The dense forest erupted into chaos as thousands of Hidden Cloud ninja pushed forward at breakneck speed.
Then the fog came.
It rolled in from the left like a living thing, thick and suffocating, swallowing the entire forest in seconds.
"It's Hanekawa!" Dodai's voice cut through the haze, sharp with alarm. "Everyone, stay alert!"
"Wind Style!" Samui's command followed immediately. "Clear it!"
Chakra transformed into violent wind, tearing through the mist—only for it to surge back thicker than before. Again and again, the cycle repeated, an endless tide of fog that seemed to mock their efforts.
Samui bit her lip hard. Wasting chakra like this is suicide. But then the realization hit her like cold water: No. This isn't waste. He's just... that full.
The Four-Tails defeat suddenly made a lot more sense.
"There!" A perceptive jonin pointed right. "He's over there!"
Samui drew her blade and vanished into the fog without hesitation. Her vision collapsed to barely a meter in any direction, but she wasn't worried. The Hidden Cloud surrounded her. Support would come.
And she didn't think Hanekawa would kill her.
Footsteps sounded. She spun—and found him standing there, calm as always, with that infuriating smile.
She exhaled. Still room to talk, then.
"You went through considerable trouble to find me," Hanekawa said. "I'm flattered."
"This isn't about flattery." Samui's voice was ice. "You've become one of the most powerful people in the ninja world. Every move you make ripples across the continent. Konoha's too well-guarded for normal contact."
"Have you lifted the ban?" she asked quietly.
"Yes." He didn't hesitate. "I learned a few sealing techniques."
Samui's mind stuttered. He... lifted it himself?
What kind of monster was this?
But at least it meant one thing: his spy status was still secure.
"Do you remember the ninja who placed you in that Konoha orphanage?" Samui continued. "He's been imprisoned. Command blamed him for missing a genius like you."
"Can't really fault them," Hanekawa said with a slight smile. "I was useless back then. Until I started cheating, anyway."
Samui ignored the comment. "We want you to come home. With your ability, you'll be the next Raikage. That's not ambition talking—that's fact."
"If I return now, everything I've built here collapses." Hanekawa shook his head. "All of it. Wasted."
"So you are betraying the Hidden Cloud."
"I didn't say that." His eyebrow arched. "Besides lifting my own ban, what have I done to betray you? Name one thing."
Samui opened her mouth. Closed it. He's right.
"You're right," she admitted, forcing calm into her voice. "I'm here because we need information. About Konoha. About the Hidden Sand."
"I can get it," Hanekawa said after a moment's thought. "But it'll take time."
"Why?"
His eyes met hers, and for a second she saw something ancient looking back. "My teacher and I are in a difficult position right now."
Samui's frown deepened. Tsunade? In a difficult position? That's the joke of the century.
"It's about the Hokage succession," he explained. "Orochimaru wants the position. My teacher is his biggest competition."
Understanding flickered across Samui's face. The Legendary Sannin fighting for the hat—that made sense. Tsunade had been everywhere lately. Hanzo's death. The Seven Swordsmen eliminated. The Four-Tails captured. All connected to her.
If Orochimaru wanted the Hokage seat, he couldn't avoid her.
"In Frost Country, Orochimaru commands," Hanekawa continued. "My teacher is deputy commander. We've been doing logistics for a week since arrival."
"That's—"
"Verifiable," he cut in smoothly. "Many people know. Check if you want."
Samui nodded slowly. The Cloud had spies everywhere. Confirming logistics assignments would be trivial.
"Because of Orochimaru's security, I can't access what you need right now," Hanekawa said. "But give me time. I'll get it to you. And..." He paused. "I want to work with you to eliminate Orochimaru."
A lie, Samui realized immediately. But a useful one.
"How long?" she asked.
"Unknown. I can't guarantee anything."
"I'll report to Lord Raikage. He'll decide the details."
Hanekawa smiled. "Thank you, Samui."
She studied him, uncertain whether they'd be allies or enemies next time. Probably both.
"One last thing," Hanekawa said, stepping backward into the mist. "You've been targeted by my teacher. Be careful."
"I know," Samui replied.
He vanished.
She immediately teleported back to the platform where Dodai waited.
"Status?" he demanded.
"Met Hanekawa. We talked. Details later." Samui's voice was urgent. "Ignore the fog. Full speed ahead. Now."
"Move out! Stay alert! Don't stop!" Dodai's commands echoed.
Screams answered.
Parasitic insects erupted from the mist—Aburame Shiwei's secret technique. Beside them, Hyuga Hizashi moved like a ghost, his Byakugan piercing the fog, kunai flying with lethal precision.
Hanekawa watched dispassionately. The Hyuga should use ranged weapons more often. Soft fist is overrated against real threats.
"The Fourth Raikage!" Aburame Shiwei's warning cut through the chaos. "Alone! Incoming!"
Thunder split the sky.
The Fourth Raikage descended like a meteor, muscles rippling with barely-contained power. Lightning gathered on his fist as he threw a punch that tore the air itself.
His target: Tsunade.
She moved to counter—
An earth wall erupted between them.
The Raikage sneered and shattered it instantly, pivoting his punch into an elbow strike aimed at Hanekawa.
Heavy Flow.
Hanekawa's arm crystallized into stone. He met the elbow head-on.
BOOM.
The ground exploded outward, gravel and dust mushrooming into the sky.
Hanekawa slid back one step.
The Fourth Raikage retreated two.
He stared at Hanekawa with something like respect flickering across his scarred face. "You're better than I expected."
Lightning crackled around his frame, building toward something worse.
"And he hasn't even used his full power yet," Tsunade muttered, moving to Hanekawa's side.
The real fight was about to begin.