The members of the Beni-yama clan had fallen into utter despair.
For them, this was a night of absolute misfortune.
Selling village intelligence to the Hidden Mist Village was indeed their mistake. However, they had already prepared to stop.
Yet, the result was learning that Rasa, the Kazekage, already knew everything their clan had done. Furthermore, Rasa had prepared to punish them for these actions.
If it were any other crime, there might have been room for negotiation.
But this was the crime of selling out the village.
What kind of punishment would the Beni-yama clan face?
Rasa hadn't just spoken privately; he had coordinated with the other village higher-ups while keeping the Beni-yama clan completely in the dark.
What did this mean?
It meant the punishment facing the Beni-yama clan would be immense—so severe that the clan would be unable to bear it.
In this situation, the Beni-yama clan was left with only two choices.
Either flee.
Or fight.
Just at that moment, Rasa's secret rendezvous with the female Uchiha presented what looked like a golden opportunity to the Beni-yama clan.
Even if they suspected it might be a trap.
No matter how the Beni-yama clan thought about it, they couldn't imagine how a single Rasa could pose a threat to their entire clan.
There were no other ninja around.
There were no traps laid nearby.
But now, they finally understood.
Rasa possessed a terrifyingly powerful ninjutsu that they—no, that no one in the entire Sand Village—knew about.
One technique to manifest three hundred sand puppets.
Each one was powerful, fearless of death, and incredibly difficult to deal with.
Three hundred sand soldiers formed a net, trapping the Beni-yama clan within.
At this moment, the arrival of the Yatagarasu delivered the final judgment upon the Beni-yama clan.
It didn't even need to aim; it just bombed them directly from above to end everything.
"No!"
They couldn't withstand it. They absolutely couldn't withstand it.
The people of the Beni-yama clan could only watch helplessly as their kinsmen died one after another, blown to pieces in the explosions, flesh and blood flying everywhere, bodies turned to charred remains.
Others were pierced by long spears, their entire bodies run through.
Some sand soldiers even grabbed onto the Beni-yama ninja and charged straight toward where the explosive eggs were falling.
The Yatagarasu let out an excited cry.
Several more explosive eggs dropped.
As the explosions from this wave subsided, the noise from below gradually quieted down.
Because the number of living people had dropped drastically.
Before, there were hundreds of Beni-yama ninja.
Now, only a few dozen remained.
The sand soldiers continued their charge toward these few remaining survivors.
The Beni-yama ninja were plunged into despair.
"Why?"
"Why did it turn out like this?"
"Why is Rasa so strong?"
"What kind of ninjutsu is this exactly?"
The sand soldiers formed a circle once again.
Even under the Yatagarasu's bombardment, the number of sand soldiers had decreased significantly, but compared to the Beni-yama clan, their losses were negligible.
Firstly, the Yatagarasu hadn't really aimed, focusing its bombardment mostly on the Beni-yama ninja in the center.
Secondly, even if the sand soldiers lost arms or legs, they still possessed the strength to fight.
The circle tightened.
The few dozen Beni-yama ninja stood back-to-back.
One man's eyes were bloodshot.
"Damn it, let's fight them to the death!"
The person next to him spoke in despair, "What's the use of fighting them? They are just sand puppets."
"Damn you, Rasa!"
"Is my Beni-yama clan really going to be exterminated here?"
"The heavens are unjust!"
Some began to blame Beni-yama Tsuchisa.
"Beni-yama Tsuchisa, this is all your fault!"
"If we had chosen to flee, none of this would have happened!"
"It's all because of your greed! You wanted to plot for the position of Kazekage!"
"And now you've dragged us all down to die with you."
"You are not a qualified clan head!"
"If not for you, the Beni-yama clan wouldn't have sold out the village!"
Beni-yama Tsuchisa looked back, his face filled with disappointment.
Everything he had done was for the Beni-yama clan. But now, his clansmen were speaking to him like this. He didn't want this situation either.
A trace of regret involuntarily rose in Beni-yama Tsuchisa's heart.
"These clansmen... they are unworthy."
Beni-yama Tsuchisa looked up, staring at Rasa high in the sky.
"Rasa, come down and fight me to the death!"
"Hiding in the sky like a coward, what kind of Kazekage are you?"
"If you have the skills, fight me fair and square!"
Rasa let out a cold laugh.
"Beni-yama Tsuchisa, aren't you being a bit biased?"
"My ninjutsu, my summoning beast—how are they not my power?"
"Trying to goad me into coming down to give you a chance... you're too naive."
"Stop struggling and accept your death."
Rasa snapped his fingers.
Immediately, the sand soldiers launched their final charge.
Squelch!
Squelch!
Squelch!
Spear after spear pierced into the flesh of the Beni-yama ninja. Red blood flowed down the wounds, pooling on the ground to form streams, which then gathered into puddles.
The next moment, the sand soldiers vanished.
Some chakra returned to Rasa's body.
Rasa raised his hand to deliver the final attack.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral!"
The ground all around suddenly surged. A massive amount of sand boiled up, forming a high, circular wall that completely surrounded the remaining Beni-yama ninja.
Then, it crashed down violently.
Boom!
In that instant, the dozens of Beni-yama ninja were covered, submerged, wrapped, and buried by the sand.
The Yatagarasu couldn't help but recall the scene when it was subdued by Rasa.
Its entire body had been buried.
Darkness without a glimpse of the sky.
A wave of lingering fear rose within it.
Rasa sensed the change in the Yatagarasu's emotions and waved his hand at it.
The Yatagarasu hurriedly flapped its wings and flew away quickly.
Rasa's open palm clenched into a fist.
Instantly, the mountain of sand formed by the jutsu contracted violently.
Immense pressure crushed down on the Beni-yama ninja, stealing their final breath of life.
Only then did Rasa control the gold dust beneath his feet to slowly land.
At this point, the abandoned training ground had completely vanished.
Not a trace of its former appearance remained.
As for the ninja of the Beni-yama clan who had come here, not a single one survived.
The towering mountain of sand stood like a tomb.
The sound of numerous footsteps rang out from all around.
Figures approached Rasa at high speed.
"Lord Kazekage!"
"Greetings, Lord Kazekage."
...
Some were patrol ninja, some were nearby villagers, but even more were the high-ranking officials of the Sand Village and the heads of various ninja clans. They had all heard the commotion and rushed over.
Then, they saw a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Hundreds of Beni-yama clan ninja, trapped here, slaughtered to the last man in a single night.
And from beginning to end, the only one who had acted was Rasa.
One man fought a whole clan and exterminated the Beni-yama clan, with only the hem of his clothes slightly dirtied.
What kind of power was this?
Everyone looked at the figure in the center. Their moods varied, but at this moment, they all shared a single thought.
—After tonight, the name of the Kazekage will surely shake the entire ninja world!