The Power of Konoha, the Sorrow of Kumogakure

Eight-Tails Gyuki threw back its head and roared.

The words "blood debt repaid in blood" thundered through the night sky, making even the earth tremble.

"Bzzzt—" The emergency alarm blared, jolting Kumogakure awake from its sleep.

"Emergency squads, assemble! The Eight-Tails has gone berserk!"

"The monster has gone mad again!"

The village descended into chaos, while the Eight-Tails' unique Chakra, brimming with malice, spread like wind feeding a fire, filling every Kumo-nin's heart with anxiety.

It was not as if Tailed Beast rampages had never happened before.

But in the past, there had only been partial leakage, and Kumogakure's Perception and Early Warning Department would immediately sound the alarm. As long as powerful shinobi rushed over and subdued the Jinchuriki, no major damage would be done.

But for it to go completely berserk right in the heart of the village—this was the first time!

"So this is a fully manifested Tailed Beast? Quite spectacular..." Orochimaru murmured, placing a Sealing Jutsu on the forehead of the dead Blue B.

To extract intelligence more effectively.

While the enraged Eight-Tails roared furiously at the sky.

Orochimaru controlled the Kusanagi Sword to carve off a chunk of flesh, then swiftly departed with Blue B, the former Jinchuriki, as Konoha's spoils of war.

"Genjutsu from the Kurama clan? Interesting..."

The Eight-Tails had fallen into an extreme rage. It cursed Kumogakure while continuously slamming its tentacles into the surrounding buildings, as though enemies were hiding there.

Even after being struck by the Kusanagi Sword, it merely tilted its head slightly and did not shift its attention toward Orochimaru.

"It's time to go. Genshin said the genjutsu won't last much longer..." With a thought from Orochimaru, a giant snake slithered out from his sleeve and swallowed Blue B.

At the same time.

Shimura Danzō, wielding Wind Release: Vacuum Sword, stabbed clean through the Kumo-nin Ninja Head Hizashi Hyuga had mentioned earlier.

The other Anbu had also completely torn open a gap in Kumogakure's outer defenses.

Under the cover of night, with the Byakugan gathering intelligence and the advantage of preparation over surprise, they carried out a flawless Silent Killing operation.

When Orochimaru reunited with Jiraiya and Kurama Genshin, the three formed a squad formation to guard against sudden enemy ambushes as they advanced swiftly...

They met no resistance.

Because Shimura Danzō and the Anbu had already killed them all.

"The mission went smoothly?" Shimura Danzō asked in a deep voice.

"Smoothly. You're quite capable too, aren't you?" Orochimaru chuckled. "How about taking these Kumo-nin with us? Their ranks are fairly high. They should have intelligence."

Shimura Danzō's face darkened. "No need for you to say it. We're already doing that."

Damn Orochimaru...

Back in Root, he had merely been one of his subordinates!

Now that he had attached himself to Hiruzen, he did not even know to address him as uncle-master, and he was actually criticizing his work?

Arrogant brat!

Orochimaru, you will regret this! Shimura Danzō shouted inwardly.

Yet his body was more honest, as he went to urge the Anbu to collect the Kumo-nin corpses.

They also concealed their tracks to avoid pursuers.

This isn't the time to bicker with that brat. Do my job properly first... Then find an opportunity to give Hiruzen a thorough complaint about him!

Orochimaru gave Shimura Danzō a rather surprised look.

He had actually not deliberately started an argument with him?

It seemed his teacher's reprimand had made him a little more mature...

I should pay a little more attention to Shimura Danzō. He seems to have grown a bit of a brain, Orochimaru thought.

At that moment, Hizashi Hyuga suddenly spoke. "The Eight-Tails is doing something... Is that a Tailed Beast Bomb?"

Everyone looked toward Kumogakure.

The Eight-Tails was gathering unsettling Chakra in its mouth. A blood-red sphere of Chakra particles was rapidly condensing and continuing to expand.

Shimura Danzō's eyes lit up.

If that exploded inside Kumogakure, it would truly be like setting off fireworks...

But a figure flashing with lightning suddenly charged at the Eight-Tails like a bolt of lightning!

"That's the Third Raikage..." A trace of delight appeared in Shimura Danzō's eyes.

If that hit dead-on...

What none of them expected was that the Third Raikage would thrust his hand straight out like a blade and choose to pierce the Eight-Tails' not-yet-fully-formed Tailed Beast Bomb, as if he were blowing himself up!

"Doesn't he care about his life?" Hizashi Hyuga muttered.

"He doesn't want the Tailed Beast Bomb to keep expanding. The larger it gets, the wider the blast radius..." Orochimaru analyzed.

The explosion's flash turned the night into day for an instant, and even the Konoha shinobi could feel the surging blast wave.

"He didn't die? He can still fight?" Hizashi Hyuga said in shock.

The aftershock of the Tailed Beast Bomb dissipated.

The Eight-Tails let out an enraged roar, while the Third Raikage's body crackled with lightning as he charged forward once more.

Man and Tailed Beast were actually locked in a savage physical battle.

In terms of physical conditioning, the Third Raikage had already surpassed the limits of what shinobi could comprehend.

"What a monster, that guy..." Jiraiya remarked sincerely.

"Against Lightning Release Armor of that caliber, it would likely take exceptionally advanced Wind Release to break through, wouldn't it? Compound Wind Release ninjutsu might work even better..." Orochimaru licked the corner of his lips.

His body is tough. Is his soul just as tough? There will always be a way.

"I'll have a good talk with Sensei."

Orochimaru recalled the Earth Spear: Full Coverage he had used when sparring with Hiruzen Sarutobi and thought, I wonder whether Sensei, in his current condition, can try training in this Lightning Style Nintaijutsu as well?

Perhaps that would be asking too much of Sensei. Though he has grown younger, he is still getting on in years.

Seeing the Third Raikage's overwhelming strength, Orochimaru could not help but feel excited.

The Shinobi World was not a stagnant pond. Heroes were rising everywhere...

If they did not improve, their enemies would catch up to them!

Shimura Danzō narrowed his eyes slightly. The Third Raikage's strength had exceeded his expectations.

It also made him more vigilant in his own training.

Shimura Danzō was not weak. In the field of Wind Release, he was proud enough to claim that even Hiruzen Sarutobi could not compare to him.

Even against the Third Raikage's Lightning Armor, he was confident that the enhanced Wind Release granted by his Summoning Beast could inflict damage...

But the problem was, fighting an enemy was not simply a matter of casting ninjutsu.

How would the Summoning Beast survive? What if the enemy got close? These were all factors that needed to be considered and contested...

If I want to become Hokage, I can't neglect my strength either... Damn Hiruzen, secretly training on his own!

But he's right... Assassinating the Jinchuriki alone won't be enough to deal with Kumogakure. We need to expand the results, just as he said.

The information in those Kumo-nin's brains is the best material we have for analyzing the Third Raikage. As they retreated, such thoughts surfaced in Shimura Danzō's mind, and he abruptly shook his head.

Even if he was going to learn the essence of being Hokage...

He could not keep agreeing with that guy in his heart. He had to maintain independent thinking!

Shimura Danzō reminded himself of this.

After the squad secretly returned to Konoha.

The corpses of Blue B and the Kumo Ninja Head were sent to the Analysis Division, where Yamanaka Clan shinobi extracted the information within them.

Ten days later.

Konoha, conference room of the Hokage Office Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi held the materials on Lightning Style Nintaijutsu in his hands, reading them with rapt attention.

He waited for Orochimaru and the others to arrive.