Chapter 144: Kirigakure? Might as Well Change the Name!

"Yagura-sama, are we really going to attack the Kumo?" "Of course..." "But given the Third Raikage's temperament, if we strike now, he'll definitely retaliate as soon as he recovers. Can Kirigakure withstand that?" Chūkichi was deeply concerned. As a Jōnin of Kirigakure, he wasn't entirely unaware of the village's decisions. The assault on the Land of Lightning wasn't just a war fueled by clan greed—it was also part of their pledge to surrender to Konoha. However… He was well aware of the price of attacking the Land of Lightning. Kumogakure was war-hungry. Those people were lunatics who acted without regard for consequences. From a pure power standpoint, Kirigakure had no chance of actually defeating them… If they provoked the Kumo, were they expecting Konoha to come to their rescue? From his perspective, attacking Kumogakure was not a wise decision. But Yagura didn't see it that way. He simply smiled and gazed westward. "Chūkichi, do you remember when I had the Anbu sell a piece of intelligence to Ōnoki?" Yagura paused for a second, then shifted his gaze toward the Land of Lightning. "If everything went as expected, Konoha should be in a full-scale war with Iwagakure by now." Chūkichi suddenly understood. The Kumogakure had been unstoppable lately. Rumor had it that Konoha had been continuously retreating, shrinking the front lines all the way into the Land of Fire. That had never happened before. So, Konoha and Iwagakure were already fighting! "Then shouldn't we be attacking Konoha instead?" "That's certainly an option, but I believe Konoha will win. By taking action now, we'll be in a better position to explain ourselves to Konoha later—and we can still reap some benefits." Yagura spoke with confidence. Of course… His reasoning wasn't just based on "intuition." He simply had faith that that person would come up with some unfathomable strategy to defeat that old fox, Ōnoki. Victory would likely belong to Konoha in the end. Given that, attacking Konoha in direct defiance of their agreement—especially when their elite forces were stationed there—would be a foolish move if the ambush failed. Yagura thought to himself. "We're almost at the shore. Prepare for battle." "No… Yagura-sama, something strange is happening. Many Kudo-nin seem to be moving west." Chūkichi was stunned. His sensory abilities were strong, allowing him to detect the enemy’s movements earlier than most. Clearly… This was a force meant to guard against Kirigakure's ambush. Yet now, they were rushing west, seemingly to support another battlefront. What was going on? Even Yagura was momentarily confused, staring blankly. "That doesn’t make sense… Could it be that Konoha is making a desperate move and abandoning the western front against the Kumo?" "Is Konoha's Hokage insane?" Chūkichi was incredulous. If Konoha abandoned the western front, Iwagakure would completely overrun them! Based on everything he knew about Konoha… That was impossible! "Hard to say. That person is capable of anything. Of course, there is another possibility… but I really hope it isn't the case." Yagura trailed off cryptically. But… Chūkichi understood. The other possibility… Konoha may have already defeated Iwagakure’s western forces in just a few days and was now redeploying troops to encircle the Kumo, forcing them to divert reinforcements westward. If that were true, Konoha’s strength would be terrifying! "No time to overthink it. Find a stronghold weakened by their troop withdrawal and attack it." "Understood!" --- Kumogakure… "Raikage-sama, you've returned just in time!" "Did Kirigakure really launch an ambush?" The Third Raikage smirked coldly. "Those two-faced rats. The moment I saw Konoha’s numbers didn’t add up on the front lines, I knew they weren’t fully committing to the eastern front!" "No… Er, yes, Kirigakure did attack, but it was just harassment and small-scale skirmishes. Annoying, but not significant. You should take a look at this." The Anbu captain handed him a report. The Third Raikage frowned. He had returned from the front lines precisely because he felt something was off about Kirigakure’s actions and wanted to oversee things personally. His original plan was to personally crush those traitors! But… After reading the report, he fell silent. Iwa-nin? Why are they here?! "Raikage-sama…" "Has Ōnoki lost his mind? Instead of crushing Konoha while they were vulnerable, he teamed up with them to attack me?!" The veins on the Third Raikage’s forehead bulged in fury. He had expected Konoha to have a hidden trump card, but he always assumed it was on the Kirigakure front. This turn of events made no sense. Kirigakure’s betrayal didn’t surprise him at all. That village was a chaotic mess, full of warring clans. No decision they made was truly shocking. But… Iwagakure was essentially Ōnoki’s personal fiefdom. Under his leadership, the village had grown into a powerful force, and Ōnoki was no fool—he knew that Konoha was still the strongest village. Why would he stab him in the back? "Raikage-sama, I have a theory… We've been making such rapid progress in the east. Could it be that Konoha secretly pulled back some forces to deal with Iwagakure, which is why—" "They withdrew some forces?" The Third Raikage knew that in moments of crisis, staying calm was crucial. Rather than raging, he focused on thinking things through. After a moment, he nodded. "Go on." "If that’s the case, then… could it be that Ōnoki has already lost?" The Anbu captain voiced his theory— Even he found it hard to believe, but it was the only possibility that made sense. "Ōnoki… lost?" The Third Raikage turned to stare at his Anbu captain, as if the man had lost his mind. Iwagakure had spent years preparing for this war, while Konoha had been weakened by conflicts with Sunagakure and was fighting on multiple fronts. By all logic, they should have been at a disadvantage. Assassination tactics? Nonsense… That was Ōnoki they were talking about! Even he, the Third Raikage, had no surefire counter to Dust Release and Light-Heavy Rock techniques. He couldn't think of anyone in Konoha capable of assassinating Ōnoki. Yet, he couldn't explain why Ōnoki would suddenly turn against him. After a few seconds, he gave up trying to make sense of it. Now was not the time for hesitation or doubt. "Use the Heavenly Transfer Jutsu to send me to the front lines. No matter what, the situation has changed—we must retreat!" "The Heavenly Transfer Jutsu? But, Raikage-sama, this jutsu is meant for sending messages! We can just relay the information; there's no need to take such a risk!" The captain of the Anbu was stunned. Send the Raikage? If anything went wrong, the Kumogakure would be finished. "I must go to the front lines. Otherwise, 'A' might make his own decisions. And… Konoha may not simply let them go. If I don’t go, our losses will be even greater." The Third Raikage’s voice was firm and unwavering. "But—" "Follow orders!" "Yes!" The Heavenly Transfer Jutsu was meant for sending messages, not people. This would be the first time. As he performed the jutsu, his hands trembled—if something went wrong, even death wouldn’t be enough to atone. Meanwhile, at the front lines— Konoha’s forces had pulled back significantly, while the Kumogakure continued their layered advance. Under Orochimaru’s meticulous battlefield control, A and Killer Bee had yet to realize anything was amiss. "Orochimaru, I just got word—the western front is victorious! Minato is now with Kyoichi and Onoki, preparing to cut off the Land of Lightning’s border routes!" "When did this happen?" Orochimaru shot up from his seat. Even he couldn’t help but lose his composure. Victory? And Onoki is joining the assault on Kumogakure? Impossible! It happened too fast! "The battle was won yesterday. Last night, Onoki returned to his country to gather reinforcements. He should already be at the Land of Lightning’s border by now." Jiraiya was elated. They had actually done it! He didn’t know exactly what role Minato had played in the battle, but achieving victory so quickly meant that everyone had contributed significantly. Now, the key was the eastern battlefront. "Excellent, excellent…" Orochimaru was just as excited. He had expected a longer stalemate. Moments ago, he had even considered pulling back further, but beyond this point lay villages in the Land of Fire. If they let the Kumogakure advance any further, the consequences would be unpredictable. Now, there was no need to hesitate. The time for counterattack had come! "What about Kyoichi’s group?" "They said nothing—left the decision to us." "That makes sense. We know this battlefield better, and they don’t understand the current situation. If they act rashly, it could backfire… Wait! We’ll let the Kumogakure retreat first, then pursue them!" Orochimaru suppressed his excitement. Now was not the time to strike— But… They could start surveillance. He quickly issued orders, mobilizing the Hyuga, Aburame, and other clans specializing in reconnaissance to closely monitor the Kumo-nin’s movements. S~eaʀᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However… Before long, he received a startling report. The Third Raikage had returned. Thankfully, they hadn’t launched their attack yet. Otherwise, they would’ve been in serious trouble. "The Third Raikage was teleported back? Does the Kumogakure have a technique similar to the Flying Thunder God?" Jiraiya was incredulous. "No, it’s impossible for it to be like the Flying Thunder God. My guess is that only the Third Raikage could withstand the backlash. His Lightning Release Armor and sheer physical resilience are on another level…" Orochimaru licked his lips. Having witnessed the Third Raikage’s battle against the Eight-Tails, he knew just how terrifying that man was. Even if he and Jiraiya fought together, victory wasn’t guaranteed. He would love to capture him for research! Unfortunately… That was nothing more than a dream. With the Third Raikage back at the front lines, Konoha immediately pulled back their forces. "Father, why are you back?" A was confused. Hadn’t his father gone to prepare for a possible Kirigakure ambush? What was going on now? The Third Raikage glanced outside, his expression darkening. In a cold voice, he said, "Before I left, I told you not to push further in. But now, you’ve advanced this deep into the Land of Fire. Do you not realize the risk of Konoha or another force cutting off our retreat?" "Impossible! Konoha is locked in a bloody battle with Onoki in the west, and we’re pressing them on the front lines. How could they have the resources—" A had no idea about the looming crisis. The Third Raikage let out a cold chuckle. "No resources? Onoki’s forces have already reached the Land of Lightning’s border! If I had arrived any later, Orochimaru would have led an encirclement!" "What?!" A’s eyes widened in shock. Onoki at the Land of Lightning’s border? Impossible! "Listen to my orders! Full retreat! Abandon anything non-essential! Our primary objective is to return to the Land of Lightning!" "Yes!" Although the Third Raikage had slowly begun delegating some power to A, he was still the Raikage. His prestige among the ninja was unmatched. At his command, the entire force sprang into action. Within moments— The entire Kumogakure encampment was moving northward in retreat. However… The moment they moved, Konoha also sprang into action. Orochimaru was cunning. The Third Raikage was powerful, but Orochimaru had no intention of facing him directly. Along the retreat path, the forests were filled with giant snakes and swarms of parasitic insects. Thick fog blanketed the area. This was the Hiding in Mist Technique! At that moment, the Kumo-nin had the same thought as Onoki earlier— The Kirigakure was utterly useless! Even their signature jutsu had been stolen by Konoha. What was the point of them even existing anymore? As they advanced, A grew increasingly frustrated with Orochimaru’s tactics. His methods seemed weak and non-lethal, but they were exasperatingly effective. No matter how much damage they took, it didn’t matter— They just couldn’t catch the Konoha forces. It was pure, unrelenting harassment!