Just when Chao Yanqian and the Fourth Raikage were shopping, the battle situation outside had already become chaotic.
Chao Yanqian personally claimed that he had destroyed Kumogakure (the Hidden Cloud Village). Although this information had not been confirmed, the Konoha shinobi would not miss the opportunity to spread the news on the battlefield to damage the morale of the Kumogakure forces.
For the Kumogakure shinobi, the destruction of their village was devastating news. Kumogakure was not only their homeland but also where their families lived. If Kumogakure had truly been destroyed by Chao Yanqian, they couldn't imagine whether their loved ones had survived.
Although Kumogakure had not issued an official statement to confirm the destruction, the fact that Chao Yanqian had gone missing for a time paired with his overwhelming strength made it unlikely that he would lie about such a thing.
After all, this kind of claim is easy to verify. If he had lied to the entire shinobi world, his reputation would have been ruined.
Although the Kumogakure ninja were furious and wanted to tear Chao Yanqian apart, many of them were desperate to return home to see with their own eyes whether their village had truly been destroyed.
Once word of Kumogakure's destruction spread across the battlefield, panic set in among the Kumogakure shinobi. They didn't know whether their parents, children, siblings, or friends had survived. They were desperate for any news of their families.
Although a small group of Kumogakure shinobi refused to believe that Chao Yanqian could destroy the entire village, assuming it was simply a ploy to weaken morale, they lacked the evidence to convince anyone else much less themselves.
"Haha! Kumogakure has been destroyed by Lord Chao Yanqian you bastards are already homeless!"
"Wrong they are homeless now! Hahaha!"
"This is the price you pay for attacking the Land of Fire!"
"You deserve it! You started this war now deal with the consequences!"
The Konoha shinobi relentlessly targeted Kumogakure's morale. The phrase "besieged on all sides" perfectly described their mental state.
The Kumogakure shinobi were like Xiang Yu's defeated army demoralized and without will to fight. Even though the Fourth Raikage hadn't ordered a retreat, many had already begun to flee, desperate to return to their village and check on their families.
Although Chao Yanqian acted with arrogance, he was not without reason.
Destroying Kumogakure was enough. If he had massacred the villagers as well, the survivors would be driven to madness and revenge.
Even if their home was gone, as long as their families lived, the shinobi of Kumogakure could rebuild and under Konoha's overwhelming pressure, they might even seek peace.
Chao Yanqian didn't know exactly what happened between Konoha and Kumogakure after Be Feng Shuimen's death in the original timeline. But judging from the stance of Hiruzen Sarutobi, it was clear that the conflict had cooled, and Konoha had ultimately made significant concessions to end the war.
But in this life, although Konoha had lost many of its powerful shinobi, they still had Chao Yanqian and a strong army. Konoha no longer needed to compromise with any village.
Still, Chao Yanqian understood that to truly end the war with Kumogakure, it wasn't enough to destroy their village. He had to suppress the Fourth Raikage and force him to acknowledge his strength. Only then would the Raikage hesitate to continue the war.
Otherwise, the Raikage could use the village's destruction as a justification to reignite hostilities later. Once Kumogakure was rebuilt, the war could easily resume.
---
The center of the battlefield.
Boom!
The ground shook with a thunderous roar. Chao Yanqian had maximized his cell regeneration and was channeling Sage Chakra at full capacity. He clashed with the Fourth Raikage using his most powerful [Strange Power Fist], both fighters moving at blinding speeds. The naked eye couldn't follow them. Craters littered the battlefield from the sheer impact of their chakra-laced blows.
Winds tore across the field as stunned onlookers watched. No one had imagined taijutsu could be this destructive. A casual punch rivaled A-rank ninjutsu; at full strength, their blows equaled the force of S-rank techniques.
Killer Bee observed the fight with growing concern. He had never expected Chao to go toe-to-toe with the Fourth Raikage. Just feeling the shockwaves of their battle told him his brother wouldn't emerge unscathed.
"Idiot! Bastard!" Killer Bee shouted, rushing toward the clash to help his brother.
"You're not getting through!" Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, intercepted him. With a single dodge, he appeared before Killer Bee, swinging his adamantine staff and forcing him back.
"Fool! Bastard! Move it!" Killer Bee roared, his body swelling with red chakra bubbles. Within moments, he was cloaked in the Eight-Tails' chakra. Several tails appeared behind him.
"A Tailed Beast Cloak?" Hiruzen frowned. Dealing with a jinchūriki in this state would be troublesome especially when over half his chakra had already been spent.
"It's more than that!" Killer Bee yelled as he suddenly closed in on Hiruzen, punching toward his chest with a red chakra-encased arm.
Hiruzen quickly retreated and formed hand signs.
[Earth Style: Great Mud River]
[Ninja Art: Charm Detonation]
The ground transformed into a rushing wave of mud, laced with hidden explosive tags. As the mud swept over Killer Bee
Boom! Boom!
A barrage of explosions engulfed him. But Hiruzen knew this wouldn't be enough to stop a jinchūriki. With a grim expression, he dashed forward, swinging his staff again.
"Hmph! Looks like there's another fight going on over there," the Fourth Raikage said, deflecting Chao Yanqian's strike and glancing in the direction of Killer Bee's battle.
"Focus on yourself!" Chao Yanqian snapped.
The Raikage grabbed Chao Yanqian by the waist and slammed him into the ground with immense strength. If he combined it with Lightning Release
[Lightning Release: Thunderclap Bomb]
Boom!
Chao Yanqian vanished mid-impact using the Flying Thunder God Technique, instantly teleporting a safe distance away. He watched the Fourth Raikage rise from the crater, clearly irritated.
"I didn't expect you to pull out something like that. You almost had me," Chao Yanqian said with a light chuckle.
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