In the Hidden Cloud Village, change was in the air.
After returning from the Fourth Great Ninja War, the Raikage, A, gathered his people and made an unexpected announcement. He declared that he would no longer serve as Raikage. Despite Darui's repeated attempts to persuade him otherwise, A had already made up his mind.
"The world has changed," A said firmly. "The title of Kage doesn't carry the same weight it once did. I'd rather spend the rest of my days at my brother's side."
Darui, though reluctant, could only accept the decision, inheriting the mantle of Raikage in his stead.
Some days later, A and Killer Bee trained as usual in the Cloud-Lightning Gorge, the crackling thunder echoing with each of their clashes. The two brothers fought with unmatched synergy, lightning and rap raps filling the air. But their fierce sparring was interrupted by a presence neither of them noticed until it was too late.
A strange figure appeared, silent as a shadow. He wore the robes of a monk, though his aura was anything but peaceful. Watching their battle with disinterest, he finally stepped forward. In an instant, he was between them, his hands outstretched, halting both brothers mid-strike.
Startled, A stared at him. "What!? Who are you? When did you appear here!?"
Killer Bee bristled, his eyes narrowing. "Interruptin' my fight with my bro, fool, ya fool, idiot, bastard!"
The monk's expression remained calm, almost detached. He ignored Bee's words and looked only at A. "My name is Jigen. I've come to ask you something."
A's jaw tightened. "Speak."
Jigen's eyes narrowed. "In the war not long ago… did you see a woman with pale skin, horns, and white hair?"
The question made A freeze. His mind flashed back to that day. He remembered clearly the woman who had stood behind Chiga, her bearing unlike anything he had seen before. While most villages had been left in the dark, A had seen enough to know she treated Chiga with unquestionable respect.
"Yes… I saw her," A said carefully. "She stood at the side of Uchiha Chiga."
Jigen's eyes sharpened, a flicker of surprise showing through his calm mask. "…So. There are others. Could it be the clan has finally sent more of them?" he murmured.
Neither A nor Killer Bee understood his words. Still, both felt uneasy under his gaze.
"Do you know the names of the men she was with?" Jigen pressed.
"They called themselves Uchiha Chiga and Uchiha Madara," A replied.
"…Uchiha?" Jigen muttered, his expression thoughtful. "So they are not pure Ōtsutsuki after all…"
A chill ran down his spine as Jigen's chakra rippled faintly. He was not just some wandering monk. A could sense the danger radiating from him.
In truth, Jigen had been hiding in secret for years, his body weakened, waiting for the right time to fully revive. When he sensed Kaguya's presence resurface during the war, he moved immediately. His plan had been simple: eliminate her and reclaim the Chakra Fruit she had stolen long ago. But before he could act, her energy signature had vanished, reduced to a faint trace. Following it, he had arrived in the Hidden Cloud Village.
The village was cursed with misfortune. Not long after Pain had devastated it, now this mysterious "god" had come knocking.
A, now more cautious than ever since his clash with Pain, knew better than to act recklessly. He gave Killer Bee a warning glance. "If you've asked your question, then leave. My brother and I have no interest in your business."
But Jigen's gaze shifted, settling on Bee. A faint smile curved his lips. "Leave? I'm afraid I can't do that. Your chakra… it's far too tempting."
Before Bee could react, Jigen's figure blurred. In an instant, his hand closed tightly around Bee's throat, slamming him into the ground.
A dark pattern of vertical lines spread across Jigen's skin, the first stage of the mysterious power known as the Wedge. His eyes gleamed with greed.
"The chakra of the Eight-Tails… so pure. It will serve me well."
Bee coughed violently, stunned by the crushing force. Inside him, the Eight Tails roared in alarm. "Not good! He's trying to rip me out!"
Tentacles burst from Bee's back, lashing out desperately to pry Jigen's hand away. Forcing himself free, Bee tumbled back just as A descended from above, his body blazing with lightning.
"Lariat!"
The strike was fast and furious, but Jigen did not even flinch. Raising a single hand, he caught A by the ankle mid-air. A sudden suction force surged, drawing the lightning chakra from his body.
"What…!?" A's eyes widened in shock as the power bled out of him. "This… this is Pain's ability!"
Jigen casually swung him aside, hurling him across the gorge. Bee's tentacles stretched out, catching his brother before he hit the ground.
No longer in his usual playful mood, Bee's expression hardened. "Bro, this one's dangerous. He wants the Eight-Tails… just like Pain!"
A growled, fury in his voice. He struggled to gather his chakra, but his body sparked only weakly. His Lightning Release Armor refused to ignite.
Bee didn't hesitate. He pressed his hand to A's shoulder, channeling Gyūki's chakra into him. Sparks exploded violently, and A's body roared with energy once more, brighter and more savage than before. His hair bristled upward like a beast ready to kill.
Even so, Jigen looked at them as though they were insects. "Both of you together… it won't matter."
The arrogance in his tone ignited the brothers' rage. Their eyes met, and in perfect unison, they moved. Their bodies blurred, appearing on either side of Jigen.
"Lightning Release: Double Lariat!"
The ultimate combination technique of the Raikage and his brother. A move that had torn through countless opponents, unstoppable when executed perfectly.
This time, however, Jigen finally grew serious. Though his Wedge absorbed chakra, he knew this technique relied as much on raw force as it did energy.
At the last moment, his body twisted into a vortex of shadows, space itself swallowing him. A and Bee's attack tore through empty air, nearly colliding with each other.
Their eyes widened, but before they could recover, Jigen reappeared above them. With merciless precision, he brought his heel down, stomping both brothers into the ground, leaving a crater in the gorge.
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