The Third Raikage

Chakra is the fuel of a ninja; its quality and quantity determine the strength of a ninja's combat power.

The Mind's Eye can clearly see everyone's Chakra, probing the quantity and quality of their Chakra. Except for a few freaks, it is generally sufficient to measure a person's strength.

"Holy crap! Where did this amazing guy come from?!"

Katsuki let out a strange cry. In the vision of his Mind's Eye, the vast and fierce Chakra shone with an incomparably dazzling light. This light was even better than that of the Third Kazekage. Among all the people he had ever seen, Sakumo and the Third Hokage could rival him in terms of the quality of their Chakra, but they were far inferior in terms of quantity.

I closed my Mind's Eye, reopened my eyes, and Enhanced Vision to the limit. This time, I was finally able to vaguely make out the appearance of the person who had just arrived.

He was about two meters tall, with a muscular build like a bull, dark skin, a long beard, and distinctive Cloud Ninja attire. His identity was instantly recognizable.

"No wonder... it was this person."

Katsuki clicked his tongue. If it was this person, it wouldn't be surprising that he could possess such astonishing Chakra fluctuations. After all, he was a fierce warrior who fought against ten thousand Stone Ninja three days and three nights, ultimately perishing alongside them. In terms of endurance alone, he could be considered the best among the current five Kage.

However, what is the purpose of the Third Raikage's sudden appearance here?

Katsuki squinted, suddenly unleashing a burst of Chakra. He stomped his foot on the ground, and flashing lightning tore through the snow, causing tall pine trees to snap and fall.

The Third Raikage, who was running wildly, froze. Even without Sensory Ninjutsu, he could sense the terrifying aura emanating from the pine forest. This was an instinct honed by a seasoned warrior. After a moment's hesitation, he immediately sped towards the pine forest. No matter who the other party was, since they had appeared here, he couldn't just leave them alone.

"Bang!!"

The Third Raikage stomped heavily on the trunk of an old pine tree, and the unfortunate old pine tree groaned under the weight and slowly bent over.

"Natural disaster... Uzumaki Katsuki?"

Looking at the red-haired boy standing calmly in the pine forest, the Third Raikage was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected to encounter his target here. He had thought that after arriving in town, he would have to contact the spies lurking in the area to gather intelligence before he could find out Katsuki's whereabouts.

But upon closer reflection, it's not surprising. There are many skilled ninjas in the Shinobi World, but not so many as to be excessive. How could a mere Baiyue Town have so many unknown powerhouses? This isn't some kind of supernatural tale.

"I didn't expect that even the Lord Raikage knew about someone as insignificant as me." Katsuki stood still, staring at the imposing Third Raikage.

"A nobody... This joke doesn't sound funny at all. A natural disaster that destroyed half of Sunagakure calls himself a nobody..." The Third Raikage stepped on the pitiful old pine tree, sizing up Katsuki. He had seen Katsuki's picture, but it was still somewhat different from the real person.

He looks younger, and even more... dangerous!

"I wonder what brings the Third Raikage here?" Katsuki was too lazy to waste any more words and went straight to the point. He didn't believe that the Third Raikage would appear here for no reason. His mind raced, and combining the information with the grasshoppers he had found yesterday, he had a vague idea.

The Third Raikage did not answer immediately, but instead scanned the pine forest before turning his gaze back to Katsuki.

What is your purpose in coming to Mount Baiyue?

Disliking beating around the bush either, the Third Raikage went straight to the point.

Ninjas don't roam freely around the world on missions. They only travel within their own territory and the borders of their allies. Except in special circumstances, they won't even approach the territory of other countries, all to avoid misunderstandings. Ordinary junior Genin are fine, but who the hell isn't afraid of someone like Katsuki, a walking nuclear warhead?

The Sunagakure was decimated, becoming a laughingstock in the Shinobi World. But this also highlighted the threat posed by Katsuki. Any Kage would be uneasy knowing that someone like Katsuki was approaching their territory!

This could be fatal!

The culprit behind all this, our Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, is currently bored out of his mind, praying that the snowstorm will stop soon.

"······"

Katsuki's face looked like he was constipated, which was pretty much what he had guessed. He figured the Cloud Ninja thought he intended to launch a surprise attack on the Land of Lightning, which was why they summoned the Lord Raikage. But... this Lord Raikage was too straightforward! Who would honestly give out their mission?

Although he didn't have any mission at all.

To be honest, they were the ones who broke the unspoken rules first, appearing on the border between the Land of Hot Springs and the Land of Frost in their current identities as Kushina. It's no wonder the Cloud Ninja strangely.

"Hehe, I just came here to soak in the hot springs." Katsuki shrugged.

"······Take a hot spring bath······"

The Third Raikage stared at Katsuki, seemingly considering the truth of his words.

However, he was not a sensory ninja, and was also known for his rough and reckless nature. He was very unfamiliar with the skill of reading people's expressions and couldn't figure it out no matter how he looked at him.

"This is damn complicated... Fine, kid, let's have a match!"

Abandoning thought altogether, the Third Raikage stretched out his hand, assuming a fighting stance, his ferocious aura pressing down like a mountain.

As the Raikage, he had his own set of rules. Knowing that he was not particularly talented in scheming, he would use force to make people submit. Coincidentally, the Cloud Ninja was a village that extremely revered martial power. Unlike the steady spirit of the Konoha Village, the stubbornness of the Stone Ninja, the cold-blooded indifference of the Mist Ninja, and the mysterious changes of the Sand Village.

Since its establishment, the Cloud Ninja has developed a custom of worshipping strength. Powerful and invincible strength is what is needed to reach the position of Raikage. Of course, it would be even more perfect if one could also have a certain intelligence in addition to strength. The Third Raikage was used to weighing his opponents through battle.

Whatever Katsuki's purpose was, now that he had appeared at Mount Baiyue, as the Raikage, he couldn't pretend not to see it. If there was even the slightest possibility of an attack on Kumogakure, he had to take action to nip it in the bud. Better safe than sorry.

"Should we still fight?"

Katsuki sighed inwardly. He had a premonition from the beginning that meeting this person would never end peacefully. He was aware of this from the start, but his lack of patience was truly surprising.

What an honest and straightforward person!

Thinking about my own shrewd and calculating Third Hokage, well, every ninja village has its own unique customs and style, so we can't generalize.

"I really just came here to soak in the hot springs..."

The wind and snow drowned out Katsuki's murmured words, and the invisible and intangible killing intent collided violently.