The few surviving Kumogakure shinobi ran through the forest like frightened beasts. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, their uniforms torn and stained with blood. The terrifying scene of annihilation still lingered in their eyes.
"Quick! Report to Lord Raikage!" one of them shouted, barely keeping his footing as he stumbled toward the nearest outpost near the Hidden Cloud Village's third line of defense.
"The Akatsuki attacked us—out of nowhere! Our entire army was wiped out! They're advancing toward the third line of defense right now!"
"What about the others?" a sentry demanded, gripping his spear tightly.
"They're... all dead."
With that final whisper, the messenger collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
---
The Shock of the Hidden Cloud
Inside the Hidden Cloud Village, the atmosphere turned heavy the moment the emergency message arrived. It was carried by a lightning hawk — one of the Raikage's personal messenger beasts — its wings scorched from the speed of its flight.
The First Raikage was in his office, lifting massive dumbbells that looked more like boulders than weights. His muscles rippled with power as he trained even while handling state affairs. But the moment he read the report, the dumbbell slipped from his grip and crashed onto the floor with a deafening clang.
"What?!" His voice thundered through the entire tower.
"Two lines of defense—completely destroyed? Over a thousand fully armed shinobi… all wiped out overnight?"
The Raikage's face darkened like a gathering storm. "Impossible! That's—utterly impossible!"
The Hidden Cloud had five lines of defense surrounding its borders. The first and second lines were crucial buffer zones—fortified with traps, outposts, and elite squads. The third line was the lifeline of the village itself—its heart of defense. Beyond that were the fourth and fifth lines, the last bastions protecting the Raikage's headquarters.
To breach even the first line required incredible strength. But two? Two lines crushed in a single night?
"This can't be real," he muttered, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Who could possibly—"
"Raikage-sama!" A jōnin rushed into the room, kneeling. "We've confirmed the report. The message came from the third outpost. I also tried contacting my cousin stationed at the first defense line with a summoning beast, but… there's been no response."
The Raikage's chest heaved with fury and grief. "Over a thousand warriors… dead in one night…"
He staggered slightly, his massive frame trembling as his breath caught in his throat. For a moment, even the indomitable First Raikage looked mortal.
"Raikage-sama!" the jōnin exclaimed, rushing forward to support him.
A few seconds later, the Raikage steadied himself. His expression hardened into cold steel.
"Akatsuki…" he growled, his voice low and venomous. "If I don't avenge this—then I'm not worthy of being Raikage!"
---
The Counterattack of Words
That very afternoon, before the Hidden Cloud could even send reinforcements, the Akatsuki Village had already moved.
Across the ninja world, a shocking announcement echoed through every village and every newspaper:
> "Akatsuki Village declares self-defense counterattack against the Hidden Cloud Village!"
The news exploded like thunder.
The official statement was accompanied by irrefutable evidence—video recordings of the Hidden Cloud ambush, the destroyed Akatsuki negotiation team, and even the confessions of captured Cloud shinobi who had participated in the sneak attack.
Every image was clear. Every word calculated.
"The Hidden Cloud Village's treachery has gone too far!"
"They killed Akatsuki shinobi during peaceful negotiations!"
"This was not war—it was an assassination attempt!"
Across the nations, newspaper headlines screamed in outrage:
"Akatsuki Village Launches Self-Defense Operation!"
"Hidden Cloud Violates Ninja Ethics—World Outraged!"
Uchiha Makoto, who commanded from the front lines, had long prepared this. Even amidst the chaos of battle, his second battlefield—the war of public opinion—was already in motion.
Through the vast network of information brokers and publishers he'd bribed in advance, the narrative spread like wildfire. With the video proof and emotional testimonies, the story was ironclad.
The old-world shinobi—those still trapped in Warring States thinking—could never have imagined this kind of warfare. To them, victory came only through jutsu and steel. But Makoto had shown them another kind of power.
The power of words.
By the time the Hidden Cloud Village even thought to issue a denial, it was already too late.
Could they clarify the truth? Retract the lies? Admit they had been the aggressors?
No one would listen.
To deny the story now would be to slap themselves in the face—and no one in the world's media wanted to lose credibility or coin. Unless someone held a kunai to their throat, the narrative was set in stone.
---
The Raikage's Rage
"Prepare the mobilization order!" the First Raikage roared during an emergency council meeting that night. His fist slammed down on the table, cracking it in two. "Gather every available shinobi and reinforce the third line immediately!"
The elders and jōnin around him bowed, though unease flickered in their eyes. The loss of two full divisions had shaken even the most battle-hardened veterans.
At the same time, the propaganda war continued. Akatsuki's messengers, disguised as traveling merchants and journalists, carried reports and evidence to every major country.
By dawn, the news of the "Akatsuki's Righteous Counterattack" had reached every corner of the shinobi world.
---
The Village That Would Not Bow
Inside Akatsuki Village, the atmosphere was electric.
News of Uchiha Makoto's crushing victory and the destruction of two Cloud defense lines had spread like wildfire. In the streets, shinobi and civilians alike poured out of their homes, cheering.
"Long live Akatsuki Village!"
"Long live the Will of Light!"
"Long live Kage-sama!"
Children waved makeshift flags with the Akatsuki emblem painted in red. Merchants left their shops to join the parades. The mood was that of a festival—a victory born not just from strength, but from faith.
Even the wounded returning from the front were greeted like heroes. Flowers rained down as people lined the streets, shouting and crying tears of pride.
"We did it!" a young genin shouted, his voice hoarse. "We finally showed the world Akatsuki's power!"
---
A Flood of Support
But the wave didn't stop there.
Ordinary villagers, unable to fight on the front lines, still wanted to contribute. They gathered money, food, and medicine—anything that could help their warriors.
Soon, carts filled with rice, dried meat, and medical supplies began forming long lines at the village gates.
"We'll support our heroes!"
"For Kage-sama!"
Wealthy merchants saw the tides turning and wasted no time. This was the moment to prove loyalty and gain favor with Akatsuki's ruling power. They donated lavishly—gold, silver, and entire shipments of provisions.
One merchant whispered to another as they loaded wagons, "If Kage-sama's words are true, this new world might finally belong to us—not the old nobles."
Their eyes burned with ambition. They were tired of being tools of the great clans—puppets who could be replaced or slaughtered on a whim.
Under Uchiha Makoto's leadership, even the powerless dared to dream.
For the first time, the commoners of the ninja world saw hope beyond the iron chains of bloodlines and ancient names.
---
A World Trembles
By the next morning, Konoha, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure had all received the same shocking intelligence.
"Akatsuki's army annihilated two Hidden Cloud lines overnight?"
"What kind of monster leads them?"
"Is this Uchiha Makoto really human?"
The five great nations' intelligence divisions worked around the clock, updating threat levels and recalculating power balances. Every Kage was forced to take notice.
In the Hokage's office, a scroll lay open on the desk. The Third Hokage's brows furrowed deeply.
"This… changes everything."
In the Hidden Mist, the Mizukage sat silently by the window, the morning fog swirling around her. "A thousand miles in one night… what kind of army can move like that?"
The Sand and Stone villages, though wary, also began their own preparations. The ninja world's fragile peace was trembling on the edge of chaos.
---
The Man Behind the Storm
Meanwhile, far from the celebrations, Uchiha Makoto stood on a windswept cliff overlooking the vast battlefield. The smell of smoke and iron filled the air. His crimson Sharingan glowed faintly beneath the shadow of his hood.
Behind him, Akatsuki banners fluttered like blood-stained wings.
He had achieved a miracle—two entire defense lines crushed in a single strike, and the entire ninja world forced to acknowledge Akatsuki's power.
But Makoto knew this was only the beginning.
"The Hidden Cloud won't stop here," he murmured, his voice calm, eyes locked on the horizon. "They'll come with everything they have."
The wind howled in response.
His lieutenant approached from behind, kneeling. "Lord Makoto, the world now sees Akatsuki as heroes. Donations are pouring in. Our reputation… has never been stronger."
Makoto smiled faintly, though his eyes remained cold.
"Good. Then we've won the first battle—of both blade and mind."
He turned away, cloak rippling in the wind.
"But don't let the people get too comfortable. This isn't over. The Raikage will strike back… and when he does—"
His gaze sharpened like a blade.
"—we'll crush him completely."
The sky rumbled above, thunder rolling across the distant peaks of the Land of Lightning.
Somewhere beyond that storm, the Hidden Cloud's wrath was rising.
But Uchiha Makoto stood unmoved, his voice barely louder than a whisper:
> "Let the world tremble.
The light of Akatsuki will never fade."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)