A's Fury

The Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.

Unlike the rugged and imposing Iwagakure, Kumogakure is nestled among towering mountains. Its buildings are mostly a mix of dark stone and metal, with sharp towers piercing the clouds. Lightning flashes across the sky above the village from time to time—a natural phenomenon unique to the Land of Lightning and the best environment for Cloud Village to train in Lightning Release.

The Fourth Raikage A, has his office on the top floor of the Raikage Tower. The rebuilt room has almost no windows, and the walls are inlaid with special crystals that can absorb and release lightning, constantly flashing with blue-white electric light. In the center of the room, behind a desk made from a single piece of lightning-struck wood, A stands with his arms crossed—he doesn't have the habit of sitting down.

The leader of the Cloud Village was over two meters tall, with muscles bulging like steel and dark skin covered with battle scars. His left arm had been neatly severed at the wrist, replaced by a specially made metal hand, its surface engraved with Lightning Release conduction runes. At this moment, the fist of the metal hand was clenched tightly, and the knuckles made a "crunching" metallic friction sound.

"An urgent letter from Iwagakure?" A's voice boomed like thunder as he glared at the Anbu Ninja kneeling before him. "That stubborn old man, Ōnoki, would actually write a letter asking for help?"

"Yes, Lord Raikage." The Anbu's voice came through the mask, trembling slightly—not with fear, but with excitement. "Deliver the letter as quickly as possible. The contents... are astonishing."

Ai grabbed the scroll. As he read on, his expression shifted from disdain to seriousness, and then to... ferocity.

"Madara Uchiha... resurrected? Rinnegan? An army of 100,000?" With each word, Ai's voice grew colder, until finally he practically forced the words out through clenched teeth, "Is Ōnoki senile? He actually believes such absurd information?!"

He slammed the scroll onto the table, the metal prosthetic limb crashing down, the lightning-struck wood desk groaning under its strain.

"Lord Raikage," the Anbu said cautiously, "The messenger was an elite Jonin Iwagakure. He said... the Third Tsuchikage personally witnessed Madara Uchiha's messenger. That messenger carried Uchiha Gunbai and a scythe, used Space-Time Ninjutsu, Jonin from Iwagakure, and then calmly left. Even Dust Release... couldn't stop him."

Ai fell silent. He walked to the wall, where a huge map of the Shinobi World hung. His gaze fell on the Land of Land of Earth, then moved to the Land of Fire, and finally settled on his lost left hand.

The Akatsuki was like a thorn, deeply embedded in his heart. His lost left hand, the stolen Eight-Tails, the disgrace of Cloud Village ... all of this stemmed from the Akatsuki. Shouldn't things have calmed down after Nagato's death? Now, Madara Uchiha has appeared. Is this some kind of trick Konoha is playing? Darui and Hii were sent by him to patrol the border of the Land of Fire, secretly monitoring Konoha's actions. Was this Madara Uchiha the true leader of the Akatsuki, or was Konoha deliberately creating a smokescreen? It didn't matter; neither Konoha nor the Akatsuki would let either of them escape.

"Pass on the order." Ai turned around, his eyes flashing with a lightning-like ferocity. "First, second, and third Lightning Release Units, all to enter maximum combat readiness. The Lightning Cloud Barrier will be activated around the clock, and the reconnaissance range will be expanded to fifty kilometers from the border."

The Anbu received their orders and left. Only Ai remained in the office. He walked to the window—the only window in the entire room, fitted with specially made lightning-proof glass. Through the glass, he could see a panoramic view of Kumogakure: a sky flashing with lightning, towering buildings, and ninjas practicing Lightning Release Ninjutsu on the training grounds.

Having survived two attacks by the Akatsuki Kumogakure was well-prepared for war, but not in the sense of pointless sacrifice.

Just then, outside the window—three thousand meters above the village—the clouds suddenly distorted.

It's not a natural phenomenon; it's a spatial fluctuation.

Ai's pupils contracted sharply. Without even thinking, his body reacted: smashing through the lightning protection glass, he shot out of the Raikage Tower like a cannonball, his Lightning Release Chakra erupting around him, transforming into a blue lightning-like cloak.

"Enemy attack--!!!"

His roar was like thunder, instantly echoing throughout the entire Kumogakure. The ninjas on the training ground looked up, the civilians on the streets quickly returned to their homes, and everyone else saw—a red and black figure slowly descending from the clouds.

It wasn't flying, it was "appearing." It was like stepping directly into this world from another dimension.

He wore a red robe with black clouds on it, and a sealing scroll hung at his waist.

It's exactly as described in the Iwagakure report.

"Form ranks--!!!"

The Cloud Village's reaction was faster and more violent than the Iwagakure's. Almost at the same time A issued the warning, more than three hundred Cloud Village had already taken to the air—not through Ninjutsu, but through the mechanical wings on their backs. Those were the Cloud Village's unique "Lightning Release: Wingsuits," which used Lightning Release Chakra to drive metal wings, enabling high-speed maneuverability.

Three hundred wing-suited ninjas formed a spherical array around the intruders. Each of them had gathered Lightning Release Chakra in their hands, and lightning crackled across the sky, forming a giant electric net.

Below, even more Cloud Village were gathering. Lightning Release units, assassination units, support units... the Cloud Village's war machine was fully activated within thirty seconds.

A hovered at the very front of the formation, his Lightning Release cloak formed from lightning Chakra crackling, and a highly compressed ball of lightning condensed in the palm of his metal hand—the starting stance of Lightning Release: Lariat.

"Akatsuki scum!" A's voice, amplified by his Lightning Release, echoed through the sky, drowning out the thunder. "State your name! And explain—why did you dare come to Cloud Village to die?!"

Neji —or rather, "sake"—suspended silently in the clouds.

Behind his special lenses, his Byakugan swept across the entire battlefield. Three hundred wing-suited ninjas, each with Chakra levels equivalent to Jonin; below, a force of over a thousand men had gathered; Fourth Raikage A's Chakra was like a raging Lightning Storm, violent, domineering, and destructive.

And... those unusual Chakra fluctuations hidden deep within the clouds. Were they an ambush? Or...?

Neji didn't have time to think it through. He raised his hand and Hand Seals.

"Untie."

The sealing scroll unfurled, and white smoke exploded. As the smoke was dispersed by the air currents in the high altitude, the Uchiha Gunbai and scythe reappeared in his hands.

This time, he didn't speak. He simply raised his Gunbai and sickle, letting them reflect a cold gleam in the lightning.

A silent declaration.

"Uchiha Clan... Madara's weapon?!" A's pupils contracted to pinpoints. Though he was irritable, he wasn't stupid. The Iwagakure intelligence, the actual object before him, and that calm, almost infuriating, demeanor...

All of this points to a possibility he doesn't want to believe but has to face.

"You're that 'sake'?" Ai's voice suppressed rage, "Madara Uchiha's lackey?"

Neji finally spoke. His voice came through, so calm it seemed out of place amidst the raging lightning around him:

"The Fourth Raikage A, and the entire Kumogakure."

"By order of Madara Uchiha, I am delivering the final message."

His words were concise, direct, and unadorned.

"Eye of the Moon Plan is nearing completion. The war will begin in fifteen days."

"Option 1: Surrender. Acknowledge Madara Uchiha as the ruler of the Shinobi World and accept the protection of the Eye of the Moon Plan. In the eternal dream, obtain peace without pain, loss, or war."

"Option Two: Resistance. Use your Lightning Release, your fury, everything you have, unite all your allies, and challenge the God. Then—"

Neji's voice suddenly turned cold:

"To be reduced to ashes in the thunder. Like the lightning you worship, brilliant, but fleeting."

"You bastard--!!!"

A's roar drowned out all the thunder. His reason completely collapsed at that moment. The shame of his left hand, Killer B's death, the dignity of Cloud Village, and the naked contempt before him...

"Lightning Release: Lariat --!!!"

The lightning ball in the metal palm suddenly expanded, transforming into a lightning cannon with a diameter of over five meters, tearing through the air and shooting towards Neji. That was no ordinary Lightning Release; it was a deadly strike that combined all of A 'Chakra and rage, powerful enough to instantly vaporize a small mountain.

Almost simultaneously, three hundred wing-suited ninjas attacked. Three hundred bolts of lightning shot in from all directions, weaving into a dense network of death in the air, sealing off all of Neji's space to dodge.

The Cloud Village's tactics are simple, brutal, and effective: crush all enemies with sheer numbers and firepower.

But Neji didn't dodge. He didn't even move.

He simply raised his left hand and held the Uchiha Gunbai in front of him.

The lightning cannon struck the Gunbai.

Then--

Rebound.

It's not a simple bounce; it's a complete, undiminished rebound that returns along the same path!

"What?!" Ai's pupils contracted sharply. He tried to dodge, but the lightning cannon was too fast and too close—

"Lightning Release: Lightning Armor!"

The blue lightning-like cloak solidified instantly to its limit. The next second, it was struck head-on by the rebounding Lariat.

"Boom--!!!"

A ball of lightning, a hundred meters in diameter, exploded in the sky. The shockwave swept across the clouds, scattering three hundred winged ninjas. A's figure was sent flying backward from the lightning, crashing through a corner of the Raikage Tower, sending debris and dust flying everywhere.

Silence.

The Cloud Village ninjas were stunned. What were they seeing? The Lord Raikage's full-force attack had been... deflected back by a fan?

Amidst the smoke and dust, Ai slowly rose to his feet. His Lightning Armor was shattered, his body charred in many places, and cracks appeared on the surface of his metal hands. But he still stood there, the fury in his eyes burning to its fullest extent.

"Uchiha Clan ... Gunbai." He hissed, recalling the records in the ancient Cloud Village: the Uchiha Gunbai, a legendary weapon capable of deflecting all Ninjutsu.

So it was true...

Neji closed his Gunbai, his voice remaining calm:

"This is merely a superficial demonstration of weapons. Madara Uchiha's power far surpasses your imagination. Dust Release is ineffective, Lightning Release is ineffective, any Ninjutsu... is a joke in the face of absolute power."

He paused, looking down at the Cloud Village who were regrouping:

"Fifteen days. This is the final act of mercy. After fifteen days, if Cloud Village chooses to resist—"

His gaze fell on Ai:

"Then, Fourth Raikage, you will be the first to die."

After saying that, Neji Hand Seals.

"Flying Thunder God Technique"

Space distorted. Neji's figure vanished completely.

Ai stared at the figure disappearing into the sky.

His fists clenched, and the metal hands creaked under the strain.

Then, he looked up at the ninjas who had regrouped, and saw the fear, anger, and... expectation in their eyes.

We eagerly await his decision. We look forward to him leading Cloud Village towards a brighter future.

Ai closed his eyes. Regardless of whether Madara Uchiha's declaration of war was a conspiracy by Konoha, Cloud Village had no way out. To hell with it, Cloud Village would unite with Iwagakure and Kirigakure to fight to the end. Although Sunagakure was an ally of Konoha, perhaps Madara Uchiha's threat would make this young man realize the truth.

The anger in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a cold, decisive resolve that belonged only to Shadow.

"Pass on the order." His voice echoed throughout the entire Cloud Village, "All units, enter maximum combat readiness. Contact the Three Great Shinobi Villages: Iwagakure, Mist Village, and Sand Village."

The ninjas were stunned, then erupted in excitement. The Lord Raikage had decided to officially begin the decisive battle.

Ai looked at her missing left hand again.

"I will remember the shame of Cloud Village. I will settle the debt with Konoha sooner or later. But not now."

Ai turned and flew towards the damaged Raikage Tower. His figure appeared incredibly tall and incredibly... heavy in the lightning.

"Now, we must fight for survival. For Cloud Village, for the Land of Lightning, for... to live and see tomorrow's sun."

Thunder rumbled again from the clouds. But this time, it wasn't the roar of battle, but rather... the countdown to war.