result seemed to be that he would gain another S-rank ninjutsu.
To Rasa, that was extremely valuable.
Rasa did not hesitate.
"Use it."
Immediately, several names quickly appeared on the card.
"Sand Substitution Technique."
"Sand Clone Technique."
"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere."
Rasa looked at the three ninjutsu names and began considering.
According to rank, both Sand Substitution Technique and Sand Clone Technique were C-rank ninjutsu, while Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere was B-rank.
By comparison, upgrading C-rank to S-rank should be more cost-effective than upgrading B-rank to S-rank.
Thus, Rasa decided to choose between the first two.
After thinking for a moment, Rasa chose Sand Substitution Technique.
The next instant—
A stream of light flashed across the card.
Immediately afterward, the three ninjutsu names disappeared.
A surge of information poured into Rasa's mind.
[Sand Substitution Technique: Anubis Stand]
[—Can manifest a slender long blade. This blade can control any living being that touches its blade or hilt. The controlled being will immediately become a master swordsman and can attack targets through objects.]
Rasa could not help but reveal a surprised expression.
He had not expected this so-called S-Rank Ninjutsu Upgrade Card to work in such a way.
It had turned Sand Substitution Technique into a Stand.
"But why Anubis?"
"It would have been better if it were Star Platinum."
Even so, for Sand Substitution Technique to become Anubis after being upgraded to S-rank, Rasa was already more than satisfied.
He formed hand seals directly.
The seals for Sand Substitution Technique.
What appeared was not a Sand Substitution Technique.
Instead, a slender long blade hovered in front of Rasa.
Rasa reached out and took it.
Immediately—
A faint murmuring sound rang inside Rasa's mind.
However, it seemed to sense Rasa's identity as its master. The murmuring vanished at once.
Yet the enhancement it brought to Rasa's swordsmanship seemed to remain.
Rasa swung the blade and found it incomparably smooth in his hand.
"This is equivalent to giving me top-tier swordsmanship directly."
"I wonder how it compares to Konoha's White Fang?"
In the ninja world, swordsmanship was not considered especially remarkable.
Konoha's White Fang was one of the few existences capable of making others truly respect blade techniques.
"And this blade also has a very special ability."
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