After several days of relentless travel, the Raikage finally approached the border of the Land of Earth. He had crossed the dense forests and hidden valleys of the Land of Waterfall, and along the way, numerous Kumo operatives—once scattered spies—emerged from the shadows to join his cause. Now, more than two hundred battle-hardened shinobi marched under his command, their goal as clear as thunder on the horizon: strike Iwagakure's border forces with overwhelming speed and power.
Their plan was calculated and direct—cripple Iwa's outposts in the region. Such a blow would force the Tsuchikage to pull back units currently purging Kumo spies from smaller hidden villages. It was both a diversion and a blow to morale.
As they marched through the thinning forest, nearing the rocky plains of Iwa's border, the Raikage turned his sharp gaze to his second-in-command.
"Tell me... do you think they'll fight or retreat?" he asked, his voice as deep and grounded as the mountains ahead.
The second-in-command smirked, eyes gleaming with confidence. "With you leading us? They won't even have a chance."
The Raikage allowed himself a small, satisfied nod. "Let's hope you're right. Once we cross that border... this war may begin to shift in our favor."
The Kumo force pressed on. The trees became fewer, the ground rougher, and tension hung in the air like the static before a lightning storm. And then—they crossed.
Boom!A barrage of kunai embedded with explosive tags rained down around them, detonating with thunderous force. The group halted instantly, scanning for enemies with trained eyes.
From every crevice, trench, and cliffside, Iwa ninja revealed themselves, emerging like stone statues come to life.
"It looks like they were expecting us," the Raikage muttered, his tone darkening.
"Indeed," his second replied grimly.
Across the plains, more and more enemy shinobi gathered—hundreds... no, over a thousand. The sheer number dwarfed the Kumo force. It was a trap.
But the Raikage did not falter. No matter the odds, he was enough to tip the scale. That was the power of a Kage.
He stepped forward, voice echoing across the battlefield. "Before I begin tearing you apart… I want to know who commands this little welcoming party."
From the crowd of Iwa shinobi stepped a woman clad in jonin armor, the Iwa headband gleaming on her forehead. Her expression was calm, calculating.
"Curious to meet the one who will end your life, Raikage?" she asked, her tone both mocking and proud. "I am Azora, commander of the Stone's eastern forces."
The Raikage cracked his knuckles, smirking. "I won't lie, when I thought the Tsuchikage himself might be here, I was concerned. Your numbers mean nothing if he's not among you. But now that I see him absent... I have no reason to worry."
Azora smiled faintly. "You underestimate us. A thousand shinobi are more than enough to eliminate you and your little thundercloud."
"Perhaps you're the one underestimating me," the Raikage replied, his voice charged with energy. "I alone am enough to bury your army beneath these mountains."
Azora narrowed her eyes. "I think your reputation has been exaggerated. Muscles don't win wars. Today, the legend of the Raikage ends here."
The Raikage's eyes flashed. "Enough talk. Let's begin."
With a surge of power, he activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode—his body cloaked in crackling blue lightning, the aura of raw energy igniting the air around him. But almost immediately, something was off. His movements lagged, his aura flickered. He stumbled.
His second-in-command noticed first. "Raikage... what's wrong?"
"Hmph... Something's draining my chakra. I can barely maintain even ten percent of my armor's power..." The Raikage clenched his fists. "It seems Iwa came prepared."
Azora's mocking voice rang out. "I'm actually impressed you can still stand after everything you drank."
The Raikage's eyes narrowed. "What… did you do to me?"
"Think back to all the alcohol you enjoyed during your stay in the Waterfall country," Azora said calmly. "Poison. Undetectable. Our Tsuchikage has... inventive allies."
He gritted his teeth. "If there was poison, I would have sensed it."
"Not this one," she replied. "It only activates when the victim channels a large amount of chakra. Then, it becomes corrosive—destroying your energy from the inside. Normally, it would have rendered any shinobi powerless. But you… you're not normal."
The Raikage's expression darkened. Damn it... so that's how it is. He looked at the battlefield. Two hundred against a thousand... If I can't fight at full strength, my men will die. All because that coward Tsuchikage refused to face me himself…
His second-in-command spoke again. "Raikage… what are your orders?"
The Raikage turned, face grim but resolute. "You and the others fall back. I'll hold them off. Buy time."
"What?! If we fight together, we might—"
"No," he interrupted. "They want me. They'll hunt me down, no matter what. You'll all die in vain if you stay. But if you escape… we still have a chance to win this war. Live. Regroup. Persevere."
The second-in-command clenched his jaw, then nodded. "You heard him! We fall back, now!" he shouted, rallying the troops.
Azora smirked as she watched them begin to retreat. "You really think we'll let them go? Crushing this Kumo force will bring us great glory."
The Raikage's eyes glowed with fury. "You've made a grave mistake, Azora. If you thought this poison would stop me… you've only invited my wrath."
With a defiant roar, chakra exploded from his body, the ground trembling beneath him. Despite the pain, despite the draining force inside, the Raikage forced his lightning armor to half power—his aura flaring like a storm god's.
"Iwa shinobi," he growled, voice like thunder, "Die quickly."
The field went silent. Even the Iwa forces paused. This man… this demon of Kumo… was weakened, poisoned—and still this powerful?
Azora's smirk faded.
What kind of monster... did our Tsuchikage ever stand against... when he faced the Raikage at full strength?