004 Reborn as the Third Kazekage

If you asked who was the fastest in the world of the shinobi, many would name the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, or the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze—both renowned for mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique, an unparalleled spatial technique. However, people often overlook the Raikage, protected by the Lightning Armor, and Killer B, whose speed rivals that of the Flying Thunder God. In fact, in the manga, Killer B, clad in Lightning Armor, managed to match Minato's speed, going toe-to-toe with him. Yet, the secrets of the Lightning Armor have always been closely guarded within Kumogakure. Besides, mastering lightning techniques requires a rare natural talent.

(T/N: I honestly don't know if it's true or not, but if the author wrote it, there must be some truth to it.)

But for Arashi, a transmigrator, such issues were no obstacle. He didn't need Lightning Release because he had something just as good—Magnet Release.

As the great physicist Michael Faraday demonstrated, electricity and magnetism are deeply interconnected. When a conductor cuts through magnetic lines of force in a closed circuit, an electric current is induced—this phenomenon is called electromagnetic induction. With the theory in place, the application was straightforward: create a closed circuit with iron sand and have other magnetized iron sand frantically cut through magnetic lines of force. The result? A high-quality imitation of the Lightning Armor.

Arashi, speeding across the desert, had even equipped himself with a scarf and goggles for protection. His blue "Lightning Armor" crackled and roared, leaving a dazzling trail of sparks and lightning in his wake.

"This Lightning Armor is great, but it's a real chakra drainer. I'll need to catch my breath before I reach the Ishi Fortress."

For a shinobi his age, Arashi's chakra reserves were immense. Since graduating from the Ninja Academy, he had been tirelessly training to expand his chakra capacity. He believed that while many things in life could be compromised, chakra reserves couldn't. With the Second Shinobi World War just starting, the Third still years away, and the Fourth even further, who knew how many tough battles lay ahead? Running out of chakra in combat was a death sentence. True strength was being like the Third Raikage, who single-handedly fought ten thousand enemies for three days and nights.

Through relentless training, Arashi discovered that expanding chakra capacity was like building physical endurance—only by repeatedly pushing his limits could he grow stronger. In Sunagakure's training grounds, his tireless efforts didn't go unnoticed. The Second Kazekage, often gazing over the village from afar, had been particularly impressed.

"That blue-haired kid isn't bad. What's his name?"

Thus, Arashi's name caught the attention of Sunagakure's leadership. His achievements, including countless S- and A-rank missions and successful skirmishes on the borders, cemented his reputation. The Kazekage quickly promoted him to a bodyguard role. A shinobi who could fight, strategize, and charm with his words—Arashi was a rising star. His good looks didn't hurt either. (Among the Kazekages, the Third is considered the most handsome.)

Within a few short years, Arashi earned the trust of both the conservative and militant factions of Sunagakure's leadership. He was seen as the "crown prince" of the village. Even when Arashi requested to train with Sunagakure's ultimate weapon—the One-Tail Shukaku—the Kazekage agreed without hesitation. If anyone could wrestle with a tailed beast, their chakra reserves had to be top-tier. While not among the top three in the shinobi world, Arashi's reserves were easily in the top five.

Still, even with his impressive stamina, sprinting across the desert in his improvised Lightning Armor for an entire day and night took a toll.

"Maybe I should study Sage Mode too. If I master that, it'll be like unlocking a cheat code. But where should I learn it? Mount Myōboku? Shikkotsu Forest? Ryūchi Cave? Or maybe another summoning creature's domain... Speaking of which, I should probably sign a summoning contract," Arashi mused as he sped through the sands.

...

Meanwhile,

Akasuna Kaiki opened a message delivered by a falcon from Sunagakure. The tiny scrap of paper contained only three short sentences:

The Second Kazekage has fallen in battle. Arashi will succeed as the Third Kazekage.
Konoha's White Fang will attack Ishi Fortress at noon on the 27th.
Reinforcements are coming—hold the line.

The note was dated the night of the 25th.

The plain wording of the message revealed the urgency of the situation. Sunagakure's intelligence division no longer had time to encrypt their communications. Those three sentences hit Kaiki like a gut punch, leaving him stunned for a moment before he regained his composure.

"Relay the order to abandon all outlying defenses and concentrate on fortifying the central stronghold of Ishi Fortress. Set more traps inside the walls. Have Byora prepare to seal the wells if necessary. Burn all documents with writing on them," Kaiki commanded, passing the message to his wife, Akasuna Hideki.

Hideki took the note and froze in shock, her eyes widening.

"Don't just stand there. Go issue the orders. Konoha's White Fang will be here by noon. We need to buy as much time as possible for the Third Kazekage and for our son, Sasori," Kaiki said with a calm smile.

...

"Have the troops rest for ten minutes. After that, launch a full-scale assault on Ishi Fortress. All jonin teams are to focus on the central stronghold. Leave the outer defenses to the lower-ranked shinobi," commanded Sakumo Hatake.

The young Sakumo, in his prime, stood tall with a commanding presence. His every word and action carried an air of sharp decisiveness, like a finely honed blade ready to cut through anything in its path. None of the shinobi under his command dared question his orders.

The plan to strike west at Sunagakure had been Sakumo's idea. His keen analysis of intelligence revealed that most of Sunagakure's forces were tied up on the Ame front, leaving their western defenses vulnerable. With just fifty stationed shinobi, few of whom were jonin, Ishi Fortress was an easy target.

Sakumo presented his plan to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who immediately recognized its potential. After securing permission from the Land of Rivers to cross their territory, an elite force of 800 shinobi led by Sakumo launched the westward strike.

"Report! The central stronghold of Ishi Fortress has been breached. Sunagakure forces are resisting fiercely, with two puppet masters proving difficult to handle," a scout reported.

"Seventh Squad, follow me!" Sakumo said, grabbing his white chakra blade and charging forward with two shinobi at his heels.

The central stronghold of Ishi Fortress loomed ahead, half-destroyed by Fire Release techniques and explosive tags. The battlefield was littered with corpses, broken kunai, and shattered shuriken. Smoke and dust hung heavy in the air.

Akasuna Kaiki and Akasuna Hideki stood amidst the ruins, their battered bodies bloodied and exhausted. Each wielded two puppets, blocking the enemy's advance. Behind them, seven or eight Sunagakure shinobi, equally injured and weary, made their final stand.

"The battle's over. Surrender, and I'll spare your lives. This is your only chance," Sakumo declared, stepping forward.

Kaiki smiled faintly but said nothing.

"Then you leave me no choice."

Sakumo dashed forward, his white blade flashing like a phantom. In an instant, the four puppets were reduced to splinters.

Kaiki and Hideki exchanged a resigned glance and closed their eyes, awaiting the inevitable.

Sakumo raised his blade for the final strike.

But just as it reached Kaiki's throat, a small cluster of black particles condensed around the blade, forming a solid iron rod. No matter how much strength Sakumo applied, his sword wouldn't budge.

Reacting quickly, Sakumo backflipped several meters, gripping his sword in a defensive stance.

Hideki stared in astonishment at the black rod that had materialized.

"That's... Arashi!"