Towering peaks were hidden in the clouds and mist. From a distance, one could only see the huge black silhouettes, which were daunting.

Different from ninja villages in other major countries which were built on gentle sand dunes, plains, or coasts, Kumogakure, situated in the Land of Lightning, was a ninja village built among mountains and ravines. It had the most battle-hardened ninjas out of all the ninja villages. Their customs were tough, and strength through practical action was advocated. At the same time, it was also the village with the most persistent military ambitions among the five major ninja villages.

Located at the training grounds atop a mountain, the Fourth Raikage appeared along with his personal secretary Mabui, accompanied by his guards Darui and C.

"Is this the kunai gun developed by the Land of Demons' military? It looks similar to the one used by the Land of Sky in the past." The Fourth Raikage noted as he looked at the kunai gun in his right hand - developed by the Land of Demons'. In his left hand, he held a slightly worn one - the same weapon used by ninjas from the Land of Sky.

During the Second Ninja World War, Kumo had participated in eliminating the Land of Sky, so they had also plundered several of their ninja tools.

"There are some differences actually. The kunai gun developed by the Land of Demons isn't only lightweight and durable, but it also automatically infuses wind-natured chakra when firing to enhance the kunai's speed and penetration power. The firing mechanism is also better designed than that of the Land of Sky." Mabui aptly evaluated.

"You're right. Let's not even talk about Jonin for now. If Genin or Chunin are equipped with this kind of weapon, battle tactics at that level will be greatly enriched,"

As he spoke, the Raikage held up the old kunai gun in his left hand, pulled the trigger, and a kunai quickly shot out towards a distant target,

Chick!

The kunai quickly shot out from the barrel, piercing the target and becoming firmly lodged, shaking slightly.

The Raikage remained silent, then put down his left hand and held up the newer kunai gun in his right hand, pulling the trigger just like before. With a whoosh, the kunai was fired even faster this time.

It didn't just stab the target but went right through the wooden target, piercing into the wall behind it and firmly rooting itself there, leaving a shocking scar at the point of entry.

The power difference between the old and new kunai guns was clear.

"It's a fearsome weapon indeed. If every ninja was equipped with one, it would immediately increase their combat power tremendously." C remarked in amazement having witnessed the demonstration.

This kind of powerful kunai gun was not surprising to him though. After all, infusing wind natured chakra to a kunai could achieve similar or even better results. However, if weapons like these became widely used by ninjas on a mass scale, the sacrificial rate of ninjas in battle would drop drastically.

It would fundamentally change battle tactics.

Letting out an impressed whistle, Darui put his hands behind his head. Something so innocuous-looking, yet the kunai fired have enough penetrating power to take out a careless Jonin.

"Yes, this demonstrates the value of such ninja tools. It appears the Land of Demons military aims to rapidly build military strength like we do." Mabui analyzed with a nod.

Judging by the Land of Demons equipping its military ninjas with these latest ninja tools, it was clear they had completed reforms ahead of others. Further, it could be foreseen that their military had ambitious aims to rapidly enhance military development - quite similar to the path Kumogakure itself intended to embark on.

The Fourth Raikage didn't express his opinion but threw the kunai gun in his right hand towards Darui.

"Boss?" Darui caught the Kunai gun and looked curiously at the Fourth Raikage.

"Darui, use that gun to attack me. Let me see just how strong the penetrating power of this weapon is." the Fourth Raikage instructed, walking some distance away to serve as a target.

"What a drag..." Darui muttered, scratching his head. Nonetheless, he raised the kunai gun without hesitation and took aim at the Raikage.

Even with the weapon's strong penetrating power, Darui didn't think such toy could cause any real harm to the Raikage. Even without his Lightning Armor, the Raikage's body was as hardened as steel - ordinary kunai couldn't even pierce his skin.

"Firing now..." Darui announced, pulling the trigger to launch a wind-infused kunai directly at the Fourth Raikage's chest.

The sharp kunai cut through the air and hit the Fourth Raikage directly in the right chest. As if hitting solid iron, there was a loud ding as the kunai simply bounced off.

"Ah, I knew this would happen." Darui shrugged, unsurprised by the outcome.

The Fourth Raikage examined where he had been struck. While not completely unharmed, there was only a very fine incision that would be hard to spot without close inspection.

"It could actually leave a mark on my body. It's penetrating power is pretty good."

The Fourth Raikage noted with some modest admiration. His ninjutsu was inherited from his father, the Third Raikage. While his body wasn't as durable as his father's, who could fight tailed beasts barehanded, it wasn't something ordinary weapons or ninjutsu could easily harm either.

So far, except for the Gentle Fist style of the Hyuuga clan and that chakra sphere of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, no one could ignore his hardened body. With the Lightning Armor active, his defenses would increase substantially as well, letting him ignore most offensive ninjutsu outright. Combined with his current ranking as the fastest ninja in the world, dominating battlefields would not prove difficult.

After all, compared to his strength during the Third Ninja War, he had grown tremendously stronger since then.

"While Raikage-sama has a strong body, please refrain from reckless actions like this. Let's take this as an exception." Mabui came over sighing in exasperation.

"I was merely testing the capabilities of these new weapons... But I now have a fair grasp of this kunai gun's power. We currently imported 2,000 guns - some will be dismantled and studied by the Research Division to work towards domestic production. As for the rest, they can be allocated as needed, but we must control the manufacturing process as a matter of national defense." the Fourth Raikage stipulated, approving the kunai guns.Some would be distributed among ninjas to experiment with and provide feedback, while others would be given to the Research Division to reverse engineer and work towards developing their own domestic version instead of relying on imports from the Land of Demons.

"Understood. What about testing the new batch of flying equipment then?" Mabui checked.

"No need for that trouble. I believe the Earth Platform division is handling those. Just take one or two pieces and send them to the research department for further study." The Fourth Raikage shook his head. After seeing the weapons demonstrations here today, he had a fair grasp of their capabilities and limitations.

They would enrich battle tactics but didn't promise to revolutionize them entirely. However, as more countries began adopting such weapons, the form and tactics of future ninja wars would still change to an extent.

This was all easy enough for the Fourth Raikage to foresee.

Mabui nodded, recording the Raikage's instructions.

"So, is there anything else to handle? If not I'll be going to train." The Fourth Raikage asked.

As his secretary, Mabui not only assisted the Raikage with policymaking and personnel assignments, but also efficiently scheduled his routine to optimize time usage and productivity.

"There are two more things."

"What happened?"

"Not long ago, Jiraiya of the Sannin sent some information saying we should be wary of a ninja named 'Kosei' from the Land of Demons'. It seems he has the ability to destroy chakra. I felt this intelligence critical enough to report." Mabui reported.

"Is the information reliable?"

"Since the information came from the Sannin, it should be credible."

"Then leave it with the intelligence division to handle. Just prepare a detailed report for my review."

"Of course. However, it is worth noting that Jiraiya seems to have provided this intel freely. It appears Konoha harbors some resentment towards the Land of Demons' growth."

Indeed, ever since the third ninja war, Konoha's prestige had taken a hit. At the recent Kage Summit too, the removal of the Land of Demons' leaders rogue status along with pressure from other nations had undermined their standing further.

In contrast, Kumo's consistent focus on military buildup had led to substantial growth in its ninja numbers and weapon supplies after the last war. Lately, the village had seen a significant rise in client missions from merchants as well. With Konoha's declining strength and prestige, it was only natural for clients to turn to other villages for missions.

On the other hand, the Land of Demons' wouldn't be able to rely on missions for income. And by not participating in the Five Great Nations' mission system, they didn't compete for market share either. So there was no immediate conflict of interest between Kumo and the Land of Demons. It was left for the Daimyo and nobility to handle the other political matters. Kumo's role was focused on national defense. Whether to collaborate with or sanction the Land of Demons wasn't the village's concern.

However, given the Land of Demons' strong commercial presence, cooperation seemed mutually beneficial over confrontation at this stage.So Mabui felt Suna's pressure tactics against them at the summit had been unwise. There was no justification for Kumo or Land of Lightning to become someone else's sword.

"That is an internal Konoha matter, we'll wait and see how it unfolds. Now what was the second thing?" .

At this, Mabui's expression became more solemn. "It's about your request last time, Raikage-sama. The Anbu has located the target."

"My request?" The Fourth Raikage stroked his chin, unable to recollect for a moment.

"It was regarding finding a jutsu capable of reinforcing the inner system," Mabui reminded. "The Anbu has found something related to that."

The Fourth Raikage's eyes lit up eagerly, "You found something, Mabui? Tell me quickly then, who has it?"

"A small ninja village called Sugigakure. They are said to have an ancient jutsu to reinforce the inner system."

"Excellent! Ready an elite at once. We'll leave promptly for this village. Anyone who dares obstruct will face my wrath!" The Fourth Raikage declared, eyes gleaming with determination to attain this power at any cost.

....

"Business seems to be a bit sluggish recently."

Remarked a white-haired man to the tavern owner.

The tavern owner looked at the man and replied, "Yes, because of the Land of Demons' recent rise, business in this part of the world has become difficult."

"Is it really that bad?"

The owner sighed, wiped a glass in his hand, and continued, "It's very tough. As you know, the Land of Demons basically has a zero-tolerance policy towards this market. Not only them, but underground markets in the Lands of Honey, Bears, and Snow have also been impacted. "

Though seeming unrelated, these conversations had deeper context. The tavern was just a front - in truth, it hosted an underground market trading platform. Its patrons were specially-connected bounty hunters comprising rogue ninjas from various lands and wandering mercenaries adept in ninjutsu. They would do anything for money no matter how shady.

While the five great nations are respected, the underground black market runs rampant in the shadows. The market has complex ties to political figures and businessmen who secretly hire bounty hunters.So while the Five Great Nations reigned over the ninja world openly, the underground black markets held sway in the shadows. With intricate ties, politicians and top businessmen from many nations secretly funded bounty hunters for their dubious needs. Hence, business boomed previously. The Five Great Nations mostly turned a blind eye too.

The Land of Demons' new regime was different however. Their leadership had zero tolerance for such black markets. The coordinated crackdowns and attacks had impacted interconnected underground markets in neighboring countries as well.

The shadowy coordination behind it was quite evident. In the past, even joint the Land of Wind and Land of Earth domination of the region didn't achieve this. For the fledgling Land of Demons to manage it already spoke volumes about its rising power.

Facing the Land of Demons, who had defeated the Land of Wind with even one of the five Kages, the hidden leaders can only quietly seethe in their rooms, powerless..According to legend, Uchiha Ruri could summon a towering behemoth which beheaded thousands of Suna ninjas with one swing of its sword, and Chiba Shiraishi was even more terrifying, he could annihilate thousands of ninjas more instantly with one jutsu, they stood no chance.

As mere trading platforms, the black markets naturally couldn't confront a rising military power. Due to the region's damage, revenues had already dropped 20-30% over previous months. Even bounty hunter pay had been impacted.

"So, will the bounties be affected too?" The white-haired man asked, concerned about this impact on his income.

"No, we can't reduce those. The bounty hunters would be upset." The tavern owner laughed.

"True enough. Anyway, let's discuss some interesting missions. I've had some free time lately."

"Bug Man-san's team's ability is worthy of recognition. Since Kakuzu's retirement, your team have been our signature hunters in the market." The tavern owner said respectfully.

"You think highly of us." Bug Man smiled modestly in response.

"This isn't necessarily the case. Your near 100% mission success rate has drawn appreciation from several major figures. If you wished to become an exclusive retainer, you would be in high demand." The tavern owner hinted with a knowing smile, likely alluding to a specific influential person.

Bug Man smiled wryly, shaking his head, "Let's not go there - we value our freedom too much for someone else's control."

"Indeed, Bug Man-san isn't yet ready for retirement. However, I would advise considering your future...this lifestyle rarely ends well for bounty hunters. Just something to think about." The man said before brightening. "Anyway, enough gossip. I happen to have a mission needing your handling."

The tavern owner slid a glass of wine over.

"Oh? Tell me more." Bug Man grabbed up the drink, narrowing his eyes curiously.

"The client is an elder from a village called Sugigakure. They want your team to retrieve a stolen secret scroll belonging to them. The reward is Eighty million ryo."

"Eighty million? That high a bounty?"

Hearing the bounty, Bug Man's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Even for them, bounties that large were rare, maybe one annually. Most rewards ranged 10-30 million ryo. In the ninja villages, an 80 million ryo task would undoubtedly be the highest S-rank, requiring multiple jonin to accomplish.

"While unbelievable, that is the quoted price." The owner affirmed seriously.

"It seems this secret scroll lost by the village, or whoever had stolen the jutsu, is no small matter... with the price, it seems it won't be an easy target to retrieve." Bug Man muttered

The tavern owner nodded, he then leaned towards Bug Man and whispered something to him. Hearing it, Bug Man's expression grew increasingly grave, but he finally nodded.

Bug Men never backed down from a tough challenge after all. No matter the difficulty or how fearsome the enemy, they would give it their best shot.

.....

"To retrieve a secret scroll stolen from the Sugigakure then?"

In a hotel in town, Bug Man who had accepted the mission discussed the mission with the other four members of his group.

The other four were Earth Man, Fire Man, Water Man, and Shadow Man. Each was endowed with a chakra nature. Although no single one was a powerful ninja, their strength stemmed from cooperation. Just the four of them working together could handle most enemies. When up against a strong ninja, Bug Man would use his explosive bugs to blow up the opponent.

The danger of his explosive bugs was infamous. Even Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, had suffered defeat at their hands. In the ninja world, few ninja could compete with the Sannin. As a result, in the underground black market, Bug Men was feared by all and treated as the most honored clients.

"Yes." Bug Man nodded in response to Shadow Man's question. "I heard that a few days ago, some unidentified ninjas entered a small village called Sugigakure. Their goal was to steal a secret scroll passed down through generations there. After a battle, they succeeded in stealing it... The village elders issued a mission requesting us to retrieve the stolen scroll."

"So who stole the scroll?" Water Man asked.

"Kumogakure." Bug Man said slowly.

The rest of the team frowned, sensing the difficulty of this mission. To increase their military power, Kumo actively collected secret and forbidden jutsu everywhere, which was an open secret across the ninja world. However, out of fear of the Land of Lightning, the other nations turned a blind eye and only verbally admonished them. Therefore, it was unsurprising if Sugigakure really possessed some powerful secret jutsu, Kumo would learn about it to steal it. This authoritarian approach was typical of Kumo, who pursued power at any cost, forcing other villages to also expand their arsenals to defend against them.

"Who from Kumo took the lead on this?"

Bug Man shook his head. "I don't know yet, but those who entered Sugigakure and stole the scroll were just a few Kumo jōnin skilled in kenjutsu and lightning flicker. They injured several of the villagers."This result was expected. Sugigakure was a small, declining village little-known to the wider world. A few skilled jōnin from a major village like Kumo could easily overpower them. After all, some ninja villages truly are tiny with only a handful of jōnin to their name. Sugigakure's ninja prowess was clearly limited if they couldn't fend off just a small team of attackers.

"Then we'll investigate." Water Man made a suggestion. "Since you've accepted the mission, even if we're against Kumo, we have to go through it."

Bug Man nodded along with the others. This was the plain truth. A full frontal confrontation with another ninja village would be unwise, but reclaiming a single stolen scroll remained possible, and they could always retreat if the task proved truly impossible. When dealing with a formidable foe like Kumo, carelessness was unacceptable.

"Also, after this job, headquarters assigned us another mission." Bug Man added. "The leader wants us to find Tsunade. He seems to have something important to discuss with her. Unless you have questions, let's move out."

With that, Bug Man walked out of the hotel room first, and the other four followed to track down the Kumo ninja who had stolen Sugigakure's secret scroll.