"This is outrageous!"
CRASH!
The sound of a shattered desk echoed through the room. In the office of the Raikage at Kumogakure, watching the furious A, Mabui sighed. She had long expected this outcome upon their return.
Truth be told, this marked the first time Kumo had suffered such a profound diplomatic humiliation. Konoha's hardline stance had taken Mabui, the Raikage's secretary, completely by surprise. It was pure luck the negotiation delegation had returned unharmed—something she never imagined before they left.
This is outrageous. It truly is outrageous.
Clenching his fists until his knuckles went white, only rage remained on A's face.
"Declare war! Assemble the troops—declare war!"
Kumogakure's tendency had always been singular: they preferred battle. Without hesitation, A turned to Mabui, the command obvious—issue the orders and rally their forces.
"Raikage-sama, you should know declaring war isn't the right choice for us."
Mabui sounded helpless. On the way back she had already planned how to explain this situation. "The Third Shinobi World War has ended, but that doesn't mean other villages won't act if we declare war. Don't forget the Tsuchikage's attitude when he left."
Reminding the Raikage and urging him to calm down was part of her duty as his secretary. "Most importantly, relying on you alone now, Raikage-sama, you probably can't truly beat Konoha."
She forced a bitter smile and spoke the harsh truth. Kumogakure was united, yes, but its top-tier fighters were few. If Killer Bee hadn't been injured, at least the power of the AB combo could be brought to bear. But now, getting Killer Bee moving would take at least a month. No specific illness could be found—he was simply painfully weak. That brat's methods had left a chill in their bones.
Meanwhile, Konoha's golden flash remained a constant threat. If he personally arrived on the battlefield, the Raikage would be restrained. That was not good for them.
Beyond that, the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth had never really gotten along. If Kumogakure suffered heavy losses, Iwagakure would strike at once. The Warring States would flare up again. From every angle, this was dangerously unwise. Waging war would bring Kumogakure no benefit.
"I understand, but this humiliation—I simply cannot swallow."
To become a Kage was never something A achieved merely by being the son of the Third Raikage. After his rage subsided, he knew full well that launching a war now would only disadvantage Kumogakure.
His expression now was eerily similar to the day he learned his father had fallen—sacrificing himself to cover his comrades' retreat, standing alone against tens of thousands of Iwagakure shinobi until his strength ran dry.
When he first heard that news, he too had burned with fury, desperate to strike back at Iwagakure. But at that time, the Third Shinobi World War had just erupted, and every village's focus was on Konoha. He had no choice but to swallow that fire.
The situation now was almost identical.
"Do you have any suggestions?"
Taking a deep breath, A finally calmed completely.
"At the very least, until Killer Bee-sama recovers, our combat power is gravely insufficient. We cannot go to war."
"But the Two-Tails also cannot remain in Konoha for too long. Otherwise, they'll keep using it as leverage, and our Kumogakure will never be able to shift the balance."
After finishing, she reached into her pocket and placed a scroll on the table.
"Raikage-sama, this was delivered to us when we were leaving Konoha."
"I believe the opportunity lies here."
A scroll?
The Raikage nodded, lightning crackling faintly around him as he entered his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Enemy scrolls—real or not—always warranted caution.
But as he slowly unrolled it, A's expression shifted, and a laugh escaped him.
On the parchment lay a clearly marked defense layout—and a detailed method of breaching one of Konoha's barrier points. He couldn't help but grin.
"That's exactly what I like about Konoha! Damn it!"
...
The atmosphere in Kumogakure's Raikage office was a far cry from that of Konoha.
Inside the Hokage Building, Minato studied the report before him, his eyes filled with satisfaction and quiet pride. His decision had been the right one.
The ANBU was developing exactly as he had hoped.
He had secretly visited the training grounds before, worried that Hakken's young age might make it difficult to command respect. But reality had proven him wrong.
Now, the ANBU's morale was completely different from before. Every member was following his disciple through rigorous assessment drills and training sessions.
Hakken hadn't disappointed him.
This was what the ANBU was truly meant to be. Everything was on the right track—Minato could afford to let go and trust him.
Given time, he believed Hakken would forge a true elite force.
Hm?
Lifting his head, Minato paused in mild surprise.
The old man standing at the door was unexpected.
Since the incident at the village gates, the Third Hokage hadn't once come to the Hokage's office of his own accord. Minato had grown used to handling everything himself—no one to interfere, no one to nag, and most importantly, no one filling the air with pipe smoke.
He liked it that way. He enjoyed watching the village evolve, piece by piece.
But now, the old man had come again—without knocking, without waiting for permission.
"Minato."
Stepping inside, Hiruzen instinctively lit his pipe, smoke curling through the air.
"The ANBU. What's going on?"
His face was lined with worry, his tone direct.
For several days now, his doorstep had been trampled by the same two Hokage advisors. They only ever came to say one thing: that Minato and his ANBU had become far too unruly.
Truthfully, the Third didn't want to come. Spending his twilight years quietly at home—drinking tea and fishing—sounded far better.
But he couldn't ignore the constant pestering of his two old comrades. With no other choice, he had come to hear the explanation himself.
"What's going on with the ANBU?"
Minato met his gaze and smiled.
"Homura told me the ANBU actually disobeyed his orders..."
Hiruzen frowned, puzzled yet faintly resigned.
"Lord Third, the ANBU are the Hokage's direct unit. That means only the Hokage has the authority to issue them orders," Minato said calmly. "Of course, now that includes Hakken as well."
"So, the so-called insubordination you mentioned simply doesn't exist."
He shook his head, polite but unyielding, his tone leaving no room for misunderstanding.
"Quite the opposite—the ones breaking protocol are the two Hokage advisors. They have no right to bypass Hakken or me when giving orders to the ANBU."
The Third Hokage stared, momentarily speechless. He had never expected Minato to speak so bluntly.
"And one more thing."
That warm, sunlit smile spread across Minato's face—the signature charm of the Yellow Flash.
"Lord Third, I think…"
"You're getting on in years. It's time you took a proper rest."
"Wouldn't you agree?"