Raikage's Office.
The teacup on the desk trembled ever so slightly.
The ANBU had just reported the Akatsuki's full-scale invasion to the Fifth Raikage, Darui.
Not that the report was necessary even from within the Raikage's office, the sounds of battle could be faintly heard, explosions rumbling in the distance.
Darui muttered to his aide, Cee, with frustration, "I can't believe the Akatsuki could pull this off."
The Raikage's secretary, Mabui, was currently en route to Konohagakure on a diplomatic mission. For now, it was Cee who had taken over as Darui's right hand, assisting with affairs of the village.
The intelligence previously sent by Konoha hadn't been exaggerated at all.
Each member of the Akatsuki was an S-rank criminal, a walking catastrophe with enough power to destroy a nation singlehandedly. Their leader was said to possess the legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths.
Their ultimate goal: to capture all nine Tailed Beasts and use them to dominate the world.
At present, the Two-Tails through the Seven-Tails had already been taken. Only the Eight-Tails in the Hidden Cloud and the One-Tail and Nine-Tails in the Hidden Leaf remained.
Cee's expression was grim as he looked out the window. In the distance, the roar of summoned beasts and the deafening crash of jutsu rang out in a chaotic symphony.
As a sensor-type shinobi, Cee could feel it every second, someone in the village was dying.
He spoke in a low voice. "It's worse than we imagined. Darui, you have to make a decision."
The Hidden Cloud, brought to this state?
Darui's sorrowful gaze drifted to the portrait of the Fourth Raikage hanging on the wall. The man who had always led from the front was now reduced to a mere image.
The current state of the Hidden Cloud was dire.
After the Fourth Raikage's death during the campaign in the Land of Fire, the village had lost many of its elite forces. Nearly half of their jonin were still away on missions to fulfill the obligations of being one of the Five Great Nations.
It could be said that this was the Hidden Cloud's weakest moment since the rebellion of the Gold and Silver Brothers.
And more than that... Darui himself, as the Fifth Raikage, wasn't as strong as his predecessor.
Their target could only be Killer Bee… but what am I supposed to do? Darui frowned deeply, unable to reach a decision.
Just then
"Raikage-sama!" a blood-covered ANBU ninja stumbled into the room.
Formalities forgotten, he shouted in panic, "Latest intel! The enemy has breached the final defense perimeter and is advancing rapidly toward the Raikage Tower!"
There was no more time to hesitate.
Darui took a deep breath and turned to Cee. "Cee, send Omoi, Karui, Atsui, and Samui. Have them locate Killer Bee."
Cee frowned. "You're summoning Bee back to defend the village?"
That would make sense. At present, Killer Bee was arguably the village's strongest asset. As a perfect jinchūriki, he might be their only hope against the Akatsuki.
But Darui shook his head. "No. Even if Bee comes back, he won't be able to stop them."
Cee's confusion only deepened. Ever since Darui became Raikage, his thinking had become harder to predict.
"Then what are you saying?"
"I'm telling you to send them with Bee. Have them rendezvous with Mabui's delegation and head for the Hidden Leaf."
Darui paused before adding, "You're going too."
Cee's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the unfamiliar expression on Darui's face.
He couldn't help but raise his voice. "What are you planning?!"
Darui inhaled slowly and rose to his feet. He took down the Raikage's hat from the wall and handed it to Cee.
"Give this to Bee."
"I'll buy you all time."
Cee tried to speak, to dissuade him, but Darui cut him off immediately.
"The final battle with the Akatsuki isn't here in the Hidden Cloud. It's in the Hidden Leaf."
The One-Tail and the Nine-Tails were both in Konoha.
"If I die, Bee becomes the next Raikage."
Darui slung his sword over his back and gave his final order. "Cee. That's a direct order from the Raikage."
Suddenly, the entire building shook violently. Dust fell from the ceiling. The fighting had reached the Raikage Tower.
Cee was silent for a moment, then said, "Take care, Darui."
With that, he turned and left.
As Darui watched Cee's retreating figure, he couldn't help but shout after him, "Tell Bee this time, it's my turn to cover the retreat!"
Cee nodded and continued forward without looking back.
Darui turned his eyes to the portrait of the Fourth Raikage on the wall.
He whispered, "Now it's my turn to protect the pride of the Hidden Cloud."
The Fifth Raikage, Darui, gathered every remaining combat-capable ANBU and headed to the battlefield.
…
The Hidden Cloud's envoy team had just reached the borders of the Hidden Leaf. Even from afar, they could see its towering walls and bustling skyline.
They paused briefly to rest and waited for Konoha's reception squad.
Standing on a high vantage point, Mabui looked toward the village in the distance and couldn't help but sigh. "Konoha's development is staggering. No wonder the Raikage made the decision he did back then."
By Raikage, she meant the Fourth.
Her memory drifted to that pre-war meeting. The Fourth Raikage had slammed his fist onto the operations map and roared, "We strike now, or lose our chance forever!" His voice still echoed in her mind.
But in the end, the plan failed.
Now, here they were, seeking peace through humiliating reparations. The dignity of the Hidden Cloud had died alongside the Fourth Raikage in the Land of Fire.
A wave of sorrow washed over her. What future awaited the Hidden Cloud now?
"Mabui-sama?" A young genin approached nervously, holding a canteen. "It looks like Konoha's escort is here."
Mabui turned and saw a tall, lean figure approaching with a team.
Shikaku Nara had his hands tucked casually into his pockets. Over his black battle gear, he wore a loose-fitting Konoha flak jacket. He spoke with a lazy drawl.
"I'm Shikaku Nara, jonin of the Hidden Leaf. I'll be overseeing this negotiation on behalf of the Hokage."
"So this is the Sleeping Dragon of the Leaf," Mabui said. "The man they call the sharpest mind in the shinobi world."
"It seems the Hokage has sent someone he truly trusts."
Shikaku's expression twitched slightly.
So even the Raikage's delegation had heard the Hokage's tall tales about him? Just how far had those stories spread?
…
"I'm not leaving. I'm not becoming Raikage. I want to fight!"
Killer Bee threw the Raikage hat back, shouting furiously.
"That punk Darui's trying to act all cool! I'm going back to save him!"
How could he stand by while his village was under attack? As the Hidden Cloud's strongest warrior, how could he run away now?
That cursed Akatsuki had hurt his brother, killed Yugito Nii and now they wanted to kill Darui too?
They'd come knocking on his door. If he didn't fight now, when would he take his revenge?
Cee sighed and handed Bee a scroll containing the intelligence Konoha had shared. "They've already confirmed it. The Akatsuki's goal is to gather all nine Tailed Beasts and use them to control the world. If you go back now, you're walking straight into their trap."
The Akatsuki leader possessed the Rinnegan, the legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. Konoha's assessment was chilling:
"In today's shinobi world, he's practically invincible."
Bee fell silent, reading through the report. His heart twisted with conflict.
Inside him, the Eight-Tails spoke.
"Bee... that guy has the Rinnegan and he's after all of us Tailed Beasts... I have a really bad feeling about this."
Cee repeated firmly, "Killer Bee-sama. This is a direct order from the Raikage."
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