Two days later, in a small town within the Land of Hot Water.
Night Namikaze sat under the veranda of a hot spring inn, leisurely savoring the local specialty sake.
After days of lurking in Hell Valley, he was feeling a bit mentally drained and had stopped at this town, about half a day's journey away, to rest.
Just as he put down his sake cup, the inn door was shoved open violently.
A figure appeared in the doorway. Bronze skin gleamed with a metallic luster under the sunlight, and short, light-blonde hair stood upright. The man radiated a palpable pressure that felt almost solid.
Night's pupils constricted slightly. He blinked, somewhat unsure. The newcomer was none other than the candidate for the Fourth Raikage, A (Ei).
This future Raikage was no ordinary character. Although he often presented himself as a brute, anyone who could ascend to the position of Kage was not to be trifled with.
Not to mention, he was one of the only two men who nearly "kicked out the finale" (ended the series early with a kick), and he did it even slightly earlier than Might Guy in terms of timeline presence.
A strode into the inn, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room before finally landing on Night. Their gazes met in mid-air, seemingly sparking invisible friction.
"Boss, bring your best sake!"
His voice was loud and powerful, but he paused slightly as he passed Night.
Night could clearly feel the violent Lightning Release chakra within the man, like thunder waiting to strike.
Outwardly, Night remained impassive, but internally, his guard was up.
A sat at the neighboring table and asked, seemingly casually, "Judging by your attire, you're not a local of the Land of Hot Water, are you?"
Night smiled faintly. "Just a wandering samurai."
Their conversation seemed mundane, but hidden meanings lay beneath. Although A looked rough, his sharp eyes were constantly scrutinizing Night's every move.
Night could feel it: this future Raikage was assessing his strength. Clearly, A had also detected the unusual chakra fluctuations within him.
"Samurai?"
A grinned, revealing white teeth. "A wandering samurai with such strength?"
Night raised his cup in a noncommittal toast.
He could see the surprise in A's eyes. This future top-tier powerhouse of the Cloud clearly hadn't expected to encounter an opponent who made him feel pressured in such a border town.
After a brief exchange of glances, Night put down his cup and prepared to settle the bill.
He suppressed the itch to fight. As he brushed past A, the latter suddenly pulled out a money pouch from his chest and tossed it onto the counter.
The owner caught it, confused. A then spoke up, "This brother's tab is on me!"
He turned to look at Night, his gaze somewhat fervent. "If you truly are a wandering samurai, the Hidden Cloud Village welcomes you anytime."
Faced with this sudden overflow of goodwill, Night scratched his head, feeling a bit overwhelmed, and could only nod in thanks.
After leaving the inn, Night immediately found a secluded spot. Activating the Flying Raijin formula, he instantly returned to the Uchiha camp at the edge of Hell Valley.
"Senior Yashiro."
Yashiro Uchiha, who was inspecting the camp, turned at the sound. Seeing Night appear suddenly, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
"The Cloud envoy has arrived in the Land of Hot Water."
Night got straight to the point. "It's the Fourth Raikage candidate, A."
Yashiro's face changed drastically. "What? Why him? And so fast?"
Then his expression turned ugly. He hadn't even known when the Cloud had dispatched their personnel, let alone who it was.
As one of the captains guarding Hell Valley, he was completely in the dark about such critical intelligence.
"Hachitsutsu Uchiha..."
He spat out the name through gritted teeth. "He dared to conceal such vital intel!"
Night analyzed calmly, "It seems Captain Hachitsutsu intends to use the Cloud's hand to achieve certain goals."
Yashiro's Sharingan activated involuntarily, the three tomoe spinning slowly. "What is he trying to do? This is a betrayal of the Uchiha's stance!"
The sudden turn of events disrupted their plans, but fortunately, Night had accidentally discovered the envoy's identity in advance. The two immediately set about adjusting their strategy.
---
When A's figure appeared at the entrance of Hell Valley, Hachitsutsu Uchiha had been waiting for a long time.
"Envoy of the Cloud, welcome to Hell Valley." Hachitsutsu bowed slightly, his posture suspiciously respectful.
A's sharp gaze lingered on him for a moment. "Lead the way."
The two walked one after another toward the Chinoike settlement. Hachitsutsu seemingly chose a random path, yet coincidentally avoided the Uchiha's regular patrol routes.
Just as they passed through a narrow rock fissure, a sudden change occurred!
Several kunai and shuriken shot out from the shadows of the rock wall, aiming straight for A's vitals. The speed and force behind them were extraordinary.
A snorted coldly, lightning exploding around his body. In his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his speed was so fast he left only afterimages, easily dodging all attacks.
Then, sensing something, he turned abruptly and punched the rock wall!
BOOM!
Amidst flying debris, a lurking figure was forced to reveal himself. The person wore an eerie mask, and their eyes flashed with an ominous red light.
From a distant observation point, Night and Yashiro watched everything. They exchanged puzzled glances.
"That's not one of ours."
Yashiro's Sharingan spun rapidly, his brow furrowed tight. "But the aura feels very much like the Chinoike clan."
Night had his Mind's Eye of the Kagura fully open, carefully sensing the masked man's chakra. "This aura... feels somewhat familiar."
As he pondered, the battle in the field shifted again.
A engaged the masked man fiercely. Lightning and eerie blood-colored chakra clashed constantly.
Perhaps intending to capture the opponent alive, A didn't go for the kill immediately, but anyone could see that the masked man's defeat was only a matter of time.
"This strength..."
Yashiro was uncertain and shocked. "At least Jonin level. There aren't many people in the Chinoike clan with this kind of power."
Night's gaze turned cold. He noticed that throughout the battle, Hachitsutsu Uchiha maintained a subtle distance—neither intervening nor moving too far away, as if trying to avoid suspicion.
In the center of the battle, A fought with increasing ferocity. His Lightning Release Chakra Mode erupted fully; his terrifying speed and power were truly astonishing.
Just as the opponent was forced into a crevice in the valley wall by A, the masked man flickered, seeming about to merge into the rock.
"Like hell I'll let you run, you bastard!"
"Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop—!!"
With the Raikage candidate's roar, a hand chop carrying immense force smashed ruthlessly into the rock face. It struck the enemy, who was already half-submerged in the stone, causing him to spew blood. The scene was exceptionally bloody and violent.
Night clicked his tongue. Without using Yomotsu Hone (Underworld Bone), he reckoned even he would suffer greatly if he took a hit like that head-on.