Konoha Drunkard

300. Card Master's Focus

"Lord Kaizo, the Raikage is dead now. Do you think things will change on the battlefield in the Land of Lightning? The situation is very unfavorable for us," Rasa said, looking at the intelligence report in his hand. As for the Raikage's feat of fighting against thousands single-handedly, or the Konoha Shanks beating the Tsuchikage senseless, those things were irrelevant to him. A Gold Saint wouldn't concern himself with the affairs of a King; he couldn't even beat Orochimaru right now. What he cared about was that if the battle in the Land of Lightning stopped, things would become difficult for them.

"...There will be changes, but we'll have to wait a while. The situation will remain the same until the next Kage of Kumogakure is chosen. So we don't need to worry now. In fact, it's Iwagakure that should be worried. Onoki's injuries this time are quite serious. If Kumogakure decides to avenge the Third Raikage, they might not be able to withstand it at all," Uncle Kaizo explained to Rasa.

"Do you think we should join forces with the Iwa ninja?" Rasa asked, his eyes darting around.

"Not now. Let's wait and see what the newly elected Raikage's attitude is before making any decisions." Uncle Kaizo shook his head. What good would it do to team up with the Iwa ninja now? They're all barely able to protect themselves, and Onoki is injured again. They're only relying on two quasi-Kage and a Four-Tails Jinchuriki. What good would that do?

........

"Four countries! One against ten thousand! The Raikage is too strong!" On the battlefield of the Land of Earth, a group of teenagers were discussing the news of the Raikage's single-handedly defeating ten thousand. When Obito first entered the battlefield, he was terrified by the sight of ten thousand Sand Ninja. "That's inhuman! One against ten thousand, and he even managed to kill four thousand! Do they really live in the same world? Why is it so difficult for him to kill even one, while they're counting in the thousands!" Similarly, the stories of Shanks and Onoki were mercilessly censored.

"The Raikage is already very strong, okay? He and the vice principal are recognized as the toughest men. It's said that they can even withstand S-rank ninjutsu without getting hurt." Asuma looked at Obito, who looked like a country bumpkin, and as a classmate, he felt it was necessary to educate him about the ninja world so that he wouldn't keep embarrassing himself later.

"No way! He can even withstand S-rank ninjutsu!" Some of the friends were just as surprised as Obito when they heard Asuma's words.

"Of course, you can ask Kakashi if you don't believe me." Asuma pushed Kakashi forward when he saw that his classmates were a little skeptical.

"I don't know either, that's what they say." Kadian was a straightforward man; he said whatever came to mind, and if he didn't know, he simply didn't know.

And Kakashi's focus is always on something new and exciting, not the Raikage's side, and the easily forgotten story of Shanks and Onoki. Why is there blood on Onoki's anus? What did that middle-aged man do? Then he remembers that Shanks seems to particularly like taking pictures of children... His anus tightens; he never expected him to be that kind of person.

..........

In the Konoha office, the happiest person upon hearing this news was undoubtedly Hiruzen Sarutobi. These past few days had been the happiest for him since the start of the war. With the Raikage dead, the pressure on them in the Land of Lightning was practically gone. Moreover, Shanks had even brought the Raikage's body back for them, meaning they owed Konoha a favor. If the Third Raikage's son were to become the Raikage, that favor would be even greater.

It can be said that the battle in the Land of Lightning is basically over, but that's not what makes him happiest. What makes him happiest is that Onoki had just been kicked in the back by his perfect grand-disciple, and now Shanks had somehow managed to stab him in the back. If it weren't for the suspicious death of Salai, Onoki would have been a strong contender for the title of the unluckiest guy of the year.

Many people in the ninja world have started to form factions and discuss whether Onoki or Sarada is more unlucky.

"Hiruzen, the Land of Water has started sending more people over there. Jiraiya can't handle it alone, and Fugaku Uchiha hasn't awakened his Mangekyou Sharingan yet. The situation in the Land of Lightning is going well this time. Should we send Shanks over there?" Koharu Utatane's words poured cold water on Hiruzen Sarutobi's smugness.

Madara was truly determined to cripple the Land of Water. After the Kaguya clan was driven back to their village and forced to retreat, seeing Hozuki and Minazuki, the leaders, constantly playing house with Jiraiya infuriated him. If he weren't too exhausted to fight them, he would have turned those two bastards into puppets for Nagato. In the end, he controlled the Mizukage to send in more troops, including another 10,000 Kirigakure ninja. Kirigakure didn't even bother with defenses anymore, leading the Kirigakure leadership to suspect that their Mizukage might be a spy sent by Konoha.

“…Send another five thousand men to Jiraiya, and see what the Mizukage is up to. Shanks can’t leave the Land of Lightning yet; we’ll wait until the Land of Lightning chooses a Raikage.” Hiruzen Sarutobi said, taking a few puffs of his pipe.

Hiruzen Sarutobi seems to have learned from the lessons of World War II. The Cloud Ninja are all incredibly fierce. If he were to take Shanks away, they might think he's looking down on them, and they might act like they're willing to lose the war but still care about saving face, which would be a huge loss if they went head-to-head with Konoha.

It's better to play it safe this time and wait until it's confirmed that the Raikage of Kumogakure is the son of the Third Raikage before making any plans.

.........

"Thank you, Lord Shanks, for saving my father's body!" After the small-time ninja from the Land of Lightning informed the Cloud Ninja, the future Fourth Raikage and the burlap sack, who had just returned to their village, rushed to the border to retrieve their Raikage's body.

"Sigh! I'm still too late. By the time I got there, the old Raikage was already exhausted. All I could do was prevent his body from being desecrated by the Iwa ninja. The Iwa ninja really went too far this time. They even tried to use a dead head to exchange for bounty. Nobody can tolerate that, especially since I have such a good relationship with the old Raikage." Shanks started to help Onoki Red Nose stir up trouble. Anyway, that guy is lucky and will live longer than Hiruzen Sarutobi. Stirring up trouble won't kill him.

"We, the Hidden Cloud Village, will remember this grudge. I will get my revenge the moment I have the chance." The future Fourth Raikage clenched his fists, making a cracking sound.

"You still have a lot to do, so take the old Raikage back first. Remember to let me know when he's buried so I can see my old friend off. From now on, Kumogakure will depend on you, nephew." Shanks patted the future Fourth Raikage on the shoulder and said sadly.

"Then we'll take our leave. I'll send someone to let you know when it's time." The future Fourth Raikage left with his father's body. The village was currently vying for the Raikage position, and he wasn't the only candidate. Previously, he had the best chance of succeeding the position because his father was the Raikage, but now that his father was gone, the other two candidates had started causing trouble.

301. A new emperor, a new court.

In the year 48 of Konoha, before the future Fourth Raikage had even returned to Kumogakure with his father's body and before the body could be buried, the battle for the Raikage position had already begun. Besides the future Fourth Raikage, two other candidates, supported by several high-ranking elders, started causing trouble. The future Fourth Raikage, with the support of the Yotsuki and Azabu clans and many other ninja families, held a significant advantage. After all, his father had saved so many Kumogakure ninja, and this life-saving grace garnered much support from them. Ultimately, the high-ranking officials voted to elect the Raikage through a one-on-one duel. How could two weaklings possibly be a match for the future Fourth Raikage, who also possessed Lightning Release: Akagi? In the end, the future Fourth Raikage successfully removed the "future" part from his name and became the Fourth Raikage, A.

On the day of the Third Raikage's burial, Shanks arrived at Kumogakure carrying a huge sake bottle.

"Hey guys, I'm here to attend the funeral of your Raikage... uh... former Raikage!" Shanks said to two unfamiliar "gatekeepers" at the entrance of Kumogakure, carrying a large sake flask.

"Red-haired sir, please follow me. Lord Raikage has already given instructions. Once you arrive, we'll take you to the Raikage Tower!" A gatekeeper looked at the Konoha Red-haired man carrying a huge wine jug. "Are you sure you're not here for a drinking contest?" He knew that many people in his village were this Konoha Red-haired man's drinking buddies; his mentor was one of them.

Shanks, carrying a large sake jug, followed behind the "gatekeeper" on the road to the Raikage's residence. Every household had white banners hanging up, and the villagers all wore white headscarves, showing how popular the old Raikage was in the village. Especially after he had racked up four thousand kills before his death, they all felt that if their Raikage hadn't been so old, he wouldn't have died at all.

After the two arrived at the Raikage's building, the "doorman" went to knock on the door to report. This was the first time Shanks had ever knocked on a door to wait for someone. There was no other way; a new emperor brings a new court. He couldn't very well bang on the door of someone who had just become the Raikage, otherwise, all the favors would be forfeited.

"Red-haired sir, please come in!" A moment later, the "gatekeeper" came out and invited Shanks in.

"Hey! Nephew, you're starting to look more and more like the Raikage!" Shanks entered the Raikage's office and saw the Fourth Raikage sitting in the Raikage's seat, looking more and more like the person in charge.

"Lord Shanks, besides attending my father's funeral, I also wanted to discuss the war with you," said the Fourth Raikage. He was currently preoccupied with how to attack Iwagakure to avenge his father and had no interest in playing games with Konoha. Besides, he couldn't beat his father's friend in a one-on-one fight! That guy had reached the top level of mastery, while he had reached the required level but was still lacking in cultivation. He had no interest in masochism.

"This kind of thing isn't my responsibility. You know I only have one high-level enforcer in Konoha. I'll have my son-in-law talk to you about negotiations in a couple of days. I'm just here to see off an old friend." Shanks tossed a bottle of sake to the Fourth Raikage. The sake in the large jug was Shanks's treasured collection; otherwise, he wouldn't have been willing to take it out because of his deep friendship with the former Raikage!

The Raikage's funeral was much grander. Every household in Kumogakure, and even the two "gatekeepers," abandoned their posts to come and see him off. This was the strongest Raikage in their history, and the one who made the greatest contributions. It's hard to say whether the current Raikage can reach that level.

"Old Raikage, this is my treasured possession that I've kept for many years. I brought it with me today to send you off. Drink slowly down there. After you finish, remember to visit me or your son in a dream, and I'll find you another one. You died a glorious death, taking on ten thousand men single-handedly. You're even more awesome than me." Shanks said, pouring the sake from the large jug in front of the Raikage's grave.

"..." The Cloud Ninja behind him looked at the Raikage's grave, which was filled with the aroma of sake, with emotion. Although the farewell from Konoha's Shanks was quite bizarre, his relationship with the Third Hokage was truly good.

"Nephew, please accept my condolences. Your father was a hero all his life, and this way of dying is the best possible outcome. It's better than Salamander and Shokuta dying for no reason." Shanks patted the Fourth Raikage, whose tears were streaming down his face.

"..." The Fourth Raikage knew Shanks was trying to reassure him, but he still felt a little awkward listening to it.

The final program of the funeral was to start praising the Raikage's deeds and achievements. You wouldn't believe it until you heard it. Half of the main supporting characters in the Raikage's story were Shanks. Of course, Danzo, an important extra, was still highlighted, since he was the one who got beaten up by the Raikage the most. Orochimaru's story of using snake venom to defeat the Raikage was not included.

After the Third Raikage's funeral, Shanks left Kumogakure. Now, Kumogakure has changed hands, and few of his old drinking buddies are still alive. Rather than grieving, he'd rather go back sooner.

I heard that the Grand Steward, Sack Bag, is preparing to retire. Although he was the Third Raikage's right-hand man and watched the Fourth Raikage grow up, he also has his own confidants! Shanks only remembers that the Grand Strategist later on was a beautiful young lady. He wonders if she's about to take over.

“Son-in-law, every day you go to Kumogakure to negotiate with the current Raikage. This newly appointed Fourth Hokage might be seeking revenge for his father!” Shanks said to his son, Skyrocket, when he returned to the camp.

"Will the higher-ups in Kumogakure allow him to take revenge?" Little Cannon asked doubtfully. In his opinion, it wouldn't be easy for the Fourth Raikage to start a war with Iwagakure, at least not by the higher-ups.

"I'm just guessing. If my dad got killed, I wouldn't be able to stand it, but I'll leave the details to you, the one who uses your brain," Shanks said. He'd long forgotten what happened after that. After all these decades, it was already pretty impressive that he could remember some important plot points. All he knew was that of all the Hokage, Onoki Red-Nosed had lived the longest, surviving the Akatsuki, and even outliving Madara and Kaguya. He was still alive and kicking. If you asked who was the best at surviving among the Hokage, it would definitely be Onoki.

"Understood. Tomorrow, Inoichi, Choza, and I will go. By the way, the Hokage sent an order this morning saying that after things stabilize here, you are to go to the Land of Water to help Jiraiya-sama. This time, the Mizukage has sent another 10,000 troops to join the previous 30,000. Jiraiya-sama is almost at his limit," said the small-time skyrocket.

"Holy crap! Isn't the Mizukage afraid of his base being raided?" Shanks almost bit his tongue when he heard his son-in-law's words. Would Madara, while he's still alive, suddenly cough up some kind of super-powerful pill? Is that steel really that strong?

"I'm also wondering if this Mizukage has some deep-seated grudge against our Konoha. This time, 40,000 ninjas represent the entirety of the Land of Water's strength!" the small-sized Sky Cannon complained.

302. Uchiha takes on five, six, seven, and eight opponents single-handedly.

Shanks doesn't know if the Mizukage harbors deep hatred for Konoha, but he knows that Madara definitely has a deep hatred for Konoha. As the saying goes, love turns into hatred, especially since Madara is the reincarnation of the Uchiha clan's ancestor, a person with an explosively sensitive emotional nature. He held a grudge for decades after being tricked once by this little fan.

When Little Sky Cannon and his two companions went to negotiate with the Fourth Raikage, the battle in the Land of Water had already begun. This time, the two leaders of the Hozuki and Mizuki clans were no longer slacking off. They had received a notice from the Mizukage that if they continued to slack off, their wives and children in the village would have to go to the Red Bronze Zone to develop their entertainment business. They had been given 40,000 troops, and if they couldn't even cripple the people in Konoha, what use were these clans?

"kill!"

When the leaders of the Hozuki and Minazuki clans, along with their 40,000 henchmen, saw that the Konoha forces had also arrived, they stopped arguing and, determined not to have their trees reforested, began to fight desperately. The two leaders of the Hozuki and Minazuki clans joined forces to capture Jiraiya, using both Water Release and Ice Release techniques. Their coordination was excellent, catching Jiraiya off guard and giving him no time to prepare his ultimate attack.

"What's wrong with these two? They're not slacking off like before at all. They're so hot-tempered." Jiraiya had a headache looking at the two menacing figures opposite him. Konoha's population was already small. Otherwise, the Uchiha and Hyuga clans would have been so powerful, each of them could take on several people at once. Konoha wouldn't have lasted this long. Especially the Uchiha clan. Even if the second male lead's father didn't have the Mangekyou Sharingan, he was still a definite Quasi-Kage level. They took the Uchiha tradition of taking on five, six, seven, or eight people at once to the extreme.

While the Hyuga clan's "national father-in-law" and the tragic Hizashi brothers aren't as badass as the second male lead's father, their coordinated attacks—one taking turns using the Rejuvenation Technique—left the Mist Ninja in a state of utter chaos. It was disgusting; they even used the Rejuvenation Technique to deflect kunai and shuriken. How could they be so shameless?

The high-level combatants were evenly matched, but the mid-to-low-level Konoha ninjas were at a huge disadvantage. Their lack of numbers was a persistent weakness. Even the Inuzuka clan members and dogs were fighting separately, but they still couldn't withstand the sheer number of Kirigakure ninjas. The civilian ninjas weren't as powerful as the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, who were used to taking on two or even five, six, seven, or eight opponents a day. They could even manage a 50/50 fight against one opponent, let alone now that the enemy was taking on two or three opponents at a time. As time went on, the casualties on the Konoha side increased.

"Lord Jiraiya, I can't hold on any longer. Death is too great. Let's retreat!" The second male lead's father had just stabbed a kunai into the body of a member of the Hozuki clan, but that guy started to turn into water again. It's incredibly troublesome. The Hozuki clan cheats even more than the Uchiha clan when it comes to the national war.

Compared to the Uchiha, the Hyuga clan was in a better position. Not everyone in the Mizuki clan awakened Ice Release; there were only a handful of people who could use Despair Ice Release. Most of them used Water Release, so they could barely handle two or three of them.

"Retreat! Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!" Jiraiya shouted through gritted teeth as he looked at his heavily wounded comrades, releasing a large-scale Fire Release attack to cover their retreat.

"Fire Release: Multiple Fire Dragons Singing!" The second male lead's father also cooperated with Jiraiya by releasing a large-scale Fire Release to cover their retreat.

The Hyuga brothers silently led their clansmen in retreat. It wasn't that they didn't want to show off, but they couldn't. All they could do was use the Reincarnation skill, which was just a defensive counter-attack. What was there to show off?!

"No need to chase! Just proceed steadily and slowly advance into their borders." The person in charge of Minazuki stopped the Mist Ninja who were about to give chase.

"What's our casualty situation?" Hozuki asked his henchman, sweating profusely. The three legendary Sannin of Konoha were no joke. Even if he and Mizuki joined forces, they could only fight Jiraiya to a standstill, and they couldn't let him unleash his ultimate move.

"We're still taking statistics, but Konoha's casualties are much higher than ours. However, most of the dead are Konoha civilians, while the Uchiha and Hyuga clans haven't suffered much damage," said a henchman from the Hozuki clan.

"Let's rest for a few days before launching an attack. We'll take advantage of the situation in the Land of Lightning before we can break through to the border of Konoha," said Hozuki, the leader.

......

Jiraiya and the Konoha ninja have retreated to the border of the Land of Fire and set up camp.

"How much damage did you suffer?" Jiraiya asked as Hizashi walked in.

"It's huge. More than three thousand people died, and several thousand more were seriously injured. There are just too many Mist Blades," Hizashi said, shaking his head.

"Ah! If only the Raikage had launched a surprise attack on the Land of Water back then!" Jiraiya sighed. The Land of Water is now vulnerable, with only the Mizukage leading a few minor soldiers. If the Raikage had attacked the Land of Water back then, he might have even been able to steal the Land of Water's crystals.

"Lord Jiraiya, let's ask the village for help. The Mist Ninja are really fighting desperately this time," said the second male lead's father. This time, the Mist Ninja are different from the previous times when they were just playing house. The Uchiha clan has also lost several people this time. This is all that he and Xiaochun have left. If they lose too many people, when they return to the clan, let alone suppress the three elders, he will be lucky if he is not suppressed. His and Xiaochun's dreams will become nothing but wishful thinking.

"I've already written to the old man, hoping his support will be timely, otherwise another attack from the Mist Ninja will be troublesome." Jiraiya gripped his white hair tightly, dandruff flying everywhere. This time it was really too difficult. Facing the full power of the Land of Water, he really couldn't handle it alone. Facing the combined forces of the two clan leaders, he didn't even have time to prepare a powerful move. Now he really hoped that the second male lead's father would really activate the Mangekyou Sharingan, at least to share some of the pressure with him.

After receiving Jiraiya's plea for help, Hiruzen Sarutobi at least notified the other three leaders of Konoha to come for a meeting.

Even Danzo, who hasn't appeared in a long time, showed up this time. Last time in the Land of Rain, he was beaten up by Nagato when he was enraged. His leader and many of his henchmen were killed instantly, but luckily he ran away quickly.

However, most of the elites he had cultivated over the years had been killed. Fortunately, he didn't bring his top lieutenant, Yamanaka Hiroo, with him. If even Yamanaka Hiroo had died, he would have been devastated. Such rare talent! The fact that his close friend, Sarutobi Hiruzen, still doesn't have someone like him shows how precious such talent is.

Because all the elites were lost, Danzo had been playing a minor role again, skipping many roundtable meetings and having his leader at Root comfort his wounded heart. This time, he came mainly because he saw an opportunity to rebuild his reputation. He didn't plan to get involved in the large-scale conflict in the Land of Water, but what about the Land of Lightning...? The former Raikage who had beaten him a thousand times was gone, and the current Raikage was just a kid; wouldn't he be easy to deal with?

303. Danzo is courting death again.

While the battle in the Land of Lightning is still ongoing and the Fourth Raikage's position is not yet secure, he can go there and make a name for himself. As for Shanks, he believes that with his eloquence, he can transfer Shanks to the Land of Water, and then he can go to the Land of Lightning to face the leaderless Cloud Ninja. How he manages to defeat them is entirely up to him.

"Jiraiya wrote that there were too many Kirigakure ninja, and we suffered heavy losses this time. He asked me to send reinforcements and also send someone to lead a team," Hiruzen Sarutobi said after seeing his good friend appear this time.

“Give him another 10,000 men and send the Tsurumono clan out as well. As for who should lead the team…?” Tsurumono Koharu asked.

As soon as Koharu Utatane finished speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Homura Mitokado fell silent. It seemed the village no longer had any capable leaders, except for Shishou, who was responsible for managing the Anbu. The village also had the Nine-Tails, but sending her to the battlefield was out of the question. Hiruzen Sarutobi was alone, but considering that even the former Raikage, known for his toughness, had been exhausted by ten thousand men, what if the Kirigakure used the same tactic…?

"Let Shanks go. There's not that much pressure on the Land of Lightning anymore. Just send someone to keep an eye on things. The Fourth Raikage isn't firmly in his position in the Hidden Cloud Village yet, so it's unlikely they'll start a war." Danzo's eyes sparkled as he saw his two companions remain silent.

“Danzo is right. If that’s the case, then there won’t be any problems with the Land of Water. But who should we send to the Land of Lightning?” Mitokado Homura agreed with his friend’s suggestion.

"Let Zixiao go there. As long as he goes there and doesn't move, that's fine. I'll take care of the Anbu for a while," said Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"No, this is too tiring for you, Hiruzen. You haven't rested in a long time. How about this, I'll take people over to the Land of Lightning. The Third Raikage is dead, and the Fourth Raikage probably doesn't have time to deal with that either. My presence is enough." Danzo looked at his best friend with deep affection, as if he were concerned about him.

"...Alright! You go this time." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his best friend with deep emotion. He'd finally changed! He knew how to care about his buddy! So damn touching!

"However... you know I don't have Shanks' abilities, so I need to bring more people with me. Otherwise, I'm afraid the Fourth Raikage will misunderstand us like the Third Raikage did. We should give them enough respect!" Danzo said righteously.

"Take as many people as you like. There's no time to lose, so set off for the Land of Lightning immediately. I'll send Shanks to the Land of Water to relieve some of the pressure on Jiraiya," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

Danzo nodded and strode out of the Hokage Building. He mustered his troops and set off for the Land of Lightning the next day without any hesitation. He was incredibly excited. On the way, he was already imagining the day when he would become famous throughout the ninja world after he wiped out the Cloud Ninja on the border of the Land of Lightning. He would then cultivate his reputation in the village. He didn't have the chance to become the Fourth Hokage, but he could still become the Fifth Hokage!

"Pfft! What did you say? The Hokage sent Danzo to replace me again? And he wants me to go to the Land of Water first?" Shanks had just gotten up and was having breakfast when his son-in-law came in to relay Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders.

"Yes, the Hokage said that the Land of Lightning has stabilized, so there's no need for us to stay here. The Land of Water has already fought us once and suffered too many losses, so the Hokage sent you to the Land of Water to reduce the pressure on Jiraiya-sama," the small-sized Skyrocket said helplessly.

"They really don't learn their lesson. Do they really think they can relax now that the Third Raikage is dead? It seems like the Hokage is going to provoke both the Raikage father and son." Shanks shook his head and said, "Do they really think they're so weak just because they've taken over?"

"Father-in-law, what should we do? Danzo is already on his way," Little Sky Cannon said speechlessly.