Kawasaki pondered how he could give Nagato a hand.
The news of the Akatsuki leader's surprise attack on the Hidden Cloud—of him single-handedly creating a massive tsunami that caused thousands of casualties—spread to the desks of every major power by the next day. Ohnoki had even received a secret letter from Kawasaki the day before.
Every faction raised the Akatsuki's threat level to its highest, and Ohnoki began mobilizing a large number of his forces with great fanfare. Of course, a blatant move like Ohnoki assembling the Hidden Rock's forces couldn't be kept secret for long. Every ninja village soon learned that the Hidden Rock intended to attack the Hidden Cloud while it was severely weakened.
The Hidden Cloud forces, who were currently cleaning up the battlefield in the Land of Water, treating the wounded, and repairing their ships, also received this intelligence.
The Hidden Cloud's high command gathered for a meeting aboard one of the less damaged ships. Raikage A, Killer Bee, Samui, Mabui, and C were all present. Only Yugito Nii was absent, having been severely injured from a forced Tailed Beast Transformation.
The Hidden Cloud had never suffered such a devastating loss. It had seemed like the perfect opportunity. The Hidden Mist's Jinchuriki was having issues, and their major Kekkei Genkai clans had been wiped out. Their strength had fallen to an all-time low, making it the perfect time for the Cloud to strike. If they could destroy the Hidden Mist and occupy the Land of Water, the Hidden Cloud's domination of the shinobi world would be within reach.
Therefore, the Hidden Cloud took a risk by dispatching their two Jinchuriki to land first and secure territory. At first, the battle went splendidly, with everything proceeding smoothly. But then, both Yugito and Killer Bee were intercepted by the Akatsuki. If not for the timely intervention of the Uchiha, Yugito and Killer Bee would have likely already been killed.
The Hidden Cloud could still accept the situation at this point. After all, they had confirmed that the Mist's Jinchuriki was indeed compromised, and their overall strength had severely declined. However, just as the main Cloud army arrived and was in the process of landing, the Akatsuki revealed their trump card.
A secret technique on the level of a natural disaster struck, destroying eighty percent of the Hidden Cloud's ships and killing or wounding thousands. The Hidden Mist seized the opportunity to counterattack. According to the reports, more than three thousand Cloud shinobi had been killed in action, leaving less than a thousand remaining.
The final pursuit even drew out the Hidden Mist's hidden masters—one from the Kaguya clan and another from the Yuki clan—who beat the Cloud forces so badly they couldn't fight back. If Yugito hadn't forced a Tailed Beast Bomb to carve an escape route, the Hidden Cloud's losses would have been even more catastrophic. Even so, they lost nearly a hundred more people. No matter how strong the Raikage was, he could only lead his men in retreat.
The final count revealed that only eight hundred Cloud shinobi had survived.
The Raikage slammed his fist on the table in frustration. "This campaign against the Hidden Mist is a failure," he said, his voice laced with bitterness. "Let's discuss our next move."
Mabui, holding a stack of documents, reported, "We've received word that the Hidden Rock is amassing troops on a large scale. If we remain in the Land of Water, the Land of Lightning will be in grave danger."
Killer Bee, still recovering from forcing a Tailed Beast Bomb and surviving the tsunami, added, "That Akatsuki is just too strong... Just a few of them came and they inflicted such heavy damage on us. If their whole crew shows up, we'll be in even more danger, you fools, ya fool~"
Samui, however, remained calm. "A technique that powerful can't be used casually. With Lord Raikage here, the other Akatsuki members pose no threat to us. But it's likely the Akatsuki are wary of Lord Raikage, which is why they haven't shown themselves again."
Samui was right. The Raikage's individual assault capabilities were immense. If the Akatsuki members attacked as they had before, not a single one would escape.
C spoke with a hint of resignation. "There's no point in us staying here any longer. The Hidden Mist has already evacuated this island."
Although the Raikage was furious, there was nothing he could do. By withdrawing, the Hidden Mist had essentially handed the island over to them. However, without a supply line, the Hidden Cloud couldn't hold out for long.
The Raikage let out a dejected sigh. "Very well. We're pulling out!"
In truth, it was the only option they had left. The Raikage's order was quickly relayed. The Cloud shinobi understood the situation. No one objected, and they all began to pack up. Boarding the few ships they had managed to repair over the past two days, they slowly departed from Tsuren Island.
Five thousand spirited warriors had set out from the Land of Lightning, their morale high as they marched on the Hidden Mist. In the end, they had accomplished nothing, with more than half of their forces either dead or injured. Now, only seven or eight hundred remained for the journey home, each of them a picture of defeat.
Spies from various factions on the island witnessed this and immediately spread the news.
When word reached the Hidden Mist, everyone erupted in celebration!
"They're gone! The Cloud has retreated!"
"We've won!"
"We did it!"
Many Mist villagers wept with joy. The Hidden Cloud's invasion had been so ferocious that they had been prepared to sacrifice themselves for their village. Yet, compared to past wars, the casualties this time were far lower. The Hidden Mist had barely even fought a pitched battle.
Mei Terumi had originally expected the front lines to be an incredibly difficult struggle. She was even prepared to abandon the outer islands and wage a guerrilla war on the main island. She never imagined that the Akatsuki, brought in by the Uchiha, would be so astonishingly powerful. Their leader, a Rinnegan wielder, had wiped out thousands of Cloud shinobi in a single blow.
This dealt a severe blow to the Hidden Cloud, decimating their lower and mid-ranking ninja and crippling their military strength. For years to come, the Hidden Cloud would be in no position to invade anyone.
Because Mei Terumi had successfully secured reinforcements and won this difficult war, her prestige within the Land of Water soared. Combined with Hyouri's deliberate show of support for Mei before his departure, the people of the Mist were now convinced that Mei had powerful backing. The other factions no longer dared to harbor any dissent and obediently accepted her leadership. With the support of Zabuza, Juzo Biwa, and Ao, the Hidden Mist entered a new era of reconstruction and development.
Meanwhile, after Kawasaki learned of the Hidden Cloud's retreat, he waited a long time but still hadn't received a notification for mission completion.
Damn it. It seems the mission won't be considered complete until the Hidden Mist grows strong and prosperous.
The Hidden Mist had previously commissioned the Akatsuki to search for Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki. But now that the Akatsuki no longer existed, how was he supposed to find him for them?
During this time, Kawasaki's training within his dreamscape continued without interruption. Every day, aside from practicing his Susanoo in the dreamscape, he worked on the One's Own Life Reincarnation technique. His exploration of Sage Mode had temporarily come to a halt. He had already obtained Frog Sage Mode and Snake Sage Mode from Minato and Kabuto, respectively. Only Slug Sage Mode remained. Kawasaki planned to master them all together once he had collected them.
He had to admit, the One's Own Life Reincarnation—the culmination of decades of research by the Hidden Sand—was not something that could be mastered in a short time. Fortunately, Kawasaki still had a one-time use of the technique granted by the system. After using it himself once, he should be able to grasp the jutsu much faster. Mastering the One's Own Life Reincarnation as soon as possible would give him another ace up his sleeve.
Previously, Kawasaki had planned to use the One's Own Life Reincarnation in conjunction with the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. But the Rinnegan was still with Nagato. Nagato would never agree to resurrecting others, nor would he dare take such a risk.
However, if it was to revive their dear friend Yahiko, Nagato and Konan would surely agree. Perhaps Kawasaki could even replenish Nagato's life force in the process.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Kawasaki took out the "North" ring he had taken from Kakuzu. He began to contact Nagato.
Focusing his thoughts, Kawasaki activated the Magic Lantern Body Technique. His astral projection appeared inside an unknown cave.
When he arrived, Nagato's real body and Konan were already waiting.