Kumogakure Stronghold – Conference Room
"…As of now, the Konoha Ninja Army has closed in to within ten miles of our stronghold. They appear to be regrouping and preparing for an offensive," the Kumogakure intelligence officer reported, lifting his head with a hint of disbelief. "It seems Konoha is planning to attack us head-on."
Crack—
The teacup in Fourth Raikage's hand shattered. He exhaled sharply, his anger barely contained. "What's the status of that new fortress Konoha built?"
"At noon today, Konoha received reinforcements at the fortress—less than fifty ninja in total," the intelligence officer replied. "It's believed Orochimaru, Konoha's commander, handed the fort over to them before mobilizing the main force toward us."
The Fourth Raikage narrowed his eyes but said nothing at first. Then, sweeping his gaze across the room, he asked in a low voice, "What do you all make of Orochimaru's actions?"
The room erupted into murmured discussions, but none of it amounted to much. The information they had was too limited to draw any solid conclusions.
On the surface, Orochimaru's intentions were straightforward: he was launching a direct assault on Kumogakure's fortress. Such a move only made sense if he believed Konoha's forces outmatched Kumogakure's—an assumption that couldn't be further from the truth.
Even if Orochimaru transformed into his infamous White Snake form, Kumogakure still had the power of two Jinchuriki to suppress him. There would be no chance for Konoha to break through, let alone take the fortress.
As for the rest of the Konoha forces, without Orochimaru, Kumogakure was confident they could crush them entirely.
The room fell into speculation, each shinobi wondering what other cards Orochimaru might be hiding. But no clear answers emerged. Among the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru was the most enigmatic.
"Brother, if you want to play defense, I'll go take out their stronghold," said Killer B, the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, rapping his words with a grin. "That place is practically empty—I could flatten it in a blink."
Fourth Raikage considered the idea but shook his head after a moment. "It's just a stronghold. If we can take down Orochimaru, we can destroy the base whenever we want."
Orochimaru's strange maneuver unsettled the Raikage. Dividing their forces now could leave them vulnerable. Better to stay cautious.
After a long pause, the Raikage issued his orders. "Have the scouting team continue monitoring Konoha's movements. Everyone else—stay sharp and prepare to fight."
With Orochimaru's troops out in the open and lacking any fortification, Kumogakure was in a prime position to strike. They had no secondary objectives clouding their focus—this was the perfect chance to eliminate Konoha's core fighting force.
Still, it was vital to confirm the enemy's true objective. If Orochimaru really intended to take the fortress, Kumogakure could exploit their defensive position. And if Konoha merely observed and retreated, Kumogakure could strike during the withdrawal.
Whether in offense or defense, Kumogakure held the advantage.
The Fourth Raikage leaned back, confidence returning to his expression.
Yes—this time, the battlefield was theirs to command.
Time passed in the blink of an eye. By late night, black clouds rolled overhead, casting darkness across the dense forest below.
Hidden within the shadows, Kumogakure's reconnaissance team lay in wait. Through their summoned beasts, they shared sensory perception and locked onto a specific area of the woods.
In their sensory vision, the scattered figures of the Konoha Ninja Army shimmered like stars in the dark.
They had been observing Konoha for some time now. Oddly enough, the enemy hadn't noticed nor made any move in response.
Did they not bring the Hyūga clan on this march?
Just as the thought crossed the team leader's mind, a sudden glow appeared in their vision—massive as a mountain, blotting out the starlight and dominating their field of view.
The captain's eyes widened in fear. Through the summoning link with the beast, the overwhelming chakra made his thoughts tremble.
Except for a tailed beast, he had never seen chakra of such magnitude.
Biting the tip of his tongue to clear his head, he snapped out of it and urgently shouted into the communicator:
"Konoha is attacking! Orochimaru has transformed again—into that monstrous white snake!"
The liaison team didn't dare delay and immediately relayed the message back to the Kumogakure stronghold.
The Fourth Raikage received the report quickly. A shadow of confusion flickered across his rough face.
"What forbidden jutsu is Orochimaru using now?"
They were still ten miles from the fortress—it was too early to be this aggressive.
Judging by his own standards, the Raikage assumed Orochimaru was trying to buy time for the Konoha army to approach—but he wouldn't let that happen.
"Killer B, Yugito—intercept him. Don't let Orochimaru get near the fortress. The rest of you, follow me—we attack!"
"Yes!"
With his order given, the ninja under his command leapt into action, vaulting out from the stronghold.
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