Even with only one arm remaining, a spear was still a spear.
And the strongest spear… would always be the strongest spear.
The impact might not be as overwhelming as before, but it was far from negligible.
The Third Raikage had never been a shinobi who relied purely on brute ninjutsu. His strength lay in the fusion of chakra, body, and technique. Losing an arm did not mean he had been crippled.
At most, it meant his methods would change.
"Father!"
The voice of Ay rang out sharply through the tent.
"We should attack Konoha directly. As long as we keep Shiki occupied, the rest of Konoha's forces are nothing!"
Ay's irritation was barely contained.
To him, remaining here served no purpose.
In his eyes, Konoha's greatest threat was Shiki alone. Without him, those remaining two thousand Konoha shinobi would never be able to stand against six thousand elite shinobi from Kumogakure.
And Ay wasn't the only one who thought so.
Many within the Cloud shared the same belief.
Shiki was the real obstacle.
Everyone else?
Just obstacles that could be crushed through momentum alone.
"Lord Ay," the Raikage's assistant said quickly, his voice strained, "even if we're going to attack Konoha, we still need a concrete plan."
Among the Five Great Villages, being the Raikage's assistant in Kumogakure was arguably the most exhausting position imaginable.
A village filled with hot-blooded powerhouses who preferred action over strategy and rarely listened to reason.
Ay turned, eyes blazing, staring straight at him.
"Then you tell me," Ay demanded. "Is there a better option?"
"..."
If there were, would I still be standing here with this expression?
The assistant let out a quiet sigh.
Before he could speak again—
A Kumogakure shinobi appeared in the conference hall in a blur, kneeling instantly.
"Lord Raikage! A message from our covert agent inside Konoha!"
"A covert agent?"
Ay frowned instinctively.
At a time like this, Konoha's camp should have been sealed tighter than ever.
How could information get through?
The timing was suspicious but the Third Raikage raised a hand calmly.
"Hand it over."
The scroll was passed forward.
The Third Raikage opened it.
His eyes scanned the contents.
Then...
A long-lost smile appeared on his stern face.
"Father?" Ay blinked.
"Lord Raikage?" the assistant echoed, startled.
The sudden shift in expression left everyone confused.
What kind of information could possibly make the Third Raikage laugh now?
"See for yourselves," he said, tossing the scroll forward.
Ay caught it, unrolled it and froze.
Moments later, murmurs spread through the room.
"…Tch. Disgusting."
"In a war, they're willing to sell out their own people?"
"So this is Konoha—the so-called First Village of the Shinobi World?"
The scroll detailed a transaction between Konoha's internal traitor and Kumogakure's covert agent.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
Camp deployment layouts.
Shiki's tent location.
And—most importantly—the place where Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails' jinchūriki, was being held.
Kumogakure had always looked down on the other villages.
Konoha. Sunagakure. Iwagakure. Kirigakure.
Every one of them had shadows lurking beneath their foundations.
But Kumogakure?
For all their recklessness, they were clean.
Planning and scheming simply wasn't their style.
"Could this be a trap?" the assistant asked cautiously.
The timing was too perfect.
"What are you afraid of for?" the Third Raikage barked, slamming a hand against the table as he stood.
"We have numbers. We have strength. Even if it is a trap, I've never feared anyone!"
Even after losing an arm to Shiki—
Even after being defeated—
The Third Raikage's will had never wavered.
"Now," he said, voice booming, "we assign tasks."
"Yes!"
The entire room straightened.
In Kumogakure, once the Third Raikage spoke, the decision was final.
"Ay," he said, turning. "You and Killer B will restrain Shiki. You don't need to defeat him... just keep him occupied."
Ay grinned.
That was exactly the kind of task he wanted.
"Yo!" Killer B laughed, bouncing lightly on his feet. "Let's show him the power of the A–B combo!"
Reckless?
Yes.
But when it came to challenging monsters, no one in Kumogakure backed down.
"And I," the Third Raikage continued, "will personally rescue Yugito Nii. Using the camp layout, we move fast and clean."
"The rest of you will surround Konoha's camp from the outside. Be ready for anything."
He paused, voice hardening.
"Remember—this operation is about rescuing Yugito. Nothing more."
With Shiki present, assassinating him was unrealistic.
But rescuing the Two-Tails?
That was victory enough.
At the same time...
Inside Konoha's camp.
Shiki sat quietly in the conference tent, one hand resting casually on the hilt of his blade.
Relaxed.
Almost lazy.
That alone made Nara Shikaku, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, and the remaining jōnin deeply uneasy.
"Lord Shiki…" Shikaku asked carefully. "What exactly are you doing here?"
Shiki rarely attended meetings unless it mattered.
And today, he had arrived without explanation.
"Waiting," Shiki replied lightly.
"…For?"
"A good show."
Shikaku blinked.
"A good show?"
Shiki smiled faintly and suddenly looked up, gaze locking onto a distant direction.
"It's starting."
Before anyone could ask—
A furious roar echoed through the entire camp.
"SHIKI! COME OUT AND DIE!"
The alarm spread instantly.
"Enemy attack!"
"All units—defensive positions!"
Shiki stood, stretching casually.
"Let's go," he said. "Might as well greet them properly."
Outside—
Ay and Killer B stood at the center of the camp, surrounded by Konoha shinobi.
They ignored them all.
Their eyes were fixed on one man.
Shiki.
"Die!" Ay roared.
The image of his father's severed arm burned in his mind.
Before anyone could react, Ay vanished in a flash of lightning.
"Big bro!" Killer B shouted, too late.
Ay was already there.
Lightning chakra engulfed his body as he drove forward.
"Hell Stab!"
Shiki raised a hand.
He didn't draw his sword.
Pitch-black Armament Haki wrapped around his arm instead.
Their gazes met.
"Die," Ay snarled.
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