Late autumn of Year 42 in the Konoha calendar—almost the end of the year.
If you set aside the hardships, the Land of Wind's autumn was actually… rather beautiful.
As the evening sun shone over the desert, the pale sand turned a shimmering gold, glowing warmly in the fading light. Rasa couldn't help the itch in his fingers—the urge to go out for another round of gold dust mining flared up again.
But in the end…
It was still mostly just sand.
Summer had passed, and although daytime in the desert wasn't as unbearably hot as before, once dusk hit, the temperature began to plummet. Autumn nights in the desert were colder than in summer, after all.
The Suna shinobi still kept their bodies tightly wrapped to retain warmth.
The war had now dragged on for nearly a year.
While Kusa and Iwa hadn't launched a full-scale offensive, the frequent small-scale battles had taken their toll—familiar faces among the Suna forces had begun to disappear.
Becoming a shinobi meant accepting the possibility of death from the start.
But even so, under the bleak autumn sky, Rasa's heart grew heavier. It felt stifling. Even the cool, refreshing autumn breeze—which summer couldn't offer—couldn't ease the weight pressing on everyone's spirit.
Still, from a young age, they'd been trained to be shinobi.
And so they stood tall, holding it together.
Everyone knew this stalemate benefitted Sunagakure—it was, after all, a war being fought on their home ground. But getting constantly hammered, buried in sand, and forced to swallow your rage? It wore on the soul.
Today, Rasa hadn't gone out early to mine gold like usual. Nor had he asked Kana to prepare water for his evening bath.
He too... was starting to feel worn down.
Especially after that recent skirmish—Momu had taken a bad hit and was now wrapped head to toe in bandages, resting in the medical tent.
No one knew whether tomorrow, the person standing beside them would still be alive.
Taking in the rare stillness around him—so different from the battlefield—Rasa sighed and muttered, "When will this end...?"
Tension was rising across the shinobi world. More and more villages were getting drawn into the conflict. Yet Konoha—the so-called symbol of peace—still hadn't joined the fray, watching from their lofty perch as the strongest of the Five Great Nations.
Kusa seemed to be considering withdrawal. But Iwa… their offensives had been intensifying lately.
Rasa knew: the real Shinobi World War was coming.
And Sunagakure—short on troops, abandoned by the daimyō, with its Kazekage still missing—was hanging by a thread.
Even if he managed to "pop off" and go full shōnen hero over in the Cloud frontlines later, could he really restore peace to Sunagakure?
No matter how you looked at it, this war wasn't going to end the way he wanted.
"Lord Rasa… are you feeling a little down lately?"
A gentle voice pulled him from his thoughts. Rasa blinked and looked to the side. Kana sat beside him, calm and composed.
He fell silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Anyone in a war like this would feel frustrated."
Besides… he hadn't even been in this world for a full year yet.
He glanced at Kana, who said nothing more—just smiled quietly and turned her gaze to the sky.
Really, his mood swings couldn't hold a candle to what she had been through.
Her homeland destroyed.
Forced into exile.
Turned into a chakra battery by Grass shinobi.
Rasa's gaze fell to her arms—thanks to the bandages he'd given her, the bite marks had started to fade.
In the end, all six rolls of OK Healing Patches he'd drawn from the gacha had gone to her. After the medics had treated her that night, there hadn't been much left. But if it helped ease even a little of the trauma she carried on her skin, it was worth it.
Momu could've used them too, and probably would've healed faster.
Still…
It was Kana who'd been a massive help these past few months.
He had promised that as long as she didn't want to be a "chakra pack mule," he wouldn't force it. And yet, she'd quietly taken on the role of managing logistics. Her incomplete, patchwork knowledge of medical ninjutsu had been enough to save lives.
With so many wounded flooding into the camp, her skills had improved rapidly. All she needed now was a proper teacher.
Of course, the world's best medical ninja—Tsunade of the Sannin—was probably out of reach. Even if Kana joined Konoha now, Tsunade would soon vanish into her own grief-stricken exile.
And no one in Konoha would let some unknown wandering Uzumaki learn from their top medic.
Unless Tsunade herself took a liking to her.
But honestly, Tsunade probably wasn't in any shape to be mentoring anyone right now.
That left just one viable option: Elder Chiyo.
People only thought of her as a poison expert and puppet master, but her medical knowledge was formidable—among the best in the shinobi world.
"I'll find you a teacher," Rasa said, smiling faintly as he glanced at Kana. "Someone to teach you medical ninjutsu properly."
Elder Chiyo was old now, still holding the dual role of medical director and councilor. But over the last few years, she'd gradually pulled back from active duties. Ever since Sasori's disappearance, her heart hadn't been in it.
Rasa knew she'd already built a little lakeside cabin in the rear mountains with Ebizō. Once things calmed down, she'd probably retire for real and spend her days fishing.
"Besides, I can't keep having you let people bite you forever."
He turned to Kana with a teasing look.
"You haven't… been sneaking off to help anyone else, right?"
"No," she said softly, shaking her head. "I've done as you asked."
"Good."
This wasn't something that could ever be allowed to spread.
So far, the rumors were just that—rumors. If someone tried it and confirmed it worked, and she was the only one with this ability?
It would turn into a nightmare.
Desperate shinobi. Grieving families. Injured comrades on the brink of death...
Someone would try it — take a chance and ask her for a bite.
And once it worked, everyone would want the same.
"If she could save one, why not save them all?"
After that, there'd be no turning back.
Either the village would turn her into a tool… or worse — they'd keep it secret, hiding her away while quietly using her in the shadows.
"This kind of thing… you keep quiet about it. Got it?" Rasa said seriously.
"I understand," Kana said with a smile, her eyes soft and calm. "Thank you, Lord Rasa."
"No need to thank me. Honestly, if not for you, I'd have been in serious trouble back then."
He probably would've had to sell out his entire squad just to escape.
"Actually…" Kana hesitated for a moment. "My ability could really help Sunagakure—"
"Stop."
Rasa cut her off without hesitation.
He knew what she meant.
But damn, woman, are you trying to get me killed?
He rolled his eyes. "Your ability isn't going to change the course of a world war."
This wasn't some small skirmish—it was the Third Great Ninja War!
"So just listen, train properly, and learn medical ninjutsu. That's all I ask. Help us improve our miserable little med corps."
Just then—
"Lord Rasa," Momu called out, hobbling over on a crutch, his entire body wrapped in bandages. He bowed respectfully and held out a small sack. "These are from the bodies of the fallen Kusa and Iwa shinobi. I know you've been short on funds, so…"