Inside the Raikage's office in Kumogakure.
The notoriously short-tempered Raikage was listening to his subordinates deliver their field reports.
"What?" The Fourth Raikage's expression shifted to one of sheer disbelief. "Dead? And you didn't demand an explanation from Konoha?"
"The Third Hokage claimed that we interfered with their operations, so he was actually demanding an explanation from us..." the Kumogakure envoy mumbled, his voice laced with guilt.
The Fourth Raikage grew so furious that he came dangerously close to taking the man's head off right then and there with a Lightning Release: Lariat.
"Are you an idiot? What did I instruct you to do before you left?!" the Fourth Raikage roared, his veins bulging.
"But... but the situation at the time... that Rodriguez Diarmuid was there... and we conducted an investigation of our own. Konoha was indeed mobilizing for war during those few days..." the Kumogakure envoy stuttered in embarrassment.
"That was because of their own internal Uchiha affair! It had absolutely nothing to do with any of this, you utter moron!" the Fourth Raikage bellowed.
On the surface, the widely circulated rumor throughout the shinobi world was that Uchiha Itachi, the 'Clan Killer,' had suddenly succumbed to madness and slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan overnight, leaving behind only a single young child.
But as one of the Five Kage governing one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, the Fourth Raikage wasn't about to swallow such a story.
A single person wiping out the Uchiha?
It was practically impossible. Without the covert assistance of another major faction, a feat of that scale could never have been executed. And unless Konoha had degenerated into utter incompetence, it was impossible for an external superpower to successfully infiltrate and orchestrate such an internal purge.
Therefore, the only entity capable of pulling this off was Konoha itself.
From an outside perspective, the bad blood between Konoha's leadership and the Uchiha clan had run deep for decades. The surrounding villages had long anticipated that a breaking point was inevitable. Now, the internal abscess had finally ruptured.
The official narrative pinned the blame squarely on Uchiha Itachi, but which of the major power players didn't see through the facade?
Konoha simply could no longer contain the internal threat. Left with no other alternative, they chose the lesser of two evils: severing their own festering arm to save the body.
While it was hard to label the act as right or wrong, the Raikage secretly respected Hiruzen's resolve. When pushed into a corner, the old man could still be ruthless.
"Calm yourself, Fourth Raikage-sama," a crisp, subtly sultry voice drifted from beside him.
If Jūzō were standing here right now, he would stare at Kakuzu in utter shock and demand to know: Didn't you say Kumogakure was nothing but a bunch of dark-skinned, muscle-bound brutes? Who is this fair-skinned, stunning beauty?!
Indeed, the speaker was an incredibly beautiful woman with an exceptional figure. Unlike the predominantly dark-complexioned shinobi of Kumogakure, her skin was as exceptionally pale and flawless as milk. Her voluptuous measurements rivaled even Tsunade's, in a single word: breathtaking. She possessed delicate, refined facial features and wore her short blonde hair in a sharp cut that complemented her face, radiating a distinctly cool, aloof aura.
Her gaze remained entirely tranquil, mirroring her capacity to stay perfectly composed under any circumstances.
"Samui, Konoha is demanding an explanation from us. What exactly am I supposed to give them?" The Fourth Raikage cooled down significantly upon hearing her voice, turning to consult her.
It was evident that this young woman enjoyed the deep trust and high regard of the Fourth Raikage.
Samui, a Jonin of Kumogakure, was only seventeen years old, yet she had already earned her position as the chief advisor to the Fourth Raikage.
"Just as you previously noted, Fourth Raikage-sama, although Konoha was covertly preparing for war, it was merely an emergency measure to contain the fallout from the Uchiha clan's demise. It was a defensive precaution to ensure no outside forces took advantage of their vulnerability. That is standard military protocol," Samui analyzed calmly.
The Fourth Raikage nodded in agreement. "And your point?"
"Therefore, we do not need to worry about Konoha taking any radical military action against us. Judging by the sequence of events, we did lose the tactical initiative and Konoha caught us red-handed. However, looking at the current geopolitical landscape, the incident ultimately caused no substantial damage to Konoha. In fact, I suspect the relationship between Rodriguez Diarmuid and Konoha might not be purely adversarial, and the exact circumstances surrounding Uchiha Shisui's death remain highly suspicious. Regardless, our underlying friction with Konoha has not escalated to the point where war is inevitable," Samui stated with absolute composure.
The Fourth Raikage pondered her words for a moment before nodding. "You make a fair point. Continue."
"As things stand, Konoha certainly has no desire to trigger a great war, and neither do we. Since Konoha demands an explanation, we will simply give them one. There is no need for such volatility. As the Fourth Raikage, you must maintain your equanimity at all times. That is the hallmark of an exceptional shinobi and a true Kage," Samui said, fixing a deadpan, serious gaze upon him.
The Fourth Raikage smacked his lips in exasperation, thinking to himself: If I were naturally capable of remaining calm, would I need to keep you glued to my side every single day? Do you honestly think it's because of your looks? Do you think I, the Fourth Raikage, am that superficial?
Well... cough... maybe just a tiny fraction.
"I understand..." The Fourth Raikage finally nodded, conceding to temper his anger.
In reality, despite his explosive temperament, the Fourth Raikage was a highly effective leader. He might not have been the most intellectual strategist, and his demeanor lacked stability, among other flaws, but within Kumogakure, his authority was absolute. To rule as the leader of the Hidden Cloud, an individual only needed to fulfill two fundamental criteria.
First, they had to be ferociously strong and peerless in combat. This was an unwritten law of Kumogakure culture; historically, every successive Raikage was indisputably the strongest warrior in the village.
Second, they had to possess the sheer magnanimity and presence to command the absolute allegiance of their people.
On this second point, the Fourth Raikage didn't just meet the criteria, he embodied it.
He was the kind of man who commanded a room through raw charisma and an indomitable spirit. He might not have possessed conventional model looks, but no one could ever deny his overwhelming magnetic appeal as a leader.
In the entire shinobi world, very few men truly deserved the title of a legendary hero.
Jiraiya was one. And in Diarmuid's estimation, the Fourth Raikage was undoubtedly another.
It had nothing to do with raw power or political title; it was entirely about that innate, heroic aura. Diarmuid was absolutely certain that if men like Jiraiya and the Fourth Raikage were thrown into the world of pirates, they would easily rise to become legendary figures of the sea, surrounded by an army of fiercely loyal subordinates who would gladly die for them.
Of course, the heroic flavors of Jiraiya and the Fourth Raikage were inherently different. Jiraiya possessed the free-spirited, untamed aura of a wandering rogue, whereas the Fourth Raikage carried himself with the overwhelming gravitas of an absolute mafia don.
The Fourth Raikage commanded immense reverence in Kumogakure, yet he was far from isolated or unapproachable. On the contrary, he was keenly aware of his personal shortcomings and remained exceptionally receptive to sound counsel.
Furthermore, compared to the Kage of the other Hidden Villages, he fiercely protected his subordinates and possessed a far more human touch.
When one of his ordinary subordinates, not a prominent figure, just a common shinobi, was critically injured, he, as the supreme Raikage, was entirely willing to swallow his pride and personally beg Tsunade, the legendary "Legendary Sucker," to provide medical treatment.
He was also the legendary man who could stare down the black flames of Amaterasu without flinching, chop off his own burning arm with a self-inflicted hand blade, and calmly turn to his subordinates to declare, "You men are my left and right hands."
A man like that possessed undeniable, transcendent leadership charm.
"So, Samui, what exactly is this 'explanation' you speak of? What am I supposed to offer Konoha?" the Fourth Raikage inquired further.
"Rest assured, it will not require surrendering any tangible assets or territory. Knowing Konoha's diplomatic style, it will be more than sufficient if you, Fourth Raikage-sama, personally draft a formal letter of apology to the Third Hokage. As long as we demonstrate a veneer of sincerity, Konoha will let the matter rest," Samui explained blandly.
The Kumogakure envoy stood to the side, completely dumbfounded. Are those words an advisor should actually say to their Kage?
From a professional standpoint, a subordinate should never under any circumstances advise their superior to write a "letter of apology" to a rival leader. It was wildly inappropriate, regardless of how pragmatic the strategy might be. To utter such words was a direct challenge to the superior's pride and dignity.
Yet Samui delivered the proposal without a single tremor of hesitation. She completely ignored the envoy's shocked expression.
As the personal advisor to the Fourth Raikage, Samui understood the vast depth of her leader's character and security. He was not a petty man who would hold a grudge against his own staff for offering sound, objective advice. Because she knew he prioritized the village over pride, Samui possessed the courage to speak absolute truth to power.
The Fourth Raikage was briefly taken aback himself. He stared at Samui blankly. "I, the Fourth Raikage, the supreme leader of Kumogakure, am supposed to write an apology letter to Konoha's Third Hokage?! Do you honestly think that is appropriate? Won't that severely tarnish the prestige of our village?"
"Since when has a diplomatic gesture tarnished the collective prestige of Kumogakure?" Samui responded coolly. After a brief pause, she added bluntly, "At most, it is merely your personal pride, Fourth Raikage-sama, that will suffer a temporary scratch. In exchange, the village bypasses an active conflict with Konoha in the most efficient manner possible without surrendering a single copper ryo. I consider it the optimal path. Of course, the second option is for you to maintain an aggressive posture and pressure Konoha. I estimate there is a fifty-percent chance they will choose to minimize the incident to preserve peace..."
"And the other fifty percent?" The Fourth Raikage's eyes flared with sudden intensity.
"Konoha has already mobilized their forces for war. Do I really need to articulate the remaining fifty percent?" Samui replied, a trace of condescension creeping into her cool demeanor.
The Fourth Raikage felt a vein throb. I can't help but feel like you're actively insulting my intelligence right now.
"Therefore, Fourth Raikage-sama, which path do you choose?" Samui pressed immediately, demanding a resolution.
The Fourth Raikage fell into a prolonged silence before grumbling, "Is there truly no other alternative?"
"There is, but it is far more time-consuming and tedious. You could dispatch a continuous cycle of envoys to Konoha to engage them in endless bureaucratic dialogue, deliberately muddying the waters and dragging the issue out. Once Konoha completely loses their patience, they may simply drop the matter entirely," Samui offered, presenting an alternative that carried a high degree of operational feasibility.
She truly possessed an impeccable grasp of the prevailing political landscapes and diplomatic styles. If the Fourth Raikage were to implement this strategy, continually sending delegates to clarify, arbitrate, and bicker, Hiruzen's administration would never initiate a global conflict over an isolated, bloodless border infraction. Konoha would respond politely, gradually grow exhausted by the relentless diplomatic harassment, and eventually let it slide out of sheer bureaucratic fatigue.
But as Samui had explicitly outlined, this route would drain a massive amount of time, prove an absolute logistical nightmare, and tie up numerous high-level shinobi who could otherwise be deployed on vital missions.
The Fourth Raikage processed the options in silence for a long time. Finally, gritting his teeth, he relented. "My prose isn't exactly poetic. Samui, guide me through this. How should I draft this damn apology letter?"
"Understood," Samui replied smoothly, her expression entirely unchanging.
It was as if she had fully anticipated the Fourth Raikage's decision from the very beginning. In truth, she knew her leader perfectly. For the greater good of Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage could throw his personal pride to the wind at a moment's notice. No one in the village would ever look down on him for it; on the contrary, the clan leaders and shinobi would only revere his selflessness all the more.
"Right. And what about that wretched Diarmuid? Is there any way we can flush him out of hiding?!" the Fourth Raikage suddenly growled, his tone abruptly shifting to raw venom.
Samui's expression turned stone-cold. "No. Furthermore, I highly advise against pursuing him."
"Why?!" the Fourth Raikage demanded, his temper flaring again.
His own father, the Third Raikage, had ultimately perished in a battle inextricably linked to that monster! The village had left that blood debt unavenged for years!
Samui stared silently at the Fourth Raikage. After a long, heavy pause, she softly relented. "I will instruct the intelligence department to increase their surveillance and search parameters, Fourth Raikage-sama."
On broad administrative and political matters, she could offer objective, pragmatic counsel. But on this specific topic, she recognized the unquenchable fire of vengeance burning deep within the Raikage's eyes, or perhaps, it was a deep sense of lingering grief.
Thus, despite knowing it wasn't the strategically correct answer, and knowing it violated her duties as a detached advisor, she conceded.
She would allow the Raikage this single, deeply personal indulgence.
Hearing her concession, the Fourth Raikage's fierce gaze flickered. He closed his eyes, leaning back heavily against the leather cushion of his chair with a weary, hollow sigh. "Forget it... the big picture comes first. When I think back objectively, even if that man hadn't been present, Father could never have escaped Ōnoki's massive military trap alive. Perhaps... being able to fall at the hands of a warrior of that caliber was a warrior's honor in itself..."
Of course, those words were merely a bitter pill of self-consolation. Deep within his heart, the sting of unresolved resentment remained completely unyielding.
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