The Land of Lightning is named for its towering peaks and frequent, deafening thunderstorms. A river along the central mountain range carves out a jagged coastline where it meets the sea. The country is also rich in hot springs, making it a popular destination for tourism.
The Land of Lightning lies to the northeast of the Land of Fire. On the map, it is located in the upper right corner. The two countries are separated by the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost. Whenever Konoha and Kumogakure go to war, these intermediary nations often suffer the consequences.
After departing from the Konoha camp, he hurried along the route to Qianmei, passing through the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost before entering the territory of the Land of Lightning.
In the end, Nara Shikaku did not stop Chao Yanqian. Of course, Chao Yanqian took no one with him; he traveled alone and arrived in the Land of Lightning.
On the way, whether by fortune or misfortune, Chao Yanqian encountered the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki, Killer Bee, who was en route to support the front lines. The two passed each other quietly, both hiding their chakra signatures to avoid detection. Even the Eight-Tails inside Bee did not notice Chao Yanqian's presence.
With Killer Bee joining the battle, once he and the Fourth Raikage fought side by side, there was no one in the Konoha camp strong enough to oppose them.
However, Chao Yanqian had no intention of revealing himself just for the sake of confronting the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki. Stopping him would have little impact on the outcome at the front.
On the contrary, if the Misachi squad could successfully launch a surprise attack on Kumogakure, even if Nara Shikaku and the others were defeated at the front line, Konoha would still secure the ultimate victory.
And once the Fourth Raikage realized that Chao Yanqian had bypassed the front lines and was attacking Kumogakure directly, his first instinct would surely be to return to the village immediately to prevent Chao Yanqian from destroying it.
In other words, the war had already turned in Konoha's favor the moment Chao Yanqian bypassed the front-line defenses and entered the Land of Lightning's interior.
The battle on the front line was no longer critical. Even if the Fourth Raikage could suppress Konoha's forces, it would mean nothing if the village itself were destroyed such a war could not be called a victory.
Even during wartime, many civilians and merchants still traveled to and from Kumogakure, mostly for business or missions. However, given the circumstances, village inspections had become far stricter. Not only was a sensory barrier active around the village, but a four-man sensory team also guarded the village gates, thoroughly checking everyone who entered.
Unnoticed, the Flying Thunder God Technique was inscribed on a merchant's body. Once the merchant passed inspection and entered the village, Chao Yanqian used the seal to teleport into Kumogakure.
As soon as he appeared, he tossed a specially marked kunai to a hidden location for future use, then teleported again.
To the average observer, the process was nothing more than a passing blur like an illusion. But any skilled ninja hiding nearby might have noticed that Chao Yanqian had silently infiltrated the village.
The buildings in Kumogakure are built on high peaks, making the terrain steep and walking inconvenient. The tallest building lies at the village's center undoubtedly the Raikage's office. The stronger the person, the more elevated and secure their residence.
However, both the formidable Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee had already left for the front lines, along with a large portion of Kumogakure's ninja force. As a result, the village was left largely undefended.
Before launching an attack, Chao Yanqian had to assess the village's defense capabilities. If possible, he also intended to obtain a copy of Kumogakure's Lightning Release techniques.
Due to the mountainous layout of the village, traveling across rooftops was inefficient, and Chao Yiqian lost valuable time gathering information.
Fortunately, after half a day of scouting, he had a clear grasp of Kumogakure's defensive structure.
Or perhaps it was simply that Kumogakure was too confident. They didn't believe anyone would dare to assault their village. They were certain their Kage would prevail at the front.
In truth, the village had almost no substantial defenses left. Only around four thousand ninja remained, most of them low- or mid-ranked shinobi.
It's worth noting that the Two-Tails' jinchūriki, Yugito Nii, was still in Kumogakure. Why the Fourth Raikage hadn't deployed his to the front lines remained unclear. Regardless, it was fortunate for Chao Yanqian. If Yugito released the Two-Tails' power within the village, the destruction would be even more catastrophic.
The sun dipped westward, dyeing the sky in shades of red. The last light of day cast a warm afterglow like a silent herald for the night of slaughter that was about to shake the entire shinobi world.
Chao Yanqian stood atop a peak within Kumogakure, gazing at the red clouds with mixed emotions. At that moment, he couldn't even tell what he was feeling.
After today's battle, Konoha would inevitably suppress Kumogakure. Even if the Fourth Raikage raged in fury, he would be too occupied rebuilding the village to strike back any time soon.
As for the internal politics of Konoha, Chao Yanqian didn't think much of it.
Thousands of shinobi could be slaughtered at will. Even a powerful ninja village could be brought low. No one would dare provoke him. At worst, he would be sidelined politically, targeted by dark forces but none of it would cause substantial harm to the enigmatic Lost Thousand Names of the North.
He formed a hand seal.
[Yin Seal: Release]
[Summoning Technique]
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Chao Yanqian used the summoning technique five times in quick succession. Five giant serpents appeared, including Manda.
"Tch! What a brat," Manda said disdainfully, glancing at Chao Yanqian. "You dare summon me? I should eat you for this!"
"There's plenty of food here eat whatever you like," Chao Yanqian replied coldly.
Without another word, he formed more hand seals.
[Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation]
Unlike previous instances, this technique operated differently here Kumogakure sat on rocky highlands with many peaks. As Chao Yanqian activated Sage Mode, buildings began to collapse. A massive stone dragon, over a hundred meters long, emerged from the mountains and soared into the sky. At that moment, it seemed as though a draconic roar echoed across the heavens shaking the earth and sky alike.
The stone dragon rolled through the air, then dove with terrifying force, roaring as it targeted the enemies before Chao Yanqian.
Meanwhile, the five giant serpents slithered in different directions across Kumogakure, their enormous bodies vanishing into the clouds that veiled the village. The flick of their tails alone was a force of nature.
Screams rang out across Kumogakure. The air was filled with the most tragic howls death cries that echoed through the night.
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