Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

"What?! That bastard Onoki actually pulled some tricks? Tell me... (ー`′ー)"

Despite his volatile temper, the Raikage can control himself in crucial moments. This is why Azaburo didn't let the Raikage's temper get the better of him. After hearing Azaburo's words, the Raikage quickly calmed down. Compared to Onoki's cunning schemes, Orochimaru's little snake was nothing to him. Personal honor and disgrace were insignificant compared to the interests of the village. At worst, it would just be that Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple would step on him to rise to power. He could get his revenge next time.

But Onoki, that old schemer, is different. If, as Big Head said, this bastard Onoki is trying to trick them, then they would be at a huge loss if they were still fighting Konoha to the death. The key is that, based on his understanding of Onoki, Big Head's guess is very likely. Onoki is just that kind of cunning person.

"...Our spy infiltrated Iwagakure discovered that the Five-Tails' rampage caused very little damage to Iwagakure, almost negligible, unlike the devastating losses reported directly from Iwagakure. It was as if it was premeditated; the Five-Tails only damaged some buildings, and Iwagakure's sealing team arrived immediately. The whole process took less than three minutes. Tsuchiki, the Iwagakure leader who was in charge of managing affairs for Onoki in the village, was completely unharmed and even went to... a brothel that night. So I suspect that this Five-Tails rampage was likely a staged event orchestrated by Iwagakure, designed to weaken our two villages and Konoha by pitting us against Sunagakure. After all, we've all developed for over twenty years, and the difference in strength isn't that great. Moreover, we did indeed trick Onoki during the First Shinobi World War, and the Five-Tails rampage and the kidnapping of the Four-Tails Jinchuriki were also inextricably linked to Shiki. I think Onoki is seeking revenge!"

After organizing his thoughts for a while, the burlap-headed man slowly explained to the Raikage.

"Damn bastards... Now that things have gotten this bad, what are we going to do? I won't let this go until I teach Onoki a lesson! (▼he▼メ)"

After listening to Azabu's analysis, the Raikage repeatedly considered Onoki's personality in his mind to analyze Azabu's speculation. Surprisingly, he found it to be completely mild-mannered. Needless to say, Onoki must have done just that!

While gritting his teeth in anger, Raikage also asked Mabu the big-headed man. After all, the battle was already at a critical point. If they retreated now, Kumogakure would lose face. After all, he, the top star and image representative of Kumogakure, had been released by Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple!

Moreover, the thought that all the underlings who died in battle were because of Onoki's schemes made the Raikage's eyes blaze with fury.

"...Let's have one last fight...Right now, we and Sunagakure alone can't pose a threat to Konoha. We should make a big show of things, with Tsuchidae leading the team. The Raikage, with his two thousand elite troops, will likely be watching the show while Onoki returns to Iwagakure, so he'll be completely unprepared. We'll detour through the Land of Earth...However, even though Onoki is unprepared, the Iwagakure ninja have already returned to the Land of Earth, so Raikage, you must be quick and know when to stop, and avoid going too deep..."

After thinking for a long time, Azabu, with his big head, stroked his chin and said, "It's impossible to just withdraw like this for no reason. They're already preparing to fight their way into the Land of Fire. If they withdraw now, they'll lose face big time. But now that Onoki has withdrawn, Konoha's defenses are much stronger, so they can't break in. Plus, more of their underlings will die. Rather than that, it's better to use a feint attack to the east and avenge the fallen underlings."

Given Onoki's current detached, spectator-like attitude, he certainly wouldn't be on guard. After all, no one would be foolish enough to raid a base at a time like this, and Onoki certainly wouldn't expect it either. However, this trip is also very dangerous. The Land of Earth's entire fighting force is present; even a slight delay could mean the loss of their entire family. Therefore, only two thousand men can be brought. Only the Raikage and one thousand will actually carry out the operation, while the remaining one thousand will be responsible for moving and carrying. The sealing scrolls from the Land of Craftsmen are all inferior, unable to hold much, far inferior to the Uzumaki clan's sealing scrolls. Unfortunately, those scrolls are all top-tier; the Raikage alone possesses three in the entire Cloud Village, bought at a high price from Shiki the Golden Lion for show. Now their value has increased tenfold. This is arguably the only time in the Raikage's life he's made a sound financial decision...

"Snapped!"

"Alright! Let's do it! Tsuchidai, you take your men tomorrow, bring all the weapons, and make it a big show! I'm going to make Onoki pay this time! (▼ヘ▼#)"

The Raikage's eyes lit up when he heard about Sack's plan, and he slapped his thigh so hard it looked painful...

...

"My lads, let's go!"

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Tsuchida, along with his remaining men (excluding the two thousand who had secretly followed the Raikage away the previous night), fully armed, charged headlong towards the direction of Konoha's defenses without a word. Each of his men carried a bundle of explosive tags, displaying an attitude of "seeking death rather than living death with the enemy."

To make a big splash, the Raikage really went all out this time. Explosive tags are worthless in peacetime; even a genin can pull out several. After all, these things have great power and destructive force. However, in normal ninja team battles, they have never killed any truly powerful individuals. Even Tobirama Senju's self-developed multiplicative explosive tags never killed anyone. These things are only good for making a big fuss; they are not very useful in normal ninja battles. Therefore, they are very cheap in peacetime, and even genin can afford them.

However, these things become incredibly expensive during wartime. In large-scale battles, you can throw them blindly into a crowd and still rack up several kills, though it's unclear whether they're enemy or friendly. Explosive tags have always been precious war resources, and the other three ninja villages, except for Konoha, use them sparingly. This time, the Raikage has gone all out, probably using up years' worth of Kumogakure's reserves, all just to create a spectacle. This shows just how furious the Raikage is...

In the words of the Iwa ninja underling, they'd never fought such a lucrative battle in their lives!

301. Chiyo: Bring more sealing scrolls.

"Hiccup... No need to think about it anymore, this must be a scheme orchestrated by Onoki to trick us and Kumogakure. From the first moment I saw that shorty with red nose, he didn't seem like a decent person, but I never expected that this damn shorty with red nose to be so cunning! He could even come up with such a way to sabotage his teammates."

Just like Azabu-da-nao thought, when it was lunchtime in Sunagakure, his ANBU underlings brought news about the unusual Five-Tails' rampage in Iwagakure. Although Ebizo's IQ couldn't even come close to Azabu-da-nao's, he, along with Chiyo, Sasori's parents, and a few other academic geniuses, were speculating about whether the Five-Tails' rampage was real or fake. If it was fake, then what was Onoki's ulterior motive for doing this?

Seeing the top students frowning, seemingly unable to eat or drink because of this problem, as if they wouldn't eat until they solved it, their expressions even more somber than he had been a few days before his elementary school graduation exam, Masato let out a burp and said.

"Hmph! If that's the case, we can't let this go. We've sacrificed so many people in the past six months! Sister, we have to get revenge!"

As soon as Masato finished speaking, Ebizo, who had been pondering the question, gave him an expression that said, "I think so too." He spoke angrily while exchanging glances with Chiyo, making it seem to anyone who didn't know better that the old man's girlfriend had been stolen and he was trying to get his sister to kidnap her...

"...Indeed, we can't let this go. Shinto, tomorrow you and Jie will take some men to Iwagakure. While Onoki is still in the mood to watch the show, act as quickly as possible and bring back as many sealing scrolls as possible..."

After all, they were siblings for many years. Chiyo knew what Ebizo was going to say just by blinking a few times, and turned to Masato to say it.

She naturally wouldn't object to her brother's plan. Firstly, it was Onoki who acted dishonestly, leaving the team without permission and scheming against his teammates. She couldn't let that go. Sending Masato to steal the tower from Iwagakure was just Onoki doing the first thing and them doing the fifteenth. Consider it as funeral expenses for the heroes of Sunagakure who died on the battlefield.

Secondly, before this battle, Sunagakure was one of the villages that was guaranteed to make a profit. However, because her nephew went berserk after her precious son was stabbed, he indiscriminately hacked and slashed. Although Konoha suffered heavy losses, Sunagakure also suffered great losses, and they were back to square one. In the past two days, Ebizo had been discussing with him the idea of ​​making a quick profit before leaving the battlefield. With so many people dying, if they didn't gain some benefits, wouldn't this war have been fought in vain?

However, there hadn't been an opportunity to reap any benefits before. After all, there were nuances to reap benefits. Small villages and small countries were uninteresting and looked down on them, as they weren't even as wealthy as Hidden Assassins. As for large villages, Mist Village had been blockading them since the start of the war, and they knew what the situation was. They didn't want to try to steal towers anymore, in case they got ganged up on.

The Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning are still allies, so they can't do something like this, because if it comes out, it will affect the reputation of Sunagakure.

But things are different now. So many of them died on the battlefield because of Onoki's scheme, and given Onoki's current amused attitude, he wouldn't have expected them to try to steal the tower. It is indeed a good opportunity. As long as they act quickly enough, and Onoki can fly with his men, even if the Iwa ninja react quickly, they won't be able to catch them.

“…”

Masato stared speechlessly at the siblings. "Keep acting, keep acting. All you're doing is making him lead the team to steal a tower, do you have to skip meals for that...?" ヽ(ー_ー)ノ

......

"Have you brought everything? Stealing towers is a skill, and the Iwa ninja are all at home right now, so just watch my eyes and act accordingly. Each operation cannot exceed five minutes. Take as much as you can in five minutes, and retreat immediately after five minutes. Understand?"

The next day, the elite squad personally selected by Shinto from the Anbu, along with dozens of his former subordinates who had taken turns serving as his secretaries, gathered at the village entrance. After all, these underlings had been idle for so many years that they were practically rotting away, so it was good to give them some exercise. The main reason was that these underlings had worked with him in the Anbu for several years and were familiar with his working style, so there was no need to say too much. Most of the remaining current Anbu underlings were also seasoned veterans who had no psychological burden when it came to stealing towers.

Unlike those fresh-out-of-school youths who think they're above the world and those immature kids who've never seen the dark side of the village, they need a moral education class before they can even do something like assassination. This isn't despicable; it's sacrificing personal interests for the village...

"understand!"

They were all seasoned veterans. After listening to Masato's explanation, they reached into their ninja tool pouches to check if they had brought enough sealing scrolls, and nodded without any psychological burden. They were filled with excitement and anticipation. Masato was their Anbu Hall of Fame's No. 1 legend. If they could act with this lord this time and perform well, they might be chosen by Masato to retire from the Anbu early and become his secretary for a Jonin class, working one day a month for a little over a month. That would be a fortune!

Look at the dozens of veterans around Masato, each one of them is burly and strong. Their once-charming ten-pack abs have probably retired by now!

The current group of underlings in the secret service are incredibly envious!

When they were young and impetuous, they were ignorant and impulsive, plunging headlong into the dark side. The more darkness they witnessed, the more they wanted to leave the dark side and live the life of normal employees. But it's easy to get in but hard to get out!

Without special permission from the Kazekage, one normally has to stay in the Anbu for twenty years before being allowed to leave. However, the Anbu is extremely dangerous, and very few people can survive for twenty years. Moreover, the Anbu often has access to the village's top secrets. Even if one could leave normally after twenty years, living a normal life would be extremely difficult. Who knows, while they are taking a bath or sleeping, a group of colleagues might be lining up somewhere to admire their dance moves.

But if this boss takes a liking to them and makes them his underlings, they'll be set for life. Don't you see how even the seniors, who only work one day a month, have to hold their noses and get paid...?

"Very good, I am very satisfied with your attitude. Those who performed well on this trip will go to work in the Jonin class. Just say my name! Life in the Anbu is not easy. I told the Kazekage about this back then, that four or five years would be enough, but unfortunately, the response was not great."

Masato looked at his group of diligent ANBU underlings with satisfaction. ANBU work was like being a secret agent. Those ANBU stationed at the Wind Shadow Tower were a bit better off, but those guarding the borders and carrying out assassinations might be okay for a short time, but over time, they all developed psychological problems. He himself had spent five years in that line of work, not only eating and sleeping poorly, but also feeling an urge to kill anyone he saw…

302. Did Yunyin start out by smuggling explosive tags?

".......-_-||"

Handsome Scorpion's father watched speechlessly as a group of ANBU underlings, their eyes brimming with tears of joy, were completely fooled by their older brother. He'd seen his brother's shamelessness far too often, but these underlings had at least ten years of experience in the ANBU. He really didn't know how these guys had managed to survive in the extremely dangerous ANBU until now... believing such a simple lie from their older brother. He had no idea when his brother had reported some problem within the ANBU to the Wind Shadow...

But seriously, if these ANBU underlings went back to being secretaries in the Jonin squad, I wonder if their uncle would be furious. The original thirty-odd guys only worked one day a month and received a full month's salary. Now, there are hundreds of ANBU underlings here—1, 2, 3, 4… my god! They might not even get a single day of work a year…-_-||

.....

Boom boom boom!

Boom! Boom!

"Hiss! Have these Cloud Ninja gone mad? Using so many explosive tags, are they trying to blow up the battlefield...? Σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

The battlefield in Kumogakure was filled with the smoke of battle. Kurenai Yuhi, who had come from the battlefield in Iwagakure with Orochimaru, almost popped her eyes out at the scene before her. The Kumogakure ninjas today were the same Kumogakure ninjas as yesterday, but their aura and fighting style were completely different from before. In the past, when the Kumogakure ninjas charged, their Raikage would always be at the forefront, their aura incredibly fierce, and they always used their fists to smash things, rarely even using kunai or shuriken. But now their Raikage was gone, and the one charging at the front was the Lava Release ninja Tsuchikage. And then, one by one, the Kumogakure ninjas were carrying explosive packs and no longer engaging in close combat. They would throw their explosive tags at people from hundreds of meters away, not caring whether they could actually hit anyone, just throwing and exploding them non-stop. The Konoha ninjas were dumbfounded, watching from hundreds of meters away.

Did Yunyin start out smuggling explosive tags?

That's fucking outrageous!

"...Hiss...Hyuga clansmen, check if the Raikage is here?"

Orochimaru frowned and asked the Hyuga clan member beside him. He had been studying the Raikage's personality and the Cloud Village's fighting style these past few days. The Cloud Village's usual strategy was for the leader to go all out and buff his underlings, then charge in for a melee. The Raikage was tall, strong, and had a loud voice, so it was easy to boost morale. But now the Cloud ninjas weren't charging in for melee, and the Raikage was nowhere to be seen. His left and right hands, the Lava Release ninja Tsuchikage, were leading the way throwing explosives... oops! Explosive tags. What kind of tactic was this? Orochimaru said he couldn't understand it.

Although the opposing clan is the Azabu Big-Headed Clan, one of the two clans with the largest heads in the ninja world, their traditional fighting style of the past few decades can't be changed overnight. Besides, the way they're fighting doesn't look like they're actually trying to blast a hole in the battlefield...

This is really strange. Could it be that Azabu-headed Orochimaru is planning something? Thinking about this, Orochimaru also felt a little uneasy.

He believed his intelligence was no less than that of the Azabu and Nara clans, but all his brain cells were dead from scientific research. Intrigue and scheming were just hobbies for him; he wasn't as professional as the Azabu and Nara clans. If it really was the Azabu clan leader who was behind this, then it would be troublesome.

"Lord Orochimaru, we haven't found the Raikage within a kilometer of the entire battlefield, and it seems even the strategist of Kumogakure is missing!"

After scanning the area with his Byakugan, the Hyuga clan member spoke to Orochimaru.

The Hyuga clan's cataracts are, in some ways, less severe than the Uchiha clan's red eye disease, but the superior vision provided by cataracts is far more valuable in warfare. The Uchiha's red eye disease, aside from one-on-one duels, isn't very effective on the battlefield, unless another Madara-like figure emerges from the Uchiha clan. However, such individuals only appear once every hundred years or so, and the next one is still decades away...

"...Have the Anbu investigate the Raikage's whereabouts. I want to see what the Grand Strategist of Kumogakure is up to."

Orochimaru's eyes flashed with a glint of wisdom as he spoke to the ANBU beside him.

"Orochimaru, do you mean the Raikage has other plans?"

While feeling reassured by Orochimaru's composure, Kurenai Yuhi also became curious. Although he was a few years older than Orochimaru, to be fair, aside from Orochimaru's somewhat cold demeanor, his calmness gave people a sense of reliability. This feeling was something she never had with Jiraiya or Tsunade. Although Jiraiya was more approachable, working around him always felt like an unreliable guy. As for Tsunade... her temper was too volatile. Although she was very capable, being around her made her afraid that Shiki would mistake her for a love rival and kill her.

Golden Lion also has a famous nickname, "The Ominous One." He once suspected that his good teammate Harmony was cursed and crippled by Onoki because he didn't listen to his advice and had feelings for Tsunade. Otherwise, how could Onoki have so coincidentally spotted his teammate's "hiding place" in such a chaotic battlefield in the Land of Rain? Moreover, his companions who were protecting his teammate were unharmed, but Harmony was crippled. It must be fate!

"The Cloud Ninja have changed their tactics. Instead of engaging in melee combat as usual, they're frantically throwing explosive tags from a distance where they can't reach us at all. And with the Land of Fire right behind us, there's no way we can flank them. The Raikage isn't here, and neither is the Cloud Ninja's strategist. I think this strategist must be planning something. The Cloud Ninja's attack in front is just a feint. Their real main force is with the Raikage. I just wonder who the Raikage's target is... Heh...!"

After explaining, Orochimaru habitually licked his tongue and chuckled softly.

Orochimaru, who had been studying Kumogakure's materials lately, was all too familiar with their feint attack tactic. Just last night, he had read about the Second Raikage's classic feint attack during World War I, witnessing firsthand the despicable nature of humanity. Who would have thought that a seemingly honest-looking, bloated fat man would be so treacherous as to feign war against Konoha while Kumogakure was leaderless, actually leading a group to steal a tower in the Land of Earth? This tactic was all too familiar; he just didn't know whose tower they were going to steal this time...

However, the Third Raikage was more willing to spend money than the Second Raikage. He knew how expensive explosive tags were during wartime. The Cloud Ninja had acquired such a large number of them, and their total value was more than ten times that of his research lab!

This Raikage is also a ruthless character with boundless courage and ambition...

Hmm... even more ruthless than Tsunade!

303. A chance encounter with the Raikage's main force

"Holy crap! What's with those Cloud Ninja's James guys here? Huh? The Raikage and Azaburo are here too....(⊙_⊙)"

The border of the Land of Earth wasn't far, but when Shinto and Sasori's father, along with a group of henchmen, sneaked over there, their Observation Haki sensed a group of James figures two kilometers away. The leader, a tall and muscular man, was none other than the Raikage. Beside him, a man with tanned skin but a normal build, looked like a baby among the James group, only with a large head. Shinto was completely dumbfounded. What a coincidence! Both sides had the same idea... ヾ(^Д^*)/

"No way! Shouldn't they be fighting Konoha at the border at this time? How did they get here...? Could they be like us? (⊙_⊙)?"

Handsome Scorpion's father was also stunned. Although he couldn't see what was happening two kilometers away, his older brother's micro-expression didn't seem fake.

However, shouldn't the Raikage be on the battlefield at this point? They're almost at the Land of Fire's borders; with a little more effort, they could break Konoha's undefeated myth.

"That goes without saying. Don't let their big, burly appearance fool you; people in charge aren't stupid. Besides, there's that big-headed guy, Azabu, with the highest IQ in the ninja world. Even Ebizo and your mother could figure it out, so how could that legendary strategist with an IQ of 99 not? Come on, let's go say hello to our teammates. There are so many of them, and with their big heads, they might be able to draw our fire..."

Shindou's eyes darted around twice, and that damned blue devil inside him resurfaced, giving him a spark of inspiration that he couldn't stop...

To be honest, Yunyin should be considered an old hand at stealing towers, but now he suddenly realized that Yunyin's experience in this project was not very good. Look at Yunyin's move, it is really amazing. Compared to Yunyin, his side is just a small-scale battle. Their side has less than 400 people at most, while the other side has a full 2,000 people. This is not stealing towers, this is going to launch a strong attack on the high ground.

Stealing a tower is more like special operations; the more people involved, the greater the risk of exposure. A larger group also slows down the movement, and speed is crucial. Based on his experience watching countless special forces dramas and reading numerous wish-fulfillment novels in his past life, he felt that three or four hundred men were too many. The ideal formation was a ten-man squad, with clear roles and duties, and the ability to rotate five men up and five down. However, with a young master by his side, Chiyo was uneasy without plenty of bodyguards as human shields. Although her son no longer had a grandson to cherish, he was still her son. Last time, she almost lost her son, and she naturally didn't want any more accidents to happen this time…

The Raikage actually brought two thousand men. Was he going to steal the tower or to show off to Onoki? He figured they wouldn't be discovered unless the two Cloud Ninjas fought. If the Raikage covered for him and diverted Onoki's attention, they could take more loot. Maybe they could even destroy a second tower.

Before setting off, he had only thought that now that all of Iwagakure's forces had returned, he shouldn't be too greedy and could just casually steal one tower. But after seeing Kumogakure... he realized he was too easily satisfied. This time, he should at least take down two towers; reaching the high ground would be an unexpected bonus! ヾ(^Д^*)/

"Brother, isn't this a bad idea...?"

When Sasori's father heard what Shinto said, he knew that his older brother was about to trick them again. So far, of the five great ninja villages, only Kumogakure hadn't been tricked by his brother. If he were to be tricked again, he worried that the other four great ninja villages might team up to attack Sunagakure...

"What's good or bad about it? Since we all have the same goal, let's make money together! Let's form a team, with clear division of labor. At worst, we can just share some of the spoils with them. Teaming up is harmful in every way, brother!"

Zhen Dou patted Handsome Scorpion's father on the shoulder and then led the way towards the group of James from the Cloud Ninja. This kid has become more mature since becoming a father, but he has also become more timid. He has completely lost the drive he had when he first debuted. From a father's perspective, Handsome Scorpion's father is not wrong. After all, he has elderly parents and young children to support, so he has to be more cautious.

However, he lacks drive. I reckon this kid's only reached the level of a Sand Village puppeteer captain; he'll be overtaken by his son in a few years, and not even a fraction as fast as his son's taillights...

"..."