Naruto: Systematic Shinobi Chapter 325: Monkey On Hold - 13

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Lightning crackled and flared around A's figure as he roared, a thunderous sound of pure fury. "HOKAGE!" he spat, each syllable laced with venom. "How far will you go in your utter disrespect of Kumo!"

"Settle down, chimp," Daiki scoffed, his eyes rolling as he casually peeled a banana. He lifted it to his lips, taking a bite. "It was just a bit of fun. No need to go absolutely bananas over it."

A faint snort from Danzo reached his ears, and he caught Hiruzen's exasperated movement, his hand going to his face in his peripheral vision.

A clenched his jaw, a muscle pulsing angrily in his temple. Yet, he managed to suppress the surging lightning. "You... is this some kind of joke to you, boy?" he ground out, his voice tight with suppressed rage. "Do you think this is a game? Do you believe you can simply insult me? Insult Kumo so readily, issue demands, and face absolutely no consequences?"

Daiki finished chewing the banana and paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "...Consequences?" he echoed, the word rolling off his tongue as he toyed with its meaning. "That's rather amusing, because I could level the exact same accusation at you."

He discarded the banana peel and rose to his feet, stepping forward to stand directly in front of the projection screen. "Did you truly believe you could get away with every transgression your wretched, inferior village has committed against my own?" he growled, his voice low and menacing. "Did you honestly think there would be no retribution for all the harm you've inflicted? You ungrateful collection of useless mongrels."

"Grateful?" A scoffed, his lip curling in disdain. "And pray tell, why should Kumo ever feel grateful to Konoha?"

"For allowing you to exist in the first place," Daiki retorted sharply. "You're fortunate Hashirama Senju deemed your lives worthy; he could have easily extinguished your entire village had he so chosen. On top of that, he even bestowed upon you two Bijuu, precisely to stop you from soiling yourselves with fear over his might. Pathetic losers."

"We paid for those Bijuu!" A countered heatedly.

"A paltry sum, and you know it. Lip service at best," Daiki said, rolling his eyes dismissively. "And what happened the moment Konoha showed even the slightest sign of weakness after that monumental battle between Hashirama and Madara? Like the scavenging vultures you are, you descended upon us. Only to be firmly put in your place, time and time again."

A opened his mouth to retort, but Daiki cut him off, his voice dripping with mockery. "When Hashirama was at the peak of his power, you bowed your heads and wagged your tails like well-trained monkeys. But the instant he faltered, you eagerly scooped up handfuls of filth to hurl, just like the despicable monkeys you are," he sneered. "You were so terrified of the Senju clan's might that you sent twenty S-rank ninja, along with the legendary Gold and Silver brothers, after my great-grandfather, Tobirama Senju, when he was already exhausted from a previous engagement."

The Raikage's eyes widened in disbelief and dawning realization.

Daiki met A's gaze directly. "And how did that endeavor conclude for you?" he snorted derisively. "The most formidable force your village has ever produced, utterly annihilated by the Nidaime's hand. It's true, you managed to claim his life in the process, but your village never truly recovered from that devastating blow, did it?"

"So, this entire confrontation stems from a grudge over the Nidaime?" A growled, his voice hard.

Daiki let out another snort. "Hardly. Though, considering your village also murdered my grandparents, feel free to cling to that convenient narrative. It merely serves as a convenient justification for my purpose," he replied coolly. "No, this isn't solely about that, nor about your insidious attempt to abduct the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki when she was but a child, intending to use her as a mere broodmare. Nor is it about your despicable scheme to snatch the three-year-old Hyuuga heiress for the same depraved purpose, you filth."

He crossed his arms, a picture of resolute authority. "No, those are merely components of a larger, overarching issue," Daiki stated firmly. "The issue being that every single time we have exhibited even the slightest vulnerability, every instance we have actively promoted peace and sought to let bygones remain bygones, you have relentlessly clawed at our backs, attempting to seize what is rightfully ours. Well, I will tolerate it no longer. You will submit to my demands, or Kumo shall cease to exist."

Once again, A ground his teeth together, drawing a deep, shuddering breath before responding. "No."

"No?" Daiki raised a questioning eyebrow. "You dare refuse my exceedingly generous terms?"

"Generous?!" A erupted, his voice booming with outrage. "You issue ultimatums to my village! To me! And in the event of my refusal to prostrate myself, you threaten to annihilate my homeland, enslave our women, and sever my head to display above your latrine, desecrating it nightly with your filth? All of this, after the vile insults you hurled my way! And you expect me to simply bow my head in submission? Do you have the faintest conception of who you are addressing, boy? I AM THE RAIKAGE!"

He let out a booming laugh, echoing through the chamber. "You believe you can conquer Kumo? You possess considerable strength, boy, I concede that readily! But your village is weak!" he declared. "Weep all you wish about our actions in the past. It is our inherent right, as the superior village, to take whatever we desire from yours. All you Leaf Golems could manage was to bow your heads to Kumo's demands a decade ago. Do you truly imagine anything has changed simply because you now wear the mantle of Hokage, brat?"

"Our past actions, the sole regret is failure to obtain what we desired; beyond that, there is nothing to be ashamed of," A proclaimed, spreading his arms wide. "You speak with such bravado, boy, from behind a screen, separated by thousands of miles. I wish to see your courage when you face me directly! You seek reparations from Kumo? Then come and claim them, if you possess the audacity!"

Daiki regarded the Raikage for a moment. Then, slowly, a smirk crept onto his face. Three tomoe appeared in his eye, spinning and merging rapidly before blossoming into a four-pointed shuriken. "Very well, I accept your invitation, monkey boy," he declared.

Suddenly, the very air around him warped, and he disappeared from sight.

Moments later, a hand crackling with lightning erupted from Darui's chest, right behind him. Darui let out a choked gasp as the mangled remnants of his heart sizzled and disintegrated around the fist of silent lightning that had pierced him. "You should not have granted me a clear view of anywhere within Kumo, you imbecilic ape," Daiki cackled, raising his arm. He gazed directly into the fading light within Darui's dim eyes as the white-haired man weakly clutched at the hand impaling his chest before slumping lifelessly.

Daiki then carelessly tossed the corpse aside.