- Raikage-sama, there's a report from the observers that the Leaf is reinforcing the observation posts on the border with the country from the Hot Springs and the coast - it's likely that they've detected the movement of our teams despite all the precautions taken," the secretary reported to the leader of Kumogakure, "Also, there's news of the election of the Fourth Hokage, and it's Hatake Sakumo.
- Huh, so White Fang is now in charge? - The muscular blond grinned, putting the papers aside in relief and focusing his attention on the one-eyed shinobi. - Not the worst possible scenario after Sarutobi stepped down.
Accepting the scrolls of reports, he looked them over carefully, wrinkling his nose slightly - a surprise attack could be forgotten, even though Ai had high hopes for a swift strike, which should provide an advantage in times of confusion due to the change of power of the enemy.
- What are your orders, Raikage-sama? - Dodai stretched out.
- We'll have to work with what we have," the blond sighed, crumpling up the scrolls and tossing them into the trash. "We'll proceed as planned - start pulling troops to the border, and order the strike force commanders to move in three days.
- What about Kirigakure? - The shinobi asked cautiously. - They had recently lost three more of their elite swordsmen with a group of jonins, and the civil war that had started makes them a much more tasty target for attack, unlike Konoha.
- Aren't you afraid, Dodai? - Ai grinned, folding his arms across his chest.
- I'm rather reasonably wary - unlike Mist, Leaf has not only recovered its losses from the last war, but currently has the largest number of elite ninja than any other great village," the one-eyed shinobi reminded his leader with a bow, "and let's not forget the nine-tailed biju's already grown up and able to fight.
- Bee is much better at controlling his own biju, not to mention his strength," the muscular blond snorted, frowning, "but you're right about the number of S-ranked fighters - if we have two-thirds of them concentrated against us, we're going to have a lot of blood to wash away, so I've decided to use the Kingin Kyodai (brothers of gold and silver) to serve the homeland.
- Their?! - The one-eyed jonin wrinkled his face in a very complex grimace of emotion. - Was it worthwhile?
On the one hand, like every shinobi, he admired the strength and vitality of his brothers, who not only did not die in the stomach of the strongest of the biju, but also managed to acquire some of his power, but on the other hand, they were very destabilizing elements in the armed forces of Kumo, involved in the death of the past Raikage and carrying a considerable threat to the current one.
If it weren't for Ai's phenomenal strength and Raiton no Yoroi's perfected technique, Dodai had no doubt that the Kingin Kyodai would once again attempt a coup.
Except that the Third Raikage kept the pair on a short leash, regularly staging showdowns that regularly turned Kinkaku and Ginkaku into well-chopped pieces of meat, despite the regeneration provided by the fox's chakra.
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