Chapter 442: Cloud Ninja (Part 1)
Kumogakure.
Raikage Peak, Funnel Building.
Similar to the Hokage Rock, Raikage Peak is also the landmark of Kumogakure. Unlike Konoha, which brazenly built the village in the fertile and flat plains, the Cloud Ninja built their village amidst the misty and overlapping mountains, and Raikage Peak is the highest peak in Kumogakure.
The Cloud Ninja flattened the mountaintop, hollowed out the mountain body, set up plank roads, connected the peaks, and built circular buildings against the mountains, with layers of stairs extending in all directions like a spider web... They built Kumogakure with a landscape completely different from Konoha.
The Funnel Building is a giant funnel-shaped building constructed by the Cloud Ninja after hollowing out Raikage Peak. The lofty, magnificent, and proudly standing building is not only the place for the Raikage's daily office work, but also a reflection of Kumogakure's national power, and even more so a symbol of the Cloud Ninja's spirit.
Raikage's Office.
Unlike the Hokage's Office Haruno Sakura often visited, which was full of items, the Raikage's Office, in accordance with the Raikage's wishes, had almost nothing. In the center of the room was a sofa, on the left was a weightlifting barbell used by the Raikage for daily exercise, and on the wall hung two large characters "Sinew" and "Muscle". Apart from these, there was nothing else, not even a desk, just an empty large room.
Simple. Crude.
That is the Raikage's style.
"So," the Raikage said in a muffled voice, "has Konoha really united with the Sand and Mist ninja?"
He sat on the only chair in the room like a general, staring with eyes as big as copper bells at the Cloud Jonin in front of him.
The image of the Fourth Raikage was exactly the same as the previous generations of Raikage. Dark skin, burly figure, rough face, irritable personality, possessing a temperament of being dignified without anger.
When staring with those copper bell eyes, he looked even more fierce and malicious, his expression terrifying like an evil ghost.
Even among the ninja of the Naruto world who emphasized direct confrontation rather than sneaky attacks, ninja with the Raikage's style were still rare.
Due to long-term exercise and consumption of high-calorie food, most female ninja had well-proportioned figures, graceful curves, and fit bodies, such as Ino, Hinata, and Anko. Of course, there were also slender and flat-chested ones like Haruno Sakura and Haku Minazuki; male ninja were either thin like Kakashi, Orochimaru, etc., looking thin in clothes but muscular when undressed, or muscular like Guy, Jiraiya, etc., with well-built muscles and tall stature. Generally speaking, they were all within the category of normal people.
A muscular man like the Raikage, with a burly figure, knotted muscles, broad shoulders and round waist, strong as a savage bear, was truly rare in the Naruto world. If Haruno Sakura were to comment, she would probably complain that this person's temperament looked more like a martial artist who accidentally entered the Naruto world, rather than a ninja cultivating both magic and martial arts.
—In fact, successive Raikage practiced Lightning Release Taijutsu, relying basically entirely on fists for fighting. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them martial artists.
Most of the time, they also adhered more to the principle of speaking with fists.
If Konoha, Sand, and Mist united, it would be a bigger fist than the Cloud Ninja, which was also Ay's biggest concern.
The few Jonin standing in front of the Raikage were the ninja who went to Konoha to observe under the name of the Cloud Ninja Observation Group during the previous Konoha Chunin Exams.
"Observation Group," another term the Raikage had never heard of. In recent years, Konoha always liked to come up with some mysterious things. But it didn't matter. Ay had his own simple and crude way of understanding. Removing those complicated appearances, it was nothing more than a signal to the Cloud Ninja—
Warning? Threat? Or goodwill?
A Cloud Jonin with regular features and a cold expression stepped forward: "It is indeed so. At least on the surface, Konoha has united with the Sand and Mist ninja in the name of fighting against the Akatsuki."
"During this diplomatic mission, I saw with my own eyes Konoha's Fifth Hokage Tsunade chatting happily with the Sand's Fifth Kazekage Gaara and the Mist's Fifth Mizukage Terumi Mei. And in the Chunin Exams, the Genin of the three major ninja villages also fought with great propriety. No accidents causing disability occurred during the entire exam process, which shows that the friendly attitude between them is not a fake appearance put on for us..."
The Sand Ninja had just united with Orochimaru to invade Konoha two years ago, and so soon the two villages were as close as glue?
The Raikage snorted, not quite believing it.
Anyway, he couldn't be like the Kazekage willing to admit defeat, or like the Hokage letting go of past grievances.
"Tell me what you saw in Konoha, C." The black-faced man flicked his fingers and said in a deep voice, "You are a sensory ninja, you should be able to see a lot of things."
C was that Jonin with regular and indifferent features.
He just shook his head upon hearing this: "What I saw was only what Konoha showed us. They were prepared long ago. Many places were protected by barriers, making it impossible to sense."
As for how excellent Konoha ninja were, and how outstanding the Genin group was, Konoha generously let them see enough.
This was obviously a show of confidence. It was also a demonstration.
C indeed felt Konoha's intention. Konoha was full of talents, and the more he looked, the colder his heart became; the more outstanding the Konoha Genin performed, the more shocked he felt.
Especially impressive was the team where the Third Hokage's grandson was.
Two boys and one girl.
Everyone was very excellent. In Kumogakure, they would be top future stars in the same age group, targets for the village to vigorously cultivate.
One of the boys looked a bit dazed, good at genjutsu, especially able to use a powerful genjutsu unheard of. Throughout the Chunin Exams, few Genin could resist his genjutsu. Another boy was the Third's grandson, named Konohamaru, with quite rich practical experience, proficient in taijutsu and ninjutsu, with almost no shortcomings, and a flexible brain. His strength might be outstanding even among Chunin. The last stage of the Chunin Exams was an individual competition. Konohamaru swept away all obstacles, advancing all the way like cutting melons and vegetables, and almost no one could stop him—
Until he met the girl from the same group in the finals.
That small girl with two thick ponytails, a typical ninjutsu-type ninja, used Water Style quite brilliantly, defeating Konohamaru head-on with powerful ninjutsu energy.
C watched in amazement.
—Strange, aren't you ninja of the Land of Fire? Why do you use Water Style more fluently than the Mist Ninja of the Land of Water?
"Konoha's fresh blood is growing rapidly." C summarized to the Raikage, "They are quickly shaking off the haze and weakness brought by the invasion two years ago. It is said that this batch of students is not even the most outstanding one. Among the candidates from the previous two years, Konoha produced twelve particularly excellent Genin, known as the genius generation. Except for one dead-last, eleven of them have been promoted to Chunin successively, and some are even Jonin already!"
"Thus it can be seen that in the foreseeable future, Konoha will only become stronger and stronger."
C's indifferent expression carried a heavy solemnity.
This was not good news for the Cloud Ninja who were dedicated to developing the village to be strong and prosperous.
As C said this, the few Cloud Ninja who went to Konoha with him also showed expressions of agreement.
"Continue. What noteworthy newcomers does Konoha have?"
The Raikage frowned, his thick eyebrows locked into a knot of flesh, his voice stiff.
"Speaking of noteworthy newcomers, besides the Uchiha orphan, it must be that girl who uses Ice Style and Water Style." C replied without thinking.
The people behind him also chimed in: "That's right, heard she even killed two Akatsuki members, simply like a monster."
"Heard she graduated only two years ago, yet has such strength, truly unimaginable!"
"Even our village can't find such a formidable newcomer, right?"
"Probably can't find one in the village's history either."
"Her name is Haruno Sakura, seems to be only 15 years old, yet grown to such an extent, her future achievements are simply immeasurable!"
Whether it was an illusion or not, listening to everyone's evaluation, the Raikage's already dark face became even darker.
"What the hell!" He slapped the armrest fiercely and roared, "Konoha has many geniuses, does our village have no genius newcomers?!"
"One by one boosting Konoha's morale and extinguishing your own prestige, are you still Cloud Ninja?!"
The irritable Raikage, once angry, couldn't help but leak chakra, his aura terrifying like a fierce beast.
The Cloud Ninja instantly fell silent like cicadas in winter.
"Shut up, all of you! C, continue, what intelligence did you gather from Konoha? What I want is what you definitely sensed, not these rumors like 'heard' or 'seems' from the streets!"
"Yes." C nodded in response. Among all the Cloud Ninja present, only he could remain calm in front of the furious Raikage.
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