Tsunade ignored the Raikage's roar, turning and walking away without another word, disappearing into the darkness.

"Tsk!"

Seeing that Tsunade had so blatantly disrespected him, the Raikage snorted in anger. He turned to Samui and ordered, "Come on. We're going to find the whereabouts of the Kugutsu clan."

"Lord Raikage, please, do not be so rash! I suggest we return to the village first, to recuperate and gather intelligence. Revenge can wait. The abilities of the Kugutsu clan are unknown. We have already lost two of our comrades. We cannot continue like this."

"…"

Listening to Samui's words, the Raikage's anger gradually began to cool. He unclenched his fists, letting out a long, heavy breath. "You're right," he said, his voice full of a weary self-blame. "I was too carried away. The failure of this mission is my fault. If it weren't for my misjudgment, my subordinates would still be alive."

Samui said anxiously, "Lord Raikage, do not take all the responsibility upon yourself! That is not what I meant!"

"I know," the Raikage said, shaking his head. "Let's go back." He glared at the ruins around them, a new resolve hardening his eyes. "The Kugutsu clan… and Konoha's Danzō… just you wait. This is by no means over. I will find you again."

With that, the Raikage and Samui departed, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation where a prosperous town had once stood.

Two hours later, Shiro and Yakumi arrived. The sky was beginning to brighten, the first light of dawn illuminating the ruins.

"This…" Shiro was at a loss for words. He pointed at the wreckage before them. "Are you sure this was a town?"

Yakumi was stunned. "The location is correct," he finally managed to say. "It was a town, and a very prosperous one at that. How… how did it become like this?"

Shiro's heart sank. This had been their last hope. Now, finding the Raikage was an all but impossible task, like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Shiro-dono," Yakumi said, his voice heavy with defeat, "the deadline for the mission is almost upon us. I fear… we have failed."

"It is my fault," he continued, his head bowed in shame. "If I had not lost that Cloud ninja, we might have retrieved the scroll. This is the first mission failure since the founding of Madara-gakure. All responsibility lies with me. When we return, I will apologize to Lord Madara immediately. It has nothing to do with you."

Shiro shook his head. "No. This was our mission. Whatever the outcome, we will face it together."

"Woof! Woof woof!" Danzō barked, his expression one of grim determination, as if he, too, wanted to share the burden of their failure.

Shiro smiled weakly. "Let's go," he said. "We'll go to the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Sugi first. Even if the mission has failed, we must still give our report. The reputation of Madara-gakure is at stake."

With that, the two of them set off once more, their hearts heavy.

A short while later, in the Land of Sugi, inside the Daimyo's mansion, Shiro and Yakumi walked in slowly. Seeing them, the Daimyo was overjoyed, rushing over to them from his dais.

"Ah! You are the shinobi from Madara-gakure! You've finally arrived! How did it go? Did you retrieve what I requested?"

"I'm sorry, we…" Shiro was about to speak when a familiar white figure suddenly emerged from the floor at his feet.

"Eh? White Zetsu, what are you doing here?"

"Hello, Shiro," White Zetsu said cheerfully. "Here, this is something Lord Madara asked me to bring you." With that, he tossed a scroll with the character for "mountain" written on it into Shiro's hand.

"Lord Madara also asked me to deliver a message," White Zetsu continued.

"He said, 'Son, you still have much to learn. Stop running around and come learn from your father.'"