Chapter 114 – I'm Not Here for Sightseeing
Although Rasa had no idea who this mysterious figure behind him truly was, the mere fact that the man had managed to bypass all the Sand Village Anbu patrols and sentries without raising any alarm—and had even appeared silently right behind him—was enough to prove that he was anything but ordinary.
Startled, Rasa spun around and stared at the man standing behind him.
Uchiha Dali, meanwhile, was watching him with a faint, unreadable smile.
As their eyes met, Rasa's body shuddered once again.
"Sharingan…"
"You're from the Uchiha clan!"
He had clearly seen the distinct eyes of the Uchiha.
Yet, despite that, Uchiha Dali didn't cast any genjutsu on him.
"The Sand Village is the only force I haven't attacked yet. It's not surprising you don't recognize me," Dali said casually.
"Let me introduce myself—my name is Uchiha Dali."
With an easy air, he walked over to a nearby chair and sat down, kicking his feet up onto the table.
At the mention of that name, Rasa's pupils contracted sharply once again.
Uchiha Dali—a name that now echoed across every ninja village. His fame was widespread.
He was even more renowned than the "Yellow Flash of the Leaf."
"So you're that man."
"What brings you here?"
Rasa fought the prickling sensation at his scalp, doing his best to maintain composure.
He was the Kazekage, leader of an entire village. No matter how formidable the opponent, he couldn't bring shame upon Sunagakure.
"With how harsh the Land of Wind is, do you really think I came here to sightsee?"
"Let's sit down and talk. It makes things feel a bit more equal between us."
"Oh, and don't do anything foolish. You can't kill me."
As Uchiha Dali finished speaking, he casually glanced at Rasa and Karura.
The couple—one preparing to use their Magnet Release bloodline limit, the other readying a surprise ninjutsu attack—were both exposed by Dali's sharp gaze.
At his warning, the two stiffened, their expressions subtly shifting.
Rasa gestured for Karura to stand down, then walked over and took the chair opposite Dali.
"What is it you want?"
"Why not just come out with it?"
He fixed his eyes on the man across from him.
"As expected of the Fourth Kazekage—straightforward. Very well, I'll be direct."
"First, I've come to deliver a few messages. One: strictly speaking, you ought to address me as 'Lord Fourth Hokage.' Two: you might also consider addressing me as 'Daimyō.'"
"Third: the Land of Water and Kirigakure have already surrendered to us. They are now vassals of the Land of Fire."
Dali raised three fingers as he spoke.
Those few simple sentences made both Rasa and Karura's faces dramatically change.
They exchanged shocked glances, then turned simultaneously back to Dali.
"What did you say?"
Rasa thought he must've misheard—or perhaps Dali had misspoken.
The implications of those words were simply too immense.
This man—he had actually become the Fourth Hokage?
And now he was claiming to be the Daimyō too?
But what shocked them most was the claim that the Land of Water… had submitted to Konoha?
If that were true, it would be a seismic event that would shake the entire ninja world to its core.
"Don't tell me you…"
Rasa finally managed to pull himself together, staring at Dali in disbelief.
"That's right. It's exactly what you're thinking."
Dali replied with a half-smile and a nod of confirmation.
Rasa was stunned once again.
And this time, his expression turned heavier than ever before.
A chill crept up his spine.
His gaze sharpened with a cold glint. "Lord Fourth Hokage, if what you say is true, then I suppose your purpose in coming here is to conquer the Sand Village—and the entire Land of Wind."
Dali shrugged, still looking completely at ease.
He glanced over at Karura, noting her visible pregnancy.
"And she is…?"
"She's my wife, Karura."
"But she has nothing to do with this."
"Don't worry. I won't harm either of you—so long as you cooperate."
Dali gave Karura a disarming smile.
Rasa and Karura exchanged a look. After a pause, Rasa nodded slightly.
Only then did Karura cautiously take a seat on a nearby chair.
Both their eyes returned to Uchiha Dali's face.
"Lord Fourth Hokage, you still haven't answered my earlier question," Rasa repeated calmly.
Dali smiled and spread his hands. "No need to make it sound so unpleasant. I simply saw how dire the situation was in the Land of Wind—how the people of the Sand Village were suffering—and I decided to come offer a helping hand."
"That's right, I'm here to alleviate poverty."
"Alleviate… poverty?"
"I heard everything just now. Lord Fourth Kazekage, you're still racking your brain over the future of the Sand Village, aren't you?"
Dali chuckled.
And he wasn't wrong.
But this was a shameful matter for the Sand Village.
Now that the Fourth Hokage himself had heard it, Rasa felt thoroughly embarrassed.
He remained silent and gave a stiff nod, turning his head aside.
"That's why I'm here—to help."
"If you agree to a few conditions, I can help pull the Sand Village out of its current crisis. The entire Land of Wind may even see unprecedented development opportunities."
Those words immediately put Rasa on alert.
After all, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Things like this simply don't happen out of goodwill.
No matter what reason the Land of Water had for surrendering to Konoha, one truth was certain:
They had been defeated.
The logic was clear. The Land of Water was isolated across the sea—a naturally defensive position. Historically, it had always been hard to attack and easy to defend. Even at its strongest, Konoha had never reached the point where it could crush the Land of Water outright.
If there had been even the slightest chance of resistance left, their ancestors would never have allowed them to make such a shameful choice.
Which meant either Uchiha Dali was lying…
Or he had done something—something truly devastating—to force the surrender.
"So, Lord Fourth Hokage, may I ask what these conditions of yours are?"
Rasa did not agree immediately but chose to inquire carefully.
At the same time, without drawing attention, he activated his Magnet Release bloodline limit and created a gold dust clone on the street below, preparing to alert the entire Sand Village to ready for battle.
"My terms are quite simple—two main ones. First, the Land of Wind and the Sand Village must fully submit to the Land of Fire and obey my commands from this day forward."
"Second, the tailed beast in your village will be handed over to me for safekeeping."
Dali raised two fingers.
Rasa leaned back slowly into his chair and, with a calm expression, replied, "You should know—that's not going to happen."
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