Nigge?

Land of Fire border.

The night was as dark as ink, and stars dotted the vast canopy of the sky. A cold wind swept through the jungle, bringing with it a hint of bloodlust.

A burly, dark-skinned man with bulging muscles stood at the front of the group. His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's as he barked, "Move faster!"

His voice was like thunder, exploding through the silent night and making everyone's hearts shudder.

"Yes!"

At his words, the Cloud Ninjas behind him answered in unison and quickened their pace.

They wore the black cloaks unique to the Cloud Village, turning into streaks of swift shadows beneath the moon as they darted through the mountains and forests, heading straight for their destination.

The man at the head of the group was none other than the current Raikage of Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage Ay.

Ay had been born with immense strength. Lightning Release chakra enveloped his body, granting him speed and defensive power comparable to that of a monster.

Not only did he suppress his enemies with thunderous force, but his unmatched strength also kept the entire Cloud Village tightly united.

His philosophy was simple: only strength could protect peace.

The people of the Cloud Village strongly agreed with this philosophy.

In addition, the Fourth Raikage had another policy: bring back Kekkei Genkai users from other villages at any cost!

They were always looking for opportunities to expand the Cloud Village's influence.

Whether it was the Hinata kidnapping incident from the original story or the many times they forcibly abducted Kekkei Genkai carriers throughout the Ninja World, the Cloud Village's actions had long since stirred resentment among the other hidden villages.

In the eyes of outsiders, the Cloud Ninjas were nothing but outright bandits.

The Fourth Raikage Ay stood at the head of the Cloud Village forces, his gaze blazing.

"What has the reconnaissance unit found?" he asked in a low voice.

For this operation, he had brought not only the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito, but also his younger brother, Killer B. He was clearly determined to succeed.

A Cloud Ninja wearing goggles leaped forward and dropped to one knee, his voice grave. "Lord Raikage, there's nothing unusual in the direction of Konoha."

"The border is still being patrolled by the usual Konoha Ninja. They haven't noticed our movements."

At this, Ay furrowed his brow and scoffed. "Hmph. Those guys are as arrogant as ever!"

In his view, the intelligence coming out of Konoha was almost certainly exaggerated.

Perhaps Konoha was currently being torn apart by power struggles among the various hidden villages and had no time to spare for Kumogakure's surprise attack!

With that thought, he wasted no time. Lightning flared around his body, and he became a dazzling bolt of lightning, breaching Konoha's border in an instant!

In an instant, Lightning Release thundered, and every Konoha Ninja along the way was crushed beneath the lightning.

He stopped and looked back, his gaze sharp as he faced the elite Cloud Ninja behind him. He shouted, "Move faster! Tonight, we'll trample Konoha!"

The Cloud Ninjas answered in unison, "Yes!"

The night wind howled, and their fighting spirit surged.

"Stay alert!"

A sudden voice rang out among the group. The speaker was Shi, a sensory-type jōnin among the Cloud Ninja.

Ay turned toward Shi and asked with a frown, "Shi, what is it?"

Shi's face was deathly pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He looked terrified, as if he had sensed something unimaginably frightening.

"Lord Raikage, the direction of Ko... Konoha..." Shi stammered.

Ay's brow furrowed more deeply. He urged in a low voice, "Speak clearly!"

Shi took a deep breath and reported loudly, his expression grave. "We've detected two incredibly powerful chakra signatures in the direction of Konoha!"

"Hmm?"

Ay's gaze darkened. Their chakra was far stronger than that of ordinary ninja?

A possibility immediately came to mind: Could it be the Nine-Tails?

But so what if it was the Nine-Tails? He had suppressed even the Eight-Tails before. What could the Nine-Tails do to him?

But why were there two signatures? As far as he knew, Konoha shouldn't have many people with such enormous chakra. Could one of them be Jiraiya, one of the Sannin?

"No... It's something even more terrifying than the Nine-Tails!"

Shi's voice trembled, revealing a terror unlike anything he had ever felt.

Ay's pupils contracted slightly, and the Cloud Ninjas all stopped in their tracks. An oppressive atmosphere filled the air.

In the darkness of the night, a blurred figure appeared silently, its outline gradually becoming clear in the moonlight.

The next moment, shadows surged like raging waves, and a vast torrent of chakra swept forth, as if it would tear the heavens and earth apart.

"Roar—!"

A deafening roar rang through the skies. Heavy footsteps shattered the earth, and the colossal creature finally came fully into view.

Nine monstrous tails swayed through the air, and the Tailed Beast's savage aura flooded the area, leaving everyone breathless.

"T-The Nine-Tails?!"

"It really is the Nine-Tails!"

The Cloud Ninja forces erupted in an uproar, staring in terror at the Tailed Beast, even larger than the Eight-Tails. They felt as if they were facing a natural disaster, and dread stirred in their hearts.

The usual grin had vanished from Killer B's lips. His eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, widened slightly, their gaze turning grave.

The Fourth Raikage Ay narrowed his eyes and stared sharply at the Nine-Tails. He could clearly feel the oppressive force—there was no doubt that the Nine-Tails' chakra was far greater than the Eight-Tails'.

However, as the Nine-Tails crushed the earth beneath its feet and drew closer step by step, a Cloud Ninja suddenly noticed something strange and asked in a trembling voice:

"There's... someone on the Nine-Tails' head?"

At his words, everyone looked closely.

Sure enough, a figure stood atop the beast's dark head.

His black robe snapped in the night wind, and his crimson Sharingan gleamed in the darkness with a soul-piercing light.

He stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the Cloud Ninja forces below as if he were a king who ruled over everything.

"Who is he?"

"Could it be..."

The Fourth Raikage's expression darkened. His low voice rang out slowly. "The Fifth Hokage."

The guess sent a shock through the Cloud Ninjas.

After all, according to their intelligence, Konoha's new Hokage came from the Uchiha Clan. Though young, he had already mastered tremendous power.

Now the Nine-Tails was crouched obediently at his feet without putting up any resistance. That was enough to prove he had completely subdued the strongest Tailed Beast.

It matched everything they knew.

High above, Uchiha Yoru looked down at the Cloud Ninjas, his gaze cold and the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. He softly uttered a single word:

"Nigge?"

His voice was quiet, but in the stillness of the night, the Cloud Ninjas heard it clearly.

Yet they exchanged confused looks, obviously unable to understand what he meant.

After a brief silence, one Cloud Ninja plucked up his courage and asked, "Are you... the Fifth Hokage?"

In the darkness, Uchiha Yoru's eyes met those of the Fourth Raikage, and the air seemed to freeze.

He didn't deny it. He merely smiled meaningfully.

The Cloud Ninjas tensed and quickly took defensive stances.

The night wind howled. The Nine-Tails flicked its tail, and in an instant the earth trembled and dust filled the air.