After reaching an agreement with the Konoha Hidden Leaf Village, the Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village finally showed its stance for the first time, concentrating large-scale troops on the border. Of course, the Third Raikage's goal was not to immediately attack the Land of Lightning, but rather a mobilization before officially participating in the Ninja World War. Due to the uncertainty of the outcome, the higher-ups did not inform the lower-ranking ninjas of their objectives.
The Third Raikage and the higher-ups agreed that if the battle with the Konoha Hidden Leaf Village's Hokage resulted in a victory or a draw, he would consider allying with the invading countries. However, if he lost, he hoped the higher-ups would consider an alliance with Konoha Hidden Leaf Village.
In fact, after Akimichi Torifu explained the pros and cons and initially demonstrated the strength of Konoha Hidden Leaf Village, the Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village's higher-ups had already wavered, but some stubborn individuals had not easily agreed. Although the Third Raikage could already decide who Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village's combat target would be, a Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village that was not united would likely not reap the maximum benefits in the upcoming war.
The Third Raikage repeatedly called representatives of those people for talks. Although no consensus was reached, he felt that what the other party lacked was just a step, a step that could truly persuade them to agree to an alliance with Konoha Hidden Leaf Village, to satisfy their face and dignity. It was precisely for this reason that Fumori Masaki's battle challenge was so timely, giving the Third Raikage a feeling of telepathy. He might not be able to guarantee himself as the victor, but making himself the loser was too easy.
Therefore, Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village's true goal was, to some extent, already determined. The reason for verbally agreeing to Onoki was purely to stabilize the opponent. Once the opponent arrogantly stepped into the war, Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village would stab him fiercely in the back.
Of course, the Third Raikage did not intend to go easy in this battle, because he wanted to personally confirm Fumori Masaki's true strength. The difference in strength between leaders often influences a village's decisions. Back in the First Ninja World War, a young Fumori Masaki left a very deep impression on him. His body was so robust that even compared to the Six Paths Sage's descendants, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, he was no less impressive, yet he was still wounded by the opponent.
At that time, Fumori Masaki was just an unknown person. Even with the identity of the Second Hokage's direct disciple, he still had a certain gap compared to people like Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, Uchiha Kagami, and Akimichi Torifu, who had strong family backgrounds. Yet, this mediocre person, a descendant of a family without any powerful bloodline, was able to pierce his Raikage armor with a short sword and break through his tough skin, causing blood to seep out, on their first encounter on the battlefield.
In subsequent wars, Fumori Masaki's performance became more and more outstanding, especially the proud achievement of severing Ginkaku's arm, which made the Third Raikage unable to sit still. One must know that when Kinkaku and Ginkaku were at their peak, they were figures comparable to a young Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara. Although later, with age, a clear gap had opened between them, it was still generally believed that the two were rare masters in the ninja world.
Yet, such a person suffered a setback at the hands of a young man. The impact of losing an arm on a ninja is completely imaginable. Even using excuses like 'carelessness' cannot fully obscure the glory behind this achievement.
Unfortunately, in the later stages of the Ninja World War, the Third Raikage had almost no chance to meet Fumori Masaki. However, his junior sister, now his wife Sora, often met him and he left an unforgettable impression on her heart. Of course, it was initially a sentiment akin to admiration for a hero. Due to distance and time, this yearning ultimately had no room to take root, and instead, she established a true family with the Third Raikage, a fellow disciple.
For the two of them, this matter was just a joke that occasionally came up. Sora would not forget her admiration for Fumori Masaki, and the Third Raikage would not hold it against her, because they were both adults who had experienced hardships,
understanding that this feeling was merely an illusion that seemed close but was actually distant. There were many people in the village who harbored such feelings for the Third Raikage or Sora, but the feelings between the two of them, who were so close, were real and unique, and could not be shaken by someone far away in Konoha Hidden Leaf Village, with whom they had almost no chance of meeting.
However, the Third Raikage felt that he would seriously compete with Fumori Masaki, not entirely for the sake of the village, but also with a slight desire to have a good showdown with the man his wife admired. No matter how calm and fearless he was, there was still a hint of jealousy in the Third Raikage's heart.
Sora already knew that the Third Raikage's purpose for this trip was to test Fumori Masaki's strength, to serve as a reference for future ninja village strategies. She felt a faint worry in her heart. As his wife, she naturally knew her husband's strength very well. As the true successor to their teacher, the Third Raikage perfectly inherited the taijutsu system established by his teacher. With his naturally strong body, he could even suppress Tailed Beasts—this had been confirmed during the continuous rampages of the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails.
However, his opponent this time, Fumori Masaki, was also a formidable enemy. As a commoner—compared to those powerful ninja clans with long traditions, the Kazamori family could truly only be considered commoners—he had surpassed the prestigious families within Konoha Hidden Leaf Village. His strength was certainly not solely due to his exquisite Wind Release. Of course, even if it were just Wind Release, it would still be a huge challenge for the Third Raikage, who primarily relied on Lightning Release.
In her three duels with Fumori Masaki back then, Sora hardly gained any advantage. Except for the second challenge, which seemed to have a better record, the rest were complete defeats, crushing her pride completely. His immense strength and profound personal charisma were the reasons for Sora's admiration for him. This point, even after more than twenty years, had not faded, because she had not met anyone with the exact same inner qualities as Fumori Masaki.
However, while she admired him, Sora also cared deeply for her husband. After all, he was the one with whom she would spend her life, and they even had the fruit of their love. It was a very healthy boy, whose bravery and combativeness were exactly like the young Third Raikage. The Third Raikage had very high hopes for his son, even giving him the title unique to the Raikage as his son's name.
Before heading to the border, Sora asked the Third Raikage if he was confident of victory. The Third Raikage pondered for a moment and said, "I'd like to say I'm absolutely confident of victory, but I can't deceive myself. To be honest, I don't have a definite chance of winning. Fumori Masaki's ability to stand out among powerful ninja clans like the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Sarutobi means his strength is extraordinary. Based on the intelligence we've gathered about Sarutobi Hiruzen's strength, we can roughly estimate Fumori Masaki's power."
"There's truly so little information about him. After the First Ninja World War, there are very few records of him fighting. I remember a rumor that Kakuzu, who once assassinated the First Hokage and killed all the higher-ups of Takigakure Hidden Waterfall Village, was defeated by him," Sora said.
"Hmm, if that's true, then Fumori Masaki's strength is indeed unfathomable. Moreover, according to rumors, that was more than ten years ago," the Third Raikage nodded slightly.
At this moment, a young and spirited voice rang out. It was his and Sora's son, A, who shared the same name as the Third Raikage. A, hearing his parents' discussion, suddenly ran over and said to them, "With Father's strength, no matter what kind of enemy it is, they will definitely lose. Even the Tailed Beasts in the village can't act recklessly in front of Father. Does that Hokage of Konoha Hidden Leaf Village have such abilities?"
Hearing this, the Third Raikage and Sora exchanged smiles. Their son was still too young and hadn't truly seen the world yet. Moreover, out of admiration for his father, he completely disregarded other possibilities. If the Third Raikage could suppress a Tailed Beast's rampage, then why couldn't the Hokage of Konoha Hidden Leaf Village have such abilities? Furthermore, Konoha Hidden Leaf Village's Nine-Tails was a powerful Tailed Beast, stronger than the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails. The Third Raikage himself might not even be able to suppress the Nine-Tails.
"Father accepts your auspicious words." The Third Raikage walked over and picked up his son, looking into his eyes, and said, "In this battle, Father will give it his all, hoping it turns out exactly as you said."
A had absolute confidence in his father, even more so than the Third Raikage himself. A said to his father, "Father, can I come with you? I want to see Father's battle."
"This is a secret battle. You can come with me, but it's impossible to personally witness your father's battle with the Hokage," Sora shook her head, not fully agreeing to her son's request.
A looked up at his father, seeing the same expression, and knew that at most he would see his father return victorious. He couldn't help but feel a little regretful, but at least he could leave the village instead of staying there, saying, "Then so be it."
"Good," the Third Raikage laughed heartily. Although he couldn't let his son observe his battle with Fumori Masaki, he could let him personally witness his method of managing Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village. In his heart, this village would eventually be entrusted to A. The reason he bestowed this name upon his son in advance was precisely for this purpose.
Afterward, the Third Raikage, along with his wife Sora and son A, left Kumogakure Hidden Cloud Village under the escort of numerous Anbu, heading to the border between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Iron. This was the agreed location for his battle with Fumori Masaki. The Land of Iron was a neutral country jointly established by the five great nations back then. Due to its formidable strength and its principle of never intervening in ninja battles, no one was willing to engage in unnecessary wars with the Land of Iron. Thus, it had always been regarded as a place for neutral decisions.
In many subsequent Five Kage Summits, the Land of Iron was basically chosen as the venue. Here, the chakra samurai of the Land of Iron would not allow ninja troops to enter their territory. Even a village leader could at most bring two escorts. If one rashly brought troops across the border, it would mean adding the Land of Iron as an enemy on top of existing ones for no reason. Any rational leader would not do such a thing.
Because they had previously greeted the higher-ups of the Land of Iron, the samurai of the Land of Iron tacitly allowed Fumori Masaki and the Third Raikage to enter their territory, but the ninja forces of both sides had to remain outside the border. The Land of Iron would then take on the responsibility of protecting the safety of the two who entered the territory—of course, whether the duel between the two would result in death was not something the samurai of the Land of Iron could guarantee. At most, they could ensure there would be no external interference.
Every time he recalled the Land of Iron's rules, the Third Raikage felt a sense of lament. If the peace talks back then had taken place in the Land of Iron, even if Kinkaku and Ginkaku had still incited a rebellion, it wouldn't have nearly put the Raikage and Hokage in mortal danger. This place wouldn't have allowed those two to infiltrate so easily. It was just that the five great nations back then didn't trust such a neutral country much, so they didn't adopt such a policy.
Fortunately, after the second Five Kage Summit, the Land of Iron became the best place for neutral arbitration. After Fumori Masaki became Hokage, he further utilized the special status of the Land of Iron. Although the Land of Iron is still reluctant to participate in ninja conflicts, they are very willing to act as a mediator, perhaps also with the intention of watching the ninjas make a spectacle of themselves.
Because of the righteousness upheld by Fumori Masaki after his inauguration and the governing policy of Konoha Hidden Leaf Village, some high-ranking samurai in the Land of Iron somewhat approved. If they were to choose a partner among the five great nations, the Land of Iron would very likely choose Konoha Hidden Leaf Village. This arranged battle was achieved through Fumori Masaki's personal relationship with the high-ranking samurai of the Land of Iron, and not many people knew about it.
After bidding farewell to his wife and son, the Third Raikage entered the border alone, his disguised identity acknowledged by the guards—this was also part of the agreement. This duel was a secret arrangement, known only to certain high-ranking officials and special individuals in the ninja villages, and no information was to be leaked. Even upon entering the Land of Iron, he couldn't do so openly as the Third Raikage, but had to rely on a fabricated identity provided by the high-ranking samurai of the Land of Iron, and follow a carefully planned route to reach the agreed location.
As a village leader, the Third Raikage might not be as skilled as elite intelligence personnel, but his basic acting ability was certainly up to par. Following the fabricated identity provided by the Land of Iron, he passed through numerous paths, traversed a forest, and arrived at the meeting place with Fumori Masaki.
This place was said to be where some swordsmen of the Land of Iron used to duel. It was vast and desolate, with a thick layer of white snow on the ground and snowflakes slowly drifting from the sky, creating a feeling of being in another world. To those swordsmen, it might have even held a certain artistic essence, but the Third Raikage certainly couldn't appreciate it.
—Hasn't Fumori Masaki arrived yet?
As the Third Raikage was thinking this, his gaze suddenly narrowed slightly. He had already spotted the tall figure standing in the snow, who was Fumori Masaki, the person he was looking for. It seemed the other party had been there for a while, and he had only noticed a moment later, causing cold sweat to slowly trickle down his spine.