Union

"What...?"

Upon hearing those words, the Raikage's frown relaxed, and a faint smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Perhaps, after all, not everything was lost.

After so many days of waiting, finally came the response from that damn old man!

The previous cooperation between Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure was nothing more than a simple exchange of information and resources, something superficial. But now, after the disaster in Kirigakure, Ōnoki had finally agreed to cooperate fully.

With that cooperation, Kumogakure and Iwagakure would unite to face Konoha.

The Raikage could feel the excitement boiling in his veins. The possibility of bringing Konoha to its knees was closer than it had ever been.

"By the way, Raikage-sama," the Anbu added in surprise, "the Tsuchikage is already in the camp and wants to see you immediately!"

"Huh? Ōnoki is already here?"

The Raikage frowned. "Are you saying that cunning old man is already here?"

"Yes, Raikage-sama!" The Anbu nodded frantically.

A wide, fierce smile appeared on the Raikage's face. "Invite him in! Quickly!"

"Yes, sir!"

Without wasting a second, the Anbu turned on his heels and ran out of the tent.

"Hehe, if I'm not mistaken, Iwagakure's army must have arrived as well," the Raikage relaxed his expression, and a spark of cunning lit up his eyes. "That bastard always knows how to play his cards!"

"Fully cooperating with us must be his last resort."

A, who was present, looked at the Raikage with a serious expression and concern in his eyes. "I hope this time Iwagakure is sincere, Father. We can't afford another betrayal, not now."

The Raikage let out a confident snort. "As long as we fully cooperate, A, we won't lose. This is our chance to deliver a killing blow."

Darui, frowning, added, "Whatever happens, we need to put aside our prejudices and differences with Iwagakure, even if it's just for now."

"Only then will we have a real chance to defeat Konoha."

Sighing deeply, he added, "Otherwise, with the overwhelming strength shown by Luo Lei and Minato Namikaze on the battlefield... our chances of victory are less than ten percent, maybe even lower."

Silence fell like a bucket of cold water over the tent.

Even Killer B, usually the group's cheerful spirit, lowered his head.

No matter how much they didn't want to admit it, the reality was clear. Konoha was in a position of advantage. They had those two monsters, those incredible talents who seemed invincible: Luo Lei and Minato Namikaze.

Especially Luo Lei... The mere fact that he had destroyed one of the five great ninja villages with his own strength was terrifying.

The Raikage watched his men's dejected faces.

He couldn't let fear and hopelessness take over them. "Stop thinking about that nonsense! I have faith in each of you!" he roared, breaking the silence.

"Let's wait until Ōnoki arrives and see what he has to say!"

"Understood, Raikage-sama!" They all nodded, though doubt and uncertainty still reflected in their eyes.

There was no turning back.

They couldn't retreat.

They couldn't surrender.

…

Soon, after five minutes, Ōnoki was ushered into the tent by the Anbu.

"Hahaha! Ōnoki, old friend! It's been a long time!"

Upon seeing Ōnoki, the Raikage let out a boisterous laugh.

He hurriedly stood up and added, "If I'm not mistaken, the last time we met was at the end of the Second Great Ninja War, wasn't it?"

"Mmm..."

Ōnoki nodded, showing no emotion on his face.

He found a random place to sit and replied indifferently, "If it weren't for Konoha's overwhelming pressure, believe me, I wouldn't have bothered to cooperate with you."

"Oh, really?"

The Raikage didn't flinch. Instead of being offended, he smiled calmly. "We're here for the same reason, Ōnoki. If it weren't for Konoha, in Kumogakure, we wouldn't want to even glance at you either. But here we are."

"Haha..."

Ōnoki let out a disdainful laugh, with a look full of skepticism. He had come intending to cooperate with Kumogakure in every way, but not because he trusted them, rather because he had no choice.

His hope was to unite the forces of both villages and make Konoha face a devastating defeat.

If they continued acting separately, both Iwagakure and Kumogakure would end up as the big losers of this war. And that was something he couldn't allow.

"Hahaha!"

The Raikage also laughed, his expression reflecting the same mockery. "As much as I hate to admit it, the fact is that Konoha is now the strongest village. There's no way around it, Ōnoki. We either win together or fall together."

"Yes, I suppose you're right..."

As the Raikage and Tsuchikage discussed, inside the tent, A, Darui, and Killer B exchanged glances and shook their heads, as if they'd seen this spectacle before.

They wanted to cooperate, but their pride choked them. They were like two old rivals forced to work side by side.

"Enough with the formalities!"

Ōnoki shook his head, clearly irritated, and got straight to the point: "If we're really going to fully cooperate, tell me the damn plan, Raikage. I don't have all day."

"It's quite simple..."

The Raikage took a deep breath, and his expression turned serious. "Our ninja corps will unite, forming the Cloud and Rock Coalition Force, and we will attack Konoha together. We need to take the Land of Soup immediately!"

"That simple?"

Ōnoki frowned, evidently skeptical. "The God of Slaughter, Luo Lei, could appear in the Land of Soup at any moment. Have you thought about that?"

"Luo Lei is in Kirigakure right now. We need to launch an all-out attack on Konoha's army as quickly as possible," said the Raikage, clenching his fist with determination. "It's the only way to minimize the risk and take advantage."

Ōnoki remained silent, evaluating the proposal.

After a moment, he nodded slowly. "When do you plan to launch the attack?"

"Tomorrow!"

The Raikage smiled, full of confidence. "As long as our villages cooperate and we move quickly, it doesn't matter if Luo Lei shows up or not. I'm confident we'll win this battle."

"Alright!"

Ōnoki thought for a moment before nodding seriously. "We, Iwagakure, can provide 8,000 ninjas."

"Great, I, Kumogakure..."

The Raikage fell silent for a moment, processing what he had just heard.

Suddenly, something clicked in his mind, and his expression changed dramatically. "Eight thousand ninjas? What the hell, Ōnoki?! Eight thousand?!"

________

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