BOOOOM—!!!
Thunder detonated across the sky.
A terrifying wind pressure closed in.
In an instant, the Raikage's speed climbed to its absolute peak.
The lightning armor around him collided and scraped against the airflow, sending ripples outward in layers and producing a piercing sonic boom.
The atmosphere tore red, like it had caught fire.
A blazing meteor dragged a long tail through the air.
Behind it, circular rings of exploding shock clouds shattered again and again, forming visible pressure waves that screamed across the village—blasting windows apart along the way as civilians clutched their ears in agony.
The next second—
The Raikage smashed through a wall in an utterly violent entrance—
And crashed into his own office.
"Leaf shinobi. Report your name!"
He glared at the intruder—someone sitting in his chair, feet resting on his desk—forcing his fury down through clenched teeth.
His eyes were wide as bells.
Under the lightning's stimulation, his pale-yellow moustache and beard stood up like steel needles.
Muscles like knotted roots wrapped his frame, hard and bronze-dark, veins bulging thick and black.
The oppressive force alone made it feel like one was facing a living thunderstorm.
"Owl. That's my codename."
Uchiha Sogetsu set the scroll down and straightened his posture.
"As for my name… I'm an insignificant shinobi. No need to mention it."
A white beast mask.
A black cloak.
Short black hair.
Those three details stabbed the Raikage's memory—
He recalled the intelligence Kurabi had brought back yesterday.
A Konoha ANBU, from the Uchiha clan, who had appeared during the Cloud's attempted capture of the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—
And slaughtered forty-seven Cloud shinobi alone, in brutally cruel fashion.
Kurabi, who had witnessed everything, had suffered such severe mental trauma that he'd practically collapsed as a person.
"So it's you."
The Raikage's fingers clenched into a fist. Cold intent churned in his eyes.
"After killing so many Cloud shinobi… you still dare to appear in front of me?"
"That would be me."
Sogetsu gave a small nod, calmly admitting it.
"So, Lord Raikage… do you plan to avenge them?"
"You've got guts, kid."
The Raikage's gaze dropped to the scroll. His anger surged hotter.
"Since the day Kumogakure was founded, you're the first shinobi who's ever broken into this place."
"Is that so? Then I'm lucky—being the first."
Sogetsu interlaced his fingers and chuckled softly.
"Oh, and one more thing: your village's body-enhancement style is genuinely brilliant. Your understanding and utilization of pressure points, tendons, muscles… in my opinion, it's unmatched in the shinobi world."
"…Are you finished talking nonsense?"
Lightning currents surged around the Raikage, jumping violently through the air and radiating a destructive aura.
"No."
Sogetsu tilted his head, amused.
"And I advise you to calm down."
He spoke lightly—almost playfully.
"If you accidentally injure me… a tailed beast might suddenly appear somewhere in your village."
"…What did you say?"
For the first time, the Raikage's expression actually shifted.
A beat later, furious rage flashed between his brows, and the lightning around him grew even more violent under the influence of emotion.
This was a threat.
And worse—
This bastard was using a jinchūriki and a tailed beast as leverage, treating the entire village as bargaining chips.
"Calm down, Lord Raikage."
Sogetsu shrugged, completely unbothered, still holding the advantage.
"Don't stare at me like that. If our positions were reversed… I suspect you'd understand my method."
"You little punk… you're courting death."
The Raikage's eyes widened like bronze bells. Murderous intent flooded the room.
His entire body's muscles trembled, fully activated by the lightning stimulation.
He took a single step—
And his bones and tendons snapped with explosive crackles, like a bowstring being struck.
"Before you move…"
Sogetsu rested his cheek in one hand and spoke meaningfully.
"Have you truly thought it through?"
"Trading the safety of your entire village… for my life."
"Is it worth it?"
From the Raikage's perspective, Sogetsu looked full of openings—weaknesses everywhere.
He didn't even seem like he was preparing to defend himself.
Yet Sogetsu continued to smile with confidence.
Not because he was arrogant—
But because he had calculated everything.
If this were the Fourth Raikage—that reckless bull—
Sogetsu would never use this tactic.
Who knew whether the man would simply charge through the threat headfirst?
But the Third Raikage was different.
He looked rough and blunt…
Yet he was extremely meticulous.
If a tailed beast manifested inside the village, the disaster would be catastrophic.
Even if they eventually suppressed it, Kumogakure would still suffer huge casualties—countless civilians dead.
Sogetsu's move had effectively tied the entire village to his "war chariot."
For a moment, the Raikage was trapped in a dilemma.
Instinct screamed:
Kill this kid right now, or he'll become an endless future disaster.
But the reason and responsibility of a Raikage strangled that impulse.
To sacrifice thousands—maybe tens of thousands—of civilian lives…
For the sake of killing one shinobi?
He couldn't accept it.
"Lord Raikage!"
"Someone broke in!"
"Kill him!"
Outside the door, an elite Cloud unit arrived, ready to storm the office and tear this arrogant intruder apart.
"Your people are here, Lord Raikage."
Sogetsu spread his hands.
"So—choose."
The Raikage's hand cut through the air.
His eyes—dark and sharp as knives—raked Sogetsu several times before he roared toward the doorway:
"None of you move without my order!"
The reinforcements froze, confused.
They didn't understand why the Raikage would issue such a command—
But they obeyed.
A group of Kumogakure's jōnin glared from the doorway, teeth grinding, glaring at the Konoha ANBU sitting in their Raikage's chair.
"Kid… your target is Namikaze Minato, isn't it?"
The Raikage's voice was heavy, his gaze turning even more terrifying.
"Spare me the nonsense. Get to the point."
"Oh?"
Sogetsu looked interested, tilting his head.
"Go on."
"You gave me two choices."
The Raikage sat down hard to the side, one hand propping his chin, staring at him without emotion.
"Then I'll give you two choices too."
"Either—"
"I release Namikaze Minato and the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki."
"And you stay."
"Or—"
"You release the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki inside the village."
"And I'll kill you, Namikaze Minato, and the jinchūriki."
"…Not bad. Very fair."
Sogetsu nodded, smiling.
"Someone once said life is a series of multiple-choice questions. What do you think?"
The Raikage's eyelids lifted slightly.
Killing intent rolled in his eyes like a storm made solid.
"Clearly… you drew the joker."
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