Using the Flying Raijin Jutsu, Rinjin swiftly left Iwagakure and returned to Kumogakure.
Kumogakure remained as peaceful and serene as ever. The wars raging in distant small nations seemed to have no impact on the village's tranquility.
On a mountaintop overlooking the village, Rinjin stood silently, gazing at the place he had called home for over a year. He waited patiently, his calm demeanor masking the storm brewing within.
The fruits of his labor were within reach, beckoning him from not far away. At this critical juncture, patience and composure were paramount.
Far away in the Land of Grass, Rinjin's clone continued to monitor the movements of the Four-Tails.
The moment the Third Raikage made his move, Rinjin would act accordingly.
He had already marked the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii, with the Flying Raijin Formula. Additionally, he knew the precise location of the External Affairs Division's elusive deputy chief.
---
*Battlefield in the Land of Grass*
The Four-Tails, Son Gokū, rampaged across the battlefield, wreaking havoc.
As a notoriously hot-tempered tailed beast, Son Gokū wielded the devastating power of Lava Release. Both sides of the conflict could do nothing but evade its wrath.
However, standing atop the giant salamander Ibuse, Hanzō of the Salamander faced the Four-Tails head-on.
Known as the "Demi-God of the Shinobi World," Hanzō had no interest in the Four-Tails. To him, it was a dangerous liability. Even if he managed to seal it, he wouldn't dare bring it back to Amegakure. After all, compared to the mighty Land of Earth, the Land of Rain was far too weak to keep such a prize.
The war had reached a critical phase. As the aggressors, Amegakure had gained considerable ground, thanks to Ibuse's assistance.
If they continued their assault, Takigakure would inevitably deploy their Seven-Tails Jinchūriki to the battlefield.
At that point, Hanzō planned to ambush the Jinchūriki and bring the Seven-Tails back to Amegakure.
Unfortunately, his plans were disrupted by the sudden appearance of the Four-Tails.
Freed from its Jinchūriki, the Four-Tails had no intention of hiding. Instead, it rampaged across the battlefield, attacking anything in its path.
This unexpected chaos gave Takigakure a much-needed reprieve.
And that was something Hanzō could not tolerate.
Without hesitation, the two sides clashed.
Facing the massive Four-Tails, Hanzō directed Ibuse to spew poison while he performed hand seals.
In response to the oncoming torrent of venomous mist, the Four-Tails pounded its chest in fury, unleashing rivers of molten lava that spread across the battlefield.
As history has shown, no monkey is ever easy to deal with—and Son Gokū was no exception.
At that moment, Hanzō shouted a command and unleashed a powerful jutsu.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
In an instant, torrents of water surged, forming massive waves that swept across the battlefield.
The lava and the ocean-like water collided violently, generating immense clouds of white steam.
The aftermath of the battle spread in all directions.
The relentless waves, carrying immense force, toppled the Four-Tails.
Water Release countered Lava Release.
However, the Four-Tails was no pushover. Despite the searing pain in its toes, it fought back fiercely against the unending waves.
With all four limbs planted firmly on the ground, the Four-Tails let out a deafening roar.
The next moment, blue and purple chakra began to coalesce.
It was preparing a Tailed Beast Ball.
Seeing the rapidly forming sphere, even someone as formidable as Hanzō felt a chill run down his spine.
The sheer amount of chakra contained within the Tailed Beast Ball was enough to unleash ten Great Exploding Water Colliding Waves.
Without hesitation, Hanzō stomped his foot.
Understanding his intent, Ibuse dove into the water and disappeared without a trace.
A Tailed Beast Ball was not something anyone could withstand head-on.
On the battlefield, the poisonous mist mixed with the steam, creating an eerie silence.
Losing sight of its target, the Four-Tails slowed its preparation of the Tailed Beast Ball.
At that moment, from the distant horizon, a figure crackling with blue lightning approached at incredible speed.
The figure moved like a streak of blue lightning, its electric aura crackling loudly.
The Four-Tails immediately accelerated the formation of its Tailed Beast Ball. In no time, the sphere was ready to launch.
The Four-Tails fired the Tailed Beast Ball at the rapidly approaching blue figure.
The devastating sphere tore through the air, carving a deep trench into the ground below without even touching it.
At the last moment, the blue figure suddenly accelerated, changing direction to narrowly evade the incoming attack.
Then, a furious roar echoed across the battlefield.
"Hell Stab: Four-Finger Thrust!"
As the voice rang out, the blue figure surged forward with a burst of speed.
In a flash of lightning, the figure vanished from its previous position.
When it reappeared, it was already behind the Four-Tails, its hand extended with four fingers pressed together.
From a distance, a massive horizontal slash appeared across the Four-Tails' abdomen.
"ROAR!"
The Four-Tails let out a thunderous cry of pain, its roar shaking the heavens.
Meanwhile, hidden in a nearby thicket, Rinjin's clone smirked before vanishing with a puff of smoke.
---
*Kumogakure, High Mountain*
Sitting cross-legged on the mountaintop, Rinjin rested his chin on his hand, watching the setting sun.
Suddenly, his eyes gleamed as he muttered to himself:
"It's finally begun, hasn't it?"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than his figure disappeared.
---
*External Affairs Division, Raikage's Office*
A middle-aged man with pale skin lay leisurely on a sofa, his legs crossed.
On the coffee table beside him sat a specially crafted tracking scroll.
This man was none other than the deputy chief of the External Affairs Division, one of the Raikage's trusted confidants—someone Rinjin had never met in person.
At the moment, the deputy chief was humming a tune, casually trimming his nails.
Suddenly, the door to the External Affairs Division opened, and Rinjin walked in.
"Who are you looking for?" the deputy chief asked lazily, glancing up without much interest.
Rinjin's face broke into a smile as he replied:
"No one in particular. I'm new here."
"Oh?" The deputy chief tossed his nail clipper aside and sat up straight. "You're with the External Affairs Division? Why haven't I seen you before?"
"I just joined recently," Rinjin explained casually.
"Where's your tracking scroll?" the deputy chief asked.
Rinjin shrugged helplessly, spreading his hands as he stood before the deputy chief.
"I've only just learned how to perform hand seals. Chief Tsuchibun gave me a week off to practice."
The deputy chief nodded thoughtfully. That did sound like something Tsuchibun would do.
Satisfied with the explanation, the deputy chief leaned back on the sofa and waved dismissively.
"Let me see how well you've practiced. Perform a hand seal for me."
Rinjin nodded obediently, pretending to fumble with the seals.
"Ox... Monkey..." he muttered, deliberately slowing his movements.
The deputy chief sneered, unimpressed.
This guy must've gotten in through connections.
Just as the deputy chief was about to lose interest, Rinjin completed the seal and muttered:
"Heaven-Sent Technique!"
In an instant, a blue light enveloped the deputy chief.
Before he could react, an overwhelming force pulled at his body.
"You... you little—"
Before he could finish his sentence, he vanished without a trace.
Looking around the now-empty room, Rinjin nodded in satisfaction and left.
With no chance of the deputy chief sending out a warning, Rinjin knew he'd have plenty of time to clean up his tracks before the Raikage returned.
Now, for the final step: taking the Two-Tails and disappearing into the wind.