Baki couldn't help but sigh.
"Naruto is truly giving it everything he has."
Gaara nodded in agreement.
"That's exactly why he's so remarkable."
"Under Naruto's leadership, Konoha will undoubtedly reach its greatest era."
Baki smiled faintly.
"I believe so too."
---
Hidden Cloud Village Residence
Meanwhile, in the residence of the Hidden Cloud Village, Darui and Dodai were treating the Fourth Raikage's injuries.
"Raikage-sama, how are you feeling?" Darui asked.
The Fourth Raikage nodded.
"Uzumaki Naruto is far stronger than I expected."
"I truly underestimated him."
"Even though I wasn't fighting with my full strength, this is the first time someone has pierced my Lightning Release Armor and actually wounded me."
Dodai stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Ultimately, Naruto's Wind Release Chakra Mode naturally counters some of your techniques."
The Raikage shook his head.
"No."
"It's not just an elemental advantage."
"That kid compressed his Wind Release Chakra into incredibly dense needles."
"They were so concentrated and razor-sharp that they could pierce almost anything."
He narrowed his eyes.
"To control chakra at that level requires unimaginable precision."
"And I don't believe he's mastered the technique completely yet."
"If he ever perfects it..."
"...its power will become truly terrifying."
Darui frowned.
"I never imagined Konoha had produced someone so powerful."
"He's still just a child, yet he can already rival the Raikage."
Dodai sighed.
"Looking across the younger generation of the Hidden Cloud Village, there are certainly many talented shinobi..."
"But none of them can compare with Uzumaki Naruto."
"Hmph!"
The Fourth Raikage snorted.
"The same goes for every other ninja village."
"That boy is an absolute monster."
Dodai hesitated before asking,
"Raikage-sama..."
"Does this mean you've accepted Konoha leading the Dawn Alliance?"
The Raikage folded his arms.
"What choice do I have?"
"I've already spoken in front of the Five Kage."
"I can't simply take my words back."
He continued calmly,
"The Hidden Sand and Hidden Mist Villages have already sided with Konoha."
"And that old fox Ōnoki will never support the Hidden Cloud Village."
"Right now, we're completely isolated."
"We simply can't compete with Konoha."
He paused before adding,
"Besides..."
"This may not necessarily be a bad thing."
Darui's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?"
The Raikage smirked.
"If Konoha insists on standing at the front..."
"...then the Akatsuki will naturally target them first."
"They'll be protecting not only Naruto, but also Fu, Gaara, and the newly reborn Three-Tails."
"Trying to protect so many Jinchūriki at once won't be easy."
"They'll become the Akatsuki's primary target."
Dodai nodded thoughtfully.
"That's true."
"If Konoha and the Akatsuki fight head-on, even if neither side is destroyed, they'll both suffer heavy losses."
"At that point, the Hidden Cloud Village would still hold the advantage."
The Raikage's expression softened slightly.
"As for Brother Bee..."
"I've already stationed our elite forces around Unyō Valley."
"I won't allow anything to happen to him."
Dodai spoke carefully.
"If protecting Brother Bee is truly our priority..."
"...wouldn't it be better to bring him back to the Hidden Cloud Village?"
He continued,
"When the Third Raikage died and the previous Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Blue B, lost control, Brother Bee was sent to live in seclusion in Unyō Valley."
"That decision protected both him and the village."
"But things are different now."
"Brother Bee has completely mastered the Eight-Tails."
"He's the first perfect Jinchūriki in history."
"There's no longer any danger of him losing control inside the village."
The Fourth Raikage slowly nodded.
"You're right."
"After the Five Kage Summit concludes..."
"I'll personally escort Brother Bee back to the Hidden Cloud Village."
"As long as I'm there..."
"No one will threaten his safety."
"Understood, Raikage-sama."
---
Unyō Valley
While the Five Kage Summit continued...
Unyō Valley remained heavily guarded.
Originally, only a small squad had been assigned to watch over Killer Bee.
However, after Yugito Nii was captured by the Akatsuki, the Fourth Raikage immediately dispatched nearly half of the Hidden Cloud Village's elite forces to protect Bee.
The defensive force was led by Troy, a shinobi possessing the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai, alongside the calm and dependable Jonin, Samui.
C, Atsui, and more than a hundred other shinobi were stationed throughout the valley.
Even so...
The strongest defender remained Killer Bee himself.
The perfect Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
Standing atop a cliff, Samui watched the valley below.
Killer Bee had just finished his daily training.
Stretching lazily, he stepped out of his cave while humming one of his ridiculous rap songs.
"Training's done!"
"Time for some fun!"
"Ya fool! Ya punk!"
He danced enthusiastically while making exaggerated hand gestures.
Then he suddenly looked toward the guards stationed above.
"So..."
"Are you here to protect me..."
"...or am I protecting you?"
"Ya fool! Ya punk!"
Samui knew he disliked being watched, but she answered calmly.
"Brother Bee."
"The Akatsuki are hunting every Jinchūriki."
"Yugito has already been captured."
"Your safety doesn't concern only you anymore."
"It concerns the entire Hidden Cloud Village..."
"...and perhaps even the future of the ninja world."
"We will never ignore the Raikage's orders."
"Every shinobi stationed here is prepared to give their life protecting you."
Killer Bee scratched his head.
"My big brother worries too much."
"I'm the strongest ninja around."
"Ya fool! Ya punk!"
His confidence wasn't entirely unfounded.
In terms of raw combat ability...
Very few people in the current ninja world could confidently claim victory against a perfect Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
The title alone carried overwhelming weight.
If the Five Kage and the Legendary Sannin represented the highest tier of shinobi...
Then only a handful of individuals stood above even them.
Killer Bee was unquestionably one of them.
The other...
...was Pain.
---
High Above Unyō Valley
Far away, atop a distant cliff...
A pair of ripple-patterned Rinnegan quietly observed the entire valley.
Standing beside Pain was a beautiful blue-haired woman with a paper flower tucked into her hair.
Konan.
She frowned slightly.
"Pain..."
"Do you really intend to participate personally?"
Pain replied calmly.
"Never underestimate the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki."
"He is the strongest Jinchūriki after the Nine-Tails."
Konan remained concerned.
"If you fight personally, information about the Rinnegan's abilities could be exposed."
Pain answered without emotion.
"I'll only move if absolutely necessary."
"Let the others fight first."
Suddenly, Konan looked toward the surrounding mountains.
One after another...
Figures wearing black cloaks decorated with red clouds descended from the sky.
They landed silently on the cliffs surrounding Unyō Valley.
Uchiha Itachi.
Kisame Hoshigaki.
Deidara.
Sasori of the Red Sand.
Kakuzu.
Zetsu.
Together with the hidden Pain and Konan...
The Akatsuki had deployed almost its entire force.
It was an unprecedented sight.
Even Konan's expression became more serious.
"With the entire organization assembled..."
"Failure is almost impossible."
"But exposing all of our members carries its own risks."
Pain remained indifferent.
"It doesn't matter."
"Once we capture the Eight-Tails..."
"...only the Nine-Tails will remain."
"After that, everything else will become much easier."
"As for our identities..."
"The Five Great Nations already know more than enough."
He continued,
"Jiraiya's investigation has already cost us the advantage of secrecy."
"Since that's the case..."
"We should finish collecting the Tailed Beasts as quickly as possible."
Konan nodded.
"Fortunately..."
"The Eight-Tails is still in Unyō Valley rather than inside the Hidden Cloud Village."
"Otherwise, even with our full strength, this mission would be extremely difficult."
Pain agreed.
"The Hidden Cloud Village is currently the strongest of the Five Great Nations."
"Starting a full-scale battle inside the village would be unwise."
"Having the Eight-Tails remain here is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
He looked toward the Akatsuki members waiting silently below.
Using the shared vision of the Rinnegan, he transmitted a single command.
"Begin."
Instantly...
The six Akatsuki members shot down the mountainside like falling meteors.
Their figures disappeared almost at once as they charged toward Unyō Valley.
---
The Hidden Cloud Village's detection unit immediately sounded the alarm.
C's face turned pale as he shouted,
"Enemy attack!"
"Extremely powerful enemies are approaching!"
Troy and Samui reacted immediately.
Each led a squad from opposite directions, moving swiftly to intercept the invaders before they reached Killer Bee.
At the same time, Killer Bee sensed the approaching chakra.
He looked toward the mountains.
"Those cloaks..."
"So it's the Akatsuki."
"Ya fool! Ya punk!"
Inside him, the Eight-Tails, Gyūki, spoke gravely.
"Bee."
"Don't underestimate them."
"They're dangerous."
Killer Bee grinned confidently.
"Heh."
"They'll find me even harder to deal with."
"Let's do this, Hachibi!"
"Yeah!"
In an instant...
The once peaceful Unyō Valley transformed into a battlefield, as the decisive clash between the Hidden Cloud Village and the Akatsuki officially began.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)