Naruto: Rebuilding the Hidden Sand Village

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Kazekage."

"There's no need to walk me out. Just seeing me to the door is fine."

Rasa smiled gently at the kind woman in front of him—Mōmu's wife, Pei—and at the young boy beside her with thick eyebrows and big, expressive eyes who bore more than a passing resemblance to his father.

He reached out and gently ruffled the boy's hair, eyes soft and warm like a benevolent village elder.

"You've got to study hard, okay? Work hard, listen to your parents, and grow up to be someone who contributes to the village and society."

"Mm!" the boy, Daimaru, beamed, wiping snot from under his nose and nodding enthusiastically. "I'll study!"

"Very good!" Rasa nodded in approval. "Uncle Kazekage has already arranged excellent teachers and state-of-the-art facilities just for you. I believe Daimaru won't let his parents down!"

"P-Promise!" Daimaru clumsily thumped his little chest and nodded harder, still grinning. "Daimaru… will study!"

"What a clever little guy." Rasa gave his head another affectionate rub, then turned to Pei. "Well then, I'll be going. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to come to the Kazekage Building."

"Thank you, Lord Kazekage."

Pei bowed respectfully, holding Daimaru's hand as she watched Rasa walk away. After a moment, she raised her head, eyes full of gratitude as she looked at his retreating figure.

"Lord Rasa truly is a Kazekage worthy of respect."

Then she glanced down at Daimaru, whose wide eyes were still fixed on Rasa with admiration.

"Daimaru, you must grow into a fine shinobi. Don't disappoint Lord Kazekage, alright?"

The little rascal nodded solemnly and earnestly.

"Mm!"

Back at home, Rasa found Kana already there, performing a routine prenatal checkup for Karura.

Ever since Karura had taken a bite out of Kanna—whether it was just his imagination or not—her mental state seemed far more stable. Whatever lingering issues caused by her premature labor had apparently resolved on their own.

Rasa slumped lazily into his chair, stretched long and wide, and let out a deep, satisfied sigh.

Sunagakure was still in the early stages of reconstruction, which meant there was no shortage of things demanding his attention.

Even just the manpower shortage was enough to give him a headache, not to mention everything else.

For the sake of internal stability during this sensitive postwar period, they'd avoided taking in war refugees for fear of unrest. So outside of newborns, the village population had remained largely unchanged.

The shinobi world might seem peaceful on the surface, but the scars of war weren't so easily healed. Rasa was sure there were still countless refugees wandering the continent—especially in the Land of Wind, which had seen more battle than any other nation.

Looking down at Temari, who was toddling over asking to be picked up, and at Kankurō, still struggling to keep his footing, Rasa's expression softened.

What's the point in worrying so much? Home is what matters most.

A loving wife. A warm home. Healthy children. What more could he ask for?

As for the rest… hell, the final boss of the shinobi world was working under him. If that didn't count as preemptively winning the game, what did? And the alien invasions? That wasn't today's problem.

Right now, his focus needed to be on developing the village.

Rasa played with the kids for a bit—Temari was already nearly three and full of energy, while Kankurō, a year younger, was still just a clueless toddler.

Kankurō had taken a strange liking to puppets—even while drinking milk, he insisted on clutching his sister's doll. Which, frankly, wasn't a great look for a boy his age.

And Temari… from a young age, she perfectly demonstrated the famous saying, "Beat your younger brother early." She constantly kept her brother pinned down, not letting him get close.

Watching the two of them bicker and stumble around, Rasa's stress melted away.

He joined in, tossing a small ball back and forth. The kids tried to throw it back, but their tiny hands lacked strength. Every time Kankurō overexerted himself, he'd fall flat on his butt, then get up giggling.

What a silly kid.

Sensing someone approaching, Rasa paused and turned to see Kana quietly walking over.

He smiled. "Thanks again."

"It's no trouble. Karura's in great health—no need to worry, Lord Kazekage." Kanna sat nearby, her voice gentle. "She'll be a bit tired during this stage, but nothing serious."

"Tired? I actually think she seems more energetic!" Rasa shrugged helplessly, shaking his head. "She was restless all night yesterday."

"Lord Rasa…" Kana's cheeks flushed pink, and she gave him a reproachful glare. "She's pregnant. She needs proper rest."

"???"

Rasa blinked, completely lost at her sudden scolding.

"She just had trouble sleeping. What are you talking about? Whatever, never mind. I haven't seen Kabuto lately. What's he up to?"

"Oh—Kabuto?" Kana realized she'd misinterpreted him. The blush on her face faded quickly as she composed herself again. "Lately, Chiyo-sensei has been personally training him in advanced White Secret techniques. The training is pretty intense."

She continued, "Also, both Yashamaru and Baki needed help with that Gold Panner Workshop project. They originally wanted the village puppet masters to assist with some mechanisms, but everyone's too busy—so they ended up going to Kabuto. He's been swamped."

"Looks like Kabuto's becoming a fine shinobi." Rasa nodded with satisfaction. "As long as Kabuto matures into a proper force, Sunagakure could probably hold its own even if it came down to a one-versus-three scenario against other major villages... cough. No, maybe just three." He corrected himself mentally. "As for that walking cheat code—Konoha's 'golden generation' was born in Year 48, wasn't it?"

A resigned sigh escaped him. "It's best not to provoke them. The challenge is simply too great."

Rasa took a sip of tea, then looked at Kanna again.

"By the way, Kabuto should be graduating soon, right?"

"Right. It's about time." Kana nodded with a helpless expression. "He's been bored at the Academy for ages. All he wants is to graduate early… and it's only been two years."

"The struggles of being a genius," Rasa chuckled. "The shinobi world is full of prodigies—most of them die young on the battlefield. Really, Kabuto's current age is perfectly reasonable to graduate. The only surprising part is how quickly he skipped grades."

"So what's he planning to do after graduation?"

"He's not sure yet," Kana replied softly. "He's not as withdrawn or lonely as when he first arrived, but… I can tell. There's still a bit of confusion in his eyes."

"Mature kids are a handful," Rasa sighed. "They always bottle things up. Never speak their minds."

He rubbed his temples, deep in thought—until an idea suddenly struck him.

"What if we let him travel for a while? See the world. Maybe that'll help him find his purpose."

"You mean… send him on a mission?" Kana blinked, frowning slightly.

She'd hoped Kabuto would train under her and become a medical ninja. She was sure that if she asked, he'd agree in a heartbeat.

But…

She also wanted him to find his own path in life.

"It's not a mission. No one's commissioning work from us right now anyway."

There weren't even any requests for things like finding cats or dogs—because in Sunagakure, no one kept pets.

"Then what are you suggesting?" Kana asked, her gaze sharpening. "You mean… send him out as a spy?"

"…"

Rasa stared at her wordlessly, then sighed.

"Why do you people always jump to that?"

Not every task for a shinobi had to be a mission or infiltration job.

"No, I meant… a merchant caravan," he said with exasperation. "Have him travel with a trade convoy. See what the world has to offer."

"Oh…" Kana visibly relaxed, blinking playfully and sticking her tongue out. "I'll let Kabuto know later. Thank you, Lord Rasa."

She gently patted the now-sleeping Temari nestled in her arms and looked up at him with a warm smile.

"Lord Rasa… you really are a good person!"

"…"