Feeling the Iron Release chakra fade away, Nozomi's expression shifted.
His eyes moved to the Two-Tails curled up calmly in Kizaru's arms like some oversized house cat, and the pressure in his chest grew even heavier.
The Raikage had been defeated.
The tailed beast had been subdued.
And now the Two-Tails was resting in this man's arms like a pet.
At that point, Nozomi honestly didn't even know how to describe Shimura Kizaru anymore.
Even with more than two thousand shinobi at his back, he couldn't see even the slightest chance of victory against a monster like this.
Nozomi stopped about three meters in front of him and spoke in a steady voice.
"Shimura Kizaru... did you take Lord Raikage to provoke a war between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire?"
Kizaru looked at him, one finger lazily scratching under the Two-Tails' chin.
"Oh? That's a scary accusation," he said lightly. "But weren't you the ones who started the war?"
Nozomi's face hardened.
"Release Lord Raikage. Otherwise, Kumogakure will declare full war on Konoha. Not a border clash or a simple skirmish but the real war." His voice dropped, each word sharper than the last. "And when that happens, Shimura Kizaru... you'll be the one blamed for it."
Kizaru's smile didn't change at all.
"Ooh... how frightening."
Then he turned his head toward the silent Third Raikage beside him, his tone still as casual as ever.
"Did you hear that, Raikage-sama? They're saying I'm the bad guy here. Even though the war already started. How troublesome."
The Third Raikage's hands hung at his sides, clenched so hard they trembled.
He stared at Nozomi, pain and humiliation buried deep in his eyes.
"Nozomi," he said at last, his voice rough, "as the Third Raikage, I order you to abandon the rescue mission... return to the village immediately... and choose the Fourth Raikage to succeed me."
Nozomi's whole body shook.
"Boss...!"
His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the wounded Raikage.
"Follow my order," the Third Raikage said, forcing the words out. "Retreat."
By the time he said that last word, it sounded like he had used up every bit of strength he had left.
Nozomi stood there in silence for a moment.
Then he looked from the Third Raikage to Kizaru, who was still sitting there with the Two-Tails in his arms as if none of this was worth getting worked up over.
Nozomi was the Raikage's advisor. Kumogakure's third-in-command. A shinobi known for keeping a cool head.
And because of that, he understood better than anyone what the Raikage's words really meant.
Between the Raikage's condition, the reports from the retreating vanguard, and the sight in front of him now, Nozomi already knew what the correct choice was.
Still, when he looked at the Third Raikage again, his voice turned solemn.
"Boss... I swear to you, I will bring you back."
Then he turned to Kizaru.
Taking a slow breath, Nozomi bent forward into a deep bow.
"Shimura Kizaru-sama," he said, bowing fully, "please take proper care of Lord Raikage. Kumogakure is willing to negotiate with Konoha at any cost."
The Third Raikage's eyes widened.
"Nozomi! Are you planning to disobey my order?!" he barked. "Treat me as if I died in battle! Go back to the village now and appoint the next Raikage!"
Nozomi straightened and faced him directly.
"Boss... forgive me." His voice was firm now. "But I cannot obey that order."
Then he turned back to Kizaru and lowered his head once more.
"Kizaru-sama... please."
Kizaru gave a soft chuckle as he rose to his feet.
"Ohhh... you really are better at talking than your boss, huh, Raikage-sama?"
The Third Raikage shut his eyes and turned his head away, falling silent.
Kizaru slipped both hands into his pockets and answered in that same easy tone.
"Konoha knows how to treat an important guest. You can head back without worrying."
Only then did Nozomi quietly let out the breath he'd been holding.
"On behalf of Kumogakure," he said, bowing once more, "I will remember your mercy in sparing him."
Kizaru watched him turn away, smiling faintly.
"Well, that worked out nicely."
Hearing their exchange, and then Nozomi's footsteps moving farther away, the Third Raikage slowly opened his eyes again.
He stared at Nozomi's back.
His vision blurred.
Before he realized it, tears had already slipped from the corners of his eyes.
...Pathetic.
What kind of Raikage ends up like this?
What kind of Kage leaves this burden to his subordinates?
Back among the Kumogakure forces, the moment Nozomi gave the order to retreat, the shinobi around him erupted.
"You can't be serious!"
"There are only three of them!"
"We can still win!"
"You coward!"
"You're trying to seize power for yourself!"
The angry voices came one after another, filled with outrage and disbelief.
Nozomi kept walking until one of the Raikage clan jōnin pushed through the crowd and stopped right in front of him, face red with fury.
"What the hell are you saying, Nozomi?!"
Nozomi looked at him calmly.
Then he spoke, his voice cold and precise.
"The man standing over there is Shimura Kizaru. He defeated Lord Raikage and suppressed a tailed beast at the same time." His tone sharpened. "Do you really want to throw everyone's lives away charging at him? Do you want to corner the boss so badly that he has no choice but to die with us?"
The jōnin froze.
Nozomi's voice rose.
"Is that what you want?!"
The others fell silent.
One of them still gritted his teeth and muttered, "But we have the numbers—"
"Then go," Nozomi snapped, stepping aside and pointing straight ahead toward Kizaru in the distance. "The enemy is right there. The boss is right there. Go save him."
His eyes turned fierce.
"Go throw your life away. Go force the boss to die in front of you."
That shut them up.
The Raikage clan jōnin, who had been puffed up like an angry rooster just a moment ago, slowly lowered his head.
Nozomi took a breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Then he looked around at all of them.
Every face was red with anger, grief, frustration, or shame.
No one could accept this.
But that didn't change reality.
"If you really want to save the boss..." Nozomi said, his voice low but heavy, "if you're really shinobi of Kumogakure... then follow my order."
He swept his gaze across them all.
"Retreat. All of you."
This time, no one argued.
Under Nozomi's stare, the shinobi around him lowered their heads one after another.
"Yes... sir."
Soon, the Kumogakure forces began pulling back in an orderly retreat.
From his seat, Kizaru watched the movement in the distance and glanced sideways at the Third Raikage.
"How enviable," he said lazily. "You've got a pretty capable subordinate."
The Third Raikage kept his eyes on the withdrawing troops.
"Nozomi is one of the finest shinobi in the village."
Kizaru tilted his head.
"Better than you?"
The answer came without hesitation.
"Yes. Better than me."
How could someone like me still call himself an excellent shinobi?
Kizaru looked at him for a moment, then stood up and gently set the Two-Tails down on the chair.
The beast flicked its tails, clearly displeased, but stayed put.
Kizaru stepped over and rested a hand on the Third Raikage's shoulder.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, old man," he said. "You were a pain to deal with. That makes you plenty impressive."
The Third Raikage said nothing.
But his expression shifted slightly.
Then Kizaru stretched, loose and unbothered as always, and looked back toward Kakuzu and Hyūga Nagayasu behind him.
"Well then... looks like this little incident is over." He yawned. "Time to head back to the village."
"Yes, Kizaru-sama!" Hyūga Nagayasu answered immediately, unable to hide his excitement.
Just imagining Kizaru returning to Konoha after defeating the Third Raikage and bringing back a tailed beast was enough to make his blood rush.
Even Kakuzu, who usually looked like he hated the entire world, felt a flicker of satisfaction.
His face didn't change much, but inwardly he was already calculating.
Thirty million.
Fifteen million.
Twenty million.
Five million.
Seventy million ryō.
A few days of work, and the money was practically in his hands already.
For someone like Kakuzu, that was enough to improve anyone's mood.
Humans were still disgusting.
But money was honest.
Meanwhile, Matatabi sat on the chair with both tails flicking irritably behind her.
Her big eyes stayed locked on Kizaru in open dissatisfaction.
Used me when it suited you... and now you're just tossing me aside?
Typical human.
How annoying.
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