Chapter 244: Attacking The Ancestral Land Of The Yotsuki Clan

After a moment, the third Raikage took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, then he shouted loudly, "Immediately gather three thousand ninjas who are still able to fight. I will personally lead them in pursuit. Even if it means searching the heavens and the earth, that kid must not escape the Land of Lightning!"

"Yes!"

"Father, I..." A stepped forward, but the third Raikage raised his hand to stop him.

"A!"

The third Raikage looked at him, his gaze stern yet carrying a deeper meaning. "The village is in chaos. The Eight-Tails situation is not fully resolved. The wounded and the people need reassurance. I can only leave with peace of mind if you stay behind and hold things together."

A’s lips moved, then he nodded. "I understand."

The third Raikage said nothing more, patted his son’s shoulder, and strode away.

Fifteen minutes later.

At the gate of the Village Hidden in the Cloud, three thousand ninjas had assembled. They still bore the marks of last night’s battle, but all stood upright, their eyes burning with anger.

The third Raikage stood at the front, sweeping his gaze across them.

"Move out!"

Three thousand figures surged forward in the morning light like a gray torrent, rushing toward the southeastern coast, the most likely retreat route of the Konoha forces.

The third Raikage charged at the very front, lightning exploding around him, tearing open the morning mist.

From the top floor of the Raikage building, A watched his father and the troops depart, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles cracked.

"Shinichi Higashino..."

He murmured the name, killing intent boiling in his eyes, then he turned and returned to the Raikage’s office to handle the aftermath.

But two hours later, an urgent distress report interrupted his work.

"A-sama! The clan members at the ancestral land have sent an urgent request for aid! Mount Raigu is under attack by Konoha ninja!" A Jonin rushed in to report.

"What!?"

A shot to his feet, knocking documents off the desk.

Instead of heading to the coast, those Konoha ninja had gone deeper into the Land of Lightning?

A quickly walked to the map, his eyes scanning the terrain.

Then a secretary spoke, "A-sama, we must inform Raikage-sama immediately..." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"It’s too late." A cut him off, his finger stabbing down at the location of Mount Raigu on the map.

"Father has already been gone for two hours. By the time the message is delivered and they make a round trip to Mount Raigu, it will take at least half a day. The battle there will already be over."

"I will personally lead people there. After that, you immediately notify Father. Shinichi Higashino did not run toward the seaside; they are likely withdrawing from the northwest. Have father and the others turn around and circle from the west, get ahead of them, and then join me to encircle and annihilate Shinichi Higashino and his group from both front and rear!"

"Yes!"

A few minutes later, the gates of Village Hidden in the Cloud opened once again.

Three thousand Kumogakure ninja followed behind A, sprinting toward the direction of Mount Raigu.

The morning light had fully broken, stretching their shadows long behind them.

A charged at the very front, lightning bursting around his body, making him move faster than anyone behind him.

Just as they left, within the ruins of the Village Hidden in the Cloud, a person dressed like a civilian who had been watching them depart entered a room, then immediately turned into a puff of smoke and disappeared.

More than ten minutes later, the third Raikage, who was leading the group in pursuit toward the southeast, also received the message from the village.

After thinking for a moment, he followed his son’s suggestion, leading his forces to turn around. Instead of returning to the village, they sped toward the northwest.

...

Half an hour earlier, at Mount Raigu.

This majestic mountain range is located in the heart of the Land of Lightning.

Its towering peaks are shrouded in thick clouds and mist year-round, and from a distance they look like giant black spears piercing the sky.

Thunder rumbles in the mountains year-round. Whenever rain clouds gather, lightning flashes wildly across the valleys, creating a deafening roar like the beating of heavenly drums.

This is the origin of the name Mount Raigu.

This place was once the Yotsuki Clan’s territory during the Warring States Period.

In that era, major ninja clans each held their own territories, bound by blood ties and based on land, fighting each other in the chaos of war.

More than forty years ago, the Clan Head of the Yotsuki Clan, later known as the first Raikage, used overwhelming strength and decisive methods to rally and unify the various ninja clans and forces of the Land of Lightning, jointly establishing the Village Hidden in the Cloud.

The Yotsuki Clan also relocated in its entirety to the newly formed village.

However, the ancestral land was ultimately a place of heritage passed down for generations.

Although most clan members, Hidden Jutsu scrolls, clan records, and other core assets had been moved to the Village Hidden in the Cloud, the graves of past ancestors, the shrines for ancestral worship, and the ancient buildings and monuments engraved with the clan’s history still remained in these mountains.

Therefore, every year, the Yotsuki Clan would send members in rotation to guard, clean, and maintain the site, both as an act of inheritance and for protection.

At this moment, on the outskirts of this sacred ground of the Yotsuki Clan, deep within the dense forest, a group of just over four hundred figures stood silently in the shadows beneath the trees.

Most of them bore traces of battle, but every pair of eyes was sharp, their auras steady, like leopards lurking in the dark.

Earlier, Shinichi had only given a simple order: Head to Mount Raigu, and more than four hundred people had followed him deep into enemy territory without hesitation.

No one questioned why they were not retreating along the original route, nor did anyone ask about the strategy. This demonstrated the group’s extreme trust in this young captain.

Shinichi stood at the front of the group, raised his head, and looked through the layers of branches and leaves at the black mountain that was faintly visible through the mist and lightning in the distance. Deep in his pupils, a glassy light flowed silently.

After a moment, Shinichi withdrew his gaze and addressed the crowd, saying, "There are a total of sixty-eight people on the mountain, eight of whom are worth something; they should be Jonin-level enemies."

Since Sensory (White) was upgraded to Clarity (Green), his perception ability has undergone a qualitative change.

In particular, after Clarity was combined with Lightning Speed Reflex, Shinichi began to consciously show his perception ability, which far exceeds the norm, to his teammates.

This is not only for tactical needs, but also to further solidify the consensus that Shinichi Higashino has extraordinary perception abilities.

"Sixty-eight people?" Shinku Yuhi nodded and said in a deep voice, "If we make proper arrangements, we can wipe them all out here silently, without even sending out a distress signal."

"No, senior Shinku." Shinichi shook his head. "What I want is for them to send out the distress signal."

Hearing this, Shinku Yuhi was briefly stunned, then a sharp light flashed in his eyes. "Shinichi, you mean...?"