Kumogakure Elder

Uchiha Shaoyu fell from the fading Susanoo, dropping to one knee and gasping heavily. The light in his left Mangekyō Sharingan had dimmed, and a thin trail of blood even ran from the corner of his mouth.

His face was pale. Though his chakra was not depleted and he had not been struck directly, the backlash from Susanoo's collapse and the intense expenditure had left him in an extremely poor state.

He had lost.

The Third Raikage truly deserved his title as the strongest Raikage. Unlike Sarutobi Hiruzen's so-called "strongest," the Third Raikage's strength was the real thing.

With Tiger Funeral added to his arsenal, Shaoyu was already among the strongest at the Kage level. Yet he had still lost against the Third Raikage. In Shaoyu's view, the Third Raikage before him had vaguely surpassed the bounds of the Kage level.

The Third Raikage, Ai, was breathing somewhat heavily as well. The glow of his Lightning Release Chakra Mode flickered, and several deep wounds had appeared on his body. Yet he remained standing firmly where he was, like an unshakable mountain.

The finger that had performed the Two-Finger Nukite gave off a faint wisp of smoke.

Silence.

Only the howling of the cold wind could be heard.

Everyone had been stunned by the unimaginably fierce battle, unable to speak for a long while.

After a long time, the Third Raikage Ai slowly withdrew the lightning chakra around his body. Looking at Uchiha Shaoyu, who was on one knee yet still trying to keep his back straight, the sharp battle intent in his single eye had vanished, replaced by undisguised admiration.

"Uchiha Shaoyu..." Raikage Ai's voice remained thunderous, though it carried a trace of complicated emotion. "You lost."

Shaoyu raised his head, wiped the blood from the corner of his eye, and admitted it calmly.

"Yes, I lost. Third Raikage, the strongest spear and the strongest shield—you live up to your reputation."

"However," Raikage Ai said, his tone abruptly turning firm, "though you lost, you have earned honor!"

His gaze swept over the Kumogakure shinobi and Uchiha clansmen around them, who were still immersed in shock, while his voice rang across the entire area.

"At your age, you possess the Mangekyō Sharingan, can summon and command so many strange summoned beasts, can use those peculiar ninjutsu and healing abilities—and more importantly—

"You can awaken Susanoo and fight me at full strength for nearly half an hour!"

"Your strength, your potential, your will... all far exceed my initial expectations! Those fools in Konoha actually drove someone like you into defecting. They must be blind!"

"Uchiha Shaoyu," Raikage Ai said, his voice still booming but now carrying unprecedented solemnity.

"Your strength deserves Kumogakure's respect, and it deserves an important position. From this day onward, you will be the second elder of Kumogakure."

At those words, the Kumogakure guards, who had yet to recover from their shock, revealed astonished expressions once again. The second elder?

That meant this young Uchiha rogue ninja would leap straight into the uppermost ranks of Kumogakure's core of power.

"Lord Raikage, this..."

A jonin who had followed the Raikage for many years could not help speaking up, apparently feeling that the decision was somewhat too hasty and... exceptional.

Raikage Ai waved a hand, leaving no room for objection.

"My decision is made! Strength is the best qualification. In Kumogakure, status is determined by power. The strength and potential Shaoyu has displayed are enough to break every old convention. As for the village's other procedures and formalities, we can make them up afterward."

Promoting talent without regard for convention—this was Kumogakure's tradition.

He looked at Shaoyu, sincerity gleaming in his single eye.

"At present, Kumogakure has only two elders, including you. The other is my elder, Elder Yotsuki Youmeng. She is advanced in years, lives a secluded life, and handles certain ancient village traditions and ceremonial matters."

"As a newly appointed elder, your status will be equal to hers. You will stand above ordinary departments, answer directly to me, participate in the village's highest-level decisions, and have the authority to mobilize a portion of its resources to establish a force of your own."

This was an exceedingly weighty and bold appointment. An outsider—and a defector, no less—had been elevated directly to the pinnacle of Kumogakure's power, granted immense autonomy and trust.

During his battle with Shaoyu just now, he had sensed Shaoyu's character. He was absolutely not the kind of petty man who changed sides on a whim. The Third Raikage believed Shaoyu was not part of a Konoha scheme.

Perhaps it was somewhat idealistic, but the Raikage trusted his instincts.

Uchiha Shaoyu took a deep breath, suppressing his bodily exhaustion and the turmoil in his heart, then clasped his fist in a solemn salute.

"Thank you for your trust, Lord Raikage. Uchiha Shaoyu will not fail your expectations and will serve Kumogakure."

Kumogakure had only two elders including him. He had not expected that, nor had he expected the Third Raikage before him to trust him so deeply. It genuinely moved him.

Compared to being suspected at every turn in Konoha, where the Uchiha Clan could never enter the core of power, being trusted by Kumogakure's Third Raikage and brought directly into Kumogakure's center of power was an extreme contrast.

He knew that this position as elder was not only an honor, but also a responsibility and a test.

In granting it this way, the Raikage had both fulfilled his promise and firmly bound him and the Uchiha behind him to Kumogakure's war chariot.

"Good!"

Raikage Ai nodded in satisfaction, then said,

"Now that you are an elder of Kumogakure, you naturally need a place to settle down. Your Uchiha have only just arrived. Though your numbers are small now, more clansmen may join you in the future. I will have a piece of clan land assigned to you at once."

A while later.

The Third Raikage pointed toward an area in the southeast of the village, backed by a steep mountainside and facing an open training ground, with a rushing stream running alongside it.

The ground there was elevated with a broad field of view, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It was far from the noisiest parts of the village center, yet not too distant from the center itself. It was relatively secluded and peaceful, while still enjoying excellent access.

There were not many buildings, but all were built in Kumogakure's typical sturdy stone style. It was clear that they were regularly maintained and ready for immediate occupancy.

The area naturally could not compare to the vast Uchiha clan grounds Konoha had maintained for decades, but for their current group of only twelve people, it was more than sufficient—indeed, quite spacious.

"What do you think of this place?" the Raikage asked.

Uchiha Shaoyu looked carefully. The perceptive power of his Mangekyō Sharingan allowed him to see more details. The buildings were sturdy, the layout sensible, the training ground level, and the stream provided both water and a natural barrier. The mountainside behind them was an excellent defensive support and a potential site for digging secret passages...

This place had clearly been chosen with care. It gave the Uchiha sufficient independent space and respect, while also incorporating them into Kumogakure's overall defensive system.

"It is excellent. Thank you, Lord Raikage."

Shaoyu thanked him sincerely. Compared to the restrictions and marginalization they had endured in Konoha, this treatment was like heaven and earth apart.

The Third Raikage waved a hand, his tone tinged with emotion.

"No need to thank me. To tell you the truth, Kumogakure is strong in every regard, except when it comes to Kekkei Genkai shinobi... there are far too few of them."

He looked at Shaoyu, then at the Uchiha clansmen behind him who had also activated their Sharingan, and continued.

"Apart from the Kekkei Genkai passed down through the generations by our Yotsuki Clan, which can be considered our hallmark, the village's other Kekkei Genkai clans are few and far between."

"Either their clans are sparsely populated and their inheritance is difficult to maintain, or their bloodlines awaken inconsistently and rarely produce powerful shinobi. A group like your Uchiha, arriving with twelve elite members who have awakened the Sharingan, including someone with a Mangekyō Sharingan like you... is simply unprecedented."

Practical light gleamed in Raikage Ai's single eye.

"Your arrival is not merely the addition of a dozen or so powerful shinobi. It greatly strengthens both the overall power and the numbers of Kumogakure's Kekkei Genkai clans."

"This holds immeasurable value for increasing the village's reserve of high-level combat power, expanding its tactical system, and even its future development and deterrence. Therefore, giving you the best treatment is only right—and worthwhile."

Those candid words dispelled much of the final trace of doubt in the Uchiha's hearts.

Kumogakure valued their real strength and worth. It was a relatively fair arrangement, and one that put them more at ease.

"I understand."

Uchiha Shaoyu nodded.

"The Uchiha Clan will settle in as soon as possible, familiarize ourselves with Kumogakure, and contribute our strength to the village."

"Mm!" Raikage Ai patted Shaoyu on the shoulder.

"Rest and recover properly first. I will send people to assist you with getting settled. In a few days, we will formally convene a high-level meeting, hold your elder inauguration ceremony, and introduce you to the village's other high-ranking officials and clans."

He paused, then added,

"Kumogakure reveres strength, but it also values loyalty and sentiment. So long as you sincerely integrate yourselves here, this will be your new home."

"Home..." Uchiha Shaoyu savored the word as he gazed at the new clan grounds in the distance that would soon belong to the Uchiha, his heart filled with complex emotions.

"Let's go. To our new home," Shaoyu said, turning to the clansmen behind him.

Uchiha Renhuo, Qianying, Mihuo, Ling, Mei... unprecedented brightness shone in everyone's eyes.

Even the youngest, Shisui, tightly held his older brother's hand as he looked toward that unfamiliar land with curiosity and anticipation.