Eight months later, inside the Raikage's office tower.
"I told you already, so long as Namikaze Minato lives, Konoha will never fear war!"
"That Yellow Flash is not Hiruzen Sarutobi. He'll use this chance to win over all of Konoha's clans!"
"And the Uchiha!"
"Before the war began, Raikage, you thought they might rebel against Konoha. But look at them now, three pairs of those eyes, eyes like Uchiha Madara once had! With that kind of power, how is Kumogakure supposed to win?!"
…
"You should take responsibility for this war!"
The furious scolding ended with those words. The Raikage's bulging muscles tensed, and his fists clenched tight.
Boom!
With a single punch, his desk shattered into splinters.
The Kumogakure council members instinctively stepped back, but quickly forced themselves forward again.
"Raikage, don't vent your anger on me. If Kumogakure keeps going like this, sooner or later you'll lead the village to ruin!"
"We never secured the Byakugan or the Sharingan. The Byakugan of the Hyūga we killed on the battlefield are useless to us!"
"No goals achieved, only massive losses. As Raikage, shouldn't you be held accountable?"
Swish!
The Fourth Raikage appeared in front of the speaker in an instant, one hand clamped around his throat, rendering him immobile.
"Old fool! I don't need you to tell me how to do my job. As for Kumogakure's victory, just wait and see!"
Lightning crackled across the Raikage's arm. The elder swallowed hard when he was finally released.
He slowly made for the door, but before leaving, turned his head and said coldly:
"No matter what, as Raikage, you owe this village an explanation."
With that, he hurried out.
The Raikage stood there seething, not just from the elder's words, but also from the reality of the war.
Eight months ago, both Konoha and Kumogakure began pulling back large numbers of shinobi. The other three great villages were watching, and mission success rates at home were falling.
But as the Hokage had predicted back then, as the instigator of this war, the Raikage now found himself riding a tiger with no way to dismount.
The war had lasted a year and eight months. Though no large-scale battles had erupted, coffins returned steadily from the front, gnawing at every villager's heart.
Casualties mounted, yet not a single original objective had been achieved.
The Raikage had miscalculated Konoha. He had miscalculated the Uchiha. And now Kumogakure was mired in a swamp.
Bang!
The door to the Raikage's office burst open as Atsui strode in, fixing his gaze on the Raikage. "Lord Raikage, how much longer must I wait before I can go to the front lines?"
The direct question only deepened the Raikage's already furrowed brow, but thoughts of Samui, who had been burned to ashes, made him hold back his reprimand.
After a moment, the Raikage exhaled to steady his emotions before speaking. "Wait a little longer. The battle plan hasn't been finalized yet. Be patient."
Tears streamed down Atsui's face as he listened.
"Just now... among the bodies brought back to the village gate, two were killed by Uchiha Itachi!"
"I just want to avenge my sister and our fallen comrades!"
He wiped his tears, his eyes firm with resolve.
At that moment, a hand patted his shoulder.
"Youngster, you want revenge, but you lack power! Me? I also want revenge, and I'm strong! So entrust your hatred to me. I'll help you! Yeah!"
Killer B swaggered in, and bumped fists with Atsui.
In that instant, their chakra connected, their raw emotions resonating.
Atsui fell to his knees.
"Lord B, I beg you, take me with you!"
Killer B scratched his head and glanced at his brother. Even he had to obey the Raikage's word.
The Raikage sighed.
"Take him. But I expect Samui's brother to return alive. B, I leave him to you."
At that moment, Mabui, who had followed B in, stepped forward. She handed a scroll to the Raikage.
"This just came from the cipher corps. I think its timing is… perfect."
The Raikage unrolled it.
It contained Konoha's defense layout: all twenty-three outposts, with known details of their stationed forces.
Among them, the three pairs of Uchiha Mangekyō were clearly marked.
And the identity of that red-haired woman had also been confirmed.
Clack.
The Raikage rolled the scroll up, lost in thought.
'Namikaze Minato's wife… and the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.'
Years ago, Kumogakure had attempted an operation against Konoha's Nine-Tails jinchuriki, but it had been thwarted by Namikaze Minato.
If these two identities could be used as leverage, no matter the outcome, Konoha would suffer heavy losses.
"Mabui, present your plan."
Mabui nodded. "According to the intelligence, the Nine-Tails jinchuriki is at Lookout Post 8, located behind Lookout Post 7. The defenders of Posts 7 and 6 are those three Uchiha."
"That means… if we target her, our strike must be fast. We need to capture and seal the Nine-Tails host before those Uchiha can react."
The Raikage nodded slowly.
"With B and me together, she won't be hard to handle. But…"
The Raikage nodded in agreement but then recalled those three Uchiha. This generation of the Uchiha was simply overflowing with geniuses.
Those three pairs of eyes were part of the reason for Kumogakure's setbacks.
But did he have a choice now?
Either decide the outcome with one battle, achieve the objectives of obtaining the Byakugan and Sharingan, and thereby reduce his accountability or… issue a retreat order.
But if he did, the council would demand accountability for all the losses.
And then, like the Third Hokage, he'd have to give up his seat of power.
…..
The room was silent.
At last, the Raikage turned to Atsui.
"Do you want us to stop this war with Konoha? If we do, you'll never have your revenge."
Atsui thought long and hard.
Then he raised his head.
"No, Kumogakure does not fear war! My sister's sacrifice will not be in vain!"
The Raikage nodded firmly.
He waved to Mabui.
"Have the strategy division prepare. Within one week, I want a plan to capture the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki."
Mabui bowed and left with Atsui.
The Raikage rose and stared out the window.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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