Land of Lightning – Kumogakure
Raikage's Office
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The repeated sound of fists slamming against a desk echoed through the office, making even nearby guards hesitate to approach.
News of Yugito's defeat had already reached Kumogakure.
Everyone knew—
The Raikage was in a towering rage.
After venting for quite some time, the Fourth Raikage finally forced himself to calm down.
"Mabui. Report the situation at the front."
Dressed in formal attire, Mabui immediately stepped forward respectfully.
"Our forces suffered a crushing defeat. Of the three thousand shinobi deployed, only one-third remain."
"Lady Yugito engaged 'Flame Demon' Akihito directly but was ultimately defeated and nearly suffered a fatal loss."
Mabui read the intelligence report in a steady, emotionless tone.
"…What did you just say?"
The Fourth Raikage froze.
For a moment, his mind struggled to process it.
Two-thirds of the army gone.
Yugito lost in single combat?
How was that possible?!
The war had only just begun. Had Konoha truly grown this powerful?
With three thousand shinobi on each side, even a six-month stalemate wouldn't have been surprising.
Even in a direct confrontation, Kumogakure's elite shouldn't have suffered such a disastrous defeat.
To be honest, even Mabui found it hard to believe.
Yugito was a perfect jinchūriki of Kumogakure!
And yet she had been defeated within days.
Moreover—
Just two days ago, the Raikage had confidently declared that Akihito would be the one in trouble if he faced Yugito.
But reality had flipped the outcome entirely.
That slap in the face had come far too quickly.
"Yugito defeated… the situation's no good."
"Baka yarō, kono yarō, oh yeah—"
Before Mabui could continue, Killer B suddenly burst into an awkward freestyle rap.
The Raikage's eye twitched.
At a time like this—
And you're rapping?!
Without hesitation, he drove a heavy fist into B's face.
Three days without a beating and you start climbing the roof!
I'm already in a foul mood—
Perfect timing to vent on you!
"Agh—!"
A flurry of punches followed, leaving Killer B grimacing.
Only after finishing did the Raikage's mood improve slightly.
"Explain in detail. How exactly did Yugito lose?"
Even now, he found it difficult to accept that Yugito—given her experience and strength—could lose to Uchiha Akihito.
Mabui composed herself.
"Last night, Lady Yugito planned a surprise assault on the Konoha camp."
"However, Konoha launched their attack first."
"She led forces in a flanking maneuver… but fell into a trap prepared by the enemy."
Mabui calmly described the events of the battle.
The Raikage's expression darkened with every word.
When she reached the part where Yugito attempted to break through, only to be intercepted by Akihito and defeated in direct combat—
The Raikage smashed the desk in front of him to splinters.
"Uchiha Akihito again?!"
"I will personally tear that brat apart!"
His eyes blazed with killing intent.
First, Akihito had slain their diplomatic envoy.
Now he had defeated Kumogakure's Two-Tails jinchūriki.
At the mere mention of his name, the Raikage ground his teeth in fury.
He wished he could storm the battlefield immediately and crush the boy with his own hands.
Mabui glanced helplessly at the shattered remains of the desk.
There goes the office budget again…
Being this man's secretary was exhausting.
After taking his beating, Killer B finally became serious.
Clearing his throat, he spoke in a low voice:
"If he can defeat Yugito head-on… this 'Flame Demon' Akihito shouldn't be underestimated."
The Raikage, still seething, snapped back:
"Not to be underestimated?"
"He's just a snot-nosed brat!"
"I could suppress him with one hand!"
Killer B didn't give him face.
He launched straight into another freestyle:
"Big bro doesn't understand war, his strength's beyond your score—"
Before he could finish—
A massive palm slammed into his face again.
"Did I say you could sing?!"
"Say one more line and see what happens!"
B flailed in protest.
It did not end well.
Though the Raikage knew deep down that Akihito was no ordinary opponent, there was only one shinobi from Konoha he had ever truly considered troublesome—
The "Yellow Flash," Minato Namikaze.
Not even the Sannin had ever impressed him much.
He had clashed with Tsunade before.
Though she surpassed him in raw strength, he could still turn the tide with speed.
Only against Minato had he been thoroughly outclassed—
And in his own specialty: speed.
For a time, he believed no one could surpass the Yellow Flash.
Yet that legend had fallen during the Nine-Tails incident.
Dead.
A failure in the end.
If Konoha's strongest had failed—
What were the rest worth?
It was precisely this mindset that emboldened the Raikage to challenge Konoha's limits.
The once-mighty "Professor," Hiruzen Sarutobi, was now an old man.
The Sannin were scattered and unreliable.
The Nine-Tails was uncontrollable.
Meanwhile, Kumogakure had two perfect jinchūriki—
And himself, the Raikage in his prime.
As for Uchiha Akihito—
Defeating Yugito showed some skill.
But challenging the legendary A–B Combination?
He was still too green.
Since their debut, the A–B duo had never lost—
Except once, to Minato.
Even against Kage-level opponents, they were confident of victory.
This war was meant to demonstrate Kumogakure's strength—
To display their might to the entire shinobi world.
They could not afford another defeat.
The Raikage made his decision.
"B. You're coming with me."
"We'll take three thousand elite shinobi to the front."
"I will personally eliminate Uchiha Akihito."
If Konoha dared to be arrogant—
Then they would respond in kind.
If war was what they wanted—
They would wage it properly.
With the Raikage himself taking the field—
Would Konoha's Hokage dare to do the same?
The Raikage understood clearly:
Konoha was not what it once had been.
Hiruzen was aged.
The Sannin were scattered.
The Nine-Tails uncontrollable.
But Kumogakure?
Two perfect jinchūriki.
And a Raikage at his peak.
"Brother… maybe I can go alone?" Killer B said hesitantly.
It didn't seem necessary for the Raikage to deploy personally—yet.
The Raikage waved his hand decisively.
"No. We go together."
"This time, I won't just kill Uchiha Akihito—"
"I'll make history."
"I'll push straight into Konoha itself!"
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