"…So it's lost control, huh?"
Obito looked at the rampaging Two-Tails with mild surprise.
Wasn't Yugito Nii, the current jinchūriki of Matatabi supposed to be perfectly capable of controlling her tailed beast?
Interesting…
A playful glint flickered in Obito's eyes.
"I don't see how that's my problem."
Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around Terumi Mei. His figure blurred and vanished, Kamui space swallowing them both in an instant.
As for the berserk Two-Tails? That was Kumogakure's problem, not his.
Why should he waste time subduing it for their sake? Let the Cloud shinobi handle this wonderful mess themselves.
The Eight-Tails was sealed away, the Two-Tails was rampaging, and all of Kumogakure was in chaos.
Truly… subarashii.
Obito smirked to himself. He could already imagine the face of the Fourth Raikage upon his return. That expression alone would be priceless.
When he teleported to Pakura's side with the Flying Thunder God mark, the first thing that greeted him was a crumbling building and a battlefield littered with shriveled corpses.
"Mission's over. Time to go."
Pakura didn't answer. She only gave a sly glance at Mei still nestled in the arms of Obito before nodding silently.
Obito carried both kunoichi into Kamui space.
There, he tossed the captured Storm Release user from Kumogakure straight into the Devouring Coffin without a second thought, then departed with his two new companions.
Meanwhile, the wooden clone stationed at Kumogakure's gate turned on its heel and walked away. Once far enough from the village, it crumbled into nothing more than a dead branch.
--
Not long after, a squad of Cloud shinobi rushed out of the village gates, heading toward Unraikyō Gorge for reinforcements.
"…This… this is…?!"
Their eyes widened in horror at the sight of countless corpses scattered across the ground just outside the village.
No wonder every messenger they'd sent for help never returned. No wonder Lord Raikage still hadn't come back.
They hadn't even made it far from the village before being slaughtered.
At that same time, on the road from Unraikyō Gorge back toward Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage and his men were sprinting at full speed.
"Damn Land of Snow!!"
Ai ground his teeth, voice shaking the air with fury.
When he'd reached the gorge earlier, he had indeed found Killer B. But instead of fighting enemies, his brother had been pinned down trapped inside a powerful barrier.
This made the Fourth Raikage finally breathe a sigh of relief.
After realizing the blood-red barrier sealing the gorge could not be broken, he held back his fury and waited for Dodai's team to arrive.
Once they regrouped, everyone poured their strength into smashing the barrier.
But no matter how hard they tried, the crimson wall stood firm, refusing to yield. Time dragged on, and frustration only mounted.
Then
A small lizard burst onto the scene, carrying a scroll in its mouth.
The Raikage's expression darkened instantly.
Even though Obito's wooden clone had intercepted countless shinobi, it was impossible to block every summoning beast. This little lizard had slipped through the net.
The message it carried was disastrous.
The moment Ai's eyes scanned the words, his chest tightened with shock and fury. At once, he barked for his men to turn around.
"Lord Raikage… it seems we've been tricked. The enemy set this up just to draw you away from the village."
"AAHHHHH!!!" Ai roared, lightning sparking around his massive frame. But he forced himself to grit his teeth and calm down.
"Damn it… it's useless to talk about it now. Hurry back to the village!"
By the time the Fourth Raikage and his squad raced back at full speed, Kumogakure had already become a vision of hell.
The gates lay shattered. Ruins and corpses stretched across the ground.
And in the middle of it all, the Two-Tails Matatabi, rampaged like a demon, tearing through the streets as though the village were a no-man's land.
The sight drove Ai's rage to its peak. But together, with every elite still alive, the Cloud forces managed to suppress Matatabi at last, forcing the beast back into submission.
And then…
Inside the Raikage's office, carved crudely into the wall, were words that made Ai's blood boil.
"AAAHHHHHHHH!!!"
Lightning exploded around him as Ai's roar shook the building.
"Snow Country… Polaris Chamber of Commerce… I swear I'll crush you!!!"
But all he could do was rage. Rage, and nothing more.
Meanwhile, far away from the smoking ruins of Kumogakure, Obito had no intention of returning directly to the Land of Snow.
His figure flickered into the depths of the underground Gold Exchange.
With a calm smile, he slid a bag of ryo across the counter and gave his orders.
"Spread tonight's news. Kumogakure went back on their word. They attacked the Snow Country caravan and tried to rob us."
"We took our payment back, destroyed five logistics bases along their frontlines, and even paid their village a little visit. The Two-Tails broke loose. Their losses were… considerable."
The details? Unnecessary. The rumors would be enough.
Once the deal was sealed, Obito warped back to the Land of Snow.
The moment he returned, he summoned his officials.
"Issue a formal notice. Kumogakure broke their promises, betrayed us, and even attacked our caravans."
"Unless they bow their heads and apologize, there will be no further trade with them."
The statement would serve as confirmation for the rumors now spreading like wildfire through the underworld.
Exactly as planned.
Obito's goal was clear: get ahead of the narrative. If Kumogakure was painted as the aggressor and the Land of Snow as the victim, their reputation would rot and his country would always be standing on the "righteous" side.
Sure, going so high-profile meant the Five Great Nations would grow wary, maybe even jealous. But that was fine.
Jealousy kept people cautious.
The Land of Snow was already thriving in trade. Every major power had noticed. By crushing Kumogakure so openly, Obito was sending a message: think twice before touching us.
Spies, sabotage, little games in the shadows those would still come. But no one would dare try a blatant caravan raid again. Not after what happened to the Cloud.
All Obito had done was speed up the timeline.
Back in his study, he calmly sorted through the spoils of his raid.
Outside, the ninja world buzzed. Two pieces of news spread like wildfire.
The Gold Exchange, with its massive network, pushed the story hard. Spies in the Land of Lightning confirmed the destruction at Kumogakure's gates. The more people whispered, the truer it sounded.
By the next morning, every hidden village had received word.
"Hahaha! So the Cloud finally got bit, huh? About time that brat Ai learned a lesson!"
In Iwagakure, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki was chuckling so hard his beard shook as he read the report. But after a moment, the smile faded.
"…Snow Country, is it?" His eyes narrowed. He'd been leading Iwagakure long enough to know a rising threat when he saw one.
"Summon my men. I want details. What exactly were they trading with the Cloud? And bring me every scrap of intel you can dig up on this 'Snow Country.' Past and present."
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama!"
---
Elsewhere, in Konohagakure, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in the Hokage's office, pipe smoke curling into the air. He had already called the other three elders.
"What do you think?" he asked quietly.
Homura shook his head. "Cloud brought this on themselves. But the Snow Country… to hit them this hard? That's no ordinary nation."
Koharu nodded. "We need more information. Immediately."
Sarutobi's gaze slid to one man in the room.
"Danzō."
Danzō spoke at last, his eyes narrowing. Years of experience with Hiruzen meant he didn't need more than a glance to understand.
"…Leave it to me. Root will gather the information on the Snow Country." His voice was quiet, steady, and cold.
Hiruzen nodded slightly before shifting to the other matter.
"As for Kumogakure's demands… if they withdraw those unreasonable conditions, then let them go."
"…Pathetic."
Danzō's tone rose as if he was about to strangle Hiruzen.
"The Cloud has just taken a devastating loss. They can't afford another war. And yet you would just… forgive them? Even when Hyūga Hiashi's daughter hasn't been found?"
Hiruzen's gaze hardened, though his tone stayed calm.
"Don't be naive. The Raikage still stands. Their jinchūriki still live. Kumogakure still has strengthand now, humiliated and enraged, they're more dangerous than ever."
"If we press too far, they may throw everything into a war of vengeance."
He exhaled slowly, smoke curling from his pipe.
"And Konoha cannot endure another war."
"As for Hinata…" his eyes dimmed, "so many days have passed. I fear the worst. I will speak with Hiashi myself. He will understand the village's burden."
"Hmph. Weakness, as always. You'll regret this, Hiruzen."
The Hokage's eyes met his, unflinching.
"Remember, Danzō, I am the Hokage."
The silence cracked with the slam of the door as Danzō stormed out, leaving the chamber thick with unease.
--------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 50 Advanced Chapters and Exclusive R-18 Content!
--------------------------------------
Update schedule: 7 chapters/week
Every 300 power stones = 1 Extra Chapter
By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of chapters.