The tension in the air was thick as Akira stood at the edge of the battlefield, his gaze unwavering as he spoke.
"If this is the condition for the Cloud Ninja to retreat, then fine. I can agree to it. After all, there's no benefit to me if this matter gets out."
His voice, calm and resolute, echoed in the silence that followed the aftermath of a brutal confrontation. The wind tugged at his cloak, and his sharp eyes fixed upon the towering figure of the Third Raikage.
"By the way," Akira continued, his tone sharpening, "you won't be bringing more people back here in the future, will you? If something like that happens again, I won't be polite. Whether it's 10,000 or 20,000 people, I'll wipe them all out—leaving none alive."
The audacity of the statement stunned even the most seasoned warriors. Could one man possibly have enough chakra to destroy tens of thousands of elite ninja?
The Third Raikage narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable, but inwardly, he scoffed. Wipe out 20,000 of us? Does he even have that much chakra? Let alone 20,000, he doubted Akira could handle 10,000. The young warrior had triumphed over him mostly by relying on deception and trickery. He couldn't possibly be that much stronger.
Still, the Third Raikage wasn't foolish enough to challenge him again. He understood when he was outmatched, and the devastating losses his forces had suffered were proof enough.
They had originally chosen to attack the Land of Rice Fields because they believed the resistance would be minimal compared to the Land of Hot Water. But now, that belief had shattered. This wasn't a small hurdle; this was a mountainous wall.
In truth, if he had attacked the Hot Water Ninja Village with his 1,500 men, it would've been a clean victory. That minor nation's village barely had 2,000 ninjas. But instead, here in the Land of Rice Fields, he had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of one man—Akira.
The Third Raikage silently vowed never to step foot into this land again. Better to return and face Konoha than risk another encounter with Akira.
He spoke then, his voice tight with suppressed frustration, "Very well. You have my word. The Cloud Ninja will not step into the Land of Rice Fields again."
Akira gave a curt nod. "It's best if that's the case. Then rest assured—I won't spread word of what happened here."
In a blur of movement, Akira vanished, leaving only a gust of wind in his wake.
The Raikage exhaled deeply, a rare moment of visible relief. Truthfully, even if his weakness were to be exposed, few could exploit it—his speed was overwhelming. But the shame of being defeated, and the potential damage to his reputation, was another matter entirely.
After all, his pride didn't rest solely in his One-Finger Nukite, but in his unmatched physical resilience—a trait revered across the ninja world.
As Akira disappeared over the horizon, the three Cloud Ninja who had remained on guard finally relaxed their stances. The unspoken conversation between their leader and Akira had left them confused, but clearly, the danger had passed. For now.
Half a day later, the battlefield began to stir. The Cloud Ninja who had been incapacitated by Akira's Air Shockwave began to regain consciousness.
Their condition, however, was grim. Those who had fought Akira head-on were left with shattered limbs, ruptured organs, and in the most tragic cases—lifeless bodies. Over sixty were confirmed dead. Coupled with the forty lost in their prior advance party, they had lost over a hundred men. And they hadn't even seen a single Konoha ninja.
Their goal had been to press into the Land of Fire. Instead, they had been turned away by a single man. A devastating loss, both in morale and manpower.
The Third Raikage, bruised and battered, led the remaining 1,400 Cloud Ninja out of the Land of Rice Fields. Before they left the border, he paused, a thought gnawing at him.
"By the way," he called out to Akira, who had been observing from a distance. "We had an advance team—forty men. They infiltrated the Land of Rice Fields ahead of us. All of them were killed. That had nothing to do with you, did it?"
Before, they had assumed Konoha was responsible. But now, seeing Akira's power, the possibility lingered that he had done it.
Akira replied without hesitation. "No. That matter had nothing to do with me. The Sound Ninja Village was only officially established yesterday. That incident was likely handled by Konoha ninjas hired by the daimyo."
The Third Raikage nodded slowly. So Arui's body is probably in Konoha's hands, he thought. Did they uncover its secrets?
Without further delay, the Cloud forces retreated.
Akira didn't escort them. He didn't need to. Any sensible ninja would know that the safest path now was back to the Cloud Village. News of their defeat—and the Raikage's injury—would soon spread across the continent. If they didn't hurry, they risked being intercepted. Not everyone was as forgiving as Akira.
As they disappeared into the distance, Akira turned and walked back toward the capital. The samurai of the Land of Rice Fields cheered wildly, chanting his name. He had protected them, crushed a mighty invading force, and walked away with calm dignity.
At the city gates, the daimyo himself stood waiting, radiant with joy.
"Lord Akira! You have returned victorious!" he beamed, bowing low in respect.
He eagerly accompanied Akira to the palace, dismissing the servants and pouring tea himself.
"Mr. Scorpion," he said, using Akira's moniker, "you are a young genius without equal. You have defeated the Raikage and single-handedly overwhelmed an entire army. From today onward, you may very well be considered the strongest ninja in the world."
Akira smiled modestly. "I was only able to win through careful planning and by using every ounce of my strength. Had their numbers been higher, I might not have succeeded."
Still, he knew what this victory meant. "But you're right about one thing—the name 'Sando' will spread quickly. We must act swiftly. We should announce the founding of the Sound Ninja Village and begin accepting commissions immediately. Have the land and funds you promised been prepared?"
The daimyo nodded eagerly. "Yes, and I will double the funding as a gesture of my gratitude. But are you sure? The village is still new. You have no other ninja yet. Can you handle tasks?"
"I have 100 elite ninja under my command. That's more than enough for now. We'll start with high-priority, high-reward missions. Meanwhile, I will train your samurai to become ninja. We'll also recruit wandering or rogue ninja in the region. In time, we'll raise a new generation from among the children of this land."
Akira's plan was clear. While the great nations waged war, the Sound Ninja would rise.
The daimyo was thrilled. Not only had he secured a hero, but Akira had offered to empower his samurai—a personal army that remained loyal to him.
The next day, the Land of Rice Fields formally announced the founding of the Sound Ninja Village. Though the buildings were still under construction, they declared that they were open for commissions.
The world was changing. And in that shifting tide, a new power had emerged—led by a man named Akira, also known as Scorpion. A man who had crushed the Raikage, repelled an army, and dared to reshape the future of the ninja world.