"Lord Raikage, this is the latest battle report from the front lines—along with a handwritten letter from the Tsuchikage, delivered personally by a messenger from Iwagakure."
Inside the Cloud Shinobi administrative building, an intelligence shinobi knelt respectfully in front of the desk, presenting the scroll with both hands.
"Huh? A new report already? And Ohnoki—that stubborn old fossil—actually took the time to send me a handwritten letter? What's he playing at now?"
Fourth Raikage A, broad-shouldered and impatient, furrowed his brow as he accepted the scroll. He tore it open in one fluid motion and quickly scanned the contents.
"Good! Hahaha! As expected of our elite Cloud shinobi troops!"
His bellowing laugh echoed thunderously throughout the Raikage Tower. "In just days, they've stormed three fortified towns and over a dozen outposts along the Land of Fire's border—seizing enemy supplies and crippling Konoha's forward defenses. Hiruzen's dogs won't be sleeping easy tonight! Hahaha!"
The thunderous satisfaction was palpable—Raikage's chakra flared slightly with the pride of a battlefield commander witnessing the fruits of his military doctrine.
But the glee quickly turned into a sneer as he flipped to the second document—the letter from the Tsuchikage.
"Tch… Ohnoki's still as delusional as ever. Giving glowing praise to a brat from Konoha—Uchiha Yue, of all people—and suggesting we join forces to eliminate him? Laughable!"
Raikage crushed the edge of the letter in one massive fist. "Even if Madara Uchiha himself had been resurrected, what's that to the Cloud? Our shinobi have fought monsters before and survived. I won't be intimidated by a child—no matter how much noise the other villages are making!"
He tossed the parchment aside like refuse.
Beyond political scorn, a deeper reason lingered. Though never voiced publicly, the Raikage harbored a personal grudge. His father, the Third Raikage, died in battle against a massive Iwagakure force during the last war—cut down while single-handedly holding off ten thousand enemies to ensure his troops could retreat. That betrayal of honor by Iwa could never be forgotten.
Unifying with Tsuchikage was a bitter idea to swallow.
"Still, Lord Raikage…"
The calm and composed voice belonged to Mabui, his top aide and one of the few who could interrupt him without immediate reprimand. She had picked up the crumpled letter and read it carefully, her brow furrowed in worry.
"Uchiha Yue defeated the Third Hokage in direct combat and forced the Elders to submit to him politically. He's barely ten years old, yet already controls major Konoha factions. That level of rapid ascent… it's dangerous."
Raikage scoffed. "Speculative fear-mongering. You're overthinking it."
"Bloodline talent burns fast and bright, Mabui. We've seen it before. Remember Gari of the Explosion Corps? Or Kimimaro of Kaguya? Unnatural growth brings consequences—especially bloodline diseases."
"And Yue? Mangekyō Sharingan at ten? That level of power overloads the nervous system and ocular nerves. His chakra network will collapse under the pressure before he sees fifteen. I wager he's already dealing with internal damage."
Raikage's voice dropped slightly. Not scornful—but clinical, as if diagnosing a doomed patient.
"I'll admit—when the first report came in, I took note. But that was before I learned his age. His destiny's already written. Either he burns out or drops dead. The Sharingan may have evolved into Mangekyō—but once you reach that stage, further progress is marginal. The eye's peak is limited without Senju DNA or eternal evolution."
"And even if he somehow breaks those limits—at best, he becomes another Madara Uchiha. But this isn't the Warring States anymore. I'm not Hashirama—but I don't need to be. The Cloud has changed. We don't bow to ghosts of the past."
The discussion fell quiet. Mabui said no more, though her eyes lingered on the discarded letter—deep concern etched in her expression.
Elsewhere, across distant lands, similar missives arrived in other hidden villages.
Sunagakure, Wind Country – Kazekage's Office
"Elder Chiyo, what do you think of Lord Tsuchikage's report? And this proposal to ally against Uchiha Yue?"
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, sat behind his desk, golden sand gently drifting between his fingers as a precaution. Across from him, the wizened Chiyo pored over the scroll with a weary expression.
"Ohnoki's analysis is thorough… and this Uchiha Yue does indeed seem unnatural."
She looked up, sharp eyes narrowing. "But to claim he's already at Madara's level? That's quite a leap."
"Still," she continued, "if someone shows the potential to reach Madara's power, then eliminating them early is the logical choice."
Chiyo's voice carried the weight of decades. She had fought during the First Great Ninja War—had seen the Uchiha in their prime—and lived through the height of Madara's terror. Though she had never fought him directly, stories of his power were legendary in every village.
"And if Yue's rise continues unchecked, then Ohnoki's paranoia may soon become reality," she added grimly.
Rasa nodded. "Our scouts report that Yue has united key clans in Konoha—Nara, Akimichi, Hyūga, and Inuzuka all seem to recognize his authority. He's not just some rogue Uchiha acting alone—he's positioning himself as the next Hokage in everything but name."
Chiyo tapped the scroll, thoughtful. "If we can eliminate him cleanly, Konoha's fragile internal unity could collapse."
"Exactly," Rasa said, his tone turning sharp. "And that chaos would open doors for us."
Sunagakure had barely recovered from the Third Shinobi World War. With the Wind Daimyō slashing funding and the village forced to adopt a reduced elite shinobi policy, their power was waning. The elite few—like his son Gaara—were powerful, but the village lacked numbers.
Rasa had long considered conflict inevitable. If Konoha destabilized, Sunagakure could capitalize and reclaim lost influence without bearing the full burden of a war.
Even if Yue died and Konoha endured, the ripple effect would be immense.
Rasa's eyes glinted with cold ambition.
"This is the best opportunity we've had since the war ended. Whether Ohnoki's right or not, removing Yue from the board benefits all of us."
Chiyo said nothing—but the silence was not disagreement.
Outside, a hot desert wind swept across the sandstone walls of the Kazekage Tower, whispering of old grudges and new opportunities.
The game board was shifting—and Uchiha Yue stood at its center.
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