Kumogakure, Heavy Equipment Training Room
Raikage, with thick bandages around his injured neck, was straining to lift a massive barbell.
"BEE! My brother… I swear I'll make them pay for your blood!!"
Three days had passed since he woke up and learned about the deaths of Killer Bee, Mabui, and the others. He was heartbroken, furious, and had cried until his eyes were dry.
But he didn't stay down. He turned his grief into strength, throwing himself into brutal training, pushing his limits day and night to avenge those he lost.
"Akatsuki!! Uzumaki Naruto!! I will never forgive you!!!"
"Raikage-sama!!"
Just then, a Kumo Anbu rushed into the training room.
"What is it?! Can't you see I'm in the middle of intense training?! Just leave the food and get out!"
Raikage snapped, turning his head by force of habit, only to wince as sharp pain shot through his injured neck.
Gritting his teeth, he twisted his entire body just to face the intruder, still gripping the barbell.
The Anbu said quickly, "Our patrol team received a message scroll. You'll want to read it for yourself!"
BANG!
The heavy barbell slammed to the ground, shaking the whole room.
Raikage rushed forward, snatched the scroll, and scanned its contents.
"Huh!?" His eyes widened, bloodshot with rage.
"That damn brat… I was hoping he'd show up!!!"
CRACK!!
With one squeeze of his massive hand, he crushed the scroll, then burst through the wall, charging straight toward his temporary office.
Kumogakure, Intelligence Department
Elite Jōnin and head of the Intelligence Division, Dodai, had been waiting in the Raikage's temporary office.
"Raikage-sama," Dodai began, "the message says they only want the secret technique scroll. They don't want to use force. I suggest we hand it over."
"What did you just say?!" the Raikage snapped, his eyes burning.
Dodai frowned. "This is a critical time. We've lost Lord Bee, and you're still injured. If we fight now, even if we win, we'll suffer losses. That could give other villages, especially Iwagakure and Konoha an opening to act against us."
"You're saying we should bow our heads?!" Raikage curse.
"I'm the Raikage! I can't do anything that would disgrace the honor of the Yotsuki Clan or our fallen brothers! Uzumaki Naruto is the one who killed Bee!"
Dodai's tone grew heavier. "Forgive me for speaking bluntly, Raikage-sama... but the Uzumaki Naruto who now leads Akatsuki may not be the same as the Akatsuki that killed Bee. Otherwise, why would he stress that there's a difference between them?"
Raikage gritted his teeth with a sharp "Kachak...!" but Dodai quickly continued before he exploded.
"Also... last time, when they invaded with their forces, none of our shinobi were killed. That wasn't by accident it was intentional. It shows they don't want total war."
"They made us suffer, yes but Hikari Akatsuki's power is too powerful. At a time like this, with enemies on all sides, we can't afford to make them our enemies too. Honestly... we should be trying to win them over."
BANG!!!
"Enough!! Shut up!"
Raikage smashed the desk with his fist, his voice was rushed: "I want to fight. I don't need anyone trying to talk me out of it!"
Dodai wiped the sweat from his brow and changed the subject carefully.
"Then if you're going to fight him... we need to target his abilities."
The Raikage's eyes narrowed sharply. "I've almost figured him out. That repelling force—he uses it to block close-range attacks. But once I master Ippon Shō, I'll break through it!"
Dodai said, "Ippon Shō was the ultimate technique of the previous Raikage. It's not something that can be mastered quickly."
"But brute force isn't the only solution. From my observations, there's a delay in his technique about five seconds between uses."
The Raikage's eyes narrowed. "I know that too, back when I fought him in the Land of Iron. But his eyes have multiple abilities, and he can switch between them!"
"Hmph," he continued. "Even so, if I keep using Nintaijutsu without pause, I might break through! But the real problem is..."
He trailed off, remembering the suffocating power that had overwhelmed him, the feeling of being trapped in utter darkness.
Dodai said, "You mean the move that uses gravity to create a giant star and seal everything inside?"
"Yeah..." The Raikage clenched his fists, then turned to Dodai. "Do you have any ideas?"
Dodai nodded, his face serious. "I've been thinking about that technique. When he cast it, he threw what looked like a gravity core into the sky. The land and debris were pulled toward it and compressed. That gravity core might be the key to the whole jutsu!"
"Go on," said the Raikage, listening closely.
"If we can destroy that core before it pulls everything in, we might be able to stop the technique."
"But," Dodai added, "that core withstood the pull of massive boulders. It must be incredibly tough. We'd need an extremely powerful long-range attack to destroy it!"
The Raikage growled, frustrated. "If it's long-range power, Bee's Tailed Beast Bomb would've been perfect... But Bee is gone now."
He turned to Dodai again. "Tell me, how many ninjas do we have who can use long-range ninjutsu?"
Dodai thought for a moment and said, "We have over 1,000 capable ninjas. About 200 of them are Jōnin."
Raikage asked, "So how many would it take to destroy that gravity core?"
Dodai replied, "At least… 300 Jōnin."
The Raikage frowned. "If we don't have enough Jōnin, what about using Chūnin instead?"
Dodai answered, "To make up for 100 Jōnin, you'd need at least 300 Chūnin. But in real combat, things can change fast. Chūnin have weaker mental focus and self-defense skills. That could lead to more risks and losses."
He continued, "But we do have one advantage. The gravity technique pulls everything toward it, without needing to aim. If we all unleash long-range ninjutsu at once while the enemy is casting it, the gravity will pull our attacks in. That could help us hit the core directly."
"Of course," he added, "this plan is based on the information we have now. We can't rule out the chance that the enemy has more hidden abilities. That's why I still recommend avoiding direct conflict."
The Raikage cut him off. "Dodai, I want you to pick 500 ninjas skilled in long-range ninjutsu to fight with me tonight. The rest will stay on standby to protect civilians, and they can join the battle if the opportunity comes. I'll take down Uzumaki Naruto myself. There's no turning back."
Dodai sighed quietly but obeyed. "Understood, Raikage-sama."
…
Late at night, at the base of Lightning Mountain, Naruto and Konan waited in silence.
Naruto glanced at the clock in his palm.
Konan noticed it—an unusual mechanical clock embedded in his hand. It was part of the mechanism from Asura Path...
Snap.
At the stroke of midnight, the clock vanished from his palm.
Naruto stood up, his cloak fluttering in the wind. Behind the mask, his Rinnegan shone with a chilling glow.
"It's time to move."
.
.
TO BE CONTINUNED
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