"This time, to ensure the smooth progress of the Five-Kage Summit, the Cloud has established seven units and arranged three defensive lines within the inner city."
"They are arrayed in three concentric rings."
"Namely—"
A slender, pale finger pointed to the outer perimeter of the map as a steady voice continued:
"The first ring: The Long Wall Guard Line."
"This consists of a combined legion of minor nations, forces invited by the Daimyo, and the Cloud's Intelligence Unit. This section is the most numerous and diverse—samurai, ronin, bounty hunters, the Guardian Shinobi of various Daimyos, and core ninjas dispatched from various villages who hold significant weight in war."
"They are responsible for wall defense, intelligence scouting, and barrier perception. It is the easiest line to break through."
"Of course, based on subsequent intelligence, the Cloud likely doesn't expect to stall our progress here."
"The second ring is a defensive line composed of the true elites of the Cloud Village."
The red-haired youth looked up, a glimmer in his eyes as he moved his finger to a large blank area on the map, drawing a large circle around the centrally marked Tenshu Pavilion.
"The War Cessation Line!"
"Crossing this line means entering a battle no different from a true shinobi war!"
"This section is composed of the three most populous units: the Special Combat Unit, the Surprise Attack Unit, and the Diversionary Unit. These three units encircle the Tenshu Pavilion at the center of the city. With a full strength of over two thousand elites spread across the ten-hectare inner city defense line, the formation is loose on the outside but tight on the inside. Upon receiving intelligence from the first ring, they will immediately converge across zones to reinforce the engagement area."
Sasori paused, having never spoken so many words in one breath. He frowned slightly and placed his finger at the very center of the map.
"As for the third ring, the Divine Protection Line..."
"All we know is that it's composed of the Daimyo's Guard and the Elite Sealing Unit. The specific personnel are unknown, but it is certain to be the most difficult line to breach."
Just outside the inner city walls of Unraikyō, behind a rising mound of earth.
Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, Terumī Mei, Mangetsu Hōzuki, En Oyashiro, Kakuzu, and Sasori—eight in total—stood gathered around the detailed map of the inner city. Hearing this intelligence from Sasori, the expressions of everyone present sharpened simultaneously.
"Is the intelligence confirmed to be accurate?" Yahiko frowned, looking toward Sasori with a heavy gaze.
"Naturally." Sasori's expression remained unchanged as he calmly stated the source. "Yura, within the Sand delegation, is a pawn controlled by my Memory-Concealing Manipulative Sand. He has been inside the Cloud camp for the past six days. The intelligence he sends out will not have much deviation."
"Hmm..." Yahiko hesitated for a moment before speaking heavily. "According to the intel Nagato, Konan, and I gathered while tracking the movements... after Ren Uchiha issued his assassination declaration, the Cloud moved their main forces from the Land of Frost back to the Land of Lightning, rushing to Unraikyō. If Sasori's intel is correct—"
"Then, what we are facing is a structured army of eight thousand Cloud elites, plus reinforcements dispatched from across the shinobi world by the various Daimyos."
"In total... a shinobi army exceeding ten thousand!"
The atmosphere turned even darker.
After Ren Uchiha had expressed his wish to be alone and departed for the sea following the night the internal conflict erupted, the eight of them had each chosen tasks to handle.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, using the unique hiding abilities of the Chameleon summon, chose to scout the most dangerous Cloud movements. Kakuzu and En Oyashiro focused on investigating infiltration routes into the inner city—the map they were currently looking at was actually obtained by Kakuzu from the Uchiha clan. Terumī Mei and Mangetsu Hōzuki used their respective family and faction connections to determine the number and strength of the reinforcements sent by the Daimyos.
And then there was Sasori. This solitary, red-haired youth was different from everyone else. He seemed like he didn't care if he was there or not, and his participation in helping Ren seemed almost inexplicable.
They couldn't see through him, nor could they force him to do anything. The original plan only asked him to stay and not leak their location; he was free to leave after the event. No one expected that Sasori, working in silence, would map out the positions and numbers of five out of the seven units in the inner city.
It was a massive surprise for the Akatsuki. Though, looking at the numbers now, it felt more like a shock.
Sasori looked around and let out a scoff. As an outsider, he saw the desires and wishes of those present more clearly than anyone.
"So?"
"Facing an army of ten thousand... you lost souls who came seeking answers from a twelve-year-old brat... are you finally ready to face reality?"
Sasori stared at Yahiko and the others with interest, trying to find a flicker of despair on their faces that he could mock to soothe his own growing irritation and his inexplicable urge to see a certain someone.
Giving them this near-hopeless intelligence right at the last moment wasn't about good or evil; it was just his own twisted fun. Because Sasori hated waiting.
However—
"No!" Yahiko didn't look discouraged at all. He spoke sincerely. "Thank you very much for your intelligence, Sasori! And thank you all for the effort you've put in for today!"
He looked at everyone in turn: Sasori, who was annoyed; Nagato and Konan, who looked at him with unwavering trust; Mangetsu, who wore an expectant smile; Kakuzu, whose face was unreadable; and En Oyashiro, who looked awkward since he hadn't done much and had almost been beaten earlier.
Finally, his gaze fell on Terumī Mei, who had been silent and increasingly solemn.
"Let's confirm one last time. Terumī Mei, you aren't lying to us. According to the plan, whether Ren Uchiha comes or not, this is the battle where our dreams begin!"
"Of course!" Terumī Mei took a deep breath, a look of absolute determination flashing in her emerald eyes. "We aren't begging for Ren Uchiha's power! We are moving forward for our own dreams! Whether it's you, me, or everyone here!"
"Decapitate the Daimyo, assassinate the Mizukage, seize a nation, and build our own strength!"
"Eventually, the whole world will bask in the light of the 'Akatsuki'!"
Yahiko exhaled deeply, exchanged a look with Konan and Nagato, and then turned around. He stepped onto the crest of the mound.
Staring at the twenty-meter-high walls built of black stone, his gaze seemed to pierce through the masonry to the thousands of soldiers behind them. Yahiko's eyes sharpened. He grinned, smashed his fist into his palm, and laughed.
"Then let's risk our lives to realize our dreams!"
"Akatsuki... the operation begins!"