Chapter 89: The Cloud's Desperate Counterattack

The morning sun's brilliance spilled over Kumogakure.

The ninja village, already reduced to ruins, looked to have recovered a bit of vitality.

Konoha Ninja began driving the Cloud Ninja prisoners to clear the ruins and search for valuable supplies.

Orochimaru stood on high ground, looking at everything before him, and couldn't help but sigh: "Kumogakure is recognized as the powerful ninja village second only to Konohagakure; to think it was actually taken by us just like this."

Yamanaka Chujiu had just woken up, and hearing his teacher's sigh, he laughed: "When the plan began, Teacher, you agreed to it, so why are you sighing like this now?"

Orochimaru said: "Oh-ho-ho-ho, at the time I didn't think it would truly succeed."

"Yesterday's Kumogakure was still Konohagakure's greatest threat, even forcing Hyuga Hizashi to his death."

"Today's Kumogakure has already turned into a ruin, reduced to a trophy for me, Orochimaru."

Yamanaka Chujiu said: "The world is impermanent, like intestines wrapping around intestines."

Orochimaru: "..."

The rare literary sentiment collapsed in an instant, and for the first time in his life, Orochimaru could not control his emotions, complaining: "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

Yamanaka Chujiu waved his hand: "Ah, no need to mind those details."

"I, the student, was just too excited; this battle will become the most legendary battle in the Third Shinobi World War, remembered by the Ninja World forever."

"However, Teacher Orochimaru, we cannot relax just yet."

"The physical Kumogakure has been occupied by us, but the Kumogakure that controls the Land of Lightning has not been wiped out."

"At least ten thousand Cloud Ninja are still alive; they are stationed all over the Land of Lightning and are on alert at the borders of the Land of Earth and the Land of Water."

"There are also the Cloud Ninja who pursued us all the way, and the Fourth Raikage will certainly not let this go."

Orochimaru opened his mouth to ask: "Do you have the confidence to deal with them?"

Yamanaka Chujiu nodded confidently and said: "Of course I do!"

Relying on his schemes, his omniscient cheat for the battlefield, and Orochimaru's formidable combat power, along with the four thousand elite Konoha Ninja, dealing with the upcoming challenges was effortless.

There was even ready-made homework to copy, and there were four copies at that.

The news that Kumogakure had been captured spread quickly; that same day, all parts of the Land of Lightning knew, one day later the intelligence reached the Land of Earth and the Land of Water, and two days after that, it reached the Land of Wind.

Orochimaru personally sent the letter to Konohagakure, but he requested his old subordinates to hide it for the time being, informing only the Hyuga, Uchiha, and the Ino-Shika-Cho-Aburame clans.

It was for no other reason than that Yamanaka Chujiu wanted to stir up trouble in Konohagakure, and as his teacher, he had to help set the stage.

Everyone, the moment they received the news, was incredulous, thinking they had heard a joke.

Only after repeated confirmation did they accept it in shock.

The ones who found it hardest to accept were, of course, the Cloud Ninja.

Those Cloud Ninja stationed all over the Land of Lightning, as well as those guarding against the Rock Ninja and Mist Ninja, could be said to have fallen into a daze instantly, then were pulled back and forth between rage and panic.

After the Fourth Raikage learned the news, his fury instantly incinerated his reason.

Although he had chased them all the way from the Land of Fire and had been tormented by Yamanaka Chujiu's tactics, unable to catch up to the Konoha Ninja no matter what, he had already mentally prepared himself that the village might not be able to hold out.

But when the bad news truly arrived, he still could not accept it.

The Raikage's chakra went briefly out of control, countless electric arcs exploded from his entire body, tearing apart the ground beneath his feet and even injuring Killer Bee.

A knew clearly that Kumogakure was the foundation of the Land of Lightning and the home of all Cloud Ninja.

Kumogakure falling completely into the hands of Konoha was a fatal blow to the Land of Lightning; he had to retake the village in the shortest time possible, otherwise, Kumogakure would fall apart and become the first of the Five Great Ninja Villages to be wiped out.

For the sake of Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage ordered the abandonment of the borders to concentrate all Cloud Ninja to retake Kumogakure and tear Orochimaru and Yamanaka Chujiu into ten thousand pieces.

When the Fourth Raikage's order arrived, the Cloud Ninja abandoned their defensive lines without hesitation, frantically retreating in the direction of Kumogakure.

The Cloud Ninja who retreated from the borders of the Land of Earth and the Land of Water, added to the Cloud Ninja stationed in various places, numbered as many as twelve thousand.

The pursuing force personally led by the Fourth Raikage had five thousand ninja, and the Moon Ninja from the Land of Moon, eager for revenge, also had five thousand.

Four great ninja armies converged, forming a terrifying army with a total of twenty-three thousand people.

Especially since the Cloud Ninja were mostly battle-hardened, their angry emotions intertwined with Lightning Release chakra, and even the air was filled with a restless, anxious scent.

As for the Konoha army led by Orochimaru and Yamanaka Chujiu, after deducting the casualties from the capture of Kumogakure, the number of ninja actually capable of fighting was only thirty-five hundred.

The disparity in troop strength between the two sides reached six times, and the Fourth Raikage no longer restrained himself, instead aggressively surrounding Kumogakure from three directions.

A personally led the main force of Cloud Ninja and the Moon Ninja army to advance from south to north; to the west were the Cloud Ninja's Land of Earth defense troops, and to the east were the Cloud Ninja's Land of Water defense troops.

He wanted to use his absolute advantage in troop numbers to crush Orochimaru's Konoha army with the force of a thunderbolt.

The disparity in strength between the two sides was too vast; in everyone's eyes, it was a certain-death situation.

Quite a few Konoha Ninja discussed privately—not regretting following Orochimaru and Yamanaka Chujiu to launch this surprise attack, but guessing how Yamanaka Chujiu would break the situation, or even how he would counter-kill the Cloud Hidden Army.

Successive victories had endowed this Konoha army with the temperament of the strong; the Konoha Ninja could face any enemy and discuss how to achieve victory without changing their expressions.

Even though it was attached to Yamanaka Chujiu, rather than themselves, it was still precious.

To Yamanaka Chujiu, being relied upon was a good thing; this group of Konoha Ninja was his and Orochimaru's strongest base.

Compared to Orochimaru's former subordinates, these Konoha Ninja who discussed how to defeat an enemy six times their size were ruthless characters who absolutely trusted their master and student.

As long as Orochimaru and Yamanaka Chujiu said the word, they would dare to draw their blades against the Third Hokage!

Because in their hearts, Yamanaka Chujiu had already planted a belief: following him meant certain victory.

"How do we fight?"

Orochimaru's voice rang out; his voice was not loud, yet it was heard clearly by the four thousand Konoha Ninja, attracting everyone's attention.

All discussions stopped, and all eyes were focused on Yamanaka Chujiu.

There was not a hint of fear in Yamanaka Chujiu's eyes; instead, they revealed an excitement, as if the more difficult the battle, the more it could stimulate his interest.

He spoke: "Although the enemy is numerous, victory must belong to our Konoha!"

Hearing Yamanaka Chujiu's declaration of victory, the Konoha Ninja immediately cheered loudly.

That was how much they believed.

Yamanaka Chujiu began to analyze: "The Cloud Ninja are formidable, and the Moon Ninja are sinister, but they all have one fatal weakness—impatience!"

"The Cloud Ninjas are anxious to take back Kumogakure, and the Moon Ninjas are anxious to seek revenge on us, which makes them impatient and each harbor their own agendas."

"Cloud Ninjas generally look down on Moon Ninjas, and the Moon Ninjas also harbor dissatisfaction toward the Cloud Ninjas because Moon Ninja Village was destroyed."

"They only feel that they cannot defeat us, and it is only under the pressure of the invincible four thousand Konoha Ninjas that they are forced to join forces!"