Research Institute.
Underground shelter.
"Has the evacuation order been sent out?"
"Did Hidden Leaf receive it? What about the other shinobi villages? Why haven't they reported to me yet?"
"Right, right, right, the Daimyos must also be notified as well!"
"For those who do not respond, continue notifying them; we must ensure the instructions are transmitted!"
Tsunade sat in the command center, directing the evacuation of personnel. However, because the outbreak of the decisive battle was too sudden, the entire evacuation operation appeared incomparably rushed and chaotic. She could only rely on communications equipment to transmit the news of the emergency evacuation to every corner of the shinobi world as much as possible.
Fortunately, when the Research Institute was pushing the Barrier Project, they had already notified the major nations and the various shinobi villages to build emergency shelters. Therefore, as long as the instructions could be delivered in time, some people would still have a little time to evacuate.
Shizune hurried over at this time: "Tsunade-sama, the evacuation of the Research Institute has been completed. Except for a few personnel who could not be contacted, the vast majority of personnel have already entered the shelters!"
"Very good!" Nodding her head, Tsunade asked: "What about Amado? Have they not returned yet?"
Shizune said: "During the last contact, Lord Amado said they were already on the way back and should arrive immediately!"
Tsunade urged: "Tell him to be quick. 'A' could activate Infinite Tsukuyomi at any time. If he fails to enter a shelter in time, he will be controlled by the Infinite Tsukuyomi!"
Because Infinite Tsukuyomi was part of the Barrier Project formulated by Shinji, this batch of recently built shelters were all equipped with barriers specifically targeting Infinite Tsukuyomi. As long as one entered a shelter, they would be immune to the effects of Infinite Tsukuyomi.
"No need to urge, I have already returned!"
As Amado spoke, he walked into the command center.
Tsunade took a look at Amado, and seeing him in a disheveled state, hurriedly asked: "What exactly is going on? Why did a great war suddenly break out?"
Amado said: "It is Orochimaru; the Hegemon of Terror was hidden within him!"
Considering Tsunade's friendship with Orochimaru, this operation to lure and capture Orochimaru had not been informed to Tsunade in advance.
Tsunade fell silent for a moment, then asked: "What is the situation like now?"
"I am not too sure either!"
Amado shook his head and came to the command console, checking the evacuation progress of various places.
After flipping through for a while, Amado frowned: "Eh, why has only Hidden Leaf Village replied? What about Hidden Cloud, Hidden Stone, Hidden Mist, and Hidden Sand? why have they not replied yet?"
Shizune answered: "It is unclear. We have been calling on our side, but there is no response from their side."
"Oh no, something must have happened!"
Amado let out a sigh.
Hidden Cloud, Hidden Stone, Hidden Mist, and Hidden Sand were all major shinobi villages. A total annihilation should be unlikely, but some variable must have occurred; at the very least, something must have gone wrong with the upper echelons, which is why they did not reply.
Just then, Amado's assistant hurried to the command room: "L-Lord, Infinite Tsukuyomi has been activated!"
"What, so fast!?"
The several people in the command room were all startled together.
...
Once Infinite Tsukuyomi was activated, it meant the entire shinobi world had entered a state of total mobilization. All living beings who failed to enter a shelter in time would be bound by the God Tree and then become biological batteries providing chakra for the nine critical nodes.
Pressing down the surprise in his heart, Amado hurriedly asked: "Is the communication with the nine critical nodes clear?"
Shizune checked and answered: "Communication between the Research Institute and the nine critical nodes is currently unimpeded!"
Relieved, Amado then asked: "How many shelters can we contact now?"
"Please wait a moment!"
Shizune turned to compile the statistics.
Tsunade then asked Amado: "What else can we do now?"
Amado found an empty seat and sat down, lit a cigarette, and took a deep breath: "I do not know either."
Now that Infinite Tsukuyomi covered the entire shinobi world, without the strength of the Six Paths level, or without a Rinnegan or Shinjutsu, one simply could not leave the shelters to move about. Therefore, the only areas in the shinobi world where one could move freely were near the nine critical nodes and within the various underground shelters.
At this time, Shizune, having finished the statistics, hurried back to the command room and reported: "The communications squad has verified it. Currently, there are a total of 47 shelters we can contact, including the Daimyos of the five great nations, the samurai corps of the Land of Iron, as well as the shelters of Hidden Leaf, Hidden Grass, Hidden Waterfall, Hidden Star, and several other shinobi villages."
Tsunade frowned: "So few?"
This batch of newly built shelters totaled over two hundred. Even if time was tight and many forces and organizations did not have time to take refuge, at least more than half of the shelters should be reachable.
Shizune said: "News came from the Hidden Leaf. Jonin in the village were suddenly enveloped by mysterious dark purple smoke. It was Lord Jiraiya who sealed them in time to avoid a riot. Therefore, the communications squad suspects that Hidden Cloud, Hidden Stone, Hidden Mist, and Hidden Sand cannot be contacted likely because of this reason!"
Tsunade had a face full of confusion: "Dark purple smoke?"
Amado said: "It should be the methods of the Hegemon. It seems the power of the Hegemon has already infiltrated the various major shinobi villages!"
Shizune said: "Lord Jiraiya asks us, how should we act in the next step?"
"Next step..." Tsunade shook her head bitterly and said: "All we can do now is wait!"
Shizune was somewhat unwilling and asked: "Tsunade-sama, are we to do nothing and just hide here waiting for the verdict?"
Tsunade was at a loss for words.
Throwing the cigarette to the ground, Amado stomped on it: "No, we still have a role! The reinforcement spikes at the nine critical nodes are very likely to be damaged in battle. This involves repair and replacement work, so we still have things to do!"
Tsunade's eyes lit up: "Right!"
Amado instructed Shizune: "Have the communications squad maintain communication with the nine critical nodes. In addition, send people to take stock of the parts inventory and be ready for repair operations at any time!"
Shizune nodded and said: "Yes!"
As instructions were handed down one by one, the Research Institute's shelter quickly became busy.
And outside the shelter, in just a few short hours, it had already become dark and dim, with rolling thunder.
The Hegemon of Terror, prepared long ago, infiltrated its power into the spatial barrier all at once, instilling it into those shinobi controlled by it, causing the power of these shinobi to continuously climb.
Swoosh
Swoosh
Swoosh
Suddenly, a curtain of light was triggered from the God Tree, rapidly spreading toward the surroundings, and then, under the reception of the other eight critical nodes, it covered the entire shinobi world.
The last step of the Barrier Project, the defense barrier, was activated!
Those shinobi controlled by the Hegemon of Terror were all stunned on the spot because, with the activation of the defense barrier, every one of the channels breaking through the spatial barrier to transmit the Hegemon's power to the shinobi world was cut off.