Dodai had never seen the Fourth Raikage in such a state.
The man who stood before him bore the same imposing physical presence—still the mountain of muscle and determination that had led Cloud Shinobi Village through countless trials. Yet something fundamental had changed. Where once blazed unshakeable confidence, Dodai now saw pain and confusion lurking in those eyes.
The Raikage had always been the type of leader who seemed capable of shouldering the sky itself. He never showed weakness, never retreated, never allowed doubt to cloud his judgment. That man seemed to have vanished, replaced by this haunted figure wearing his face.
"What happened?"
Dodai's gaze swept past the Fourth Raikage to the pitiful remnant following him—barely a dozen Cloud shinobi, all bearing terrible wounds and the hollow expressions of survivors who had witnessed hell.
Where were the others?
Even accounting for the reinforcements sent to support the front lines, there should have been far more survivors from Thunder Gorge. As a high-ranking official, Dodai knew Cloud's force distributions intimately. This handful of broken warriors couldn't be all that remained.
He ushered the Fourth Raikage inside quickly, away from prying eyes. Once seated, Dodai dismissed everyone else, leaving only the two of them in the command room.
The Fourth Raikage sat in silence for long moments before releasing a deep, weary sigh that seemed to age him years.
Watching his leader in such a state sent chills down Dodai's spine. What catastrophe could have broken the mighty Fourth Raikage so thoroughly?
"Lord Raikage..." Dodai began, desperate for answers.
The Raikage finally spoke, his voice hollow. "Dodai, recall all ninja assigned to supply convoy protection."
Dodai blinked in confusion. "But sir, if we do that, Konoha's raiding teams will attack our supply lines with impunity. Our logistics will collapse within days."
"It no longer matters." The Fourth Raikage shook his head slowly. "Bring them back. We need every available ninja for the final battle."
Final battle?
Understanding dawned on Dodai. If they were committing everything to one last engagement, supply lines became irrelevant. They only needed their logistics to hold until the battle's conclusion.
"Understood. I'll issue the orders immediately."
When Dodai returned from dispatching the recall orders, the Fourth Raikage finally revealed the full horror of what had transpired at Thunder Gorge.
The account nearly shattered Dodai's composure entirely.
Those who had perished weren't just numbers—they were Cloud Shinobi Village's elite, the backbone of their military might. Even if they somehow achieved victory in the coming battle, the dead could never be replaced. A generation of their finest warriors, reduced to ash.
Regret gnawed at Dodai's heart. He should have opposed this war more forcefully from the beginning. Should have made them see reason before it came to this.
Still, both men were veteran shinobi who had survived countless battles. Despite the devastating blow to their forces and morale, they gradually pulled themselves together. Their remaining ninja needed leadership, not despair.
The news of Thunder Gorge's catastrophic defeat could no longer be contained. Rather than fight the inevitable, the Raikage and Dodai chose to harness it. They channeled their forces' grief and shock into burning hatred for Konoha, transforming despair into a desire for vengeance.
The strategy worked—partially. Cloud morale recovered to barely acceptable levels, and the Fourth Raikage's presence provided a rallying point for their shattered confidence.
How long this artificial courage would last remained uncertain, but it only needed to hold through one final battle.
Soon, Cloud shinobi scattered across the region protecting supply convoys began returning to camp.
Explosions lit up the night as flames consumed another supply convoy.
The Konoha strike team had succeeded once again, but Hyuga Hiashi felt no satisfaction. Something was terribly wrong.
"Where are the convoy guards?" His Byakugan swept the area within a kilometer radius, finding nothing. "This was far too easy."
His all-seeing eyes detected no ambush, no hidden Cloud forces waiting to spring their trap. Every sensory technique at their disposal confirmed the same thing—they were alone.
Yet this made no tactical sense.
Over the next day, Hiashi led multiple successful raids, destroying supply convoys with minimal resistance. Each victory only deepened his unease.
"Has Cloud Shinobi abandoned their supply lines entirely?"
"What could they be planning? This makes no strategic sense."
"Perhaps it's an elaborate trap we haven't detected yet?"
"We should exercise caution. We already hold the advantage—there's no need for recklessness."
"Don't worry," one of the sensor ninja assured them. "Cloud Shinobi has nothing that can evade our combined detection abilities."
The team debated their next move extensively. Hiashi was preparing to send a messenger back to headquarters when new orders arrived.
"Captain Hiashi, Lord Naraku sends word—your mission is complete. Return to base immediately."
"Understood!"
Connecting Cloud's abandonment of their supply lines with this recall order, Hiashi instantly grasped the situation. The final confrontation was imminent.
Without wasting another moment, he led his strike team back toward Konoha's main encampment.
Night fell across the Cloud Shinobi camp.
Patrols swept every potential hiding spot with paranoid thoroughness, determined to prevent any Konoha infiltration. The Fourth Raikage had learned bitter lessons from Thunder Gorge's destruction.
Key locations throughout the camp now sat behind hastily erected barrier jutsu. Without proper identification and passwords, approaching these areas was impossible. The barriers even distorted vision from a distance, concealing whatever lay within.
The entire encampment had been reorganized into defensive sectors, each monitored by dedicated teams. Learning from the aerial devastation at Thunder Gorge, the Raikage had ordered the construction of tall watchtowers equipped with long-range ballista.
Hidden sentries occupied every piece of high ground surrounding the camp. If death came from above again, they would at least see it coming.
The Fourth Raikage had poured considerable resources into these defensive improvements. He'd even sent urgent orders to Cloud Shinobi Village demanding immediate development of dedicated anti-air weaponry.
Never again would they be caught so completely unprepared.
Inside the command center, the Fourth Raikage, Dodai, and their remaining staff officers finalized their battle plans. When the others departed to prepare their forces, only the two leaders remained.
The Fourth Raikage studied the deployment maps in silence before speaking. "Dodai, I want you to take the survivors from Thunder Gorge and return to the village. Given their psychological state, they're unfit for combat."
"But—" Dodai's protest died on his lips as shock overtook him. "Lord Raikage, the final battle hasn't even begun! Are you ordering me to flee?"
Ai prepared to make it a direct command but reconsidered. He understood Dodai's position all too well. Perhaps someone else could handle this delicate task.
"Dodai, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you. When the battle begins, if I should fall..."
Dodai listened with growing horror as the Raikage outlined contingency plans for his own death. Several times he nearly interrupted, but barely restrained himself through sheer will.
When the Fourth Raikage finally finished, Dodai's face had gone pale. "Lord Raikage, the situation isn't that desperate! I believe—I know—that Cloud Shinobi Village will emerge victorious. There's no need for such preparations..."
"These are merely precautions," the Fourth Raikage interrupted, his voice regaining its usual commanding tone. "They may never be needed."
The transformation was remarkable. The broken man who had stumbled into camp had vanished, replaced by the indomitable leader Cloud Shinobi Village needed. His presence filled the room, radiating strength that brooked no argument.
While reassuring to see, this sudden change only deepened Dodai's concerns.
"Stop worrying!" The Fourth Raikage's massive fist clenched with audible force, muscles rippling with barely contained power. "Just as you said—Cloud Shinobi Village will claim final victory!"
His chakra flared, filling the air with electric tension. The Fourth Raikage had cast aside his doubts and pain, armoring himself in determination for the battle ahead.
He was ready for war. Ready for whatever came next.
Even if that meant his own death.
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