A few days later, far away in Kumogakure, Raikage A was engaged in a heated argument with one of his most capable ninjas—Yugito Nii.
"Rest," A commanded with an air of finality.
Yugito had just completed a mission and stood before him now, requesting to be sent out again for battle.
"You've already fought nonstop on the front line for ten days. I won't allow you to cross the continent in your exhausted state to join that fight."
Though Yugito did her best to maintain a straight posture, her exhaustion was evident. Ever since Naruto brought her back to the village, she had remained stationed at the front line, playing a critical role in repelling the enemy's invasion.
Especially during this period after Mist's forces landed and engaged Konoha, Yugito hadn't had even a moment's reprieve.
She served as a liaison officer coordinating actions between the two villages while also personally stepping onto the battlefield, providing guidance to help Mist ninja adapt to the harsh realities of war. Nonstop combat and heavy responsibilities wore her down physically and emotionally.
"Lord Raikage, I know crossing the continent is dangerous right now—I won't ask anyone to accompany me," Yugito pleaded. She wasn't insisting on taking the mission; rather, a quiet fear stirred within her.
She knew the only way this war could end was if Pain fell, and only one Konoha ninja had the strength to face him.
"...I just want to go and help him."
"I cannot allow you to go," A refused flatly. He understood Yugito's feelings, but he couldn't let one of his best ninja risk everything chasing a distant possibility. "By the time you arrive, it will all be over."
Konoha had already made their move—they wouldn't wait until it was too late. Yugito needed at least five or six days to reach the battlefield, by which time what awaited her would likely be nothing more than debris.
Even though A held high hopes for Naruto and recognized Yugito's feelings toward him, he couldn't let personal feelings cloud his judgment or lead to reckless choices.
"...Then let me return to the battlefield," Yugito compromised instead.
Her body tensed as she tried to accept the Raikage's refusal. "I'd rather fight than sit here doing nothing.
"One more brief battle, and when I return next time, I can learn how things have unfolded—what had happened in her absence. It's better than just standing by helplessly."
"What do you plan to fight with?" A shot back. "I have no intention of letting you throw your life away due to fatigue or distraction. You'd better return and get proper rest. Don't tell me you've lost faith in Naruto?"
Pain flickered in Yugito's eyes. "How can you say that? He's facing a man who possesses the Rinnegan!"
"That boy is more dangerous than his father ever was," A declared firmly. "Although he doesn't have the Flying Thunder God Technique, in many ways he reminds me of Minato. He inherited some of Minato's traits, but his resolve is colder—more ruthless."
"He lost once before, but do you really think he'd fall to the same foe twice?"
"In a direct confrontation with that man..." Yugito sadly shook her head. "...even if he enters Sage Mode..."
A stood up. Yugito thought he was about to lose his temper again and began mentally preparing Moegi to set up a new table and reinforce the walls.
But A didn't erupt. Instead, he walked up to her, placed a hand on her shoulder, and spoke earnestly:
"That's precisely your issue."
Yugito, surprised by A's calmness, asked in confusion, "What?"
"You're oversimplifying things," explained A. "He'd never take on someone who's beaten him the same way twice."
"What do you mean?" Yugito became even more puzzled.
A looked at his most trusted subordinate, and a rare gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Some see an immovable boulder in their path and simply complain. Others will go to any lengths to move it and keep going. While others forge a new path—following the trail the boulder left behind, carving out an entirely new road."
"Lord Raikage, I..."
"Go back and think about it carefully," A interrupted her, turning her toward the door. "When news arrives from the west, I want to hear one sentence from you. I want you to say to me, 'I understand now, Lord Raikage.'"
After personally witnessing all of Naruto's remarkable achievements—the boy who had become Konoha's greatest rising star in recent years—A had no doubts remaining. This kid would never play by the rules. He always found incredible, unpredictable ways to complete his missions.
Meanwhile, inside Konoha's field headquarters, stationed in territory under Amegakure's control, Yamato was briefing Shikamaru on the latest developments on the battlefield.
"If we push any further ahead, we'll be ambushed by Amegakure's hidden units," Yamato said gravely.
Although officially he was in charge of Konoha's operations on the western front, in reality, the entire army moved under Shikamaru's command.
"We've been sending recon teams to monitor enemy movements constantly. They somehow know every move we make. If we attempt to send a unit around them or leave behind a group to cover our main force's advance, they still detect us immediately."
Amegakure seemed to wield a unique technique that kept enemies from reaching their village—at the cost of abandoning surrounding territories.
Kakashi had just arrived from Sunagakure's Reconstruction efforts. Having previously carried out missions inside Amegakure, he understood the situation better than most.
"Be careful whenever you see rain clouds forming on the horizon," Kakashi warned. "That's their Sensor Ninjutsu technique. Pain mastered this technique and has since passed it on to other elite ninja in the village."
"A special system used for marking their Jonin," Shikamaru added, his voice betraying how difficult the situation was. Bypassing such a detection network wasn't easy. In Amegakure, it almost rained every single day, and once the rain thickened, pinpointing Konoha forces' location would be effortless for Amegakure forces.
In the Konoha command center, Kakashi glanced around at the gathered commanders, including the son of his late teacher and some of his former students.
"...Once they pinpoint Naruto's location, they'll realize what the real threat is."
Whether they were willing to acknowledge it or not, Naruto was still the decisive factor in this war. This fact was well understood by both Konoha and Amegakure.
No matter how they tried to mask it through troop formations, tactics, or attack routes, Naruto was central to everything. It didn't matter who he was with or where he launched his attack from. As soon as Pain sensed his chakra, he would instantly recognize that no matter where Naruto was positioned or what mission he was given—it was all aimed at delivering The Final Blow.
Hearing this, Naruto suddenly grinned and asked, "So, just how many teams do we actually have?"
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