Raikage's Fury

Kumogakure stood atop a towering mountain in the Land of Lightning.

Inside the Raikage Office, the muscular Fourth Raikage was putting on airs as he brewed tea, while Mabui panted across from him.

Mabui paid no attention to the Raikage's pretense. She spread a scroll across the desk and said, "Lord Dodai has sent word. Konoha's people have reached the border, and they've ambushed several of our squads. They are now closing in on the main force and seem to be trying to encircle Si Ming Mountain."

"What?!"

The Fourth Raikage's eyes flew wide with fury. He slammed his palm onto the desk before him, shattering the wooden desk into pieces.

"This is already the third desk you've replaced this month," Mabui said with a frown.

"Now isn't the time for that!" The Raikage stood and pulled the scroll from the shattered chunks of wood, carefully scanning its contents.

"The Third Hokage is showing rare backbone, taking the initiative to send troops to ambush our forces." Having already read the contents, Mabui analyzed, "The message the delegation sent back some time ago also struck me as rather strange."

"They must have died in Konoha from that point onward."

The Raikage frowned. Though it did not seem like Sarutobi Hiruzen's style, the war had already begun. He would not hesitate because of a change in plans.

"Notify Yugito and Samui's squad to head to the front immediately. Bring Darui along as well."

Only Kumogakure would deploy a Jinchuriki at the very beginning of a war.

Mabui did not move and continued, "There is one more matter. The daimyo has sent word, ordering us to hold Peace Talks with Konoha. He will provide the supplies needed for the negotiations."

The Raikage frowned. This matter gave him a headache.

Looking at his secretary, Mabui, the Raikage asked, "What's gotten into him?"

The daimyo of the Land of Lightning, like most residents of the Land of Lightning, was hot-tempered and straightforward.

And precisely because his personality differed from the daimyos of other nations, his relationship with Kumogakure was actually quite good.

It was also because of that relationship that Kumogakure could quickly catch its breath and recover throughout wars.

Unlike other nations, where the need for weapons, provisions, and other supplies had to be confirmed over a long period every time war broke out.

Simply put, the daimyo of the Land of Lightning was unlike a merchant or aristocrat.

He had also been informed of this provocation beforehand, and he had approved of it.

Yet now, this good friend had suddenly changed his mind.

Mabui calmly picked up another scroll and handed it to the Raikage. "The latest news from the Land of Water border says that Kirigakure's people reached the border not long ago, and in considerable numbers. They appear to have formed an alliance with Konoha. That should be why the daimyo wants Peace Talks."

Though the daimyo of the Land of Lightning was unlike those of other nations, if Kirigakure truly allied with Konoha, they would not stand a chance.

They might not even win one-on-one, let alone one against two.

In a battle they were bound to lose, no matter how different he was, the daimyo of the Land of Lightning would not willingly throw away his money.

"Kirigakure is getting involved too?" The Raikage could hardly believe it. Were those people idiots?

They had finally gotten a chance to suppress Konoha, yet those people did not even know to seize it.

The Raikage slapped the table and roared, "No! So what if those Kirigakure people get involved? Write back and stall the daimyo for now. Once we win, he will naturally continue supporting us."

"Have Yugito and the others rush to the front at once."

He did not believe Kumogakure would lose to Konoha and Kirigakure. Since Minato's death, Konoha no longer had anyone capable of holding the banner high. As for Kirigakure, they were constantly caught up in internal strife, with frequent reports of villagers attempting and failing to assassinate the Mizukage before defecting.

Against two villages like that, there was no way he could lose!

"Yes."

Mabui nodded without objection at the Raikage's firmness.

Though she was his secretary, only the Raikage could make decisions on major matters. That was one of the differences between Kumogakure and Konoha.

In Kumogakure, strength was what mattered, rather than the many clans meddling as they did in Konoha, with all kinds of tangled interests.

"Wait, call..."

The Raikage suddenly stopped Mabui. Seeing her puzzled gaze, he thought for a moment before saying, "Forget it. Send out the earlier orders immediately."

The Raikage had originally planned to send the Eight Tails into battle as well, but after some thought, he decided against it. The village still needed a Jinchuriki on standby.

Meanwhile, Konoha was filled with happiness and hope as reports of victory continued arriving from the front.

"Danzo ran away?"

Inside the Hokage Building, Sarutobi stared wide-eyed at the message Kakashi had sent back.

"Impossible. With that man's personality, even if he died, he would never flee from the battlefield," Utatane Koharu immediately denied it.

"The battle reports are showing great victories. Even if Danzo were to run, he would have no reason to," Mitokado Homura voiced his own opinion.

"But Kakashi would not send such a message back for no reason." Sarutobi looked at the scroll before him and wearily rubbed the bridge of his nose. There had already been more than enough matters to deal with lately.

But upon careful thought, these recent events all seemed to be connected to Danzo.

Sarutobi clasped his hands atop the desk and said grimly, "Whether the news is true or false, one of you two must head to the front and assess the situation. Though Yume Ryoma is Danzo's confidant, and his abilities are sufficient to command this war, his seniority is lacking."

"Uchiha and the others will not accept being commanded by a Root Ninja."

Sarutobi himself also wanted to lead troops into battle, but unfortunately, he lacked the strength to do so. Konoha still needed him to hold down the fort, and at his age, he was no longer suited for the battlefield.

However, the reports so far had all been resounding victories. If the war continued involving only the two nations, then stabilizing the situation and securing victory should not be a problem.

"I'll go."

Mitokado Homura rose to his feet. Compared to Koharu, who leaned more toward being a Medical Ninja, he was the only suitable candidate among the three, and the other two did not object.

"To be safe, bring some extra manpower with you." Sarutobi nodded. To avoid any unforeseen circumstances, he decided to have the Sarutobi Clan contribute some strength.

Ino-Shika-Cho and the other clans needed to remain in the village on standby to guard against attacks from other ninja villages. The only ones who could spare people were the Sarutobi Clan.

Mitokado Homura's gaze flickered, and he nodded. "I'll bring members of my clan with me."

"Bring people from the Utatane Clan as well. The younger members of my family need some tempering too," Utatane Koharu said quietly.

The three exchanged a meaningful look.