After many days of grinding retreat, the ten-thousand-strong forces of the Land of Lightning finally returned home—battered, but alive.
This single campaign was enough to wake the Land of Lightning from its swelling arrogance. Compared to the true great power of the shinobi world—the Land of Fire—they realized they still had a very long road ahead.
Reports from across the fronts made one thing painfully clear: even while fighting off the simultaneous assaults of three nations, Konoha maintained flawless control and coordination.
And two of those nations were themselves among the Five Great Shinobi Countries. In contrast, the Land of Lightning—exhausted after being flanked by two minor nations—looked utterly outmatched. The difference was stark.
Of course, their situation wouldn't have been so disastrous if the Third Raikage hadn't been crippled and the Eight-Tails killed. If not for those losses, neither the Iron nor Rice Fields territories would've had the guts to dare an ambush.
...
Atop the tallest mountain in the Land of Lightning, the now-recovered Third Raikage stood with his trusted advisor Mabui and his son, gazing toward the distant direction of Konoha.
"To think… Arata alone was enough to halt the advance of the entire Land of Lightning…"
The future Fourth Raikage was no longer the brash, impulsive boy he had been. Reflecting on it now, he understood—if they had really continued the war against Konoha, their nation might truly have been destroyed.
Even though the upper brass tried their best to suppress information, once they returned home and rumors spread through the ranks, every shinobi eventually learned what Arata had done.
That was why the young A no longer dared look down on him. Compared to Arata, even his legendary father seemed lacking.
After all—Arata possessed super-Kage-class power, the very realm countless Lightning shinobi dreamed of reaching.
Mabui spoke next, fear showing plainly in her expression.
"Konoha's foundation really is terrifying. The Senju Clan was wiped out not long ago, yet even their commonborn ranks can produce a prodigy like this…
The shinobi world is about to enter another storm of blood."
The Third Raikage touched the empty sleeve where his left arm once was. His power would suffer greatly from this loss… while Arata, still so young, would only continue to grow stronger.
"A… the future belongs to your generation. You've seen Arata's strength with your own eyes. Do you have the confidence to protect the Land of Lightning?"
He himself had no chance of ever beating Arata. All he could do was pass the responsibility to his son and hope he wouldn't lose his fighting spirit in the face of such overwhelming strength.
"Don't worry, Father," A said, fists clenched. "No matter how strong Arata becomes, I won't give up. Even if it costs my life, I will protect this country!"
Satisfied by his son's determination, the Third Raikage nodded and dismissed him.
Once A was far enough away, the Third Raikage exhaled.
"All right. Tell me your next plan. From now on, I'll follow your strategies to the letter."
This near-death experience finally humbled him. He knew he had to respect Mabui's intellect.
Seeing this attitude, Mabui allowed herself a faint smile.
Arata's existence wasn't entirely a curse—at the very least, it ensured the Raikage would actually listen during future strategy meetings.
"The Great Shinobi War has already begun. Konoha, even fighting three nations at once, remains organized… but that means they have no spare hands to pressure the Land of Lightning. And Arata… he seems to have changed. He's stayed stationed at the border and hasn't shown signs of moving."
Hearing Arata wasn't attacking eased the Third Raikage's tension. He genuinely feared the young monster might march into their homeland.
"Kirigakure still hasn't moved," Mabui continued. "But I've already confirmed their target—it's the Land of Whirlpools. For the moment, we are safe."
At the mention of the Uzumaki Clan, the Raikage's eyes brightened. Their sealing arts were legendary; he had long coveted them.
But as long as Konoha stood beside them, he hadn't dared make a move. The Uzumaki's bizarre sealing techniques made them a dangerous enemy.
Now, however, things were different. Konoha was mired in war. They couldn't possibly defend the Land of Whirlpools.
And if Kirigakure acted first… Well, there might be an opportunity.
"What if we partner with Kirigakure?" the Raikage asked eagerly. "The Uzumaki sealing arts would be invaluable. If we secure them, even our jinchūriki would become much stronger."
Mabui shot him a reproachful look.
"If we hadn't exhausted ourselves invading the Land of Fire, we could take advantage of this situation. But now? Be honest—we need time to recover. And the Eight-Tails is still roaming free in the wild. Your priority should be reclaiming him."
The Third Raikage grimaced. Gyūki was his equal in strength; their fights always ended in draws. Now, with his arm gone, subduing the beast would be even harder.
Still…
"Leave the Eight-Tails to me. After a few days of rest, I'll handle it. No other nation has the strength to capture him anyway. But… are you sure there's no chance for the Whirlpools?"
Mabui paused to think.
"Send a few elite shinobi.
Have the rest act as support.
Minimize casualties at all costs.
As for the alliance… I'll handle talks with Kirigakure."
Hearing this, the Third Raikage grinned.
"Good. Then I'll go pay Gyūki a visit."
...
While the Land of Lightning licked its wounds, the rest of the shinobi world spent several days reeling from the news of Arata's achievements.
A single man had stood against the ten-thousand-strong forces of Kumogakure.
That alone was enough to shock the world.
Add to that his battles with the Raikage, two jinchūriki, and a renowned elite jōnin—and his reputation soared to a peak no 19-year-old had ever reached.
Across the nations, leaders quietly began comparing him to the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
Kage-level strength was impressive, but nowhere near enough to accomplish what Arata had done. His power was already being whispered as super-Kage tier.
And at just nineteen, his potential for growth was terrifying.
From that day on, the name of Konoha's Blue Lightning resounded through the shinobi world.
In many villages, strict orders were issued:
"If you encounter Arata—run.
Abandon the mission if necessary.
You will not be punished."
No one wished to provoke a monster.