Naruto: Eat this fruit and we will be brothers

Attack Konoha?

Qi Hai had always known the shinobi world was far from peaceful, but he never thought his first war would come so soon.

"Lord Kazekage," Qi Hai said with a frown. "Tell me more about Konoha."

Rasa nodded solemnly.

"Konoha is technically our ally," he began, but his tone turned bitter. Without realizing it, his hand clenched so hard it shattered the plate he was holding.

"An ally… built on the foundation of the Wind Daimyo slashing our funding and military strength, while we're forced to provide Konoha with economic aid year after year!"

Rasa's voice grew angrier as he continued.

"30%! The Daimyo has reduced Sunagakure's resources and funding to just 30% of what we had before the Third Shinobi War.

"15%! Our number of shinobi has dropped to just 15% of its peak, while rogue ninjas have increased by 550%!

"5%! We're only taking in 5% of the missions we used to!"

The raw, grim statistics hit Qi Hai like a hammer.

These weren't just numbers—they painted a dire picture of Sunagakure's decay.

"Even for a shadowy world like this… that's bleak," Qi Hai muttered, shaking his head.

Rasa let out a bitter laugh, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Bleak doesn't begin to cover it," he said. "But let me tell you about Konoha. Perhaps you'll understand the stakes better."

Konoha: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

"Konoha, nestled in the prosperous Land of Fire, is the strongest of the Great Five Shinobi Nations. They preach peace, but their actions tell a different story."

Rasa's eyes glinted with a mix of disdain and grudging respect as he spoke.

"Take their so-called 'White Fang.' He killed Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law, yet even she admits he was an honorable man. But did Konoha honor him? No. Their twisted ideals drove him to take his own life!"

He clenched his fists, shaking his head.

"And let's not forget the Uzumaki Clan. Once close allies of Konoha, wiped out because the Leaf chose to stand by and do nothing.

"Or the Uchiha Clan, once Konoha's strongest bloodline, massacred in cold blood within their own village."

Rasa's voice dropped to a low growl.

"Konoha's so-called peace is nothing but a façade. They're no better than tyrants, bending others to their will under the guise of diplomacy."

Qi Hai listened in silence, absorbing every word. Even if Rasa's words were biased, there was undeniable truth in them. Konoha's history was riddled with hypocrisy and betrayal.

The shattered plate in his hand slipped from his grip, crashing to the floor.

"Unforgivable!" Qi Hai exclaimed. "Konoha's actions… they're the real villains of this world!"

Rasa smirked. His words had hit their mark.

"Three days from now, we march on Konoha," he declared.

Qi Hai nodded firmly, though his thoughts were conflicted.

A Personal Mission

While he agreed that Konoha's sins warranted punishment, Qi Hai's true motivation lay elsewhere.

The system's task loomed over him like a dark cloud. To become Kazekage, he would have to eliminate Rasa.

The attack on Konoha was the perfect opportunity to complete his mission.

As the Wind Shadow of the East, his conscience whispered a twisted justification: Konoha's fall will be a fitting sendoff for Rasa.

The March to Konoha

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Sunagakure forces prepared to depart under the personal leadership of Rasa himself.

In addition to the Kazekage, the roster included:

22 jōnin,

25 special jōnin,

25 elite chūnin,

And a group of genin, including Gaara, Temari, and Kankurō.

Nearly all of Sunagakure's top forces were mobilized for this mission, leaving only Chiyo and Ebizō to oversee the village's defense.

At the village gates, a large crowd had gathered to bid farewell to the departing shinobi.

Among them was Gaara, quietly standing next to Qi Hai.

He tugged at his teacher's sleeve, gesturing to his shoulder.

"Oh, right!" Qi Hai said with a grin. "Here you go!"

Using his Sea-Sea Fruit powers, he conjured a fresh red algae flower and pinned it to Gaara's shoulder.

Since becoming First Squad's leader, Gaara had made it a daily ritual to ask for a new flower to symbolize his role. Qi Hai was happy to oblige—it was a small gesture, but it meant the world to Gaara.

The cheerful scene was interrupted by an all-too-familiar voice.

"Qi Hai-sama! Look this way! Say cheese!"

It was none other than Momo Nosuke, the self-proclaimed "war reporter," snapping photos with a vintage camera.

Qi Hai's smile vanished instantly.

"Ugh, not you again," he muttered, pulling his cloak tighter around his face.

Unbothered by Qi Hai's clear annoyance, Momo Nosuke struck a dramatic pose.

"Respectfully, Qi Hai-sama," he said, hands on his hips. "I am a professional! You must cooperate with my important work as a journalist!"

"Journalist?" Qi Hai raised an eyebrow.

Maki leaned over and whispered, "Don't let him fool you. Sunagakure doesn't even have a newspaper."

Qi Hai froze.

What kind of backwater village doesn't have a newspaper?!

He cast a sidelong glance at Rasa, who was staring off into the distance. Suddenly, Qi Hai understood everything about Sunagakure's… "unique" priorities.

With a sigh, he grabbed Momo Nosuke by the collar and tossed him several hundred meters away.

"Liar," Qi Hai muttered, dusting off his hands.

The Kazekage's Gamble

As the crowd began to disperse, Rasa's expression turned serious.

"Maki," he said, beckoning his subordinate closer.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama?"

Rasa handed him a sealed scroll.

"Keep this safe. Open it only when the time comes."

Maki's hands trembled as he accepted the scroll. He knew what Rasa meant.

If the time comes, meant if the Kazekage fell.

This mission wasn't just an attack on Konoha.

It was an all-or-nothing gamble. Sunagakure was putting everything on the line—its present, its future, and even its Kazekage.

"This is it," Rasa said, his voice heavy with resolve.

"This war… will end in one of two ways:

"Either Konoha dies… or Sunagakure falls."

For 20 advanced chapters: patreon.com/Adrian91