The temptation of Raikage and Tsuchikage came to an end when Tsuchikage Ōnoki was overpowered by Uzumaki Raiden. In just a few rounds of combat, Uzumaki Raiden had fully demonstrated his strength.
Tsuchikage and Raikage, who had conducted in-depth investigations on Uzumaki Raiden, knew that he had not used his full abilities in today's battle. At the very least, they were both well aware that Uzumaki Raiden was a perfect Jinchūriki. However, during the fight, he barely utilized the power of the Tailed Beast.
The ease with which Uzumaki Raiden faced the combined assault of two Kage and two Jinchūriki was what frightened everyone the most.
Tsuchikage walked over to Raikage Ai's side, released the Weighted Boulder Technique from his body, and then approached Uzumaki Raiden. He spoke in a low voice:
"Fourth Hokage, I understand your strength now."
"Iwagakure will not interfere in the matter of Takigakure. Our only concern is the extradition of Deidara. I hope you will not be biased in this matter."
"In the future, Iwagakure will do its best to support some of Konoha's decisions."
It wasn't that Tsuchikage believed Konoha's actions were justified, but rather that Uzumaki Raiden's overwhelming power left him no choice but to compromise.
At Ōnoki's level, he clearly understood the terrifying impact a ninja of Uzumaki Raiden's caliber could have on the battlefield. Numbers were meaningless against someone like him. Attempting to intimidate Konoha and Uzumaki Raiden with threats of war was simply unrealistic.
Realizing that Iwagakure had no means to contend with Konoha's might, Ōnoki began considering how to foster a positive relationship with the village. Konoha's leadership was young compared to the rest of the ninja world. Over the years, Tsuchikage had observed Konoha's rapid development and understood that trying to suppress its rise was futile. Aligning with Konoha was the wisest course of action.
Raikage, who had regained his full mobility, got up from the ground. His expression darkened upon hearing Tsuchikage's words. The moment Tsuchikage conceded, it meant that Kumo had lost a crucial ally in this matter. The very Iwagakure shinobi who initiated this meeting had been the first to surrender—something Raikage Ai had never anticipated.
"Tsuchikage, you actually surrendered like this?"
"Don't forget, you were the one who incited Takigakure to negotiate with Konoha, and you were the one who dragged us Cloud nin into this mess."
"Now, under Uzumaki Raiden's threat, you're the first to give in?"
"You old bastard, are you mocking us Cloud nin?!"
Seeing Tsuchikage's attitude, Raikage's fury surged. Though Uzumaki Raiden had repeatedly humiliated him, the sheer power Raiden displayed had shaken Raikage's original stance. Tsuchikage's sudden defection only fueled his anger, which he directed at Iwagakure.
How does that saying go? The betrayal of an ally is more infuriating than the enemy itself.
At this moment, Raikage could truly empathize with that sentiment.
"What are you talking about? From the very beginning, Iwagakure's only purpose for coming to Konoha was to extradite Deidara."
"As for Takigakure, we simply encountered them on the way."
"But you, Cloud nin, traveled all this way—what exactly is your purpose here?"
Faced with the furious Raikage, Ōnoki remained unfazed and responded nonchalantly. His expression seemed to say, You brought this upon yourself.
Seeing Tsuchikage's attitude, Raikage snapped. The light blue glow of his Lightning Armor ignited once more, and he lunged directly at Ōnoki.
Uzumaki Raiden frowned slightly at the sight. In a flash, he moved to block Ōnoki's path, intercepting Raikage's heavy punch with a single palm.
"Hokage, are you standing in my way?!" Raikage Ai's hair bristled as his attack was stopped. His eyes burned red with rage. He had long wanted to settle his grudge with Tsuchikage.
"When you leave Konoha, I won't care how you fight."
"But while you are in Konoha, you will abide by our rules."
Uzumaki Raiden's voice was cold and commanding.
"Eh? What's going on? Weren't Raikage and Tsuchikage working together? Why are they suddenly fighting?"
Naruto and Nara Shikamaru had been observing the scene from a distance. When they saw Raikage suddenly attack Tsuchikage—only for Uzumaki Raiden to step in to help the latter—their confusion grew.
"I don't know what they just talked about. Maybe the Fourth Hokage and Tsuchikage reached some sort of agreement?"
"Who knows? The big shots always have their political games—it's a hassle."
Nara Shikamaru scratched his head, unconcerned. On the other hand, Naruto watched intently, eager to understand the situation. However, given Naruto's current level of knowledge, he couldn't grasp Ōnoki's strategy or why Konoha was suddenly aligning with Iwagakure.
"Tsuchikage, you'll regret this!"
"Don't think that clinging to Konoha's power will keep you safe. Just watch—when Konoha truly begins its expansion, you, Ōnoki, will be the sinner of Iwagakure!"
"Let's go!"
With Uzumaki Raiden's intervention, Raikage knew that there was no reversing today's events. Iwagakure had no intention of fighting Konoha, and Takigakure's shinobi had long been paralyzed with fear.
Cloud nin alone couldn't change the situation. The alliance between Cloud and Stone had crumbled, and the best opportunity to counter Konoha's hidden expansion had slipped away.
In the future, the Cloud ninja may face a behemoth.
Thinking of this, Raikage Ai grew even angrier and didn't want to stay in Konoha for another moment.
"Heh, Lord Raikage, don't be in such a hurry to leave."
"Or rather, if you must leave, may I invite your younger brother Kirābī and Lady Yugito to stay in Konoha for a while as our guests?"
Just as Raikage was about to leave the front yard of the Hokage Building, Uzumaki Raiden spoke. Under Raikage's sharp gaze, Raiden pointed toward Kirābī, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, and Yugito Nii.
"You're pushing too far!"
Raikage clenched his fists tightly, trying to suppress his fury. His body trembled slightly, and his voice was filled with rage as he gritted out his words.
"I have news for you—Uchiha Madara has been resurrected."
"His target is all the Tailed Beasts in the ninja world. He fought me just a few days ago."
"I'll say this now—neither Cloud nor Stone can resist his power."
"It is in the best interest of your Jinchūriki to remain in Konoha as guests, under our protection."
Uzumaki Raiden lowered his voice, revealing shocking news. The younger generation of shinobi, unfamiliar with Uchiha Madara's name, showed little reaction. However, upon hearing the revelation, Tsuchikage Ōnoki's expression changed drastically. His face was filled with disbelief.
"What did you just say? Uchiha Madara is resurrected? And his target is the Tailed Beasts?!"
Ōnoki was from that era. He had personally seen Uchiha Madara in battle when he was young and had experienced his overwhelming power firsthand. Now, upon hearing of Madara's resurrection, he was the most shaken of all.
"It's the truth. Don't think I would lie about something like this—there's no benefit in it for me or for Konoha."
"Uchiha Madara is truly resurrected. Although I managed to pierce his heart, I have a strong hunch that he won't die so easily."
"So before everything becomes clear, I hope Kirābī and Lady Yugito can remain in Konoha for some time."
"It won't be too late for them to return to the Cloud Village once the situation is fully understood."
Uzumaki Raiden suggested. Minato, standing beside him, was momentarily stunned by these words. He stroked his chin, thought for a while, and then a faint smile appeared on his face. Nara Shikaku, standing nearby, immediately grasped the significance of the situation and chimed in:
"The Fourth Hokage wasn't the only one who witnessed Uchiha Madara. Several Konoha shinobi who accompanied Lord Raiden on that mission also saw him. This news is completely reliable."
"Moreover, there is another crucial piece of information—Akatsuki, which controlled the government of the Land of Rain, has lost its leaders. Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan were all assassinated by Uchiha Madara."
"The Land of Rain is essentially in a state of anarchy."
"Originally, the Land of Rain was Akatsuki's stronghold, but now, without any leads from there, Akatsuki has completely disappeared."
"In other words, we may face an attack from Uchiha Madara at any moment."
"Right now, in the entire ninja world, only Konoha has the power to resist Uchiha Madara!"
When Nara Shikaku said this, he was filled with confidence. To be honest, he wasn't overly worried about the threat of Uchiha Madara. He had faith in Uzumaki Raiden's strength—no matter how powerful Madara was, breaking through Konoha, where both Raiden and Minato stood as protectors, was nearly impossible.
Rather than fearing Uchiha Madara, Nara Shikaku was more interested in the benefits Konoha would gain by keeping two of Cloud's Jinchūriki.
To put it plainly, retaining the Cloud's Jinchūriki was akin to Konoha stripping Cloud of one of its trump cards.
This was an outcome he wanted to see, though he knew there was no way Raikage Ai would agree to it.
"Hmph!"
"Our Cloud Village can protect our own comrades. Don't compare us to the weak."
"Regardless of whether Uchiha Madara's resurrection is real or not, you don't need to worry about protecting our Jinchūriki. We have our own methods!"
Raikage Ai bluntly refused. At the same time, he took a subtle jab at Takigakure before snorting coldly and walking toward the courtyard's exit.
However, before he could take more than a few steps, a hand firmly grasped his shoulder—it was Uzumaki Raiden.
"Bastard!" At this point, Raikage finally lost control of his temper. A light blue glow of Lightning Armor once again enveloped his body as he turned around and threw a punch straight at Uzumaki Raiden's face.
Right now, Raikage didn't care anymore. To protect Cloud's Jinchūriki, even if he was in Konoha, even if he knew he wasn't a match for Uzumaki Raiden, he refused to bow to Konoha.
"Boom!"
Raikage's fist collided with Uzumaki Raiden's palm once more. As their chakras clashed, a powerful shockwave burst forth.
But this time, Raikage was the one who faltered. He stumbled backward several steps before regaining his balance. Meanwhile, Uzumaki Raiden, who had only been defending, stood firm and unmoved.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
"Are you trying to sever ties and fully break relations with Cloud?!"
Raikage's eyes burned with fury as he glared at Uzumaki Raiden.
"If you truly wish to leave, I won't stop you."
"But I will say this—you do not have the strength to protect your brother or your Jinchūriki."
"I understand your wariness toward Konoha, and that's natural. But have you truly considered your brother's safety?"
"If Uchiha Madara attacks the Eight-Tails and the Two-Tails, your Cloud Village will become a battlefield. Not only will you fail to protect your brother's life, but you will also bring disaster upon innocent people in Cloud."
"Is taking such a massive risk really worth it just because of your suspicions?"
Uzumaki Raiden spoke seriously. Raikage Ai frowned, hesitating for a few moments before he finally spoke, his voice firm:
"I will never hand over Bi to anyone!"
"Whether it's Uchiha Madara or you Konoha!"
"Let's go!"
Raikage Ai took a deep look at Uzumaki Raiden, grabbed Kirābī's arm, and attempted to leave.
But when he pulled, Kirābī didn't move.
"Bi?" Raikage turned back in astonishment, looking at Kirābī, confusion evident in his eyes.
"Brother, you know the Fourth Hokage isn't lying."
"If he wanted to kill us, he had plenty of chances during the battle just now."
"I know you're worried about me, brother, but I don't want to bring trouble to the village."
"If I turn the village into a battlefield because of me… I…"
For the first time, the usually carefree and cheerful Kirābī spoke in a serious tone. Though he didn't rap this time, Raikage Ai felt no sense of relief.
"Damn it! We Cloud ninja never abandon our comrades."
"Bi, you are my brother—you have to listen to me!"
Raikage tightened his grip on Kirābī's arm, but despite his strength, Kirābī didn't move. Even without his Tailed Beast's chakra, he resisted Raikage's pull.
"You…" Raikage opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, a cool, white hand rested on his wrist.
"Lord Raikage, I will stay with Lord Kirābī in Konoha."
"I also trust Lord Kirābī's judgment. It is better to stay than to bring disaster to the village."
"I believe the Fourth Hokage will keep us safe."
The person who spoke was the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii. Her half-torn ninja armor was stained with blood, and her face looked pale. However, despite her weakened state, her tone remained firm, and a faint smile appeared on her beautiful face.
Uzumaki Raiden glanced at the Cloud nin, then silently lowered his gaze. Without another word, he turned to Minato, whispered a few instructions, and left the scene. His role in this matter was over—Minato could handle the rest.
Whether Cloud's Jinchūriki chose to stay or leave, Uzumaki Raiden didn't particularly care. If they stayed, it was beneficial; if not, it wouldn't make much difference.
After Raiden's departure, silence lingered among the Cloud ninja. In the end, Raikage Ai had no choice but to compromise. Kirābī and Yugito stood firm, and even he couldn't change their minds. When Raikage informed Minato of his decision, Minato simply smiled, nodded, and assigned several teams of Anbu to escort Raikage back to the village.
Takigakure's shinobi, realizing they had no further options, left Konoha in defeat.
Meanwhile, Iwagakure's delegation successfully retrieved Deidara after a few days and returned him to their village.
A few days later, two of Kirābī's disciples, Omoi and Karui, arrived at the Fire Country's border in the evening. They set up camp in an open clearing.
Raikage had sent them to Konoha to check on Kirābī and Yugito. Despite his decision, he still didn't fully trust Konoha. Their mission was to look after the Jinchūriki and act as a contingency plan.
As they stood at the village entrance, a bloodied Konoha ninja staggered out of the forest and collapsed before them. Unlike standard Konoha shinobi, he wore black attire instead of a vest. On his back, the Uchiha clan's fan crest, which should have been red and white, was now completely stained with blood.
"Cloud ninja…?"
"Help me…"
(End of this chapter)