Kumogakure Ninja (1)
Kumogakure.
Raikage Peak, the funnel-shaped building.
Similar to the Hokage Rock, the Raikage Peak is also a landmark of the Kumogakure. Unlike Konoha Hidden Leaf Village, Kumogakure Ninja Hidden Cloud Village did not build its village on a fertile and flat plain, but instead built it in the midst of misty, towering mountains. The Raikage Peak is the highest peak in the Kumogakure.
The Kumogakure Ninja leveled the mountaintops, hollowed out the mountains, built walkways, connected the mountain peaks, and erected circular buildings against the mountains, with layers of stairs like a spider web connecting all directions... They built the Kumogakure, which was completely different from the appearance of Konoha.
The Funnel Building is a giant funnel-shaped structure built by the Kumogakure Ninja by hollowing out Raikage Peak. The towering, magnificent, and proudly standing building is not only the Raikage's daily office, but also a manifestation of the Kumogakure's national strength and a symbol of the Kumogakure Ninja's spirit.
Raikage's Office.
Unlike the Hokage's office, which Sakura Haruno frequented and was filled with various items, the Raikage's Office, according to the Raikage's wishes, was almost empty. In the center of the room was a sofa, and to the left was a weightlifting barbell used by the Raikage for daily training. On the wall hung two large characters: "Muscle" and "Flesh." Apart from that, there was nothing else, not even a desk; it was just an empty, large room.
Simple. Brutal.
That's Raikage's style.
"So," the Raikage said in a deep voice, "Konoha really joined forces with the Sand Ninja and the Mist Ninja?"
He sat upright in the only chair in the room, his sword drawn, staring wide-eyed at the Cloud Kumogakure Ninja Jonin.
The Fourth Raikage's appearance is exactly the same as that of Hokage predecessors. He has dark skin, a burly build, a rugged face, a volatile temper, and an imposing presence.
When he glared with those big, round eyes, he looked even more ferocious and menacing, his expression as terrifying as a demon.
Even in the Hokage world, where direct confrontation is valued over sneaky attacks, ninjas with the Raikage's style are still rare.
Because of years of training and consuming high-calorie foods, most female ninjas have well-proportioned, slender, and athletic figures, such as Ino, Hinata, and Anko. Of course, there are also slender, flat-chested women like Sakura Haruno and Yuki Haku. Male ninjas are either thin like Kakashi and Orochimaru, who look slim in clothes but have muscles underneath, or muscular like Might Guy and Jiraiya, who are well-built and tall. Overall, they are all within the range of normal people.
A burly, muscular man like the Raikage, with broad shoulders and a thick waist, as strong as a bear, is truly rare in the Hokage world. If Sakura Haruno were to comment on him, she would probably say that his demeanor is more like that of a martial artist who has mistakenly entered the Hokage world than a ninja who is skilled in both magic and martial arts.
--In fact, all the Raikage of all time have practiced Lightning Release Nintaijutsu, and they rely almost entirely on their fists in combat. It is no exaggeration to say that they are martial artists.
Most of the time, they also adhere to the principle of using force.
If Konoha, Sand Ninja, and Mist Ninja were to unite, they would be a force even stronger than Kumogakure Ninja, which is what A is most concerned about.
The Jonin standing in front of the Raikage were ninjas who had gone to Konoha to Chunin Ninja Exams as part of Konoha Kumogakure Ninja Observation Group.
"Observation Group"—another term the Raikage hadn't heard of. In recent years, Konoha has always liked to create these convoluted and mysterious things. But it doesn't matter; A has his own simple and straightforward way of understanding it. Stripped of all the complicated appearances, it's simply a signal being sent to the Kumogakure Ninja.
Warning? Threat? Or goodwill?
A dignified-looking, cold-faced Kumogakure Ninja from the Cloud Village Jonin forward. "That's true. At least on the surface, Konoha has already allied with the Sand Ninja and Mist Ninja under the pretext of fighting Akatsuki."
"During this mission, I personally witnessed Gaara, the Fifth Hokage Tsunade of Konoha, Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage of Sand Ninja, and Mist Ninja Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure, chatting Mei Terumi. Furthermore, during the Chunin Ninja Exams, the Genin from the Three Great Shinobi Villages fought with great restraint, and no injuries occurred throughout the entire exam. This clearly demonstrates that their friendly relations were not just a facade..."
Just two years ago, the Sand Ninja allied with Orochimaru to invade Konoha. How come the two villages are already as close as honey?
The Raikage scoffed, clearly not believing it.
In any case, he couldn't be as willing to admit Kazekage, or as forgiving as the Hokage.
"You saw something in Konoha, didn't you, Xi?" The dark-faced man flicked his fingers and said in a deep voice, "You're a sensory ninja, you should be able to see quite a bit."
Xi was that dignified and aloof Jonin.
He simply shook his head upon hearing this. "What I saw was merely what Konoha showed us. They were well-prepared; many areas were protected by barriers, making them impossible to perceive."
Konoha openly demonstrated to them just how outstanding the Konoha Ninja were and how exceptional the Genin were.
This is clearly a display of confidence, and also a form of protest.
Xi also sensed Konoha's intentions. The more talented Konoha members were, the more disheartened he became; the more outstanding the Konoha Genin performed, the more shocked he became.
What impressed him most was the team that was the grandson of the Third Hokage.
Two men and one woman.
Each of them is exceptionally talented; if placed in the Kumogakure, they would be among the top rising stars of their age group, and the very people the village would be actively cultivating.
One of the boys looked a bit dull, but he was skilled in Genjutsu, especially a powerful, unheard-of Genjutsu. Throughout the Chunin Ninja Exams, very few genin could Genin his Genjutsu. The other boy was the Third Hokage's grandson, named Konohamaru. He had extensive combat experience, was proficient in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, had virtually no weaknesses, and was quick-witted. His strength was probably among the best of the Chunin. The final match of the Chunin Ninja Exams was an individual tournament, and Konohamaru was invincible, advancing through the ranks like a whirlwind, almost unstoppable.
Until he met the girl from his group in the finals.
That guy with two thick ponytails was a typical Ninjutsu- type ninja. He used Water Release quite impressively and defeated Konohamaru -on with his powerful Ninjutsu energy.
hope was amazed by what he saw.
--Strange, aren't you ninjas from the Land of Fire? How come your Water Release are even more skillful than those of the Mist Ninja from the Land of Water?
"Konoha's fresh blood is growing rapidly," Xi summarized to the Raikage. "They are quickly shaking off the shadow and weakness left by the invasion two years ago. Reportedly, this year's students aren't even the most outstanding yet. In the previous two years, Konoha produced twelve exceptionally talented Genin, a class known as the 'Genius Class.' Excluding one bottom-ranked student, eleven of them have gone on to Chunin, and some are even Jonin!"
"This shows that Konoha will only become stronger in the foreseeable future."
His indifferent expression carried a deep sense of gravity.
This is not good news for the Kumogakure Ninja who are dedicated to making the village strong and prosperous.
As Xi said this, the other Kumogakure Ninja who were traveling with him to Konoha also showed expressions of agreement.
"Continue. What new talents in Konoha are worth paying attention to?"
Raikage's thick eyebrows furrowed, his brows tightening into a fleshy knot, and his voice was harsh.
"Among the newcomers worth paying attention to, besides the Uchiha orphan, it's definitely that girl who can use Ice Release and Water Release," Xi replied without hesitation.
The others behind her chimed in, "That's right, she killed two of Lian Xiao's men; she's practically a monster."
"To hear that she's only graduated two years ago and already possesses such talent is truly unbelievable!"
"You probably can't find such a formidable newcomer in our village, can you?"
"It's probably impossible to find any information about it in the village's history."
"Her name is Sakura Haruno. She's only 15 years old, yet she's grown to such an extent. Her future achievements are simply immeasurable!"
Whether it was a misperception or not, listening to everyone's comments, Raikage's already dark complexion darkened even further.
"What the hell?!" He slammed his hand on the armrest and roared, "Konoha has plenty of talented people, doesn't our village have any promising newcomers?!"
"You're all boosting Konoha's morale while diminishing your own. Are you even still Kumogakure Ninja?!"
The Raikage, with his volatile and easily angered temper, would uncontrollably leak his Chakra when he got angry, making him as terrifying as a ferocious beast.
The Kumogakure Ninja immediately fell silent, trembling with fear.
"Shut up, all of you! Xi, continue. What information did you gather from Konoha? I need your concrete observations, not these rumors you overheard on the street!"
"Yes," Xi nodded in response. Of all the Kumogakure Ninja present, only he could remain calm in the face of the enraged Raikage.
Why is it so hard to write at midnight? I can't find the mindset to focus on writing. Yesterday I found a book and got completely absorbed in it, finishing it all night without writing anything. I even reviewed "Days in Naruto" while I was at it.
[That's right, mine is "Transformation: Marvel Genius," the story of the Tangyuan Jing.]