On the night Uzumaki Raiden arrived at the front lines, he led a team of ten men, silently slipping away from the camp under the cover of darkness.
A sprinkle of starlight descended from the night sky, casting a faint glow on their path forward.
"Master Raiden, we haven't located the Cloud camp yet."
"Isn't it too risky to act without a clear objective?"
In the dense forest, more than a dozen figures swiftly navigated through the trees. As the leading figure paused to check his position, one of his subordinates quickly approached and whispered the question.
Uzumaki Raiden halted, standing motionless as he expanded the range of his Kagura's Mind Eye, sensing chakra fluctuations across hundreds of kilometers. Hearing the concern from his subordinate, Raiden remained calm and looked at him.
"Don't worry. We'll find them soon."
"It's not a problem if the Cloud finds our tracks first. If we can't locate them, drawing them to us will serve the same purpose."
"Shikadai, the goal of this mission is to make the Cloud aware of my presence!"
After speaking, Uzumaki Raiden ignored Shikadai Nara and once again focused his mind, using Kagura's perception. The sheer scale of his sensory ability was overwhelming—too many chakra signatures appeared in his range, requiring him to filter out unnecessary noise. This was the inherent flaw of large-scale perception; the information overload demanded time to analyze.
The ninja Raiden had brought with him were elite members of the front-line forces, all highly experienced and powerful jōnin.
After some time, Raiden finally opened his eyes.
"Let's go. I've found them!"
With that, he leaped onto a branch, and the rest of the team swiftly followed, moving toward the center of the Land of Rivers.
A Few Days Later – Cloud Encampment in the Land of Rivers
The night was misty as A returned to his tent after inspecting the camp.
Not long after he sat down, Mabui entered the Raikage's tent, carrying a stack of documents.
"Lord Raikage, today's reports from all investigation teams have arrived. Please review them."
Mabui placed the documents on A's desk and spoke softly.
"Mm, I'll look at them later. What is Killer Bee up to?"
"I've been feeling uneasy lately. I'm afraid that kid is planning something again. Keep a close watch on him. If he does anything reckless, inform me immediately!"
Raikage glanced at the reports on his desk but paid them little attention. Instead, he reached under his bed and casually grabbed two enormous black barbells, starting to train his arms as if no one else was present.
His biceps flexed rhythmically as he lifted the barbells, veins bulging visibly. These specialized training weights were as tall as a person and forged from a rare iron alloy, each weighing over ten tons.
"Master Killer Bee should be resting in his quarters now," Mabui replied while tidying up the scattered documents on Raikage's desk.
"Good. Soon, we'll launch our attack freely."
"Until then, ensure everyone stays alert. If that man is truly alive, he will show up soon."
"Mabui, finish organizing those documents and head back early. I'll need you tomorrow—"
Before A could finish his sentence, he abruptly stopped speaking. He had his back to the desk, but the sudden eerie silence in the tent made his skin crawl.
A presence had locked onto him.
Spinning around instantly, A's pupils shrank at what he saw.
A young man now sat on his desk, a long blade resting against Mabui's neck. The oppressive aura in the room was suffocating.
The cold wind swept through the tent, parting the entrance flaps and causing the young man's striking red hair to billow in the breeze.
"Long time no see. Congratulations on becoming the Fourth Raikage."
"Was I the topic of conversation just now?"
A's heart pounded violently at the sight of the red-haired young man before him. But he quickly forced himself to remain calm, suppressing his emotions as he darkly muttered the intruder's name:
"It's you… Uzumaki Raiden!"
"How dare you show yourself here?!"
Raikage instantly recognized the young man who had infiltrated his camp. His entire body tensed, every muscle primed for action.
The fact that Raiden had slipped into his personal quarters unnoticed—bypassing all security measures and barriers—was proof of his terrifying strength. The pressure emanating from him was overwhelming, forcing A to focus completely.
"Is this man truly the legendary ninja, Uzumaki Raiden?" Mabui thought, glancing sideways at him despite being held hostage.
Her eyes caught the side of Raiden's face—extraordinarily handsome, with an abyss-like depth in his black eyes. Even as he sat within enemy territory, he wore a faint, carefree smile.
Though she was being restrained, Mabui oddly felt no murderous intent from him.
"Hey!"
Raikage wasted no time. His body instantly became cloaked in a layer of Lightning Release Chakra Armor, his neatly combed blond hair standing on end, resembling a wary porcupine.
In a blur, he launched himself toward Uzumaki Raiden, throwing a devastating punch aimed straight at his face.
The sheer force of his movement created a whirlwind that tore through the camp, scattering furniture and supplies.
The shockwave from his punch alone shattered the air—but before the sound even reached Raiden's ears, A's fist had already closed in on him at a speed surpassing sound itself.
"Oh!"
A soft noise echoed as Raikage's fist was caught—by a pale, outstretched hand.
The momentous strength behind A's punch seemed to vanish into the palm, dissipating like mud sinking into the ocean.
Even the desk beneath Raiden remained intact, as if A's monstrous power had been effortlessly neutralized.
"Hngh!"
Realizing his attack had been stopped, Raikage immediately increased his chakra output, forcing his Lightning Armor into Stage Two—dramatically boosting his speed and power.
Just as he prepared to continue his assault, the very same hand that blocked his punch suddenly grasped his wrist.
A moment later, a terrifying force surged through his arm.
"What—?!"
Before A could react, Raiden lifted him with one hand, spinning his body mid-air before hurling him out of the tent like a ragdoll.
"Boom!"
Raikage's body crashed into the ground outside, sending dust and debris flying in all directions.
Raiden stood up, grabbing Mabui's collar as he calmly led her toward the tent's exit.
But just as he stepped out the door, a cold glint of steel flashed before his eyes.
A swift sword strike descended from above, aimed directly at the arm holding Mabui.
(End of Chapter)