002 Reborn as the Third Kazekage

A mighty roar echoed across the endless expanse of yellow sand.

"I'm finally free! Hahaha! Hahahaha!"

In the midst of the storm, a massive tanuki adorned with intricate sealing patterns raised its sharp claws and howled at the sky.

"Yes, yes, you're free," came a calm voice from nearby.

"Who's there?" Shukaku's beady eyes scanned the surroundings warily.

"It's you!" The tanuki narrowed its coin-like pupils as it locked onto a figure standing on a nearby dune.

"Yes, it's me," the man replied evenly.

"I'll kill you!"

"Come on then, you smelly raccoon," Arashi taunted, unfazed. Pulling out a scroll, he unfurled it with a pop. Black iron sand spilled forth, swiftly forming an iron barrier in front of him.

Shukaku didn't hesitate, bellowing, "Wind Release: Air Bullet!" followed by "Wind Release: Sand Buckshot!"

Countless wind-formed bullets, packed with dense tailed beast chakra, rained down like a storm, pounding against Arashi's iron wall with ear-piercing screeches. Shukaku unleashed wave after wave of attacks, determined to bury the tiny human in front of him under an endless barrage.

On a distant dune, two figures sat in a makeshift tent, brewing tea.

"How long has it been?" Pakura asked, her eyes glancing toward the battlefield with concern.

"Barely two hours," Rasa replied, not looking up as he fussed with his tea set. "Let the monk rest a bit longer."

"Hey, look—Shukaku stopped. Is it about to use a Tailed Beast Bomb?" Pakura pointed toward the ongoing fight.

"Oh? The main event is here!" Rasa quickly handed Pakura a cup of tea, grabbed a stool, and scooted forward to watch.

Shukaku's jaws opened wide as colossal chakra surged and condensed into a black orb.

Sensing the pause in attacks, Arashi swiftly dispersed his iron barrier, pulling out two more scrolls. With a whoosh, even more black iron sand poured forth. His hands blurred through seals as he shouted, "Magnet Release!"

The iron sand surged and molded, rapidly forming a towering iron giant nearly matching Shukaku's size. Armored and wielding dual clubs, the giant stood like a guardian deity, radiating an imposing aura.

"So cool!" Pakura and Rasa's eyes sparkled with admiration.

Shukaku's Tailed Beast Bomb was already hurtling toward the giant. With a roar, the iron warrior crossed its clubs into an "X," bracing against the destructive orb. Sparks flew in all directions. Standing atop the giant, Arashi gritted his teeth and commanded the giant to lift its clubs, sending the Bomb soaring into the sky. It exploded mid-air, shattering the thick clouds and leaving the heavens clear.

The giant charged forward, raising a club high and smashing it down onto Shukaku. The tanuki instinctively raised its right claw to block, but the iron club smashed the limb into pieces. Before Shukaku could regenerate, the second club struck, gouging out a chunk of its torso.

"Serves you right for being such a troublemaker!" Arashi muttered as his hands continued to move. The iron giant relentlessly swung its clubs, battering Shukaku like a spinning top. Although the attacks caused no permanent damage, the continuous pummeling destabilized Shukaku's form, reducing it to a mass of sludge. Shukaku howled in pain, its cries echoing across the desert.

"His imagination is something else," Pakura said, eyes still gleaming.

"I heard he based this on the First Hokage's Wood Human Jutsu and the Uchiha clan's Susanoo," Rasa replied, sipping his tea. "But only someone with his insane chakra reserves could maintain it for this long. It's been three hours, and the giant's still standing. Incredible!"

"How's your Gold Human Technique coming along?" Pakura asked, turning to him.

"Don't ask," Rasa sighed. "It's still barely half the size of his iron giant. Gold's too heavy to control efficiently, but it works well as a sealing technique."

On the battlefield, Arashi muttered to himself, "Don't think the Uchiha are the only ones who can pilot a Susanoo. My iron giant's just as good!"

This was Arashi's personal creation, the Human Technique—a jutsu born from his Magnet Release kekkei genkai. In the original timeline, the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release was reduced to a mere puppet under Sasori's control. Arashi, unwilling to let his talents go to waste in this life, developed a range of specialized and powerful jutsu. The Human Technique was one such creation—a battle-ready iron construct capable of rivaling Tailed Beasts and even Susanoo.

Every so often, Arashi would spar with Bunpuku to test and refine his technique. For Bunpuku, these battles provided relief from the strain of suppressing Shukaku. Over time, their skirmishes lengthened, with Arashi now able to sustain combat for hours, cementing his position as Kage-level.

"It's been about six and a half hours. The sun's setting. We should eat dinner soon," Pakura remarked.

"Right. Meals can't be delayed." Rasa pulled out a signal flare and fired it into the sky.

Boom!

As the flare lit up the dusk, Arashi leaped to the sleeping form of Bunpuku amid Shukaku's dissipated remains. With a flick, he flicked the monk's bald head.

"Ow!" Bunpuku yawned and stretched contentedly. "Thank you, kind sir."

"No problem. Let me know whenever you're tired," Arashi replied.

"Actually," Bunpuku said with a grin, "Shukaku told me you're hitting harder every time. He's had enough and promises not to act up anymore. If I get tired, I'll just let him out—he swears he won't cause trouble."

"Oh? We'll see. But knowing Shukaku's tricks, I'll stick around to keep an eye on things."

"True acceptance comes from understanding each other, human or Tailed Beast," Bunpuku said with a serene smile.

"I don't mind chatting with him. Honestly, all we ever do is fight—I've barely spoken to him properly," Arashi replied with a chuckle.

...

That evening,

Rasa handed Arashi a stack of reports.

"This is the latest from the Rain Country front. About a week old," Rasa explained.

"Any word from Konoha or Iwagakure?" Arashi asked as he skimmed through.

"The Anbu reported large movements of Iwa-nin along the Rain-Earth border. Konoha's Third Hokage has ceased accepting missions and issued a ninja mobilization order."

"That's bad news," Arashi muttered.

The Rain-Suna conflict had reached a stalemate. Suna's techniques struggled in the rain, and while Chiyo had neutralized Hanzo's poison and discovered a five-minute gap in his Salamander's toxin replenishment, the battles remained grueling. Meanwhile, Iwa and Konoha's movements spelled trouble.

"Prepare a letter for Elder Ebizo," Arashi instructed. Pakura quickly began jotting down his words.

"Given the current situation, I propose the following:

1.Increase Suna's security, adding more patrols and sentries.

2.Request 50 million ryo in war funds from the Wind Daimyo.

3.Recall all non-combat personnel from missions and redirect their efforts toward gathering and transporting supplies to Suna as quickly as possible.

4.Inventory all ninja tools and supplies.

5.Assign guards to the village's water sources.Negotiate with the Land of Crafts for a batch of ninja tools on credit."

"Even with these measures, I don't think it'll be enough for the frontlines," Rasa said grimly.

"I'm not doing this for the current war," Arashi replied, gazing at the moon.

"This war is already lost. I'm preparing for the next one."