They said that battle reports could lie, but the front lines couldn't.
Sometimes, though, that wasn't necessarily true.
Ever since "Orochimaru" had arrived at the front and taken command, Konoha and Kumogakure had fought a series of major battles. The Kumogakure army kept advancing step by step, while Konoha's forces continued to retreat.
From the front lines, there was no doubt that the Kumogakure army was winning.
But in the eyes of the ninjas on both sides, Konoha's forces had the upper hand. Even when they retreated, they did so with smiles and laughter.
How could they not be happy?
Every battle began with Konoha ambushing Kumogakure, and every time, the Kumogakure ninjas were torn to pieces while Konoha suffered no casualties.
Every advance by the Kumogakure army relied on the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki's Tailed Beast Ball, which blasted the battlefield into ruins.
Those world-shattering Tailed Beast Balls didn't merely leave a few enormous craters on the battlefield. They completely changed the terrain, yet somehow failed to achieve a single victory.
So how could the Konoha ninjas not be happy?
Now, all they talked about was calculating how many lives the Kumogakure army had lost to advance a thousand meters.
They would also loudly discuss how far the Kumogakure army might get before all its ninjas died along the way.
Konoha's morale was high, while Kumogakure's was naturally low.
And the closer they got to Konoha, the lower it sank.
Even Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and the greatest contributor to repeatedly breaking through Konoha's defenses and forcing them to retreat, had completely lost his smile.
He didn't even feel like singing anymore.
It wasn't until the Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure had coordinated the reinforcements, arranged the lengthy supply lines, and reached the front line that the Kumogakure army's morale finally recovered.
After learning the situation, the Fourth Raikage didn't blame his younger brother or his subordinates.
Looking at the battle reports, he sighed with emotion. "I thought Konoha would be easy to crush after the Nine-Tails' attack left them without the Fourth Hokage. I never expected Orochimaru to be so capable."
"Konoha's front line is tough and resilient, while its two flanks keep launching ambushes. They're all old tricks from the Great Ninja Wars, but for Orochimaru to win every time is simply unbelievable."
"The question is, how does he make sure every one of his ambushes succeeds, while ours are guaranteed to fail? It's completely abnormal."
Killer B asked, "Big Brother, could it be a spy?"
The Fourth Raikage shook his head. "A spy might steal our battle plans, but intelligence is always outdated. There's no way it could guarantee victory every time."
"I suspect Konoha has developed a special scouting technique—one with better observation skills and a wider range than the Byakugan or Kikaichū."
Killer B gaped. "W-what do we do?"
The Fourth Raikage sneered. "Easy. Your plan is the right one."
"We haven't completely broken through Konoha's defenses because you alone aren't strong enough. Add me, the Raikage, and we'll force Orochimaru to show himself."
The Fourth Raikage clenched his fists and said fiercely, "As long as that stinking snake dares to appear, I'll kill him in front of everyone!"
"Once Orochimaru is dead, the Konoha ninjas here will collapse, and Konoha will have no Kage Level ninja left who can hold the whole village together!"
Dodai cautioned him, "Lord Raikage, I have to remind you not to be too optimistic."
"The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, who's nearly sixty, is no threat. Shimura Danzō is a sewer rat. But Konoha's Sannin are in their prime."
"If you kill Orochimaru, you'll inevitably anger Jiraiya and Tsunade, who are wandering outside the village. They'll certainly return to Konoha."
"That would mean two more powerful Kage Level ninjas. The pressure we face might end up even greater."
The Fourth Raikage was speechless.
"Dodai, what you're saying is true... and I hate it!"
Dodai bowed respectfully. "It's my duty, Lord Raikage."
The Fourth Raikage chuckled. "Good. You're right to do it."
"But Orochimaru still has to die."
"Whether it's Jiraiya, Tsunade, or even Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō all coming together, I, the Fourth Raikage, fear none of them!"
The Fourth Raikage's arrival greatly boosted the Kumogakure ninjas' morale.
Yamanaka Chujiu immediately sensed their rising spirits and concluded that the Fourth Raikage had arrived at the front.
Against the perfect man, Killer B, he could direct the Konoha ninjas to set traps and use the ebb and flow of battle to keep B off balance, limiting how much of his strength he could bring to bear.
But adding the Fourth Raikage, whose speed, defense, and offense were all at their peak, was beyond what tactics could handle.
Yamanaka Chujiu couldn't help sticking out his tongue and licking his cheeks, eyes, and forehead.
Then, in horrified realization, he hastily drew his tongue back in.
Using Orochimaru's name, Yamanaka Chujiu summoned the Konoha ninjas and informed them that the Fourth Raikage had reached the front line.
Right in front of Yamanaka Chujiu, dozens of Konoha jōnin all sucked in a sharp breath.
The sound was so loud that it startled them.
In an era when Kage Level ninjas stood at the pinnacle, the Fourth Raikage was a monster among monsters.
He and his father, the Third Raikage, had broken the curse of the fragile ninja. The Lightning Release Chakra Mode gave them monstrous defensive power.
Not even having ninjutsu slammed into their faces or Explosive Tags detonated against their bodies could tear through the skin of these two monsters.
In the Shinobi World, only the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki's Dust Release could penetrate the defenses of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
The two generations of Raikage had more than just incredible defense. Their attacks were powerful enough to kill any ninja, and their speed was unmatched.
Only the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, known as the Yellow Flash, could outpace the Raikage.
The last time the Kumogakure army had halted its advance and agreed to a truce, the Fourth Hokage had taken on the AB Duo by himself.
The Hokage couldn't penetrate the Raikage's defenses, and the Raikage couldn't touch the Hokage. Neither could do anything to the other.
Only Killer B, who'd taken ten Rasengan and been beaten into the dirt, had become a hostage who forced the Fourth Raikage to give up.
But the Fourth Hokage had already died. Could Orochimaru beat the Fourth Raikage?
Yamanaka Chujiu didn't know if his teacher Orochimaru could do it, but he knew he certainly couldn't.
Huoyun Cthulhu had once said, "The world's martial arts are invincible, but speed is the one thing that cannot be overcome!"
Against the Fourth Raikage's extreme speed, even if his Heart Severing Realm could sense him, there was no way to escape his pursuit.
"No. There's no way I can handle this alone!"
"Even if I launch the raid on their supply lines ahead of time, I can only draw away one member of the AB Duo at most. My clones can't carry the Heart Severing Realm, so there's no way I can fight them head-on."
"I need a real hard case who can hold off the Fourth Raikage head-on and create an opening for me to use my tactics."
"Someone like my teacher Orochimaru..."
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