Leaving the dungeon, Gusion looked up at the sun and breathed the free air.
Kumogakure, surrounded by mountains and clouds, was indeed a sight.
On the street, people pointed and whispered. Some who'd been in the Third Ninja War recognized him, with looks of hatred or fear.
Gusion didn't care about their stares. With such low reputation, and his identity, he guessed it had to do with his new bloodline and Calamity title.
This identity seemed terrible, but from his last world's experience, sometimes starting in jail could be very profitable.
But unlike One Piece, here he was a real war criminal. The Naruto world was more serious and its people smarter.
So the Raikage wouldn't let himself be tricked, nor did Gusion intend to help Kumogakure—there was no benefit for him.
Helping Kaido in Wano let him learn Haki; helping the Raikage would only get him Lightning Release.
In a war-torn world like Naruto, only by stirring things up could you get more rewards and exploration points.
With no main quest, he had no clear goals yet—better wait and see what the Raikage wanted before deciding how to break free.
With his current strength, he was a powerhouse even in this era—though only in this era, since Naruto's power scaling was wild.
Following Samui, who slowed her pace for his restraints, they took half an hour to reach the Raikage's office.
Samui, though wary the whole way, only relaxed after handing Gusion over.
At twenty-one, she was already an elite Jonin and the Raikage's confidante, but back in the war, she was only a Chunin—much weaker than the prisoner she'd just escorted, a Konoha war hero known as The Thunderstorm.
"Lord Raikage, The Thunderstorm Gusion is here."
Samui knocked, reported, and entered with Gusion.
Gusion readied himself. He'd already disrupted the seal with lightning—if a fight broke out, he was ready.
Kumogakure's seals targeted chakra, but his lightning didn't require chakra; as a Raijin Fruit user, his soul energy was different, more like natural energy in Naruto, so their seals were ineffective.
Inside, he saw the Raikage—tall, muscular, tanned, with a white Raikage cloak. Even seated, he was imposing, though after One Piece, Gusion was used to giants.
Seeing Samui bring Gusion in, the Raikage paused his paperwork, clearly not a fan of desk jobs.
He stood, hands on the table, and stared at Gusion. "The Thunderstorm, I'll ask one last time: will you join Kumogakure?"
"What if I say no?"
Gusion kept in character as a loyal Konoha hero, but was really testing the Raikage's response.
From market intel, this Naruto world wasn't freshly reset—explorers had been here, possibly altering the plot.
Calling him out now meant the Raikage had a job for him.
"If you refuse, you'll be executed tomorrow."
The Raikage glared, moustache twitching. He was no fool—he knew Gusion was negotiating for better terms.
He wanted to make clear that he, the Raikage, held the power, and Gusion was at his mercy.
"I almost forgot—I'm your defeated foe, caught by you years ago."
Gusion joked.
The Raikage frowned at the provocation—Gusion was hinting that it had taken both him and Killer Bee to catch him. But in the ninja world, victory matters more than glory.
He didn't mind Gusion's attitude—after years of torture and experiments, it was normal. But he believed eight years of prison had worn Gusion down—if the price was right, he'd agree.
After all, as an internationally-wanted missing-nin, Gusion had nowhere else to go. Only Kumogakure dared shelter him; most missing-nin lived miserably.
"Do you know about Akatsuki?"
The Raikage asked, confirming that this world's plot had changed.
"Akatsuki? Never heard of it."
Gusion replied—his identity shouldn't know about Akatsuki, which only became active after the Third War.
"It's a mercenary group of missing-nin from all villages—very troublesome."
The Raikage was irritated just mentioning them. "Onoki keeps hiring Akatsuki to harass us!"
"So, what's that got to do with me?"
Gusion shrugged.
"I can give you freedom and an Anbu rank in Kumogakure. I need you to join Akatsuki and monitor them for us."
The Raikage was blunt.
Gusion's expression turned odd. "You want me to join Akatsuki for intel? Why would I?"
"You don't understand your situation. You never killed yourself, so you want to live. But you can't return to Konoha. Without our protection, Konoha will hunt you down."
The Raikage spoke gravely. "Only Kumogakure can give you a new identity. Isn't Anbu enough?"
Gusion smirked. "Anbu? That's your big offer?"
The Raikage's face darkened. "Don't push your luck!"
Samui watched coldly—she thought Gusion was being ungrateful. Anbu was a high post with great prospects and pay—how was that not a good deal?
"You tortured and imprisoned me for years and just offer a job? You think I'd settle for that?"
Gusion retorted. If they wanted his help, they had to offer more.
The Raikage's anger faded. "What do you want?"
He hadn't expected Gusion to bargain, but this meant his loyalty to Konoha was wavering—he was open to offers.
"I want all your Lightning Release secrets."
Gusion named his price.
"Impossible!"
The Raikage instantly refused, slamming the table. "Those are the village's foundation—family secrets! No way!"
Gusion smiled. "You might not control the other clans, but surely you control your own? Your Lightning Chakra Mode looks good. Why not teach me that?"
The Raikage's brow furrowed tightly. He leapt over the desk, standing three meters from Gusion, chakra surging—he was out of patience.
The Lightning Chakra Mode was a hereditary secret, taught only to Raikage or their heirs—not to a possible traitor.
"You're too greedy, The Thunderstorm. Your name ends today."
Samui was shocked—the Raikage was actually showing killing intent. Was he going to execute Gusion himself?
"Greedy? You just don't think I'm worth the price."
Gusion sneered. "You want me to spy on Akatsuki, but won't give up your secrets. You probably just want a disposable pawn. Don't want to risk your own ninja, huh?"
While they stared in shock, Gusion flexed, breaking the seal's bandages. "If there's nothing to discuss, let's fight."