Kumo's Lightning Gorge was blanketed by thick cloud cover. Thunder rumbled continuously, as if signaling an approaching storm.
Following the intelligence provided by Yakushi Nono, Chiya and Orochimaru crept silently toward the depths of Kumo's Lightning Gorge.
They moved like ghosts in the night, weaving through the mountain valleys, each step taken with great care so as not to alert the guards.
At last, they reached the area where Fukai was located.
Eight elite Kumo-nin stood guard in the surrounding area, scanning their surroundings with sharp vigilance.
Chiya and Orochimaru exchanged a glance and gave a nod, then immediately moved into action.
Chiya's Sharingan flickered faintly in the darkness, tracking the movements of every guard, while Orochimaru released several small snakes without a sound to scout the surrounding area.
"Move!"
Orochimaru said in a low, sharp voice.
Chiya's figure darted like a phantom between the guards. Kunai flashed in arcs of cold light, striking each target's throat with precision.
At the same time, Orochimaru made his move, flicking his arm outward.
Several white snakes shot out from his sleeves at speed and bit down on the vital points of the guards in an instant.
Under the combined assault of Chiya and Orochimaru, the eight elite Kumo-nin guards had almost no chance to resist before they all fell.
After the fight, Orochimaru quickly checked the surrounding area.
After confirming that no traces had been left behind, he gave Chiya a nod.
"Next is Fukai."
Orochimaru licked his lips, a flash of excitement passing through his eyes.
"Chiya-kun, the Sharingan can only reach its full power when used by surprise."
"Let me probe him first."
Chiya nodded. Not having to face the Jinchuriki head-on was better.
Chiya concealed herself at a distance.
Orochimaru carefully moved closer to Fukai.
Below, Fukai was seated on a large boulder with his eyes closed, resting.
A powerful chakra pulse radiated from his body. Even in a resting state, it was not something to be taken lightly.
Orochimaru's figure flashed forward and charged directly at Fukai.
He flung a handful of shuriken. His hands moved through seals at speed, and he called out in a low voice.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Countless shuriken split apart and flew straight at Fukai.
Fukai's eyes snapped open. A flash of anger crossed them.
He swung both arms outward. A powerful surge of chakra erupted instantly and blasted away every incoming shuriken.
Then he rose to his feet. A great force of chakra began gathering around his body, and his form started to change.
Crimson chakra covered his body as he began a partial Tailed Beast transformation.
"Despicable enemy ninja, how dare you come and disturb me!"
Fukai let out a furious roar, and the chakra surrounding him surged even more intensely.
His hands began to grow larger. His nails sharpened to a blade-like edge, and a tremendous wave of pressure spread outward in an instant.
Orochimaru saw this and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but he immediately let out a cold laugh.
"Interesting. It seems your power is stronger than I imagined."
He moved through hand seals quickly and called out in a low voice.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
At his call, a massive snake burst up through the ground and coiled around Fukai in an instant.
Fukai let out a furious roar. The great snake binding him lurched, then let out a sharp and terrible cry.
Waves of scorching heat erupted from Fukai's body.
A sizzling sound rang out.
It was as if boiling oil had been poured across the snake's body.
A thunderous shout followed.
The great snakes were flung away by the powerful chakra, like charred scraps of burnt meat.
When Fukai came into view again before Orochimaru, he had changed further.
The crimson chakra cloak now wrapped his entire body completely, and chakra tails had already grown out behind him.
The sound coming from his mouth was close to the roar of a beast.
He stamped down hard with one foot.
The rock beneath him shattered. His body shot forward like a bullet, straight at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's gaze turned ice cold.
He raised his arm and flung shuriken with explosive tags attached.
The tags detonated violently in midair, sending up a massive cloud of smoke and dust.
At that moment, Orochimaru slipped away as smoothly as a snake.
Seeing that he could not catch Orochimaru, Fukai swung both arms wide. A powerful burst of chakra erupted in an instant.
It formed a small Tailed Beast Ball and sent it straight at Orochimaru.
"You think a Tailed Beast Ball can hit me?"
Orochimaru let out a cold laugh, as if he had anticipated this all along.
His hands flew through seals and he called out in a low voice.
"Triple Rashomon!"
At his call, three desolate and grim gates appeared in an instant and absorbed Fukai's Tailed Beast Ball.
"Now is the moment!"
In the gap between the two fighters' exchange, Orochimaru's voice rang out suddenly.
Chiya's figure appeared. She moved quickly toward Fukai, and the kunai in her hand drove straight into Fukai's back in an instant.
Fukai had not expected another enemy.
He turned his head, and when his gaze met that pair of bewitching Sharingan eyes, his body went rigid. He had clearly fallen under a genjutsu.
Orochimaru saw that Chiya had succeeded so quickly and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but he reacted immediately and charged toward Fukai.
He pressed the Five Elements Unseal he had already formed directly onto the seal on Fukai's chest.
"Release!"
The Iron Armor Seal on Fukai's body dissolved almost instantly.
Fukai's eyes went wide. His body shook violently. Then a tremendous force erupted from within him.
The Eight-Tails' power released in an instant. A massive horned bull with octopus-tentacle tails appeared before the two of them.
Fukai's body began to convulse violently, and the light in his eyes gradually faded to emptiness.
The Eight-Tails flew into an unconscious rampage. Red light flickered in its eyes, and the chakra waves surging around its body grew even more intense and violent.
It swung its tails wildly, attacking everything around it without distinction.
"The Eight-Tails is rampaging, all units, assemble!"
Shouts rang out one after another.
Dense clusters of ninja came rushing over from the distance.
"What is happening? Why is the Eight-Tails rampaging? That guy Fukai!"
The Kumo-nin who had arrived at the sound of the commotion had faces full of panic and confusion.
They looked at the Eight-Tails wreaking destruction across Kumo's Lightning Gorge, and fear kept them from advancing.
This was a Tailed Beast. The only one who could stop it right now was Lord Third Raikage, but it would take time even for Lord Third Raikage to get here.
By this point, Chiya and Orochimaru had already moved far from the area where the Eight-Tails was rampaging.
"So this is the power of the Eight-Tails."
Orochimaru watched the Eight-Tails below, a flash of excitement in his eyes.
"Chiya-kun, how long do you think it will take them to stop the Tailed Beast's rampage?"
Chiya looked out at the distant Eight-Tails. Though some ninja charged forward without regard for their lives, eight elite ninja had already died in a very short span of time, like mantises trying to stop a carriage. It was nearly useless.
"It will probably take until the Third Raikage arrives."
Suddenly... A young man charged out ahead of the others in fury.
He held a lightning-natured chakra blade in his hand.
He leaped high into the air and actually cut clean through one of the Eight-Tails' horns.
The horn crashed down heavily into a pool of water below.
Orochimaru's shadow clone, which had already been lying in wait, flashed with delight and moved forward quickly.
Using a kunai, it scraped powder from the horn and placed it into a collection pouch.
It was finally done.
Orochimaru sealed the collected Eight-Tails powder into a scroll and quickly withdrew.
"Mission complete."
The shadow clone dispersed. Orochimaru held the scroll in hand, turned to look at Chiya, and gave a slight smile.
"Chiya-kun, I owe you for this."
"We need to leave quickly. Kumogakure's reinforcements will arrive before long."
Chiya nodded. The two did not hesitate, and slipped away from the scene without a sound.