A few days later…
As time passed, the news of the battle between the leader of Uzushiogakure and the leader of the Akatsuki spread among spy networks.
Most informed parties were skeptical about the claim that Uzumaki Menma and Pain had strength surpassing the Five Kage. After all, over the years, plenty of people had bragged about being "Kage-level"… yet the Five Kage were still sitting comfortably in their positions, untouched.
However, one thing was unanimously agreed upon—
Both leaders were monstrously strong.
And that information was quickly sent back to their respective villages.
Inside the Tsuchikage's office in Iwagakure.
Ōnoki, the short but stubborn old man, was buried under a mountain of paperwork. His already aching back felt like it was about to snap in half.
"Damn paperwork… this is worse than fighting a war," he muttered.
At that moment, Kurotsuchi pushed the door open and hurried in.
"Grandpa, this is the latest intel on the Land of Waves!"
Ōnoki took the documents, skimmed through them, and frowned.
Seeing his expression, Kurotsuchi leaned over curiously.
"Grandpa… is it true? Does this Uzushiogakure leader really have strength comparable to yours?"
Ōnoki sighed.
"I don't know…"
"But if this intel is accurate, then this Uzumaki Menma… is a serious threat."
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
"And the name 'Uzumaki'… it reminds me of that clan that disappeared decades ago."
"Back in the Warring States period, those people were just as crazy as the Uchiha. If they had fully joined Konoha back then, Konoha would've been even more terrifying."
Kurotsuchi frowned.
"There are also reports of Uchiha appearing there… Could Uzushiogakure be a hidden force backed by Konoha? Using the Uzumaki name as a cover to annex smaller nations?"
It was a reasonable guess. Uzumaki + Uchiha = Konoha vibes all over.
But Ōnoki shook his head.
"Unlikely."
"If Konoha wanted to annex smaller nations, they would've done it long ago. Those countries act as buffer zones between the great powers."
"Only that reckless Raikage might try something like that. The others wouldn't."
"And I know Hiruzen Sarutobi… he wouldn't make that call."
He paused, then added:
"…unless Danzo is scheming behind the scenes again."
Kurotsuchi crossed her arms.
"So what do we do? Contact Konoha? Suppress Uzushiogakure? Ignore them?"
Ōnoki gave a simple answer:
"Do nothing."
"No support. No opposition."
"They're too far from the Land of Earth. Let Konoha and Kumogakure deal with that headache."
But then his expression turned serious.
"What concerns me more… is Akatsuki."
"A mercenary group with a leader at—or above—Kage level?"
"That's not a tool anymore. That's a loaded weapon pointed at everyone."
"If Amegakure rises because of them… Iwagakure will be surrounded."
He sighed deeply.
"Kurotsuchi, tell Kitsuchi to keep a close watch on the Land of Rain."
Kurotsuchi nodded, though slightly confused. Still, she trusted her grandfather's judgment.
Then Ōnoki suddenly remembered something.
"By the way… where's that brat Deidara? It's been too quiet. I haven't heard a single explosion lately."
Kurotsuchi's face darkened.
"…Grandpa, you locked him up yourself. It's only been half a month."
Ōnoki blinked.
"…Has it already been that long?"
He scratched his head awkwardly.
"Alright, let him out. The kid's talented… though all he does is shout 'art is an explosion!' like an idiot."
"If he settles down, I might even teach him Dust Release."
Kurotsuchi immediately protested:
"Grandpa!"
She clearly wasn't a fan of Deidara's boom-boom lifestyle.
Ōnoki just laughed.
"Come on, let's go check on him. See if he's learned not to blow up the village yet."
Yeah… fat chance of that.
Meanwhile, in Kumogakure…
Fourth Raikage was busy training his Jōnin.
Or more accurately—
Beating the hell out of them.
Groans, shouts, and the sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed everywhere. Some even challenged him to wrestling matches… and got folded like paper.
Just another normal day in the Cloud Village.
After knocking down the last opponent, his secretary Samui walked over and handed him a report.
He skimmed through it and smirked.
"So… two monsters have popped up in the ninja world?"
"I'd love to fight them. Let's see who's the strongest."
Samui rubbed her forehead.
"My lord… these individuals could threaten the balance of the ninja world. Please take this seriously."
The Raikage shrugged.
"They haven't messed with Kumogakure yet, so why should I care?"
"Our real enemies are still Iwagakure and Konoha."
Then he snorted.
"Konoha's still as hypocritical as ever. Talking about protecting small nations while secretly expanding under the Uzumaki name."
"As for Akatsuki… probably some shady cooperation between Amegakure and Iwagakure."
He cracked his knuckles.
"Honestly, it'd be easier if everyone just fought it out. Winner takes the land. Simple."
Samui coughed.
"Lord Raikage… please mind your image."
The Raikage grinned.
"Image? Can that win fights?"
Yeah… diplomacy clearly wasn't his strongest jutsu.
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