Naruto : Cruel Rebirth

Kumogakure Village, Heavy Training Room.

Raikage had a thick plaster around his neck and was lifting a heavy barbell with all his strength. "Bee!! I swear I'll avenge you!!"

Ever since waking up three days ago and learning of Killer Bee and the others' tragic deaths, Raikage had been furious, crying uncontrollably. But he quickly pulled himself together, turning his grief into strength, and started intense training day and night, trying to break his own limits to get revenge for Killer Bee and the others!

"Akatsuki!! Uzumaki Naruto!! I will never forgive you!!"

"Raikage-sama!!" 

While Raikage was lifting weights, a Kumogakure Anbu rushed in.

"What is it!? Can't you see I'm in the middle of special training!? Just leave the food there!" 

Raikage, accustomed to turning his head, felt unbearable pain in his neck! Reluctantly, he turned his whole body to follow his neck, alternating hands as he continued to lift the barbell, glaring fiercely at the Anbu.

The Anbu said, "One of our patrolling ninjas received a messenger scroll. The content... please read it yourself."

Bang!! 

The heavy barbell hit the floor, shaking the entire room. 

Raikage strode forward, grabbed the scroll, and looked at it.

"Huh!?" Upon seeing the contents, his eyes reddened with anger! "That damn brat, I was just waiting for him to show up!!"

Crack!!

He crushed the scroll in his hand, breaking through the wall and rushing to his temporary office! Kumogakure's elite jonin, the head of the intelligence department, and advisor 'Dodai' had been waiting for a while. 

Dodai said, "Raikage-sama, the meaning behind their letter is that they only want the secret scroll, not to use force. My suggestion is that we give them the scroll!" 

Raikage glared and scolded, "What did you say?!!"

Dodai's face showed concern. "We're in a critical situation right now. We've lost Bee-sama, and you're also injured. If we engage in a deadly fight with them now, even if we win, it will be a devastating battle. It could give other villages, especially Iwagakure and Konohagakure, the chance to attack us!"

Raikage shouted, "So, we should just bow down? I'm Raikage! I won't do anything that dishonors the Yotsuki clan or our ancestors! That Uzumaki Naruto is the one who killed Bee!"

Dodai looked down and said, "Forgive me for speaking plainly, Raikage-sama... But that Uzumaki Naruto, who calls himself Light Akatsuki, may not be the same as the 'Akatsuki' who killed Bee-sama! If he were, he wouldn't have emphasized the difference between Light Akatsuki and Akatsuki!"

"Ha, ha, ha...!" Raikage ground his teeth in anger. 

Before Raikage could explode, Dodai quickly continued, "Also... when he led his group to invade, none of our ninjas died. This was clearly intentional on their part, showing that they don't want to completely break with us. Although they caused us some losses, having a fighting force as powerful as Light Akatsuki is not something we should make into enemies, especially when we are facing threats from all sides! We should even try to bring them to our side!"

Bang! 

"Ugh, stop talking! Quiet!" 

Unable to take it anymore, Raikage smashed the table with his fist. "I'm ready to fight! I don't want to hear any more opinions!"

"Ah, ready to fight..." Dodai wiped the sweat from his face, then quickly changed the subject. "If we're going to fight, we need to target his abilities!"

Raikage's eyes narrowed. "I've almost figured out that brat's abilities. He can knock away close-range techniques with repulsive force. As long as I master the one-handed jutsu, I can break through that!" 

Dodai said, "The one-handed jutsu is the former Raikage's deadly move. It's not something you can learn in a short time... Forcing a breakthrough isn't the only way. Based on my observations, there is a gap of about five seconds between his techniques."

Raikage's eyes flickered. "I noticed that when I fought him in the Land of Iron! But his eyes have other abilities that he switches between!"

"Hmph, but if I use Taijutsu multiple times in a row, I can handle it! The biggest problem is..." 

Raikage paused as he remembered the suffocating feeling of being trapped in the darkness. 

Dodai asked, "Is it the move where he creates a huge celestial body using gravity for sealing?"

"Yes..." Raikage clenched his fist and turned to Dodai. "Dodai, do you have any solutions?" 

Dodai lowered his gaze. "I've been thinking about what I saw when he used that technique... I've been contemplating it these past few days."

Raikage, for once, listened attentively.

Dodai spoke carefully. "When he used the technique, he threw something like a gravity core into the sky, and then the earth separated and gathered towards that core. I believe that core is the key to that technique!"

Raikage said, "Hmm, go on."

"As long as we can destroy that core before it attracts everything, we could theoretically break the technique." 

At this point, Dodai shifted his tone. "But since that gravity core can support enormous boulders, it must be incredibly strong. Only a powerful long-range Ninjutsu could break it!"

Hearing this, Raikage grumbled, "Speaking of long-range attacks, Bee's Tailed Beast Bomb would be the best choice! Too bad Bee is gone..." 

"Dodai, how many ninjas do we have who can use long-range Ninjutsu?"

Dodai thought for a moment. "Around 1,000, with about 200 Jonin."

Raikage asked, "How many ninjas do you think we'll need to break that gravity core?"

Dodai said, "At least... 300 Jonin." 

Raikage furrowed his brow: 

"Jonin... that's not enough. How about replacing them with Chunin?" 

Dodai replied, "To fill the gap of one hundred Jonin, we would need at least three hundred Chunin! But in actual combat, situations change rapidly. The mental fortitude and self-preservation skills of Chunin are nowhere near those of Jonin. There will likely be many unpredictable variables!" 

"However, we do have an advantage. The gravity of that technique is indiscriminate. We can turn that gravity to our advantage. We don't need to aim beforehand. As long as we release long-range Ninjutsu when the enemy uses the technique, the gravity will pull our attacks towards them..." 

"These conclusions are based on the intelligence we have, but we can't rule out hidden forces the enemy might have. So, I still suggest we avoid using force..." 

Raikage interrupted Dodai: 

"Dodai, you pick five hundred ninjas skilled in long-range Ninjutsu. Tonight, you will fight alongside me! The other ninjas will remain on standby, protecting non-combat personnel. If a good opportunity arises, they can also join the fight. I will make sure Uzumaki Naruto goes in and doesn't come back!!" 

Sigh... 

Dodai sighed inwardly and responded, "Understood, Raikage-sama!" 

... 

Under the night sky, at the foot of Kaminari Mountain, Naruto and Konan waited quietly. 

Naruto stared at the clock in his palm. 

Konan took note: That mechanical clock is the entry mechanism for the Path of the Asura... 

Click! It was midnight, and the clock vanished from his palm. 

Naruto stood up, his fiery red cloak fluttering in the wind. The Rinnegan beneath his mask shone with a mesmerizing light. 

"It's time. We should get going..." 

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