An image of Madara Uchiha rose unbidden in Ōnoki's mind.
"What could be more terrifying than a Madara Uchiha?"
Kumogakure, the Raikage Building.
The Raikage's secretary, Mabui, looked at the battle report scroll sent back from the Land of Frost, so frightened that her dark skin turned pale.
The Fourth Raikage had died in battle.
Killer B had been captured.
The main force on the Northern Front had been wiped out, and all survivors were Uchiha Minamoto's prisoners.
Uchiha Minamoto had given Kumogakure one week to consider.
After one week.
If Kumogakure failed to give him a satisfactory answer, Uchiha Minamoto would come to the Land of Lightning himself.
"Everyone, that is the situation."
In the Raikage Building's conference room, Mabui presided over an emergency meeting in place of the late Fourth Raikage A.
"The village is in greater danger now than ever before."
It was a true but pointless statement.
The entire conference room fell deathly silent.
No one spoke.
No one wanted to speak.
The Fourth Raikage had died in battle, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki had been captured, and the frontline forces had been wiped out...
Since the First Raikage founded Kumogakure, the village had never suffered such devastating losses.
The Third Hokage and Third Tsuchikage merely looked as though they were on their last legs.
But Kumogakure truly was on its last breath!
Their Raikage was gone, their Jinchūriki was gone, the village's pillar of support was gone, and its mid-ranking ninja had been wiped out over the past several wars...
This was even worse than what Konoha had suffered in the Nine-Tails' Attack a few years ago!
Back then, Konoha.
At least it had Hiruzen Sarutobi to hold things together, and it still had the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in its grasp!
Now, Kumogakure had nothing left...
"Everyone."