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Young Ay bowed his head briefly before beginning. "Father, we've pressed them hard since our advance into Hot Water. Konoha has suffered severe losses. Our numbers remain strong, but the resistance has not collapsed entirely."
He pointed to a section of the map, tapping near a red-marked ridge. "Minato Namikaze... 'the Yellow Flash' as Iwa has named him... has held their line. He cuts through our forces unpredictably. He strikes, disappears, and reappears where we least expect. Our squads cannot pin him down."
The Third Raikage's brow furrowed. "And the jinchuriki?"
This time Bee spoke, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "She's here too. Kushina Uzumaki. Her chakra... massive, wild. She's been fightin' with partial chakra cloak transformations, tails of the Nine-Tails flickerin' around her. Kumo shinobi tryin' to bind her… none succeeded. She ain't untrained. Her chain sealing arts are dangerous, too."
Bee's lips pressed tight, breaking from his usual carefree rhythm. "If they capture me, I'm a target. But if they capture her? That's the Nine-Tails. Game over."
Silence followed. Everyone in the tent understood the weight of those words.
The young Ay added, "Father, Minato seems to teleport to any place his kunai lands. It's not speed... it's instantaneous. We've seen it too many times now. A shinobi rushes him, thinking they have the upper hand, and then… nothing. He's behind them. Or above. Or already cutting their throat. He's unpredictable."
Raikage's heavy hands curled into fists against the table. His voice was low, measured. "So Kaien was right. That boy said this Yellow Flash could be a threat even greater than Iwa admitted. An enemy fast enough... or clever enough... to earn a 'flee-on-sight' order from Ōnoki cannot be underestimated."
At the mention of Kaien, Bee and young Ay exchanged glances. They remembered the child's warning, his little pacifier slipping from his lips as he spoke of teleportation and danger with uncanny clarity. At the time it had unsettled them. Now, standing face to face with reports of the Yellow Flash, they realized Kaien's instincts had been sharper than they dared admit.
The Raikage leaned forward, his aura of power pressing against everyone in the tent. "Then we adjust. Listen carefully."
He spoke the next words in a voice meant only for his bloodline and his jinchuriki.
"We will capture Kushina Uzumaki. That is our priority. With the Nine-Tails in our possession, the war tilts in our favor permanently. The boy Minato will be neutralized first. Ay... your task will be to engage him directly. Split him from the jinchuriki. Do not give him the chance to protect her."
Young Ay's fists clenched eagerly, lightning crackling faintly across his arms. "Yes, Father."
Raikage continued. "You will also gather every earth-style user we have. Dodai will lead them. They will swallow the kunai Minato throws, bury them in stone, seal them if possible. Every marked kunai must be gathered and concentrated in one place. Remove his freedom to appear anywhere on the battlefield, and you remove his greatest advantage."
Ay nodded firmly, already turning over the logistics in his mind.
Raikage then turned his gaze to Bee. "You will seal the jinchuriki. Use her name. Force her to respond. and with Kohaku no johei we can seal her in the amber pot. Abandon the mission if it gets too dangerous, we can't risk you. Since, their jinchuriki is well versed in sealing arts. You are in the same risk... Bee. Renga will assist you..."
Bee's usual swagger dimmed under the weight of the order, but he nodded. "Got it. I'll lock her down. Won't let that fox loose."
The Raikage's eyes swept between them both, the steel in his gaze undeniable. "Understand this: Minato is dangerous, but he is not immortal. Kushina is dangerous, but she is not invincible. Their Hokage is not here... our scouts confirm it. That means they are vulnerable. We will not waste this chance. Konoha might have already receive the word that i am here, we can't delay this any longer."
For a moment, the tent was silent but for the flapping of canvas in the wind. The Raikage's presence filled every corner, the sheer certainty of his command leaving no room for doubt.
Then he spoke again, his tone practical, shifting back to strategy. "Renga. Send word to the second front. Reinforce here with another thousand shinobi by tomorrow. Rotate the injured back to the secondary base. This battle will not be a skirmish... it will be decisive. We cannot enter it with weakened men."
Renga bowed deeply. "At once, Raikage-sama."
The Raikage turned back to his son and Bee. "You will rest now. At dawn, we launch our strike. Every hour of preparation, every ounce of strength conserved, will determine tomorrow's outcome."
Young Ay and Bee exchanged a glance again... silent acknowledgment between brothers. The plan was dangerous, perhaps even reckless. But if it succeeded, Kumo would be seen as a power no other village could challenge.
Raikage leaned back finally, the tension in the tent easing slightly, though his expression remained grim. His gaze drifted briefly to the sealed case behind Renga, to the faint glow of the Kohaku no Jōhei.
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A/N: Can Kumo capture Kushina? or Bee will be captured by kushina?