"Damn it! Damn that Earth and Stone bastard, and the Immortal Organization!"
In the central command of the Yunyin front line in the Land of Earth, the Fourth Raikage, Ai, slammed his palm on the table, causing the wooden surface to crack under the pressure of his frustration.
The air was thick with grief and tension. The death of the Third Raikage was a monumental blow—not just to the morale of Yunyin, but to the entire equilibrium of the war.
The legendary man who once subdued the Eight-Tails, the one who had faced down tens of thousands of enemy shinobi to protect his village, was gone—fallen due to exhaustion, after a grueling stand that echoed the will of a true Raikage.
The fury was not just because of his death—it was also the manner in which he fell. The dishonorable act of Tuishi, who concealed himself amongst the enemy ranks only to strike treacherously, had defiled the very notion of a fair shinobi battle.
In the current heated atmosphere, no one cared to reflect on Tuishi's broader motivations or strategies. For the shinobi of Yunyin, their Raikage had given everything for the village, holding back the enemy alone, only to be taken down by underhanded tactics. Tuishi had become the embodiment of dishonor.
The story spreading through the village was shaped not only by fact but by purpose. Narratives crafted to inspire, to enrage, and to solidify unity. Yunyin's intelligence division released a version where the Third Raikage remained behind solely to cover the retreat of the main force—no mention of an attempted pincer tactic, or of the strategy of frontal engagement followed by a rear assault. It was a noble sacrifice, nothing less.
But it wasn't just Yunyin rewriting history—every village did the same. Even when spies reported objective events, the higher-ups massaged the story before presenting it to the public. Heroism and loyalty were emphasized; tactical blunders, hidden.
Yet even with the layers of exaggeration and altered perspectives, the cold, indisputable truth sent tremors through the shinobi world—Tuishi had wiped out 3,000 elite Iwagakure shinobi and escaped unscathed, taking the corpse of the Third Raikage with him. That single feat echoed louder than the news of the Raikage's death itself.
Across the shinobi nations, no reaction was more immediate or violent than that within Iwagakure.
In Tsuchikage's office, Onoki's hands trembled slightly as he gripped the intelligence scroll. Rage churned behind his heavy-lidded eyes.
Three thousand shinobi—one-tenth of their entire active force—gone in a single, surgical strike. Among the dead were elite tacticians, jonin, and an entire combat unit. Worse yet, the corpse of the Third Raikage was stolen right under their noses. Yanyin's pride had been publicly shredded.
"Tuishi... that damned immortal freak!" Onoki growled, slamming the scroll on the floor.
Still, as the village's shadow, Onoki knew he couldn't allow rage to dictate his next move. He took a deep breath, suppressing his fury and issuing orders with a grim tone.
"Mobilize the remainder of our stationed forces—send them to reinforce the front. Begin sweeping operations to intercept any elite Konoha or rogue forces nearby. And prepare every shinobi in the village for deployment. No one rests."
He paused.
"For the dead, issue maximum-ranked death benefits. Let the families know they died with honor. And make sure the name Tuishi is cursed in every household of Iwagakure."
…
At the Konoha Front Line
"Senior Hui! Is it true that the Third Raikage held back tens of thousands of enemies by himself? And that Tuishi took out three thousand Iwa-nin with just two jutsu? Can someone really have that kind of power?" Obito asked, wide-eyed and brimming with admiration.
Hui, walking calmly ahead, turned his head slightly.
"They trained for years to reach such power. With dedication and the right guidance, you too can get there."
Encouraged by the reply, Obito's fist clenched in excitement. "I'll train harder than anyone! I'll become Hokage, you'll see!"
Rin smiled at Obito's passion, while Kakashi remained stoic, arms crossed. Despite his age, he had already seen enough to know power wasn't solely a result of hard work. Talent, bloodline, battlefield experience—all played a role. Hui's words, to him, were more of a motivational script than a realistic promise.
"So then, Obito," Hui continued with a smirk, "it's time for some extra training. Don't worry—I'll make sure you don't slack."
Obito's grin faltered, dread sinking in. Was that outburst a little too hasty?
Hui's tone shifted as he looked toward the battlefield horizon.
"The power displayed was impressive, yes. But don't forget what made the Raikage truly admirable—his willingness to stay behind so his comrades could escape. That's the kind of strength that defines a true shinobi."
"I understand, Senior Hui. I'll become someone worthy of admiration—Hokage, with honor!" Obito declared again.
Hui gave him a passing nod. "We'll see."
Then, his thoughts drifted to another.
If the rope tree were here… he'd be shouting louder than Obito right now.
A faint smile touched his lips.
Rope Tree… Sarutobi Shuo… I'll bring you both back. It's not time yet, but I promise.
…
Elsewhere, Hui was summoned to the command tent by Minato Namikaze.
"Hui, we have intel that Iwagakure is preparing to mobilize again. Our scouts confirmed activity in their western barracks. I'm sorry, but I need you to conduct a long-range reconnaissance mission—deep into the Land of Earth."
He handed Hui a sealed scroll. The mission was labeled S-Class.
"It's alright," Hui nodded, accepting the scroll without complaint. "The sooner I'm there, the better."
Minato was grateful. He knew how dangerous this was. A deep infiltration during wartime, especially after Tuishi's strike, would be like walking into a hornet's nest.
As Hui departed, his mind shifted. He knew Tuishi had already retreated from the Land of Earth and was now experimenting with the Raikage's body in a hidden spot within the Land of Fire. Tuishi would lay low for now—the chaos from his last operation had caused too much attention.
Hui knew the importance of staying under the radar. Unlike a village or an organization, a lone powerful shinobi appearing frequently in wartime could quickly become a target of mass retaliation. Even Akatsuki members like Sasori and Kakuzu avoided major involvement during wartime for this very reason.
Packing his gear, Hui departed the Konoha front line, heading solo toward the Land of Earth.
Unbeknownst to him, as he left, a rat-shaped summoning beast skittered toward the rear of the camp. It carried a sealed message scroll, which vanished in a puff of smoke.
Within moments, the message reached Danzo's desk at Root headquarters in Konoha: "Twilight has left the front line."
Danzo's expression remained unreadable.
…
Near Kannabi Bridge
Hui moved quickly, arriving at the strategically vital Kannabi Bridge—the very place that would soon decide the tide of the war.
"This bridge is the turning point. If we don't secure it, history will repeat itself."
From his storage scroll, Hui unfurled a large number of wooden decoys—substitution bodies. Activating breath suppression and chakra cloaking, he began planting them in strategic locations across the ravine, embedding them into rock formations, beneath soil, and within tree roots.
They weren't ordinary clones—they were designed for mid-battle escape, decoy explosion, and tactical misdirection.
"Phase one complete."
Suddenly, he sensed chakra signatures approaching—fast and stealthy. Peering down from the ridge, he spotted a squad of Iwa-nin moving through the valley below. The headbands confirmed their allegiance.
"They're already scouting the bridge? They must have deployed multiple teams."
But Hui had no plans to destroy the bridge—not yet. Yanyin and Konoha still needed to clash. His job was to monitor, not prematurely sabotage.
However, this squad was part of his mission. Intel retrieval and eliminating threats.
Forming quick seals, Hui whispered, "Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet."
A massive stone spear erupted from the earth beneath the Iwa-nin, disrupting their formation.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
The follow-up attack roared like a tidal serpent, slamming into the disoriented team and knocking several of them unconscious or fatally injured.
Before the survivors could regroup, Hui vanished and reappeared behind them with a flash, kunai in hand, ending the confrontation in seconds.
As he looted their pouches for intelligence scrolls and marked down details for the mission report, he muttered:
"Kannabi Bridge… everything's about to change."
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