"So strong, he actually defeated the Raikage."
"Not necessarily—just cut off a finger. The Raikage can still fight."
"But Aoba isn't injured either."
"True. This feat alone is incredible. A one-on-one frontal clash—even the legendary Sakumo Hatake might not have managed this."
"So powerful. Konoha truly is the strongest."
"Wake up. It's not Konoha—it's Aoba."
Hearing the murmurs of the Konoha shinobi behind him, Aoba's lips curled almost imperceptibly.
Worth chugging two Life Potions in one go. The intended effect of this battle had been achieved.
Of course, these people didn't know Aoba's chakra was nearly depleted. Had the Raikage pressed on, he'd have turned tail and run.
But now it didn't matter—reinforcements had arrived. The real kind.
Across from them, the enraged Raikage clearly had no intention of letting this go. Beside him, Killer Bee's body began radiating a faint, terrifying aura.
If these two brothers joined forces, Konoha's so-called reinforcement squad would be hopelessly outmatched.
Yet just as they prepared to attack, a massive shadow descended from the sky.
With a thunderous crash, a colossal figure landed between the Cloud and Leaf shinobi. The Toad Sage, Jiraiya, had finally arrived.
"Raikage-sama, ambushing Konoha shinobi on Fire Country soil—this is no conduct befitting a Kage."
"Hmph. In war, all means are justified. Konoha employed plenty of such tactics in the past.""Is that so? When we of Konoha used it, the two villages were at war. Now, has Kumogakure officially declared war on Konoha?"
Jiraiya's verbal sparring was unexpectedly sharp. With just a few words, he seized the initiative.
The Raikage wanted to retort outright—"So what if we did declare war?"—but he knew he couldn't. As a Kage, once he uttered those words here, it would mean an official declaration of war. Konoha would then retaliate against the Cloud Ninja with the same ruthless tactics they were employing.
Upon reflection, the situation was deeply ironic.
The Raikage dared to swagger into the Land of Fire, killing and burning, precisely because he knew Konoha adhered to rules. As long as he didn't formally declare war, Konoha wouldn't stoop to an all-out fight.
His approach was typical of a bully targeting the meek—landing a cheap shot, then fleeing the moment the victim fought back. If they dared strike him, it would escalate into a brawl.
And if, during the scuffle, he found the opponent too weak, he'd escalate further to outright slaughter, leaving no room for retreat.
This operation was originally intended to weaken Konoha's active forces in preparation for a future declaration of war. Unfortunately, the tactic had failed.
Not only had they failed to significantly damage Konoha's strength, but they'd also ended up at a disadvantage.
It might sound cruel, but the twenty-something Konoha ninja who had died earlier were, in terms of value, likely worth less than the Raikage's severed finger.
Now, if he dared to declare war outright, this Sannin of Konoha before him would surely fight him to the death.
The Raikage was a veteran of the Third Great Ninja War. He knew full well that Konoha's Sannin were genuine Kage-level powerhouses, without exaggeration. Facing Jiraiya, the outcome was uncertain.
Moreover, with the home-field advantage, prolonged combat would spell certain death for him and his men.
Jiraiya didn't press further, simply standing atop the high ground, subtly exerting pressure on the Cloud Ninja.
As one of Konoha's few elite fighters, he spent most of his time wandering abroad, chasing the so-called "Child of Prophecy."
Why Jiraiya avoided returning to Konoha was an open secret—many knew, but none spoke of it.
Yet, at critical moments, he still honored the Third Hokage's authority. This time, facing the Cloud Ninja's threat, he had returned in time.
Standing atop the massive toad Gamabunta, Jiraiya's entrance was nothing short of spectacular—a signature flair. But this time, something about it felt off to Aoba.
Because Jiraiya's grand appearance completely overshadowed Aoba's earlier moment in the spotlight. Now, all the Konoha ninja on the scene were chanting for the Sannin, Lord Jiraiya.
Aoba's earlier intervention had been, at its core, a bid for attention—partly to spite Konoha's higher-ups and partly to lay groundwork for future plans.
But now, half the impact of his hard-fought battle had been erased by Jiraiya's arrival.
Jiraiya seemed to sense this, glancing briefly at Aoba. Aoba knew he'd been noticed. As the last ninja in Konoha who could use Sage Mode, others might not have noticed, but Jiraiya would have undoubtedly sensed the natural energy Aoba had briefly but intensely channeled.
Still, now wasn't the time to address it. Jiraiya merely gave him a passing look before refocusing on the standoff with the Raikage and Killer Bee.If it were his peak condition, Jiraiya alone wouldn't stand a chance against these two. His Sage Mode was too slow—against a high-speed shinobi like the Raikage, it was practically unusable.
But after the battle with Aoba, the Raikage wasn't unscathed either. Losing a finger had genuinely weakened him. Though Killer Bee was there as backup, even he wasn't invincible. Konoha, after all, had a Tailed Beast of their own.
Admittedly, Konoha's Tailed Beast couldn't be deployed freely at the moment—but the Cloud Ninja didn't know that.
The Raikage was reluctant to retreat, but his guards were already urging him to. Jiraiya's arrival signaled that more Konoha shinobi would soon follow. This was the Land of Fire. They were outnumbered.
If they got surrounded by Konoha's forces, the elite squad led by the Raikage might be wiped out entirely.
Their original strategy had been to concentrate their superior strength, deal heavy damage to Konoha quickly, and retreat before the enemy could counterattack.
But now, their blitzkrieg had failed. It was time to withdraw.
The Raikage understood this. He just couldn't accept that his "brilliant" plan had ended in such a humiliating defeat—both strategically and personally. And it was all thanks to that Konoha shinobi named Kamikawa Aoba.
A fierce impulse burned in the Raikage's chest: to kill Aoba here at any cost.
He had a gut feeling—if Aoba wasn't killed today, this man would become a dire threat to the Cloud in the future.
From Aoba's actions just now, the Raikage could clearly see that he was nothing like Konoha's other "by-the-book" shinobi.
This man was powerful, cunning, and leagues ahead of that waste Sarutobi Hiruzen. If he ever became Hokage, Konoha might transform into something the Raikage dreaded most.
With that thought, the Raikage spoke.