RUMBLE—!!!
A chain of explosions erupted across every corner of Kumogakure, like the opening movement of a grand symphony of disaster.
The Eight-Tails was rampaging through the village, smashing straight through everything in its path. Its massive tails swept across buildings, reducing them to rubble as shattered stone flew everywhere. Flames burst up from all directions while thick black smoke coiled into the sky like dark dragons, making the thundercloud-covered night even gloomier.
But Kumogakure was, after all, a shinobi village renowned for its martial spirit and militarized discipline. After the initial chaos, the Cloud shinobi quickly demonstrated astonishing organizational ability and combat efficiency.
Using elite jōnin as their core, they rapidly formed three separate counterattack squads.
One squad was responsible for drawing the Eight-Tails' attention head-on.
Another launched disruptive attacks from the flanks.
The third was tasked with setting up the jutsu nodes required for a large-scale binding barrier.
Meanwhile, the chūnin led the genin in evacuating civilians toward the underground shelters scattered throughout the village. The entire process unfolded with the precision of a drill rehearsed countless times before. Despite the tension, there was almost no trampling or disorder.
"ROOOOAR!!!"
The Eight-Tails seemed dissatisfied with the pace of destruction. It suddenly halted its rampage, raised its enormous bull-like head, and unleashed a deafening roar toward the heavens.
Dark chakra particles overflowing with destructive intent began gathering before its mouth as though drawn into a black hole, spinning, compressing, and condensing at terrifying speed.
From the size of a fist…
To the size of a millstone…
Until it became a colossal dark-purple sphere of energy as massive as a small mountain.
"Not good! It's a Tailed Beast Bomb!"
"Stop it now! If that explodes inside the village, half of Kumogakure will be wiped out!"
Several veteran Cloud jōnin turned deathly pale as they roared in panic.
For a moment, countless high-level ninjutsu attacks rained down upon the Eight-Tails like a storm.
Yet attacks powerful enough to pierce through solid mountains only produced bursts of blinding sparks upon striking the Eight-Tails' massive body, leaving behind shallow scorch marks that vanished almost instantly.
None of them could stop the Tailed Beast Bomb from taking shape.
And just as that dark-purple sphere filled with apocalyptic power was about to fully condense—
BZZZT!!!
A blue-white flash of lightning shot forth at a speed too fast for the eye to follow.
It was as though real lightning had torn through the night sky, crossing several hundred meters in a single breath before appearing directly beneath the Eight-Tails' gaping jaws.
Then—
A savage thunder-wreathed punch erupted upward like a siege hammer and slammed directly into the Eight-Tails' chin.
BOOOOM!!!
A cataclysmic explosion rang out like ten thousand tons of explosives detonating at once.
The gigantic, mountain-like body of the Eight-Tails was actually lifted upward by that single punch.
The Tailed Beast Bomb inside its mouth exploded prematurely after the devastating impact to its jaw, while its enormous body crashed heavily toward the ground.
At the very instant the explosion's shockwave was about to engulf the blue-white figure, the man escaped by the narrowest margin imaginable, moving with utterly terrifying speed and reflexes as he skimmed past the edge of the blast before landing steadily atop a nearby surviving rooftop.
The lightning gradually faded, revealing the newcomer's true appearance.
A resolute face extremely similar to the Third Raikage's.
A massive, bear-like physique.
Yet noticeably younger, carrying the sharpness and aggression unique to youth.
It was none other than the son of the Third Raikage—the man who had inherited the name "A" at an early age—
Yotsuki A.
As it turned out, after Kumogakure's offensive had suffered setbacks a month ago, the stubborn Third Raikage had never intended to give up.
On the contrary, he had decided to escalate the war effort even further.
Thus, he ordered his son Yotsuki A to return from the northwestern front with part of the elite forces to rest and reorganize in the village. After regrouping with the recovered Blue B, they were to reinforce the frontlines with another five thousand shinobi and crush Konoha's defenses through overwhelming force.
But no one could have predicted a situation like this.
"Thank goodness! A-sama is here!"
"A-sama has arrived!"
The Cloud shinobi were instantly invigorated, finally breathing sighs of relief.
Yet Yotsuki A's expression remained incomparably grim.
Ignoring the cheers around him, he stared fixedly at the Eight-Tails as it shakily rose back to its feet after being knocked down by his punch.
Then he shouted with all his strength: "B!!!"
"Wake up!!!"
But the Eight-Tails merely shook its enormous head without the slightest response.
Instead, it seemed even more enraged.
The dark-red chakra surrounding its body surged even more violently, while the crimson glow in its eyes became increasingly terrifying.
A sensory jōnin paled as he shook his head.
"A-sama... I can't sense any trace of Blue B-sama's chakra inside the Eight-Tails anymore..."
"Blue B-sama may already be..."
"What!?"
Yotsuki A's pupils contracted violently.
But seeing the Eight-Tails rise once more, its tentacles already beginning a second wave of destruction, he forcibly suppressed the grief and fury surging inside him and barked out an order: "I'll lure this thing out of the village! Follow behind me!"
"And notify my father immediately!"
The instant those words fell—
The Lightning Release chakra surrounding Yotsuki A suddenly grew even more dazzling and violent.
The blinding blue-white lightning nearly swallowed his entire body whole, while every strand of his hair stood on end as he entered his full-power state.
In the next instant, his figure transformed once more into a lightning flash too fast for even afterimages to form.
He crossed several hundred meters instantly and appeared more than ten meters above the Eight-Tails' head.
Gathering the high-density electrical current formed by his Lightning Release chakra entirely into his right arm, he transformed it into a pure blade of lightning.
Then, carrying the absolute force to tear through anything in existence, he slashed downward toward the Eight-Tails' skull.
Lightning Release: Lariat Guillotine!
At this point, Yotsuki A's Lightning Release Chakra Mode had long since reached perfection.
Though his strength and defense still fell short of his father's, his speed and reflexes had already surpassed them.
At the final possible instant, the Eight-Tails managed only to tilt its head slightly through pure beast instinct.
CRACK—!!!
One enormous dark-purple horn snapped apart instantly, crashing heavily onto the ground and sending dust exploding into the air.
"ROOOOOOOAAARRR!!!"
The pain of losing its horn completely ignited the Eight-Tails' ferocity.
At this moment, within its crimson beast eyes, only one target remained—
That tiny human who looked no different from an insect, yet had severed one of its horns.
Its mountain-like body turned violently, all eight tentacles rising simultaneously as it charged toward Yotsuki A with enough savage force to crush everything into dust.
Yotsuki A had no intention of fighting head-on. He immediately turned and sprinted toward the wilderness far beyond the village.
One pursuing.
One fleeing.
The two terrifying forces rapidly moved farther and farther away from the center of Kumogakure.
"Support A-sama immediately!"
"You lot—contact the Raikage at once!"
"Yes, sir!"
A veteran Cloud jōnin with extensive experience quickly took over command and issued several rapid-fire orders before leading most of the elite shinobi in pursuit.
As for the shinobi remaining behind, none of them even had time to catch their breath before immediately organizing firefighting efforts and rescue operations.
For a moment, no one paid any attention to the severed horn lying on the ground.
Then—
A strange figure with a body as soft and fluid as a serpent slowly rose out of the earth.
Orochimaru stood before the massive dark-purple horn—which was several times thicker than his entire body—and examined it with obvious interest.
"What a marvelous specimen."
Orochimaru licked his lips.
He attempted to store the entire horn inside a sealing scroll, only to discover that the horn was far too massive, while the Tailed Beast chakra contained within it was far too violent and overwhelming.
Even trying to seal away a tiny portion was enough to make ordinary sealing scroll structures collapse.
Left with no choice, he drew the legendary Kusanagi Sword, famed for its unparalleled sharpness, and sliced the horn tip into several sections before sealing them separately into multiple scrolls.
Yet while he was occupied with this work, Kumogakure—which should have gradually begun recovering a measure of calm and order after the Eight-Tails' departure—suddenly descended into chaos once more.
BOOM!!!
Massive explosions erupted almost simultaneously across multiple districts in the eastern part of the village.
Immediately afterward came the dense clash of blades, the thunderous detonations of ninjutsu, and the shocked cries and furious roars of Cloud shinobi caught completely off guard.
"There are more enemies!?"
A chūnin who had just finished organizing civilian evacuations turned deathly pale. He whipped his head toward the direction of the explosions and cried out in alarm: "Oh no! That's—"
"The warehouses!!!"
And almost at the exact same moment those words left his mouth, another shinobi pointed toward the iconic five-story white building on the eastern side of the village, his voice cracking with panic.
"The Medical Department... something's happening at the Medical Department too!!!"
"It has begun."
Standing within the shadows of the ruins, Orochimaru gazed toward the region blazing with firelight as the corners of his lips curled upward.
"The assault on Kumogakure was only the beginning."
He muttered to himself, his voice filled with indescribable fascination.
"Surviving the enraged pursuit of Kumogakure... now that is the true test."
"I believe that with Shinichi-kun's abilities, leaving unharmed shouldn't be a problem at all, but..."
"What about your subordinates?"
"When Kumogakure's pursuit descends like rabid hounds..."
"When sacrifice becomes inevitable..."
Orochimaru could not help recalling how the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had once encountered the Gold and Silver Brothers' coup during peace negotiations between Kumo and Konoha.
Tobirama could have escaped alone using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Yet instead, he chose to remain behind voluntarily, holding off the enemy to buy time for his disciples to flee.
And in the end, he fell upon this very land where thunder never ceased.
"What choice will you make, Shinichi-kun?"
"How truly fascinating."
As he spoke, Orochimaru suddenly felt his heartbeat accelerate—a rare sensation.
There was fanaticism.
Excitement.
But above all else—
A purer, more primal thirst for knowledge.
From the very first moment he had met the boy named Higashino Shinichi, Orochimaru had been deeply captivated by his countless abnormalities.
Especially that contrast—
The contradiction between the boy's flawless outward persona and the dangerous essence hidden beneath it.
A mask worn for too long would inevitably crack.
But Higashino Shinichi was different.
His mask was too perfect.
So perfect that even Orochimaru could no longer tell whether that gentle, humble face was merely a mask...
Or whether the mask itself had already become his true face.
Orochimaru desperately wanted the answer.
And during this period of time, that desire had even surpassed his obsession with immortality forbidden techniques.
Surpassed his pursuit of every ninjutsu system in existence.
Nor did he care how furious Hiruzen-sensei would become afterward.
Or how harshly he might be punished.
Right now, he only wanted to know—
What exactly lay beneath Higashino Shinichi's mask?
"Then let me see it, Shinichi-kun..."
His figure slowly merged into the darkness of the night, his voice dissolving into the wind.
"What your true nature beneath that mask really is..."
The flames behind him flickered and danced, stretching his shadow long across the ruins—
Before it finally vanished into the night sky.
...
"What!?"
"The Eight-Tails has gone berserk!? Blue B may already be dead!? And Konoha shinobi are attacking the village as well!?"
Inside Kumogakure's main headquarters in the Land of Hot Water, the Third Raikage shot to his feet so violently that the chair behind him overturned with a shrill crash.
The messenger shinobi knelt on the ground, not even daring to raise his head.
"Transmit the order immediately!"
"Prepare the Heavenly Transfer Technique at once! Send me back to the village immediately!"
The Heavenly Transfer Technique!
The Heavenly Transfer Technique was one of Kumogakure's ultimate secret ninjutsu.
It transported targets to designated locations instantly through ultra-high-speed movement. However, because the body traveled at such extreme velocity, the resulting air friction and overwhelming acceleration generated terrifying strain.
Ordinary human bodies simply could not withstand the transfer speed. Most would be torn apart on the spot.
Because of that, the technique was generally used only for transporting objects.
But the Third Raikage was different.
His body was powerful and durable enough to endure the tearing force caused by such overwhelming speed.
Then he turned toward Dodai beside him.
"Dodai. You will take command of the frontlines and assume full authority over all operations."
Dodai's expression turned solemn. Just as he was about to answer, the Third Raikage spoke again, his voice noticeably lower than before.
"If necessary..."
"You may order a retreat."
Dodai abruptly raised his head in shock.
But the Third Raikage had already strode out of the command tent without looking back.
Silence filled the tent for a long while afterward.
Dodai stood motionless where he was, slowly closing his eyes as thoughts raced through his mind.
The Eight-Tails had gone berserk.
The village had suffered severe damage.
Blue B was likely dead or missing.
And the Logistics Department and Medical Department—the lifeblood sustaining the war effort—had both suffered surprise attacks from Konoha shinobi. By now, they were probably devastated beyond repair.
This war could no longer continue.
Worse still, if the other hidden villages learned Kumogakure had been weakened—especially Iwagakure—they would almost certainly seize the opportunity to strike while Kumo was vulnerable.
At that thought, Dodai drew a deep breath and reopened his eyes before turning to issue his orders.
"Transmit my command to all divisions!"
"Prepare for withdrawal! All units will retreat back to the village in staggered formations with alternating cover!"
The staff officers exchanged glances with one another before ultimately nodding.
"Yes, sir!"
Dodai walked toward the battlefield map.
His gaze shifted from the northeastern frontlines within the Land of Fire to Kumogakure itself, then toward the long coastline of the Land of Lightning.
He stared silently for a moment at the southeastern coastal region.
The Konoha shinobi had most likely infiltrated through there.
The southeastern coast had weak defenses, and sea routes were naturally the hardest to detect.
Dodai's eyes sharpened as he turned toward the man who had remained silent the entire time.
"Troy!"
"I want you to lead two thousand elite shinobi and take the sea route from here!"
His finger struck a location on the map heavily as he continued: "After the Konoha assault force completes its mission, they will definitely retreat along the same route they used to infiltrate."
"Your mission is to cut off their escape."
Troy narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Coordinate with Raikage-sama and trap them between both sides?"
"Exactly." Dodai nodded.
"The moment you discover their location, attack immediately without waiting for permission."
"Raikage-sama should already be arriving at the village by now. Once he finishes dealing with the Eight-Tails and stabilizing the village, he will absolutely launch a pursuit against the Konoha force."
"Your job is to sever their path to survival at sea."
Troy nodded before slowly straightening his body.
"Understood."
"I'll make them understand something."
"Kumogakure is not a place where they can come and go whenever they please."
...
Kumogakure.
Flames blazed into the heavens.
A dazzling white flash exploded atop the platform of the Kumogakure central tower, and the Third Raikage's massive figure appeared like a thunderbolt.
"Raikage-sama!"
Several shinobi who had been anxiously waiting there immediately rushed forward.
The Third Raikage did not even glance at the devastation surrounding him.
Instead, he asked directly in a heavy voice: "Where are those Konoha shinobi?"
"They escaped five minutes ago! We... we failed to stop them..."
The Third Raikage's expression darkened, yet he did not erupt in anger.
He forcibly suppressed the killing intent surging within his chest.
Right now, the Eight-Tails' rampage was the highest priority.
As for those rats—
There would still be time to hunt them down later.
"Where is A?" he continued.
A jōnin immediately answered: "A-sama successfully lured the Eight-Tails toward the northeast—"
The Third Raikage nodded and instantly transformed into a bolt of lightning rushing toward the battlefield.
He trusted that with Dodai's intelligence, he would definitely deduce the Konoha force's infiltration and retreat route.
And he would certainly send people to intercept them.
Yet at the exact moment the Third Raikage vanished—within the shadows of what appeared to be an ordinary ruined civilian house nearby, a figure dressed as a common villager crouched silently behind a broken wall.
A trace of glass-like radiance flashed through his eyes.
Then the "civilian" quietly dispersed into smoke and vanished without a trace.
...
"Is everyone here?"
More than a dozen kilometers outside Kumogakure, deep within a forest.
Shinichi quickly swept his gaze across the silent figures gathered within the dark woods, silently counting them in his mind.
Of the five hundred elite shinobi who had departed at the start of the operation, only a little over four hundred still remained standing beside him.
Even though they had launched their assault during Kumogakure's greatest moment of chaos...
Even though most of Kumogakure's elite forces had been drawn away by Yotsuki A to deal with the Eight-Tails...
The number of Cloud shinobi left inside the village—even excluding the genin—still exceeded their own by more than threefold in terms of chūnin and jōnin alone.
Despite retreating immediately after completing their objectives...
Ninety-three of their comrades had still died forever within that burning village.
The jōnin Honkawa Kai stepped forward, keeping his voice low.
"Yes, Captain Shinichi."
"All surviving comrades have arrived."
"And for the fallen... we've brought back every body we were able to recover."
Shinichi remained silent for a moment before speaking quietly: "The village will remember their sacrifice."
He said nothing further.
At a moment like this, any additional words would only sound hollow.
War had always been like this.
Death never failed to appear.
Yūhi Shinku stepped forward and asked: "Shinichi, what do we do next? Return along the original route according to the plan, or..."
Two months ago, when he and Shinichi had arrived at the northeastern battlefield together as reinforcements, Shinku had been the overall commander while Shinichi served as his deputy.
Now, their positions had completely reversed.
Hearing the question, Shinichi did not answer immediately.
Instead, he pulled out a map from his robes.
His finger moved across the map before finally stopping at a specific location.
"We're going here."
Shinku leaned closer for a look, and his pupils immediately contracted slightly.
"Thunderdrum Mountain?"
Thunderdrum Mountain carried immense significance within the Land of Lightning.
Every shinobi clan in the ninja world possessed its own ancestral homeland. Even after the era of hidden villages began and the clans moved into the villages themselves, people were still stationed to guard those sacred lands.
Just as the Naka River remained holy ground to the Uchiha Clan—
Thunderdrum Mountain was the ancestral homeland of the Yotsuki Clan, the greatest shinobi clan in the Land of Lightning.
Then let me teach you something, Kumogakure.
What true blitzkrieg really looks like.
Shinichi stared at the location marked as the Yotsuki Clan's ancestral land on the map and thought silently to himself.
...
Meanwhile—
At the exact moment Shinichi pointed toward Thunderdrum Mountain—
Dozens of figures carrying chakra signatures identical to Shinichi's were already racing like phantoms across the outer regions dozens—or even hundreds—of kilometers away from the Konoha force's gathering point.
They sped through the wilderness, mountains, and plains of the Land of Lightning like ghosts.
Glass-like radiance swirled wildly within their eyes as though a massive invisible net had silently spread across the entire region.
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