The intelligence deliberately spread by Akatsuki quickly circulated through the underground bounty exchange, spreading throughout the Ninja World like a massive rock thrown into a calm lake, quickly stirring up ripples within the intelligence networks of all major powers.
The combination of keywords… 'Land of Stars', 'Shura', and 'Uchiha'… was enough to draw the serious attention of any Kage.
Kumogakure, the Raikage's office.
A heavy thud echoed in the office. The Fourth Raikage, A, wasn't wearing his symbolic white Raikage Cloak, but only a black sleeveless undershirt, exposing his muscular arms.
The stump where his left hand and forearm were missing was particularly conspicuous, but it didn't affect his strength in the slightest.
At this moment, using only his right hand, his five fingers like iron pincers, he gripped an astonishingly heavy oversized dumbbell, effortlessly and steadily performing curls.
Each movement showcased his bulging muscles, full of explosive power. Fine sweat beads dotted his bronze skin, testament to his unrelenting training.
The office door opened quietly, and his secretary, Mabui, entered. She wore the standard Kumogakure's Ninja Uniform, the faint scar on her forehead a record of the ferocity of the attack years ago.
She held a scroll in her hand, her expression calm yet carrying a trace of gravity.
"Raikage-sama." Mabui bowed slightly.
"Hn." Raikage grunted from his nose, his movements not stopping, but his gaze swept over, "What is it?"
"The underground bounty exchange intelligence network has a new important update regarding the Land of Stars and that Shura." Mabui presented the scroll, "The speed and scope of the intelligence dissemination are highly unusual. Preliminary assessment suggests someone is spreading it with a specific purpose."
"Shura?!" Raikage's movements halted abruptly. The muscles in his right arm instantly tensed, the massive dumbbell pausing mid-air as if weightless.
Fury blazed in his eyes like a beast whose scales had been touched. The air in the office seemed to grow stagnant and hot from his anger.
"That bastard!" Raikage's voice thundered, making the windows rattle. He slammed the dumbbell onto the ground with a loud boom, causing spider-web cracks to instantly appear on the sturdy floor.
"Mobilize the troops immediately! I'll lead them myself, raze that damn Land of Stars to the ground! I'll rip his head off and use it as a ball!" Raikage roared, his remaining right fist clenched, faint lightning flickering around it, showing his extremely agitated state.
Mabui seemed to have anticipated the Raikage's reaction. Unfazed by his ferocity, she calmly adjusted her glasses and reminded him in a steady voice, "Raikage-sama, please calm down. The Land of Stars is located in the western part of the continent and does not border our country. Vast stretches of the Land of Earth and several other countries lie between us. A large-scale military operation simply cannot bypass Iwagakure's surveillance. And our relationship with Iwagakure..." She paused, emphasizing, "...remains hostile."
"..." Raikage's chest heaved violently, his rough breathing audible. Mabui's words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing part of his impulse, but allowing another, deeper, more humiliating fury to burn in his heart. The painful memories of the Third Great Ninja War instantly flooded back… his father, the Third Raikage, holding off ten thousand Iwagakure's Ninjas alone to cover their retreat, eventually dying from exhaustion, worn down by that old fox Onoki! This sea of blood and hatred, he had never forgotten for a moment!
And immediately following that were the two disastrous encounters with the mysterious man who called himself Shura.
The first time, the other party single-handedly assaulted Kumogakure, moving as if through uninhabited land, clashing head-on with him and B's [A-B Combo], not only severely injuring them but also causing over two hundred Ninja casualties within the village before leaving unscathed, leaving behind a scene of devastation and a bounty of seventy million ryo. It was an unprecedented humiliation in Kumogakure's history!
The second time, learning the other party was in the Land of Lightning's Hell Valley, he didn't hesitate, personally leading twelve Anbu Elites, including Darui and C, to encircle and suppress him, swearing to wipe away the shame.
The result?
Another crushing defeat!
B and Yugito, the two Perfect Jinchuriki, were critically injured, near death.
Among the twelve Elite Anbu, more than half dead or wounded. Even he himself paid the heavy price of his left arm!
These two blood debts were like red-hot brands, deeply seared into Raikage's heart, burning him day and night. He constantly thought of revenge, of tearing Shura to pieces.
He punched the nearby desk fiercely. The hard wooden surface shattered with a crash, splinters flying.
"Damn the distance! Damn Onoki!" Raikage growled, his voice hoarse from suppressing rage.
He knew Mabui was stating facts. Launching a large-scale war across most of the ninja world was simply unrealistic… it would only give the watching Iwagakure and Konoha an opportunity.
He forced himself to calm down, took a few deep breaths, and asked in a low voice, "What about Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure? Any movement? How are they reacting to this intel?"
Mabui was prepared and immediately reported, "Regarding Konoha, due to our previous strong questioning attitude, they seem to think we are being unreasonable. They haven't provided further explanation about the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki's specific situation, only repeatedly emphasized that the Jinchuriki is safe and sound, and firmly denied the possibility of Shura obtaining Nine-Tails' Chakra from Konoha."
"Regarding Shimura Danzo," Mabui continued, "Our intelligence personnel conducted an in-depth investigation. This person is the leader of Konoha's Root and was a student of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama."
"According to records, when the Second Hokage led a delegation for peace talks and encountered the Gold and Silver Brothers' rebellion and attack, Danzo was indeed present. Calculating his age, he is now over sixty. Whether in terms of age, identity, or past experience, it is impossible for him to be that terrifyingly powerful Shura, who appears to be a youth."
After listening, Raikage snorted coldly, "Hmph, it seems this Shura deliberately used that name to confuse the issue, or does he have some personal grudge against that Shimura Danzo?" He leaned towards the latter, after all, such framing tactics weren't uncommon in the Ninja World.
"What about Iwagakure?" Raikage was more concerned about his old rival's movements.
"There are no signs of large-scale military mobilization within Iwagakure," Mabui replied, "However, we have reliable intelligence indicating that Iwagakure's Elite Jounin, Monga, has been unusually active in the underground bounty exchange recently, frequently contacting some stronger Rogue Ninja Organizations and mercenary groups."
"Preliminary assessment suggests Onoki likely wants to use hiring methods to probe or sabotage the Land of Stars, to avoid losses from directly using Iwagakure's forces."
"That old fox, he sure knows how to scheme!" Raikage scoffed, but had to admit it was the most beneficial course of action currently.
Finally, A's voice lowered, carrying a trace of barely perceptible concern and helplessness, "B and Yugito... how are their injuries recovering?"
Mabui sighed softly, "Killer B-sama and Yugito-sama's injuries are both very severe. Although their lives are not in danger, they require long periods of rest and recovery. The latest assessment from the Ninja Hospital is... at least another six months or more before they can initially regain combat capability."
"...Six months, huh." Raikage fell silent, the fury in his eyes gradually replaced by a heavy oppression. Losing the high-end combat power of two Perfect Jinchuriki significantly reduced Kumogakure's defense and deterrence.
Even if he wanted to do something, he felt restrained.
He walked to the window, looking out at the cloud-shrouded Kumogakure. The areas destroyed by Shura's attack years ago had been repaired, but the devastation from back then was still vivid in his mind.
Raikage's massive fist slowly clenched. His one-armed figure appeared exceptionally resolute, yet also carrying a trace of lonely indignation.
"This grudge, I've noted it down!" He said to the window, his voice low, as if declaring it to the distant Land of Stars, "Shura, Land of Stars, just wait for me! Sooner or later, I will personally lead a force to settle this debt! Principal and interest together!"
…
Land of Earth, Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's office.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, small in stature with white hair and beard, floated in mid-air, his tiny brows tightly furrowed as he listened to the report from the Anbu's member before him. He held the report just submitted by Monga regarding the Akatsuki mission's execution.
"...Mission encountered strong resistance from Star Ninja. The enemy deployed multiple Elite Jonin, including two Uchiha Clan's members of approaching Kage-level strength... Akatsuki lost multiple elites... mission partially completed... have now confirmed the Hoshigakure's leader is Shura..." Onoki stroked the beard on his chin, his small eyes flickering with suspicion.
"Those guys from Akatsuki, though their prices are steep, their strength is decent. Losing multiple elites in one mission? The enemy has Ninja approaching Kage-level? Monga's report is probably inflated..." He instinctively felt things weren't that simple, but also questioned if Akatsuki was exaggerating the outcome.
He had hired Akatsuki more than once. The strength of those Rogue Ninjas wasn't to be underestimated, enough to destroy a small country.
So he wondered how could they easily suffer such a heavy loss at the hands of a newly emerging power? Was that Shura really that strong?
Intelligence on Shura, though Konoha and Kumogakure had withheld part of it, Iwagakure's intelligence department had still gathered quite a bit. And two 'approaching Kage-level' Uchiha? How was that possible! Konoha's Uchiha Clan was scary enough, so he didn't believe the Land of Stars could possibly have Uchiha Clan's members.
Just then, the office door knocked, and another Ninja from the Anbu's intelligence division entered quickly, respectfully presenting an intelligence scroll.
"Tsuchikage-sama, this is intelligence brought back by merchant caravans from the border area of the Land of Swamps. It has been verified through multiple sources and has relatively high credibility."
Onoki took the scroll and unrolled it to read.
The contents were fragmented, mostly eyewitness accounts: Approximately a few days ago, a brief but exceptionally intense battle erupted near the former Honmatsu City in the Land of Swamps. The commotion was significant, shaking the earth. There were even strange golden lights descending from the sky... Rumors flew, but one in particular caught the Anbu's intelligence personnel's attention. Multiple eyewitnesses claimed to have seen a 'dark red armored giant' flying over Honmatsu City and joining the battle.
"A dark red armored giant?" Onoki thought to himself. Initially, he didn't pay much mind, thinking it might be some new type of summon or Ninjutsu.
However, the next second, a nightmare scene sealed deep in his memory, one that brought endless humiliation and fear, violently crashed into his mind!
It was from the distant past, when he was still young and brash, accompanying the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, to Konoha Village to meet the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, seeking an alliance. They encountered that man, like a demon god… Uchiha Madara!
That man had also stood within a giant that touched the sky and the earth, a warrior god descending, crushing everything, invincible!
He and his teacher had seemed so pale and powerless before that giant!
The fear of being dominated by absolute power, the humiliation of being a Tsuchikage yet unable to protect his village, instantly overwhelmed him!
Onoki's body trembled violently. His face turned pale, and he nearly lost control of his flight technique, falling from mid-air. He hurriedly grabbed the desk, his breathing becoming rapid.
"N-No... impossible... How could..." he muttered distractedly, cold sweat beading on his forehead, "Su... Susanoo?! The Susanoo?! Uchiha Madara's... Could it be... he isn't dead?! No... That's not right... The color is wrong... Madara's was blue... Dark red..."
After the extreme shock and fear passed, Onoki's brain began working frantically.
Combining the 'two Uchiha Clan's members' mentioned in Monga's report and Akatsuki's anomalous 'loss report', a terrifying conjecture formed in his mind.
'What Akatsuki encountered wasn't some 'approaching Kage-level' opponent!'
'They likely encountered top-tier Uchiha powerhouses who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan and could activate the Susanoo!'
'Perhaps...'
'Maybe even more than one!'
'That's why Akatsuki, capable of destroying small countries, suffered a setback and used this vague report to cover it up!'
'If the Land of Stars possessed Uchiha power of this level, plus that mysterious and inscrutable Shura who had caused trouble for both Konoha and Kumogakure...'
Onoki's face became extremely grim.
He had originally just wanted to spend a little money, hire Akatsuki to cause some trouble for this upstart that didn't play by the rules and was annexing small countries at will, and incidentally test its strength.
But now, he realized the water in this Land of Stars was far deeper than imagined!
It might even be connected to that terrifying existence, Uchiha Madara!
"Could it be that guy Uchiha Madara, back then-" He slowly sat back in his Tsuchikage's chair, his small body sinking deep into it, falling into prolonged contemplation.
The office was utterly silent, save for the old Tsuchikage's heavy breathing and the tap-tap of his fingers unconsciously tapping the desk.
It seemed the strategy towards the Land of Stars needed to be re-evaluated.