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Mushroom clouds rose high above Kumogakure, spiraling violently into the sky.
In the distance, civilians of the Land of Lightning paused from their daily routines, their heads snapping up to stare in stunned silence.
The immense heat and shockwave from the explosion had torn a massive crater into the heart of Kumogakure. Buildings that had remained intact were now reduced to precarious ruins, their rooftops completely blown off, their walls crumbling. Two-thirds of the village was decimated.
Corpses and wounded villagers—both civilians and shinobi—lay strewn across the streets.
The Raikage, A, had been closest to the blast. In order to protect his village, he hadn't dodged. At the moment of detonation, he unleashed a burst of Lightning Release: Lightning Wave, hoping to redirect the explosion skyward.
It was a desperate act—and a failed one.
The sheer force of the shockwave blasted him into the ground, embedding his body in the rubble. His Lightning Release Chakra Mode was shattered under the assault. Save for the areas shielding vital parts of his body, his clothes were completely torn away. His skin was scorched and raw, burned to a crisp by the intense heat.
With a thunderous growl, the Raikage shoved off a large stone slab that had pinned him down and staggered to his feet. What he saw made his chest heave violently, his breath ragged with grief and rage.
This...
This was still Kumogakure?
Gritting his teeth, the Raikage's vision blurred as tears welled in his eyes. Despite his hardened nature, he couldn't stop them from falling as he looked upon the broken bodies of villagers and shinobi alike.
"Akatsuki...!" he hissed. "Unforgivable! Absolutely unforgivable!"
From the wreckage, Dodai cut through the hardened molten membrane that had protected him. He had leapt into the air at the last second and, in desperation, continuously sprayed Lava Release: Rubber Membrane, barely managing to escape.
His gaze trembled as he surveyed the annihilated village, his heart tight with anguish.
Generations of Raikage had poured their blood and sweat into building Kumogakure—and in a single moment, it was destroyed.
Meanwhile, Deidara had been blown to pieces by the force of his own explosion—but that didn't matter. Bits of clay and flesh gathered once again. Slowly, his body began to regenerate.
With a massive crash, two enormous skeletal hands erupted from the ground, pressing against the rubble to lift a towering frame. Susanoo emerged, its armor forming as Itachi Uchiha stepped forth within its protective ribcage.
Itachi's expression twisted slightly as he beheld the shattered remnants of Kumogakure. Even for him, the destruction was disturbing.
Obito Uchiha arrived once more, bringing with him Kakuzu and Sasori. He addressed the Raikage with a mocking tone.
"Lord Raikage," Obito said regretfully, "I gave you a chance, but you refused to take it. A pity. Your subordinates won't even get to see the Infinite Tsukuyomi... They've simply fallen into eternal sleep. But tell me—who do you think is to blame?"
Raikage A was silent. He raised his head slowly, bloodshot eyes locking onto Obito.
"Akatsuki... I swear on my name—I, A, the Fourth Raikage, will destroy every last one of you before I die!"
Lightning flared around his body again as he prepared to charge—but his body betrayed him. The earlier explosion had pushed him past his limit. The chakra flickering along his limbs fizzled out like dying embers.
Obito chuckled. "Think before you speak, Raikage-sama. The village isn't entirely destroyed. Yes, people died, but your foundation still stands."
Darui appeared, wielding his blade, leading a handful of surviving shinobi. He stood protectively in front of the Raikage.
"I'm sorry, boss... I wasn't fast enough to activate the Black Lightning Cannon in time!"
Raikage shook his head, speaking through clenched teeth. "Don't blame yourself. Even I couldn't stop it. No one could."
Darui's eyes welled up, especially when he caught sight of Cee (Shi), lying unconscious under debris.
"Even Cee..."
He turned back toward the enemy, eyes burning with vengeance.
"Akatsuki...! Face me!"
He raised his sword, the character for "雷" (Thunder) etched boldly on his shoulder guard—a symbol of his resolve.
This village was his life. He was chosen as the next Raikage. And now, that future had been torn from him.
Obito smirked.
"What a useful bargaining chip."
He vanished in a blur.
Darui met his rush head-on. "Boss, stay back!" he shouted, dashing forward.
His sword cut through the air—straight through Obito's intangible body. Obito countered, warping behind him, reaching out.
Darui twisted his blade back in a reverse arc, trying to catch him off guard—but again, Obito phased through it.
"I know your trick," Darui growled. "Cee figured it out—You can only be hit while you attack!"
Obito's smile widened. "You're observant. Shame it won't help."
Suddenly, Itachi flashed behind Darui. The swordsman's eyes widened in panic as his gaze locked with Itachi's.
"No...!"
A pulse of chakra—Tsukuyomi.
Darui froze mid-swing, caught in an illusion of endless suffering. In that instant, Obito reached out and activated Kamui, warping Darui's body into another dimension.
"LAZY!!!" Raikage screamed hoarsely, clutching his bleeding chest. "You b*****d! Give him back!"
Obito looked down at him calmly.
"I'll be taking this hostage. Lord Raikage, think carefully. Will you cooperate—or see your village destroyed completely? I'll be in touch."
He gestured.
"Deidara, we're leaving."
The newly regenerated Deidara bounded over, brimming with excitement.
"Ah, such beauty! Such art! Hey, Tobi—can we go blow up Iwagakure next? I want to make my hometown a masterpiece!"
Obito rolled his eye. "Later."
The space-time vortex of Kamui opened, and one by one—Kakuzu, Sasori, Itachi, Deidara—they vanished into its spiral.
"You're not getting away!" Raikage roared, lunging forward.
But his injuries overwhelmed him. Blood sprayed from his mouth, and his body gave out. He collapsed into the rubble.
"Lord Raikage!" Dodai rushed to his side. "Hold on!"
"MEDICS! Where are the medics?!"
Tutai turned in a panic and saw Cee still unconscious under crushed stone.
From the wreckage, Mabui emerged. Her eyes widened at the sight of Raikage's bloodied body.
"Quickly! Take the Raikage to the medical ward—NOW!"
"Sensory team, maintain perimeter security!"
"All mobile units—begin search and rescue immediately!"
"Yes ma'am!"
The shinobi of Kumogakure began to move swiftly under Mabui's orders.
She turned to Dodai.
"What now, Lord Dodai?"
Raikage was down. Darui had been taken. Cee was unconscious. The chain of command was in disarray—leaving only Dodai and Mabui at the top.
Dodai's brows furrowed deeply.
"If Cee were conscious, he could've contacted Killer Bee... But with him down, and Bee in Amegakure, we don't even know the exact location. We can't rely on him now."
Mabui clenched her fists. "Then what do we do?"
Dodai paused, then made a decision.
"First, contact Konohagakure. Then send messages to the other Hidden Villages. Request urgent aid."
Mabui hesitated. "Why Konoha first? We just clashed with them."
Dodai exhaled, eyes sharp with resolve. "Because contacting Konoha means contacting Naruto. And right now—only Naruto Uzumaki can save Kumogakure. Against Akatsuki, unless the Five Great Nations unite quickly, we'll be picked off one by one."
Mabui nodded solemnly. "Understood."
Without another word, she turned and sprinted off to prepare the necessary communications—hoping it wasn't already too late.
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