The Land of Lightning was dominated by towering mountains that seemed to pierce the clouds.
Even the Hidden Cloud Village was built atop these majestic peaks.
Thunder rumbled loudly through the mist, echoing between the mountains.
It was Kabuto's first time in the Land of Lightning, and he couldn't help but be curious about this unique and mysterious landscape—so different from anything in the Land of Fire or the Land of Wind.
"That's Dodai from the Hidden Cloud," said Minato Namikaze, the leader of the Konoha delegation, as he introduced the approaching shinobi.
"Honored guests, the Raikage is already waiting for you at the Cloud-Thunder Gorge," Dodai announced after a brief round of polite greetings.
As he led the way, he glanced sideways at one particular member of the Konoha delegation—Kagetsu.
Kagetsu, the head of Konoha's Technology Development Department, was someone the ANBU of every village kept close watch on.
Unlike Orochimaru and others who once shined on the battlefield, Kagetsu rarely engaged in combat anymore after gaining recognition.
Most of the intelligence ANBU collected about him involved technology—specifically, collaborations between different villages on research.
However, the Hidden Cloud had dug deeper.
At the very least, the higher-ups in the Cloud knew that the emergence of those strange hollow masks was closely tied to this seemingly lazy and gentle young man.
Dodai was well aware of the Fourth Raikage's personality—it was nearly identical to that of the late Third Raikage: a true warrior to the core.
If something could be achieved with strength, the Raikage would rarely consider other options.
Over the past two years of negotiations with Konoha, Dodai had often witnessed his Raikage challenging the Yellow Flash under the pretense of "friendly sparring"—again and again.
It was precisely those repeated sparring battles that finally made the Cloud Shinobi abandon their plan of using force to gain benefits.
Because when comparing top-tier strength, they had realized they were no longer superior to Konoha.
The Raikage, after entering his Hollowfication Mode, became even faster than before.
But Namikaze Minato, who had also awakened a mysterious power, reacted even quicker and posed an even greater threat.
In the past, Namikaze Minato struggled somewhat against the Fourth Raikage's Lightning Chakra Mode.
Minato couldn't deal enough damage, while the Raikage's speed was just slightly inferior to his.
But now, the Raikage's speed had caught up—surpassing even the previous Yellow Flash.
At the same time, however, Minato's lethality and speed had also reached an astonishing new level.
Combined with the Flying Thunder God Technique, a space-time jutsu that couldn't be restricted, the Cloud Shinobi had no way to deal with him.
According to Minato, there were many more ninjas in Konoha with power similar to his.
The Raikage didn't necessarily believe Minato's claim, but when faced with that so-called Hōgyoku Mode, he had no words.
He could sense a power in Minato's Hōgyoku Mode that was similar to Hollowfication.
But unlike the life-threatening risks he endured to gain his power, Konoha seemed to have a much safer method of training it.
The Raikage didn't want to admit that the Hōgyoku Mode was superior to Hollowfication.
But based on the information from their clash, the Hōgyoku Mode wasn't just more refined—it was also a far more mature system.
To put it another way, their Hollowfication Mode was like the crude chakra control of a samurai.
But Konoha's Hōgyoku Mode was like a ninja who had mastered chakra nature transformation and learned actual jutsu.
In terms of understanding, Konoha's Hōgyoku Mode seemed to be the proper—and mainstream—way to use Hollow power.
The core of the negotiation between the two nations was the mutual sharing of technology related to the power of Hollowfication.
Konoha's Technology Development Department was willing to regularly offer a limited number of training slots for Hōgyoku Mode to the Hidden Cloud Village.
In return, the Cloud Shinobi had to disclose their own Hollowfication techniques and cooperate with Konoha on the research involving the Falls of Truth.
Research data on the Falls of Truth would be shared between both sides.
Kagetsu's presence in the delegation was clearly a sign of Konoha's sincerity.
Meanwhile, Namikaze Minato's inclusion was a precaution to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
After all, it was during the Second Hokage's time that something similar had happened—Konoha had just signed a peace treaty with the Land of Lightning, only for the radical militants of the Hidden Cloud to ambush them shortly after.
The Second Hokage lost his life, and the Second Raikage was killed in the same incident.
Dodai led the Konoha delegation into the Hidden Cloud Village.
After showing them to their lodgings, he brought Minato to meet the Raikage, who was already waiting.
The one assigned to host the rest of the Konoha delegation was a young Cloud kunoichi, full of youthful energy.
"So we meet again, Kagetsu!"
The girl strode up to Kagetsu, her tone somewhat clenched with suppressed frustration.
"Lady Yugito, please don't show hostility!"
A nearby Cloud ninja rushed forward nervously, trying to warn the girl.
Konoha and Cloud had just reached a cooperation agreement, and this delegation was undoubtedly being closely monitored by the higher-ups.
No one wanted unnecessary trouble to arise.
"I know, I know! I'm just saying hello to someone I recognize," Yugito said, placing a hand on her hip and shooting an annoyed look at the shinobi trying to stop her.
"You're the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki, right?"
Kagetsu looked at the girl's face and recognized her immediately. He recalled the creature from his side that had fully transformed and severed most of its ties with the Two-Tails—now calling itself Nekomata, a Hollow-beast native to Hueco Mundo.
It was during the early stages of the Third Shinobi World War. He had barely managed to seize that power from Yugito Nii.
And now, the original owner had come knocking.
"So you do remember me!" Yugito snorted. "You took a part of my power permanently back then. Don't you have anything to say for yourself?"
"Let me correct you," Kagetsu replied calmly. "I only took a portion of the Two-Tails' chakra."
"The power of a Tailed Beast is my power! Don't you think you should return that part to me? Matatabi is still holding quite the grudge against you!" Yugito's voice sharpened, her body beginning to emit faint blue flames in the shape of scales.
"Is that so?" Kagetsu smiled, as if something had just occurred to him.
Under the wary eyes of Yugito and the surrounding Kumo shinobi, he bit his finger and began forming hand seals.
With a slap of his palm onto the ground, a puff of white smoke burst forth. A small, black cat with two tails appeared before them all.
"Then let's ask it—whether it wants to return to the Two-Tails and become part of it again."
Kagetsu picked up the still-dazed little cat by the scruff of its neck and tossed it gently into Yugito's arms.
"Is this... the Land of Lightning? And that's Yugito?" The two-tailed cat looked around, taking in its surroundings, and then the familiar face that had come close.
The scent... the chakra... it all triggered a wave of old memories buried deep inside.
At that moment, black flames burst from its body—clashing head-on with the blue flames of the Two-Tails in a fierce standoff.
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