"Yes!"
Nara Shikaku and the others exchanged puzzled glances.
None of them understood what was happening,
but they followed Aoyama Ryuyun out of the command tent without hesitation.
Outside, chaos had already erupted.
In the center of the camp, Ay—the future Fourth Raikage—and Killer Bee, the AB Duo of Kumogakure, stood surrounded by Konoha ninja.
Yet neither brother paid the slightest attention to the encirclement.
The moment Aoyama Ryuyun stepped into view, their eyes locked onto him.
"Die!"
The instant Ay saw him, rage flooded his mind—
the image of his father's severed arm still burned into his memory.
Before even Killer Bee could react, Ay vanished in a flash of lightning.
"Big Brother!"
By the time Killer Bee called out,
Ay was already in front of Aoyama Ryuyun.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
Blue-white lightning burst around his body,
and his killing intent surged like a storm.
The Ino–Shika–Chō trio instinctively stepped forward to intercept,
but Aoyama Ryuyun merely raised a hand, signaling them to stand down.
He didn't draw his blade.
He didn't activate any technique.
He simply lifted one arm—
and black Armament Haki enveloped it like liquid metal.
"Die!"
Ay roared, mistaking Aoyama's calm for contempt.
The Raikage's fist shot forward, lightning shrieking through the air.
Aoyama's expression didn't change.
With a faint sigh, he countered with a single punch.
Boom!
The impact thundered through the camp.
A shockwave split the ground beneath their feet.
Ay's arm went numb—an overwhelming, immovable force crushed through his defense.
"What—?!"
Before he could even comprehend what happened,
he was sent flying backward like a ragdoll.
"Bang!"
He hit the ground hard, carving a crater at Killer Bee's feet.
"Big Brother!"
Killer Bee rushed to his side immediately.
Ay shook his head, standing up with his brother's help—
dizzy but unharmed.
Perhaps the Raikage of the future could contend with Aoyama Ryuyun.
But the Ay standing here now—wasn't even close.
Aoyama Ryuyun looked down at him calmly.
"When you've mastered the Lightning Release Chakra Mode,
then come talk about fighting me to the death."
"You—!"
Ay clenched his fists, teeth grinding in fury.
That cold, dismissive gaze—
it was as if Aoyama didn't even consider him worth killing.
But deep down, he couldn't deny the truth.
In that brief clash, he had already understood the gap between them.
It was hopeless.
"Big Brother," Killer Bee murmured,
"our job's just to stall him—don't throw your life away."
Ay didn't reply.
He only nodded grimly, eyes still locked on Aoyama.
Aoyama Ryuyun chuckled—low and disdainful.
"So that's your plan? Pathetic."
"What do you mean?!"
Ay and Killer Bee tensed, feeling a creeping sense of unease.
Aoyama Ryuyun didn't answer.
He simply waved his hand.
Moments later, several Konoha ninja escorted Yugito Nii into the open—
her chakra still sealed.
"Let me go! I can walk on my own!"
Even restrained, Yugito's voice carried its usual defiance.
But when she saw the AB Brothers surrounded by Konoha ninja,
she froze.
"Lord Raikage? Lord Bee?! What are you doing here?"
Yugito's confusion was genuine.
The brothers' confusion, however, was greater.
"Yugito Nii?! Why are you here?"
Ay's voice trembled slightly.
She was supposed to be imprisoned elsewhere.
"Huh?" Yugito blinked, startled by the question.
"I was transferred last night… I don't know why. They just brought me here."
She frowned, glancing at the surrounding Konoha ninja.
"Is something wrong?"
Before she could finish, Ay's eyes widened in realization.
His body shook with fury.
"Despicable! It's a setup!"
He roared, veins bulging in his neck.
"You fed us false intel from the start!"
Aoyama Ryuyun regarded him with mild irritation—
as though watching a child throw a tantrum.
"Idiot."
"To deal with the likes of you, do you really think I'd need to set up a scheme?"
"You—!"
Ay stopped mid-retort.
Because deep down, he understood—
someone at Aoyama Ryuyun's level didn't need tricks.
Schemes were for the weak.
"Then how—how did you know to move Yugito Nii beforehand?" he demanded.
Aoyama Ryuyun's tone was bored, his eyes half-lidded.
"Everything that happens within this camp," he said,
"is within my perception. Kenbunshoku Haki. Ever heard of it, fool?"
His words were sharp, but there was no malice—
only the calm certainty of a predator stating fact.
He sighed faintly.
"Truly… Kumogakure produces nothing but hotheads with muscles for brains."
Yugito Nii blinked, bewildered.
"So… what's going on exactly?"
She had only been moved to another cell,
and suddenly, everything had descended into chaos.
Nara Shikaku stepped forward, frowning at the AB Duo.
"I'd also like to know," he said evenly,
"what kind of information convinced you to attack at this exact time."
Ay exhaled, his lightning aura flickering.
If they couldn't win, then at least they could expose the truth.
"You didn't see this coming, did you?"
Ay sneered. "Our spies told us everything—
Yugito Nii's cell, the location of this command tent, even your quarters, Aoyama Ryuyun! We had it all!"
"Impossible!"
Nara Shikaku snapped before anyone else could respond.
His sharp gaze darkened.
Because if Ay's words were true—
that could only mean one thing.
There was a traitor in Konoha.
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