"What did I overlook?"
The Raikage genuinely didn't know.
In his mind, he had considered everything—every angle, every move.
Including human nature.
But seeing the calm, collected look on Yukika's face, the Raikage had an instinctual feeling that the boy wasn't just bluffing.
And he wasn't.
Yukika had never once tried to bluff.
From the beginning, all he'd done was watch the Raikage's performance.
He had to admit, the Raikage's meticulous mind was impressive.
But…
What era do you think this is?
This was the Second Great Ninja War!
Yukika had said it before—the Senju clan was not the Hyuga, and Konoha was no longer some shaky, second-rate village.
In fact, it was quite the opposite.
This time, it was the Hidden Cloud that had just been thrown into chaos by a Tailed Beast incident!
Sure, the Raikage was putting on a tough front—but that toughness only existed because he believed Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't have the guts to push this to a full-on war.
It was all for show.
The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki was dead, and the beast hadn't found a new host yet.
And the Two-Tails? She had been taken by Yukika himself.
Right now, the Hidden Cloud was at its weakest—more vulnerable than it had ever been.
Sure, the Raikage had managed to stop the rampaging Eight-Tails…
But the suddenness of the incident, and the sheer destructive force of the Tailed Beast, had definitely left the Hidden Cloud with deep wounds—wounds that wouldn't heal anytime soon.
That was why the Raikage had rushed to Konoha, demanding compensation.
They needed that compensation.
To rebuild the village… to maintain dominance on the frontlines in the Land of Rain… all of it took money!
The more aggressive he acted, the more it revealed just how desperate and cornered he truly was on the inside.
In this kind of situation, the roles should've been reversed from the start.
With a light flick of his wrist, Yukika twirled his forehead protector and spoke slowly:
"Well, since we've already gotten to this point, I suppose there's no need to keep hiding anything."
"That forehead protector? Yeah, it's mine."
"And yes, I did go on a mission—not just any mission. The destination was the Hidden Cloud Village."
Wasn't that a full-blown confession?!
Sarutobi's brows furrowed deeply. He had no idea what Yukika was playing at.
"And what's more…"
"The rampage of the Eight-Tails? It happened exactly like you guessed. My sensei, Orochimaru, played a key role in that mission. Of course, as his student, I wasn't too shabby either—I even captured your Two-Tails Jinchuriki and made her my war bride."
YOU ADMITTED TO EVERYTHING!
Sarutobi was trembling with rage.
"You… You just admitted it!?" he roared.
The Raikage's eyes widened too, looking like he was about to accuse Yukika of high treason on the spot.
"That's right," Yukika replied, completely unfazed.
"I admitted it. So what?"
So what?!
The Raikage almost laughed out loud. He wanted nothing more than to smack Yukika across the face and show him what admitting to something like this would cost him.
But he held himself back.
This was Konoha.
Even if the Senju were at odds with the ruling elite, this was still their village. He couldn't act recklessly here.
If he made a move, he'd die on the spot.
And Yukika knew that too.
Right now, the Hidden Cloud was at its weakest in history. If the Raikage were to fall here, the consequences would be catastrophic.
So despite all his tough talk, the Raikage had no intention of actually fighting.
But Yukika? He wasn't about to play these mind games.
"Listen, my friend," Yukika said smoothly.
"We're at war, remember?"
Not backing down in the slightest, Yukika locked eyes with the Third Raikage.
"Plenty of members of the Senju clan have died at the hands of your Hidden Cloud forces on the battlefield in the Land of Rain, haven't they?"
"Heh."
"If we're enemies, then—"