A's reaction was almost identical to the Tsuchikage's, and given Raikage's infamous temper, Inoiki was hardly surprised. Naruto, having already witnessed Onoki erupt in the same way, wasn't caught off guard either.
After finishing the letter, Raikage tossed it back onto the table with a sharp flick of his hand and growled,
"You ninjas from Konoha are quite useless, aren't you? You can't even handle an ordinary organization. If it were Kumogakure, we would've dealt with the Akatsuki long ago. And on top of that, you dare demand access to our secrets on how to control tailed beasts?"
He leaned forward, lightning flickering faintly around his body.
"Then how about this? We Kumogakure will keep your Nine-Tails Jinchuriki here—because clearly, Konoha can't protect him. With your incompetence, it's only a matter of time before the Nine-Tails gets captured."
The room fell dead silent.
Inoiki's eyes narrowed, a cold sharpness settling into his expression. When he spoke, his voice was calm—but the kind of calm that carried unmistakable danger.
"You can try," he said softly. "But I assure you—you will fail. And when you do, I will bring such destruction upon this village that recovery will be impossible. That is non-negotiable."
A faint pressure spread through the room, enough to make even Omoi and Karui tense.
"If you don't want to share the secrets of controlling a Jinchuriki, then so be it," Inoiki continued. "I can obtain that information in other ways—though the process will be… ugly. But I will get it, even if it means fighting the entirety of Kumogakure."
His gaze hardened.
"But right now, when we should be uniting and standing as one, it would be a foolish and devastating blow for our villages to fall into conflict."
As soon as Inoiki finished speaking, Karui—hot-tempered as ever—couldn't hold herself back. She stepped forward, anger blazing in her eyes, and snapped,
"Hey! What do you mean by that? You think ninjas of Kumogakure are weaklings? Go ahead and try it! Let's see what happens when you and that brat of yours dare to attack us!"
Her voice echoed across the office.
Inoiki slowly turned his head toward her. His gaze turned ice-cold, the room seeming to chill with it.
"I've been giving Kumogakure face from the moment you attacked us earlier," he said quietly. "Do you really think I won't attack you if you keep blabbing nonsense?"
The chakra around him surged.
Before anyone could react—before anyone even understood what he intended—Inoiki's psychokinesis lashed out. An invisible force slammed into Karui with overwhelming strength, sending her flying across the room. She crashed through the wall with a thunderous crack, debris scattering everywhere, and ended up embedded in the shattered stone.
Omoi's eyes widened in shock. Anger flared instantly, and he unsheathed his sword in a blur, ready to strike. Naruto responded just as fast, kunai drawn, stepping forward protectively—if Omoi moved even an inch toward Inoiki, Naruto would meet him head-on.
At that moment, Raikage stood up from his chair.
The air trembled.
Electric chakra erupted around his body, crackling violently, and the atmosphere filled with the scent of ozone. His eyes narrowed, voice cold and heavy with authority.
"Are you here to pick a fight?"
Inoiki didn't back down.
"Who started it?" he shot back. "You dare threaten my friend? He is a Jinchuriki later—but my friend first. And you dare speak of taking him, of keeping him here… in front of me?"
His anger was unmistakable, but it was controlled—sharp and focused, not wild.
He continued, his voice steady but filled with challenge.
"You people of Kumogakure are arrogant. You believe everything is decided by strength, don't you?"
Raikage didn't answer, but his silence was confirmation enough.
Inoiki took a step forward.
"Then how about this?" he said. "Let's have a battle. If I win, you will give us the method to control a tailed beast—so that my friend Naruto can become a perfect Jinchuriki."
Raikage didn't take long to decide. He crossed his arms, lightning still crackling faintly around him, and said in a steady, challenging tone,
"Very well. I have no problem fighting you. If you win, you'll receive the method to control a tailed beast and make your Jinchuriki a perfect one. But tell me—what do I gain if you lose?"
Inoiki answered without even a heartbeat of hesitation.
"Do you really need to ask? If I lose, you get to eliminate one of Konoha's strongest shinobi. And you'll have the chance to claim Konoha's Jinchuriki for yourself."
The confidence in his voice was absolute—a confidence that didn't bend, didn't waver.
Raikage let out a loud, rumbling laugh, shoulders shaking with the force of it. "Then why not?" he said with a wide grin. "I'll gladly accept you as my prisoner. And I'll welcome a new tailed beast under Kumogakure's control. For me, that's the best possible outcome."
Team Samui's expressions tightened. Naruto clenched his fists, but he knew arguing wouldn't change anything—not when Inoiki himself had set the terms.
On the surface, the bet looked reckless—dangerous even. But Inoiki wasn't acting out of impulse.
He simply wasn't afraid.
He had confidence in his strength—not arrogance, but certainty built from countless battles and from surviving things most shinobi could never imagine.
If I fear fighting even the Raikage… he thought, …what will I do when I'm forced to face the real Madara Uchiha?
Because until now, Kabuto was still alive somewhere. And as long as Kabuto lived, Edo Tensei was still a possibility. And if Madara Uchiha were ever reincarnated…
Madara would be an enemy far beyond Raikage—an overwhelming force, someone who had once stood above entire armies.
Compared to that, this fight was nothing more than preparation.
A chance for Inoiki to further refine his abilities.
A chance to test the sharpness of his strength.
And he fully intended to seize it.
Under the guidance of the Raikage, Inoiki and Naruto followed behind him—or rather, behind the entire group that had formed around him. It wasn't just the Raikage heading out. Team Samui moved with disciplined steps, Mabui, the Raikage's personal assistant, walked calmly at his side, and Darui—one of Kumogakure's strongest shinobi after the Raikage and Killer B—joined them as well.
Of course, none of them would fight. They were there as witnesses. The upcoming battle would be between only two people: the Fourth Raikage A and Yamanaka Inoiki.
The group made their way through the quieter parts of the village and soon left the main streets behind. They traveled to the back valley of Kumogakure—a wide, isolated battleground carved into the mountains. It was far from the bustling center of the village, a place where the Raikage often trained or fought at full power, sometimes even clashing with Killer B in destructive sparring sessions.
The air here was different—thin, crisp, carrying the faint scent of stone and storm.
Inoiki and the Raikage walked to the middle of the open valley floor. They turned to face each other, standing several meters apart. The Raikage's cloak fluttered slightly in the wind, sparks of electricity already flickering across his skin. Inoiki stood still and calm, blindfold in place, the faint tremor of chakra around him indicating his readiness.
Up on the small surrounding hills, the spectators spread out. Team Samui, Naruto, Darui, and Mabui all took positions high above, giving the two combatants plenty of space. They knew the destructive power Raikage could unleash—and though some of them didn't want to admit it, they also understood very well that Inoiki wasn't someone to underestimate.
Even if they didn't think he matched the Raikage, they knew his feats. They knew the rumours—and the confirmed missions that proved them true. This wasn't just talk. Inoiki was powerful. Extremely powerful.
And here, in the isolated valley of Kumogakure, two monsters were about to clash.
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