Chapter 56: Kumogakure
The atmosphere within Konoha's main camp could not have been more different from that of Kumogakure.
Senju Morin was playing shōgi with Nara Shikatsune, the board mirroring the current state of the war—one side held an overwhelming advantage, with no real chance of reversal.
"Kumogakure will likely have to sacrifice tomorrow to survive today," Shikatsune remarked as he placed a piece. "I've heard they've tapped into their strategic reserves, postponed expansions to their medical facilities, and are even considering increasing the mission commission taken from their own shinobi."
Morin studied the board, his tone even and unhurried.
"A understands the situation. He knows that rash resistance would only drive Kumogakure into complete ruin. Still, we can't afford complacency."
"You're worried they might lash out in desperation?" Shikatsune asked.
"No."
Morin smiled faintly and shook his head.
Since the Third Raikage A had led his forces back to Kumogakure, the entirety of the Land of Lightning had effectively been left wide open. If Kumogakure attempted to violate the treaty, Konoha could bring the flames of war straight into the heart of their territory at any moment.
A was fierce—but not foolish.
Morin gently set down his piece and continued,
"I'm talking about five years from now. With A's temperament, he'll never swallow this humiliation forever. Once Kumogakure catches its breath, the next war will begin."
"Once the first installment of reparations arrives, prioritize construction of border outposts. At the same time, I want to significantly increase investment in medical development and research."
After a brief pause, he added,
"Also—use the task quotas we've secured in Frost, Hot Water, and Rice Fields to strengthen surveillance of the Land of Lightning. We need as much intelligence on Kumogakure as possible."
Shikatsune nodded and accepted the orders.
He understood perfectly: Morin was already preparing for the next war.
In this chaotic shinobi world, peace was nothing more than a temporary illusion. Konoha had to use this precious window of time to expand its advantage until Kumogakure could never catch up again.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Morin lifted the tent flap and stepped onto higher ground, gazing toward the distant direction of Kumogakure.
He knew the first shipment of reparations would arrive soon.
But that was not an ending—it was the beginning of a new era.
An era in which the shinobi world would be shaped by Konoha's will, slowly forged upon land soaked in blood and fire.
…
In Kumogakure.
What had once been the village's central plaza was now a vast, lightless crater. From this epicenter, a fan-shaped zone of devastation radiated outward—the most severely damaged area of the entire village.
The towering Raikage Building was gone, reduced to broken stone, twisted metal frames, and collapsed ruins.
Everywhere lay toppled houses, charred trees, and ground scorched black by the path of a Tailed Beast Bomb. Craters of all sizes pockmarked the earth.
The bodies of Kumogakure shinobi and civilians lay scattered throughout the wreckage.
The heart of the village had been torn out.
And the scars left behind would not fade easily.
Smoke and dust hung heavy in the air, mingled with the stench of blood. Medical-nin moved tirelessly through the ruins, doing everything they could to save the wounded. Exhausted shinobi continued clearing rubble with numb determination, hoping to uncover any survivors. Low sobs and desperate calls for missing loved ones echoed again and again through the wreckage.
The Third Raikage, A, stood atop the ruins. His once razor-sharp gaze was now bloodshot, weighed down by exhaustion that refused to fade.
After a brutal struggle, he had finally led the village's remaining elites in using the Amber Purifying Pot—the only Six Paths relic still in Kumogakure's possession—to reseal the rampaging Eight-Tails.
Yet he had no time to rest. Another catastrophe awaited him.
"Report to the Raikage!"
An ANBU captain with his face wrapped in bandages dropped to one knee, his voice hoarse.
"The Eight-Tails has been successfully resealed. However… more than half the village was destroyed during the battle. ANBU squads are still compiling casualty figures for both shinobi and civilians. The outlook is… grim."
A said nothing.
He walked slowly through the devastated streets, shattered stone crunching beneath his boots. He stopped before what had once been a training ground, now reduced to rubble. Bending down, he picked up half of a forehead protector engraved with Kumogakure's symbol and clenched it tightly in his palm, the cold metal biting straight into his heart.
Soon, another figure approached, bitterness etched across his face.
"Raikage-sama… we've encountered serious difficulties gathering the first installment of the reparations."
"Even after draining the village's liquid reserves and selling off part of our stored supplies, we're still short of the three hundred million ryō in cash and the chakra metal worth fifty million."
"We must reserve funds for reconstruction. After all, the village has already—"
"Requisition the chakra metal currently allocated for internal shinobi supply."
A's voice was low and iron-hard.
"And inform the mission allocation office: increase the village's cut on all B-rank and lower missions by thirty percent."
"That will provoke intense backlash—"
"Then I'll be the villain."
A suddenly roared, his voice shaking the ruins around them.
"Tell everyone this is the price Kumogakure must pay! We lost the war—so we must bear the consequences!"
"This is the rule of the shinobi world!"
At that moment, an ANBU appeared silently and spoke in a lowered voice.
"Raikage-sama, the daimyo's envoy has arrived."
…
With the Raikage Tower completely destroyed, the meeting with the Land of Lightning's daimyo envoy was ultimately held in a relatively intact building on the outskirts of the village.
Standing before A was an elderly man dressed in the ornate robes of the daimyo's court—Tsuchiya Kōsuke, the daimyo's chief advisor.
He held a folding fan and did not sit, instead sweeping his gaze over the crude furnishings with barely concealed scrutiny.
"Raikage-dono,"
Tsuchiya spoke calmly, yet every word cut like a blade.
"The daimyo is deeply shocked and disappointed by the outcome of this incident. Kumogakure initiated the conflict, only to suffer such bitter consequences—so severe that the national treasury must now be tapped to fill this… enormous hole."
A's fist clenched beneath the table, but he forced himself to endure.
"Kōsuke-dono, Kumogakure bears responsibility, but the village has suffered a devastating calamity. Only with the daimyo's full support can we recover and continue safeguarding the Land of Lightning."
"Support?"
Tsuchiya tapped his fan lightly against his palm.
"The daimyo will, of course, support his shinobi village. Of the three hundred million ryō initial payment, the daimyo's estate can cover half."
A barely had time to feel relief before the next words struck him like a hammer.
"However," Tsuchiya continued, his tone shifting,
"for the next three years, the daimyo's annual allocation to Kumogakure will be reduced by twenty percent."
"Furthermore, funding for long-term projects—such as new ninja tool development and border fortification construction—will be frozen indefinitely."
"Raikage-dono, the daimyo hopes you understand: every coin of national funding is hard-earned. Once trust in a shinobi village is lost, it can only be restored through time—and concrete action."
With that, he gave a slight bow and turned to leave.
Behind him, amid the ruins of Kumogakure, the weight of defeat settled in—heavy, inescapable, and far from over.