This young man, who appears to be no older than thirty, is none other than the Fourth Raikage of the Hidden Cloud. He is the son of the late Third Raikage and his mastery of Lightning Style Nin-Taijutsu is on par with his father's when he was young.
"How can I remain calm about this? The Tsuchikage, as one of the Five Kage, shamelessly utilizes renegade ninjas, it's unforgivable! And what's going on with Konoha? Why haven't they dispatched pursuit squads to eliminate the renegade ninjas immediately? We must hold Konoha accountable for this!"
The Fourth Raikage was still burning with anger.
In recent days, reports have repeatedly come in about patrol units in the Hidden Cloud being ambushed, and the person responsible has been confirmed to be Hyuga Ayane, an S-ranked rogue ninja who has defected from Konoha.
Due to the suspicious targeting of Hidden Cloud Ninja, and considering her previous assistance to the Hidden Rock on the battlefield in the Land of Grass, the Fourth Raikage quickly concluded that Hyuga Ayane has been hired by the Hidden Rock's Tsuchikage, Onoki, to target the Hidden Cloud.
"Although the Tsuchikage's actions indeed smear the reputation of the 'Five Kage,' now is not the time to hold them accountable."
"I know that very well. Dodai, immediately assemble the troops, I will personally eliminate that woman, and along the way, acquire a pair of Byakugan."
The Fourth Raikage ordered a Hidden Cloud Jonin with an eyepatch.
Amidst his anger, he maintained a certain level of composure. He understood it wasn't the time to hold parties responsible, but from another perspective, the appearance of Byakugan on their battlefield wasn't entirely a bad thing for the Hidden Cloud.
If they could get their hands on those eyes, the previous losses could be completely ignored, and it would greatly benefit the Hidden Cloud.
"This is too reckless, Raikage-sama, the enemy's abilities are still unclear."
Dodai frowned.
Even though the Fourth Raikage, who had only recently become Raikage, was indeed powerful compared to ordinary Jonin, he was still somewhat inexperienced compared to the deceased Third Raikage.
Based on some intelligence gathered by the Hidden Cloud, Hyuga Ayane in the Land of Grass single-handedly caused suffering to Konoha Ninja there, nearly forcing them to retreat into the Land of Fire.
It's reported that even after encountering a Root squad led by the Dark Ninja Shimura Danzo, she survived unscathed and inflicted heavy losses on Konoha's Root, with Shimura Danzo losing an arm.
Although the specifics of the battle were unknown, judging by the final outcome, her strength likely exceeded that of the newly appointed Fourth Raikage.
"I have my own thoughts on this matter. My Lightning Style Chakra Mode may not yet match my dad's, but in terms of speed, I have the advantage over him. Dad said that in the Ninja Realm, no one can keep up with my speed."
The Fourth Raikage's tone was filled with confidence regarding his speed.
His father, the Third Raikage, sacrificed certain speed advantages to focus his power on defense and attack, thereby earning the fame of having the strongest shield and spear.
He, however, took a different approach, realizing early that no amount of physical training would allow him to rival his father, the Third Raikage, in physical prowess. Hence, he decided at that time to forsake certain defensive and offensive abilities, focusing his advantages on the speed he excels at.
Dodai sighed helplessly, seeing the Fourth Raikage's determination and knowing any further dissuasion was futile.
Not only the Fourth Raikage, but the deceased Third Raikage was also the same. Once they made a heated decision, it was difficult to reason them out of it.
However, it's precisely this decisive attitude, leading the charge in every battle, that greatly boosts the morale of Hidden Cloud Village Ninja, allowing them to crush the enemy from the front.
"Understood, Raikage-sama. Since you insist on this course of action, let me at least accompany you. The opponent hails from the Hyuga Clan, and her Gentle Fist can bypass your Lightning Style Armor and strike directly at the heart."
Dodai's expression turned serious.
He agreed to the Fourth Raikage's impulsive request, but only in exchange for his own participation in the battle.
"Suit yourself. Make haste, I'm already eager to get my hands on those Byakugan."
Dodai nodded, then proceeded to select elite Ninja from the Hidden Cloud to assist the Fourth Raikage in his quest for the Byakugan.
However, truth be told, Dodai didn't believe this mission would be highly successful.
The Raikage-sama was too impatient; they should first send other squads to probe the enemy's capabilities. Dodai sighed inwardly.
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"Is this the next target?"
In the forest on a large island, Ayane avoided the watchful eyes of the surrounding Hidden Cloud patrol Ninja and began heading toward her destination.
After several attacks, she had investigated and understood the Hidden Cloud squad's patrol patterns, and with the help of the Byakugan, avoiding the watchful eyes of Hidden Cloud Ninja wasn't difficult.
Ayane used the route map provided by the Hidden Rock to delve deeper into the island's interior.
With her Byakugan activated, everything within a ten-kilometer radius was within her grasp.
About a thousand Hidden Cloud Village Ninja were gathered on this island.
Half of them were concentrated in one camp, likely protecting something important.
Ayane knew very well that it was the supply point marked on the route map.
To obtain information about this supply point, the Hidden Rock sacrificed more than a dozen Earth Style Ninja skilled in infiltration before finally pinpointing the location of this supply point.