Even after thinking it over a hundred times, the Third Raikage still couldn't understand where Hanzō had found the confidence to declare war on the Land of Wind before he had even finished dealing with the Land of Iron.
That lunatic… what an absolute fool.
The Third Raikage cursed Hanzō furiously in his heart, but outwardly, he forced himself to remain calm.
Because of Hanzō's reckless move, the Third Raikage's entire plan was already on the verge of collapse before it had even begun.
He could already imagine the Third Kazekage's fury the moment Hanzō's declaration of war reached Sunagakure.
And as for his other ally, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki… he would only grow more wary of Hanzō, and there was a high chance he would withdraw the support he had previously promised.
Recalling the speech and declaration he had just made, the Third Raikage, at that very moment, wished he could personally lead his forces into the Land of Rain and beat that fool Hanzō senseless.
Sensing the gaze from beside him, the Third Raikage suppressed the rage in his chest and spoke in a firm voice.
"The plan remains unchanged. We move out tomorrow!"
The words came out like a roar, carrying all the weight of his emotions. At this point, the Third Raikage had no choice but to go through with the war.
"Should the envoy we sent to form an alliance with Hanzō be recalled?" the secretary asked hurriedly.
"No!"
With a resolute tone, the Third Raikage stared at the secretary in front of him and continued,
"Contact the Tsuchikage. I want to speak with him directly."
"Understood!"
"Go!"
The moment he received the order, the secretary—well aware of the urgency of the situation—vanished instantly.
Watching him leave, the Third Raikage did not remain where he was for long. He turned and strode away at once, heading straight for his office.
While the Raikage was receiving news of Hanzō's declaration of war, Kizaru, stationed near the border of the Land of Fire, had also received fresh intelligence from the village.
"Ohh… this is getting more and more interesting," Kizaru said with a lazy smile, sitting there with one leg crossed over the other, the tip of his foot swaying slightly.
Standing beside him were two Konoha shinobi.
One was the captain of the border patrol unit, Hyūga Nagayasu, a jōnin from the Hyūga clan's branch family.
The other was a Root shinobi responsible for delivering intelligence.
"Kizaru-sama, what should we do next?" Though Kizaru was more than ten years younger than him, Hyūga Nagayasu still showed him complete respect.
"The deployment stays the same. Just continue the usual patrols," Kizaru said as he folded the report in his hand once more.
"Understood!" Hyūga Nagayasu replied respectfully.
"You may go now."
With a casual wave of his hand, Kizaru signaled for Hyūga Nagayasu to withdraw.
Nagayasu nodded, then turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Only after confirming through Observation Haki that Hyūga Nagayasu had gone far enough did Kizaru shift his gaze to the silent Root shinobi who had stayed behind.
"So? Does Elder Danzō have something he wants to tell me?"
"Lord Danzō instructed me to tell you to be more careful. He believes Kumogakure is likely to make its move within the next few days," the Root shinobi replied in a flat, emotionless voice.
"Ooh… how thoughtful of him," Kizaru said with a faint smile as he set the folded report on the nearby table. "I understand. You may head back now."
"Yes."
With that, the Root shinobi left as well.
The next few days, hm? My uncle really does have sharp instincts.
Compared to Danzō's speculation, Kizaru had a much clearer idea.
Kumogakure would strike either tomorrow… or the day after.
And he had good reason to be so certain.
The moment he finished reading the report, the progress bar in his mind suddenly jumped by three points, reaching 52%.
There was only one reason that progress bar would rise so suddenly.
His name had spread in a very short period of time.
And the only people who could do that—and had reason to do it—were the shinobi of Kumogakure.
If Kizaru's guess was correct, then Kumogakure had already publicly announced the identity of the one responsible for the attack.
That person… was him.
And if he followed that line of reasoning further, then there was only one explanation for why Kumogakure would suddenly reveal the attacker's identity at a time like this.
To stir up the villagers' hatred toward Konoha.
To create the momentum needed to launch a war.
When Kizaru thought back to the time he had agreed to meet Kakuzu, the corners of his lips curled upward slightly.
Well now…
What a coincidence.
Letting out a quiet sigh in his heart, Kizaru rose from his seat.
Though he was certainly looking forward to tomorrow, he had something even more important to deal with right now.
The fusion progress bar had reached 52%.
And with it, Kizaru had gained a new ability.
This ability was a deeper level of development of the Glint-Glint Fruit.
In the three years since obtaining the power of light, Kizaru had never stopped training or exploring the fruit's potential. And now, this fusion had pushed his mastery to an even higher level.
He slowly raised his right hand and extended his index finger.
Normally, a golden glimmer would gather there.
But this time, a second, perfectly mirrored finger appeared right in front of his own.
Then the finger became a hand.
The hand became an arm.
And in the end, a complete mirrored version of Kizaru stood right in front of him.
"My, my… handsome as ever," Kizaru said honestly as he looked at himself.
The next moment, Kizaru's real body disappeared from the room without a trace, leaving only the mirrored figure behind.
This was the advanced development of Light Release: Hiding with Light Technique—
Light Release: Mirage.
It was an illusion technique Kizaru had been refining for quite some time, and after integrating his new ability, he had finally brought it to completion.
Once he stepped out of the wooden house, the invisible Kizaru reappeared, and at the same time, the illusion left behind in the room vanished instantly.
After leaving the house, Kizaru headed deeper into the forest, far from the area where his forces were stationed.
That was where he intended to test another newly developed ninjutsu.
A variation born from the flash bomb.
A sealing technique created by combining the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit with fūinjutsu.
Its inspiration came from the Adamantine Sealing Chains, along with a skill once used by a heroine in a game from his previous life.
The result was a brand-new Light Release sealing technique developed by Kizaru himself.
Since there was still plenty of time, Kizaru moved at an unhurried pace, walking leisurely into the depths of the forest.
After about twenty minutes, he stopped.
He observed the surroundings carefully and confirmed that there was no one alive within a radius of one kilometer.
Only then did Kizaru begin.
He slowly raised his right hand.
A shimmering orb, similar to a flash bomb, formed within his palm.
Then, facing the large tree ahead, Kizaru flicked his hand.
The orb shot forward at high speed.
The moment it touched the tree, it burst into a brilliant radiance and instantly transformed into a cylindrical cage of light that enveloped the trunk.
Inside that prison, where light particles and chakra intertwined, four thick chains wrapped tightly around the tree.
Smoke immediately rose from the spots where the glowing chains touched the bark, and signs of scorching quickly spread across the surface.
It wasn't just heat.
Because the chains had been constructed using sealing principles as well, they also possessed the power to suppress chakra.
Light Release: Light Binding!
This was the sealing technique Kizaru had created by merging fūinjutsu with his own light-based power.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Then Kizaru raised his right hand again and lightly snapped his fingers.
Snap.
With that crisp sound, the cage and chains restraining the tree shone even brighter—
and exploded in an instant.
Smoke, shattered wood, and chunks of dirt blasted outward, only to pass harmlessly through Kizaru's elemental body.
"My, my… that's terrifying," Kizaru said with a smile.
And just like that, he found himself looking forward to tomorrow even more.
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