"First Hokage-sama! Second Hokage-sama!"
Seeing these two figures, everyone in the room was overjoyed.
Minato couldn't help but ask, "Is Third Hokage-sama and the others... are they alright?"
Hearing this, Hashirama's expression darkened.
Seeing this, everyone's hearts sank as well.
"How could this happen?"
Some couldn't believe it.
Hashirama said with self-blame, "Although I pushed people away with all my might, I only had time to protect a few people around me."
The power of the Chakra Cannon was indeed immense; even Hashirama couldn't block it.
However,
His defense slightly delayed the Chakra Cannon for 0.001 seconds.
Taking advantage of this brief moment, he pushed the people in the middle away, preventing them from being directly hit by the Chakra Cannon.
Later, in the last second before crashing into the earth, he also used Wood Release to catch as many people as possible.
But the power of the Chakra Cannon spread the very next second. Many who hadn't been caught were directly annihilated within that vast energy.
Among those who were caught, a large portion also died from the shock despite the Wood Release's protection; only a few powerful experts survived.
"Because the distance was too great, I couldn't teleport everyone at once. Considering we were under surprise attack and might face a shortage of combat power, I sent big brother up first." After Hashirama's explanation, Tobirama continued.
"Indeed, your arrival is very timely. The current situation is most suitable for First Hokage-sama's appearance." Shikaku said.
"Then big brother will go help on the frontlines; I'll go fetch the others."
"I'll go as well."
Seeing Tobirama's questioning look, Minato said, "I also know the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"Good!"
...
Round Table Conference Room.
The situation on the battlefield was projected onto the screen on the wall by the Eye of God.
The councilors in the conference room, seeing the seamless and continuous barrage of arrows, also showed expressions of shock.
The Mechanical City's defense system had been completed three years ago, but this was the first time it was put to use. No one had seen its power before.
Now, they had seen it.
The power far exceeded expectations.
A councilor couldn't help but swallow hard and said, "Suddenly, I feel the strength of the Allied Shinobi Forces seems just... meh."
Hearing this, everyone snapped out of their shock and couldn't help but roll their eyes.
'Just meh?'
'You actually dared to say that.'
'Not to mention other things, just take the Iwa's special unit... a range of about a thousand meters, gap-less saturation bombardment. If used properly, just this unit's enemies would have been difficult for Sunagakure to handle in the past.'
'Let alone those equipped with wings, flying in the sky.'
Although the enemy's air force hadn't launched any attacks yet, seeing the gun-like weapons in their hands made it clear they weren't just reconnaissance troops.
'They simply hadn't entered firing range yet.'
'In the past, we could only watch this air force helplessly, unable to retaliate even if attacked.'
'And you dare say their strength is just meh?'
But although everyone present had their inner thoughts, no one refuted his words.
Because, against the Mechanical City's powerful defense system, the enemy's strength did indeed seem just meh.
"One can only say Ryuji-sama is too powerful!"
Someone praised.
Although they were all councilors of the same rank, when facing Ryuji, they still addressed him as 'sama' from the heart.
Shouldn't they?
From the start of the war until now, the enemy had suffered heavy losses, while their side hadn't even deployed troops. Relying solely on the Mechanical City's weapons for offense and defense, they had fought the enemy to a standstill, unable to advance a single step.
Doesn't this demonstrate Ryuji's greatness?
They all knew the Mechanical City's defense system was far from just the arrow barrage.
The further the enemy advanced, the closer they would find themselves to hell, despairing and regretting participating in this assault.
Because, it was an absolute defense that was fundamentally impossible to breach.
"Having Ryuji-sama as an ally is the luckiest thing in my life."
"Thankfully, Ryuji-sama is a genius born in Sunagakure. Otherwise, our Sunagakure would also be among the opposing side."
"Ryuji-sama constantly refreshes my perception. I truly don't know what words of praise to use for him anymore."
In the conference room, every single person, without exception, was singing Ryuji's praises, completely disregarding the presence of the Third Kazekage, the actual leader.
If the relationship between the two wasn't special, but a normal superior-subordinate one, they would probably have instantly fallen out!
But even so, the Third Kazekage felt very uncomfortable inside.
Well aware that letting everyone continue their flattery would damage his relationship with the Third Kazekage, Ryuji also couldn't help but speak up to stop it. "Not at all, this is everyone's merit. Although I designed the Mechanical City, without the village providing funds and manpower to help build it, I alone couldn't have created this thing."
"Ryuji-sama is too humble!"
"Yes, we merely contributed some labor!"
"We all know the funds for the Mechanical City came from another of your research projects exchanged with the Daimyo."
The councilors in the conference room continued their flattery unabated, feeling quite pleased themselves, which left Ryuji speechless.
His earlier words were indeed humble, but not incorrect.
Although he could have built it alone, even faster than Sunagakure, for this particular Mechanical City, it truly was the combined effort of the entire Sunagakure. He merely contributed the largest share.
Not to mention other things, just the Uzumaki Clan's barrier... without that barrier, the Mechanical City's defense system wouldn't be so unbreakable.
"Master, the enemy is retreating."
Suddenly, a mechanical voice came from the screen.
Everyone looked and saw the previously assaulting army retreating in formation.
However, looking at the four floating Sky Castles hovering in the distance, there was no sign of them retreating.
"It seems they're changing tactics."
The Third Kazekage instantly assessed the situation.
"Just not sure how they'll make their move. Eye of God, activate the Railguns, keep them in a ready-to-fire state!"
"Understood!"
As the mechanical voice fell, tall gun turrets rose one after another from the city walls.
These were all super railguns with output three times greater than the main guns of the Iron Fortress, now deployed and controlled by the Eye of God.
And the Eye of God... it was the Mechanical City itself.
The Eye of God evolved from Armor's system. It was an artificial intelligence created from digitized artificial souls, controlling everything within the Mechanical City and the entire Floating Continent.
Those Gatling crossbow cannons fired automatically not because each had its own consciousness... although that was possible, such numbers would require too many artificial souls.
With the mass production of autonomous puppets now, the creation speed of artificial souls couldn't keep up with demand, so they naturally weren't used on these single-function devices.
These devices were all part of the Eye of God's body, just like the weapons on the Iron Fortress.