บท 55: Chp-55: Rasa, The Good Man
In the forest, Rasa stood on a tree branch, frowning as he looked into the distance.
"Rasa-sama, everything is in place. We're just waiting for that traitor to walk into our trap," reported a Suna ninja who appeared beside him.
"Excellent! You've checked the surrounding area thoroughly, right? I don't want any interference," Rasa said sternly.
"Rest assured, Rasa-sama. We've set up a sensory barrier, and there are no other ninjas in the vicinity."
"Good," Rasa sighed in relief.
Since the failure in the Land of Iron, he had become paranoid during missions, constantly fearing a sudden attack from the shadows.
After returning, he had scoured numerous reports but couldn't find any information about the mysterious archer who had bested him.
Despite his seething hatred, it felt like he was up against a phantom with no leads to follow.
"This time, there will be no mistakes!" Rasa vowed, gritting his teeth.
...
A few hundred meters away, Satoru Hyuga crouched among the foliage of a large tree, his Byakugan activated, quietly observing Rasa.
With the "Rotting Wood Technique" in effect, his heartbeat was slow, emitting almost no detectable signals.
Even sensory ninjutsu couldn't pick up his presence.
After a while, he furrowed his brow slightly.
Through his Byakugan, he saw a figure rapidly approaching Rasa and his group.
...
"He's coming!"
"Prepare yourselves," Rasa ordered.
The atmosphere grew tense and oppressive until a ninja wrapped in black cloth appeared within view.
"Now!" Rasa commanded.
Several Suna ninjas simultaneously formed hand seals, causing the ground beneath the approaching figure to collapse. Caught off guard, he fell into a large pit.
"Damn, it's a trap!" the figure exclaimed as he landed, looking up to see Rasa glaring down at him.
"Traitor Pah, did you think this day would never come when you fled Suna?" Rasa sneered.
"Rasa??? It's you! I need to speak to Elder Chiyo; I'm innocent!" Pah pleaded.
"Innocent? Your desertion is undeniable, and your crimes of harming comrades are unforgivable. Even Elder Chiyo has given her tacit approval for this mission," Rasa replied coldly.
Realizing his pleas were futile, Pah tore away the black cloth around him, pulling out several scrolls. With a puff of smoke, three peculiar-looking puppets materialized around him.
"The White Secret Technique-modified special puppets... So this is what you betrayed us for?" Rasa growled, seeing the puppets.
"You'll never understand the allure of a top-tier puppet to a puppeteer," Pah said, manipulating the three puppets to surround him defensively.
Rasa inhaled deeply and raised his hand.
A large wave of gold dust surged from beneath his feet, pouring into the pit.
The puppets' mechanisms activated, forming a blue chakra barrier to block the gold dust's onslaught.
Soon, the pit's bottom was entirely covered in gold dust, and Pah was struggling.
Magnet Release users were the nemesis of puppeteers, especially those like Rasa, who could control vast quantities of gold dust.
With a clench of his hand, Rasa caused the gold dust to form massive hands that slammed down towards Pah.
One puppet's arm mechanisms activated, producing a large blade to fend off the gold dust.
Pah suddenly felt himself sinking, glancing down to see the gold dust beneath his feet turning into quicksand, pulling him under.
Manipulating two puppets to block Rasa's attacks, he had the third pull him out of the quicksand's grasp.
"I have to escape!"
Realizing he couldn't win, Pah desperately tried to flee, using the puppets as makeshift steps to leap out of the pit.
"Futile," Rasa said coldly. "Magnet Release: Gold Dust Wave!"
With a powerful gesture, Rasa directed a massive wave of gold dust to crash down on Pah and his puppets, burying them completely.
...
On a nearby tree branch, Satoru Hyuga watched the grand spectacle of their battle.
"So much gleaming gold dust; each frame is money!" he mused. "I suppose taking a bit isn't too much, right?"
Unnoticed by anyone, a small portion of the gold dust seemed to come alive, slithering like a snake towards the forest.
Satoru grabbed a handful of the gold dust, feeling its texture.
"It feels very much like real gold, but there's a subtle difference," he noted, clicking his tongue.
No wonder, despite being a gold-producing powerhouse, Suna Village remained the poorest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, with its ninjas struggling to even have enough food.
This gold dust, though it contained some actual gold elements, was primarily composed of chakra, fundamentally different from real gold.
Therefore, it couldn't circulate as hard currency in the ninja world.
However, for Satoru, it wasn't a problem. Using his "Electromagnetic Furnace" technique, he could melt it down and refine it into pure gold.
Such a large amount of gold dust would undoubtedly be worth a significant sum.
Taking out a sealing scroll, he quietly filled it to the brim with gold dust.
Gazing at the distant red-haired figure, Satoru found Rasa increasingly pleasing to the eye, resembling a bringer of fortune.
"Rasa, you're truly a good man!" he sighed in admiration.
...
Back at the battleground, the situation was changing again.
Trapped within the gold dust, only his head visible, Pah struggled in vain.
"It's over," Rasa declared, tightening his grip.
Feeling the pressure around him increase dramatically, Pah's eyes flashed with hatred.
"You forced me into this!"
With several loud explosions, the puppets trapped in the gold dust detonated, the powerful shockwaves dispersing the gold dust. Covered in blood, Pah wasted no time, fleeing as fast as he could.
"Self-destructing the puppets?" The explosion's aftermath reached Rasa, forcing him back a few steps as he shielded himself from the debris.
"Pursue him! He's gravely injured and won't get far."
Nearby, Satoru Hyuga took in the changes in the battle.
Without hesitation, the silver metal flowed to his feet, forming a long sword that carried him swiftly through the forest.
With his Byakugan providing an all-encompassing view and the speed of his magnetic fluid metal, he quickly intercepted Pah.
"Damn it! This injury is too severe; that bastard Rasa!" Pah cursed, clutching his bleeding chest as he fled.
Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock as he saw a figure standing before him, stepping on a flying sword. Before he could react, a flash of silver light pierced his chest.
"You..." Pah fell unwillingly. His final vision was the face of a ninja wearing a silver metal mask.
...
"Have you found him?"
"No, Rasa-sama. The trail ends here."
"Damn it, could that guy fly?" Rasa fumed, punching a nearby tree in frustration.
With Pah's disappearance, this mission was likely a failure.
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