The tension in Cloud Village was rising like storm clouds on the horizon. After the Fourth Raikage sent out multiple squads of elite shinobi to gather intelligence on the Akatsuki organization, all he received in return were a few fragmented words—then, silence.
No survivors. No answers.
The entire village had grown alert and paranoid, ready for war at the slightest spark.
In the world of ninja, especially among the five great villages, when diplomacy failed—or patience ran dry—conflict was the inevitable solution. Cloud was no different. They were aggressive, strong, and proud. If they couldn't get information by tracking or spying, then they would get it by force.
And so, behind the thick storm-like barrier that protected Cloud Village, far up in the thunder-split mountains of the Land of Lightning, rumors of war started to take shape.
Outside that very barrier, in the shadows of a distant cliff, Obito Uchiha stood, accompanied by Black Zetsu. Their eyes peered down at the enormous village below.
"It's frightening, really," Obito murmured. "Cloud Village may already be stronger than Konoha, the supposed greatest village in the world."
Black Zetsu hummed in agreement. "Konoha's power lies in its ancient foundation. But Cloud's strength? That comes from the Raikage's leadership and raw momentum."
Obito wasn't worried. His plan had already begun.
With a flicker of power, the spiraling vortex of his Mangekyo Sharingan spun to life, opening a rift in space. From it, the massive form of the Four-Tails, Son Goku, emerged.
Son Goku's red, furious eyes were glazed with the illusion of Obito's Sharingan. Controlled, enslaved.
The great ape-like beast roared in defiance, but his body moved not of his own will.
A ball of pitch-black and violet energy began to condense in front of his mouth.
A Tailed Beast Bomb.
Without a sound, Son Goku launched the massive sphere toward Cloud Village, the dense chakra radiating with deadly intent.
---
Inside the village, high atop the Raikage's Tower, Fourth Raikage suddenly frowned. He was a man trained in battle, and his instincts were screaming.
He stood up sharply, just as Killer Bee, his brother and the Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, looked up from his music practice. He felt it too.
From the other side of the village, another powerful figure—Yugito Nii, the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails—felt a chill run through her bones.
Both of them, as perfect Jinchūriki, could sense the technique coming.
Their eyes widened in unison.
"Tailed Beast Bomb incoming!"
Without hesitation, Yugito shouted, "Get the civilians to safety!" Her body shimmered as her chakra surged, and within seconds, she transformed into the massive blue feline—Matatabi.
Killer Bee nodded to her, already syncing with the Eight-Tails, Gyūki. His skin twisted with tailed beast chakra until a giant octopus-like form towered beside Matatabi.
"Yo, Yugito! We've gotta knock that thing off course or this village is toast!" Bee shouted in rhyme.
Matatabi had already begun forming her own Tailed Beast Bomb. It was smaller, intentionally so—not meant to cancel the attack, but to change its trajectory.
"Don't match its power! We're not here to erase it—we just have to push it away from the village!" Matatabi growled.
The two beasts released their attacks. The smaller Tailed Beast Bombs slammed into the bottom of the incoming one, shifting its angle mid-flight.
There was a moment of stillness.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!
A mountain outside the village was vaporized in an instant. A sky-splitting explosion followed, sending a shockwave that rattled every structure in Cloud Village. Windows shattered. People screamed.
The village had been saved—but barely.
---
From the cliffs above, Obito's cloak flapped as the wind from the explosion reached him. He sighed.
"Tch. That's disappointing. Those perfect Jinchūriki really are troublesome."
His eyes narrowed. If the bomb had hit the village, Cloud would've declared full-scale war without hesitation—likely targeting Iwagakure, given their long-standing hatred.
Even without direct casualties, the attack alone had stirred the pot.
And in the world of shinobi politics, that was often enough.
---
Back in the Raikage's office, Ay (Fourth Raikage) stared out the window. He hadn't left his post, but he had witnessed everything.
His clenched fists trembled with rage. The charred remains of his desk now lay in splinters beneath him.
"Bastard. Only a tailed beast can use a Tailed Beast Bomb. That narrows it down to just a few villages."
Ay's mind raced.
Mist Village? Unlikely. They were across the sea, isolated, and still recovering politically.
Sand Village? No—too weak and far removed from such direct confrontation.
Konoha? Possible, but unstable. Internal conflict was at its peak. The Uchiha Clan had left, and their political structure was still shaky.
That left only one real suspect: Iwagakure.
"The damn Stone Shinobi… Ohnoki, you old bastard."
Right on cue, Yugito and Bee entered the room, still glowing faintly with chakra.
"Confirmed," Yugito reported. "Matatabi identified the signature—Four-Tails. That attack came from Iwagakure."
Ay's eyes lit with fury. "Then that settles it. If Ohnoki wants a war—he'll get one."
The memories of his father's death, cornered and overwhelmed by Ohnoki's soldiers, came rushing back.
Cloud had shown restraint during the last war.
Not this time.
"Mobilize all active forces," Raikage ordered. "No more waiting. It's time to pay back that old grudge—tenfold."
Across the village, horns sounded and banners were raised. The shinobi of Cloud began assembling at key posts, preparing for battle.
---
Meanwhile, far from the chaos, Andrew—now acting as a funding overseer in a nearby town—was not thrilled with his new job.
He had no direct authority in Konoha, but he managed one of its most valuable operations: controlling the flow of reconstruction funds.
And at that moment, he was holding a scroll full of financial nonsense.
He rubbed his temples, glaring at the funding requests sent by the Konoha administration.
"I told them… this rural revitalization budget isn't a charity. But what's this crap? Long essays filled with empty fluff and pointless expenses?"
He flipped the scroll, noting that the Third Hokage's signature was on the bottom.
"Oh, of course. You think I'm your personal ATM machine?" Andrew muttered.
His frustration was real. He didn't mind supporting necessary village rebuilding efforts, but the way they spent money—like drunken gamblers—was beyond reason.
"At this rate, even the Uchiha Group can't sustain the budget," he grumbled.
---
Back in Cloud Village, Raikage stood on a high platform, addressing his assembled shinobi.
"Today, we were attacked by a Tailed Beast Bomb. They tried to destroy our home. But we stood strong. We fought back!"
The crowd roared.
"This is not just about revenge. This is about power, about message. No one attacks Cloud and walks away clean. We will strike back. We will bring the fight to them. And we will remind the world why Cloud Village is not to be trifled with!"
The cheers became a war cry.
The gears of the Fourth Great Ninja War had just begun to turn.
And the first domino… was a Tailed Beast Bomb.
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