Within a sprawling, mountainous domain lay the Raikage Tower, an imposing structure carved into the rugged cliffs. Inside, the atmosphere was quiet, save for the sound of a brush scratching paper. Ay, the Third Raikage, sat behind a desk stacked with scrolls and documents. His broad frame, wrapped in the flowing mantle of the Raikage, radiated restrained power even in stillness. Beside him stood his son, Amai, posture straight, eyes sharp, waiting silently as his father worked.
Things had been good for Kumogakure lately. A surprising reversal of fortune, considering how grim things once looked.
Losing their Second Raikage during the final years of the First Great Ninja War, betrayed by fellow villagers, had struck the village like a thunderbolt. Their strength had faltered, their pride had been tested. The only small consolation was that Tobirama Senju of Konoha had died in the same battle, and the infamous Gold and Silver Brothers had perished soon after.
Even then, during the Second Great Ninja War, Kumogakure had been on the losing end. The dream of victory seemed to slip further away with each passing year. Their losses were piling up by the day, and they had to watch out for Iwagakure constantly.
But fate had shifted.
The sudden collapse of Konohagakure had upended the entire shinobi world. None had expected it, least of all Ay himself. Konoha had been the strongest Hidden Village, looming over everyone since its founding. For them to vanish in a single night was a miracle delivered to Kumogakure on a silver platter.
Now, the future was brighter than it had ever been. Their shinobi ranks were swelling with new talent, the inheritance of Lightning Release Chakra Mode was stronger than ever, and they possessed something no other village could claim: a perfect Jinchūriki.
Two, soon enough.
Ay allowed himself the faintest smirk. With Bee and Amai, Kumogakure would forge its strength into an unbreakable weapon. No rival could stand against them. The downfall of Konoha was not only fortune- it was the greatest opportunity.
With this new foundation, Kumo would rise. Two perfect Jinchūriki, dozens of lightning-armored elites, and him, the Third Raikage.
Images played across Ay's mind unbidden. Himself and Amai standing above the shattered remnants of Iwa, Kiri, and Suna, their villages kneeling in submission. All would bow to the power of the Unbreakable Sword and Shield.
But that was the future. Today, he needed to lay the groundwork and foundation to solidify it.
The scratching of the brush stopped when a knock rattled the door.
"Come in," Ay commanded.
The door slid open, and an ANBU agent stepped through, dropping to one knee before the desk.
"Lord Raikage, an urgent report."
"Speak."
The ANBU straightened. "Our sensors have detected the Nine-Tails' chakra in the vicinity of the Land of Whirlpools."
Ay's brush stilled. He slowly set it down, green eyes sharpening.
"Summon B here immediately. You're dismissed."
"Yes, Lord Raikage." The ANBU flickered away.
Beside him, Amai frowned. "Is this a problem, Father?"
"Not necessarily." Ay leaned back slightly, his arms folding across his chest. "The Land of Whirlpools is not close, but neither is it distant. For now, it bears watching. If the Nine-Tails has moved, the balance of the world shifts again."
Amai's expression hardened. "Was it the Nine-Tails that destroyed Konoha?"
Their spies in Konoha had all perished in the cataclysm. The Hidden Leaf was a dead zone of information. The only confirmation had been the absence of the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.
"It's possible," Ay admitted. "To obliterate a village like that, one would need significant mastery of the beast… or a perfect Jinchūriki."
Amai's eyes widened slightly. "Perfect? Is that even possible without the Island Turtle?"
A pause filled the office. They both knew the truth: the Nine-Tails was unlike any of the others. It was the strongest, but they didn't know by how much.
Ay finally spoke, his voice clipped. "The girl should only be fourteen. Too young to wield such power. Too young to be a threat to us."
The door opened again. This time, a boy of nine bounced in, swaggering slightly as he entered.
"Yo, Lord bro, what's the deal?
Summonin' me up, what's the real feel?"
Bee's grin was wide, his movements loose. Amai rolled his eyes faintly at his brother's strange behavior, but Ay ignored it.
"Ask Gyūki about the Nine-Tails," Ay ordered.
"Roger that, no time to slack,
Talkin' to the ox, I'll get info back."
Bee's expression shifted, going blank for a few seconds as he communed with the Eight-Tails. When his eyes focused again, his face was unusually serious.
"He says the Nine-Tails is the king of beasts,
A monster of monsters, his power won't cease.
He could take all the others and smash 'em to dust,
One against eight, he'd win- it's a trussed."
The Third Raikage's brow furrowed deeply. That was not comforting.
"Ask if the Nine-Tails would ever cooperate with his host," Ay pressed.
Bee's eyes glazed for another pause before snapping back.
"Ox says nah, it's not in his plan,
That fox hates humans, won't work with no man.
He'll never sync, he'll never bind,
Hatred and malice fillin' his mind."
Both Ay and Amai exhaled, shoulders loosening slightly. That much, at least, was reassuring.
A perfect Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails would've been difficult to deal with.
Ay started to speak again, but his words were cut short by a thunderous boom. The entire building quaked, scrolls tumbling from the desk.
The walls shuddered, and in an instant, the Raikage Tower collapsed in a roar of stone and smoke.
"What the hell was that!?" Bee shouted.
Ay didn't answer. After checking on Amai, his body blurred, vanishing in a flash of lightning as he bolted outside.
----
Some time earlier.
Kushina trudged through the rocky passes of the Land of Lightning, her hands tightening into fists as she eyed the endless mountains.
"Who even lives in a place like this?" she muttered bitterly.
Kurama padded along beside her, crimson eyes sweeping the barren slopes. His only response was a grunt, deep and rumbling.
Their first target was chosen carefully. Out of all the villages left standing, Kumogakure boasted the most dangerous high-level fighters. Not just the Third Raikage, but his son Amai, and the boy, Bee, already syncing with the Eight-Tails.
If she struck them first, she would send a message the entire shinobi world couldn't ignore.
The Uzumaki were not to be underestimated.
As they crossed over another mountain, the village finally appeared in the distance. With Kurama out, they weren't likely to stay hidden for long, so they needed to progress the plan as fast as possible.
As the village finally came into view beyond the last ridge, Kushina's breath tightened. With Kurama right next to her, there could be no subtlety or stealth.
Kurama's form blurred into molten chakra, his presence wrapping around her in an instant. Cloaked in the raw fury of the Nine-Tails' original form, she towered above the peaks, radiating crimson light.
However, this time, it's not her in control.
Kurama opened his maw, a black sphere forming- different from the typical Tailed Beast Bomb.
An outer shell of pure darkness, within which smaller spheres spun furiously like a miniature solar system. A technique Kurama had refined after observing the Rasengan- it was optimized for complete destruction.
The bomb launched in a single breath.
Kumogakure erupted. The detonation shattered cliffs, tore through the village's heart, and bloomed into a series of secondary explosions. Ten waves of devastation unfurled from the single attack, a chain of annihilation.
In one strike, nearly the entire village lay in ruin. Not even the Jonin could escape.
As the smoke cleared, Kurama's cloak thinned, giving way to Kushina herself, her body sprouting eight roiling tails of chakra. The golden eyes of her Tailed Beast Form blazed.
The Third Raikage appeared instantly, his eyes blazed with fury as he shot forward, lightning crackling across his skin. His voice roared over the wind, "You dare destroy my village- who are you?!"
Kushina didn't respond; her eight tails lashed violently, crushing the rocky ground and scattering debris. She moved like a storm, her chakra immense, a living hurricane of red and gold. One shadow clone split off, darting to distract the Raikage while she circled, studying his movements.
He struck first, a lightning-charged fist tearing toward her midsection. Kushina leapt, tail sweeping a ridge to smash him sideways. The force sent him skidding across shattered rock; even lightning couldn't anchor him against her might.
She pressed forward, tails slashing, scythe gouging the stone beneath his feet. Each hit forced him to retreat, dodging, countering, his anger fueling his speed. The mountain trembled under the fury of their clash.
Seeing an opening, Kushina swung her scythe- a silver flash ready to reap his life. The impact tore through the earth beneath him, lightning sparking and rock exploding. He barely escaped the brunt of the blow, rolling to absorb the edge of her power, but the strike sent him crashing through a stone wall.
He recovered instantly, surging upward, fists glowing with electricity, every movement faster than the eye could follow. Kushina's main form ducked, one tail wrapping around a jagged boulder to swing herself sideways. Her clone leapt in tandem, striking at his flanks, forcing him to split his focus between multiple threats.
The Raikage's lightning tore across the ground as he leapt into the air, fists connecting with stone to redirect momentum. Kushina's scythe sliced his shoulders and chest as she landed, tail smashing into his ribs. Each strike left him staggering, bruised, cut, and struggling to keep his footing against her overwhelming chakra and strength.
For the final blow, she let out a roar, tails spinning in a deadly spiral. A red Rasengan formed in her palm, filled with Kurama's malice, the clone providing a feint to divert his guard. She struck downward with both Rasengan and tail in a single, devastating arc.
The Raikage tried to block, but the sheer force shattered his defenses. Rocks exploded around him, lightning dissipating in the shockwave. He hit the ground hard, gasping, arms splayed, unable to rise.
Kushina descended, her tails coiled around him. A crimson seal etched itself across his chest, the final mark of her clan's vengeance.
The mountains fell silent, debris settling in the wake of her fury. Kushina stood tall, golden eyes blazing, eight tails rippling in the wind.
She looked down at the lifeless Raikage and whispered, steady and unyielding, "Let this be the first warning to anyone who underestimates the Uzumaki."