Cloud Hidden Raid

The sky was pitch black, with dark clouds churning and spreading to shroud the moonlight and starlight.

Hundreds of dark shadows darted through the gaps between tree trunks and branches, startling the birds and beasts in the forest.

Suddenly, a horn sounded, and the march of the Konoha ninja army came to a halt. They stopped among the trees and forest floor, eyes scanning their surroundings with vigilance, as if some wild beast might suddenly spring out from the darkness.

The commander who had ordered the troops to stop stood on a treetop, gazing into the distance at the night.

Orochimaru licked his lips. "As expected, something is wrong there."

By now, the Konoha forces had penetrated deep into the region controlled by Kumogakure, yet the expected interception had not occurred.

Some Kumogakure ninjas were patrolling the edge of the Byakugan's field of vision, not harassing the march, as if merely confirming the location of the Konoha army.

"What exactly does Kumogakure want? Do they want to swallow this army in one bite? No, that's impossible."

Orochimaru dismissed the thought in his mind. It wasn't that it was impossible, but rather that it was the least cost-effective method for Kumogakure.

Kumogakure held the advantage of the first strike this time; by the time the Konoha army had arrived, their fortresses along the border of the Land of Fire had already been initially constructed. They wouldn't be foolish enough to engage Konoha in a head-on battle.

Furthermore, the intentions of Kumogakure analyzed from the very beginning dictated that they would not be so aggressive.

"However, they have still adopted a stance of fighting a decisive battle."

A look of interest appeared on Orochimaru's face as he muttered to himself, "So, it's not about destroying this army at all costs, but about doing everything in their power to prevent us from establishing a stronghold."

From the perspective of Kumogakure, this was indeed the most advantageous approach for them.

If the Konoha forces did not occupy a fortress, they would always need to be on guard against surprise attacks; whether it was harassment or a full-scale war, it was entirely up to them to decide.

Unless they withdrew from the region controlled by Kumogakure, they would only be exhausted from running around in circles.

Orochimaru had considered this point, but he had initially thought the enemy would use harassment and interception tactics to cut away at them like a dull knife, not expecting them to aim for a single, decisive blow.

Orochimaru looked up toward the depths of the forest, where a beast seemed to be lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to attack.

By doing this, Kumogakure had indeed grasped the weak point of the Konoha army.

Destruction is always easier than protection; even Orochimaru could not guarantee that he could successfully protect the fortress under the siege of Kumogakure.

Not to mention, the enemy also had two Jinchuriki capable of Tailed Beast transformation.

Kumogakure was greedier and braver than he had imagined, choosing to start a white-hot confrontation from the very beginning.

Orochimaru shook his head; the current situation was too clear, and that was not a good thing.

Now, Kumogakure was focusing its strength on surveillance rather than harassment, making it difficult to stir up trouble right under their noses.

Only by throwing the situation into chaos could he fish in troubled waters and find an opportunity to activate the fortress's defensive Barrier Team.

Thinking of this, Orochimaru spoke, "Fugaku, assemble the Barrier Team."

He intended to move up the troop division he had decided on earlier.

Unlike standard types, the highest-level Konoha fortresses were not only extremely secretive but also followed the strategy of "a cunning rabbit has three burrows," meaning there was not just one.

When building it, two fake ones would be constructed alongside it to cover their tracks and confuse the enemy.

Orochimaru had originally intended to use the ninja army and one fake fortress as a cover to activate the defensive barrier of the real fortress, but with the current level of surveillance by Kumogakure, the probability of success doing only that was too low.

Upon hearing this, Fugaku Uchiha gave orders to his clansmen, and before long, four four-man squads appeared before Orochimaru.

Orochimaru selected two of them and gave instructions to his guards.

"Shisui, Kakashi, you two will each lead a squad of Jonin to escort them to the designated location. You must activate the fortress's formation."

"Yes!" Two figures leaped out from the crowd, each taking a squad and disappearing into the forest.

A look of worry flashed in Fugaku's eyes. "Lord Orochimaru, dividing our forces at a time like this, I'm afraid..."

"Do not worry, this was never a contest of raw combat power."

Orochimaru glanced at Fugaku and said slowly, "Of the two teams, one is to provide cover for the other; the probability of success is very high."

"Both of them are the most elite Jonin; they know what to do."

"Besides, with us acting as a distraction, Kumogakure will not, and dare not, divert too much energy."

"Cast aside any unnecessary distractions; there is still a fierce battle ahead."

In the deep night, a figure leaped out from the shadows and said respectfully, "Lord Raikage, Konoha has indeed divided their forces. One squad is heading toward the southeast."

The Fourth Raikage did not look up, asking in a muffled voice, "What is their strength?"

"Four Chunin, four Uchiha Jonin; their strength is very formidable. One of them seems to be Body Flicker Shisui. There are also two four-man squads that appear to be the Barrier Team."

Although the Kumogakure ninja was guessing, his tone was very certain, clearly having a deep understanding of the Konoha ninjas. "Our surveillance squad didn't dare to alert the enemy; they retreated immediately after probing and are now watching from afar."

Beside him, Yugito Nii suddenly interjected, "My lord, given the scale of the Konoha army, four Uchiha Jonin are not a small force. Their destination must be to activate a fortress."

The Fourth Raikage nodded. "That is a possibility, but we cannot ignore the chance that this squad is acting as cover for the main force."

Yugito Nii said confidently, "My lord, let me go and deal with them. It's only four Jonin; I can take care of them by myself."

Dealing with four ordinary Jonin with the strength of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki would indeed not take much effort, but these were Uchiha...

The Fourth Raikage frowned. "Yugito, take a squad of Jonin with you as backup."

Before she could force herself to speak, the Fourth Raikage added, "Whether or not you eliminate them is not important; the primary mission is to destroy the target fortress."

Yugito opened her mouth, but under the Fourth Raikage's stern gaze, she could only reply, "Yes!"

Having said that, she leaped into the air and vanished into the night, with one jonin and three chunin quickly following in her wake.

"Yo-yo, Big Brother, want to make a bet?" Killer B said in his peculiar cadence. "Guess whether this squad is responsible for the real fortress."

"Whether it is real or fake, they cannot possibly succeed; Yugito will take care of them."

The Fourth Raikage glared at Killer B and said in a deep voice, "Besides, on our side, we will absolutely not let them succeed..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a massive explosion erupted from the forest, followed by a conspicuous pillar of light that appeared in the dim night sky.

Looking up at the pillar of light, which was incredibly obvious in the darkness, the Fourth Raikage sneered, "Is Konoha issuing a challenge to me?"

"Killer B, come with me to meet them!"

Several miles away, Orochimaru, with the help of the Barrier Team, wrapped a building in a barrier, leaving its only function to be shining brightly.

Fugaku's eye twitched. "Lord Orochimaru, this is too obvious."

"Heh, that is exactly the point." Orochimaru scoffed. "Even if everyone knows it is a fake, Kumogakure will not dare to treat it as one."

Thanks to "Bandaru" for the tip.