Temari glanced at Naruto's departing back, a hint of doubt in her eyes.
"Is he really up to it?"
Makoto smiled and said:
"If there's one person in this world who can change Gaara's personality, it's only Naruto."
All three children of the Kazekage... Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara... had spent the past three years imprisoned in Konoha's detention center.
Just the other day, Makoto had sought them out and said he could give them and Sunagakure a chance to survive, but it depended on their performance in this upcoming war.
The three Kazekage children and Sunagakure had agreed to this.
Three years had passed since the Chunin Exams.
Gaara's personality, and his relationship with his siblings, had improved considerably.
On one hand, Temari and Kankuro had witnessed with their own eyes how Shukaku inside Gaara was so terrified by a single glance from Makoto that it wouldn't even dare to fart.
They felt that the One-Tail Shukaku they had feared since childhood wasn't such a big deal after all, so they weren't as afraid of Gaara anymore.
As for Gaara, having been locked up with his brother Kankuro for three years, the two had to talk to each other even if they didn't want to. With more communication, their relationship had improved slightly.
But even so, Gaara's personality still hadn't reached the state it was at the same point in the original work.
That required Naruto, the master of Talk no Jutsu, to give him some therapeutic conversation.
"If there's nothing else, you should go back and prepare as well."
Tsunade said at this point.
Kakashi, Sakura, and the others took their leave one after another.
Jiraiya, however, stared at the roll of tissue Tsunade had just tossed into the trash can and couldn't resist leaning over to take a closer look.
"What are you doing!?"
Noticing Jiraiya's action, Tsunade suddenly exploded with anger for some reason, shouting.
Kakashi and the others, who had just turned to leave, were startled.
'Was Hokage-sama going through menopause late? Why was she suddenly so angry?'
"N-Nothing..."
Jiraiya gave a dry laugh, quickly left as well, and kept reassuring himself internally that he was definitely overthinking it.
The office door closed.
Makoto, holding Chika's hand, walked smilingly over to Tsunade.
"..."
Tsunade was about to complain when Makoto grabbed her chin and sealed her lips.
Meanwhile, Chika was not idle. She started measuring the difference between herself and Tsunade, and exclaimed in amazement:
"Wow! Hokage-sama is amazing! I wonder who's bigger, you or my sister..."
…
Elsewhere.
Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.
In the Raikage's office, the Fourth Raikage, A, was discussing war matters with his assistant, Dodai, and his secretary, Mabui.
"According to the intelligence brought back by our spy embedded in Konoha, the Ninja World Government is already mobilizing its forces. Their first target is us, Kumogakure."
Dodai, a senior official who had served both the Third and Fourth Raikage, said gravely.
"Furthermore, Hyuga Hiashi, the captain of Konoha's new Guard Unit, has stated that other Ninja Villages may surrender, but Kumogakure cannot."
Hearing this, the Fourth Raikage punched his desk, shattering it in his rage.
"What's that supposed to mean? Calling us out specifically?!"
Mabui, who was holding documents nearby, looked exasperated.
She thought, 'Weren't you aware of how many times you had provoked Konoha?'
During the era of the Second Raikage, after the end of the First Great Ninja War, Senju Tobirama himself had led a delegation to Kumogakure to sign a peace treaty, only to be ambushed by Ginkaku and Kinkaku.
Later, during the Third Raikage's era, they had attempted to kidnap Uzumaki Kushina, the candidate for Konoha's Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
During the Fourth Raikage's own tenure, they had tried to kidnap Hyuga Hinata, the eldest daughter of the Hyuga main family, only to be killed instead, and then tried to turn the blame around afterwards...
Every single thing Kumogakure had done to Konoha was enough to be remembered for a lifetime.
Now that Konoha was powerful, it was only natural that they would be the first target.
The only reason it hadn't happened sooner was because Hiruzen was weak-willed and dared not retaliate. Anyone with a slightly sound mind would have fought to the death.
To be honest, sometimes Mabui couldn't help but suspect that Hiruzen was a Kumogakure's spy planted in Konoha.
They kept taking a dump on his head, and he simply refused to resist.
But thinking about it, it wasn't entirely without reason. If Tobirama hadn't been killed by Ginkaku and Kinkaku in the Land of Lightning, Hiruzen wouldn't have become the Third Hokage.
Perhaps, to repay his debt of gratitude to Kumogakure for giving him his chance, Hiruzen chose to forgive them time and time again.
What a great loyalty!
Dodai also looked helpless, but he quickly regained his composure and analyzed:
"The Ninja World Government is likely trying to make an example of a target."
"Although many small countries have chosen to join the Ninja World Government, except for the Land of Snow, most of them still harbor doubts about its true strength."
After all, since this organization was founded and the Fifth Hokage Tsunade took office, they had never truly demonstrated their power.
It had to be said, Dodai was quite sharp. He immediately saw through the intentions of Makoto and his group.
A new broom sweeps clean.
This first sweep was aimed at Kumogakure.
Kumogakure wasn't necessarily the village Konoha hated the most.
But it was definitely the one that had provoked Konoha the most times.
Moreover, Kumogakure currently possessed two Perfect Jinchuriki... the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki Killer B, and the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki Nii Yugito.
Plus the Fourth Raikage A, known as the [Fastest Ninja in the World].
Kumogakure had three high-tier Kage-level Ninja, making it the village with the most Kage-level Ninja among the Five Great Ninja Villages besides Konoha itself.
To make an example of someone, they were the most suitable.
The Fourth Raikage sneered, the lightning aura around his body becoming even more violent.
"As if they've already won before the war has even started."
"Immediately call B, Yugito, and the others over!"
Since the Third Raikage's death in the last Great Ninja War, the Fourth Raikage had strictly limited his younger brother Killer B's movements.
No matter what happened outside, B was not allowed to leave the village, keeping him there at all times as the final line of defense protecting Kumogakure.
However, over the past few years, the Fourth Raikage had heard many stories about the Ninja World Government and Konoha.
He didn't know where that kid named Makoto had found so many elite fighters, each one supposedly at Kage-level.
Although the Fourth Raikage suspected that the Ninja World Government had paid his spy to help them exaggerate…
The mere fact that 'Sunagakure and Konoha are allied to attack Kumogakure' was enough for him to gather all of the village's high-level combat power.
Boom—!!!
Just then, an earth-shattering boom echoed from the direction of the canyon on the periphery of Kumogakure.
Hearing this sound, the few people in the office frowned.
Mabui asked, "Is Killer B-sama practicing his Tailed Beast Bomb again?"
Indeed, the sound was very similar to a Tailed Beast Bomb.
They heard it every few days, so both Mabui and the Fourth Raikage were quite familiar with it.
Boom—!!!
Boom—!!!
A few more booms sounded.
The Fourth Raikage couldn't help but complain:
"That guy, B, isn't he going a bit too far?"
But the advisor standing beside the Fourth Raikage, C, had a drastic change of expression.
"Raikage-sama, something's wrong!"
As a Sensor-type Ninja, he had already perceived that this Tailed Beast Bomb wasn't being fired by just one person, but as a duet!
In other words, at least two Tailed Beasts were firing Tailed Beast Bombs simultaneously.
Hearing C's explanation, the Fourth Raikage's expression also changed drastically.
He immediately erupted with Lightning Release Chakra throughout his body, pushing his speed to the limit.
"Bam!"
A large hole was smashed in the office wall, and the Fourth Raikage's figure had already vanished in the direction of the village.
Before leaving, Dodai told Mabui:
"Hurry and gather the village's military forces. Something's likely happened."
Mabui nodded and immediately took action.
Her voluptuous figure bounced as she ran rapidly.
It had to be said, the quality of women in Kumogakure was indeed high.
Plus, there was the dark-skinned bonus.
…
On the outskirts of Kumogakure.
At the canyon training ground, which served as a natural barrier for the village, Killer B, the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, usually trained here.
In the original work, it was also here that Sasuke had fought B.
Currently, the place was in shambles.
Countless large craters scarred the ground. The rock walls on both sides of the canyon were covered in cracks, and rubble was scattered everywhere.
The air was thick with the smell of scorching dust and the residual waves of violent Chakra.
Two monsters covered in Tailed Beast Chakra Cloaks faced each other. Their immense pressure made the entire canyon tremble.
Eight blood-red tails extended from behind Killer B. His body was covered in dark red Tailed Beast Chakra.
On the other side, Gaara was covered in a sand armor, transforming into a half-human, half-Shukaku form, emitting a low growl.
The forces of two Tailed-Beast-level beings collided, the mere shockwave uprooting the surrounding trees.
At the edge of the battlefield, Karui and Omoi, disciples of B, were so terrified they lay paralyzed on the ground, shivering.
"Wh-What's going on?! Why is that Sunagakure's Jinchuriki here?!"
Omoi was also in despair, crouching and holding his head in a defensive position.