Chapter 235: Konoha Crush
Konoha Village.
Bang! Bang!
A large group of foreign ninjas broke through Konoha's outer defenses and launched an assault on the village. Simultaneously, three massive giant snakes appeared within the walls.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Dammit, shuriken are useless against creatures of this size!" The Konoha ninjas looked on with grim expressions. Dealing with massive summoning beasts like these was always a nightmare.
Right at that moment, several chains streaked across the sky, binding one of the giant snakes and rendering it unable to move.
"That's... the Barrier Division's Phantom Sealing Chains! It can only seal one lifeform—we have to stop the others!" With one snake neutralized, the Konoha ninjas felt a surge of morale and launched a fierce counterattack on the remaining two.
Whoosh!
Another squad arrived on the scene. Seeing the gargantuan serpents, Morino Ibiki turned to Mibu-Shinobu. "Those are huge. This is a problem. Shinobu, do it."
Mibu Shinobu nodded and wove hand signs. "Eye-Opening Touch: Pangolin!"
Rumble!
A massive pangolin rose from the earth, lunging forward to grab one of the snakes, and the two beasts began to grapple.
"Captain, I can only control one! You have to watch my back!" Mibu-Shinobu called out after releasing the jutsu. He couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed; he had only learned a half-baked version of the technique. Lacking the reverse application of the Mind Reading Technique, he had to manually control the summon.
For now, he could only stall the giant snake, unable to deal lethal damage. However, that was his goal: to minimize the destruction caused by the beast.
"Mhm. Hachi, look after him. I'll deal with the other one," Ibiki ordered his other subordinate.
"Understood!"
The Land of Snow, Monarch's Manor.
Tonbo Tobitake moved through the halls as if he were in an uninhabited land. The Snow Ninja guards seemed completely unaware of his presence.
"This manor is huge."
Before a guard could even react, Tonbo placed a hand on the man's head. The long-absent "Time-Space Tunnel" appeared once more, and a flood of memory fragments poured out.
Tonbo quickly found the intelligence he was looking for. He now understood why their Chakra Armor hadn't blocked his Genjutsu: at its core, the current armor was just an amplifier. It required the ninja to actively trigger it and refine chakra for it to function.
Armed with this knowledge, he moved through the manor like an invisible ghost. His teammates had stayed behind with the resistance forces. This time, Tonbo had been a bit selfish; since this mission didn't involve the growth of Naruto or Sasuke, he had used his techniques on his employer.
The current Koyuki Kazahana was now a woman determined to save the Land of Snow. Mondo and the other two were responsible for her safety, while the Royal Guard waited for Tonbo's intel before launching their final assault.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Battles erupted all over Konoha. Iruka led the students toward the shelters, while nearby ninjas acted as their guards.
"Dammit! We're supposed to be ninjas, but Iruka-sensei won't let us go out and fight," Tianyu sighed. They were already quite strong.
"We're too young. Besides, the village seems to have it under control," Wataru said beside him.
Maki added, "I wonder if Mom and the others are okay?" Rather than fighting, she was worried about her family's safety.
"Of course they are. Grandpa is really strong too," Tianyu reassured her.
"Don't let the fact that I only have one hand fool you—taking you lot down is still easy."
Faced with the enemy, Tobitake Tosei pulled a wire with his right hand. The ground flipped open, launching a volley of shuriken that killed several Sand ninjas attempting to attack civilians. Around him, a group of residents followed his lead toward the shelters.
Whiz! Whiz!
He remained calm and collected. His mastery of shuriken and kunai was exquisite, and his taijutsu was so fluid it was almost art, showcasing decades of combat experience. He only used ninjutsu occasionally when facing a particularly strong foe, as his chakra reserves were limited.
Clang!
"This 'Proxy License' my son gave me is actually quite useful. As expected of my boy, he inherited my genes," Tosei mused. He could feel a steady stream of combat inspiration flowing from his mental space. Using his base strength, he cut down enemy after enemy. He never expected that, after being retired for so many years, he would have another day on the battlefield.
In the forests of Konoha, Shikamaru wove a sign. Eight Sound ninjas were caught simultaneously in his trap, their shadows linked and frozen.
"Caught in a trap? It's useless. You can't hold this jutsu for long," the Sound ninjas said, showing no fear. To them, a lone Shikamaru was a weakling.
Shikamaru smirked. "Are you waiting for your teammates in the shadows?"
The Sound ninjas froze. He analyzed that? But it didn't matter.
Thud!
Suddenly, a body fell from the trees, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. A figure appeared on a branch above them.
"There's also me."
Whoosh!
Ino didn't waste words. Under the terrified gazes of the Sound ninjas, her shuriken pierced their throats. Shikamaru released his Shadow Possession Jutsu.
"Ino, your stealth is getting incredible. That special training with Captain Tonbo really paid off!" he praised.
"Of course! I've been working really hard," Ino said proudly. A month of effort hadn't gone to waste. "Should we pursue them?"
"No, we need to stay here to block any potential reinforcements. We'll leave the rest to Naruto and the others; I trust their strength," Shikamaru decided. He figured that as long as they cut off the enemy's backup, Sasuke's group would be fine.
Bang! Bang!
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Reanimation Jutsu!"
The battle between teacher and student was incredibly fast. From the initial dialogue to the arrival of the First and Second Hokages, less than a minute had passed.
"Tonbo Tobitake... you were the one behind the scheme to lure him away, weren't you?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked. Even facing the legendary Hokages, he showed no fear. But what pained him more was the realization that there was a traitor within Konoha—or perhaps within the high command of the Land of Fire.
At this critical juncture, moving Konoha's key combat asset out of the village was a calculated move.
"Yes, that guy is indeed a nuisance. But for now, Teacher Sarutobi, focus on the fight. Let me show you the results of my years of research," Orochimaru replied, not bothering to deny it. Danzo really is a piece of work, he thought.
The Land of Fire.
In a hidden Akatsuki base, Itachi looked at the intelligence report in his hand. Kisame was doing the same.
"That Orochimaru is certainly busy! No wonder the Leader is always hunting him. He might actually cause some trouble for the Leader's plans," Kisame remarked. They had just received word that Konoha was under joint attack by the Sound and Sand.
"Is Konoha really going to fall?" Kisame mocked. Faced with two villages attacking their home soil and Orochimaru's insider knowledge, he wondered how they would cope.
"No. Even with Tonbo Tobitake gone, Konoha's foundation is not that simple. Kisame, get ready. We're going to Konoha."
"Oh? Going for the Nine-Tails? It's a perfect time with Tonbo gone. To be honest, that guy actually scares me a bit."
Tonbo being sent away on a mission was also in their intelligence. To Kisame, Tonbo was the most troublesome person in Konoha—even more so than the Third Hokage.
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