022 Reborn as the Third Kazekage

"Damn, this woman is relentless!" Arashi muttered under his breath as he raced forward at lightning speed, clad in his Lightning Release Armor. Behind him, Kazama Yuu followed closely, her speed matching his step for step.

When he noticed they were about to be surrounded by Iwagakure forces, Arashi decisively ordered a retreat. Despite his quick reaction, a few unlucky teammates were caught by Kazama Yuu's Dust Release, disintegrated without a trace.

Damn it, I only came to stir the pot, not die here!

Dodging another Dust Release attack, Arashi shouted, "Scatter and break through! Regroup at the old spot!" With that, his team dispersed like startled birds.

The speed of his imitation Lightning Armor wasn't far off from the original, and soon Arashi managed to leave most of the Iwagakure forces behind—except for this crazy woman, who kept pursuing him.

It wasn't that Arashi feared her Dust Release. While confident in his abilities since arriving in this world, his expertise lay in Magnet Release and Wind Release. His body's natural affinities made this unavoidable, after all, only rare monsters like Hashirama Senju and Hiruzen Sarutobi could master all elemental releases.

Arashi was confident he could defeat Kazama Yuu without much trouble, but doing so without using his Iron Sand would be nearly impossible. If he resorted to it, his identity would be exposed instantly. In the ninja world, there was no mistaking who wielded Iron Sand. Using it was as good as announcing his presence to the entire continent.

His mission was to provoke conflict between Iwagakure and Kumogakure, forcing Iwagakure to withdraw its forces. Even though he wasn't directly responsible for the chaos, the desired outcome was achieved. But now, in Kazama Yuu's eyes, he was just a Kumogakure Jonin sneaking around. If he got exposed, it wouldn't just ruin this mission but might also backfire spectacularly.

I need to either shake her off completely or take her out quickly and cleanly.

Spotting a mountain up ahead, Arashi quickly calculated his options. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the summit.

Kazama Yuu remained in hot pursuit. Before long, both of them reached the mountaintop. Without a moment's pause, Arashi leapt off the cliff.

Kazama Yuu sneered coldly as she saw him jump.

"You think cliff-diving will work on me? Against the Light-Weight Rock Technique, that's nothing but a joke." Without hesitation, she floated after him, only to find Arashi hanging onto a crooked tree halfway down the cliff.

"Comfy up there?" she asked mockingly, watching him with amusement.

Instead of responding, Arashi flung open his cloak, revealing seven or eight lit explosive tags beneath.

"Earth Style: Rock Arm!"

Kazama Yuu reacted instantly, her right arm transforming into a massive stone shield that covered her entire body.

BOOM!

The explosion sent shards of wood and rock flying in all directions. Smoke and debris filled the air, making it impossible to see.

When the dust finally settled, Kazama Yuu carefully examined the shattered tree.

He got away, huh?

As a seasoned ninja, she wasn't foolish enough to believe the explosion had killed him. It was clearly a Shadow Clone or Transformation Technique trap. She meticulously searched the cliffside three times but found no sign of him. To be sure, she even left briefly and returned, but everything remained unchanged.

"So, he really managed to escape… Quite the slippery one," she muttered before finally leaving.

Minutes later, just a few meters from the explosion site, a section of the cliff face crumbled like sand, revealing a hidden cave barely large enough to fit a person.

"Good thing this area's covered in black basalt. My Iron Sand camouflage blended in perfectly. That crazy woman's finally gone," Arashi sighed in relief.

The crooked tree and small cave had been his saving grace. As he fell, he had quickly assessed the terrain and changed his plan. Originally intending to ambush Kazama Yuu with an Iron Sand AOE attack, he instead created a Shadow Clone and fashioned his cloak into a makeshift trap. Meanwhile, his real body executed a swift maneuver to slip into the cave, sealing the entrance with Iron Sand.

Now crouching inside, Arashi kept his senses sharp while quietly recovering his chakra.

"Hello there, stranger."

A bizarre voice sent a chill down his spine.

Turning slowly, he found himself face-to-face with a strange figure—a half-black, half-white creature.

Oh… it's him. That explains it.

...

"Damn that Onoki! He's gone too far!"

A massive hand slammed down on a sturdy wooden desk, shattering it instantly. Dust rose into the air, clearing to reveal a towering figure with dark skin, long blond hair, a thick beard, and rippling muscles. A lightning-shaped scar adorned his chest, and a "雷" tattoo marked his right shoulder. This was none other than the Third Raikage, A.

"Raikage-sama, please remain calm."

Dodai, his secretary, efficiently cleared away the debris. As someone all too familiar with the Raikage's temper, he had grown used to cleaning up after such outbursts.

"Reports confirm that the border outpost near the Land of Earth was attacked. The assailant used primarily Earth Style techniques, but this doesn't necessarily mean Iwagakure is responsible. After all, they're still at war with Konoha. Engaging us now wouldn't benefit them. I suspect—"

A's boisterous laughter cut him off.

"My dear Dodai, you're too naïve."

"Eh?" Dodai looked puzzled.

"I don't care about their reasons. I only care about who benefits me most as a target. Let someone else worry about justifying it."

Dodai sighed. "That's exactly why you have a secretary like me, isn't it?"

"Exactly! Now you're catching on!"

With that, A's expression grew serious.

"Gather our forces immediately. Have them infiltrate the border with the Land of Earth. Two hours after we issue a declaration of war, launch a full-scale assault on Iwagakure."

Upon reading Kazama Yuu's urgent report, Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, fell into deep thought. His student Kitsuchi—stood nearby, too nervous to even breathe loudly.

"Order the entire army to retreat to the Land of Earth tonight," Onoki finally commanded.

"What?!" The three disciples were stunned.

"But Sensei, if we push a little further, Danzo's forces will collapse entirely! We can't stop now!" Kurotsuchi protested, nearly jumping out of her seat.

Onoki raised a hand, silencing her.

"I know what you're thinking, but you don't understand the Third Raikage. By the time you realize he's coming for you, it'll be too late to escape his fist."