In the Hokage's office in Konoha.
A ninja from the Intelligence Division was reporting the latest front-line situation to the Third Hokage.
"The conflict between Konoha and the Rain Village has essentially concluded. Both sides are currently in a state of silence and ceasefire. The leader of the Rain, Hanzo of the Salamander, has signaled his intent to surrender. We expect them to dispatch envoys to Konoha in the near future."
This was good news. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, pondered for a moment before replying, "We accept the ceasefire by default. Inform the front-line command not to attempt further incursions into the Land of Rain. Maintain a strict defensive posture. If Hanzo truly sends peace envoys, let them through."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
"Regarding our war with the Sand Village, Lady Tsunade is currently commanding the front. Although we remain numerically disadvantaged, our strategy has shifted from defense to offense. The theater of war has moved from the Land of Fire to the Land of Rivers and is steadily approaching the border of the Land of Wind."
"Excellent..." The situation against the Sand was improving. The Sand Village didn't just have to worry about Konoha; they were also facing immense pressure from the Stone Village to their north. At this stage of the war, the Sand's war potential had been largely depleted.
According to Konoha's grand strategy, they were resolving the war in a sequence: West first, then North, then East. The Sand was the primary target, and three defensive lines had been established accordingly. Currently, only the Sand front was attempting an advance; the other two remained defensive.
Of course, because the Northern front faced the combined might of the Cloud and Stone villages, Konoha's troop concentration there was the heaviest. Despite the defensive stance, they occasionally launched counterattacks to disrupt the enemy's momentum. As for the Eastern front against the Mist, it remained in a state of absolute defense.
The Third Hokage was currently weighing whether to redeploy troops to the Land of Wind to crush the Sand once and for all.
However, just as he was about to speak again...
BOOM...
A dull, heavy sound—not exactly a sharp explosion, but more like the muffled grunt of a giant—suddenly echoed through the air. In times of peace, such a sound might be ignored, but in the tension of war, nothing was trivial. Such a sound could mean an infiltration into the heart of Konoha!
The Third Hokage bolted upright from his seat.
"What was that?"
Four Anbu guards appeared before the Hokage in an instant.
"Lord Hokage!" The intelligence ninja who was already in the room pointed toward a bookshelf displaying various scrolls.
A single, vertical scroll had spontaneously ignited, rapidly turning into ash. Then, two adjacent scrolls that weren't even touching it followed suit, bursting into flames.
The Hokage's eyes flickered to the numerical code below the scrolls. He immediately barked at the Anbu:
"Konoha Barrier, Sector 59!"
Minutes earlier!
"Anyway, let's move back. Then move back some more. The range of this thing is still unclear; we need to ensure our own safety," Kushina instructed Hagoromo.
"Understood, Kushina-sensei." Even without the instruction, Hagoromo was ahead of her. He had no intention of being anywhere near an experimental jutsu for a close-up view. He cherished his second chance at life quite dearly.
The two retreated further and further, eventually ending up on the surface of a nearby lake. They were now roughly 300 meters away from the scroll—the absolute limit, as any further would sever the chakra communication link between Kushina and the formula.
"Are you ready? I'm starting!" Kushina looked down at Hagoromo, her hands already raised and ready to form the final seal.
Hagoromo nodded. The fruits of months of labor were about to be put to the test.
High hand-speed was a basic requirement for a Jonin. Kushina's hands moved in a blur; almost the instant Hagoromo nodded, her fingers flew into motion and then stopped abruptly.
Hagoromo's eyes didn't blink as he stared at the scroll. Suddenly, with the massive scroll as the epicenter, a pitch-black spherical void erupted. It expanded outward at a terrifying speed!
"Not good! Run!" Seeing the expansion rate of that dangerous thing, Hagoromo feared it would reach them in seconds.
However, before he could take two steps to flee, Kushina grabbed him.
"Calm down. It's over."
In Kushina's eyes, the black sphere had expanded to a radius of 200 meters. After maintaining its form for two or three seconds, the void—along with everything inside its radius—was violently sucked back into the center!
Then, the darkness vanished like a popped soap bubble.
It was gone, leaving nothing behind... or so it seemed. Where the black sphere had been—half above ground and half below—was now a standard hemispherical crater. A massive void in the earth.
The roar of rushing water followed as the lake began to drain rapidly into the giant pit.
"The experiment was a success," Hagoromo said steadily, as if he hadn't just tried to bolt in terror.
"Yes, the sealing test was a success, but we're in big trouble," Kushina whispered.
Yes, she had found herself in hot water once again.
Fearing that an immature experiment might have negative consequences, they had specifically chosen a spot at the very edge of Konoha, right against the barrier.
But because this version of the Reverse Four Symbols Seal was too effective—a sealing technique that essentially annihilated the entire space within its range—it was irreversible. Not only was the target gone, but the scroll carrying the technique had vanished as well.
The implication was clear: a significant portion of the Konoha Barrier that fell within the jutsu's radius had also been erased.
In the previously empty air, a translucent, glass-like section of the barrier now flickered, showing a massive "hole" where the structure had been "bitten" off.
Undoubtedly, the great dome protecting the village had been partially destroyed by the Reverse Four Symbols Seal. Hopefully, it was just a part and not the whole system.
Kushina and Hagoromo stood on the water's surface, speechless.
From a chemical perspective, ninjas are organic matter, insoluble in water or gasoline—which is why they can stand on the surface.
Then, the Third Hokage arrived on the water, flanked by four Anbu.