Chapter 107: The Red-Haired Girl
With the summoning beasts no longer blocking his path, Rasa quickly flew to the central crater of the volcanic island.
Instantly, a pungent smell of sulfur assaulted his senses. Below, the crater was filled with flowing, molten lava.
However, Rasa felt no discomfort. Instead, he closed his eyes, sensing the vast natural energy emanating from the depths of the volcano.
It was clear that the unique phenomena of this island were caused by the natural energy released by the volcano.
Naturally, Rasa had no intention of letting such an opportunity slip away.
He had already made up his mind. While the island was home to many giant beasts, it was too far from Sunagakure.
If he could absorb the natural energy here, condense it into a chakra fruit like the Dragon Vein Chakra, and bring it to the Oasis of Dragons, transforming it into a sacred land capable of producing summoning creatures, that would be his ultimate goal.
With this in mind, he wasted no time.
Controlling his cloud of gold dust, Rasa descended and extended his right hand.
A powerful suction force emanated from the Kama Mark on his palm, creating a whirlwind that began absorbing the natural energy from the volcano below.
This triggered a chain reaction across the entire island.
---
At the location where Rasa had bound the giant beasts, a red-haired girl was desperately trying to free the creatures from their golden restraints. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break the unyielding cages formed by the Golden Dragon Staff.
Her face turned pale as she clenched her fists, biting her lip in frustration, unsure of what to do next.
Suddenly, the air above the island began to swirl unnaturally, rotating around the volcano's crater. The dark clouds surrounding the island churned violently.
The red-haired girl's pupils contracted sharply. She clasped her hands together, sensing the changes occurring across the island.
Her body trembled.
In that moment, it seemed as though countless thoughts raced through her mind. Finally, she gritted her teeth and sprinted toward the volcano.
---
Compared to the dense, concentrated natural energy of the Dragon Vein, the natural energy of the Forgotten Island was much more dispersed.
As a result, Rasa's absorption process was slower.
Although Rasa had suspected that the giant beasts on the island were being controlled by someone, he was still taken aback when he saw the girl approaching.
"Stop!"
A red-haired girl emerged from a cave within the volcano's crater. She wore a beautiful purple sleeveless kimono, tied with a long, flowing ribbon. Her face was filled with anxiety as she shouted at Rasa.
!!!
Rasa was surprised but slowly retracted his right hand, studying the barefoot girl with curiosity.
"So, the giant beasts on this island are indeed being controlled by someone. And that someone is you?"
The sheer power radiating from Rasa made the girl tremble, but she mustered her courage and said through gritted teeth,
"This island doesn't welcome outsiders like you. Leave now!"
As she spoke, she formed hand seals, ready to attack if necessary.
Rasa, of course, paid no heed to her threat. Instead, he was intrigued by the immense chakra he sensed flowing within her.
Interesting. Just moments ago, the girl seemed like an ordinary person, but now she was radiating a chakra reserve so vast that even Kage-level shinobi might not possess it.
!!!
Suddenly, Rasa noticed the girl's strikingly red hair, and a look of pleasant surprise crossed his face.
"You're from the Uzumaki clan?!"
The moment these words left his mouth, the girl's expression changed drastically. Without hesitation, countless golden chains shot out from behind her, binding Rasa's arms and body.
This was the power capable of sealing even Tailed Beasts. At that moment, Rasa felt the flow of his Sage Mode energy slow down significantly.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Rasa's face lit up with even greater excitement.
"You really are from the Uzumaki clan!"
This was an even greater surprise than the summoning beasts on the island.
Moreover, judging by the fact that this girl, only fourteen or fifteen years old, could use the Adamantine Sealing Chains, her sealing techniques must be exceptionally powerful.
The girl, however, grew even more tense upon hearing Rasa's words. The golden chains binding Rasa tightened further. Rasa made no attempt to resist, allowing the sealing chains to restrain him. He sensed no killing intent in the girl's gaze, only nervousness and anxiety.
"There's no need to be nervous. I mean you no harm. What's your name?"
To Rasa's question, the girl remained silent, her eyes only growing more wary.
Seeing this, Rasa continued to explain.
"My name is Rasa. I'm the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure, (the Hidden Sand Village) in the Land of Wind."
At this, the girl froze, then took a few steps back in panic, her sealing technique faltering slightly.
Rasa didn't struggle. Instead, he said calmly,
"You don't need to fear me. I bear no ill will toward the Uzumaki clan. In fact, not long ago, I saved a girl from the Uzumaki clan in the Land of Grass. Her name is Hana. Do you know her?"
"What?! Hana?!"
It was clear that the girl knew Hana.
At the mention of the name, her expression became urgent, but her hands remained firmly clasped, showing that she still didn't fully trust Rasa.
Seeing this, Rasa recounted the events that had taken place in the Land of Grass, portraying himself as the hero who had rescued Hana.
"Hana now lives in Sunagakure. She's doing well and has even become a student of our village elder, Chiyo-sama, learning medical ninjutsu."
The girl's expression grew complex, a mix of emotions flickering across her face as she struggled to decide whether to believe Rasa.
"I have no reason to lie to you. You should understand that while the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques are indeed formidable, they're not enough to defeat me. Besides, if you come to Sunagakure and see Hana for yourself, you'll know whether I'm telling the truth."
Hearing Rasa's sincere words and seeing that he made no move to resist, the girl finally relented. Considering his status as the Kazekage, she realized he had no reason to deceive her. She released her sealing technique and asked hesitantly,
"Is Hana really in Sunagakure?"
"Yes."
As the golden chains dissolved into chakra, Rasa nodded.
"She's doing well. You can see for yourself when you come with me. Now, can you tell me your name?"
"Honoka."
The girl replied coldly, her gaze steady.
"But I never agreed to go to Sunagakure."
Rasa, of course, wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away. He spoke earnestly,
"Honoka, is it? Then, as the Kazekage of Sunagakure, I formally invite you to our village. I assume you're the only one on this island, right? Don't you want to live with your family?"
(AN: She is from a filler, Naruto Shippūden Episode #227. Here is the summary, she was dead in the anime. Like the sailor, her spirit was trapped. She wanted to kill the Ultimate Summoning Beast, who was kinda like a Chimera. Naruto kills the beast and her spirit vanishes. The End.)