Chapter 242: A Mask Worn Too Long Will Eventually Reveal Flaws

At the critical moment, the Eight-Tails Gyuki could only tilt its head slightly by instinct.

Crack!!!

The massive dark purple horn snapped off and crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Roooaaaar!!!"

The pain of the broken horn completely ignited the Eight-Tails’ ferocity. At that moment, in its scarlet, beastly eyes, there was nothing left but the tiny human who had severed its horn.

Its mountain-like body turned with a thunderous motion. All eight tentacles rose simultaneously, carrying a violent force that seemed intent on crushing everything as it charged at A!

A did not linger. He turned and dashed toward the wilderness away from the village.

One chased, one fled; the two terrifying figures rapidly moved away from the center of the Village Hidden in the Cloud.

"Support A-sama immediately! And you, contact the third Raikage at once!"

"Yes!"

A seasoned, experienced Jonin from the Village Hidden in the Cloud quickly took command, issuing several orders in succession before leading most of the elite troops in pursuit.

The ninjas who remained in place had no time to catch their breath and quickly began organizing firefighting and rescue efforts.

For a moment, no one paid any attention to the severed bullhorn.

Then a soft, snake-like, eerie figure slowly rose from the ground.

Orochimaru stood before the massive dark purple horn, several times thicker than his entire body, and examined it with interest.

"What a fine thing."

Orochimaru licked his lips. He attempted to store the entire horn in a storage scroll but found it too large, and the tailed beast chakra within it too violent. Even storing a small portion would cause an ordinary sealing scroll to collapse.

Thus, he took out his famed sharp Sword of Kusanagi, the Longsword of the Sky, and cut the horn tip into several pieces, sealing them into multiple scrolls.

At the same time, he was doing this, the Village Hidden in the Cloud, which should have begun regaining some order after the Eight-Tails left, suddenly fell into chaos again!

Boom!

Multiple areas in the east erupted with explosions almost simultaneously!

Then came the dense sounds of clashing weapons, the blasts of Ninjutsu, and the startled cries and furious shouts of the Kumogakure ninja!

More enemies!?

A Chunin who had just finished organizing civilian evacuation turned pale and looked toward the direction of the explosions, crying out: "This is bad! That’s..."

"The warehouse area!!!"

Almost at the same moment he spoke, another ninja pointed at the iconic five-story white building on the eastern side of the village, his voice shaking: "The medical department... something’s happened there too!!!"

"It has begun."

Standing in the shadows of the ruins, Orochimaru looked toward the blazing area, a smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"The raid on Village Hidden in the Cloud is only the beginning."

Orochimaru muttered to himself, his voice carrying an indescribable interest: "How to survive the furious pursuit of the Village Hidden in the Cloud, that is the real test. I believe that with Shinichi-kun’s ability, leaving unscathed shouldn’t be a problem, but..."

"What about your subordinates? When Village Hidden in the Cloud’s pursuit bites down like mad dogs, and sacrifice becomes inevitable, what would you do, Shinichi-kun?"

Orochimaru couldn’t help but recall how, back then, the second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had encountered the Kinkaku and Ginkaku during peace talks between the Village Hidden in the Cloud and Konoha, and was relentlessly hunted by the Kinkaku Force.

He could have escaped alone using the Flying Thunder God Technique, but chose to stay behind and cover his students’ retreat, ultimately falling on the Land of Lightning.

"What will you do, Shinichi-kun?"

"How very intriguing."

At this point, Orochimaru felt his heart begin to beat faster than usual, a mixture of fervor, excitement, and a purer, more primal thirst for knowledge.

From the moment he first saw the boy named Shinichi Higashino, Orochimaru had been deeply fascinated by his unusual behavior, especially the contradiction and mystery between his perfect exterior and his dangerous essence.

A mask worn too long will eventually reveal flaws.

But Shinichi Higashino was different. His mask was too perfect, so perfect that even Orochimaru could not tell whether that gentle, humble face was a mask or if the mask had become his face.

Orochimaru wanted to know the answer too much.

This desire had, during this period, even surpassed his pursuit of forbidden immortality techniques and his exploration of all Ninjutsu systems.

He did not care how furious his teacher would be afterward, or how he would be punished.

Right now, he only wanted to know what lay beneath Shinichi Higashino’s mask.

"Then let me see, Shinichi-kun..."

His figure gradually merged into the night, his voice dissipating in the wind.

"What is your true nature beneath that mask..."

The flames danced behind him, stretching his shadow long, before it vanished into the night sky.

......

"What!? The Eight-Tails has gone berserk! Blue B may have already met with disaster? And people from Konoha are attacking the village!?"

At Village Hidden in the Cloud’s main camp in the Land of Hot Water, the third Raikage suddenly stood up, knocking over his chair with a harsh crash.

The messenger ninja knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

"Send the order! Prepare the Heavenly Transfer Technique immediately, send me back to the village!"

Heavenly Transfer Technique!

It is a secret technique of the Village Hidden in the Cloud, which uses high-speed movement to instantly transport a target to a designated location. Because it relies on extreme speed, it causes intense friction with the air and generates enormous G-forces.

An ordinary human body cannot withstand such extreme speed and would be torn apart, dying as its body splits into pieces. Therefore, it is generally only used to transport objects.

But the third Raikage is different. His body is strong and resilient enough to withstand the tearing forces produced by such extreme speed.

He then turned his head to look at Dodai beside him. "Dodai, you will take over the front line and assume full command."

Dodai’s expression grew grave as he was about to respond, but the third Raikage spoke again, his voice a few degrees lower than before: "If necessary... You may withdraw the troops."

Dodai suddenly raised his head, but the third Raikage had already strode out of the tent without looking back.

The tent fell silent for a long time.

Dodai stood still, closed his eyes, and began rapidly analyzing the situation in his mind.

The Eight-Tails had gone berserk, the village was damaged, and Blue B’s fate was unknown. The logistics and medical departments, the lifeblood supporting the war, had suffered a surprise attack from Konoha ninja and were likely already devastated.

This battle could no longer be fought.

More critically, the other ninja villages, especially the Village Hidden in the Stones, might take advantage of the Village Hidden in the Cloud’s weakened state and strike.

Thinking of this, Dodai took a deep breath, reopened his eyes, turned, and issued orders: "Send orders to all units! Prepare to retreat. Use large units to cover each other in rotation and withdraw back to the village in batches!"

The staff officers exchanged glances, then nodded. "Understood!"

Dodai walked to the map, his gaze shifting from the northeastern front line of the Land of Fire to the direction of the Village Hidden in the Cloud, then to the long coastline of the Land of Lightning.

He stared at the southeastern coastal waters for a moment in silence. The Konoha forces had likely infiltrated from there.

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