Chapter 240: The Outbreak of the Shinobi War, the Serpent Devours the Cloud and Thunder!
At the same time—
Land of Lightning.
Towering peaks echoed with deafening thunder, while the village's surroundings were shaped by winding rivers flowing from the central mountains of the Land of Lightning.
Amidst the concealed mountain ranges lay a militant shinobi village, bonded by brotherhood, devoted to swordsmanship and taijutsu—
Kumogakure stood proudly in this land.
Inside the Raikage's Office
The crimson afterglow of the setting sun seeped into an old-fashioned, serene chamber through a latticed window.
A tall, muscular man sat cross-legged atop a massive brown-yellow platform. His skin was dark, his face fierce, his hair and beard stark white. A hat-style Kumogakure forehead protector adorned his head, and a lightning-shaped scar marked his chest.
The man rested his face on one hand, as if either meditating or waiting for news.
Suddenly—
Outside the chamber, a bolt of lightning streaked from the sky to the mountain peak, descending at light speed!
Soon, hurried footsteps echoed, accompanied by the rolling thunder.
Inside the chamber—
The man abruptly opened his eyes, brimming with a fierce aura!
Boom!
The chamber door was flung open as a dark-skinned man, clad in a gray coat, stormed in. He held a stack of documents and a specially crafted scroll.
"Lord Third Raikage!"
"My daughter has sent word—"
It was only then that the man's identity was revealed—
He was none other than A, the Third Raikage of Kumogakure!
A man renowned for battling the Eight-Tails in hand-to-hand combat, capable of facing ten thousand foes alone, wielding the strongest lightning-style armor for ultimate defense and Hell Stab: One-Finger Nukite for the most devastating attack.
His mere existence was the embodiment of power!
At this moment—
A spoke calmly, "Open it."
The man in the gray coat, upon seeing the Raikage, inexplicably felt his anxious heart settle.
"Yes!" He responded, unfolding the latest intelligence scroll delivered by Mabui's Heavenly Transfer Technique.
On the scroll, four large characters were boldly inscribed—
"Plan Failed!"
A's brow furrowed sharply. His eyes narrowed, his muscular frame tensed as his breath grew heavier.
The man in the gray coat gulped.
The assault on Hell Valley had been meticulously rehearsed for a month. The Fourth Raikage's son, Young A, had prepared intelligence and internal support. The only step left was a straightforward crushing victory.
By all accounts, every detail—including full-tailed beast transformations—had been tested at least three times before the plan was finalized.
Yet now…
"Lord Raikage, this is my failure—I… I…"
The man in the gray coat dropped to one knee, bowing deeply, gritting his teeth to plead for punishment.
But A remained composed.
"Gabui, I am not blaming anyone."
He looked at Gabui and spoke evenly:
"The only flaw in this mission was underestimating the Uchiha."
"Especially an Uchiha who can control the power of tailed beasts!"
Surprisingly, despite his fierce appearance, the Third Raikage was a wise and benevolent leader beneath his rough exterior.
"The young ones were executing such a major mission for the first time. Mistakes are understandable."
"The inexperience of youth is why we, the older generation, exist—to bear the cost of their errors, resolve problems, and guide them."
"Only then can each generation surpass the last."
After saying this, A rose from his platform, effortlessly hoisting the scroll onto his back. Turning to Gabui, he said indifferently:
"Gabui, use Heavenly Transfer Technique to send me to Hell Valley."
Gabui's head shot up in shock.
"This is… the Sage of Six Paths' artifact—the Amber Purifying Pot!?"
"Wait, what did you just say!?"
A remained calm and met his gaze.
"Now, send me to Hell Valley!"
Gabui was horrified.
"Impossible! The Heavenly Transfer Technique is only used for objects! No human has ever survived it! The speed would tear the body apart! Even for you, Lord Raikage—"
Gabui had assumed A meant to send the Amber Purifying Pot ahead. After all, A had previously used it to seal the Eight-Tails—a powerful tool for suppressing tailed beasts and jinchūriki alike.
But he never imagined—
A intended to send himself along with it!
As Gabui struggled to dissuade him, A cut him off decisively.
"Believe in me!"
"I will succeed!"
"If I fail… then let the next A inherit the title of Fourth Raikage."
"Gabui, you understand, don't you? Losing two tailed beasts in Hell Valley means what for Kumogakure?"
Gabui fell silent, unable to refute.
Losing two ultimate weapons would cripple Kumogakure's power. Iwagakure, Kirigakure, even Konoha, despite being on the defensive, would turn on them!
The entire strategy of the Third Shinobi War's "Four Nations Against Fire" would be rewritten in an instant!
A understood this better than anyone.
Thus, for the village's future—
He was prepared to stake his own life!
If two jinchūriki had failed to take Hell Valley, simply sending the Amber Purifying Pot alone would be meaningless.
But if he went in person—
The outcome would be entirely different.
"…I understand!"
Gabui's eyes were filled with reverence and sorrow. He took a deep breath, his hands trembling as he rose, his eyes slightly misty.
Forming a hand seal—index and middle fingers pressed together!
As the technique activated, a brilliant white light enveloped the aged yet indomitable man.
Gabui's throat felt tight. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
In this final farewell, all he could offer was his last words as a brother:
"Lord Third Raikage!"
"May victory be yours!"
In the next moment—
The Heavenly Transfer Technique activated!
A streak of lightning pierced through the Raikage's Office, transforming into a radiant bolt that bridged the heavens and the underworld—
A flash of lightning that defied death itself!
The Third Raikage, A, was about to make his grand entrance!
Meanwhile, in Kumogakure…
Countless villagers gazed up at the lightning soaring into the sky.
They had no idea what it represented.
They had no idea of the unwavering determination it carried.
Nor did they understand the monumental price behind it.
To them, it was just another bolt of lightning—one among many in their land of storms.
But, ironically…
One outsider understood everything.
In the Shadows of Kumogakure's Towering Peaks—
A figure clad in a black hooded cloak gazed up at the fading lightning, watching intently.
A raspy chuckle escaped his lips.
"Heh… Things are getting interesting."
Slowly, the figure raised a hand, pulling back his hood and peeling away the face mask concealing his identity.
Beneath it—
A familiar visage emerged.
Long black hair, golden snake-like eyes, purple markings extending to the nose, pale skin, and blue magatama earrings.
This was—
Orochimaru.
After a long pause, he licked his lips and chuckled darkly.
"Now then—"
"With the most troublesome one gone…"
"Let's see—Turtle Island, the Lightning Armor, the secrets of the Perfect Jinchūriki, the Third Shinobi War's battle plans…"
"Everything… Everything!"
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