A day and a half later, in the Land of Lightning, inside the Raikage's office at Kumogakure.
Boom!
Before the Fourth Raikage even finished reading Raizo's returned report, his fury exploded. With a single punch, he reduced his desk to splinters.
"This is outrageous!" he bellowed. "Konoha has gone too far. The Hyūga Clan has gone too far. And that Uchiha brat, he's gone the furthest of all!"
A's roar shook the room.
Lightning Release chakra flared across his frame, crackling blue and wild, his mane of blond hair bristling as if every strand was charged. His thick chest and arms looked carved from stone, his white cape marked with green shuriken symbols snapping in the currents of his chakra cloak.
The door slid open.
A woman strode inside, dark-skinned like most Kumogakure shinobi, her long white hair cascading past a face that blended sharp elegance with calm intelligence. Her loose green top and skirt shifted lightly as she moved. Without hesitation, she knelt to gather the scattered documents from the shattered desk.
"Raikage-sama," she said evenly, "what happened? Why are you so furious?"
A's voice was a growl. "It's too much. I couldn't finish reading before my blood boiled over. I'm ready to launch a war, to teach Konoha a lesson they'll never forget."
The woman's expression didn't waver. "Raikage-sama, unless you intend to act alone, the Elders will never approve. Not with the current state of the shinobi world, and not with the Village's condition as it stands."
A's lightning cloak sputtered out, leaving his broad frame outlined in shadow.
His expression, however, remained feral. "Then I'll fight for it! At the very least, we must strike the Uchiha Clan. That much I will not let go unpunished."
His fists clenched. "Their Mangekyō Sharingan is formidable, I admit it. But in a direct fight, I will kill him before he can escape."
He waved her away. "Enough cleaning. Leave that to someone else. Make a copy of the scroll and summon the council. We'll hold a meeting immediately."
"Yes, Raikage-sama," she answered, rising to carry out his order.
Fifteen minutes later, the Raikage sat in his throne-like chair, presiding over a hall filled with Kumogakure's Elders and department heads. His secretary, Mabui , stood at his side to record the proceedings.
"Everyone, take a look at the scroll Raizo sent back. I suggest you control yourselves."
With a gesture, Mabui moved down the rows, handing out the copied reports one by one.
The hall fell silent except for the crackle of paper. Faces darkened as eyes scanned the text. The older Elders merely twitched at the corners of their mouths, restraining themselves. The younger, hot-blooded ones, however, flushed with rage, veins bulging across their temples.
Slams echoed through the room as palms struck tables. One after another, voices rose in fury, some outright shouting to invade Konoha and crush the Uchiha.
Raizo's report contained every word Gen had spoken, unfiltered, recorded with cold precision. Any shinobi with a shred of loyalty to Kumogakure would burn with fury at those insults.
"Quiet!" A's thunderous command silenced the chamber instantly.
"You've all read it. You've all seen it. Konoha's arrogance. The Hyūga's arrogance. And above all, the Uchiha's arrogance. To them, Kumogakure is nothing."
His voice boomed like rolling thunder. "When has Kumogakure ever suffered such humiliation? I say we launch a full-scale war. We'll burn the Uchiha, the Hyūga, and Konoha until they kneel. This time, I will personally march with Killer B and lead from the front!"
Kumogakure had always been a militant village. The younger leaders' blood surged at the prospect.
But the older, seasoned Elders quickly leaned forward, their tones urgent.
"Raikage-sama, please, calm yourself."
"I share your anger, but war cannot be decided in anger."
"Decisions made in fury lead only to regret."
"The shinobi world is still unstable. If we clash with Konoha, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, or even Sunagakure will take advantage. The moment it turns into a stalemate, all the strength we've built these years will crumble. We might even fall beneath Sunagakure and become the weakest of the Five."
Another voice followed. "The Third Great Ninja War ended not long ago. Now is the time to consolidate our strength to widen the gap between us and the others. When the Fourth War comes, we will reap the rewards."
Their words cooled the heat in the room. The younger shinobi clenched fists and grit teeth, but their breathing slowed as the logic sank in.
A's lips peeled back in frustration. "So what, we do nothing? What about a small-scale war? Another front beyond the Land of Rice Fields perhaps the Land of Hot Water. Strike from the north and northeast. Pressure the Land of Fire directly."
But the Elders shook their heads.
"Raikage-sama, such a skirmish achieves little. Even if we win, the gains would be negligible without larger support. And if we push further, we risk sliding into the very war we just ruled out."
"The smart path is stability. At this pace, Kumogakure will eventually surpass Konoha outright. Then we will be the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Nations."
"When that day comes, expansion will be our destiny. Not today."
Their reasoning was hard to deny.
In truth, history itself would later show that Kumogakure's military did grow to rival, even surpass, Konoha's and strong enough that the Allied Shinobi Forces would place the Raikage himself as supreme commander.
The only thing Kumogakure had never foreseen was the sheer number of 'cheaters' Konoha would produce, prodigies and monsters, one after another, reshaping the war itself.
A exhaled sharply, jaw clenched. "So you mean we just swallow this humiliation?"
"Not swallow," one Elder corrected quickly. "Endure. Prioritize stability. Kumogakure is no weakling village."
"That's right," another agreed. "We are saying only that war is off the table. Any other method of retaliation, however, that is still open."
A grunted. "Hmph. That's more like it."
His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Konoha, I will let pass for now. They yielded us some benefits, at least. The Hyūga... fine, I'll let that go as well. Their methods were dishonorable, but it was for Kumogakure's strength."
"But the Uchiha?" His fist slammed into the armrest. "Never. We didn't provoke them. Yet they interfered, sabotaged our plan, and their clan head dared to humiliate Kumogakure outright. If we let that stand, they'll keep spitting on us in the future."
He swept the chamber with a glare. "So. Who has an idea for retaliation?"
The room went still. The Uchiha were not easy targets. As Konoha's Police Force, they rarely left the village, making strikes difficult.
One official muttered, "Perhaps… strike at their businesses?"
A's eyes flicked to him. "That could work. But too slow, too indirect. Not our style. Keep it on the list."
Then, suddenly, a sharp clap rang through the room. An Elder leaned forward, eyes glittering, lips curling into a grin.
"Hah! I have it. A perfect idea!"