The news spread through the ninja world as if it had grown wings.
Naturally, it also reached Kumogakure, one of the parties involved.
Kumogakure, Raikage Building.
Inside a conference room filled with a heavy atmosphere.
Bang!!
A deafening explosion rang out as a fist wrapped in Lightning Release chakra smashed straight through the solid wooden conference table, sending wood chips flying everywhere!
"Uchiha Chiya!! You've gone too far!!!"
Like an enraged lion, A suddenly stood up. His bronze skin had turned red from fury as lightning crackled across his body. His violent chakra nearly blew the roof off the building.
He tightly gripped the intelligence scroll that had just been delivered by a communications ninja who had risked his life to bring it back. His eyes were bloodshot with rage.
Pay money to redeem his father?
This was the greatest humiliation imaginable!
Where did that leave Kumogakure's dignity, his father's dignity, and his own?!
Compared to him, sitting across the table, Kitsuchi was much calmer.
His large, sturdy frame and honest appearance gave him the air of a dependable Earth Release ninja, while his eyes reflected unwavering steadiness and determination.
He silently looked at the furious A before lowering his gaze to the identical report in his own hands. His thick fingers slowly tapped against his knee.
"A, calm down."
Kitsuchi's deep, steady voice carried a hint of reassurance.
"Anger won't solve anything."
"Calm down?! How am I supposed to stay calm?!"
A roared, his voice hoarse with fury.
"He's humiliating us! He's humiliating our fathers! He's humiliating our villages!"
Kitsuchi remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
"But this is currently...
The only way to bring them back."
A's furious roar stopped abruptly.
He glared at Kitsuchi, his chest rising and falling violently. The lightning around him gradually faded, but the flames in his eyes continued to burn.
Yes...
A way.
They had imagined countless possibilities before this.
Rescue them by force?
Pressure Konoha through negotiations?
They had even expected Konoha to demand land, secret techniques, or other harsh conditions...
But they had never imagined the enemy would propose something so...
So vulgar...
Yet something that struck directly at their weakest point.
Money!
And money backed by the Land of Fire at that!
Kumogakure and Iwagakure had just suffered devastating defeats.
Their losses were enormous, and they desperately needed funds to recover.
Konoha's move was nothing less than adding frost to snow.
They wanted to suck them completely dry!
But...
As Kitsuchi had said...
This seemed to be the only clear and workable path.
At the very least...
It gave them a way to bring their fathers home.
The two fell into silence.
The heavy atmosphere made it difficult to breathe.
Whether it was A or Kitsuchi...
Whenever they spoke the name Uchiha Chiya, they felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
That towering crimson giant...
Those scarlet eyes that looked down upon all living beings with absolute indifference...
Had already become an unforgettable nightmare in their hearts.
Facing an existence like that...
Any thought of confronting him head on seemed both laughable and hopeless.
Resist?
Refuse?
Then what?
Wait for Konoha to launch an even fiercer retaliation?
Or watch helplessly as their fathers suffered endless humiliation in Konoha's hands...
Or even...
Neither of them dared continue that line of thought.
A suddenly collapsed back into his chair.
Covering his head with both hands, he let out a painful, unwilling growl.
Kitsuchi simply sighed deeply.
Looking out the window toward Kumogakure's endless mountain ranges, his eyes were filled with worry for the village's future.
After an unknown amount of time...
A suddenly raised his head.
Although his eyes were still bloodshot, the anger had already been replaced by the harsh reality he had no choice but to accept.
Looking at Kitsuchi, he spoke in a hoarse voice.
"What is Iwagakure...
Planning to do?"
Kitsuchi gave a bitter smile.
"What else can we do?
Raise the money.
Even if we have to sell everything we own, we have to redeem the old man.
The village can't exist without its Kage."
His voice was filled with helplessness...
But also unwavering determination.
A fell silent.
He knew Kitsuchi was telling the truth.
It was also the reality he himself had to face.
Kumogakure...
Could not exist without the Third Raikage either.
Another long silence followed.
The sons of two Kage...
People who once held such proud status...
Were now forced to taste the endless bitterness and humiliation brought by defeat.
After a long while...
A finally seemed to make up his mind.
He stood up, his tall figure casting a heavy shadow beneath the lights.
"I'll gather the Council of Elders immediately...
To discuss...
Raising the money."
When he uttered the words "raising the money," he nearly crushed his teeth from clenching them so hard.
Kitsuchi also stood up and nodded.
"The war is almost over.
It's time for me to leave Kumogakure as well."
Looking at Kitsuchi, A let out a sigh.
Kitsuchi himself had been left in Kumogakure as a political hostage for the alliance between Iwagakure and Kumogakure...
Now...
The war was finally coming to an end.
The alliance between the two nations...
Had ultimately been defeated.
With the war essentially over, there was little reason for Kitsuchi to remain here any longer.
A had known about the alliance from the very beginning.
At first, he had believed Iwagakure was making a mountain out of a molehill, even mocking their excessive caution.
But when Uchiha Chiya swept through their forces and captured his father along with the Third Tsuchikage...
Only then did he finally understand.
Unfortunately...
It was already too late.
Their main force had been completely annihilated.
Even if they had any new ideas now...
There was no opportunity left to act on them.
The two villages had once united to fight Konoha.
Now...
They had become companions in misery, both struggling to gather ransom money.
No one could have expected the war to take such a turn.
A stopped at the doorway.
Without turning around, he remained silent for a few seconds before suddenly speaking.
"Hey, Kitsuchi."
Kitsuchi looked at him.
A still did not turn around.
His voice was low but clear.
"Be careful on your way home."
Those simple words carried complicated emotions.
It was both a gesture of friendship between temporary allies...
And as if he were saying...
Let's both do our best and survive this crisis first.
Kitsuchi was briefly stunned.
Then a rare smile appeared on his face.
Walking over beside A, he said nothing.
He simply extended his tightly clenched fist.
A looked at the offered fist.
Then at Kitsuchi's calm face.
Finally...
He slowly clenched his own fist and gently bumped it against Kitsuchi's.
Their fists met with a dull thud.
Without another word...
The two young men, both burdened by the heavy future of their villages, silently reached an understanding.
Soon afterward, A strode away without hesitation.
His departing figure looked resolute...
Yet unbearably heavy.
Kitsuchi watched him leave.
The smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by even greater seriousness.
The long road toward gathering the ransom...
Had only just begun.
And the name Uchiha Chiya...
Had become a towering mountain pressing heavily upon the hearts of everyone who opposed Konoha.
...
Konoha, Uchiha Clan Compound.
The setting sun shone through the paper doors, bathing the Japanese-style room in a warm orange glow.
Uchiha Mikoto sat before a low table.
Two steaming cups of green tea and several snacks had already been prepared.
Her posture was perfectly straight.
Although her expression appeared calm, the slight crease between her brows and the occasional glance toward the doorway revealed the anxiety hidden within.
The door was gently slid open.
"Lady Mikoto, you wanted to see me?"
Uchiha Obito scratched his head as he walked in.
His face still showed a little fatigue, but even more relief from returning to familiar surroundings.
Only...
Deep within his eyes...
There seemed to be something new.
A faint shadow that did not belong to someone his age.
"Obito, you're here? Sit down."
Mikoto gave him a gentle smile and motioned for him to sit across from her.
Obito's disappearance had been suspicious.
His return had been even more suspicious.
She was certain...
Something had happened during that time.
"How are you feeling?"
"Thank you for your concern, Lady Mikoto. I'm completely fine now! I've fully recovered!"
Obito respectfully sat down cross-legged.
He patted his chest confidently before his attention was immediately drawn to the snacks on the table.
"Wow! Three-color dango!"
"Go ahead and eat."
Mikoto spoke gently.
Only then did Obito pick up a skewer and take a bite.
A satisfied smile instantly appeared on his face.
Watching his somewhat clumsy behavior, the worry in Mikoto's eyes eased slightly...
But it did not disappear.
She gently took a sip of tea before casually asking.
"That day at the hospital...
You suddenly disappeared, and everyone was very worried.
Can you tell me...
What happened afterward?
And where did you go?"
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