The Daimyō's residence, Land of Lightning.
Inside the lavish, gold-and-jade palace, candlelight flickered, casting shadows over the grim face of the Land of Lightning's Daimyō.
As the days passed, his anxiety only grew.
If Senju Tobirama were to arrive in the Land of Lightning alive, and he was forced to lower himself to negotiate with the Hokage, then where would the dignity of the Daimyō be?
How would he maintain his standing in the circle of daimyōs in the future?
No—he absolutely could not allow such a thing to happen!
As long as "an accident" befell Senju Tobirama on the way here, the situation afterward would never come to pass.
The Land of Lightning's Daimyō sat on his high seat, impatiently tapping his fingers on the armrest, his gaze fixed on the Second Raikage.
"So, the assassination failed?"
The Second Raikage fell silent for a moment before replying in a deep voice: "…Yes, Daimyō-sama."
"Useless!" The Daimyō slammed the table, toppling the teacup on it. Tea splashed onto the expensive silk carpet.
His eyes flashed with rage and contempt.
"I gave you the opportunity, yet you couldn't even kill one Senju Tobirama?"
The Second Raikage's fists clenched slightly, knuckles whitening, but he maintained his composure and spoke in a low voice:
"Senju Tobirama is no ordinary shinobi—he is the Hokage of Konohagakure. Succeeding in an assassination would be very difficult…"
"Heh." The Daimyō gave a cold chuckle, slowly settling back into his seat as his fingers stroked his chin. "It seems the shinobi of Kumogakure are nothing special after all."
The Second Raikage's pupils shrank sharply. Fury surged in his chest, but he could only force it down and remain silent.
This damned fool, talking without lifting a finger himself.
If Senju Tobirama were that easy to kill, Kumogakure wouldn't have lost the war in the first place.
The Daimyō narrowed his eyes, his tone icy:
"Since you can't even handle such a small matter, I see no reason to continue wasting funds on you. Starting next month, the military budget will be cut by thirty percent."
"What?!" The Raikage's head snapped up, a flicker of shock and anger flashing in his eyes.
A budget cut meant the village's strength would be greatly weakened, and could even affect the training and equipment supply for shinobi!
His fists clenched in fury, faint arcs of lightning dancing around him, the violent chakra making the candle flames in the hall flicker.
The guards around the Daimyō immediately tensed.
The Raikage fixed the Daimyō in the main seat with a sharp gaze and said in a deep voice,
"I ask you… to rescind that order."
If the Daimyō insisted on being obstinate, the Raikage would have no choice but to remove him personally.
The impact would be great, yes—but for the village's future, there was no other choice.
After all, killing the Daimyō would be far easier than killing Senju Tobirama…
The Daimyō's pupils contracted, his once-arrogant expression instantly stiffening.
He instinctively leaned back, fingers gripping the armrest tightly, Adam's apple bobbing.
"You… what kind of attitude is that?!" He tried to maintain his authority, but his voice trembled slightly.
The Raikage gave no answer—only took a step forward.
"Boom—!"
Violent Lightning Release chakra erupted, cracking the floor beneath his feet. His gaze locked on the Daimyō like that of a beast about to strike.
"I said—" the Raikage enunciated each word, "Re-scind—that—order."
The Daimyō's face went pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
What was wrong with this new Raikage?! How dare he threaten him like this!
He had been Daimyō for so many years, and everyone had always treated him with utmost respect. This was the first time something like this had happened.
A madman—this man was definitely a madman!
The guards in the hall drew their weapons one after another, but none dared to step forward.
"…Fine." The Daimyō finally forced out the word through gritted teeth, barely preserving the last shred of his dignity. "Since the Raikage insists… the matter of the budget will be put aside for now."
The arcs of lightning around the Raikage slowly subsided, but his gaze remained cold and fixed on the Daimyō.
"However—" the Daimyō forced himself to add, "the matter of Senju Tobirama—you must resolve it!"
The Raikage was silent for a moment before giving a small nod.
"I will handle it."
With that, he turned and strode away.
The Daimyō collapsed into his chair, his hands trembling slightly.
It had been so many years, and this was the first time he had been so tense…
If he had made one wrong move just now, he would have been torn to pieces.
There was no doubt—the brute was fully capable of doing it!
The Daimyō's gaze followed the Raikage's departing back, a trace of venom flashing in his eyes.
"A mere shinobi… dares to threaten me…"
But he only dared to say it in his heart, afraid the Raikage might hear.
...
Land of Lightning border. Heavy clouds loomed.
The Second Raikage stood atop a cliff. Behind him, six Kumogakure elite jōnin knelt on one knee.
"Is the intel confirmed?" the Raikage asked.
"Yes." One of the jōnin raised his head and reported, "The Konoha diplomatic mission has entered the canyon area. Estimated time of arrival—one hour."
The Raikage slowly clenched his fist, knuckles cracking.
"Prepare to move."
"Understood!"
...
Deep within the canyon, Senju Tobirama led the team forward.
Renya walked at the very front, his three-tomoe Sharingan scanning the towering rock walls on both sides.
This place really was perfect for an ambush—once enemies were hidden on both sides, it would be nearly impossible for those inside to escape.
His fingers rested on the hilt of his blade, "Mukō," muscles taut.
His instincts told him—the area was far from safe.
"Prepare to engage the enemy," Senju Tobirama suddenly said, his gaze fixed ahead.
In his sensory range, several powerful chakra signatures were rushing toward them at high speed.
Each one was at least elite jōnin level…
Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately summoned Enma, Shimura Danzō drew the Seven Stars Blade and Gold Rope, and Mitokado Koharu held the Crimson Gourd tightly in her arms.
Uchiha Kagami and Mitokado Homura flanked their teacher on both sides.
"They're here!" As Renya's words fell, seven figures suddenly appeared ahead.
The Second Raikage stood at the front, killing intent surging in his eyes.
"Senju Tobirama—your life is mine!"
"All units, engage!" Senju Tobirama barked coldly, his hands instantly flashing through seals.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A massive wall of water rose up from the ground, blocking the rain of kunai hurled by Kumogakure shinobi.
Renya noted that all six opponents were elite jōnin level, his eyes turning cold.
"Kumogakure has finally sent proper opponents."
The earlier chūnin didn't even count as an assassination attempt…
"That's the Poison Master from the intel—everyone, be careful!" one elite jōnin shouted, pointing at Renya.
Renya didn't hesitate—he instantly flashed toward the shouting Kumogakure elite jōnin.
"Since you've recognized me, I can't let you live!"
The sooner such nuisances were gone, the better.
As Renya struck first, the battle erupted instantly!
Each person quickly found an opponent—it was obvious they had come fully prepared.
The Second Raikage charged at Senju Tobirama first, lightning crackling around his body as he leapt high into the air to unleash a jutsu.
In an instant, violent lightning poured down from the sky, illuminating the dark canyon.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo