Chapter 142: Raikage Building — Darui's Unease
Uchiha Fugaku stood tall upon the palm of his towering Susanoo, calm amid the cheers of the Konoha shinobi. His lips curved into a faint, confident smile as the crimson giant soared steadily through the skies above the Land of Lightning.
Below, the two Kumogakure outposts that had witnessed the impossible were in chaos. The guards shouted, their disbelief echoing across the cliffs.
> "That giant—it's heading straight for the village!"
Jonin quickly tried to restore order, barking commands as panicked ninja scrambled to send warnings. Carrier pigeons shot into the sky, wings beating furiously toward the distant Hidden Cloud Village. Yet, even as they flew, the shinobi could see the futility of their efforts—the giant was far faster.
Some shinobi resorted to summoning their personal beasts, hoping the creatures could deliver the message in time.
But deep down, everyone knew: the storm had already arrived.
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On Susanoo's Palm
A soft blue glow shimmered faintly across the surface—a chakra barrier conjured by Fugaku himself. It kept the fierce high-altitude winds at bay, allowing the shinobi aboard to lean casually against the edge and gaze at the world below.
They were soaring above the clouds now. White mist rolled beneath them like a vast ocean, and from it, jagged peaks jutted out like islands.
> "Hey! Over there! I see it! That's the Hidden Cloud Village!"
A loud voice drew everyone's attention. In the distance, rising above the sea of clouds, was a cluster of majestic peaks linked by suspended bridges and fortified walls. Upon the highest mountain stood a massive building crowned with a bold lightning insignia—the unmistakable Raikage Building, the pride of Kumogakure.
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Inside the Raikage Building
Within the spacious chamber adorned with bolts of gold and polished steel, Darui, the Fourth Raikage's most trusted aide, sat behind the desk meant for the Raikage himself. His posture was casual, but his brow was creased with unease as he flipped through mission reports.
Ever since Raikage-sama had departed for the front lines nearly a week ago, not a single message had returned.
The silence gnawed at him.
Darui knew the Fourth Raikage well—headstrong, impulsive, and sometimes too confident for his own good. Though the Raikage often sought counsel, he rarely followed it completely. And now, with the situation against Konoha uncertain, Darui couldn't shake his anxiety.
He sighed deeply, resting his chin on one hand.
> "Man… I told him a limited strike was enough. No need to force a full-on war," he muttered under his breath.
In his mind, a small, strategic confrontation would have sufficed—showing dominance without overextending their forces. Konoha was still dangerous even in decline, and a dying giant could crush those who underestimated it.
Moreover, Iwagakure was lurking nearby. Ōnoki, the aged yet cunning Tsuchikage, would never miss an opportunity to strike a weakened Kumogakure.
Darui knew this all too well. Ever since the Third Raikage's death—brought down by a sea of Iwagakure shinobi—relations between the two villages had soured into pure hatred. The blood debt ran too deep for reconciliation.
If Kumogakure emerged from a war with Konoha wounded and vulnerable, Iwagakure would pounce without hesitation.
That thought alone made Darui shiver slightly.
He leaned back in the Raikage's chair and exhaled slowly.
> "Please be safe out there, Raikage-sama…"
He had wanted to accompany his leader personally, but the Raikage had ordered him to remain behind and protect the village. With recent disturbances near the border with the Land of the Moon—rogue ninja suspected to be backed by Iwagakure—it was a necessary precaution.
Darui had agreed, but reluctantly.
Now, as he picked up another report, that same uneasy feeling returned, gnawing stronger than before.
A faint rumble echoed in the distance.
He froze.
> "...Thunder?"
But then, the building shook. Papers fluttered to the ground. A low, droning roar—too deep for thunder—rolled through the mountain air.
Darui's eyes narrowed, and he turned toward the window.
What he saw made his blood run cold.
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In the Skies Above
From high above, Uchiha Fugaku's eyes gleamed as he spotted the massive Raikage Building rising from the clouds.
> "Hokage-sama, what are your orders?" Hyuga Hiashi asked eagerly. "Should we land and strike directly?"
His voice carried both excitement and long-suppressed vengeance. The Hidden Cloud had taken much from his clan—his brother's life among them. Now, retribution was at hand.
Before Fugaku could reply, Uchiha Setsuna spoke up, his eyes flashing with crimson light.
> "Why bother landing? The Raikage Building must be filled with high-ranking Cloud ninja. Let's obliterate it from afar! One swing will end their command in an instant!"
Fugaku's expression softened into a pleased smile. Setsuna had voiced exactly what he was thinking.
Since the moment he killed the Fourth Raikage, the feud between the two villages had already crossed the point of no return. There was no longer any reason to hold back.
> "Brilliant," Hyuga Hiashi said, his Byakugan flaring with excitement. "A clean strike from above—it's poetic justice!"
Fugaku's voice was steady, filled with quiet authority.
> "Very well. That's what we'll do."
Hiashi hesitated briefly.
> "Should we disembark first, Hokage-sama? So your attack won't endanger us?"
Fugaku's crimson eyes glowed, and he replied with quiet dominance:
> "No need. It won't affect anything."
A surge of anticipation rippled through the ranks of Konoha shinobi standing on Susanoo's palm.
Then, before their astonished eyes, the crimson giant moved.
Susanoo's left arm shifted, moving the massive shield to its side. The right hand grasped the hilt of the Totsuka Blade hanging at its waist.
The sound of steel being drawn—deep and resonant—echoed across the heavens.
As the sword cleared its sheath, the sky itself seemed to tremble.
The Hidden Cloud Village was about to witness what true power looked like.
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