The Fourth Raikage might have had a volcanic temper, but the loyalty he inspired in his people was real. That kind of leadership couldn't be faked.
Back when he lost to Minato Namikaze, he had not treated it as humiliation. He had the battle written into instructional material so later generations could learn from it.
Kumogakure becoming the strongest hidden village in the current era was no accident.
Akira said, "Since this is happening practically on our doorstep, Konoha obviously can't sit back and do nothing."
Tsunade looked up and fixed her gaze on him.
"I'm assigning you to protect the priestess. I'll personally lead the main force to the border and intercept the Ghost Army."
Since the Ghost Army had already wiped out multiple countries, Tsunade had to prepare on two fronts and stop the enemy before it crossed fully into the Land of Fire.
Akira nodded.
"No problem. I'm enough on my own."
Tsunade immediately shook her head, her tone firm.
"No. This target is special. The priestess is a young woman. Having you alone guard her at all times would be awkward. I'm assigning you a squad, and you'll lead it."
Kakashi was still stuck in the hospital, and Yamato had already been sent off to keep Naruto in check. Tsunade did not have many strong cards left in her hand.
Akira gave her a mildly exasperated look.
"Since when do ninja missions get split by gender? That's awfully delicate."
Tsunade ignored the complaint entirely and called into the air, "Fox. Get in here."
The instant the words fell, an ANBU operative wearing a fox mask appeared soundlessly in front of the desk and dropped to one knee.
It was Yūgao Uzuki.
Akira gave a wry smile.
"Yūgao-onee-san, what a coincidence. It's you again."
Yugao said nothing. Her expression was hidden behind the mask, and her whole presence radiated distance.
Tsunade continued giving orders.
"This time it'll be Yūgao, Neji, and Lee going with you."
Truthfully, Tsunade was making do with what she had. Those were the few available combat assets in the village she could still move around freely.
Akira considered it for a moment. The lineup really wasn't bad, so he nodded.
"All right. I'll go with your call."
Ever since Akira had been promoted to Hokage guard, he and Yūgao had become almost like two lines running side by side but never touching. They hardly saw each other anymore.
Before, Yūgao still came around from time to time to talk.
Now Akira either lived in the Senju compound or spent his days in the Hokage's office. Even getting a glimpse of him had become difficult.
Tsunade quickly wrote the mission order onto a scroll, rolled it up, and handed it to Akira.
"Take this and find Neji and Lee. The core of the mission is simple. Escort the priestess to the sealing site and eliminate Mōryō for good. The survival of the world depends on it. Failure is not an option."
Hearing the words "the survival of the world," even Akira's expression turned a shade more serious.
Tsunade looked at him deeply.
"This is an S-rank mission, Akira. I trust your strength, but you'd better come back alive."
Akira took the scroll and smiled with easy confidence.
"Don't worry, Hokage-hime. I'm hard to kill."
With the scroll in hand, Akira left the Hokage Tower with Yūgao at his side.
Tsunade watched the door close behind them, resting her chin in her hands as she murmured softly, "Akira, this one really is all on you."
She had faith in him, yes, but against a legendary immortal fiend, even Tsunade felt uneasy.
Akira, on the other hand, didn't think much of Mōryō.
That thing had high physical defense and strong resistance to ninjutsu, sure, but at the end of the day it was still just an otherworldly life-form.
If the priestess's power could counter it, then Akira felt pretty certain his own system of power could teach it a lesson too.
Once he gathered Lee and Neji, the four-man squad set out immediately for the Land of Demons.
As they moved at full speed through the forest, Akira glanced at the silent Yūgao beside him and decided to break the awkwardness.
"Yūgao-onee-san, it's been a while. You seem even prettier than before."
Yūgao's figure faltered very slightly.
Ever since Hayate Gekko's death, her world had gone gray.
And with Akira rising higher and higher over the past few years, the distance between them had only grown more obvious. She had become even quieter than before.
The four of them raced through the forest canopy, the wind screaming around them, but that hardly interfered with conversation for ninja.
Only after a long silence did Yūgao finally answer, her voice low and faintly bitter.
"It really has been a long time. Three years, just like that."
Hearing that trace of resentment in her tone, Akira knew she was still upset that he had drifted away from her.
He gave a helpless explanation.
"I've just been busy training, trying to get a little stronger. But don't worry. As long as I'm here on this mission, I won't let a single scratch touch you."
In Akira's heart, Yūgao held a special place.
Not as a lover, but more like the kind older girl next door who had once given warmth to a lonely child when he needed it most.
From the age of eight to twelve, during the hardest stretch of his early years, Yūgao had shown him a kind of care that had felt almost familial.
Hearing that familiar promise from him, warmth rose quietly in Yūgao's chest, but her mouth still stayed as sharp as ever.
"You'd better worry about yourself first. Don't end up needing me to save you."
Watching her put on that stubborn front, Akira couldn't help laughing.
"Yūgao-onee-san, even with the mask on, I know your smile must still be beautiful."
Neji and Lee, who had been running point and rear guard for the team this whole time, both looked like men who had completely lost the will to live.
In the end, Neji couldn't take it anymore. Rolling his eyes, he muttered, "Would you two heavenly beings mind showing a little mercy to the two single men stuck running with you?"
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