"This time, I'm also here to discuss something with you. I don't know if you can remain calm while talking to me now?!"
Uzumaki Raiden sheathed Sakegari no Tachi at his waist, restrained his chakra, and spoke in a harmonious tone, smiling as he looked at Raikage Ai. At this moment, Raikage Ai was focused on Raiden's movements while also keeping an eye on Kirabi's condition.
Although Raiden appeared composed, Raikage Ai didn't dare to lower his guard for even a moment against such an opponent. He was well aware of the gap in strength between them, yet he had no intention of sitting idly by.
"What do you want to talk about?!" Yeyue Ai asked in a deep voice. Behind him, Kirabi was breathing evenly, seemingly unconscious. Other than a few abrasions, there were no serious wounds on his body, indicating that the Eight-Tails' power had protected him well.
Seeing that his younger brother was unharmed, Raikage Ai's expression softened slightly. It seemed that Raiden truly hadn't intended to kill them.
"Cloud ninja must retreat to their own borders and are forbidden from entering the territory between the Land of the Moon and the Land of Rivers."
"From today onward, Cloud ninja are no longer allowed to accept any missions commissioned by the Land of Rivers. That is what I want to discuss with you."
Uzumaki Raiden stroked his chin as he spoke.
Hearing these words, Raikage Ai's expression changed instantly. The essence of a ninja village is, at its core, a military organization. Regardless of which village it is, the shinobi themselves do not produce resources; everything they require is acquired through trade.
And when it comes to trade, one thing is indispensable—money.
Generally speaking, the financial resources of a ninja village are controlled by the daimyo of their respective countries. The economic support provided by the daimyos is one of the village's primary sources of income. Aside from these allocations, another crucial source of revenue is undertaking paid missions from foreign clients, especially those from countries without their own ninja villages.
For Cloud Village, a significant portion of their mission revenue comes from neighboring nations, including the Land of the Moon and the Land of Rivers. If they lost these mission sources, their economy would take a serious hit, and military funding would be directly impacted.
Similar situations had occurred before—like with Iwagakure after their defeat in the Third Shinobi World War. The Daimyo of the Land of Earth had significantly cut Iwagakure's funding, which led to stagnation in their military growth and even signs of decline. As a long-time rival of Iwagakure, Yeyue Ai had witnessed this firsthand and never forgot it.
Uzumaki Raiden's proposal was like slicing flesh off Cloud Village's body.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"You actually expect me to agree to this?! There's nothing to discuss!"
Yeyue Ai refused outright. He understood all too well the devastating blow Cloud Village would suffer if he accepted Raiden's terms.
"Is that so... you refuse?"
"But... Raikage, do you really think you have the option to refuse?!"
As soon as Raikage Ai gave his answer, the smile on Uzumaki Raiden's face faded. His tone turned sharp, laced with unmistakable killing intent, as if another battle would erupt if there was no agreement.
Just as Raikage Ai was about to respond, Raiden continued:
"Losing the mission sources from the Land of Rivers and the Land of the Moon will only bring temporary hardship to Cloud Village."
"Many of the missions from these two nations will simply be redirected to Konoha instead. The loss to Cloud Village won't be as devastating as you think."
"But if you refuse, I assure you, Cloud Village's losses will be far greater."
"Raikage, you cannot afford the consequences of refusal."
"I'll give you one last chance."
"Now, answer me—do you accept?!"
A faint, turbulent airflow surrounded Uzumaki Raiden, lifting dust from the ground. Raikage Ai knew that if he dared to say no, he would face an immediate and ruthless assault.
As Raikage, his own death was secondary. The greater issue was that if he rejected the demand, his younger brother, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki Kirabi, would undoubtedly be taken away. Konoha already controlled the Three-Tails, Six-Tails, Seven-Tails, and Nine-Tails, with Uzumaki Raiden having achieved full mastery over the Nine-Tails' power as a perfect Jinchūriki.
It was only a matter of time before Konoha produced more perfect Jinchūriki. If Cloud Village lost the Eight-Tails, they would lose any hope of competing with Konoha.
For now, swallowing his pride was necessary. No matter how powerful Raiden was, he wouldn't live forever.
"The most important task of our generation is to endure the pressure Uzumaki Raiden brings," Raikage Ai muttered internally. Then, aloud, he said:
"I accept. In exchange, you must not attack Cloud ninja anymore!" Raikage Ai agreed bitterly.
"Of course. I only came to talk."
"You've made a wise decision."
Uzumaki Raiden withdrew his killing intent, a smile returning to his face. He glanced at the unconscious Kirabi before swiftly disappearing into the night. His voice echoed from the darkness as he departed:
"I'll send someone to finalize the contract."
His voice faded into the night, leaving Raikage Ai standing on guard for a long time. Only after confirming that Raiden had truly left did he finally breathe a sigh of relief and kneel down to check on Kirabi.
"Kirabi!"
Meanwhile, a hundred meters away in the dense forest near the Cloud ninja camp, a flytrap-like figure slowly sank into the ground, whispering:
"Uzumaki Raiden's power has grown to such an extent… Even Akatsuki's strongest members might not be able to defeat him."
Early Morning
At dawn, Nara Shikashin, commander of the Konoha camp, received a report from his subordinates stating that Cloud ninja were no longer concealing their movements and had begun an orderly retreat toward the Land of the Moon. Their retreat was swift, without hesitation—they hadn't even set up traps as they withdrew.
Holding the intelligence scroll in his hand, Shikashin Nara grinned.
"Hahaha! As expected of the Fourth Hokage—he personally resolved the Cloud ninja threat so quickly!"
"It's a relief that we avoided an all-out war."
Shikashin tapped his fingers against the table, his expression one of satisfaction. However, before long, another Anbu operative entered the tent.
"Report!"
"Lord Shikashin, Kamizuki Ken is missing!"
At that moment, Shikashin Nara was alone in the conference room; the previous Anbu had already left. The new Anbu knelt before him and reported the news.
"What did you say?! Kamizuki Ken is missing?!"
"When did this happen?!"
Shikashin Nara was shocked by the report and immediately pressed for answers. A missing Jōnin was no small matter—especially during wartime. Whether it was a defection or something else, they had to locate him, dead or alive.
"We're not sure, but he may have disappeared last night."
Anbu lowered his head and answered.
"Last night? Defected? No, the Kamizuki clan has been loyal to Konoha for generations. Though they are a small family, their loyalty is unquestionable."
"Then… this is bad!"
Shikashin pondered for a moment before realizing the worst possibility. He quickly gave an order:
"Send word to Lord Raiden immediately! Kamizuki Ken may have gone after the Cloud ninja on his own!"
"I need Lord Raiden to bring him back!"
Kamizuki Ken was one of Shikashin's trusted subordinates, and they had fought side by side for many years. He couldn't let his old comrade meet a tragic end.
"Understood!" The Anbu operative acknowledged the order and swiftly departed.
"Tch!"
"That reckless fool! He's completely ignoring the bigger picture!"
(End of Chapter)