Crimson Thunder

"What did you say?!"

Everything that had happened in Rock Town Village was naturally delivered to Hidden Stone Village at once.

After seeing the intelligence, Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage of Both Scales, nearly wiped out the entire office with a single Dust Release.

Onoki clenched the compiled intelligence in his hand tightly. Even he could not help showing emotion at this moment.

"Calm down, Third. What exactly happened?"

"See for yourselves."

Onoki handed the scroll in his hand to the advisory elders on either side. After just one glance, several of them cried out in shock.

"What? A Cloud ninja stormed into Rock Town Village alone?"

"He fought a hundred men by himself, then defeated and captured Kitsuchi?!"

"Crimson lightning... H-how is that possible?!"

"Storming into Rock Town Village alone, fighting a hundred men, and capturing Kitsuchi... Impossible. Aside from the Third Raikage, Cloud cannot possibly have anyone else with such combat power!"

The elders could hardly believe it.

They knew Kitsuchi's strength very well. After all, they had watched him grow up.

Though he had not mastered Dust Release, he possessed formidable Earth Release, exceptional physical prowess, and vast reserves of chakra. If Onoki had not still been in his prime, that fellow would practically have been the candidate for the future Fourth Tsuchikage!

Yet such a prospective "Kage" had been captured in his own side's logistical command center, and his opponent had been alone!

How could something like this be possible?!

"Wait, blood lightning?"

One of the advisory elders seemed to recall something. In disbelief, he said, "Could it be that guy? But that's impossible. He should have died more than ten years ago."

"You know him?"

"You should all know him."

The advisory elder glanced at Onoki and said gravely, "More than ten years ago, that man defeated Kitsuchi once before. Back then, we conducted a full-scale investigation into him."

"The Third Raikage's adopted son, a descendant of the Gold and Silver Horn Clan—Blood Wrist Yozuki Sora!"

"It was him?!"

"How could that be? Wasn't that guy dead long ago?!"

When Yozuki Sora had first emerged, he crushed Hidden Stone's greatest genius, Kitsuchi, and threw Hidden Stone into alarm. They immediately investigated Sora's background from top to bottom.

But when they wanted to make a move, they could not find him anywhere.

All kinds of rumors had flown around at the time, but they all shared the same conclusion: Yozuki Sora was already dead.

But now, it seemed...

"What do you intend to do, Third?"

"The plan absolutely cannot change. The Third Raikage has already walked into the trap. We must seize this opportunity and take him down."

"What about Kitsuchi?"

"That guy captured Kitsuchi because he clearly wants to draw our firepower and ease the pressure on the Third Raikage!"

Onoki's eyes gleamed.

Even with his own son captured, his mind remained undisturbed.

As long as they could take down the Third Raikage, even if it meant sacrificing Kitsuchi...

Over the years, Cloud's harassment of Hidden Stone had been far too severe.

Relying on elemental advantages and special techniques such as the Lightning Release Chakra Armor, nearly every Cloud genius had treated Hidden Stone as a whetstone for their training, coming over to stir up trouble whenever they had the chance.

Yozuki Sora had been like that more than ten years ago, and the A-B Brothers had been the same a few years ago.

If this plan succeeded, they could thoroughly beat Cloud into submission, make them remember the pain, and ensure they never dared act recklessly again.

Perhaps even...

The offense and defense would switch places!

The elders present clearly understood Onoki's thoughts. For a moment, the meeting room fell into brief silence.

"No. We must deal with Yozuki Sora."

An elderly advisory elder who had been seated in the corner rose slowly to his feet. With a grim expression, he said, "This is not merely for Kitsuchi's sake. Rock Town Village lies outside the Heavenly White Mountains. If he truly possesses Kage-level strength, then once he forms a pincer attack with the Third Raikage, serious trouble will inevitably follow!"

"How do we deal with him? Even Kitsuchi lost to him. Wouldn't sending ordinary ninja be tantamount to sending them to their deaths?"

"Then mobilize the jinchuriki. If that still isn't enough, this old man will personally take the field!"

The advisory elder's tone was resolute as he stared fixedly at Onoki.

His daughter had married Kitsuchi and borne him a child.

But because of a difficult birth, his daughter died the moment the child was born.

With his mother gone, there was no way he, as her grandfather, would allow his granddaughter to lose her father as well!

"Rasa's fighting spirit is high. Have Roshi hold the line. Konoha may be strong, but Hiruzen Sarutobi has focused only on preserving the status quo in recent years. We can call Han back."

"Besides, Han's Boil Release is perfectly suited to counter that man's Lightning Release Chakra Armor!"

"No. The risks of fighting like this are too great!"

"Are the risks any smaller when we besiege Kumogakure and plot against the Raikage?!"

The elder snorted coldly. "We've already fought to this point, yet you're still so timid and hesitant, worrying about this and that. Then why did we bother laying siege in the first place? If you want greater gains, you must bear these risks."

The others looked at one another, their gazes all falling on Onoki.

Onoki took a deep breath.

That was his own son—his son, who could inherit his position and become Iwagakure's Fourth Tsuchikage. If possible, he naturally did not want Kitsuchi to die in battle.

"In that case, let's take that man down first!"

"Yes!"

With Onoki's command, Iwagakure immediately began to move.

The large-scale mobilization of shinobi quickly alerted Kumogakure that something was wrong.

The Third Raikage, who had already reached the outskirts of the Heavenly White Mountains, could not help but reveal a look of surprise when he received news of Onoki's troop movements.

The defenses of the Heavenly White Mountains were far tougher than he had anticipated. The number of shinobi here and the meticulousness of their deployment meant that even he had no way to break through. And even if he did force his way in, he would likely be exhausted beyond measure.

Yet at this moment, Iwagakure had actually begun moving troops.

This undoubtedly gave him an opportunity.

After some investigation, the Third Raikage finally understood the reason.

"They actually called that brat Sora to the front lines. Those old geezers really are..."

"Sora?"

The other members of the squad looked puzzled. Clearly, they had never heard of this person.

"Sora..." Troy, with his short purple hair and three lower lashes beneath each eye, paused slightly as though recalling something. Then his eyes suddenly widened. "Third Raikage, are you saying that guy came?!"

"Yeah. Dodai went to fetch him personally."

The Third Raikage's expression was somewhat complicated.

After what had happened back then, he had always felt guilty toward Sora.

But he had not known how to handle it, so he could only avoid it.

He had never expected that, under the current circumstances, Sora would still be willing to come to the front lines and carry out such a mission.

But with your strength, how long can you hold on?

"Opportunities in battle vanish in an instant. We must seize this chance."

The Third Raikage took a deep breath and began issuing unquestionable military orders.

He had to seize the opportunity Sora had bought with his life!

"Rest for two hours. Then, in one push, we will break through the Heavenly White Mountains!"

"Yes, Lord Raikage!"