With a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, Orochimaru walked out of the Hokage Office Building and stopped at the entrance.
Beside him, Fugaku Uchiha wore a solemn expression, as if he were walking a tightrope over a bottomless chasm, not daring to let his guard down for even a moment.
He's another man who can't afford to lose...
Orochimaru chuckled to himself. Whether this war ended in victory or defeat, for him it was merely a question of winning more or less.
But just as being Hokage was Old Man's entire life, the Uchiha Clan was practically Fugaku's whole reason for living. He was truly wagering everything on this war. How could he not be anxious and on edge?
He couldn't go into battle in this state of mind. It was rare to find a Uchiha Clan Head so easy to manipulate.
Orochimaru placed a hand on Fugaku Uchiha's shoulder and said calmly, "Clan Head Fugaku, do you still remember our agreement?"
Fugaku's face darkened, and he gave a slight nod.
How could he forget the decision he'd been forced to make that day?
They would use the war to inflict heavy losses on his clan, thereby completely clearing the Uchiha of suspicion that they were plotting a rebellion and putting a stop to anyone else trying to slander them.
In the long run, this would undoubtedly benefit the Uchiha greatly. But whenever he thought of sacrificing the lives of so many of his people, he spent night after night tossing and turning, unable to sleep, wondering if he had made the right choice.
Orochimaru saw Fugaku's guilt and said calmly, "I told you, I have no intention of deliberately harming the Uchiha. That would be too crude and obvious."
"Kumogakure has sent the Raikage and two Jinchuriki this time, but I've already improved the Barrier Ninjutsu that can restrain them and taught it to your people."
Orochimaru patted Fugaku on the shoulder. "Instead of agonizing over it here, think about how to minimize casualties and earn more merit."
Fugaku seemed lost in thought, but Orochimaru had already stepped forward. He surveyed the shinobi unit that had been waiting for some time and grinned coldly. "Move out!"
"Yes!"
After a flurry of rushing wind, the area in front of the Hokage Building stood empty.
Within Konoha's borders, a squat, circular fortress lay hidden in the forest, its outer walls concealed by vines and branches.
Normally, even if someone spotted it, they might assume it was an abandoned building. But the Kumogakure shinobi who had come here clearly knew better.
The Fourth Raikage spoke in a deep, heavy voice. "Yugito, destroy it."
A woman with straight, sandy-brown hair sprang forward from behind him. In midair, she transformed into a two-tailed cat wreathed in blue flames.
"Boom!"
She didn't need to use a ninjutsu. In her Complete Tailed Beast Transformation, Yugito Nii slammed her enormous body straight into the fortress.
The outer wall collapsed and the earth and stone crumbled. Along with the trees and vines, the small fortress was flattened in an instant, unable to put up any resistance.
"That makes thirteen. We've got half left."
A flash of regret crossed the Fourth Raikage's eyes—a fury directed at the rich bastards.
A shinobi war was different from skirmishes between small squads. Shinobi units, often numbering in the hundreds, needed outposts where they could safely rest and regroup. That was why every hidden village built its own bases along the border.
These fortresses were the sort of structures Konoha only used during wartime. They incorporated various defenses, including Barrier Ninjutsu and Fūinjutsu. They were easy enough to destroy now, but if one had been activated and defended by a few shinobi, destroying it would have taken at least ten times the effort.
What enraged the Raikage was just how many outposts Konoha had built.
There were as many as twenty-six just to guard against the Land of Lightning, and that didn't include any the spies had yet to discover.
But they couldn't simply leave them standing, either. Konoha's Fūinjutsu and Barrier Ninjutsu had been passed down by the Uzumaki Clan, making its fortifications absurdly sturdy.
If the Konoha Shinobi Army sent to repel Kumogakure's surprise attack could use these outposts, they would be able to form a defensive line at their leisure.
And that would foil their plans.
"Phew..."
After completely destroying the fortress, Yugito ended her Tailed Beast Transformation and let out a deep breath.
The Fourth Raikage's rugged face showed his satisfaction. Yugito was unquestionably weaker than him, but for large-scale destruction, a Jinchuriki who could transform into a Tailed Beast was better suited to the task.
Seeing that Yugito had gone a little pale, the Fourth Raikage asked directly, "Yugito, how much longer can your body hold out?"
"I can keep going." Yugito knew the strategic importance of destroying these turtle shells, so she quickly straightened up. "Lord Raikage, Matatabi and I are of one mind. You don't need to worry about me."
The Fourth Raikage glanced around at the other Kumogakure shinobi and said, "Let's rest for a little while."
When Yugito looked ready to insist on pushing herself, he added, "Destroying Konoha's fortresses isn't our only goal. You'll be indispensable in the fighting ahead."
Hearing that, Yugito could only use the time to recover her strength.
"Whoosh..."
A Kumogakure shinobi suddenly appeared and handed over a document. "Lord Raikage, this is intelligence from Konoha."
The Fourth Raikage took the report and skimmed through it, his brow furrowing.
It contained only two pieces of information, but both were crucial: the Uchiha Police Force had mobilized in full, and the Konoha Shinobi Army was being led by one of the Sannin, Orochimaru.
The latter was somewhat unexpected. During the Third Shinobi World War, Orochimaru hadn't led a shinobi force; he had joined Root instead.
"So even an old relic from a bygone era is going to fight again. Hmph..."
Though he said that, the Fourth Raikage didn't dare underestimate Orochimaru. He ordered a Kumogakure shinobi from the Intelligence Division, "Tell Killer B to speed up his sweep of Konoha's garrison in the Land of Hot Water. If he hasn't dealt with those rats by nightfall, he should abandon the mission and hurry to the rally point."
"Yes!"
At the order, the Intelligence Division sprang into action, using specially trained summoning beasts to relay the message.
The Fourth Raikage gazed into the distance and sighed. "Konoha's reserves are truly enviable."
During the First Shinobi World War, Konoha had stood against four great shinobi villages on its own without falling behind. After the deaths of the Second Hokage and the other founding-era powerhouses, it had produced the Sannin—Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade.
During the Third Shinobi World War, Minato and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had also been highly active, making them difficult to stop.
Now, despite the losses from the Nine-Tails Incident—damage that would have taken other villages years to recover from—Konoha had once again managed to field a shinobi army to fight Kumogakure.
If Konoha had enough time to recover, who knew what kind of shinobi it would produce next?
The Fourth Raikage rumbled, "Yugito, recover as quickly as you can. A troublesome figure has arrived, and we don't have much time."
"Yes!" Yugito Nii immediately got to her feet. "Lord Raikage, we can set out now."
Even if it meant injuring herself, she wanted to do her part for the village.
The Fourth Raikage weighed the threat posed by Konoha's outposts. "Very well. We need to take down these fortresses as soon as possible."
Thanks to "Bandaru" for the tip.
Before you continue