Facing the overwhelming Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, attempted to resist. He believed that even against Byakuya and Orochimaru, he had a fighting chance due to his Magnet Release Bloodline Limit.
Magnet Release was an exceptionally versatile and powerful ability, granting control over gold dust and enabling flight. Historically, every Sand shinobi who mastered Magnet Release had risen to the position of Kazekage.
What Rasa didn't realize was that Byakuya not only understood Magnet Release's strengths and limitations but also possessed abilities of the same type—only far more potent.
Under Byakuya's crushing power, Rasa barely lasted three minutes before being defeated.
Initially, Rasa tried to counter the trees with his gold dust, attempting to destroy the spreading forest. However, the growth rate of the forest vastly outpaced his ability to destroy it.
Sensing danger, Rasa chose to leverage his flight capabilities to escape. But when he ascended several hundred meters, he found Byakuya already waiting above him. Attempting to burrow underground using Earth Release also failed, as Byakuya's wood clones were hidden below.
After multiple failed escape attempts, Rasa resolved to make one final stand, only to be swiftly overpowered. Exhausted and nearly out of chakra, his body was pierced by several black rods, leaving him collapsed in the sands.
Struggling to lift his head, Rasa glared at Orochimaru and Byakuya.
Finally, he understood why a proud ninja like Orochimaru had submitted to Byakuya's authority—the answer was simple: Byakuya possessed strength far surpassing the Five Kage.
In Byakuya's presence, Rasa felt as though he were a newly minted jonin facing a legendary Kage. What he couldn't comprehend was why such a powerful figure would bother to conspire against him.
Noticing Rasa's confusion, Byakuya casually sat on a nearby rock and spoke with indifference, "Kazekage-sama, you must be wondering why I didn't directly attack Sunagakure and instead orchestrated events to turn you into a missing-nin while placing Sasori in power. The reason is simple—I want Sunagakure intact, not as a war-torn ruin."
Hearing this, Rasa widened his eyes.
"By removing you from the position of Kazekage, Sasori, as the grandson of Elder Chiyo, naturally becomes the most suitable candidate. This allows us to easily control Sunagakure."
Byakuya paused, a faint smile forming on his lips.
"In fact, I should thank you. If it weren't for your order for Yashamaru to target Gaara, Sasori wouldn't have so easily gained the trust of the Sand ninja. Our encounter would have been delayed considerably."
Hearing this, Rasa's eyes widened in rage, and he growled through clenched teeth, "Hah! Sasori is indeed your subordinate! And the death of the Third Kazekage—was that also your doing, in collusion with Orochimaru?!"
Byakuya shook his head. "The Third Kazekage's death had nothing to do with me. Nor do I have any interest in him. When I first met Sasori, he already possessed the Kazekage puppet. So, our relationship is more of a transaction—I help him become Kazekage, and he swears loyalty to me."
Learning that Byakuya's sole objective was to control Sunagakure, Rasa's expression softened slightly. Yet, he couldn't understand Byakuya's motivations and asked, "I have one question. Why do you want to control Sunagakure? There's no benefit for you. The Land of Wind's territory is even more barren than the Land of Rain."
Orochimaru also looked at Byakuya with interest.
While Orochimaru knew Byakuya's ultimate goal was Sunagakure's tailed beast, he was curious how Byakuya would answer without revealing the organization's true intentions.
Byakuya chuckled and replied, "Why does one need a reason to control Sunagakure? Just as you desired to become Kazekage, who wouldn't want to become the ruler of the ninja world?"
"The ruler of the ninja world…" Both Rasa and Orochimaru twitched at the audacity of the statement.
It seemed like something only a naïve person would say. Yet, given Byakuya's power, his ambition didn't seem entirely implausible. One day, he might truly unite the entire ninja world under his control.
Byakuya's expression betrayed a hint of embarrassment. However, no matter how awkward it felt, he couldn't exactly reveal the truth—that he had a system guiding him.
Compared to the deranged dreams of those Uchiha lunatics, Byakuya mused, his ambitions were far more grounded. At least he didn't aspire to put the entire world into an infinite slumber.
After pondering for a moment, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, asked, "Byakuya, now that Sunagakure is under your control, what do you plan to do with it? Surely, you won't just leave it to its own devices?"
"Of course not…" Byakuya responded, "Sunagakure's current economic structure is extremely fragile and overly dependent. Aside from the Daimyō's funding and the sale of minerals, it has almost no other sources of income. Heck, even the most basic mission commissions for its shinobi are significantly fewer than those of other villages. If this model continues unchecked, Sunagakure is doomed to collapse economically, even without external invasions."
Byakuya, as a transmigrator, knew that deserts like the Land of Wind had nothing to offer but one special commodity, oil. Without it, such places are hard to rise.
"To avoid self-destruction, Sunagakure has historically been the first to initiate wars. However, due to its weaker overall strength, it often ends up defeated by the other four great villages."
Rasa listened intently to Byakuya's analysis and nodded in agreement. He then asked, "So, how would you solve Sunagakure's economic problems and prevent its collapse?"
"That's a complex issue," Byakuya admitted, his expression turning slightly amused. He looked at Rasa and said, "Why would I bother answering that question? These matters are for Sasori to handle in the future. What does it have to do with you?"
Rasa suddenly realized his error—he was no longer the esteemed Kazekage but a captive. Yet, whenever topics about Sunagakure arose, he couldn't help but think from the perspective of its leader, albeit often selfishly.
Rasa's deeply egocentric nature, his mistrust of others, and his unwillingness to explain himself to anyone defined his character. These traits had not only caused Gaara's tragic childhood but also led to his own assassination by Orochimaru just before the Konoha Crush plan.
Sighing heavily, Rasa seemed to make a decision. He turned to Byakuya and Orochimaru and said, "Since you genuinely intend to govern Sunagakure properly, as evidenced by your understanding of its flaws, I can leave this world without regret. You can proceed now and send this Kazekage on his way."
Hearing this, Byakuya frowned in confusion and said, "Rasa, when did I ever say I wanted to kill you? Do you think I went to all the trouble of framing you, demoting you from Kazekage to a missing-nin, just to take your life?"