Azuki and Samui marched Makoto Uchiha through Cloud's stacked-up, mountain-hugging sprawl until they hit the village core: a big-ass villa with a killer view.
This was way above the original plan.
When the Fourth Raikage first heard the delegation was "inviting" Makoto back, his gut reaction was a windowless cell with extra chains.
But Azuki and Samui had been feeding intel via summon beasts for days, and that flipped the script hard.
The Uchiha second son didn't just play nice; he rolled over like a puppy. When Leaf ANBU and Root ambushed them in a kill-box, the kid saved their asses and then strolled into Cloud with two half-dead kunoichi like it was a Sunday picnic. Every word and move screamed fuck the Leaf brass.
That intel hit like a truck.
Fourth Raikage – Ai – slammed the table overnight, trashed the dungeon idea, and upgraded the kid to this fully-loaded mansion. Sincerity? Through the damn roof.
"Makoto, kick back here for a bit," Azuki said, bowing just enough to be polite. Her voice was softer than usual, but the word "rest" tasted like "house arrest." A flicker of guilt crossed her eyes before she buried it.
Samui gave a curt nod, those teal-green eyes under blonde bangs scanning Makoto's chill face.
They bounced quick, off to debrief the boss.
Makoto didn't sweat it. He watched them vanish around the corner, then sauntered inside like he owned the joint.
Place was clean, modern, stocked with everything. Floor-to-ceiling windows gave a postcard view of Cloud: jagged peaks, buildings clinging to cliffs like they were glued there.
He strolled to the glass, tapping it with a knuckle, feeling every Flying Thunder God seal he'd planted. Farthest one? Straight up on the moon. He hummed a little victory tune under his breath.
His senses picked up heavy hitters lurking outside: Raikage's personal ANBU goon squad. Kid was getting treated better than most jinchūriki.
Try to ghost out the front door? Good luck. But he had other doors. Their "tight security" was a joke to him.
Makoto stretched like a cat, grinning at the plush digs. Playing ball paid off, huh?
He hopped in a steaming bath, scrubbed off the baby-powder smell, then flopped on the cloud-soft bed. The Player Shop HUD popped up, glowing goodies scrolling past. He browsed, picking his next power-up while waiting for the Raikage's summons.
…
Meanwhile, top floor of the Raikage Tower.
Compared to Makoto's cushy pad, Ai's office was straight Spartan.
White walls, zero decor except portraits of past Raikages glaring down like they dared you to blink. A monster desk ate the center of the room, couch and coffee table off to the side, heavy training gear dumped in the corner. That was it: hard, functional, mean.
Fourth Raikage Ai sat there like a goddamn statue.
Dark skin gleaming like polished steel under the lights, shirtless torso ripped to hell: every muscle forged in a thousand battles, ready to explode. Spiked blonde hair standing at attention, green shuriken tattoos on his shoulders screaming don't fuck with me.
Half a step behind him stood a one-eyed dude who could've been Danzo's evil twin, but loyal.
Cloud elite jōnin, Lava Release bloodline user: Dodai. Lean, sharp, the uncovered eye hawk-bright under a black patch. In Cloud, he was Danzo's rank but with actual ride-or-die loyalty to the Raikage and village.
Third Raikage's old retainer, now Ai's brain trust and enforcer.
"Lord Raikage!"
"Lord Dodai!"
Azuki and Samui dropped to one knee the second they entered: crisp, respectful. In Cloud, respect came from knowing who'd crush you.
"Up. Good work out there," Ai rumbled, voice like thunder in a barrel.
"Walk us through the whole op, start to finish. Me and Dodai want every damn detail."
They traded a look. Azuki stepped up, laying it out clean.
Kid tailed them at night, flashed two-tomoe Sharingan like it was nothing, then holed up in a hot-spring inn for nine days, barely checking in with Uchiha clan. Like he was begging them to grab him.
"When Samui made the move, he didn't fight: cooperated like we were old pals."
Her tone sharpened: "On the way out, Leaf ANBU and Root hit us hard. Life-or-death moment: Makoto saved us. Multiple times he straight-up trashed Leaf leadership. Said he digs Cloud's no-bullshit style, even admitted he'd been baiting us from the jump."
She paused, then dropped the mic: "Kid's young, but scary mature. Insane talent. Hates Leaf's guts and already half in love with Cloud."
Dodai's one eye glinted. He caught the nudge in her words loud and clear. Azuki met his stare, rock-solid. She'd picked a side.
Ai's thick brows slammed together, chest heaving once. He turned to his shadow brain. "Dodai, talk."
Dodai stroked his scruffy goatee, voice measured. "Uchiha core blood running to Cloud this eager? Smells fishy… but the kid's a baby. Talent off the charts. Leaf would have to be brain-dead to send purebred Sharingan potential as a spy."
"How we play house with him? That's on you, Lord Raikage."