Upon hearing the Fourth Raikage's command, Mabui immediately ordered subordinates to gather the elite jonin and chunin from Kumogakure, including the two Jinchuriki: Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails' host, and Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails' host.
Not long after, Kumogakure's vast war council room filled with its most powerful shinobi. Among them were Darui and C, two highly skilled jonin and rising stars whom the Raikage placed great hope in.
The Raikage's sharp eyes scanned the room. Everyone was present—except for one.
"Mabui, where is your sister Samui?" he asked, his tone firm but not accusatory.
Mabui looked slightly troubled but answered truthfully, "My sister still refuses to return to that place."
She had tried to persuade Samui, but her older sister was deeply affected by past trauma, a shadow she had yet to overcome. That place—whatever its meaning—still haunted her.
The Fourth Raikage fell silent. He hadn't expected Samui's will to remain so fragile. He shook his head with a sigh and moved on.
He turned to address the gathered shinobi, his voice echoing through the chamber.
"This meeting is to inform you of our next move: we are preparing to go to war with Konohagakure once again."
The room stirred.
He continued, "According to reliable intelligence, the Leaf Village intends to respond with only two clans—the Uchiha and the Hyuga."
There were murmurs of disbelief, but also excitement. For many, this sounded like a lopsided fight in their favor.
Raikage's voice grew more confident.
"Our advantage lies in our strength. This time, not only will I lead the charge myself, but we will also deploy our two Tailed Beast-class weapons—Yugito Nii and Killer Bee."
That announcement electrified the room. With three Kage-level combatants on the battlefield, Kumogakure's chances of victory skyrocketed.
However, Yugito Nii raised a valid concern.
"Raikage-sama, are we sure this information is reliable? Only the Uchiha and Hyuga? Why would Konoha commit such a strategic error? It feels like they're underestimating us."
Her concern was valid. The Uchiha were formidable, yes—but their numbers had dwindled. The Hyuga clan had strategic value with the Byakugan, especially for intelligence-gathering, but in head-to-head combat, they weren't on the same level as a full shinobi battalion.
Raikage let out a hearty laugh.
"Perhaps it's internal strife. I wouldn't be surprised if Danzo Shimura is behind this. Who else but him would engineer such a ridiculous plan?"
Everyone in the room laughed. They'd heard enough about Konoha's internal politics to find it plausible. Danzo's ambition, coupled with the rift between the Uchiha and Konoha's upper echelon, was no secret in the shinobi world.
The days of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju—when Konoha stood as a symbol of strength and unity—were long gone. Even in the time of the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, it took the Raikage and Killer Bee working together just to fight him to a draw.
But now? With Hiruzen back as Hokage and old power struggles resurfacing, Konoha seemed vulnerable. Their dysfunction was Kumogakure's opportunity.
The Raikage's grin widened. With the enemy tearing themselves apart, victory seemed inevitable.
"Not only will we crush their two main clans," he added, "we will also eliminate a particular Uchiha: Uchiha Ryosuke."
This drew Killer Bee's attention. The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki stepped forward with his usual swagger.
"Yo, let me handle that guy, bro!" he said in rhyme. "Never heard of his fame, probably just lame!"
The Raikage shook his head with a chuckle. "No need to waste your talents on one shinobi. You'll be facing one of the Uchiha or Hyuga clan leaders. I'll handle the other. That's challenge enough."
"As for Ryosuke," he continued, "I'll assign him to Mabui, Darui, and C. Three elite shinobi against one unknown Uchiha. That should be more than enough."
Darui gave a quick nod. "Understood. We won't fail."
C added, "Even if he's stronger than expected, we'll overwhelm him with coordination."
Bee shrugged, accepting the decision. If he could go full Eight-Tails against a clan head, that was more fun anyway.
The Raikage looked around and gave his final order.
"Prepare yourselves. We depart tomorrow."
The council broke up, each shinobi heading to make their final preparations—checking weapons, supplies, scrolls, and summoning contracts.
Only the Raikage and Mabui remained behind.
He turned to her with a more serious expression.
"Have we made any progress identifying who attacked our forces last week?"
Mabui shook her head solemnly. "The ANBU have no definitive leads yet, but they're tracking rogue ninja and criminal groups along the borders. We should hear something soon."
…
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office back in Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi received a report from a ROOT agent.
The old Hokage lit his pipe, a faint smile playing on his lips as he reviewed the intelligence.
"So… the Raikage took the bait."
He turned to a waiting Anbu. "Send word to the Uchiha and Hyuga clans. Tell them to prepare. And…"
He paused deliberately.
"Make sure Uchiha Ryosuke is included in the vanguard."
The Anbu nodded silently and vanished.
Hiruzen leaned back, eyes narrowed.
There was no way to stop this war now—but perhaps, in the chaos, new order would emerge. One that rid Konoha of its… complications.
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