Nigge?

Border of the Land of Fire.

The night was as dark as ink, with stars dotting the boundless firmament. A cold wind wove through the jungle, carrying a hint of murderous intent.

A burly man with dark skin and knotted muscles stood at the very front of the formation. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's as he barked in a deep voice, "Pick up the pace!"

His voice sounded like a thunderclap, exploding in the silent night and making hearts tremble.

"Yes!"

The group of Kumogakure ninja behind him responded in unison, simultaneously quickening their steps.

Draped in the signature black cloaks of Kumogakure, they transformed into swift shadows under the moonlight, weaving through the mountain forest with their sights set firmly ahead.

The man in the lead was none other than the current Raikage of Kumogakure—the Fourth Raikage Ay.

Ay was born with divine strength, his body constantly wreathed in Lightning Release chakra, granting him speed and defensive power comparable to a mythical beast.

He not only suppressed his enemies with thunderous methods but also used his peerless martial might to keep Kumogakure highly unified.

His philosophy was simple—only power could safeguard peace.

And the people within Kumogakure deeply identified with this belief.

Beyond that, the Fourth Raikage held another policy: to bring back ninja with Kekkei Genkai from other villages at any cost!

They were always looking for opportunities to expand Kumogakure's influence.

Whether it was the Hinata kidnapping incident from the original records or the various forced abductions of Kekkei Genkai users across the Ninja World, Kumogakure's actions had long since left other hidden villages filled with resentment.

In the eyes of the outside world, the Cloud Ninja were nothing but unadulterated bandits.

The Fourth Raikage Ay stood at the forefront of the Kumogakure forces, his gaze like a torch.

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

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

A Cloud Ninja wearing goggles leaped forward, knelt on one knee, and spoke with a grave tone, "Lord Raikage, there is nothing unusual from the direction of Konoha."

"The border is still held by those patrolling Konoha ninja; they have not detected our movements."

Upon hearing this, Ay frowned slightly and let out a cold snort, "Hmph, these guys are as arrogant as ever!"

In his view, the intelligence coming out of Konoha was nine times out of ten exaggerated.

Perhaps at this very moment, Konoha was being torn apart by power struggles between the major ninja clans and had no time to spare for a surprise attack from Kumogakure!

Thinking of this, he no longer hesitated. Lightning erupted from his entire body, transforming him into a dazzling bolt of thunder that instantly breached the Konoha border!

In an instant, the roar of Lightning Release echoed as the Konoha ninja along the path were crushed beneath the electricity.

He paused to look back, his eyes sharp as he gazed at the elite Kumogakure forces behind him and shouted in a deep voice:

"Increase speed! Tonight, we shall surely trample Konoha!"

The Cloud Ninja responded in unison: "Yes!"

The night wind whistled, and battle intent surged.

"Alert!"

An abrupt voice rang out within the ranks. The one who spoke was the sensory-type ninja among the Kumogakure Jonin—Shi.

Ay turned his head to look at Shi, frowning as he asked, "Shi, what is the situation?"

Shi's face was deathly pale, cold sweat seeping from his forehead. His expression was one of terror, as if he had sensed some existence of extreme horror.

"Lord Raikage, from the direction of Ko... Konoha..." Shi's voice was actually stuttering.

Ay's brow furrowed even deeper, and he urged in a low voice, "Speak clearly!"

Shi took a deep breath, his face grave as he reported loudly, "Two extremely powerful chakra signatures have been detected from the direction of Konoha!"

"Hmm?"

Ay's gaze sank slightly. Chakra intensity far exceeding ordinary ninja?

A guess instantly surfaced in his mind: "Could it be the Nine-Tails?"

But so what if it was the Nine-Tails? Even the Eight-Tails had been suppressed by him; what could the Nine-Tails do to him?

However, why were there two? As far as he knew, Konoha shouldn't have many people with massive chakra reserves right now. Could it be one of the Sannin, Jiraiya?

"No... it is an existence even more terrifying than the Nine-Tails!"

Shi's voice trembled, revealing unprecedented horror.

Ay's pupils contracted slightly, and the Cloud Ninja also came to a halt. A stifling atmosphere permeated the air.

In the night, a blurry figure quietly emerged, its silhouette gradually becoming clear under the illumination of the moon.

The next moment, shadows surged like a raging sea, and a massive wave of chakra erupted, as if it were about to tear this world asunder.

"ROAR—!"

A deafening roar shook the heavens, and heavy footsteps shattered the earth. The figure of a behemoth finally appeared in its entirety within everyone's field of vision.

Nine hideous tails swayed in the air, and the violent aura of the Tailed Beast blanketed the area, pressing down so heavily that it made it hard to breathe.

"Ni, Nine-Tails?!"

"It really is the Nine-Tails!"

The Cloud Ninja forces erupted into an uproar, staring in terror at the Tailed Beast that loomed even larger than the Eight-Tails, a sense of dread rising in their hearts as if they were facing a natural disaster.

The usual playful smirk vanished from Killer B's lips, and his eyes, hidden behind dark sunglasses, widened slightly to reveal a hint of gravity.

The Fourth Raikage, Ay, narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed sharply on the Nine-Tails; he could clearly feel that overwhelming pressure—there was no doubt, the chakra intensity of the Nine-Tails far surpassed that of the Eight-Tails.

However, as the Nine-Tails crushed the earth and drew closer with every step, one Cloud Ninja suddenly noticed something unusual and stammered:

"On top of the Nine-Tails' head... is there someone?"

Hearing this, everyone focused their eyes to look.

Sure enough, standing atop that pitch-black beastly head was a solitary figure.

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

The man stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the Cloud Ninja forces below as if he were a king presiding over all.

"Who is he?"

"Could it be..."

The Fourth Raikage's expression darkened, his deep voice sounding out slowly: "The Fifth Hokage."

This speculation sent a jolt through the hearts of the Cloud Ninja.

After all, according to intelligence, the new Hokage of Konoha hailed from the Uchiha clan and had mastered immense power at a young age.

And now, with the Nine-Tails crouching at his feet without a hint of resistance, it was proof enough that he had completely subjugated this strongest of Tailed Beasts.

This aligned perfectly with the information they possessed.

High above, Uchiha Yoru looked down at the Cloud Ninja below, his gaze cold and his lips curling slightly as he softly uttered a single word:

"Nigge?"

His voice was not loud, yet in the silence of the night, it fell clearly into the ears of the Cloud Ninja.

However, the Cloud Ninja merely exchanged confused glances, clearly failing to understand his meaning.

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

Under the cover of night, Uchiha Yoru's gaze met that of the Fourth Raikage, and the air seemed to freeze.

He did not deny it, merely offering a smile full of hidden meaning.

The hearts of the Cloud Ninja tightened, and they quickly assumed a defensive stance.

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