Naruto - Azure Awakening

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<<<>>>

While Kiri and Takimura clashed in battle, A arrived at his army's camp. On his command, the force had been increased from two thousand to three thousand. Most assumed he was applying more pressure to force Yagura into splitting his forces further, but A had something else in mind.

"Brother, are you sure about this?" B walked beside him as he studied the fire burning in the Raikage's eyes.

"B, have I ever made a decision that wasn't in Kumo's best interest?" A didn't slow his pace. He wasn't just planning to pressure Kiri. He was planning to invade.

There wouldn't be a better opportunity. By the time Iwa realized what Kumo was doing, A would have already occupied the islands he intended to seize. The Fence-Sitter would most likely do nothing. Suna was too far to interfere, and even if they wanted to, they lacked the power to make a difference. Konoha, however, was the only real threat.

"Didn't you and Uncle decide not to attack Kiri? I thought you agreed it wasn't worth the risk," B said, still skeptical. He wasn't the best when it came to strategy, but he wasn't a fool either. Starting a war against a Great Village was no small thing. Kumo could be surrounded quickly if things went wrong.

"Konoha has two options," A said, his smirk betraying his confidence. "Either they fight us and risk being crippled, or they do what we're doing and capture Kiri's lands for themselves."

B maintained silence as he considered A's words carefully.

"The second option has no risk for them. If they see us moving, they won't want to be left out. The moment they invade as well, the chances of Suna or Iwa interfering drop significantly," A continued.

Konoha was known for its low-risk strategies, always cautious and hesitant to engage in direct confrontation. Unlike Kumo, which had risen through sheer force, Konoha preferred a careful balance, constantly keeping an eye on every potential enemy. If they saw Kiri's defenses collapsing, they wouldn't just sit back and do nothing.

"If my guess is correct, they'll invade too," A added.

"And if they don't?" B asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

A chuckled. "Then we pull back and fight Konoha instead."

B's frown deepened.

"We'll claim they attacked us for no reason and get the war we wanted anyway," A finished with a grin.

B thought it over, nodding slowly. It wasn't an unreasonable assumption. Konoha always played the long game, never making reckless moves unless they were certain of victory. They would never start a war without provocation, but if Kumo gave them an excuse, they might not have a choice.

"Should we inform Uncle?" B asked after a long pause. He respected Dodai too much to keep something like this from him.

"No. If we do, he'll stop us," A said without hesitation.

B sighed but didn't argue.

A was already heading toward the main camp, where Kumo's top personnel were gathered. He would make it clear that anyone who dared to leak this plan would answer directly to him. The goal was simple - move quickly, take the land, and request reinforcements from Kumo to solidify their control before anyone could react.

Soon, Kumo's power and influence would surpass what any Raikage had achieved before. While the Five Great Nations had remained balanced for decades, A had no intention of maintaining that balance.

'For the first time in history, one of the Great Five will fall.' Thought A as he entered the tent.

<<<>>>

"Lord Hokage, the Raikage has joined his army and he brought reinforcements. Their numbers now exceed ours as they have three thousand shinobi."

Jiraiya listened carefully and then simply nodded. while the ANBU remained still, waiting for his response.

'Kumo is making their move. I was right.'

Normally, he would have smirked, maybe even made a joke about winning a bet against Hiruzen, but this wasn't a wager he had wanted to win.

"Summon the council. Tell them this is urgent."

He strode out of the room, leaving behind only a shadow clone.

Jiraiya had no intention of waiting for a room full of advisors to argue over what to do. Every second mattered now.

He flickered through the dense forest, heading straight for Konoha's army. Unlike Hiruzen, he wasn't going to sit back and watch events unfold. There was still fire in him, still a will to fight. He was already outside the village, moving at full speed when he suddenly stopped and groaned, slapping his forehead.

"Shit, I forgot about Naruto."

He created another shadow clone and sent it back toward the village while the real him continued toward the front lines.

By the time the council gathered and reached a decision, Kumo would likely have already invaded the Land of Water. Even with the Yamanaka Clan transmitting information quickly, Konoha would be behind. Jiraiya just wanted to close that gap as much as possible.

"We need to gain as much from this as we can." He exhaled, feeling the weight of the situation settle onto his shoulders. This was why he hadn't wanted to become Hokage. There was no time for rest, no time for second-guessing. And now, he might have to lead Konoha into war.

<<<>>>

The atmosphere in Takimura's camp was tense.

Kiri had sent another wave of shinobi, even stronger than the last. Their forces had grown in both quantity and quality, pushing Takimura's defenses to the breaking point.

Meruem, who had a grim expression, was already preparing to leave. "Neither Shin's nor Mei's squads will survive unless we join the battle."

Akura, sitting with his arms crossed, didn't move. His face was tight with pain and sorrow, emotions so raw that even Meruem hesitated before pressing further.

"Not yet. We join last."

There was no room for argument in his voice.

Suiren, who had already been preparing to leave, placed a gentle hand on Akura's shoulder.

"Don't worry. I know it's time for me to join," she said softly.

There was no resentment in her voice, no bitterness, only warmth and quiet determination. And that made it even harder for Akura to bear.

He clenched his fists, keeping his gaze low. "Lady Suiren… I'm sorry."

Suiren chuckled, shaking her head. "And what exactly are you apologizing for?"

Her voice was light, but it carried the weight of understanding.

"This is my responsibility, Akura. I was the one who led the Takime Clan down this path and it's my duty to defend them."

She slowly removed her hand from his shoulder and turned toward the exit.

Just before stepping out, she paused.

"I'm proud of what we've built together," she said, her voice steady.

Her gaze shifted to Meruem.

"Go easy on yourself."

Then, to Akura.

"Don't let Kaoru take the lead just yet. Make yourself a regent or come up with something to keep the responsibility off his shoulders for a few more years."

No one spoke as she walked away.

The last thing they saw was her graceful smile before she disappeared through the tent's opening.

The room felt heavier than ever.

Akura's eyes glistened, though he didn't let the tears fall.

Even Meruem, who had always seen Suiren as a rival, wiped at his face, surprising even himself.

No one had to ask.

They all knew what was about to happen - Suiren was going to use the Takime Clan's forbidden technique. The same jutsu that had killed Masaru Takime and just like him, she wouldn't survive it.

<<<>>>

Kaoru finally reached the battlefield where Mei was supposed to be fighting. He had expected to find her facing several members of the Hozuki Clan, but the reality before him was far worse than he had imagined.

Bodies littered the ground. Most of them were from Takimura. The battle had clearly been one-sided as Kiri had overwhelmed them with superior numbers and the Hozuki Clan had proven to be just as skilled as they were numerous. The fight had been stacked against Mei from the start.

Kaoru didn't waste a second. His Suijingan flared to life, scanning the battlefield for her presence.

'There she is.'

The highest concentration of shinobi stood in a cluster deeper in the battlefield.

Kaoru flickered toward them, but he didn't pass through without a fight.

Every Kiri-nin in his path became a target.

His movements were precise, relentless and absolute. Numbers meant nothing. Every time an enemy turned to face him, they were already dead before they could react.

Kaoru was a slaughterer, weaving through the chaos, moving faster than the enemy could follow.

Even if Kiri shinobi rushed him in groups, it didn't matter.

He could create more needles if needed. He could cut them down before they even saw him move. His greatest weapon wasn't just Nagizume or his techniques, it was his insane speed.

Flickering behind a Kiri chunin, his weapon swung cleanly, and in an instant, the shinobi's skull split in half, the body collapsing before the others could even process what had happened.

Kaoru wasn't physically strong, but Nagizume's reach and cutting power made up for it. Every swing carried momentum, the sheer length of the weapon multiplying the force behind each attack. The high-density tip never dulled, tearing through armor and flesh with ease.

The five Takimura shinobi who had arrived with him quickly spread out, aiding their comrades wherever they could.

The strongest among them, an elite chūnin, knew that even he stood no chance against the shinobi Mei was facing. He and the others made a quick decision. They would leave Mei's fight to Kaoru.

<<<>>>

Kaoru reached the place where Mei was locked in combat with the Hozuki Clan. She wasn't alone. Two Terumi jonins were fighting alongside her. It was clear that their priority wasn't just the battle itself, it was Mei's survival. If sacrificing their lives meant ensuring she lived, they were prepared to do it.

As Kaoru arrived, Mei was attacking Hakare Hozuki, the clan head. The fight wasn't in her favor. Her ninjutsu was powerful, but against an opponent who could liquefy his body at will, it wasn't as effective as it should have been. Worse, Hakare outclassed her in both taijutsu and kenjutsu.

She spit a mass of lava, but Hakare moved fast, forming a hand seal.

"Water Release: Water Wall"

A massive wall of water surged upward, blocking Mei's vision. It wasn't enough to fully stop her technique, but it didn't need to. The moment the lava touched the water, a violent burst of steam erupted, spreading thick and fast, turning the small area into a hazy inferno.

That was all Hakare needed.

Through the blinding mist, he charged forward, his blade slicing through the air as he closed the distance.

Mei reacted instantly, retreating. but Hakare was faster.

One of the Terumi jonin, realizing she was in trouble, flickered forward to intercept. He closed in, his kunai aimed at Hakare's back, but the moment the blade struck, Hakare's form dissolved into water.

'A clone.'

Mei barely had time to process the deception before she felt the danger right behind her.

Hakare had used his clone to force her into retreat, but his real body had already repositioned itself, waiting for the perfect moment.

Now, his blade was closing in, too fast for her to counter.

'Shit, I won't be able to stop it.'

The attack connected, but not with Mei.

A dark blue disk materialized out of nowhere, stopping the blade inches from her body.

She gasped, recognizing the technique instantly.

'Kaoru?'

She turned her head, searching for him, but he was already moving. Before anyone could react, he was behind Hakare, striking in mid-air.

Nagizume closed in, if the attack landed, Hakare would be cut clean through, but before it could strike, another Hozuki shinobi intervened, his own blade clashing against Kaoru's.

Hakare flickered backward, narrowly escaping the fatal blow.

'Where did this kid come from?'

While he and Mei had been fighting, one of his subordinates had seen Kaoru approaching, warning him just in time to avoid serious injury.

The jonin who blocked Kaoru's attack grinned, stepping forward with a slow, measured step.

"Kid, you just messed with someone you shouldn't have."

Kaoru didn't respond.

He could already tell that this opponent was stronger than any jonin he had fought before. Just relying on Suijingan wouldn't be enough.

But there was no fear, no hesitation.

If anything, Kaoru felt thrilled.

**

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