Bam—
The Raikage had barely moved before a punch sent him flying.
He skidded across the ground as he flew backward, finally coming to a stop.
"Looks like that wasn't a coincidence."
The Raikage glanced at the shattered Lightning Release Armor on his shoulder, then looked at Shirozumi, who had struck again.
The first time Shirozumi intercepted him, the Raikage had realized that Shirozumi wasn't faster than he was.
The reason he'd been able to intercept him seemed to be that he'd struck first.
This time, the Raikage had suddenly moved in the middle of his sentence, but Shirozumi had still struck first.
He hadn't grabbed the Raikage's arm this time. He'd thrown a punch straight at his face.
The Raikage had dodged in time, so the attack had landed on his shoulder.
He'd also discovered that Shirozumi was stronger than him.
That was terrifying.
Many shinobi in the Shinobi World had high attack and low defense, high speed and low defense, or high speed and low attack.
The Raikage's line was the only one that had high attack, high defense, and high speed.
Only a shinobi who was top-tier in one particular area had any chance of surpassing him in that regard.
"Raikage, it looks like you didn't bring the Two-Tails Jinchuriki with you this time. You should know how much a Jinchuriki can do on the battlefield. Aren't you worried your entire army will be wiped out?
"If you use the Tailed Beast's power, you won't be able to return and reform Kumogakure the way I just suggested.
"The Tailed Beast will make too much of a commotion. You won't be able to keep it secret.
"Everyone will know the Cloud Ninja lost because they didn't bring their Tailed Beast, not because of Iwagakure's new system."
At Shirozumi's words, the Raikage paused. His gaze swept over the Iwagakure Ninja behind Kurotsuchi, then landed on Fū. "Where are the Four-Tails and Five-Tails? Don't tell me you mean her when you say Jinchuriki."
Fū was about the same age as Naruto and Sasuke. She was just a little girl, and if there was a Ninja Academy, she'd only have graduated recently.
Could someone that young control a Tailed Beast's power?
"Little girl, tell Chōmei to show the Raikage what it can do."
Shirozumi chuckled at that, turned around, and removed the seal on Fū.
"Huh? Okay!"
Once she was free, Fū immediately began speaking to the Seven-Tails. "Lord Chōmei, please lend me your power..."
The Seven-Tails inside Fū was bewildered.
It couldn't understand how Shirozumi knew its name.
To a Tailed Beast, only someone it accepted could know its name.
"Lord Chōmei? Lord Chōmei, are you there?"
After thinking for a long while without figuring out why, the Seven-Tails heard Fū calling to it again and answered, "Fū, your body can't withstand too much of my power. Tell that person to figure something out himself!"
"Lord Chōmei, I'll be fine! He saved me, so now it's my turn to step up! I want to make a hundred friends. I can't let myself die here~"
Fū shook her head, her expression earnest and stubborn.
Shirozumi rested a hand on Fū's bobbing head. Fū jolted with an "Mm!" and froze in place.
"It's fine. Don't use too much power. Just scare the Raikage a little."
"Okay, Lord Chōmei. Just do what he says..."
Fū spoke softly.
The Raikage, standing nearby, heard the entire exchange between the two of them and the Tailed Beast.
Of course, the Tailed Beast's voice was inside Fū's mind, so the Raikage couldn't hear it.
But from Fū's words alone, the Raikage had keenly picked up on something important: the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki knew the Tailed Beast's name, and they seemed to get along quite well!
As the village that had studied Tailed Beasts most thoroughly, Kumogakure knew very well that learning to control Tailed Beast Chakra wasn't especially difficult, as long as the Jinchuriki trained persistently.
Iwagakure's Rōshi and Han were both examples of this.
They had learned to control their Tailed Beasts' power through training.
But to wield a Tailed Beast's full power, a Jinchuriki had to reconcile with the Tailed Beast.
That was the hard part.
Training geniuses suited to becoming Jinchuriki were rare, but every village could find a few.
Those who could reconcile with a Tailed Beast, however, were truly one in a million.
The little girl before him had already reconciled with the Seven-Tails at such a young age. That meant that if she simply grew up and trained as normal, she was bound to become a Perfect Jinchuriki!
The Raikage stared at Fū, his eyes burning with interest.
As Fū spoke with Shirozumi, she accidentally met the Raikage's gaze and was immediately frightened by the dark-skinned, muscle-bound man's expression.
"Lord Chōmei, save me! I don't want that creepy old man to take me away!"
"Let's start with four tails."
Shirozumi spoke to Chōmei inside Fū.
Chōmei sensed Fū's fear and said no more, beginning to release its power.
Scarlet Tailed Beast Chakra poured out of Fū.
Tailed Beast Chakra naturally carried hatred and savagery. Even if a Tailed Beast didn't deliberately interfere with its Jinchuriki's mind, a Jinchuriki with weak resolve could still succumb to madness.
Fortunately, Fū was sunny by nature and had little to resent. After partially transforming into a Tailed Beast, she could just barely control herself.
"Retreat!"
After quickly weighing the pros and cons, the Raikage ordered the Cloud Ninja behind him to withdraw.
The enemy had someone who could hold him back. If the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki partially transformed and fought alongside the Iwagakure Ninja, the Cloud Ninja forces behind him wouldn't stand a chance.
And as Shirozumi had just said, if the Tailed Beast made too much of a commotion, they wouldn't be able to keep it secret.
"Tsuchikage, if you dare to take the Tailed Beast from Takigakure, I'll join forces with Konoha and declare war on you again!"
Before retreating, the Raikage left them with a threat.
He was afraid Iwagakure would take advantage of the situation and bring this girl, who had the potential to become a Perfect Jinchuriki, into their village.
After the Cloud Ninja withdrew, the Iwagakure Ninja retreated as well, following Kurotsuchi's orders.
The area fell silent. Only Takigakure's waterfall continued to roar.
Once the Tailed Beast Cloak faded from Fū, the skin burned and corroded by Tailed Beast Chakra was exposed.
Shirozumi crouched down and touched it.
Fū had just come to. Her cheeks flushed. "I-I'm fine... Huh?"
Fū looked down. The burning pain she'd felt just a moment ago had vanished, and all her injuries were gone.
She really was fine?
"You can use Medical Ninjutsu too?"
Kurotsuchi watched, surprised.
"Something like that."
Shirozumi didn't deny it.
"...Medical Ninjutsu, monstrous strength—you're just like Tsunade."
Kurotsuchi grumbled.
"Senior Kakuzu, thanks for saving me from the Cloud Ninja just now. I know who you are. You used to be an amazing shinobi from Takigakure!"
Fū ran up to Kakuzu, excitement written all over her face.
"Senior Kakuzu, and you too, big brother! My name's Fū. Let's be friends!"
Fū turned her head between Kakuzu and Shirozumi, looking at them expectantly.
"..."
Kakuzu was at a loss for words. He looked at Shirozumi as if asking what he should do.
After all, they didn't need to collect Tailed Beasts anymore.
But according to Shirozumi's plan, Jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts still counted as "powerful forces" and could be valuable allies.
"Fū, do you want to join us?"
Shirozumi smiled and invited her.
"Join you? But that dark uncle just said he'd start another war if I joined you."
Fū tilted her head, looking conflicted.
"He only said you couldn't join Iwagakure. He didn't say you couldn't join us. We're the dawn of the Shinobi World, dedicated to bringing happiness to the world and protecting it from threats."
"Wow, that sounds amazing! I'm in, I'm in!"
Fū jumped up excitedly.
"Aren't you worried that guy will declare war on you someday?"
Kurotsuchi watched Shirozumi sweet-talk the little girl and pursed her lips.
"If he really can't forget about Fū, I'll just have to sneak into his house and steal his Hachimi. Those who bee others will be been."
"?"
What honey water?
Why sneak into the Raikage's house to steal his honey water?
Oh, right. Kurotsuchi suddenly remembered that Kumogakure's Eight-Tails Jinchuriki was Killer B. Killer B—"killer bee." Shirozumi meant he was going to steal the Eight-Tails!
So that was it.
"You've got some nerve, setting your sights on Kumogakure's Jinchuriki.
"But even if you could take him away, he has bonds with the Raikage and Kumogakure. He won't be as easy to fool into leaving as this little girl."
Kurotsuchi pointed at Fū.
"Maybe he'll fall in love with me because I'm so handsome."
Shirozumi joked, patting Fū on the back as he prepared to leave.
"Huh?"
Kurotsuchi stood there with her mouth wide open, stunned.
What the hell?!
Before you continue