The Ninja Village established by the Land of Lightning was named Kumogakure because it was built among mountain peaks that towered into the clouds. Fog lingered there year-round, making the Ninja Village appear as if hidden within the mist. This location was meticulously chosen by the First Raikage; the terrain was complex, easy to defend, and difficult to attack, making it hard for even elite Ninja to infiltrate.
Most residents of the Land of Lightning have brown skin, and the First Raikage was no exception. Tall and imposing, he stood by the window, looking down at the Village shrouded in mist.
The First Raikage was named A. This was not his original name; in the traditions of the Land of Lightning, the name 'A' holds a unique meaning, symbolizing 'First,' 'Leader,' and so on. As the leader of Kumogakure, one had to bear such a title. In his heart, he intended for this title to be passed down through generations, so that every future Raikage would be named A.
As the leader of the entire Village, A naturally bore the responsibility of leading the Village to prosperity. This was the dignity of a leader, and in A's view, it was something that could never be abandoned. Therefore, during the Five Kage Summit, when he saw Hashirama bowing his head to others in request, he couldn't help but rebuke Hashirama, stating that such behavior was unbecoming of a leader.
Setting that point aside, A actually greatly admired the First Hokage. While Ninja clans in other countries were still struggling to survive, Hashirama was the first to unite various clans, negotiate cooperation with the state, and subsequently become a significant military force with independent status.
When the news of Konogakure's establishment reached the Land of Lightning, A immediately decided that this was the direction the Ninja of the Land of Lightning should take in the future. After a period of arduous struggle, he finally established Kumogakure within the Land of Lightning, assisting the Daimyo in expanding the country's borders and gaining a status equal to that of Konogakure.
A admitted to himself that Hashirama's influence was profound. The current peace on the continent was inextricably linked to his pioneering actions. At some point, the title of God of Shinobi was bestowed upon the First Hokage, and this title became even more well-deserved after the First Hokage captured the Tailed Beasts that had plagued the continent since ancient times.
However, alongside his respect, A remained wary of Konogakure. Ultimately, Konogakure still belonged to a rival nation; they were enemies from the start. The more the legend of the God of Shinobi became reality, the greater the danger to the Land of Lightning.
Fortunately, not long after, Hashirama announced his abdication. Upon investigating, it was learned that Hashirama abdicated due to illness. This showed that even the God of Shinobi could not escape the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.
Although the newly ascended Second Hokage, Tobirama, was also powerful, he was a far cry from his elder brother. The threat posed by Konogakure had significantly decreased. While still not to be underestimated, the pressure was at least far less than when Hashirama was in power—back then, A was even considering a four-nation alliance to contain the Land of Fire.
After the First Hokage abdicated, the leaders of the other Ninja Villages happened to pass away one after another. Of those who participated in the Five Kage Summit back then, only A remained. This left him feeling somewhat sentimental about the fickleness of fate; nevertheless, he felt he would soon follow in their footsteps.
Due to its geography, the Land of Lightning had always had a fierce populace that worshipped martial prowess. During the unification campaigns of the past, the enemies A faced were equally powerful. The hidden injuries from years of combat were innumerable, and at that time, there were no Medical Ninja skilled in maintenance, so these internal wounds could not be healed.
One only had to look at the First Hokage and the other leaders who died suddenly to see how much effort and lifeblood these founding fathers had sacrificed for their Ninja Villages.
At that moment, a knock came from the door. A called for them to enter, and a large, brown-skinned man walked in. His name was Darui, a guard who had followed A for many years. Though he appeared rough, he was actually intelligent and meticulous, being the person A trusted most.
A had already decided in his heart that after he passed away, the Second Hokage of Kumogakure would be succeeded by Darui. He believed Darui could lead the Village in a better direction.
"Darui, is something the matter?" A asked.
"Raikage-sama, news just came from the capital. The Daimyo has rejected our request and demands that we immediately prepare a plan to invade the Land of Fire," Darui said. "The Daimyo hopes to launch an attack before the position of the Land of Fire's New Ruler is stabilized, forcing the Land of Fire to cede a portion of its territory."
A knew that the Land of Fire had recently gained a new monarch and had a premonition that the Daimyo might take action. He hadn't expected the other party to directly demand an invasion. Feeling it wasn't yet the right time, he had requested the Daimyo to delay, but the Daimyo flatly refused and demanded they draft an operational plan immediately.
Seeing A frown, Darui continued, "The Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers also know about this. They told me they resolutely support the Daimyo's decision and will proactively bring it up in the next meeting. Raikage-sama, it seems there is no way to refuse."
"Indeed," A sighed softly.
Kinkaku and Ginkaku were top experts in Kumogakure and held high prestige within the Village. It was said they were descendants of the Six Paths Sage. After they swallowed the flesh of the Nine-Tailed and not only survived but gained the Nine-Tailed's power, the rumors were further confirmed—for if they weren't descendants of the Six Paths Sage, how could they adapt to the power of a Tailed Beast?
Because of this, the prestige of Kinkaku and Ginkaku was very close to that of A, the Village leader. A had to consider their opinions. Since the people of Kumogakure worshipped strength, there were many in the pro-war faction who hoped to continue encroaching on other countries' territories as they had before. They likely wouldn't refuse the Daimyo's request either; they had already voiced dissatisfaction regarding the signing of the Five Kage Pact.
The reason A wanted to refuse was not because he feared the Land of Fire, but because he believed the Village was not yet sufficiently prepared. Launching a war rashly without adequate logistical guarantees was risky. The funds that the Second Hokage, Tobirama, had taken away had not yet been replenished, and they couldn't support a prolonged war.
However, with the Daimyo's firm demand and Kinkaku and Ginkaku's declared support, A thought it over and realized he had no choice but to decide to launch a war against the Land of Fire immediately.
A was a decisive man. Once he decided to act, he pushed all other thoughts aside, leaving only the question of what kind of operational plan to adopt.
Since the establishment of Kumogakure, A had made tireless efforts to integrate the Ninja clans within the Village, establishing the authority of 'A' and unifying the entire Village under that name. On the other hand, the person who contributed most to the Village's development was Darui; this man turned out to be quite innovative.
By drawing on the traditional customs of the Land of Lightning and the characteristics of Lightning Release, Darui developed a series of Kenjutsu and Taijutsu techniques. What A praised most was the Secret Technique known as Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Methods of using Lightning Release Chakra to strengthen the body had existed since ancient times, but a Secret Technique like Lightning Release Chakra Mode, which integrated offense and defense, was a first.
The only drawback was that this Secret Technique placed extremely high demands on the body, making it impossible for average people to use for long. Darui admitted he had tailored it based on the physical strength of his own disciple. A was also aware of that young man's powerful physical strength and believed this Secret Technique would be brought to its full potential by him.
Recently, Darui had been trying to train Jinchuriki so they could play a role in war. Unfortunately, the Land of Lightning did not have a Jinchuriki comparable to Mito. Far from using the power of the Tailed Beasts, they were still suffering from the mental influence caused by the Tailed Beast seals; one slip-up and they would go berserk.
If given more time, Darui might have achieved better results, but for now, they couldn't rely on the power of Jinchuriki and had to depend on Kumogakure's own strength.
While considering the operational plan, A couldn't help but think of the Five Kage Pact signed a year ago. He hadn't expected it to be torn up so soon. However, the First Hokage himself likely knew that the agreement would eventually become invalid, so they couldn't be blamed.
—After all, we are all Ninja. we must obey the orders of our employers; our own will is meaningless, is it not?
—Even you, Senju Hashirama, when the Daimyo of the Land of Fire orders you to deploy, could you possibly refuse his request?
—As the leader of a Ninja Village, the only thing I must do is obey the Daimyo's orders and demonstrate the value of the Ninja Village, making the Daimyo rely on us even more. Mutual benefit and assistance—this will be my final battle.
A thought silently to himself.