"Rai has been advocating for an attack on Kiri. This is clearly retaliation from them!"
"But haven't they been getting along well with Suna recently?"
"Some ninjutsu may be faked, but the Hydrification Technique can't possibly be faked, right?"
"I still don't think this fits Kiri's style. Aren't they always about secrecy…?"
"Secrecy, my ass! Look at the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—every single one of them is arrogant as hell, carrying those massive swords around the ninja world. Have they ever been secretive?"
"Can you guys stop being so rash? Are your brains just made of muscle? We've been targeting—"
The Third Raikage, A, surrounded by crackling lightning, descended from the sky and crashed directly into the center of the gathering.
As his voice fell, the endless arguments among the high-ranking officials instantly ceased.
Back then, the Second Raikage had suddenly perished due to the rebellion of the Gold and Silver Brothers, and the Third Raikage had taken the stage with overwhelming force. In just over two decades, he had already established absolute power, a firm grip on authority, and an awe-inspiring presence that unified the various factions within the village.
The prestige he had accumulated over the years made him the undeniable pillar of the village the moment he arrived.
Kei watched this scene from afar.
He had to admit—this kind of dominance and influence was something that Hiruzen could never hope to match.
"The village alarm is lifted! ANBU Unit One, seal off the area. Any teams without missions, immediately lock down and inspect all water sources!"
"Dodai, send a letter to Kiri. Ask their Mizukage—do they want a war? As soon as it's written, send it immediately."
"Evacuate the ninja and villagers at once. The Security Force will maintain order—no unnecessary panic!"
After hearing the reports from his subordinates, A forcibly suppressed his rage and issued a series of rapid-fire commands.
Just this morning, he had gone to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning to visit his son and Killer B. But on his way back, even from a distance, he had seen the chaos within the village. A blatant assassination attempt from Kiri, war hawks stirring up public sentiment, and even some high-ranking officials trying to rally support for themselves…
All of this infuriated him.
He had only been gone for half a day! He wasn't dead!
The Raikage's emerald-green eyes swept across every high-ranking official present.
Some averted their gazes and remained silent. Some pretended to be calm, lowering their eyes in thought. Others were visibly furious, filled with righteous indignation.
But not a single person dared to meet his eyes.
"Hmph! I'll be waiting for you in the conference room. Take this time to think carefully about how you're going to explain things to me."
With a cold snort, the Raikage suddenly exerted force with his legs, shooting straight into the sky.
Flashes of dazzling lightning flickered as he used the rock pillars for leverage a few times before disappearing from view.
Tch—The Third Raikage is still as fierce as ever!
Kei watched the Raikage's retreating figure, feeling a surge of admiration.
He truly lived up to his reputation—able to fight the Eight-Tails in close combat and battle ten thousand ninjas for three days and nights.
That status screen… damn, it was insane!
[Traits: Strongest Spear (Red), Slightly Flawed Shield (Purple), Thunderous Might (Purple), Mountain-Crushing Strength (Purple), Wild Lightning (Purple), Accumulated Prestige (Blue), Accepts Advice (Green), Parental Affection (White)]
Hiruzen, oh Hiruzen… You lost again!
As Kei followed the Security Force's guidance, he slowly dispersed with the crowd. He reassessed the aura the Raikage had displayed upon arrival and adjusted his power ranking accordingly.
Based on his estimation, the Raikage should have started with at least two red traits: [The Strongest Spear] and [The Strongest Shield]!
After all, his physique was so strong that even the Rasenshuriken only left minor scratches. If not for finding a 'weak point' in his chest with the Hell Stab, those would definitely be red-tier traits!
Unmatched offense. Unmatched defense.
Under the nourishment of [Thunderous Might], his physical attributes, Lightning Release mastery, and Lightning Armor's durability were constantly improving.
[Mountain-Crushing Strength] further amplified his innate power. Wild Lightning enhanced his combat skills and unshakable willpower…
Forget about how Hiruzen would fare against such a monster. Even Kei, who was currently getting completely outclassed in stats, would have trouble dealing with the Third Raikage. Naruto's Rasenshuriken, despite the elemental advantage, barely did anything to him. His own Water Rasengan probably wouldn't do much either.
Genjutsu and clan secret techniques could certainly toy with the Raikage, but actually defeating or even killing him? That would likely require the explosive damage output of Gengetsu's Steaming Danger Tyranny.
Perhaps the only way to defeat the Third Raikage was by using the Hell Stab, combined with genjutsu or clan secret techniques, to replicate Naruto's strategy.
Make the opponent stab themselves?
If I could fully master the Spirit Transformation Technique, maybe I could test it in spirit form? But my real body would be left unguarded—that's way too risky. Tsk… should I try duplicating [Strongest Spear]?
Kei rubbed his chin, feeling that it still wasn't a reliable approach. The Third Raikage's strength came from stacking all his traits in one direction, creating an overwhelming advantage.
He was the epitome of a heavily specialized berserker tank. If Kei were to copy just one of those traits, his base physical strength wouldn't be enough to fully utilize it.
"Can I come to your place tomorrow?"
As they were about to part ways, Yugito nervously wrung her hands, lowering her head as she asked softly.
"Uh… I'll be reporting at the mission center early tomorrow, but after that, I should be free. Cloud Pillar District No. 1701."
Kei casually gave the address of his current body's residence. But deep inside, he was already mourning for Yugito. If she ever found out he was actually a spy infiltrating the village… would she have a mental breakdown on the spot? Maybe he should fake his own 'accidental death' when the mission was over?
Hmm… those two ANBU guys wouldn't be able to resist his genjutsu. If worst came to worst, he could leave the girl a farewell gift, just like how Pakura did…
Yugito's eyes sparkled brightly. She excitedly ran a few steps ahead, then turned back to wave at Kei before dashing inside her home.
"Dad… is she my stepsister, or is she… my stepmother?" A bitter-sounding young voice came from behind.
Kei's face twitched. Without a word, he turned around and smacked the boy on the back of the head.
Even though this kid technically wasn't his biological son, since he was using the original owner's body, hitting him didn't bother him one bit.
Just listen to the nonsense he was spouting! There were still two ANBU agents hanging on that rock wall!
Was this brat not worried that the ANBU would take him in for questioning and ruin his reputation?!
Besides… He was not some creep.
I know damn well what's appropriate and what's not!
"Musai! If you don't need your eyes, you can them."
"Ugh—Dad, your slap is way too hard! That hurt! But I did see that girl holding onto your sleeve the whole way here! How are you even trying to deny it?"
"Tomorrow, you're going to the hospital to sign the donation papers."
"??? Are you really my biological dad?"
"You should quit being a ninja and go raise cattle instead. Our livestock industry is doing great. Wild boars are easy to raise and sell well. Tomorrow, I'll take you to sign the retirement papers."
"??? Dad! Are you serious?!"
"Listen to me. With eyesight like yours, you're worse than a certain guy with an eye disease. If you don't raise cattle, you'll just end up dead somewhere."
"… All I did was say one sentence, and now I've been smacked three times and forced into early retirement?"
"Mmm-hmm. What else did you expect?"
On the rock wall, the ANBU squad captain in charge of monitoring the Two-Tails jinchūriki watched the father and son walk away, unable to hold back his laughter.
A loving father and a filial son—what a heartwarming sight.
The other ANBU members also struggled to contain their amusement. This kid, Musai, clearly had some serious issues with his eyesight.
That was Yugito, the Two-Tails jinchūriki.
He had followed his dad the entire way and still didn't recognize her. Instead, all he could think about was finding a stepmother?