NRAO: Chapter 364/365

Chapter 364

In the early stages of a shinobi war, battles rely on tactics and intelligence.

It can be said that this stage still retains the essence of ninja combat.

But at the Super Kage-level, tricks and strategies become meaningless.

At that level, the only thing that matters is absolute power.

No matter what kind of ninjutsu or technique one possesses, a single slash of sword energy from a complete Susanoo could reduce them to dust in an instant.

Raw strength trumps all. That is the undeniable truth.

And so, Rasa had no choice but to surrender.

After Orochimaru extracted Shukaku and ensured Gaara's survival, the nine tailed beasts were finally gathered.

Kushina, who had insisted on following them, finally felt relieved about Orochimaru.

In her mind, Orochimaru had always been the most ruthless of the Sannin, someone who reveled in combat and experimentation.

But now, she realized something.

It wasn't that Orochimaru was avoiding battles with ordinary shinobi, he simply no longer cared to fight them.

Perhaps, this was the mindset of someone who had reached a certain level of power.

After escorting Kushina back to the orphanage, Orochimaru immediately set off for the battlefield with Pain and Sasori.

And with that, the war had officially begun.


---

At Iwagakure

Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage, had received intelligence confirming that Orochimaru was attacking Kumogakure.

As expected, he immediately deployed an army of Iwa shinobi for reinforcements.

Ōnoki knew very well that if Kumogakure fell, Iwagakure would be next.

Even though he had signed a peace treaty with Konoha, he could not afford to stand idly by.

The ever-changing alliances and rivalries between villages had never been clearer than at this moment.

After all, Iwa and Kumo had just been at war.

But now, with Konoha threatening their interests, they were suddenly willing to cooperate without hesitation.

But would it even matter?

Not at all.

If Iwa wanted to reinforce Kumo, they had two options:

1. Take the sea route.


2. Pass through the Land of Frost.



But the Land of Frost was already occupied by an army of clones led by Akatsuki.

How were they supposed to get through?

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A group of Iwa shinobi in khaki-colored vests quickly leaped toward the Tsuchikage's office.

"Tsuchikage-sama!"

"Many enemy shinobi claiming to be from Otogakure have appeared in the Land of Frost! They are intercepting us! We're unable to reinforce Kumo!"

"Tsuchikage-sama! We have confirmed Akatsuki among them!"

"Tsuchikage-sama! Those Akatsuki members are too strong! Even Lord Kitsuchi is struggling—"

"Tsuchikage-sama! Amegakure is mobilizing troops! They seem to be preparing to attack us!"

One crushing report after another reached Ōnoki's ears.

Otogakure?

Where the hell did Otogakure come from?

Which country even recognized Otogakure as a legitimate shinobi village?!

How was Akatsuki now involved with Otogakure?

And why was Amegakure suddenly trying to attack Iwagakure as well?!

Individually, each of these events might have seemed like a coincidence.

But together…?

Ōnoki immediately realized something was wrong.

"Prepare for battle!" Ōnoki commanded. "We're heading to the battlefield!"


---

In the Land of Frost

On a high mountain overlooking the battlefield, several figures in black cloaks adorned with red clouds stood watching.

Behind them lay a temporary base created by the clone army.

Akatsuki, the most infamous rogue organization in the shinobi world.

Many of them should have been dead.

But thanks to Orochimaru's intervention, they were now pawns in this war.

These were not people who bowed to others.

Many had joined Akatsuki simply to witness the unknown.

And in this organization, they had indeed seen things beyond their imagination.

The Rinnegan, the Gedo Mazo, and now, Orochimaru's Six Paths-level power.

"It's unbelievable… These clones were all created by Orochimaru's technology?"

A deep voice rumbled.

Juzo wore a look of admiration.

This clone army required no training.

The moment they were activated, they possessed the combat ability of elite jōnin.

And even more terrifying, they all had the Sharingan.

"With this kind of technology… does the shinobi training system even matter anymore?" Juzo muttered.

"Even if you train two hundred children for fifteen years, there's no guarantee you'll produce one hundred jōnin."

"But Orochimaru?"

"Give him half a year and the right equipment… and he could mass-produce thousands of jōnin."

"It's a terrifying ability," Kisame remarked indifferently, "but it's not our concern. Our only job is to carry out Pain's orders."

"You're surprisingly laid back about this," Juzo scoffed. "By the way, Kisame—when you joined Akatsuki, was it really because that little girl Terumi Mei became Mizukage?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Kisame replied flatly.

When he had left Kirigakure, Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, had been in power.

He had once served under Fuguki Suikazan, the previous wielder of Samehada.

There was no chance either of them would have become Mizukage.

So aside from them, who else in Kirigakure was even qualified?

No one.

Except for Terumi Mei.

Before Juzo could say anything else, a yin-yang-faced figure emerged from the ground.

Zetsu.

"Sorry to interrupt."

"Hm? What is it?"

"Tsuchikage Ōnoki is on his way here. Pain wants you all to be careful. If you encounter him, do not engage directly, just delay him until reinforcements arrive."

"Understood."


---

At Kumogakure

Given the current crisis, the Fourth Raikage could no longer afford to send troops to guard the borders.

He had no choice but to focus all defenses on Kumogakure itself.

Hearing of Konoha's advance, he prepared for war.

But surprisingly, Konoha did not attack.

There had been no direct clashes between Konoha and Kumo—yet.

Because at this moment, it was clear that Kumogakure stood no chance of defeating Konoha's forces.

If Konoha wasn't making a move, Kumo would certainly not be the one to act first.

"Raikage-sama! The chakra cannon is ready and can be fired at any time!"

A Kumo shinobi knelt before the Fourth Raikage, reporting with urgency.

"Good!"

The Fourth Raikage nodded, his gaze locking onto the massive fortress at Kumogakure's highest peak.

"Without the tailed beasts… this is our village's final trump card."

"Bee! What's the status of our defenses?"

"All set up, bro."

"Good."

Just as the Raikage felt somewhat reassured.

"Raikage-sama! Bad news!"

A Kumo shinobi rushed to the top of the fortress.

"What happened?!" The Raikage frowned.

"A large force of shinobi wearing Otogakure forehead protectors has appeared in the north! They are marching toward our village!"

"What?!"

"How many?!"

"Estimated to be… over 10,000!"

__________

Chapter 365

More than ten thousand?!

Hearing that number, the Fourth Raikage was completely stunned.

How is that even possible?!

Even among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, the total number of shinobi barely exceeded 20,000.

Where did Otogakure manage to find so many troops?

"What's going on?! Where did these guys come from?! And why are they appearing in the north?!"

The Fourth Raikage roared in frustration.

The north was close to the sea, while Otogakure, located in the Land of Sound lay south of Konoha.

The two locations were in completely opposite directions!

How had they managed to bypass the frontlines and appear behind Kumogakure?

More importantly, how had such a massive force gone completely undetected until they were practically at the village gates?!

"Report… Raikage-sama!" A Kumo shinobi hurriedly knelt before him.

"The enemy appeared suddenly! The exact reason is still unknown!"

"Unknown?! Then find out!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Raikage-sama! Raikage-sama! This is bad!"

The Fourth Raikage's irritation deepened.

"What now?!" he snapped.

This was the phrase he hated hearing the most lately.

Because none of the reports had been good news for Kumogakure.

"Tailed beasts! Two tailed beasts have been spotted west of the village, moving toward us!"

"What?!"

"Tailed beasts?! Two of them?!"

More reports kept flooding in, each more alarming than the last.

Konoha alone was already enough to put Kumogakure on edge.

Now, an army of Otogakure shinobi had suddenly appeared…

And now, two tailed beasts were approaching?!

Kumogakure was in danger.


---

Two kilometers west of Kumogakure…

Two colossal tailed beasts moved slowly across the landscape.

One was a fox with nine tails.

The other was a tanuki with violet markings.

Both of them had lavender, ripple-shaped pupils.

"Whether in terms of sheer numbers or top-tier combat power, we hold an overwhelming advantage."

Standing atop Kyuubi's head, Pain gazed forward calmly.

"The Fourth Raikage should surrender, shouldn't he?"

This war was nothing more than an utter rout.

For Kumogakure, the outcome was already decided.

There was no suspense.

Watching the scene unfold through the perspective of an invisible spy fly, Orochimaru chuckled.

"It won't be that easy. The Fourth Raikage has a fiery temper, he won't surrender unless he's completely backed into a corner."

"For example, look at what they've prepared. They even brought out a chakra cannon, it's clear they have no intention of surrendering."

Orochimaru casually handed Pain a small display screen, about the size of a mobile phone.

The screen displayed an aerial view of the chakra cannon, positioned at Kumogakure's highest point.

"Chakra cannon?"

Pain glanced at the display with mild curiosity.

Taking the screen from Orochimaru, he observed the massive weapon carefully.

"I don't know how advanced their research is, but based on its design… at minimum, a single blast would have the destructive power of a Tailed Beast Bomb."

Pain's expression barely changed, though a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

"The lowest level is already on par with a Tailed Beast Bomb?"

Tailed Beast Bombs could level an entire battlefield with a single shot.

And this weapon…

"Compared to a Tailed Beast Bomb, it's only stronger, not weaker."

"The only downside is its size, it's too bulky and lacks mobility." Orochimaru smirked. "Otherwise, they would have already deployed it in battle."

"So, if we want to crush their will to resist, the first step is destroying that weapon."

"You want to do it, or should I—"

"Forget it. I'll take care of it."

Before Pain could respond, Orochimaru unleashed his chakra wings, shimmering with five elemental attributes, and soared into the sky.

Pain could also use Shinra Tensei to fly, but his movement wasn't nearly as agile as Orochimaru's Peacock Method.

That made Orochimaru the ideal choice for this stealth mission.

"Pain, I'm leaving the rest to you."

"Understood. No need to worry."


---

The Fourth Raikage was furious.

He was always known for his unyielding and indomitable spirit.

But at this moment, he wasn't just a warrior, he was a Kage.

And as a Kage, he had to prioritize the village's survival.

Seeing so many enemies closing in on Kumogakure, he couldn't afford to act recklessly.

If this had been a normal battle, Kumogakure might have stood a chance.

Even if they were outnumbered, they could still use their mountainous terrain to defend the village.

But the problem was:

1. Kumogakure no longer had its tailed beasts.


2. Their top-tier combat power was significantly weaker than the enemy's.



They simply could not hold out.

After receiving countless reports, the Raikage quickly made a tactical decision.

First, they would deal with the two tailed beasts to the west.

His shinobi could still hold the line against the forces from Konoha and Otogakure, but the tailed beasts could not be stopped without Kage-level fighters.

Just as he was preparing to head west with Bee and a group of elite shinobi.

He saw something in the sky.

"Raikage-sama… that is…"

Zooming in with their monoculars, the Kumo shinobi's faces turned pale.

A pale face came into view.

"Orochimaru?!"

"Shit! Not good!"

The Raikage reacted instantly, leading his men into a full retreat.

However—

Orochimaru's Peacock Method had been refined and enhanced.

His flight speed was now as fast as Ōnoki's in his prime.

No matter how fast the Raikage was, he was still on the ground.

There was no way he could outrun Orochimaru in the air.

The roaring wind howled around Orochimaru's ears.

The chakra cannon came into view.

Orochimaru smirked.

"This feeling of absolute dominance… it's really quite nice."

Konan's wings were made of white paper, giving her an almost angelic presence.

But Orochimaru's wings, formed from pure chakra and imbued with elemental energy, made him look like a fallen demon god.

The Kumo shinobi operating the chakra cannon finally spotted him.

They immediately swiveled the barrel toward him.

But—

This massive cannon moved too slowly.

It still needed time to charge up chakra.

How could they possibly hit Orochimaru?

With a few rapid maneuvers and a Flying Thunder God teleport, he easily dodged its aim.

"Attack! Attack! Don't let him get close!"

"Hurry up!"

"Dammit! He's too fast, we can't lock on!"

"Shit! He's coming! Brace yourselves!"

From the sky, a Truth-Seeking Orb expanded into a massive shield, deflecting all kunai, shuriken, and jutsu.

At the same time.

Another Truth-Seeking Orb formed.

Whoosh!

It launched forward, straight toward the chakra cannon.

"It's over… it's really over…"

"Orochimaru, you bastard…!"

The Fourth Raikage let out a furious roar.

BOOM!

A massive explosion shook all of Kumogakure.

At that moment, the entire world seemed to fall silent.