Hidden Cloud—the Hidden Cloud Village. The Raikage's office.
"Konoha wants to borrow the Soul-Reflecting Waterfall?"
The Fourth Raikage stared at the message in his hand, his bushy yellow mustache twitching and his thick eyebrows rising. He spat on the floor.
"The hell? They think they can just casually ask to borrow something from me?"
A tore the paper to shreds and scattered the pieces.
"Just two resurrected corpses, and they actually think they're something special! Mabui, don't show me garbage like this anymore."
Standing with his sun-kissed skin unchanged, Mabui simply glanced at the documents in his hands before speaking calmly.
"Lord Raikage, Konoha is offering ten million ryo for the rental fee."
A slammed his fist on the desk, unmoved.
"Ten million ryo? You think you can brush me off like some beggar? If I say no, it's no. If they want it so bad, tell those two dead men to come here themselves. I'll see them personally."
If the First and Second Hokage hadn't been resurrected using Impure World Reincarnation, A might have considered lending it to them. But now, he just wanted to test Konoha—to see if they were still as weak as they were under Hiruzen Sarutobi's rule.
After all, those first two Hokage were legendary figures. He wasn't as dismissive as he pretended to be. Especially the First—if he really had his legendary power, the other villages would need to call an emergency meeting.
"Understood." Mabui picked up his pen and started drafting a reply.
"Has that shipping company sent anyone to Four-Star Village? What about the other villages?" A moved on, dismissing the Konoha issue.
He was far more concerned about Four-Star Village and their Four Star Seeds. This hybrid rice, developed by Menma using his past life's knowledge, had just finished its first harvest.
The yield—over a thousand pounds per acre—was four or five times higher than normal, completely upending the ninja world's food supply structure. Nations with poor farmland were going crazy, desperate for this miracle crop.
With enough food, they could expand their militaries or free up workers for development. Four-Star Village could sell them the seedlings, which made them a strategic partner. The Land of Lightning's daimyo had ordered Hidden Cloud to build relations with them and investigate them covertly. Controlling your own food supply meant peace of mind.
Ignoring the Konoha problem for now, A continued questioning Mabui.
"About establishing diplomatic ties with Four-Star Village—have they replied?"
"They haven't given a concrete answer yet," Mabui said, still writing. "But the envoy candidate list is ready. It's on the document to your left. You'll need to confirm it. As for the other villages, no major changes on their end. They're probably in the same boat as us."
"And Hidden Mist... something's going on there. Their policies might be shifting, and they need to reconnect with the outside world."
"No reply?" A frowned, picking up the list. He glanced at it briefly and tossed it back. "My Cloud Village doesn't wait for some tiny ninja village's permission. Send Samui's team with some backup."
"Are you sure about that?" Mabui remained calm, though his voice held a hint of resignation.
"It's just a new village. I can wipe them out with a few men!" A declared.
Mabui turned to leave, silently counting down in his head. Three... two... one...
"Wait."
Just as he reached the door, A stopped him.
"Give them three more days. If Four-Star Village still hasn't answered, then send Samui. And prepare some Land of Lightning specialties as a congratulatory gift for their founding."
For all his bluster, A wasn't actually the reckless man he appeared to be. Becoming Raikage and building Hidden Cloud into what it was required more than brute strength.
---
"Hahaha!"
"You stupid wooden doll, look at you now!"
"Heh—ptui!"
In the open space before Four-Star Village's main building, Kurama — with Madara Uchiha's face — was acting like a street thug, spitting at the mummy sealed within Adamantine Sealing Chains. It let out crude laughs, completely shameless.
Sasuke Uchiha, training nearby, finally snapped.
"Shut your damn mouth!"
"You've been spouting the same garbage since yesterday! Are you brain-dead?"
Ever since Kurama had been brought back yesterday with Hashirama Senju sealed inside, it had been going insane, frantically circling its seal with that obnoxiously loud voice.
"I'll do what I want, brat!"
"I'm Uchiha Madara! Your ancestor, you Uchiha runt! Keep yapping and I'll beat you to death!"
Kurama had zero goodwill toward the Uchiha clan and was clearly doing this on purpose.
"You're asking for it!" Sasuke's three-tomoe Sharingan activated instantly. The Rasengan he'd been practicing collapsed into Chidori, aimed right at the fox.
Kurama just yawned, completely unfazed.
"Murder! Minato Namikaze, your student's trying to kill me!"
Whoosh!
The kunai embedded in the ground transformed in a flash. Minato stood there, kunai in hand. At the same time, Menma leaned out a window above, looking down.
Seeing Kurama tattle like a coward, Sasuke glared daggers and dismissed the Chidori.
Minato smiled helplessly and stepped forward.
"Sasuke, let's find you a different training spot. I can check on your progress while we're at it."
"Fine." Sasuke didn't argue and followed Minato away.
Up above, Menma felt the ring on his finger vibrate and retracted his gaze. He nodded to another Menma processing documents at a desk, then picked up two boxes of money and a bottle containing an eye, vanishing from the spot.