307. Become A Raikage

“How did you get here so quickly?”

The Fourth Raikage asked in confusion.

He had received a message from Mabui yesterday, informing him that Hanekawa would be returning to Kumogakure with them.

He had expected them to arrive tomorrow or the day after, but they showed up this morning instead.

Even if they had traveled nonstop, it would have been nearly impossible to arrive so quickly.

And there was no reason for Hanekawa to be in such a hurry.

“It was the Flying Thunder God Technique,” Mabui said with a grave expression.

“You mean he used the Flying Thunder God Technique to travel?”

The Fourth Raikage was surprised.

But he clearly hadn’t grasped the severity of the situation.

He assumed Hanekawa had used the technique multiple times to reach Kumogakure.

“He only used it once,” Mabui clarified.

Given her intelligence, she could easily guess what the Fourth Raikage was thinking.

“What?”

The Fourth Raikage froze for a moment before repeating, “He only used the Flying Thunder God Technique once?”

“Yes,” Mabui said solemnly. “Three minutes ago, we were still in Konoha.”

“How is that possible?”

The Fourth Raikage couldn’t believe it. “Can the Flying Thunder God Technique cover such a distance?”

They had dealt with Namikaze Minato before and knew how troublesome the Flying Thunder God Technique could be.

But in terms of range, it wasn’t particularly long.

At the very least, Minato couldn’t suddenly appear in Kumogakure from the battlefield.

“We experienced it ourselves. There’s no doubt about it,” Mabui said slowly.

“This is a huge problem.”

Though the Fourth Raikage wasn’t as sharp as Mabui, he could still understand the implications.

A Hokage who could travel from Konoha to Kumogakure in just one second—

That was an utterly terrifying prospect.

If Hanekawa decided to act, they wouldn’t even have time to react.

Especially in war.

Hanekawa alone could cripple all of Kumogakure with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

“Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

The Fourth Raikage sighed.

The chakra cannon they were developing was still only half-finished.

“Are we just going to let Kumogakure be enslaved by him?”

Yugito Nii asked angrily.

“Should we use the Six Paths Tools?”

Killer B hesitated before speaking.

The Six Paths Tools were artifacts once used by the Sage of Six Paths.

Kumogakure possessed five of them:

The Crimson Gourd, the Seven-Star Sword, the Amber Purifying Pot, the Banana Palm Fan, and the Golden Canopy Rope.

The first four had been held by Ginkaku and Kinkaku but were lost after their deaths.

Only the Amber Purifying Pot remained in Kumogakure.

It possessed immense sealing power—

Anyone who responded to the user’s call would be sealed inside.

In the original story, Kumogakure had used it to seal the rampaging Eight-Tails.

“Right! We still have the Six Paths Tools!”

Yugito Nii’s face lit up with excitement. “No matter how strong Hanekawa is, he can’t possibly surpass the legendary Sage of Six Paths!”

“There’s always a chance of failure. We can’t take that risk,” Mabui said, shaking her head calmly. “Our priority right now is figuring out why Hanekawa came to Kumogakure.”

“Mabui!”

Yugito Nii glared at her in frustration.

“Kumogakure can’t afford another crushing defeat.”

Mabui remained unmoved.

“We’ll do as you suggest.”

The Fourth Raikage sighed.

Like Yugito Nii, he wanted nothing more than to kill Hanekawa.

But Mabui was right.

If they failed, the consequences would be unbearable.

Yugito Nii opened her mouth to argue but ultimately stayed silent.

She knew Mabui’s approach was the most logical, but it was still humiliating.

“I’ll retrieve the Amber Purifying Pot.”

Killer B broke the silence and left the Raikage’s office.

Once a cheerful young man like Might Guy, the crushing defeat of Kumogakure had stripped away his happiness.

When he returned with the Amber Purifying Pot, the Fourth Raikage stored it away, saving it for a critical moment.

But he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

If possible, Kumogakure needed time to recover.

A few minutes later, the door to the Raikage’s office opened.

Hanekawa and Samui walked in.

They had visited the orphanage earlier.

But honestly, Hanekawa didn’t have many memories of the place.

He had left for Konoha at the age of five or six.

Most of the orphans he had known back then were already dead—

Either killed in war, missions, or accidents.

“Lord Raikage.”

Hanekawa cut straight to the point. “I have a question.”

“What is it?”

The Fourth Raikage glanced at Mabui before responding.

Mabui tensed internally but kept her expression neutral.

She knew Hanekawa was about to reveal his true intentions—

And they likely wouldn’t be favorable for Kumogakure.

“I’ve heard that the strongest shinobi in Kumogakure is granted the title of ‘A’ and is eligible to compete for the position of Raikage?”

Hanekawa smiled as he spoke.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Though confused, the Fourth Raikage answered truthfully.

His current name was indeed ‘A.’

Mabui’s face suddenly paled.

She had already guessed what Hanekawa was planning.

“Good.”

Hanekawa continued, “As a shinobi of Kumogakure, do I have the right to challenge for the title of ‘A’?”

The Fourth Raikage shot to his feet, stunned.

Killer B and Yugito Nii were equally shocked.

They had never imagined Hanekawa’s goal was to become the Fifth Raikage!

Mabui bit her lip unconsciously.

Though she had suspected it, the reality was far more complicated than she had anticipated.

Because everything Hanekawa said and did aligned perfectly with Kumogakure’s traditions—

Including challenging the Fourth Raikage.

“You have no right to compete for the position of Raikage!”

Yugito Nii snapped furiously.

In her eyes, the title of Raikage was sacred—something a rogue ninja like Hanekawa could never claim.

“Do you remember what you promised me?”

Ignoring the fiery kunoichi, Hanekawa turned to Mabui.

“...”

Mabui remained silent.

Only now did she realize that their earlier agreement had been a trap all along.

Had Hanekawa been planning this from the very beginning?

“I believe in fair transactions.”

Hanekawa’s tone was calm. “If you break your promise, I won’t keep mine either.”

Mabui shuddered, sensing the implicit threat.

She could already imagine the consequences of going back on her word.

“Lord Hokage, are you joking?”

The Fourth Raikage intervened. “Besides, you’re already the Hokage.”

“There’s no rule saying a Hokage can’t also be the Raikage.”

Hanekawa’s smile didn’t waver.

“And if I refuse?”

The Fourth Raikage’s voice turned cold.

“If even the shinobi of Kumogakure won’t follow Kumogakure’s own rules, does Kumogakure even deserve to exist?”

Hanekawa countered.

“What did you just say?!”

Yugito Nii’s anger flared again.

Hanekawa glanced at her.

A bone-chilling aura seeped into her body.

Yugito Nii froze in place.

For a brief moment, she felt death looming over her.

“I accept your challenge.”

The Fourth Raikage suddenly declared.

“Lord Raikage?!”

Yugito Nii instinctively protested.

Though she despised Hanekawa, she knew the Fourth Raikage was no match for him.

“Kumogakure’s traditions cannot be broken.”

The Fourth Raikage took a deep breath, his voice resolute. “And I won’t lose!”

Yugito Nii paused.

Then she remembered the Amber Purifying Pot

They could win!

Her expression hardened with determination.

Mabui pressed her lips together.

She wanted to advise the Fourth Raikage against accepting.

But refusing would lead to even worse consequences.

Their only hope now was the Amber Purifying Pot

As for the Fourth Raikage himself—

He had already suffered a crushing defeat at Hanekawa’s hands during the Third Shinobi World War.

Only a few months had passed since then.

He hadn’t grown strong enough to turn the tables.

“Let’s head to the training grounds.”

The Fourth Raikage raised a hand in invitation.

Having made his decision, he wouldn’t back down—nor did he have the luxury to.

Faced with this challenge, a desperate resolve surged within him.

Though he was slightly weaker than Hanekawa, the gap wasn’t insurmountable.

And he still had the Kohaku no Jōhei.

---

Training Ground 3, Kumogakure.

Hanekawa and the Fourth Raikage stood facing each other.

Only five spectators were present:

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Samui, Mabui, Killer B, and Yugito Nii.

The rest of Kumogakure’s shinobi remained unaware that a battle deciding their fate was about to begin.

“Let’s begin.”

Hanekawa spoke casually.

“Don’t hold back!”

The Fourth Raikage roared as an immense surge of chakra erupted from his body.

Lightning Release Chakra Mode!
Strongest Lightning Armor!

Having fought Hanekawa before, the Fourth Raikage went all out from the start.

Thunder rumbled across the sky.

Countless bolts of lightning snaked around the Raikage’s muscular frame, swiftly forming a suit of armor.

The armor wasn’t physical—it was composed entirely of lightning chakra.

Crackling electricity enveloped the Fourth Raikage.

His hair stood on end, his entire body radiating an overwhelming pressure—like a thunder god descending upon the earth.

Lariat: Horizontal Chop of a Thousand Dances!

Seeing Hanekawa make no move, the Fourth Raikage didn’t hesitate.

He leaped into the air, gathering lightning into his hand before slashing downward.

In the original story, this very technique had severed one of the Eight-Tails’ horns.



If it had been an ordinary human body, it would've been sliced clean in half.

But in the next second, everyone except Ōtsutsuki Kaguya showed expressions of disbelief.

Because Hanekawa raised his hand and caught the Fourth Raikage’s hand-chop with just two fingers.

"Impossible!"

Yugito Nii felt like she was trapped in a genjutsu.

Mabui was so shocked she took half a step back.

How did Hanekawa become this strong?

"He... he doesn’t seem to be using chakra?" Killer Bee asked, his mouth wide open.

"What?"

Yugito Nii froze.

No chakra? Was it purely physical strength?

Samui was also stunned.

She truly hadn’t expected such a result.

The Fourth Raikage snapped back to his senses and immediately launched a kick at him.

Hanekawa lifted his leg and countered with a kick of his own.

The two kicks collided — followed by a crack.

The sound of a bone breaking.

The Fourth Raikage screamed in pain as he was sent flying.

"Lord Raikage?!"

Mabui and the others instinctively shouted.

"I... I'm fine."
The Fourth Raikage’s face was drenched in cold sweat. Enduring the intense pain, he struggled to stand, balancing on his left leg.

He could feel it — his right leg was broken. It was hard to understand.

After years of training his body with Lightning Release chakra, he had believed it to be the strongest in the shinobi world.

How could it be shattered with just a single kick?

"Do you have any more tricks left?"

Hanekawa asked in a calm tone.

"Hanekawa!"

The Fourth Raikage pulled out the Amber Purifying Pot and shouted.

"What is it?"

Hanekawa recognized the item but was curious whether it would work on him — so he responded.

The Fourth Raikage, Mabui, Killer Bee, and Yugito Nii were all filled with hope.

Only Samui showed a worried expression.

Because she knew how powerful the Six Paths tools were.

But soon, everyone noticed something strange.

The Amber Purifying Pot fell to the ground and remained still — as if it hadn’t heard Hanekawa’s response at all.

"What’s going on?"

The Fourth Raikage’s face went pale — both from the broken leg and the tool not working.

"Did you get a fake one?"

Yugito Nii instinctively looked at Killer Bee.

"How could there be a fake?"

Cold sweat trickled down Killer Bee’s forehead.

"Of course it's not fake."

Hanekawa casually waved his hand, and the Amber Purifying Pot flew into his grasp.

It began to tremble slightly — as if acknowledging its new master.

Hanekawa wasn’t its master, but Tsukihime was.

The pot had sensed Tsukihime’s presence, and so it immediately switched allegiance.

"Lord Raikage."

Hanekawa held the pot and asked, "If I call your name, would you dare answer me?"

At those words, cold sweat poured from the Fourth Raikage’s face.

"Bastard!"

Yugito Nii gritted her teeth and yelled, "I’ll fight you!"

"Slap her."

Hanekawa glanced at her and said calmly.

Slap!

Yugito Nii suddenly felt her right cheek swell up.

She stood frozen.

She hadn’t even seen who hit her.

"Lord Raikage, the outcome is already decided — do you still want to fight?"

Hanekawa casually put away the Amber Purifying Pot and asked.

"..."

The Fourth Raikage stood there in silence, not knowing how to respond.

"Kneel."

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya’s eyes lit up.

An overwhelming pressure surged out — catching everyone off guard and pressing them to the ground.

Instinctively, they all looked toward Kaguya.

That terrifying power made them feel like they were falling into an abyss.



“You’re the sensible one.”

Hanekawa looked at the only one still standing — Ōtsutsuki Kaguya — and said with a smile.

“Can I retrieve the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails?”

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had already noticed Yugito Nii and Killer Bee.

“No!”

Mabui immediately spoke up.

“We’re willing to choose you as the new Raikage, just please spare them!”

Because in her mind, extracting the tailed beasts meant certain death for Yugito Nii and Killer Bee.

“Hanekawa!”

Samui pleaded, her expression full of desperation.

“Spare their lives.”

Hanekawa chuckled softly.

“Dying isn’t that easy.”

Especially that feisty little wildcat.

He was planning to give her a proper lesson.

“Mm.”

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya nodded.

Normally, extracting a tailed beast would kill a Jinchūriki, but she was the Rabbit Goddess — the true progenitor of chakra.

With a casual wave of her hand, Killer Bee and Yugito Nii screamed in agony.

Two massive chakra masses were ripped from their bodies and flew into Kaguya’s hand.

The Two-Tails and Eight-Tails didn’t even have time to react before they were suppressed.

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya wasn’t Tsukihime — she felt nothing for the tailed beasts.

The Fourth Raikage, Mabui, and Samui stared in shock as the wounds on Killer Bee and Yugito Nii began to rapidly heal.

They got up in a daze, seemingly unharmed.

The training grounds fell into a strange silence once again.

The Fourth Raikage and the others looked at Hanekawa and Kaguya, completely unable to process what had happened.

How could someone just wave their hand and extract two tailed beasts… and then casually heal the hosts?
And Hanekawa had crippled the Fourth Raikage with a single kick.

Was he even human?

“Mabui.”

Hanekawa walked up to the dark-skinned secretary and said,
“Go prepare the transition ceremony for the new Raikage.”

“Yes, Hokage… I mean, Lord Raikage.”

Mabui hesitated for a moment, then answered.

“What about Matatabi?”

Yugito Nii couldn’t help but ask.

“What happens to it… doesn’t concern you.”

Hanekawa shot her a cold glance.

“You—!”

Yugito Nii trembled with rage.

“Watch your attitude.”

Hanekawa snorted and casually waved his hand.

A massive force slammed into Yugito Nii, sending her flying.

She hit the ground hard, coughed up blood, and passed out instantly.

“Yugito!”

Samui rushed forward, checking her condition, and sighed in relief when she confirmed she was still alive.

“Mabui, lock her up for now.”

Hanekawa said casually.

“Yes.”

Mabui’s heart skipped a beat but she dared not object.

Any further disobedience might not just mean imprisonment — it could mean death.

“Lord Raikage.”

Mabui suddenly thought of something, her face hesitant.

“Speak.”

Hanekawa glanced at her, smiling.
“I’m not some cruel tyrant.”

“I’d like to request two more days to prepare.”

Mabui spoke carefully.
“With the sudden change in leadership, the shinobi and civilians of the Hidden Cloud Village will need time to… accept it.”

She was originally going to say “calm down,” but quickly changed her wording.

“Fine.”

Hanekawa replied nonchalantly.
“Announce it to the upper echelon of the village first.”

“Thank you, Lord Raikage.”

Mabui breathed a visible sigh of relief.

She could already imagine the uproar this would cause in the village.

In a war-hardened culture like the Hidden Cloud, loyal and iron-willed shinobi were everywhere.

They would undoubtedly try to challenge Hanekawa — and throw their lives away.

Two days would give Mabui time to calm them down and minimize casualties.

Hanekawa understood what she was thinking.

Since he was now the Raikage, it made sense to give them some time.

Besides, his main goal was the Trait Entry.

The Hidden Cloud Village was just a bonus.

If they cooperated, fine.
If not, he’d have no problem using more… forceful methods.

Like casting a mass genjutsu and altering their memories directly.

Just then, three lines of text appeared before Hanekawa’s eyes:

> [S-Rank Trait: Fifth Raikage]
Trigger Condition: Become the Fifth Raikage.
Effect: Lightning Release power increased by 200%.



Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.

Compared to the S-Rank trait "Strongest Hokage," this one had half the boost.

But it didn’t matter.

With his current strength, he could already ignore most Lightning Release techniques.

Even the increased power wasn’t too meaningful to him now.

What he was really looking forward to… was another trait.

Hanekawa focused and mentally activated synthesis.

> [S-Rank Trait: H-Book Raikage]
Trigger Condition: Synthesized from B-Rank trait 'H-Book Master' and S-Rank trait 'Fifth Raikage'.
Effect: Infinite stamina and infinite chakra.



Hanekawa couldn’t help but let out a soft “Oh?”

That effect?
Now we’re talking.

With an Ōtsutsuki body, he theoretically already had limitless chakra.

But only in theory — in practice, there was still a cap.

Granted, the Ōtsutsuki clan rarely ever ran out of chakra in real battles.

Now, with the S-Rank trait ‘H-Book Raikage’, he truly had infinite chakra.

But what excited him even more was the infinite stamina.

Did it mean mental energy? Or both mental and physical?

Hanekawa closed his eyes and focused on his internal state.

Soon, a look of delight appeared on his face.

It meant both — unlimited mental and physical stamina.

Though chakra is a mix of physical and spiritual energy, it’s still different from raw stamina and willpower.

For example — in those intense nighttime battles…

Even facing Ōtsutsuki Kaguya now, Hanekawa could defeat her.

It would just take a very long time.

After all, her body was nearly as powerful as his.

They might need to fight for years to settle the score.

“Samui, take me to the Raikage’s office.”

Hanekawa ordered.

“Yes.”

Samui turned and led the way.

Once they left, the training field fell into eerie silence.

“Killer Bee, how do you feel?”

The Fourth Raikage sat on the ground, his leg still in pain.
He slouched without shame now that Hanekawa was gone.

“I’m fine.”

Killer Bee replied, still worried.

Though he didn’t understand why, his body was perfectly fine.

Ironically, the Fourth Raikage was the most injured one.

Second was Yugito Nii, who had been knocked out cold by Hanekawa.

“What do we do now?”

Killer Bee asked in defeat.

“We follow Hanekawa’s instructions.”

The Fourth Raikage said in a low voice.
“At the very least, we need to protect the village.”

“But…”

Killer Bee wanted to ask — with Hanekawa as Raikage, is this still the same Hidden Cloud Village?

But what could they do?

Especially after losing both the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails.

“Lord Raikage.”

Mabui walked up to them.

“I’m sorry… but I have to ask you both to step down for now.”

“It’s not really something to apologize for.”

The Fourth Raikage glanced at the unconscious Yugito Nii and said,
“Just do your best to keep her alive.”

Judging by Hanekawa’s attitude, it seemed he intended to keep using Mabui.

Which made sense.

Mabui was smart, capable, and posed no threat to him.

Having her help manage the Hidden Cloud was an excellent choice.

But the rest of them… were no longer part of the leadership.

“Yes.”

Mabui turned away, unable to look him in the eye.

The Fourth Raikage sighed deeply.

He never imagined the Hidden Cloud would end up like this.

He felt a sudden pang of regret.

If only he hadn’t started the Third Great Ninja War…

No — what he regretted the most was sending Hanekawa to the Hidden Leaf.

If they had kept him in the Cloud, the entire shinobi world would’ve already been unified by now.

But there’s no medicine for regret.

All they could do… was lament in silence.

___

Worth 2 chapters