Kumogakure

Towering mountain peaks were shrouded in clouds and mist.

Bare giant rock faces blended perfectly with man-made structures, rugged yet majestic.

Beneath sheer cliffs echoing with deafening thunder stood a man quietly beneath a waterfall.

His dark skin gave him an air of resoluteness and ferocity, yet at this moment, he seemed lost in deep thought.

Water surged down from a thousand-meter cliff, crashing against his body with the force of a thousand pounds. He rolled his neck, as though it merely helped loosen his muscles.

"Lord Raikage! There's new information..."

The hurried Cloud Shinobi merely knelt on one knee, though the joy in his voice was impossible to hide.

"Mm..."

The Third Raikage's deep voice boomed. Lightning seemed to burst from his eyes as he slowly stepped out from beneath the waterfall.

The muscles bulging across his body were as hard as solid stone. Water droplets glistened over them in the sunlight, radiating vigorous life force.

"According to spies in the Land of Wind, the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure has indeed gone missing. Furthermore, a struggle over the position of Fourth Kazekage has quietly begun within Sunagakure..."

"Good!"

A deep scar ran across the Third Raikage's chest, looking especially conspicuous on his body.

"Gather the Jonin squad immediately... Assemble at the Raikage Tower in ten minutes!"

"Yes!"

Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning excelled at Lightning Release ninjutsu. Their rumbling thunderstorms were as decisive and forceful as their temperaments. By the time the Third Raikage had changed into his Raikage cloak, all the Elite Jonin of the Jonin squad had already gathered in the Raikage Tower's conference hall.

"You should all know by now..."

The Third Raikage swept his gaze around the room. Everyone's eyes were fixed on him. No one spoke, but their eyes burned with fighting spirit.

"Our spies in Sunagakure have secretly reported that Sunagakure is now in complete chaos. This is an opportunity for us Cloud Shinobi..."

"Cloud Shinobi have lived in bitterly cold lands since ancient times. Mountains and cliffs are gifts bestowed upon us by heaven, but they are also our shackles!"

"We need a place from which we can advance to attack or retreat to defend, a bridgehead for Cloud Shinobi to enter the main battlefield!"

"This battle plan will be to feign an attack on Konoha and launch a surprise assault on Sand Shinobi!"

The Raikage's voice rang through the entire building. He slammed his palm onto the table with a tremendous crash, shattering the desk into pieces.

"Since Sand Shinobi can't govern their own territory, we'll take it over for them!"

The Third Raikage's son, A, was the captain of the Jonin squad. Without relying on the Raikage's help, he had fought his way up fist by fist. His face, eighty percent similar to the Third Raikage's, was likewise filled with fighting spirit.

For this very reason, the title "A," a symbol of Kumogakure's honor, had gradually spread throughout the village. Nearly everyone had acknowledged him as the Raikage's heir.

Father and son sharing the same title was also seen as a symbol of the Cloud Shinobi's rise.

"Dodai, contact Iwagakure and discuss a joint deployment plan..."

"That old fox Ōnoki has coveted Konoha for a long time..."

"This time, he definitely won't stand by and watch..."

"A, you'll be responsible for the Konoha front. If I'm not mistaken, Hiruzen Sarutobi will certainly send his prized disciple Jiraiya as commander-in-chief. Though it's a feint, your responsibility is immense."

"Yes!"

"Jiraiya, huh? I'd like to see for myself what one of the legendary Three Legendary Sannin is capable of..."

Fighting spirit flashed through A's eyes like lightning. He looked at Killer B beside him, raised his arm, and slowly bumped it against Killer B's raised arm.

The Cloud Shinobi Jonin seemed to be ignited by that fighting spirit as well, staring fervently at this pair of perfect partners.

With the Third Raikage, A, Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer B, and Two-Tails Jinchuriki Yugito Nii, Kumogakure had never been stronger.

"I want to join the battle too!"

The fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl with light brown hair carried a touch of cold beauty. Her pale skin stood out sharply from everyone else present as she looked at the Third Raikage with longing in her eyes.

"Yo! Listen to the Raikage, yo yo, don't make trouble!"

"Hmph!"

Yugito snorted softly and punched Killer B in the ribs. Killer B twisted exaggeratedly.

"Yo, little girl, big strength, ow ow ow!"

"Hey! B! This is a Jonin squad meeting. Enough already!"

A frowned, a terrifying aura radiating from his body. He punched B atop the head, smashing him into the floor.

"Yo, my big brother, so unreasonable..."

The other Jonin watched the scene with gentle smiles. The Jinchuriki, once regarded as terrifying and ominous, had now become figures respected and loved by everyone in the village. All those changes had begun with this rap-loving child.

"Enough..."

"Yugito, you still can't completely control the Two-Tails. Stay in the village this time..."

"Yes..."

"Yo, little brat looks miserable, yo yo, train hard, yo..."

"It's all your fault, your fault..."

There was little strength behind Yugito's punches. She also knew it was because she still could not completely control the Tailed Beast's power.

Perhaps because he had once endured dark and lonely days himself, Killer B always liked using such silly antics to ease Yugito's loneliness. Over the years, Yugito had gradually fully integrated into the Cloud Shinobi and become a qualified Cloud Shinobi warrior.

Perhaps most people trapped in darkness only needed a hand. It did not need to do much; it only needed to give them a gentle pull, allowing them to see long-lost light.

Kato Osamu had never imagined that this blond man, his nominal senior brother, would be such a gentle man.

After registering his ninja records, Kato Osamu arrived at the appointed training ground. What greeted him was not one mission after another, but bright sunlight and a pleasant afternoon.

"Hey, brat, so it was you..."

Kushina Uzumaki was still as straightforward as when they had first met. Just as he had guessed, she possessed extraordinary sensory abilities and recognized Kato Osamu at a glance.

"Kushina... sis..."

"Come on, hurry and try the barbecue I just grilled. It should be cooked, right..."

Kushina busied herself at the grill, and Kato Osamu found the scene strangely out of place. He had never imagined seeing something like this at a training ground...

"Osamu, Kushina has been busy all morning waiting for you..."

Minato Namikaze gently patted Kato Osamu's shoulder, wearing the same warm smile as ever.

"Yo, Minato, I never expected Kushina to cook herself..."

A middle-aged man with two streaks of face paint suddenly appeared beside Kushina. He swiftly snatched a skewer of barbecue from the grill and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Whoa... Kushina, how much chili did you put in this?!"

Jiraiya danced around from the heat, leaving Kato Osamu stunned. He had never expected the legendary Jiraiya of the Three Legendary Sannin to be this "adorable" in private.

"Haha, this was specially prepared for Teacher Jiraiya!"

Kushina laughed so hard she doubled over.

"Serves you right..."

Tsunade approached from afar with a little girl. Her voice arrived before she did.

"Brother Osamu?"

The little girl seemed somewhat shy, but her bright eyes remained fixed on Kato Osamu without blinking.

"Shizune? It's really been a long time..."

Kato Osamu could no longer remember when he had last seen Shizune. Back then, she had only just learned to walk...

Tsunade's gaze also fell upon Kato Osamu.

"This brat... is Osamu..."

Pain flickered in her eyes, as if she had recalled those who had already passed away.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed as well. He did not want Tsunade to remain immersed in pain. He wanted her to face the things she had once known instead of constantly running away from them, which was why he had come and invited her.

But clumsy as he was, he seemed capable only of using his own awkward methods to help Tsunade escape those emotions and slowly try to let go.

He gently patted Tsunade's shoulder. His expression abruptly became exaggerated as he looked at her with a lecherous grin.

"Tsunade! It... it... it... got bigger again..."

Tsunade came back to herself. Still somewhat dazed, she followed Jiraiya's gaze and looked down.

Kato Osamu felt as though some prehistoric beast had suddenly begun awakening in the once-empty training ground, radiating terrifying pressure. With her head lowered, Tsunade's expression could not be seen.

"Jiraiya... This time, I definitely won't let you off..."

The flat ground seemed to surge like waves, collapsing beneath Tsunade's furious kick.

"Tsunade, calm down..."

"Minato, I'm leaving first..."

Jiraiya's figure whistled past, taking the barbecue Kushina held in her hand as he vanished from the training ground.

"Jiraiya, don't you dare run!"

Amid gusts of wind, every one of Tsunade's kicks made the training ground seem as though it had suffered a devastating blow, cracking apart in layer after layer.

"Teacher Jiraiya..."

Minato looked at the training ground that had descended into chaos and awkwardly scratched his head.

"Teacher Minato... Ahem, wasn't there supposed to be a gathering..."

A voice suddenly rose from the smoke. Obito Uchiha, his face obscured by dirt and dust, slowly emerged from the haze with a confused expression...