When Uzumaki Raiden arrived at the Hokage Building and pushed open the door to the Hokage's office, he immediately saw Sarutobi Hiruzen and the two other advisors sitting on the sofa.
"Yo, Sarutobi-sensei, you're here too."
"I heard there's something important you want to discuss with me. What is it?"
"Let me say this first—I'll take over as principal of the Ninja Academy after I return from my trip!"
Uzumaki Raiden strode into the office, completely unaffected by the tense atmosphere, and spoke with a casual smile.
"Raiden, take a look at this." Minato tossed a document onto the table in front of Raiden, glancing subtly at the two advisors on the sofa as if to give him a hint.
Raiden, however, ignored Minato's gesture. He picked up the document but didn't rush to open it. Instead, he casually sat on the armrest of the sofa next to Sarutobi Hiruzen, leaning back comfortably against the seat behind Hizashi.
"This kid..." Seeing Raiden's nonchalant attitude, Hiruzen shook his head lightly before shifting slightly to give Raiden more space. It was clear that this former Hokage was exceptionally indulgent toward him.
"Hey! The Land of Lightning is really pushing its limits!"
Sitting beside Sarutobi Hiruzen, Uzumaki Raiden unrolled the scroll Minato had tossed over. After scanning just a few lines, he couldn't help but scoff. His face showed nothing but amusement, as if the threat from the Land of Lightning was insignificant.
"If we don't hand over the Hyuga clan, they'll go to war with the Land of Fire? Where does the Land of Lightning get this kind of confidence?"
"Minato, is this the important matter you wanted to discuss? I thought it was something serious."
Raiden quickly skimmed through the letter and then tossed it back to Minato. Across from him, Koharu Utatane and Mitokado Homura exchanged glances at Raiden's dismissive attitude. Mitokado coughed lightly before speaking in a soft tone:
"Fourth Hokage, regarding the ultimatum from the Land of Lightning, how do you think Konoha should respond?"
Mitokado's tone toward Raiden was entirely different from how he usually addressed Namikaze Minato. While he maintained a level of respect when dealing with Minato, he wasn't particularly polite. However, when speaking to Raiden, he sounded like a kind and patient elder.
"How to deal with it? Just give the Land of Lightning a warning! Tell them not to cross the line."
"If we've left them alone until now, that's already a favor to them. And now they're trying this nonsense?"
Uzumaki Raiden snorted, speaking as if it were a trivial matter.
Mitokado Homura sighed at his response, then exchanged another glance with Sarutobi Hiruzen. After a brief silence, just as Hiruzen was about to speak, Minato stood up from behind his desk and walked over to Raiden. With a sincere expression, he said:
"Raiden, I've thought about your approach, and I see no major issues with it."
"But I can't think of anyone capable of intimidating the Land of Lightning. So..."
His words trailed off, as if hesitant.
"Alright, just say it already. I know what you're asking me to do."
"I'll head to the border myself."
"Let the ninja world know—I'm back! Might as well start my travels early."
Raiden waved his hand casually, his tone relaxed. Hearing this, Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane both let out a breath of relief. For Konoha, avoiding war at this stage was crucial.
The village had yet to recover from the devastation of the Third Shinobi War, which had wiped out an entire generation. By the end of the war, even academy students had been sent to the battlefield. The attack four years ago had further weakened Konoha. If Uzumaki Raiden could use his individual strength to prevent another war, it would give Konoha the breathing room it desperately needed.
"Raiden, when do you plan to depart? This matter is urgent. I've received intelligence that Cloud Ninja forces are already gathering near the border. If they want to, they could seize control of the surrounding small nations at any moment and launch an attack on Konoha."
Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke in a calm tone, avoiding further discussion on the matter.
"In that case, I'll leave the day after tomorrow. When I go, I'll take Uchiha Itachi, Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, and Rin Nohara with me as my guards."
"From then on, they'll be traveling with me and won't be returning to Konoha for a while."
Uzumaki Raiden put forward his request at the right time. These individuals were key figures in the shinobi world, and he wanted them by his side. If possible, he would have taken Naruto and Sasuke as well, but at only four years old, they were still too young. Convincing Fugaku to let Itachi accompany him had already been difficult. Trying to take his youngest son would likely result in an all-out fight with Fugaku.
"Alright, that's not a problem." Minato nodded in agreement and continued,
"I'll notify the border troops. All forces in the northeast are at your disposal. You have full command, and if anything happens, you can act at your own discretion without needing to report back to the village."
"Raiden, I'm counting on you."
Minato reached out and firmly shook Raiden's hand.
"Don't worry. We won't be fighting. The Raikage isn't an idiot. He knows he'll suffer heavy losses if he insists on attacking."
"Konoha isn't as weak as he thinks."
At the beginning of December, the shinobi world entered what was also called Shizou.
A carriage slowly rolled out of Konoha Village, with three young shinobi—two men and one woman—sitting in front. No one would have expected that Konoha's Fourth Hokage was traveling in such an ordinary, non-ninja vehicle.
At the same time, as Uzumaki Raiden and his group departed from Konoha, news quickly spread across the shinobi world.
"The Fourth Hokage of Konoha, Uzumaki Raiden, has returned!"
"Konoha's Thunderstorm is heading toward the northeastern border of the Land of Fire."
Word of Raiden's return spread from Konoha, reaching the desks of every high-ranking official across the major ninja villages within days.
Cloud Village.
"Damn it! Those Konoha bastards really don't think much of us Cloud Ninja. I'll make sure they regret it!"
In the Raikage's office, the current Raikage, Ai, slammed his fists onto the table, his temper flaring. Beside him, a young woman with an ample chest held a stack of documents, silently observing as the Raikage vented his frustration.
Once Ai's anger subsided slightly, the woman finally spoke:
"Konoha's sudden confidence must be related to the recent rumors."
"I've heard that Konoha's Fourth Hokage, Uzumaki Raiden, isn't dead. Not only is he alive, but he's returned to the village."
"Konoha's political structure doesn't seem to have changed much. The reports say that Raiden is heading toward the border."
"His target is..."
Before she could finish, the Raikage slammed the table again, his expression turning cold.
"His target is our Cloud Village!"
"That bastard... is he really still alive?!"
His voice carried a mix of anger and unease. Uzumaki Raiden—the man who had once single-handedly fought his father, the Third Raikage, and even managed to wound him—was a name that could not be ignored.
Had Cloud Village not suffered such a devastating defeat in the Land of Fire back then, the Stone Ninja would have never gotten the chance to attack them.
If you ask how the Third Raikage had died, then Uzumaki Raiden was undoubtedly one of the culprits responsible.
(End of Chapter)