Chapter 305: The Three-and-a-Half-Day War (Part 7)
D-1, 24 hours and 15 minutes after the attack began.
Sakumo Hatake led the Land of Fire's assault force, advancing triumphantly deep into the Land of Hot Water. Aside from occasional resistance and sporadic traps, their path was basically unobstructed.
A Hyuga ninja with bulging veins around his eyes reported, "Large number of Cloud ninja ahead."
"How many?"
"Six hundred!"
Sakumo relaxed slightly. Six hundred was manageable. If it had been three hundred, he might have hesitated.
Although the Battle of Mount Tenmoku shocked the ninja world, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki played the primary role. While the Three Hundred Spartans of the Cloud were elite, without the overwhelming barrage of Tailed Beast Bombs, three hundred people could never have forced the Konoha main camp to retreat.
This proved that taking down the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki first was absolutely the correct choice. A mature Jinchuriki played too big a role in war. Otherwise, by now, Iwa and Konoha would likely be under suppression from Blue Bee's Tailed Beast Bombs, just like the Mist years ago.
Speaking of which, the Cloud's shield formation back then countered Sakumo effectively. That was why he sought a way to break it, beginning to study the Flying Thunder God with his disciple Minato Namikaze. Although his talent wasn't as good as Minato's, with years of experience and the village's full support, he finally mastered it.
Now, even if the Cloud used a shield formation again, they would be nothing more than targets to him.
Just as he was thinking, another report came in.
"Emergency intel! The village is under attack by the Cloud and has been surrounded!"
Hearing news about the village, Sakumo had no time to worry about the 600 people ahead. "What do you mean 'surrounded'?"
A village that big... how do you surround it?
Without tens of thousands of troops, what are you surrounding it with?
Wait... in a ninja war, what even counts as 'surrounded'?
Just as he was puzzled, the center of the 2,000-man assault force suddenly exploded.
BOOM!
A figure descended from the sky. The dust cleared.
"Enemy attack!"
"It's Yotsuki Dana!"
Yotsuki Dana held a Staff of Storm Light in one hand, twirling it in front of him. His massive frame exuded overwhelming pressure.
The Sage Lightning Armor gradually covered his entire body, finally enveloping his face.
In war, there was no need for words. The staff grew and shrank at will. With a single swing, it extended over ten meters. Several Konoha ninja, unable to dodge in time, were sent flying with broken bones and tendons, the terrifying lightning on the staff ensuring they wouldn't survive the landing.
Sakumo and Minato exchanged a glance and charged immediately.
They couldn't let this demon wreak havoc in the middle of the Konoha formation.
Hum... Hum... Hum...
Five Takemikazuchi Drums floated behind Dana.
This was something not in the intel report, making Minato and Sakumo wary.
Sakumo and Minato threw their respective marked items—a black throwing knife and a special kunai—aiming to probe Dana. The two projectiles crossed paths as they flew toward him.
However, just as Sakumo and Minato prepared to teleport via Flying Thunder God to catch Dana off guard, the knife and kunai suddenly changed direction. As if hitting an invisible force field mid-air, they traced unnatural arcs, bypassing Dana entirely.
Then, the unfamiliar lightning drums behind Dana turned automatically. Two laser beams shot out, melting the marked knife and kunai into molten iron before they hit the ground.
Minato: "..."
Sakumo: "..."
Leaving aside that invisible force field...
The opponent seems to know the Flying Thunder God very well... We shouldn't have leaked any intel...
Dana didn't even look in their direction. In that brief moment, he killed several more people. Both the drums and the projectile deflection were set to trigger automatically. He wouldn't actively play hide-and-seek with the slippery Flying Thunder God users, but he wouldn't give them a chance to touch him either.
However, the fact that even Sakumo Hatake was suspected to have mastered the Flying Thunder God surprised him. Blue Bee hadn't managed to transmit that intel yesterday.
"Is this the famous Flying Thunder God Technique...? Sakumo Hatake, to think you could master this jutsu. Honestly, this is the biggest surprise since the war started."
Minato's mouth twitched. What does that mean?
You aren't surprised that I learned it?
Seeing two Flying Thunder God users, Dana silently condensed a few more drums.
On the surface, he was calm, but internally, he was extremely cautious. He absolutely couldn't let the Flying Thunder God touch him. being teleported to some random corner of the world would be huge trouble!
His goal today was clear: to stop the advance of the Konoha assault force.
Or force them to retreat.
One person was enough.
D-1, 26 hours and 20 minutes after the attack began.
Western side of the Land of Hot Water, near the Land of Lightning border.
The Iwa elite assault force was not far away. The valley ahead was their only path.
Above the valley, several figures stood looking down.
The leader was extremely burly, with wild hair and beard, reminiscent of the Third Raikage's style.
Another had determined eyes and red hair—a young hero.
The third had blue hair and amber eyes, with a pair of giant paper wings on her back.
They were Yotsuki Arashi, Hiroto Uzumaki, and Konan.
Arashi looked at the horizon. "On the southern front, Dana should have started already."
Hiroto nodded. "Maybe it's almost over."
Arashi grinned, showing his white teeth excitedly. "Then we can't fall behind. After being stuck behind a desk for months, I finally get to stretch my muscles."
Hiroto warned, "The assault team contains Onoki the Fence-Sitter. We cannot be careless."
Both became cautious. Honestly, although they were strong among the younger generation, they were facing Onoki.
Before Particle Style, all living beings are equal.
Anyone hit dies.
Konan chimed in, "Hehe, don't be so nervous. At times like this, we need combat uniforms to boost morale. Arashi-senpai, Hiroto-senpai, look at this!"
Although Konan was younger, her jutsu played a huge role in large-scale battles.
She pulled out two black cloaks with red clouds from somewhere and put them on Arashi and Hiroto.
Hiroto didn't mind, but Arashi felt awkward. He was a Taijutsu user; these clothes hindered him a bit.
Konan said, "It's fine, it's fine. Even if you take it off as soon as the fight starts, it's about the aura!"
At that moment, countless voices rose from behind.
"Konan! Why didn't you prepare one for us?!"
"Konan, we want one too!"
Behind them stood the Three Hundred Spartans of the Cloud, ready for battle.
Calling them the "Three Hundred" wasn't entirely accurate, as many elites had been sent to support other areas, but the core structure of this unit remained the elite force that shocked the ninja world.
"No weaklings in the Three Hundred" wasn't just a saying.
And today, facing an enemy ten times their number, they were all chatting and laughing, as if waiting for a grand banquet rather than a battle.
This was a characteristic of most Cloud ninja: the bigger the battle, the more excited they got.
Built-in battle maniac attribute.
Konan thought for a moment. "I have an idea!"
Countless sheets of paper flew from the wings on her back. Though the wings looked limited in size, tens of thousands of sheets flew out.
The papers danced around the Cloud ninja.
Konan formed hand seals. "Paper Release: Paper Person Technique!"
Countless papers changed shape and color, adhering to the ninjas' bodies and transforming into the appearance of black cloaks with red clouds.
Someone marveled at it, but a gentle tear ripped it open. "Konan, you're biased! Arashi-sama got real clothes; we got fakes!"
More than three hundred figures in black cloaks with red clouds stood together, forming a dark mass. Even doing nothing, they exuded a powerful deterrence.
"After we win, I'll apply to the village to issue a set to everyone!"
"Hehehe! Konan's design is not bad!"
Arashi looked back and admitted the aura was indeed different—majestic.
Then he noticed a figure in the crowd looking somewhat lost, unable to integrate into the enthusiastic Cloud atmosphere.
Arashi walked over. "Nervous?"
The boy shook his head, then nodded.
"You aren't from the Cloud. You have no obligation to fight for us. If you're really scared, it's not too late to back out."
"I'm not scared!"
The red-haired boy looked at Arashi in surprise. Arashi patted his shoulder and turned away.
Nagato recalled the words the Third Raikage spoke to him via the slug while flying to the Cloud.
"Nagato, do you want to change the ninja world? The Cloud is the place most likely to change this wretched world. Join the Cloud, let the Cloud hear your voice, and you will have the chance to change the world!"
Nagato clenched his fists, his Rinnegan under the sunglasses finding focus.
"Sensei... although it's not quite what I imagined, I might... start trying to practice my own nindo!!"
Konan looked at Nagato. She didn't know this stranger who was her age, but she felt a strange closeness to him, like when she first met Yahiko.
Thinking he clenched his fists out of nervousness, she secretly stuffed a handful of explosive tags into his hand.
Nagato jumped, almost crushing them.
Konan whispered, "If that's not enough, there's more! If you're scared, just throw explosive tags from far away!"
The sun set in the west, a giant red disk on the horizon. The last rays of light distorted the distant earth.
In the next moment, countless figures appeared on the horizon.
The leader, flying in the sky and incredibly conspicuous, was Onoki.
Arashi roared, "Cloud Ninja, hear my order!"
More than three hundred figures in black cloaks with red clouds responded with an aura that pierced the sky.
"ROAR!"
"CHARGE WITH ME!"