Path Of War

Two mornings later at the Cloud Village.

The sun rose over the area, but inside the Raikage's office, the atmosphere was anything but relaxed. The room was cluttered with papers stacked high on the desk. If wind were to blow, it would certainly create a chaotic mountain of bureaucracy.

"What is this?!" his voice rang out upon opening the door.

The Raikage's massive frame moved through the neatly stacked papers with frustration. When he made it to his desk, his large hand swept across the stacks, knocking some aside.

He grabbed the topmost pile and began to sift through it with a grunt.

"Huh?!" he said after flipping through several pages.

What struck him as odd was how many of the documents involved one name: Hoshikaze. Nearly half of the papers, memos, reports, and notes he skimmed through were about this shinobi who had recently arrived in the village.

A's brow deeply furrowed. Who was this Hoshikaze, and what had he done to warrant so much attention?

His curiosity grew, but he was interrupted by the entrance of his assistant, Mabui.

She was a dark-skinned young woman with green eyes and often wore very formal clothes, including a long-sleeved, high-collared dress shirt and skirt, along with long earrings and high-heeled sandals. She also had her light grey hair pulled back into a bun, with two bangs framing her face.

She approached him casually, well aware of the storm he was brewing.

"Were you asking about Hoshikaze?" she cheerfully asked.

The Raikage's eyes snapped to her. "You know him?"

"Don't you remember, lord Fourth? Hoshikaze's the shinobi who was at the tournament you visited a year ago."

He blinked, then rubbed his chin. A tournament? That had been a while ago. He vaguely remembered a few faces, some loud, some quiet, but Hoshikaze—he didn't recall much beyond the name.

Still, the way Mabui spoke about him, with a certain fondness, piqued his interest. So he asked, "You mean the one that refused to join us?"

"No, that was Lars," she answered in a light tone. "Hoshikaze's the one with the blindfold. I believe you said he was the loner standing at his own booth during that event."

"How long has he been a shinobi here?"

"He registered with us recently," she obliged.

The Raikage scowled, leaning back in his chair. He had a lot on his plate, and his attention span was not the greatest when it came to details. But now that this figure had been the subject of so many reports, it caught his interest.

His eyes narrowed as he looked over the cluttered desk.

"Call this Hoshikaze to my office in one hour," he commanded. "I don't want to see another report until I see his face."

With a playful smile, Mabui put her clipboard in front of the Raikage's eyes. On it was Hoshikaze's face.

"That's not what I meant!" he yelled.

"Haha," she laughed. "I know, my lord. I'll call him right away."

She bowed before turning to swiftly leave.

Within the hour, Arthur was seen walking to the Raikage's office. He had already gotten a glimpse of what had transpired—Mabui had tidied up the chaos by stacking the papers neatly and probably discarding the unread ones.

The only thing that surprised him was how long it took their Kage to take notice of his feats.

He entered the office quietly without giving the room much thought. It was large, with high ceilings and a wide window overlooking the village, but it still didn't compare to the office he had built for Fugaku.

Behind the desk sat the Raikage. This was Arthur's second time seeing him in person.

"You're Hoshikaze, correct?" A asked, standing up.

"Yes, lord Fourth," Arthur politely responded.

"You recently joined the village, and already you've put a big target on your back. You know that?"

Arthur's face remained composed as he answered, "I'm not aware, my lord."

The Raikage's eyes widened just a little.

"What?!" he barked.

"I've been so focused on my missions that I honestly haven't had much time to speak to anyone."

There was a relatable sense of understanding. Even the Raikage didn't have the mindset to handle every single problem that came his way.

"But still," he countered, "that stunt you pulled—giving money like that during lord Yōsuke's meeting—what was that about?"

Arthur had almost forgotten about that. He was wondering why he had received a small refund on his rent.

Nonetheless, he kept his voice even and answered, "I don't believe I did anything wrong, my lord. I was simply trying to be helpful. I saw an opportunity to make an impression, so I took it."

The Raikage raised his eyebrows so high that they almost went over his head.

"That was reckless," he addressed. "Disrespectful, even. You should know better than to interfere in the hierarchy of this village as a shinobi. No, that was a direct violation of protocol."

Arthur inclined his head slightly, saying, "My apologies, lord Fourth. I meant no disrespect. I only desired to help the entire economy."

Interestingly enough, Yōsuke accepted the investment and even praised Arthur's act for the betterment of the village's interest.

Yet even that was not enough to please the Raikage. His gaze hardened as he said, "You think you can just walk in and do whatever you want just 'cause you're new? This isn't your country. You're a shinobi here in this village, and you're expected to follow the rules like everyone else."

"I understand, my lord. Understand that I meant no harm."

The Raikage looked at him for a long moment, then sighed sharply. He figured that Arthur would be the flamboyant type based on those reports. To think he was dealing with the more relaxed individual.

"Fine," he admitted. "But I warn you: actions have consequences. You're new, and I don't want to see you making more mistakes that could jeopardize this village."

Arthur nodded. "I'll be sure to be more careful..."

Inside, this was exactly what Arthur needed: to stir up the Raikage's thoughts about him. Because if he succeeded, then their Kage wouldn't view him as a liability but as a necessity—a shinobi that he would have to count on during times of trouble.

Then A sat back down to pull some papers from his desk.

"I have a mission for you," he said seriously. "After reading those reports, I think you're the right person for this job. Consider it a moment to redeem yourself."

Those weren't the right words the Raikage meant; he was just trying to maintain his air of authority.

"What's the mission, my lord?"

The Raikage began speaking while looking at the papers, but Arthur used his Tamashii to scan the document without moving. The report was about Killer B, who had gone missing. The last sighting was in the Earth Country, and since then, there had been no contact.

Arthur was wondering where that Jinchūriki went. Now he had his answer.

After the Raikage finished explaining things, he looked visibly upset. Suddenly, he ripped the report in half out of frustration.

"I need you to find him!" he then yelled. "We've lost communication, and I want him found fast!"

This was indeed an interesting mission. Mainly because that the Raikage tasked Arthur, a Chūnin. The thing is, this mission was C-ranked, meaning that the Raikage believed there would be little chance of combat.

There wasn't even a reward, but more like an act of punishment to keep Arthur in line.

"Understood, my lord," Arthur replied. "But may I ask a favor?"

"What is it?"

"May I choose which ninjas to take with me?"

The Raikage hesitated before answering, "You can pick three. But only three. My hands are full already."

"Thank you," my lord.

As he left the office, Arthur's mind calmed down. It was good that the Raikage hadn't excluded any ninjas from coming along. His brother's whereabouts were unknown, and he was clearly shaken by this fact.

If anything, A would have sent the whole village after him if he had believed B to be in danger. Granting Arthur three shinobi was the most he could do for now.

Arthur himself already knew the other ninja he'd be taking: Samui, Atsui, and Darui.

By the time he reached downstairs where Mabui was, he informed her of her assignment.

"Good to know you didn't get into any trouble," she smiled.

"Yes, but now B's in one, and I can tell this news wasn't made public."

"Sharp," she complimented.

After telling her the list of the ninjas that would be traveling with him, she was confused as to why those three. Darui was understandable, but why the siblings?

"Didn't you know?" Arthur asked.

"Know what?"

"We're family in this village..."

Of course she knew that, but to think a recent acquisition to said village would be the one to remind her of this fact. Her face nearly contorted as she regarded him in a new light.

Within moments, she informed him that the ninjas he desired would meet at the village gates in an hour.

While he waited there, he considered the situation.

Killer B was indeed a troublemaker. He didn't always follow orders, but he was loyal to the village. Still, the last report placed him deep in the Earth Country, beyond the reach of most surveillance.

Arthur wondered what kind of trouble B could have fallen into. Maybe he was just off on another wild adventure, or perhaps he'd stumbled into something more dangerous. Either way, for a Jinchūriki to potentially be in trouble, it was indeed a big matter.

He thought of potential causes, such as the Akatsuki and the Sound Village, but immediately dismissed those possibilities.

As he understood, the Akatsuki have not made any moves that revolved around the Tailed Beast. Likewise, Orochimaru had no interest in either Tailed Beasts or their host. The only thing that snake was concerned about was what happened to his lost vessel, Sasuke Uchiha.

Nothing suggested an immediate threat.

The hour passed quickly as Atsui, Samui, and Darui approached with straightforward expressions.

"Finally good to meet the man of the village," greeted Atsui.

"Likewise," Arthur calmly replied.

Atsui was loud, brash, and energetic, acting as if Arthur was already his brother. His broad smile and exaggerated gestures made Samui try her best not to hit him.

Darui, on the other hand, was calm and composed, almost as if he had seen everything before and was unshaken.

"Didn't expect I'd be sent on a mission like this so soon," Darui explained. "Sorry, my name's—"

"Darui,' Arthur interrupted. "I know; I saw you at the tournament."

The shinobi closed his eyes and scratched the back of his head, saying, "Haha. I didn't get to fight, so I thought I went unnoticed."

"It's a shame," Arthur added. "I would have loved to see the show you'd put up against Han."

"That was his name?" Darui shrugged. "Haha. Who knows?"

Arthur gave a slight nod before saying, "Alright. You should all understand this assignment. So let's go find B and bring him home."

While Atsui and Darui voiced their agreement, Samui looked away, unable to meet Arthur's face. Shy? Perhaps. But Arthur understood it was because he had his blindfold on; she wanted him to greet her with his eyes.

But she couldn't always have things her way. And she, of all Cloud ninjas, knew missions such as these proceeded over emotional ties. That was also why she stayed quiet about it.

After their introduction, the team set out in the direction of the Earth Country.