Attack on Konoha

The Raikage was coming to Konoha in person.

In the past, when the Yellow Flash was still alive, the Raikage would never have been so overconfident. He would have led a large force of Hidden Cloud elites, entered the Land of Fire with caution, and perhaps even sent envoys ahead to negotiate with Konoha and secure the initiative in the talks.

But now... Konoha was no longer the Konoha it had once been.

According to intelligence returned by Hidden Cloud spies, Konoha had suffered grievous losses in the Nine-Tails incident several years ago. The Fourth Hokage had died, and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had resumed office.

The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was merely a three-year-old child, posing no threat. The Uchiha Clan and Konoha's upper ranks were mutually suspicious, with undercurrents roiling within.

Such a Konoha was no longer worth the Raikage's trouble. Thus, he brought only his right-hand men: the sensory ninja Shii and the Storm Release ninja Darui.

Along with an elite squad of more than twenty Hidden Cloud Jonin, the Raikage entered the Land of Fire without hesitation.

Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe, his brows tightly furrowed. "The Raikage came in person... and brought more than twenty Jonin?"

Kobutsu Koharu, standing nearby, said gravely, "This goes beyond the scale of mere negotiations. It is more like a show of force."

Mitokado Homura said coldly, "Hidden Cloud likely intends to use this opportunity to pressure us into handing over the 'Masked Man.' But the problem is... we do not even know who the 'Masked Man' is."

"No matter what, Konoha cannot show weakness. But neither can we provoke the Raikage."

Hiruzen fell silent for a moment before slowly exhaling a ring of smoke. "Let us receive them first... and see what the Raikage truly wants."

Yet neither the Raikage nor Konoha's higher-ups could have imagined, no matter how hard they racked their brains, that the "Masked Man" who had wiped out the Hidden Cloud delegation, abducted Hizashi, and openly provoked the Raikage... was actually Konoha's three-year-old Uzumaki Naruto?!

Naruto was surprised by how quickly the Raikage had moved, but fortunately, he had already received his reward.

Ding!

Congratulations, Host! Main quest completed: Hizashi's Death!

Reward obtained: Myriad Worlds Lottery Channel unlocked. Substitution Ability acquired: "Crazy Diamond"!

There was also this.

Ding!

Congratulations, Host! Bond established with original character "Hizashi" (Level 4)!

Points obtained: 200!

The points were not many, but that was understandable. After all, Hizashi had been a character who died before the original story had even begun.

At a time when relations between Hidden Cloud and Konoha had reached a level of tension second only to war, Naruto, the chief culprit, settled Hizashi down before returning to his days of training and spending time with the Uchiha family's young lady.

A few days later, while Hidden Cloud ninjas were stationed outside Konoha Village and Konoha's alert level had been raised to its highest, Naruto knew that the Raikage was in the Hokage Building discussing matters with Konoha's higher-ups. Therefore... to resolve this matter once and for all, and to make that "identity of fear" famous throughout the Ninja World by another route, Naruto was about to take action.

Hokage Building, negotiation room.

The heavy wooden doors were shut tight. Sunlight streamed through gaps in the windows, cutting crisscrossing patterns of light and shadow across the long table.

The Raikage, A, sat opposite Konoha's side, his muscular arms resting on the tabletop. His knuckles had turned faintly white from suppressed rage. Beside him, Shii sat upright, while Darui lounged lazily against the back of his chair.

On Konoha's side, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, rested his folded hands before him. To his left, Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses, while Kobutsu Koharu on his right frowned slightly.

At last, the Raikage broke the silence first.

"So?"

His voice carried undisguised pressure. "You refuse to acknowledge the contents of the message my envoy brought? My Hidden Cloud delegation was wiped out within the Land of Fire, the culprit was taken away, and that cowardly Masked Man even arrogantly declared that he was in the Land of Fire!"

His fist slammed down onto the table, and the thick solid wood let out a groan under the unbearable weight.

"A ninja capable of annihilating Hidden Cloud elites all by himself... and you dare say this was not Konoha's conspiracy?!"

Facing this aggressive questioning, the Third Hokage slowly exhaled a ring of smoke and answered steadily, with a calming tone. "Lord Raikage, we are equally shocked by the attack."

"But if Hidden Cloud accuses Konoha based on mere conjecture, is that not... too hasty?"

A cold smile tugged at the Raikage's lips.

"Hasty? According to the intelligence brought back by my sole surviving subordinate, that Masked Man displayed methods suspected to be Space-Time Ninjutsu—and Konoha happens to possess such forbidden techniques, does it not?"

"Third Hokage, are you still going to insist that this is merely a coincidence?"

The Third Hokage fell silent for a moment, the ember in his pipe flickering faintly. "That intelligence is ultimately only the testimony of a survivor."

"Lord Raikage, you know better than anyone how difficult Space-Time Ninjutsu is to master. So is there not another possibility? That the sole survivor was placed under a genjutsu? And that the Masked Man's true goal was to frame Konoha and incite conflict between Hidden Cloud and us?"

Just as the Raikage was about to speak again—

"Boom—!!!"

A deafening explosion suddenly rang out, making the entire Hokage Building tremble. The teacups on the long table clattered from the shock, tea spilling out and spreading into wet stains across the tabletop.

Everyone shot to their feet, chairs scraping harshly against the floor.

The Raikage's muscles instantly tensed. Lightning Release Chakra erupted uncontrollably from his body, blue-white arcs crackling across his skin. His first reaction was—Was Konoha launching a surprise attack?!

But when he looked across the table, he saw the Third Hokage wearing the same shocked expression. The old man's wrinkled face was frozen as his aged eyes widened.

Not them...?

The Raikage forcibly suppressed the urge to strike first, his clenched fists cracking.

The next moment, the negotiation room's door was violently shoved open. A Konoha ninja stumbled inside, cold sweat covering his forehead, his breathing so ragged that he could barely form a complete sentence.

"B-Bad news! Lord Hokage!"

His voice trembled faintly with terror. "An attacker has invaded Konoha!"

"What?!"

Kobutsu Koharu and Mitokado Homura cried out at the same time, disbelief written across both advisers' faces. Attacking a ninja village? This had already gone far beyond the scope of an ordinary conflict—this was the sort of act that only happened when war was being launched!

"Who is it?! What ninja village would dare—"

The Konoha ninja swallowed hard and struggled to force out the name. "It... it is a man wearing a Fox Mask! He..."

"He specifically named the Raikage as his target!"