Hidden Cloud Village.
The Third Raikage stood with his arms crossed, eyes closed, deep in thought.
On the table before him lay Konoha's official response to the Hidden Cloud Village, a declaration sent to the entire shinobi world.
At his side stood his son, A (Fourth Raikage), publicly recognized as the next Raikage, and the newly appointed strategist he trusted deeply, Dodai.
"What do you make of it?"
The Third Raikage's voice rumbled low in his chest. "Konoha's reaction isn't simple…"
Contrary to the usual stereotype, the Hidden Cloud Village might present itself as brutish and hot-blooded, but the man at its helm was anything but simple-minded.
The image of a violent barbarian was a mask. Behind it lay calculation.
"The Second Shinobi War ended the way it did, and they still dare act this tough?" A (Fourth Raikage) snapped, lifting his chin stubbornly. "They fought the Hidden Sand and the Hidden Rain to a standstill. When it ended, they barely asked for compensation. All they wanted was to wrap it up fast."
"Father, if you ask me, something's off!"
The Third Raikage shot him a sideways look. "Something's off? Go on."
"They must've developed some kind of war-level Forbidden Jutsu," A declared confidently.
"And then what?" The Third Raikage smacked the back of his son's head. "You plan to drag our shinobi out there and test it for them?"
Even A, broad-shouldered and powerful, winced under the blow from an even stronger father.
"You need to learn to think. Fighting alone won't keep a village standing in this world."
His voice hardened as he lectured. "Understand strategy. Understand your enemy's mindset and condition."
"Even if Konoha is bluffing, look at Hiruzen Sarutobi's wording. He's already at the edge of his patience. One spark and he'll explode."
"Setting aside the fact that we can't afford a war after losing Blue B, even if we could, we cannot let the Hidden Cloud Village face a Konoha in that state alone."
The Third Raikage's gaze shifted to Dodai.
The young strategist, wielder of a Lava Style Kekkei Genkai, immediately spoke up.
"The Raikage is right. A man prepared to die will bite flesh from his enemy even as he falls."
"After the Second Shinobi War, the Third Hokage's prestige declined somewhat within Konoha and across the shinobi world. This tough stance is likely meant to stabilize morale and restore control."
"With such a response, the Third Hokage has no intention of backing down. Even if we defeated Konoha, what we would lose would far outweigh what we gained."
The Third Raikage nodded slowly. "You hear that, boy?"
A fell silent, then nodded in thought.
He was reckless, yes. But growing up beside his father, he absorbed lessons like a sponge.
"More importantly," Dodai continued, voice turning grave, "we need to take the 'Second Hokage's will' he mentioned seriously. I never lived through the era of Tobirama Senju, but I've read enough records."
The Third Raikage clicked his tongue and gave a short nod.
"That man was a nightmare to deal with."
"Dirty tricks one after another. Techniques you couldn't guard against, each more destructive than the last."
"Hard as iron, too. That's why the Second Raikage sought an alliance with him… only for those two scum to ruin it."
The scum he referred to were the Hidden Cloud's most dangerous Rogue Ninja, Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
At the alliance ceremony, they had used the Treasures of the Sage of Six Paths to launch a surprise attack on the Second Raikage and Tobirama Senju, gravely injuring both Kage.
Hearing his father speak that way, A's expression darkened.
Tobirama Senju… a man even his father acknowledged?
"I respected the Second Raikage's kindness and open heart," the Third Raikage went on. "But since we're speaking frankly, I didn't agree with allying with Tobirama Senju at the time."
"Give him time to develop jutsu, and who knows what he'd create. In any case, Kinkaku and Ginkaku are unforgivable traitors for harming the Second Raikage."
"But killing Tobirama Senju might not have been a loss for the Hidden Cloud."
A stared at him, stunned.
That was his father's true evaluation?
"The Shadow Clone Jutsu used by every village. The Anbu system. Both his creations."
"Water Style aside, there's the Flying Raijin. Multiple anchor points, large-scale instant teleportation. It's essentially a superior version of the Heavenly Transfer Technique."
"You understand the strategic value of that, don't you?"
"Summoning the dead with Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation. Manipulating an enemy's loved ones. Sending them into opposing ranks with Paper Bombs rigged to trigger endless chain explosions. He's done all of it."
"I've even heard that the First Hokage once restricted his research. Which means he achieved all that in just a few years…"
The Third Raikage's tone turned distant.
A's face slowly went pale.
Now he understood why his father had said something that sounded almost blasphemous earlier.
Allying with someone like that truly was like dancing with a wolf.
"I think the First Hokage only claimed to restrict him," A muttered bitterly. "Maybe he was secretly supporting him. How else could so many techniques be created in such a short time?"
A large hand cut through the air.
"Don't speak nonsense."
The Third Raikage glared sharply at his son.
"Hashirama Senju is not someone you, a child of this era, can casually judge."
"The man called the God of Shinobi truly possessed a heart that longed for peace. The shinobi world simply had no room for such ideals."
His tone shifted.
"So. Do you see Hiruzen Sarutobi's deeper meaning now?"
"He invoked the First Hokage to remind everyone that the concept of balancing the Tailed Beasts began with Konoha. That the Hidden Cloud is the one coveting another village's Tailed Beast."
"And by invoking Tobirama Senju, he warns every hidden village that Konoha's patience has limits."
"He played the prestige card of the Senju brothers."
Dodai picked up smoothly. "Exactly. And we have no choice but to respond."
Diplomacy was complicated.
It involved the reputations of predecessors, the balance among villages, wording, benefits…
But it was crucial.
Play it well, and one enemy could become two against one… or even three against one.
"So that's it? We just let Blue B's death slide?" A let out a long breath, unwilling to accept it. "Someone has to pay a price."
"We haven't even found his body. So many Anbu casualties. It had to be man-made!"
Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi had deduced, Orochimaru and the others had left no traces. The Hidden Cloud Village had no proof Konoha was responsible.
But when disaster struck, a competent Raikage sought ways to minimize losses.
Perhaps even use the situation to extract resources from others.
"You still don't understand our position!"
Lightning crackled faintly along the Third Raikage's body.
"Even if, by some miracle, it was Konoha, can we declare war?"
"With their statement released, we have no allies willing to stand against them. And if Konoha can assassinate Blue B without leaving a single trace, do you intend for our village to face such an enemy alone?"
"What you should be doing is strengthening our defenses. Train harder. Lead everyone to grow stronger."
A clenched his fists and shouted back.
"Yes, Father! I was wrong!"
The lightning faded.
"That's more like it."
The Third Raikage turned to Dodai. "Prepare our reply."
"We acknowledge Hiruzen Sarutobi as a Hokage who inherited the wills of the First and Second. Given the foundation of past alliances between our nations…"
"The Hidden Cloud admits its earlier judgment was somewhat hasty. We have found traces of forces coveting the Eight-Tails. We hope to reach consensus with Konoha and one day jointly punish those who disrupt peace."
"Understood," Dodai replied at once.
It was a deliberate elevation of Hiruzen Sarutobi's standing.
The unspoken message was clear. Don't escalate this into real war.
The Third Raikage narrowed his eyes toward the direction of Konoha.
Logically, Hiruzen Sarutobi was probably just a rabbit forced into biting.
But deep down, the Raikage sensed something different in his old rival.
"Enough. No time to dwell on Konoha."
"The completion of the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails Jinchuriki must be pushed to the top of the agenda."