War Erupted Again

The Rock Shinobi arrived faster than Orochimaru had expected.

Before dawn, their forces charged over the horizon.

"Lord Orochimaru!"

"The Rock Shinobi... they're here!"

The scouts reported the news at once, and Orochimaru's snake-like eyes snapped open.

"Pass the order. Prepare for battle!"

Orochimaru's voice was colder than a viper's. He dressed quickly and stepped out of the Main Camp.

Kazan had beaten him to it.

As soon as Orochimaru came out, he saw Kazan standing at the head of a thousand-strong force, arms folded across his chest, his Justice Cloak billowing behind him like a flag in the morning wind.

"The Rock Shinobi aren't our only enemies."

"I know. I know what kind of man Rasa is. He may already have struck a deal with Ōnoki. The Sand Shinobi will probably join this attack."

Kazan stood where he was, gazing into the distance.

With Konoha meddling, the Sand Shinobi and Rock Shinobi had to guard against it. Neither had managed a major breakthrough in their war against Kumogakure.

A, the Cloud Shinobi's acting leader, had shown courage beyond anyone's expectations and killed countless enemies. He had not yet matched his father, but one day he would catch up to the Third Raikage.

Barring any surprises, he would become the Fourth Raikage.

On top of that, the Cloud Shinobi's Tailed Beasts dominated the battlefield. A single Tailed Beast Bomb could inflict massive casualties on an army.

That was why the Sand Shinobi and Rock Shinobi had been unable to crack Kumogakure.

Given enough time, Ōnoki might have worn the Cloud Shinobi down bit by bit.

They had no one like Kazan who could beat a Tailed Beast into submission, but they had plenty of troops. With sheer numbers, they could even bring down the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails.

Unfortunately, the situation