Time flew by. The Raikage had led the Kumogakure Genin participating in the Chunin Exams to Konoha, arriving even before the Kazekage.
Logically, as the Raikage, he shouldn't have arrived so early. It would have been sufficient for him to reach the village just before the final rounds of the exams. One must remember that there is a month-long rest period before the finals; this meant the Raikage had arrived more than three months ahead of schedule.
This abnormal behavior sparked a great deal of speculation among those paying close attention.
"Lord Hokage, five years have passed, yet your presence is as commanding as ever."
A powerfully built man stood beneath the Hokage Building, staring at Kakashi with a solemn expression.
"You flatter me. It is you who are the surprise, Lord Raikage," Kakashi replied. "I didn't expect you to arrive so far in advance."
Since the Raikage had arrived in person, Kakashi naturally went to receive him. However, Kakashi's gaze swept over the five or six Cloud Genin squads and their instructors following behind the Raikage. He didn't recognize a single one of them. Even Darui and C, who usually served as the Raikage's personal bodyguards, were nowhere to be seen.
Seeing this, a glint of amusement flashed in Kakashi's eyes. It seemed the Fourth Raikage was already prepared for the worst-case scenario.
"I would not dare to be negligent when invited by the Hokage," the Raikage responded.
Under the watchful eyes of the surrounding high-ranking officials, Kakashi and the Raikage firmly shook hands.
"The Raikage has arrived in Konoha."
In a desolate, barren valley, a faint, eerie voice echoed. It was the voice of Orochimaru.
"Isn't this exactly what you wanted, Orochimaru?"
Another voice spoke, sounding somewhat youthful, though it carried an underlying tone of arrogance and defiance. Within the valley, a young man with white hair, white clothes, and crimson eyes sat upon a rock, meeting the gaze of the man who had sought him out.
This was Hiruko.
He was a shinobi of the same generation as Orochimaru. However, he showed no signs of aging whatsoever. On the contrary, his exposed skin was fair and smooth, as if time had left no mark upon him.
"I know you left a contingency plan on Kakashi because of the Sharingan," Orochimaru said. "But Kakashi lost that Sharingan long ago. Your contingency is now useless. Name your price."
Orochimaru was blunt, causing Hiruko's eyes to narrow slightly.
"It seems you quite admire that friend of mine," Hiruko remarked with an ambiguous tone.
"Naturally," Orochimaru replied, not bothering to deny it.
"I want the Shikotsumyaku [Dead Bone Pulse] behind you," Hiruko said, his gaze falling upon the white-haired youth standing behind Orochimaru.
The Kaguya Clan's Kekkei Genkai: Shikotsumyaku. It was the world's premier Taijutsu-based bloodline. In a sense, it was a bloodline even more powerful than the Steel Style of Iwagakure.
"This child is precious; I cannot give him to you," Orochimaru stated. "But I can give you Kimimaro's genetic material."
A smile played on Orochimaru's lips, as if he wasn't surprised by Hiruko's target.
"...Deal. But after you succeed, you must also give me Kakashi's genes."
To the current Hiruko, Kakashi was something of a "chicken rib"—useless to keep, but a waste to discard. Hiruko, who was obsessed with Kekkei Genkai, had been utterly disappointed when Kakashi discarded the Sharingan. In his view, no matter how strong Kakashi was now, he could never surpass the potential of the Sharingan. Had the Kakashi of today still possessed that eye, his achievements would have far exceeded merely being the Hokage.
Nevertheless, Hiruko still demanded Kakashi's DNA from Orochimaru. Regardless of anything else, a genius was still a genius. Kakashi's genetic makeup was not something ordinary people could compare to.
"Very well."
Orochimaru pondered for a moment before looking back at Kimimaro. Seeing the signal, Kimimaro stepped forward. A foreign object bulged beneath the skin of his chest, and a blood-stained rib pierced through his body, landing directly into Kimimaro's palm. The white-haired youth then tossed it toward Hiruko.
Hiruko caught the rib. With a flick of his sleeve, a scroll dropped into his hand, which he then threw to Orochimaru.
With that, the transaction was complete. Both parties had obtained what they desired.
Orochimaru looked at the scroll in his hand and couldn't help but lick his lips. With this, the brilliant Fifth Hokage would soon be his.
"Don't forget our deal, Orochimaru," Hiruko called out as he began to walk away, his voice long and ethereal.
"Kimimaro, let's go."
Orochimaru didn't care. It was just Kakashi's DNA; once he seized Kakashi's body, he would have as much of his DNA as he wanted. Despite his madness, Orochimaru was a man of his word. He had no intention of breaking his agreement with Hiruko. After all, when operating in the world, one's personal credibility was quite important.
"Lord Orochimaru, what should we do next?" Kimimaro asked respectfully.
"The preparations are complete. Next, we simply prepare to participate in the Chunin Exams."
Orochimaru patted Kimimaro's shoulder with a gentle smile. He hadn't placed all his hopes on the contingency Hiruko had left on Kakashi. He only needed it to restrain Kakashi for a single split second—that would be enough for Orochimaru to seize the unique opportunity to take him down.
Meanwhile, in the conference room of the Hokage Building, the Raikage sat in silence, facing nearly half of Konoha's high-ranking leadership alone.
"Lord Raikage, your village has failed to uphold the treaty signed years ago. What is your explanation?"
"You must realize that both our parties signed that treaty with a heart for peace."
"By acting this way, are you not under suspicion of sabotaging that peace?"
"Lord Raikage, I have no wish to waste words. Please dismantle your excess shinobi forces as soon as possible. Let those who should farm, farm, and those who should work, work. Do not let the hearts of the people of our two nations grow cold."
Kakashi sat in the primary seat. Beside him, Hiashi Hyūga and Shibi Aburame took turns questioning the lone Raikage with expressionless faces.
"Lord Hokage, Kumogakure has never had the intention of destroying the peace," the Raikage stated. "The limit we set was ten thousand shinobi, and it remains ten thousand. Kumogakure has never exceeded that limit."
The Raikage had already considered this scenario before coming, so even in the face of Konoha's questioning, he held his ground and refused to yield.
"However, according to our intelligence, the number of Cloud shinobi has already exceeded the limit by a full two thousand," Inoichi Yamanaka spoke up calmly from the side. "That is two thousand shinobi—not a small number. It is a core force capable of turning the tide of an entire war."
"Intelligence?" the Raikage asked, his voice deepening as his heart tightened. "I would like to know where this intelligence came from. Could it be that someone with ulterior motives is trying to drive a wedge between the friendship of the Cloud and the Leaf?"
"That is a Konoha secret; we cannot disclose it."
Inoichi Yamanaka simply dropped those seven words in response to the Raikage's inquiry.
Spies... moles...
The Raikage's mind raced. This was usually a common occurrence, but for Konoha to accurately know the number of shinobi within Kumogakure—even if the numbers were slightly off—proved that the mole's status in the Cloud was definitely not low. Or, multiple moles had cooperated to discover the count, allowing Konoha's Intelligence Department to estimate the total.
In either case, it was terrible news for the Raikage.
The Raikage's guess was correct. Among the thousand captives returned to the Cloud years ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi had utilized Orochimaru's "Vanishing Facial Copy Technique" combined with the Yamanaka Clan's secret arts to plant multiple spies within the group. With Kumogakure's current methods, they had no way of detecting them. Because of this, Konoha was able to monitor the Cloud's numbers so clearly and quickly.
The atmosphere turned stagnant. Facing the combined interrogation of Hiashi Hyūga, Shibi Aburame, and Inoichi Yamanaka, the Raikage felt as though he wasn't in a meeting at all.
This was a judgment. He was being interrogated.
Even though the Raikage's temperament had become much steadier over the years, a surge of anxiety and fury rose within him. He was the Kage of a village! To think he had fallen to such a state. A sense of humiliation welled up, and his fists clenched tightly beneath the table.
At that moment, Kakashi, who had seemed to be dozing in the main seat, slightly opened his eyes. A cold light flashed through them.
This startled the Raikage, who forcibly suppressed his sense of humiliation. He spoke in a low voice: "I have been focusing on the Cloud's economy these past few years. Others have been responsible for the shinobi forces. I am not entirely clear on these matters. I need to contact the village to verify this information. If it is true, I will immediately order the surplus shinobi to be disbanded."
The Raikage squeezed the words out through gritted teeth.
The Raikage? Researching the economy?
Even for a lie, this was absurd. Though everyone present knew better, their expressions remained unfazed. Hiashi Hyūga spoke coldly: "Then what is the Raikage's intent?"
Despite the Raikage stating he needed to contact his village first, Hiashi asked again as if he hadn't heard a word.
The humiliation instantly flooded the Raikage's chest, nearly causing his irritable nature—which he had suppressed for years—to snap. The veins on his forehead throbbed, and his gaze turned icy, filled with an almost uncontrollable killing intent.
"I will contact the person in charge of this matter in the village. If the situation is as you say, they will be executed without mercy!"
At this moment, the Raikage was like a crouching tiger, staring fixedly at Hiashi Hyūga.
"Now, why must things be so tense?"
Kakashi spoke softly from the head of the table. His gaze, carrying a gentle smile, fell upon the Raikage, sending a chill down the man's spine. If the Raikage was a crouching tiger, then the Kakashi before him was a shotgun aimed right at the tiger's head.
"Since the Raikage needs to contact his village, then by all means, contact them. There is no rush..."
The Raikage stared at the Hokage—the man who had once stood alone to block his path—and said with a cold face: "In that case..."
"In that case, my village has a specialized radio for long-distance communication," Kakashi interrupted. "Lord Raikage, you may use that."
Kakashi's words made the Raikage's heart tremble.
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