The night was deep, and a heavy atmosphere permeated the valley of Yunlei Gorge.
Uchiha Chiye and Orochimaru successfully dealt with Fukai, the Eight-Tailed Jinchuriki, completing the mission smoothly.
The two quietly withdrew from the depths of Yunlei Gorge and met up with Yakushi Nonou, who was waiting outside the Village.
"How did the mission go?"
Yakushi Nonou saw the two return, a hint of urgency in her voice.
Chiye-kun nodded.
"Everything went smoothly."
Orochimaru looked at Yakushi Nonou, then took a scroll from his Ninja tool pouch and threw it over.
"Danzo-sama has new orders; you no longer need to be undercover in Hidden Cloud Village."
Yakushi Nonou took the scroll, her eyes narrowing slightly, seeming a bit hesitant.
She looked up at Chiye-kun and Orochimaru.
Her lips moved, but she said nothing.
Chiye-kun keenly sensed her hesitation, and his brow furrowed slightly.
Why would she hesitate to leave Hidden Cloud Village…
Did she think she was Yu Zecheng, fond of undercover work?
"Yakushi Nonou, is something wrong?"
Yakushi Nonou was silent for a moment, then finally sighed.
"Chiye-kun, Orochimaru-sama, actually… there are some things I want to tell you."
The corner of Orochimaru's mouth curled slightly into a sneer; he had clearly noticed Yakushi Nonou's expression just now.
"Oh? What is it?"
Yakushi Nonou lowered her head, her voice low.
"When I was undercover in Hidden Cloud Village before, a few children saved my life.
I've always been very concerned about them, and now that I'm leaving, I'm worried they might be implicated because of my departure."
Chiye-kun frowned, already understanding her concerns.
After all, the sudden disappearance of a Ninja would be thoroughly investigated.
Once any clues were revealed and her identity as a spy confirmed, those children would naturally not be spared.
He looked at Orochimaru, waiting for his reaction.
Orochimaru's gaze grew a bit colder.
"Yakushi Nonou, if you truly cared about those orphans, you shouldn't have gotten close to them.
Now that you're leaving, it will be easily noticed by the Ninja of Hidden Cloud Village, and none of those orphans will survive."
Yakushi Nonou's face instantly turned pale.
She gritted her teeth.
"I can't just leave like this."
Chiye-kun looked at the tenderness and determination in Yakushi Nonou's eyes.
Knowing that she had made up her mind, a thought flashed in his eyes.
"Perhaps we can use the Eight-Tails' rampage this time to create a fake death plan for you."
Orochimaru's cold gaze swept over, clearly signaling Chiye-kun to continue speaking.
"Today, the Eight-Tails rampaged, and Hidden Cloud Village will surely suffer casualties.
We can create a fake death scene amidst the chaos, making the people of Hidden Cloud Village believe that Yakushi Nonou has died.
This way, they won't suspect her anymore."
Hearing this, a glimmer of hope flashed in Yakushi Nonou's eyes.
"Can it really work?"
Chiye-kun smiled slightly.
"As long as our plan is meticulous, the chances of success are very high.
Moreover, this is currently the only way to protect those children."
Orochimaru was silent for a moment.
"Alright, let's go with your plan.
However, we must act carefully and not make any mistakes."
Chiye-kun nodded, then began to meticulously plan the fake death…
The night deepened, and a scent of blood permeated the valley of Yunlei Gorge.
The Eight-Tails' rampage was clearly stopped by force, and it was eerily quiet.
The Ninja of Hidden Cloud Village stood on the periphery, having sealed off the entire area.
At the intersection with the Village.
Chiye-kun, Orochimaru, and Yakushi Nonou arrived here.
They quietly approached a hidden cave in Hidden Cloud Village.
Chiye-kun's Sharingan flickered slightly in the darkness, capturing every detail.
"How about here?"
Chiye-kun asked in a low voice, his gaze sweeping around.
Yakushi Nonou nodded.
"This place is quite secluded, and it's not far from where those children are.
As long as we make it convincing enough, we should be able to fool them."
Orochimaru took a scroll from his Ninja tool pouch, quickly unrolled it, and softly chanted.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With his summoning, a giant snake burst out of the ground.
From the giant snake's mouth emerged a Hidden Cloud Village Ninja, immersed in a genjutsu.
Orochimaru, knife in hand, immediately began a "plastic surgery" on his face.
In a short while, the entire face became bloody.
"Yakushi Nonou, heal him!"
After Orochimaru finished his operation, he looked at Yakushi Nonou.
Yakushi Nonou quickly walked over, extending her hand, and the emerald green Chakra passed through her palm, rapidly healing the wounds on the face.
The healing finished in a moment.
Chiye-kun looked at the Ninja before him; just this face was eighty percent similar to Yakushi Nonou's face.
Immediately after, Orochimaru plunged a kunai into the Ninja's chest.
Only a muffled groan was heard.
The Ninja, still immersed in the genjutsu, died on the spot.
Orochimaru looked up, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
"Let this captive replace Yakushi Nonou; if all goes well, the plan will succeed."
Chiye-kun's gaze swept around, confirming that no flaws were left behind.
"It's time to retreat."
Orochimaru nodded.
"Such a death should be able to fool the people of Hidden Cloud Village."
The three quickly left the scene, disappearing into the night.
...
Thick dark clouds hung over Hidden Cloud Village, and lightning flashed in the clouds, as if foretelling an approaching storm.
Inside the Raikage's office, the atmosphere was almost suffocatingly oppressive.
The Third Raikage stood by the window, his thick arms clasped behind his back, knuckles white from exertion.
His back was like a volcano about to erupt, exuding a chilling sense of oppression.
If it weren't for the Third Raikage personally suppressing the unconsciously rampaging Eight-Tails today, it would have probably rushed into the Village and caused massive destruction.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Several Hidden Cloud Jonin entered the office, cold sweat dripping down their faces.
"Reporting to Raikage-sama, the Eight-Tailed Jinchuriki Fukai is confirmed dead. During the Eight-Tails' rampage, eight elite Jonin were killed in action, and the Yunlei Gorge training ground was completely destroyed. The losses… are incalculable."
The Third Raikage turned around, his face filled with rage.
"...Do you know why the Tailed Beast suddenly rampaged?"
The reporting Hidden Cloud Jonin swallowed.
"Currently… it has not been determined. The cause of the Eight-Tails' rampage is still under investigation, but Fukai-sama's condition was always very stable before, so logically, it shouldn't have…"
Bang!!!
The Third Raikage slammed his fist on the desk, and the thick solid wood desk instantly cracked, splinters flying.
"'Logically'?! 'Logically' the Eight-Tailed Jinchuriki shouldn't have died! 'Logically' Hidden Cloud shouldn't have lost so many elites! What's the result?!"
The entire office seemed to tremble from his roar, and the few Jonin even breathed cautiously.
Just then, the office door was pushed open, and a tall, stern-faced young Ninja walked in.
He was the youth who had previously severed the Eight-Tails.
"Father, things are probably not that simple."
The Third Raikage's sharp gaze turned to him.
"What have you found?"
"Three days ago, I spoke with Fukai, and his mental state was very stable, and the Eight-Tails' seal showed no abnormalities.
Its sudden rampage absolutely cannot be an accident."
The Third Raikage was silent for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.
"You mean… someone tampered with it?"
"The Eight-Tails rampaged too suddenly, and the sensory Ninja also detected suspicious Chakra traces.
I suspect that someone from an outside Village infiltrated Yunlei Gorge and deliberately triggered the Eight-Tails' rampage."
A cold light flashed in the Third Raikage's eyes.
"Which Village dares to lay hands on Hidden Cloud?!"
"Currently, the most likely is Konoha."
The Hidden Cloud Village Jonin beside him was stunned.
"Konoha? But they are currently fighting Sunagakure and Amegakure, how do they have the spare capacity to cause destruction in Hidden Cloud?"
"Precisely because they are fighting on the front lines, they need to weaken us even more.
If Hidden Cloud participates in the war, Konoha will face the pressure of a three-front war. They must want to eliminate this threat in advance."
The Third Raikage snorted.
"Issue an order to immediately thoroughly investigate all suspicious individuals who have recently entered Hidden Cloud!
Especially Medical Ninja, merchant caravans, and rogue Ninja, not a single one should be let go!"
"Also, strengthen border patrols, especially in the direction near the Land of Fire.
If it was really Konoha, their people must not have gone far yet."
Killing intent radiated from the Third Raikage's eyes.
"If I catch whoever did this…
I will make him regret being born into this world!"