The Raikage's office fell silent as the Fourth Raikage processed what he'd just heard.
"How did you arrive so quickly?" he asked, his confusion evident. Mabui had sent word yesterday that Hanekawa would return with them to the Hidden Cloud. He'd expected them tomorrow, maybe the day after. Not this morning.
Even traveling through the night shouldn't have been possible at that speed.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique," Mabui replied, her expression grave.
The Fourth Raikage blinked. "You used the Flying Thunder God Technique to hurry? Multiple times?"
"Once," Mabui corrected, her tone carrying the weight of what that meant. "We were still in Konoha three minutes ago."
The color drained from the Raikage's face. "That's... impossible. The distance—"
"We experienced it ourselves," Mabui said quietly. "It's absolutely true."
The Fourth Raikage stood slowly, the implications crashing over him like a tidal wave. A ninja who could teleport from Konoha to the Hidden Cloud in a single use of the Flying Thunder God Technique. In war, such a person could level an entire village before anyone could react.
"This is a catastrophe," he muttered.
"It's unfortunate," Mabui agreed, "but there's nothing we can do about it now. Our priority is understanding why he's come."
Killer Bee shifted uncomfortably. "What about the Six Paths Ninja Tools? The amber bottle—"
"We can't risk it," Mabui said firmly. "Not without knowing his intentions."
The two Yugito sisters exchanged frustrated glances, but held their tongues. Mabui was right, however much they hated admitting it.
When Hanekawa and Samui entered moments later, the tension in the room became suffocating.
"Lord Raikage," Hanekawa began without preamble, "I have a question."
The Fourth Raikage nodded warily.
"I've heard that the strongest person in the Hidden Cloud receives the title of 'A' and is eligible to compete for the position of Raikage. Is that correct?"
"Yes," the Raikage answered carefully. "That's our tradition."
Mabui's breath caught.
"Then," Hanekawa continued with a disarming smile, "as a ninja of the Hidden Cloud, can I challenge for that title?"
The room erupted.
"You're not qualified!" one of the Yugito sisters snapped. "The Raikage position is sacred—"
"Do you remember what you promised me?" Hanekawa asked Mabui, cutting through the noise.
Mabui's face went pale. She'd walked straight into a trap, hadn't she? Had he planned this from the beginning?
"I believe in fair trade," Hanekawa said calmly. "If you break your word, so will I."
The threat hung in the air like a blade.
"You're already the Hokage," the Fourth Raikage said, trying a different approach. "Surely you don't need—"
"No one said I can't be both," Hanekawa replied pleasantly.
"And if I refuse?" the Raikage asked quietly.
"Then the Hidden Cloud's rules mean nothing," Hanekawa said. "And if your rules mean nothing, why should the village exist?"
The Yugito sister started to protest, but one look from Hanekawa froze her in place. She felt death itself brush against her skin.
The Fourth Raikage closed his eyes. He'd fought Hanekawa before. He knew the gap between them. But he also knew something else—he had the amber bottle.
"I accept your challenge," he said, standing. "The rules of the Hidden Cloud will be upheld. And I won't lose."
---
The third training ground was nearly empty. Only five spectators: Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Samui, Mabui, Killer Bee, and the two Yugito sisters.
"Let's begin," Hanekawa said casually.
The Fourth Raikage roared, chakra exploding from his body in a torrent of lightning. Lightning Style Chakra Mode activated instantly—his strongest armor, his most devastating technique.
Lightning crackled across his frame, forming a brilliant corona of electrical energy. His hair stood on end. He looked like a god of thunder descending to earth.
Without hesitation, he launched himself forward, his hand knife crackling with lethal power. In the original timeline, this technique had severed the Eight-Tails' horn. Against a human body, it would cut clean through.
Hanekawa raised his hand and caught it between two fingers.
The spectators froze.
"Impossible," one of the Yugito sisters whispered.
The Fourth Raikage didn't pause. He pivoted and drove his heel toward Hanekawa's ribs.
Hanekawa blocked with his shin.
The crack of breaking bone echoed across the training ground.
The Fourth Raikage screamed, flying backward. He crashed to the ground, gasping in agony. His right leg was shattered.
"Anything else?" Hanekawa asked, not even breathing hard.
The Fourth Raikage struggled to his feet, balancing on his left leg. His face was slick with cold sweat. His body—reinforced by Lightning Chakra Mode, strong enough to be called the strongest in the ninja world—had been broken like glass.
"Hanekawa!" he shouted, pulling out the amber bottle.
He called Hanekawa's name, expecting the sealing technique to activate.
The bottle fell to the ground and didn't move.
"What—?" the Raikage gasped.
Hanekawa picked it up casually. The moment his fingers touched it, the bottle trembled in recognition. Not of him, but of Tsukihime's presence within him.
"If I called your name," Hanekawa said softly, "would you answer?"
The Fourth Raikage's blood turned to ice.
"I'll fight!" one of the Yugito sisters declared, stepping forward.
Hanekawa glanced at her.
The sound of a slap echoed across the training ground. She didn't even see his hand move.
Blood dripped from her mouth as she froze in shock.
"The outcome is decided," Hanekawa said to the Fourth Raikage. "Do you still wish to continue?"
The Raikage stood in silence, unable to find words.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's eyes widened. A terrifying aura erupted from her, pressing everyone to the ground like invisible weights.
"You're sensible," Hanekawa said to her with a smile. "Can you extract the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails?"
"No!" Mabui cried out desperately. "We accept you as Raikage! Please, let them live!"
Samui's eyes pleaded silently.
"Keep them alive," Hanekawa chuckled. "Dying is too easy."
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki nodded and waved her hand casually.
Killer Bee and the two Yugito sisters screamed as two massive spheres of chakra were ripped from their bodies. The tailed beasts didn't even have time to resist before they were suppressed in Kaguya's grip.
When it was over, the jinchuriki stood unharmed, as if nothing had happened.
The training ground fell silent.
The Fourth Raikage and the others stared at Hanekawa and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki in incomprehension. How was it possible to extract tailed beasts with a wave of the hand? How was it possible to save the jinchuriki in the process?
How was any of this possible?
"Mabui," Hanekawa said, walking toward her, "prepare for the transfer of power."
"Yes, Lord Raikage," she replied after a moment's hesitation.
"What happens to us?" one of the Yugito sisters asked weakly.
"That's none of your concern," Hanekawa said coldly.
She tried to protest, but he flicked his wrist. The force sent her flying. She crashed to the ground, coughing blood, and lost consciousness.
"Lock her up," Hanekawa instructed Mabui.
"Yes," Mabui agreed, though her hands trembled slightly.
She hesitated before speaking again. "Lord Raikage, might I request two days to prepare? The sudden change of leadership... the village will need time to adjust."
Hanekawa considered this. "Very well. Announce it to the senior leadership first. That should minimize complications."
Mabui bowed gratefully. With two days, she could prevent the hot-blooded warriors of the Hidden Cloud from throwing their lives away in futile challenges.
As the others filed out, three lines of text appeared before Hanekawa's eyes:
[S-Rank Talent Entry: Fifth Raikage]
[Trigger Condition: Become the Fifth Raikage]
[Effect: Thunder Release power increased by 200%]
He raised an eyebrow. Compared to the "Strongest Hokage" entry, this was half as potent. But that hardly mattered at his current level.
What interested him more was the synthesis possibility.
Synthesis, he thought.
[S-Rank Talent Entry: Book Raikage]
[Trigger Condition: Synthesized from B-Rank Master of the Book and S-Rank Fifth Raikage]
[Effect: Infinite energy and infinite chakra]
Hanekawa couldn't help but smile. He already possessed the Ōtsutsuki physiology—theoretically unlimited chakra. But this was different. This was true infinity.
More intriguingly, "infinite energy" seemed to encompass both mental and physical stamina. Even against Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, he could now fight indefinitely without fatigue.
"Samui," he said, "take me to the Raikage's office."
"Of course," she replied, leading the way.
Behind them, the Fourth Raikage sat in the dust, his broken leg throbbing with pain. He stared at the empty space where Hanekawa had been, feeling the weight of a terrible mistake.
He should never have sent Hanekawa to Konoha.
But there was no changing the past.