The sky darkened under the shadow of the massive crowd suspended above. Tens of thousands of people blocked the sun, and the overcast gloom weighed heavily on the exhausted Cloud ninjas below.
At the forefront stood the Fourth Raikage, head tilted up, staring blankly. He didn't even register Nagato's repeated question. He felt frozen, as if turned to stone.
Kumogakure … was finished.
Bitter regret filled the Fourth Raikage's mouth with the taste of blood. He was the leader of the Hidden Cloud, and among the Five Kage, few matched his clarity or instinct. That's precisely why he understood the sheer terror descending upon them now.
The lives of a few thousand elite ninja—irrelevant. Even the more than ten thousand people now floating in the air—also irrelevant. Every ninja accepts death the moment they take their oath. They fight knowing they might not return.
Death isn't what terrified them now.
The Fourth Raikage closed his eyes, but the image remained etched into his mind—so many comrades, unconscious or bound, hovering helplessly in the sky… alive, unhurt, and yet utterly broken.
The village itself hadn't suffered much damage aside from the mountain collapse, but something far more important had been shattered: will.
Why does such overwhelming power even exist?
He stopped himself before chasing that question further. There was no time for despair. He reopened his eyes, forced himself to accept the situation, and remembered his duty. Crushed pride aside, he was still the Raikage—he had responsibilities.
In a voice thick with pain and weariness, he finally spoke.
"The Hidden Cloud... surrenders. We will serve under the Akatsuki."
A heavy silence followed.
"BROTHER!"
Killer Bee's voice rang out—a rare, unaccented shout filled with anguish. But no one echoed him. Not a word of protest came from the sea of shinobi. His cry disappeared into the dead silence.
The Fourth Raikage placed a firm hand on Bee's shoulder, signaling him to hold back. He looked up at Nagato once more.
"But don't mistake us for cowards. We demand the same autonomy you've granted to Kusagakure. If you treat us like dogs, we'll fight to the last."
There was no fire in his words. Only grim determination. Even if Akatsuki agreed, Kumo was no longer its own master. The submission stung bitterly.
"Good," Nagato replied, purple eyes shining with overwhelming power. "As proof of your loyalty… I'll be taking two of your Tailed Beasts."
The two Jinchūriki lay nearby, broken from battle. Nagato could've seized them by force at any moment. But this—making the Cloud offer them—meant more. It wasn't about power; it was about dominance.
The Fourth Raikage immediately understood.
He didn't want to. He hated every part of this. But if he resisted now, what would happen to the tens of thousands of villagers still floating helplessly above?
He was trapped.
"Brother… guess this is goodbye."
Bee's voice broke the silence again. He clutched the Raikage's arm, then looked skyward with defiance.
"You're filth, Nagato. But I won't let this place burn. Take me and my partner, the Eight-Tails."
"Bee…" the Raikage whispered, his voice trembling.
"Very well."
Nagato gestured. The villagers were lowered safely to the ground, and then he reached out toward Bee. Tremendous suction pulled Bee into the air. Sacred sealing symbols shimmered into view, wrapping around his body and suppressing every ounce of chakra and Tailed Beast energy.
Then Yugito, the other Jinchūriki, was seized the same way.
"I only want the Beasts," Nagato said calmly. "They will live. I'll return them in a few days."
Bee's face twisted in horror.
That promise shattered his resolve. He had been prepared to die with Gyūki, the Eight-Tails. To protect the village. But this?
To hand over Gyūki, his friend, while he lived on?
Bee's emotions finally surged. He began to thrash and scream, slipping back into his strange rap-like speech.
"Sealing your strength with the Four Symbol Seal was the right move," Nagato said coldly.
With a wave of his hand, he knocked Bee unconscious, then turned to the rest of Kumogakure.
"Someone from the Akatsuki will arrive soon to formalize things. Be ready."
And with that, Nagato took to the skies, the two Jinchūriki drifting silently at his sides.
The Fourth Raikage watched until their silhouettes vanished into the clouds. Then he turned to his people and spoke in a low, bitter voice:
"It's like we've returned to the Warring States Era. Broken. Scattered. But... the storm will pass. We must endure until then."
Kumo's spirit had been crushed. Their belief in strength, in pride, would take time to recover.
The Raikage looked up again.
Is this really the enemy Konoha managed to repel?
If so… then the future of the ninja world was about to change forever.
---
Seven days later – Ryūchi Cave
The White Snake Sage's shedding was finally complete.
Her once-colossal body—spanning several miles—had condensed to a sleeker, more refined form just over a kilometer long. Still massive, but no longer bloated or decaying. Her years of excess had been burned away, refined by crisis and desperation.
No one, not even the Sage herself, could yet grasp just how much her power had evolved.
But she didn't want to think right now.
Seven straight days of shedding, molding sage techniques, and being forced to fight for her life had drained her utterly. Her body slumped across the cave floor—huge, glistening, and strangely elegant.
This was no longer the elusive earthbound serpent. She was now a visible, tangible legend to every snake in Ryūchi Cave.
Instincts flared.
Dozens of snake species, stirred by primal urges, began their courtship dances in the shadows, hissing and writhing. For a moment, the entire cavern vibrated with serpentine desire.
The White Snake Sage barely reacted. She had seen such scenes for over a thousand years.
But then—a sudden sharp pain struck.
She instinctively turned her great head, and through narrowed golden eyes, saw the one figure she loathed most.
"Orochimaru. What are you doing?"
Her voice had changed—no longer dry and ancient, but mature, smooth, and venomous.
"Just taking what you promised," Orochimaru replied with a smile. "Your molting was half-hearted. If you won't hand over the rewards, I'll take them myself."
He peeled away two glimmering stone-like scales.
The Sage's pupils narrowed in rage. She wanted to retaliate—but she didn't have the energy. Her shedding had left her too weak.
Turning away, she refused to speak or exert spiritual pressure, though the pain of Orochimaru's theft still gnawed at her.
"By the way," he added, "I've left a child here—Jūgo. Train him for me."
The Sage snorted but didn't argue.
---
One day later...
The sky was bright. The wind clean. Orochimaru flew above the clouds, riding streams of mist back toward Konoha.
His trip to Ryūchi Cave had been an enormous success. He'd gained invaluable natural energy—and more importantly, clarity on the Sage of the Six Paths' intentions.
Though the old sage had no physical body, Orochimaru had glimpsed what it meant to reach his level. The Sage, rooted in the Pure Land, was beyond the limitations of physical form. If he wished to return, he could. At any time.
Orochimaru knew better than to grow arrogant, even with his recent power gains.
Luckily, their meeting had gone better than expected. The Sage wouldn't interfere—for now.
The greater threat might be whatever was prophesied to destroy Mount Myōboku. But that could wait.
First, he had to deal with more immediate matters.
He exhaled slowly. His breath froze the clouds ahead, crystallizing the mist into falling snowflakes.
Too much of White Snake natural energy was still stored in his body. Though not stronger than his own, the sheer volume made it dangerous. He would need time to digest and convert it safely.
He glanced down at his arms and chest—white snake scales gleamed faintly beneath his skin.
I'll need time to purge this fully.
With that thought, he shot forward in a flash of light, streaking toward Konoha.
---
Upon arriving in the village, Orochimaru followed routine—checking on the progress of the experiments, and greeting the Third Hokage.
But the moment he stepped into the Hokage's office, he sensed something was wrong.
The Third Hokage looked up from his desk, eyes serious.
"You've been gone too long, Orochimaru. Even Jiraiya couldn't contact you."
The snake summoning network had gone silent after the chaos in Ryūchi Cave. Even with low odds, a complete communication breakdown was possible.
"What happened?" Orochimaru asked, cutting to the point.
The Third Hokage handed him a stack of documents—intelligence briefs compiled during his absence.
Orochimaru flipped through them quickly. After a few minutes, he spoke.
"The Akatsuki… they've moved fast."
In just a few days, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure had all lost their Jinchūriki. Even more shocking—Kumogakure had surrendered, placing itself under Akatsuki's command.
The Raikage… surrendering? Those stubborn brutes?
When Orochimaru saw the full report of what Nagato did in the Cloud Village, he let out a low whistle.
"Dramatic. But effective."
That kind of spectacle was unstoppable for ordinary ninja. Against an equal, however… there were ways to counter it.
Still, he had to admit—it left an impact.
Rinnegan techniques like Almighty Push, Universal Pull, and even the Sharingan's visual illusions… they overwhelmed weaker foes with ease and left lasting impressions.
In the past, Orochimaru had personally trained Uchiha Itachi. Even then, the boy showed tactical brilliance and near-flawless technique.
He'd even forbidden Itachi from using his Sharingan, forcing him to fight using only basic taijutsu—just like Guy. It had been months ago. He wondered how far Itachi had progressed since.
As Orochimaru mused, the Third Hokage studied him.
"Orochimaru. Can you still handle Nagato… like last time?"
It wasn't just a question—it was confirmation.
Because the Third had already seen the truth in Orochimaru's eyes.
_____________________
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