After the battle ended, the surrounding Anbu and elite ninja all gathered, staring at the Raikage's severed leg with feelings of deep humiliation.
This was their Kumogakure stronghold, and even with so many people ganging up on the enemy, the Raikage still lost a leg. If word got out, what face would Kumogakure have left?
Only now did the younger ninja, who hadn't experienced the Third Great Ninja War, truly understand the weight behind the titles of the legendary war heroes from that era. "Calamity" Gusion, was indeed Kage-level strong!
Having witnessed Gusion's power, many ninja present, especially those unfamiliar with the details, were left with a new question: Why did someone as strong as Gusion—a war hero with such a record in the Third War—defect from Konoha?
Even the "Yellow Flash" might not be stronger than "Calamity." Yet, one became Hokage and the other a wanted criminal. The difference in their fates was staggering.
"Samui, post a bounty on the black market—entire territory, target: Gusion. Price: sixty million."
The Raikage, supported by Killer Bee, stood and gave his order.
"Sixty million?!"
Samui's usually cold expression broke in surprise. This was a rare sum for a bounty, usually only reserved for Kage-level shinobi from major nations.
That kind of money wasn't a small matter, and Kumogakure's finances hadn't exactly been great these past years. Could they really afford to spend this much on a bounty?
"Not many people can take this job," the Raikage said calmly. He wasn't just a brute—he had brains, which was how he became Raikage.
The bounty was just a statement. The black market wouldn't reveal who posted the bounty on Gusion; it would just leave outsiders guessing.
In truth, he didn't expect freelance bounty hunters to actually bring back Gusion's head. That was unrealistic.
"I see…" Samui understood. The Raikage wanted to make things difficult for Gusion, and show that Kumogakure took the attack very seriously—they were in a state of open hostility.
"Darui, arrange for someone to secretly contact Gusion. Tell him I accept his offer."
The Raikage's next command shocked everyone even more.
"Raikage-sama, do we really have to cooperate with 'Calamity'?!"
Even Samui, usually calm, became anxious. "He's too dangerous. And his demand—how can we agree to it? The Lightning Release Chakra Mode is an exclusive secret technique of the Raikage!"
The Raikage's face was grim as he gestured at his severed leg. "He's earned it."
This was the real deal. Gusion had shown his worth—he truly had the ability to infiltrate Akatsuki.
As a military power, Kumogakure had engaged in plenty of covert operations over the years, and Akatsuki, as an international mercenary group, was becoming more active.
Onoki had caused plenty of trouble with Akatsuki, but the Raikage was more concerned about the threat Akatsuki posed than his grudge with Onoki.
For such a dangerous organization, he needed a strong operative on the inside. Besides, he could never guarantee he'd never need to use Akatsuki as a mercenary group himself someday.
Of course, he wouldn't hand over the secret technique straight away. Gusion would have to provide valuable intel in exchange.
Kumogakure, in this arrangement, didn't really risk anything. Whether Gusion succeeded or failed in Akatsuki, it didn't affect them much. On the surface, he was a Konoha defector and Kumogakure's sworn enemy.
Samui, realizing the strategy, looked at the Raikage with new respect. She hadn't expected this seemingly blunt man to be so shrewd—truly, a simpleton could never become Kage.
Those closest to A knew he wasn't exactly a schemer, but years of clashing with Onoki had forced him to use his head, or he'd have been outmaneuvered long ago.
They still hadn't forgotten how the Third Raikage sacrificed himself to let Kumogakure's army retreat—holding off all of Iwagakure's ninja alone for three days before dying of exhaustion. That kind of hatred ran deep.
Right now, they didn't see Gusion as one of their own. From his past slaughter of Kumogakure ninja in the war, to his rampage today, he was still their enemy.
But not yet. Gusion still had use for them, so a temporary deal was possible.
Once Akatsuki's threat was gone, they'd consider how to deal with him.
…
After leaving Kumogakure, Gusion traveled through the dense forests of the Naruto world.
His initial stay in this world was three months, same as in One Piece. Escaping from Kumogakure was just the start—if he wanted more from this world, he needed the right angle.
First, he needed a base and up-to-date intel on this era.
Just reading the manga wasn't enough to understand the world's details, especially since this was a world other explorers had visited—plotlines might have changed.
The next day, Gusion reached the border of the Land of Lightning and stopped at a teahouse at the foot of a mountain.
"Hey, did you hear? The 'Calamity' from the Third Great Ninja War isn't dead! He was caught and hidden away by Kumogakure, but somehow broke out, went wild in the village, and even crippled the Raikage!"
"Seriously? 'Calamity'? Wasn't he a Konoha war hero?"
"I heard he died long ago! So he's alive, and the Raikage caught him?"
"Apparently, he was captured eight years ago and secretly imprisoned. Konoha already assumed he was dead, but now he's out again—this'll be interesting."
"Interesting? He was locked up by Kumogakure for years—he must hate us now. I heard he's a butcher, kills anyone he sees. Better not run into him."
"Yikes, now that you mention it, I'm getting chills…"
"What's 'Calamity' look like?"
"They say he's good-looking. I saw a wanted poster—looks a lot like that guy sitting in the corner…"
"Wait… could it be… him?"
"…"
Gusion sat quietly as the chatter around him faded, until everyone in the teahouse had fled.
He didn't care. Unlike in One Piece, being wanted in Naruto was bad news—there were plenty who'd really try for the bounty.
In a way, the Raikage's bounty helped him—boosting his reputation and attracting the bounty hunters he wanted to encounter.
Whoosh—
After finishing his tea and tossing a gold bean on the table, Gusion left. As he walked down a forest path, a figure emerged from behind a tree—it was a Kumogakure Anbu.
Gusion didn't attack. He figured Kumogakure wasn't stupid—if the Raikage couldn't handle him, they wouldn't send just one Anbu to kill him.
"Calamity, please don't attack. I'm here to deliver a message from the Raikage."
Sweating profusely under his mask, the Anbu was on edge, knowing Gusion could kill him in an instant.
The Raikage used a secret technique to track Gusion's movements, sending both a message and an Anbu to cover more ground and ensure contact before he left the Land of Lightning.
"How's the Raikage's leg?" Gusion joked.
"The Raikage is well. Here is his letter."
The Anbu stepped forward, handing him the handwritten note.
Gusion glanced at it, grinning wider. Just as he'd guessed, this open-world approach was the way to go.
The note was simple: The Raikage accepted his offer—he'd hand over the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and even help him get other village secrets.
The condition: Gusion must join Akatsuki as Kumogakure's undercover agent, provide intel on Akatsuki, and try to influence its military actions to benefit the village.
As long as Gusion produced results, Kumogakure would reward him with secret techniques, with the Lightning Release Chakra Mode as a top prize for truly valuable intel.
After reading the letter, Gusion received a prompt from the Endspace:
[Hidden Quest: Cloud Undercover]
Objective: Join Akatsuki as Kumogakure's spy, and gather intel for the village.
Difficulty: Easy ~ Fatal
Reward: Secret techniques from Kumogakure, based on the value of intel provided. Rewards obtained can be taken out of this world without certification.
Failure Penalty: None
Note: Until your relationship with Kumogakure is severed, this quest is repeatable.
[]
Lightning crackled at Gusion's fingertips as he burned the note. "Now this is a proper deal. But the sincerity's still lacking. Go back and tell him—I want a down payment."
Relieved that Gusion agreed, the Anbu produced a talisman with a black lightning symbol. "This lets you contact the Raikage. Please keep it safe."
Gusion examined it—this was a legendary-level communication tool. The tech in this world was strange. No telephones, but secret arts to make these limited-use message charms.
The principle seemed to be using chakra to emit electromagnetic waves, resonating with a matching talisman—an advanced Kumogakure method no other village could easily match.
Compared to current ninja world comms—Konoha still used carrier pigeons—this talisman was top-tier.
If he joined Akatsuki as a spy but used pigeons, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu would catch him in no time.
After the Anbu left, Gusion headed for the border. Once he crossed, his adventure had truly begun.
He accepted the Raikage's mission not just for the secret techniques—though the Lightning Chakra Mode was tempting, he could develop similar abilities himself with the Raijin Fruit.
He took the mission mainly to earn some extra benefits, since he was planning to join Akatsuki anyway.
Even if the Raikage hadn't asked, he'd have gone—Akatsuki had plenty of good stuff. Rinnegan wasn't realistic yet, but he might be able to get his hands on some Hashirama cells.
Gusion considered the Sage Body and the various bloodlines—Rinnegan, Sharingan, and such. He still had an empty bloodline slot, so he planned to acquire a good one here if possible.
After fighting the Raikage, Gusion realized even his dynamic reflexes could fall behind high-speed foes, so boosting his vision was necessary.
He wasn't interested in flashy eye techniques, but couldn't deny that advanced eyes offered superior insight—hugely helpful in battle.
Joining Akatsuki also had another benefit: after a day of intel gathering, Gusion found Akatsuki's activity level was much higher than in the original.
They might start collecting Tailed Beasts early. His Soul Devourer ring needed to devour various energies to level up—just feeding it lightning was too slow.
Though the Tailed Beasts all originated from the same source, their chakra had unique properties. If he let his ring absorb each one, it might evolve to "Dark Gold" level within this world!