The sky was pitch black, with thick clouds rolling across the sky, blotting out the moon and stars.
Hundreds of dark figures darted through the gaps between trees and branches, startling birds and beasts as they passed.
Suddenly, a horn sounded. The Konoha Ninja Army came to an abrupt halt, each shinobi stopping within the dense forest, alert and on edge, as if a predator might leap from the shadows at any moment.
At the front, a lone commander stood atop a tree, surveying the distant darkness.
Orochimaru licked his lips. "As expected, something's not right."
The Konoha forces had already advanced deep into territory controlled by Kumogakure, yet there had been no resistance—no ambushes, no signs of a proper blockade.
Kumo-nin had been spotted lurking at the edges of the Byakugan's range, not to intercept, but simply to track their position. It was almost as if they were confirming the army's movements, rather than planning to stop them.
"What is Kumogakure planning?" Orochimaru wondered. "Are they trying to trap and eliminate us all at once? No… that wouldn't benefit them."
He dismissed the thought. While it was possible, it wasn't likely. Kumogakure held the advantage of the first strike. Their fortresses near the Fire Country border were already built, and they were more than ready for open confrontation.
From the very beginning, their tactics didn't seem reckless or overly aggressive.
"They're not trying to destroy us," Orochimaru muttered, a glint of interest in his eyes. "They just don't want us establishing a foothold."
It made sense—if Konoha failed to secure a fortress, they'd be forced to constantly guard against ambushes. Kumogakure would control the tempo of battle, deciding when to strike or retreat. As long as Konoha remained in enemy territory without a base, they'd be at a disadvantage.
Orochimaru had assumed that Kumo would rely on prolonged harassment and ambushes—slowly bleeding their forces. Instead, they seemed prepared for a direct strike.
He gazed into the forest, sensing something monstrous hiding in the darkness, ready to pounce.
It was a bold strategy, but one that played on Konoha's weakness. After all, destruction was easier than defense. Even Orochimaru couldn't guarantee the success of establishing a fortress under a sudden, coordinated assault—especially when Kumogakure had two Jinchūriki at their disposal, capable of unleashing tailed beast transformations.
"Kumogakure's bolder than I thought," Orochimaru muttered. "They're trying to start a war with a decisive blow."
He shook his head. The clarity of their movements was almost too revealing. That in itself was dangerous.
Now that Kumogakure had shifted to tailing instead of harassing, any action taken would be under their watchful eyes. The only way forward was to create confusion—disrupt the situation and find a window to activate the fortress's defensive barrier.
With that in mind, Orochimaru turned to Fugaku.
"Fugaku, call the barrier team," he ordered. "We're moving ahead with the troop division."
Konoha's top-tier fortresses were not only well-hidden, but built with layers of deception. For every real stronghold, two decoy structures were constructed to mislead and distract the enemy.
It was time to put that strategy to use.
Orochimaru had originally planned to use the main ninja army and a fake fortress as a distraction, allowing the barrier team to activate the real fortress's defensive seal unnoticed. But with Kumogakure's current level of surveillance, the odds of success were slim.
Uchiha Fugaku received the order and quickly relayed it. Moments later, four teams of four ninja appeared before Orochimaru.
He examined them briefly, then pointed to two teams and issued orders to the guards beside him.
"Shimizu, Kakashi—you two will each lead a team of jōnin and escort the barrier squads to the designated sites. No matter what happens, activate the fortress seals."
"Yes!" the two responded in unison, leaping into the woods with their teams.
Fugaku's eyes narrowed with concern. "Lord Orochimaru, is it wise to split our forces now...?"
"Don't worry," Orochimaru replied, glancing sideways at him. "This isn't about strength."
He continued calmly, "One team will cover the other. That alone significantly raises our chances. Both leaders are elite jōnin—they know what's at stake."
He smirked faintly. "And with us tying up most of Kumogakure's forces, they won't risk splitting their attention too thin."
"Put aside your doubts, Fugaku. A brutal battle is coming."
---
Elsewhere, deep in the night—
A figure emerged from the darkness and knelt respectfully. "Lord Raikage, Konoha has indeed split their forces. A small team is moving southeast."
The Fourth Raikage didn't even look up. "Their strength?"
"Four Chūnin, four Uchiha jōnin. Strong—one of them appears to be Shisui of the Body Flicker. And two groups look like barrier specialists."
Although the report sounded like speculation, the shinobi's tone was confident. He clearly knew Konoha's roster well. "Our tracking squad avoided detection and is monitoring from afar."
Beside him, Yugito Nii—the Two-Tails' jinchūriki—spoke up sharply. "Lord Raikage, given the composition of the team, it's likely they're heading to activate one of the fortresses."
The Fourth Raikage nodded slightly. "Possible. But it could also be a diversion."
Yugito was undeterred. "Allow me to handle them. Four jōnin are nothing."
As a jinchūriki, her confidence wasn't misplaced—but this was the Uchiha they were talking about.
The Fourth Raikage's expression hardened. "Yugito, take a jōnin team for support."
Before she could object, he added, "I don't care if they escape. Your main objective is to destroy the fortress."
Yugito hesitated, but under the Raikage's stern gaze, she relented. "Understood."
With that, she vanished into the night, followed closely by a jōnin and three chūnin.
Nearby, Killer Bee tilted his head and grinned. "Yo, bro, wanna make a bet? Think that team's guarding the real fortress?"
Raikage didn't return the smile. "It doesn't matter if it's real or fake. They're not getting through. Yugito will handle them."
His tone darkened. "And we'll make sure the others fail, too."
Just then, a thunderous explosion echoed through the forest. A moment later, a massive pillar of light shot into the sky, piercing the darkness.
The Fourth Raikage looked up at the brilliant beam, lips curling into a grin.
"So... Konoha wants to provoke me."
He turned sharply. "Killer Bee, let's go greet them ourselves."
---
A few miles away—
With help from the barrier unit, Orochimaru had cloaked a decoy structure in seals that caused it to emit a dazzling beam of light.
Fugaku's eye twitched. "Lord Orochimaru... this is a little too obvious."
Orochimaru chuckled. "That's the point."
He smiled coldly. "Even if they know it's fake, Kumogakure can't afford to treat it like a fake."
________
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