The fear of Third Raikage

Aizen's lips curled into a slight smile as the blood dripped from Kyōka Suigetsu's blade. With a swift motion, he flicked the blood off the sword, then slid it back into its scabbard with a smooth, practiced movement. His footsteps echoed in the silent room as he approached the Third Raikage, the sound heavy, like the tolling of a bell, each step reverberating through the air.

'PAA..PA...'

Each step was like a hammer against the Third Raikage's chest, his heart pounding in rhythm with the ominous sound. Lying in a pool of his own blood, the once-mighty Raikage gazed up in fear and disbelief at the mysterious figure who had so easily cut him down. The mist surrounding the figure made it impossible to see his features clearly. Even the sword that had pierced his body was shrouded in an eerie haze.

"Now... can you hear me clearly, Third Raikage?" Aizen's voice was soft, yet the smile that accompanied it sent a shiver down the Raikage's spine.

Despite the calmness in Aizen's tone, his words struck the Raikage like a thunderbolt. The fear gripped him tightly. This man, this strange and powerful figure, had brought him to his knees with a single blow. Not even Konoha's White Fang* had instilled such dread in him. He couldn't comprehend how such an overwhelming force had remained hidden in the ninja world.

His mind raced with questions. 'Who was this man? Why had he come to Cloud Shinobi Village? And more importantly, what did he want?'

Gathering what little strength remained, the Third Raikage struggled to stand, his face betraying his cautious respect for the powerful stranger. He forced himself to speak with as much humility as his pride would allow.

"Forgive me, great warrior. I do not know why someone as powerful as you would come to Cloud Shinobi Village. May I ask what it is you seek?" His tone was restrained, and his posture was more guarded, his previous arrogance now replaced with deference.

It wasn't that the Third Raikage feared death. He was a warrior through and through, a man raised in a village that worshipped strength and power. But Cloud Shinobi Village was his responsibility, and if his attitude were to provoke this overwhelming force to unleash destruction upon his people, it would be his failure as Raikage. He had to tread carefully.

Cloud Shinobi had always valued strength, and now, standing before this mysterious figure who radiated power beyond that of any Kage, the Third Raikage knew he had to show respect. It was ingrained in their way of life—the strongest earned respect, no matter where they came from.

Aizen, observing the Raikage's ability to adapt and respect strength, smiled faintly. In the original timeline, by the time of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Cloud Shinobi Village had indeed risen to become the strongest village, even surpassing Konoha in military power. It was no coincidence that the Fourth Raikage was chosen as the Allied Shinobi Forces Commander.

To achieve the dominance Cloud Shinobi Village once held, it is evident from the Third Raikage's downfall today that the tide has shifted. Konoha's emergence of talents like Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke—who possess unparalleled abilities—has pushed Cloud Shinobi back into the shadows. No matter how much effort Cloud puts in, how united they are, or how much they develop, it's hard to compete against the power of those born with extraordinary gifts.

Aizen, ever the cynic, couldn't help but mock these so-called "prodigies" who had been blessed with such power.

But in truth, Aizen seemed to forget one crucial detail: when it comes to unfair advantages, he was no less of a cheat himself. Yet, here he was, laughing at others.

Putting that aside for now, Aizen turned his focus back to the matter at hand.

When faced with the Third Raikage's probing question about his intentions, Aizen simply let out a cryptic laugh.

He reached into his robe and pulled out a scroll of intelligence, tossing it casually to the Raikage.

The Third Raikage, momentarily startled, quickly caught the scroll. Without hesitation, he unrolled it, his eyes darting across the content.

Given Aizen's overwhelming strength, the Raikage knew that if Aizen had wanted to kill him, he wouldn't need to resort to traps. He read the contents, knowing full well that the scroll itself posed no danger.

As the Raikage absorbed the information, his expression darkened, and his grip on the scroll tightened. His already dark skin seemed to deepen in color with a mix of anger and frustration.

"This... Is this information accurate?" The Third Raikage's voice was strained, a blend of disbelief and suspicion.

"Of course it's accurate," Aizen replied, his tone calm yet confident. "I believe you, more than anyone, are aware of the recent promotions within your village's ranks. All you need to do is monitor the activities of the individuals in question. Once they assume their new roles, it will all become clear, won't it?"

Third Raikage stood silent for a moment, pondering Aizen's words. He knew Aizen had a point. The validity of the intelligence could easily be tested. All he had to do was place the suspected individual under discreet surveillance.

"Yes, you're right," the Raikage finally said, nodding slowly. "If what you're saying is true, we will know soon enough."

Even if the information turned out to be false, the Raikage thought, it wouldn't cost Cloud Shinobi much to investigate. And if the individual being watched discovered they were under surveillance. Well, that was a risk the village could bear.

What does it matter?

When the time comes, we'll just say we received a secret message—something about neighboring countries plotting harm—and those people are here to protect you... Whether you believe it or not, well, I believed it! Third Raikage thought to himself, shaking his head.

"Alright, I've done what I came here to do. Now, it's time for me to go," Aizen said with a calm, almost dismissive tone.

Since he had already handed over the intel regarding Mitarashi Zashi and his associates, Aizen had no intention of lingering any longer.

With those parting words, Aizen vanished instantly, leaving no trace of his presence behind.

"What...? Is this Time-Space Ninjutsu?!"

The well-informed Third Raikage, despite his years of experience, was left in shock yet again by Aizen's method of departure.

As soon as Aizen left, the strange energy within Third Raikage's body began to dissipate gradually, and the sword wounds he had sustained began to heal rapidly, aided by the cell activation properties of his Lightning Release Armor.

Sitting back at his desk, the Third Raikage gazed at the blood-stained scene in front of him, still trying to make sense of everything.

Just like Konoha's White Fang, this mysterious figure had managed to penetrate his Lightning Release Armor. But what was even more unsettling was the strange sword energy that lingered within him, as if it had a life of its own. It continuously drained his chakra and vitality, leaving him utterly defenseless during their encounter.

Not only did this man possess Swordsman ship skills on par with Hatake Sakumo, but he also seemed to wield mastery over time-space ninjutsu—an incredibly rare and dangerous combination of abilities.

But most alarming of all, this individual's strength had far surpassed the limits of even the greatest Kage-level shinobi.

"Who is this man...?" Third Raikage thought, fear and awe gripping him. "And what is his true purpose in giving me this information today? Is he really targeting Mitarashi Zashi?"

The more he pondered it, the stranger it all seemed. If his power was so immense that he could easily assassinate even someone like the Third Raikage, then what reason could he have to concern himself with someone as insignificant as Zashi?

The whole situation was bizarre, raising more questions than answers.

After a long while, Third Raikage finally set aside his complicated thoughts. He made a decision: everything that had transpired today would be classified as the highest level of secret within Cloud Shinobi Village. It would not be shared with anyone—no one would ever know.

In fact, he briefly considered sharing the details of the encounter with the other shinobi villages, hoping to unite them in eliminating this mysterious man. But after all, a single individual like Hatake Sakumo had already caused them no end of trouble. A master of time-space ninjutsu, whose power exceeded that of any known Kage, would be far more dangerous.

Third Raikage decided that keeping silent was the wisest course of action. He was level-headed enough to know that this wasn't a battle anyone could win.

But just as he prepared to summon his most trusted aides to classify today's events as top-secret.

His expression suddenly changed, as if something even more unsettling had just occurred to him.