Chapter 41 : Third Raikage

Back in time to when the explosion first started.

**BOOM!**

The thunderous explosion echoed through the sky, reaching even the Cloud Shinobi responsible for guarding the sea.

They couldn't ignore it, even though the sound was muffled, accompanied by a plume of dust billowing up into the sky.

To them, it seemed as though the entire sky had been painted with ashes, veiling the direction of the Land of Whirlpools.

This scene resembled something from Cyberpunk 2077, although they wouldn't understand the reference. Nonetheless, the significance was similar.

Soon, a figure of immense stature emerged from the ship's cabin. As he stepped out, the usually spacious cabin door seemed somewhat dwarfed. Others appeared even smaller in his presence.

His long, unruly yellow hair hung loosely down his back. Like many Cloud Shinobi, he was shirtless, displaying formidable muscles etched into his body like steel. On his right arm, he bore the unique tattoo of Cloud Shinobi Village and the distinct character "Thunder."

This was the Third Raikage, the Strongest Raikage in History — Ai!

In the Land of Thunder, "Ai" was not his given name but rather a title passed down through generations of Raikage.

The First and Second Raikage before him had also borne the name "Ai," pronounced as the English letter "A," symbolizing the elite ninjas of Cloud Shinobi Village.

Moreover, each generation's top two leaders in Cloud Shinobi Village—the Raikage and the Eight Tails Jinchūriki—were referred to as the "AB Groups."

"A" represented the Raikage, while "B," with its pronunciation similar to "bi," represented the Eight Tails Jinchūriki. This title, too, was inherited through the generations.

In essence, "AB" stood for Raikage and his trusted associates, exemplified by the Fourth Raikage and his stepbrother, Killer Bee.

"Lord Third Raikage!" the Cloud Shinobi ninja at the scene greeted the Third Raikage with reverence.

Third Raikage paid little heed to formalities. He nodded and gazed directly towards the Land of Whirlpools.

Despite the dust cloud obscuring the sky, Third Raikage possessed the experience of weathering many storms.

His years of combat had taught him that, even at such a distance, hearing such explosions and witnessing this massive dust cloud was indicative of a formidable force.

This force could inflict significant damage, even on someone like him, standing at the epicenter of the blast, if left undefended.

"What in the world is the Third Mizukage up to? Does he really need to employ tailed beasts against the small Land of Whirlpools?" Ai muttered to himself.

"Lord Third Generation, my sensing abilities suggest that the source of this explosion is not linked to a tailed beast, and there's no trace of tailed beast chakra involved," a sensory Cloud Shinobi nearby quickly reported.

"Oh?" Third Raikage's rugged face furrowed. "If it's not a tailed beast, then what unleashed this power?"

In truth, their imaginations were limited due to their knowledge. These explosions were primarily caused by millions of Explosive Tag, coupled with A-level ninjutsu Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags.

While Cloud Shinobi Village was wealthy, they had never contemplated such an extravagant method employing millions of Explosive Tag.

Ai was puzzled. "Even if Mist Shinobi can be cowardly, they're not foolish. If this isn't the work of a tailed beast, then where is this power coming from?"

"Normally, even if they possessed such power, they wouldn't use it to confront the small Land of Whirlpools," he continued.

"That's right. It appears the Land of Whirlpools used this power to resist the Mist Shinobi."

Ai's eyes lit up as he contemplated. "Haha, that's intriguing. I never expected the Uzumaki clan, whom we regarded as lambs, to harbor such hidden strength!"

"I'm genuinely curious about the nature of this power. However, the Uzumaki clan, they truly are something special! To wield such formidable power, I must pay them a visit."

This result didn't anger Third Raikage; instead, it excited him. In the grander scope of the ninja world, Cloud Shinobi's group of no-nonsense warriors found the Uzumaki clan of the Land of Whirlpools to be quite to their liking.

Everyone had their grudges, but once those were settled, they could appreciate each other's strengths.

However, war remained war. Despite their emotional attachment to the Uzumaki clan, if an opportunity presented itself, they wouldn't hesitate to capture fleeing Uzumaki clan members.

This would grant them access to the valuable sealing techniques of the Uzumaki, or at least, with Konoha's tacit approval, ensure that Konoha wouldn't initiate a war.

Perhaps there would be some superficial condemnations and the adoption of a few Uzumaki children, but the Land of Thunder would face little trouble. The deal was simply too good.

As the Third Raikage, it was impossible for him to decline such an appealing proposition.

"Full speed ahead toward the Land of Whirlpools!" he ordered.

"Yes!" the crowd responded, with no complaints, only eager obedience.

Although their previous orders were to remain in the vicinity, awaiting the capture of fleeing Uzumaki clan members, Third Raikage's command was accepted without hesitation. They swiftly executed his orders.

With the warship's full throttle, Third Raikage led his forces straight toward the Land of Whirlpools, adding a new layer of excitement to the impending clash between Kazuhiko and the Third Mizukage.

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