Konohagakure and Kumogakure, two of the most prominent shinobi villages in the world, had recently engaged in a mysterious meeting in the Land of Hot Water.
No one knew what kind of agreement had been reached, but after the meeting, both sides quietly went their separate ways.
The event had already stirred curiosity, but what truly shocked the shinobi world was the revelation that the Fourth Raikage and the Third Hokage were both present at this meeting.
Such a development immediately sparked widespread speculation about the nature of the agreement between the two villages.
"Ebizō, what do you think they're up to?"
In the Kazekage's office in Sunagakure, Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, looked at the document in his hand and asked with a tone of curiosity.
Ebizō, standing nearby, shook his head in response.
"Kazekage-sama, I'm not sure. You know we've been focused on investigating Sasori's activities recently."
"I see."
Rasa nodded. Ever since Ebizō and Chiyo had returned from Konohagakure, some of their resources had been redirected to this task.
The issue with Sasori was not just a personal matter but one that concerned the reputation of Sunagakure.
"Any updates?"
"Not yet. The information provided by Konohagakure is limited."
Ebizō sighed. If even Konohagakure's intelligence was scarce, their own investigation would be even more challenging.
"The most critical issue is that we can't determine Sasori's exact movements or his connection to that organization."
"I understand."
Rasa nodded again, pondering for a moment before speaking.
"Can we allocate some manpower to figure out what's going on between Kumogakure and Konohagakure?"
"..."
Ebizō hesitated, looking troubled. After a brief pause, he finally spoke.
"Kazekage-sama, we don't have the funds..."
"Make it work. I'll figure something out. This matter is too important to ignore."
"I understand, Kazekage-sama."
Ebizō sighed, clearly reluctant but ultimately agreeing.
Sunagakure was far too impoverished. Even the Kazekage had to personally use his Magnet Release to search for gold dust.
The village had also been forced to downsize its ninja forces.
The so-called "elite policy" sounded noble, but in reality, it was a necessity born out of financial constraints.
"What about Rōran?"
"Rōran?"
Ebizō frowned at the mention. He knew that the Dragon Vein in Rōran had been sealed by Minato Namikaze.
Still, he couldn't deny that the Dragon Vein's power could greatly benefit Sunagakure.
"There's some news. It's said that after the queen's passing, the remaining citizens are preparing to leave their homeland."
"Good. Keep a close watch on them. That power is crucial to us."
"Understood. I'll make the arrangements immediately. Kazekage-sama, I'll take my leave now."
Ebizō nodded and quickly excused himself, not daring to linger any longer.
In the blink of an eye, his workload seemed to have multiplied.
Sasori, Rōran, and now the mystery of the Kumogakure-Konohagakure meeting.
Although intelligence gathering was his specialty, the lack of manpower and funding made it an uphill battle.
"Sigh, we'll just have to take it one step at a time."
Ebizō sighed in frustration, his curiosity mirroring that of many others.
"What exactly are Konohagakure and Kumogakure up to?"
Sunagakure wasn't the only village puzzled by recent events. In Iwagakure, Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, was equally perplexed.
However, unlike Sunagakure, Iwagakure was far wealthier and had a much larger ninja force.
"Hey, old man, here you go."
In the Tsuchikage's office, Deidara grumbled as he handed over a scroll.
"It's the report from the Anbu. I brought it for you."
"You brat, show some respect! I'm not only your teacher but also the Tsuchikage!"
Onoki glared at Deidara, scolding him.
"Tch."
Deidara snorted disdainfully but quickly leaned in with curiosity.
"Hurry up and read it, old man. Is there anything about Kitagawa Minamoto? That guy's a bastard, but at least he shares my artistic vision. I have to defeat him someday, yeah!"
"..."
For a moment, Onoki wondered if Deidara had been brainwashed by Konohagakure.
The thought was absurd, of course. They had thoroughly checked Deidara's condition, and everything appeared normal.
This could only mean one thing:
"That brat, Kitagawa Minamoto, has had too much of an influence on Deidara."
Onoki wasn't sure how to feel about this. Since returning from Konohagakure, Deidara had indeed changed.
While he still loved explosions, he had become noticeably more restrained.
"You were only in Konohagakure for a short time. How did you end up like this?"
Onoki felt a mix of irritation and resignation as he opened the scroll.
After reading it, his expression turned serious.
The report wasn't detailed, but it contained several key pieces of information.
"The Land of Suna, a small town destroyed... The Fourth Raikage fought a ninja wielding purple lightning and was seemingly defeated?"
Onoki's face darkened. He knew of only one ninja who used purple lightning—Kitagawa Minamoto.
Moreover, he was well aware that Minamoto's abilities extended beyond purple lightning. The boy also possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique.
This information had come from Deidara himself. Onoki had been shocked to learn that the person who had so deeply affected Deidara was a boy around the same age.
"Why does Konohagakure keep producing one outstanding talent after another? And now, another one who makes my blood run cold?"
"Hey, old man, what's the deal?"
Deidara's impatient voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Hurry up and tell me. Is there anything about Minamoto? That guy's a jerk for not even sending me a letter. Next time I see him, I'm going to beat him up, yeah!"
"..."
Onoki's head throbbed.
You? Beat him up?
With your reckless attitude, you'd probably be killed by his Flying Thunder God Technique in an instant.
"Idiot!"
Onoki scolded Deidara but quickly fell silent.
Deep down, he knew he owed Minamoto some gratitude.
If not for Minamoto, would Deidara have returned to Iwagakure and started taking Dust Release seriously?
"But why is it that when I tell you something, you ignore me, yet when Minamoto says it, you treat Dust Release like an art form?"
Deidara had begun to follow his own path, but Onoki couldn't shake the feeling that he was becoming more like Minamoto.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Hot Water...
"Raikage-sama, are you alright?"
On the road to the Land of Lightning, Dodai glanced at the Fourth Raikage's missing arm with concern.
"I'm fine. Losing my left arm doesn't affect me."
The Fourth Raikage's voice was gruff, but his eyes burned with anger.
This time, he had truly suffered a crushing defeat.
He had left his village to seize a secret technique, only to lose all his subordinates, his arm, and his dignity.
The ultimate humiliation was having to travel to the Land of Fire.
Even though he had obtained the secret technique, the cost was too great.
"This isn't over. I'll remember this humiliation for the rest of my life."
The Fourth Raikage's voice was low and filled with fury as he spoke to Dodai.
"We must find a way to retaliate. Draft a plan. We can't let Konohagakure get away with this."
"Understood, Raikage-sama."
Dodai nodded. As Kumogakure's equivalent of Nara Shikaku, he knew exactly what needed to be done.
This was not just a personal loss for the Fourth Raikage but a disgrace to all of Kumogakure.
Retaliation was inevitable.
"By the way, they seem to be investigating some kind of organization."
The Fourth Raikage recalled his encounter in Takigakure.
"That organization is full of rogue ninjas. They claimed to be after me, but I don't believe them. Investigate them and find out what they're up to."
"Understood. I'll start as soon as we return."
Dodai nodded again, then added,
"Raikage-sama, we should pick up the pace. Your injuries need attention."
"Yes, let's move faster."
The Fourth Raikage agreed, but Dodai's next suggestion made his expression change.
"I know a shortcut that will get us there faster—"
"No! We can't take shortcuts!"
"...?"
"Those sneaky bastards from Konohagakure can't be trusted!"
"..."
Back in Konohagakure...
"Ah, that was a good nap!"
Kitagawa Minamoto lazily got out of bed, glancing at the clock. It was already noon.
He hadn't been particularly involved in the negotiations between Konohagakure and Kumogakure.
For one, he wasn't very interested. For another...
"Kakashi-sensei, did you really have to report my 'plan' to Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
Minamoto chuckled as he recalled the day he had helped remove the Flying Thunder God mark from the Fourth Raikage.
Kakashi had dutifully informed the Third Hokage of Minamoto's "plan," causing the Hokage to turn pale. If not for Tsunade's intervention, he might have ended up in the hospital again.
"Well, whatever. I've got more important things to focus on."
Minamoto shrugged off the memory and began preparing for the day.
His recent progress had brought him new abilities, and he needed to figure out how to use them effectively.
"I don't want to end up like Nagato, relying solely on raw power without proper tactics."
His Chakra reserves had also increased significantly, but he knew that sheer volume wasn't enough.
"Even Tailed Beasts and Jinchūriki with near-infinite Chakra can be defeated. The same goes for the Ōtsutsuki. I need to keep training."
With a clear understanding of his weaknesses, Minamoto was determined to keep improving.
"Alright, time to find Kakashi and see what he has for me today."
As he finished getting ready, Minamoto suddenly remembered something.
Reaching into his ninja pouch, he pulled out a scroll.
"Obito's right arm..."
He looked at the scroll with a strange expression.
This item was a treasure coveted by many of his "colleagues."
While he had considered using it himself, he realized he didn't really need it.
"Still, it's valuable. If I use it wisely, it could yield interesting results."
He also recalled another matter.
"I disrupted Yahiko's Chakra with a Rasengan and removed the black rods. Nagato couldn't take him away in time, so Black Zetsu retrieved the body."
"Could the Hell Path repair that body? And if Yahiko's body were enhanced with this arm, could it handle the full power of the Rinnegan?"
(End of Chapter)
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