Chapter 20: Attack on Kumogakure!

The Raikage Building.

The Fourth Raikage, Ay, wearing a white robe and his signature Raikage hat, was stretching his muscles while listening to reports from his subordinates, a dumbbell held in his right hand.

"According to the updated information from the Bounty Exchange, the mysterious ninja who killed Kainu has already taken his body to claim the reward," Mabui reported, her tone calm as she held a file.

*Bang!*

As soon as Mabui finished speaking, the Fourth Raikage Ay slammed his palm down, splitting the entire ironwood table in two!

"This is going too far! That despicable bastard!" The Fourth Raikage's eyes bulged with rage, yet he maintained his composure despite his fury.

The Raikage asked in a low voice, "What is the likelihood that Konoha did this themselves?"

He had dispatched a Special Jonin skilled in stealth as an envoy. On the surface, it was for peace talks, but in reality, it was an opportunity to infiltrate the Hyuga compound and kidnap a Hyuga princess to secure the Byakugan bloodline for the Cloud Village.

If they were discovered by the Hyuga clan—ideally the Main House—the envoy would become a suicide agent, charging straight in to die on the spot. This would give the Cloud Village an excuse to force Konoha to hand over the culprit.

It was supposed to be a foolproof move.

But then, a mysterious masked ninja suddenly appeared out of nowhere, killed the Cloud envoy, and left the body in the Hyuga compound to frame the Hyuga clan.

Ay, as the Raikage, knew exactly what the Cloud Village had attempted to do.

He didn't believe Konoha's rhetoric; he believed they were simply protecting the Hyuga clan at all costs.

"The possibility exists. After all, a ninja capable of doing such a thing within the heavily guarded Konoha Village is unlikely to be an unknown nobody," Mabui said, frowning slightly.

As the Raikage's secretary, Mabui was exceptionally intelligent, skilled in judgment and analysis, and held much of the Cloud Village's intelligence.

Therefore, Mabui also believed it was unlikely such a person existed.

"However..." Mabui set down the file, a sharp glint flashing in her pale blue eyes as she added, "Konoha's insistence that it was a mysterious ninja is clearly an attempt to protect the Hyuga. If we continue to press them, Konoha likely won't hand over the killer."

"Hmph! Then we keep fighting! We fight until Konoha begs for mercy!" The Fourth Raikage's face was distorted with rage, his left fist creaking as he clenched it.

He wanted nothing more than to lead his ninja forces to Konoha's doorstep immediately.

"Lord Raikage, our Cloud Village no longer has the strength to fight," Mabui sighed, analyzing the current situation of the Cloud Village and the Land of Lightning for the hot-tempered leader.

Forget invading Konoha; they hadn't even broken into the Land of Fire. The ninja forces of both nations had been in a stalemate within the borders of the Land of Hot Springs and the Land of Moon for months and were already exhausted.

This war needed to end.

"Furthermore, this is the third time this month you've broken a table!" Mabui glanced at the debris on the floor, noting it was made of high-quality ironwood. "The repair costs will be deducted from your allowance."

"Do whatever you want!" Ay replied dismissively.

Holding his dumbbell in his right hand, he looked out the window at a mass of dark, heavy clouds drifting in. For some reason, he had an ominous feeling.

*What is Killer B up to now?* The first person Ay thought of was his adoptive brother, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, who loved rapping and had been banned from leaving the village for years.

*Boom—!*

Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted from the ground floor of the Raikage Building!

The entire building shook violently, the room creaking as if it might collapse at any moment.

"Who is it!" Ay roared, tossing the dumbbell aside. He smashed through the office window and leapt down.

"Lord Raikage!" Mabui hurriedly followed.

The two jumped from the building and landed on the platform below, seeing that nearly half of the lower structure of the Raikage Building had been destroyed!

If the building hadn't been built atop a mountain peak and connected to other peaks by supports, it might have collapsed entirely.

Ay scanned the area for enemies.

*Step—*

Footsteps emerged from the smoke.

"Who goes there! How dare you show such insolence in the Cloud Village!" Ay was incensed. In all the decades since the Cloud Village was established, no one had ever broken in like this.

Amidst the rolling smoke, a figure slowly emerged. As the smoke dissipated, a white, three-eyed fox mask became visible.

"Playing tricks!" Purple Lightning-style chakra erupted from Ay's body as he activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

He glared at the figure in the smoke and shouted sternly, "Show yourself!"

Ay's figure blurred as he charged toward the mysterious person at extreme speed.

"Die!"

"Lightning Release: Heavy Flowing Burst!"

Countless bolts of lightning chakra gathered at Ay's elbow, crackling and whistling as they surged toward the mysterious figure.

Just as Ay's elbow was about to strike the mask...

*Clang—!*

A clear, ringing sound pierced the air.

A black scythe swung out from the rolling smoke, slicing through the haze.

It collided violently with the metal bracer on Ay's wrist, producing a sharp *clang* and a spray of sparks!

Simultaneously, the lightning chakra concentrated on Ay's elbow was inexplicably drained by more than half.

"Who!" Having failed his strike and having his technique interrupted, Ay decisively retreated.

"Lord Raikage!" At that moment, Mabui and two members of the Raikage's guard, Darui and C, arrived on the battlefield, flanking Ay in combat stances.

"Who is the enemy?" Darui gripped his long blade, staring intently at the three masked figures emerging from the smoke.

As the smoke cleared, two more masked figures in long robes were seen floating in the air.

The one on the right had flowing ribbons behind them, appearing to be a woman.

The one on the left wore a black robe and held a black scythe.

The two hovered in mid-air like ghosts.

Ay focused his gaze on the masked person with the scythe; he had felt a significant portion of his chakra being sucked away just now.

"That is!" Mabui also saw the mysterious figures, her pupils shrinking. "The mysterious ninja Konoha reported as the killer of Kainu!"

"What?!" Darui and C were stunned.

As the Raikage's guards and high-ranking officials of the Cloud, they were naturally aware of the news Konoha had sent a few days ago.

"I thought it was just a clumsy excuse from Konoha, but it turns out it was true," Darui said, his expression grim as he looked at the two floating masked figures. "And it seems they aren't alone."

Konoha's report mentioned a single mysterious ninja, but the attackers currently striking the Cloud Village were three masked individuals!

"A-da!" A whistling sound came from above.

Killer B, with his seven swords on his back, also arrived at the battlefield.

"Yo~ Big bro, you alright~"

Killer B first greeted his brother, Ay, before looking at the three mysterious masked figures in the clearing smoke.

"Yo~ Mister from just now~ Why you gotta attack the Cloud~" Killer B struck a pose, issuing his challenge.

Uzumaki Menma's malicious perception was fully active; he could already sense the ninjas of the entire Cloud Village rushing toward them.

Before long, figures descended around the Raikage Building, and ninjas wearing Cloud headbands surrounded Menma.

"When the Cloud attacks others, do they ever look for an excuse?" A low voice emanated from beneath Menma's white, three-eyed fox mask.

"Today, I am simply returning your own tactics to you." Having spoken, Menma gave orders to the two Nine-Faced Beasts behind him: "Finish off these small fry!"

The Celestial Maiden of Jade brandished her ribbons, and the Third Shinigami raised her scythe.

They charged out, one to the left and one to the right.