Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 425 Orochimaru: I'll add fuel to the fire.
The western border of the Land of Hot Water is formed by a continuous mountain ridge, which constitutes a natural boundary between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Rain.

As early as when the main force of the Allied Forces was building the first line of defense on the border of the Land of Rain, the command had already deployed interception troops on the border of the Land of Hot Water.

Looking out, the ridge is dotted with watchtowers and hidden positions, with ninjas from various villages standing ready.

Their mission is to intercept any survivors who might break through the front lines of the Land of Rain and head straight for the underground palace of the Land of Hot Springs.

In particular, small elite units that might utilize space-time ninjutsu for long-range deployment.

The Fourth Raikage knew this possibility was very low. After all, no matter how strong Nagato and other core members of Akatsuki were, they were ultimately not members of the Otsutsuki clan who were like gods.

Hanzo's space-time ninjutsu could not possibly transfer too many people, let alone a large-scale force over such a long distance.

If only core members and a small number of elites manage to break into the allied forces' encirclement, facing the relentless attacks of tens of thousands of ninjas, the only outcome will be death.

However, the allied forces still made preparations in this regard, as any negligence could be fatal when facing the Akatsuki.

At the outpost on the border, Hyuga Takashi maintained his Byakugan, piercing through the distant rain curtain and locking onto the direction of the Land of Rain.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed sharply, and he hissed, "They're here!"

"Rainbow Fortress, located due west-southeast, is rapidly approaching us!"

Through the extraordinary vision of his white eyes, he could clearly see the menacing steel fortress suspended in the air.

The cannons at the bottom of the fortress flashed continuously, pouring beams of chakra cannons down onto the ground, exploding into bursts of fire and smoke across the mountains and fields.

At the same time, swarms of flying golems took off continuously, working in conjunction with various ground golems dropped from the air to kill the allied forces pursuing them from below.

The pursuing Allied forces dodged overhead artillery fire while engaging in fierce combat with the onrushing puppet troops.

The battle was extremely fierce. Every step forward came at a bloody cost. They barely managed to maintain their pursuit, but their speed was clearly slowed down, and the distance between the two sides did not decrease.

"We haven't seen Lord Huangtu, and the numbers are wrong." Hyuga Takashi frowned. "They're tied up in the rear. Do we have no choice but to split our forces to pursue them?"

He had already learned from intelligence from the front lines that the Akatsuki had turned the entire Amegakure village into a flying fortress.

However, witnessing firsthand these weapons of war that defied common sense, and their formidable firepower and troop deployment capabilities, Hyuga Takashi still felt a chill creep up his spine.

He immediately turned around and rushed towards the command tent set up behind him as fast as he could.

Inside the tent, Tsuchishiro was standing in front of the sand table, discussing in hushed tones with several ninjas.

"Lord Toshiro!"

Hinata Takashi lifted the curtain and entered, reporting rapidly, "Rain Fortress confirmed to have appeared and is rapidly approaching. It is expected to enter the maximum strike range of the defense zone within seven minutes!"

"The main force of the Third Division has not been found. It is speculated that they are entangled with the enemy on the battlefield in the Land of Rain. The pursuing forces are being continuously harassed by fortress artillery fire and puppet troops, and their advance is being hindered."

"So fast?" Tsuchishiro looked up, his brows furrowed but not too surprised. He nodded and said, "I've already received the latest briefing from the front."

"Hanzo, Mui, and Kakuzu's main bodies, along with their wind and lightning clones, have all appeared, entangled Hirotsuchi, Kakashi, Mifune, and others, causing considerable casualties."

"However, it seems that those troublesome guys are either dead or have escaped. The stalemate on the battlefield of the Rain Kingdom has been broken. Huang Tu and the others are doing their best to wipe out the remaining enemies and are rushing to join us."

Having said that, he looked in the direction from which the Rainforest had come and said, "Our mission is to spare no effort before the main force arrives..."

"Keep Amegakure Fortress outside the borders of the Land of Hot Springs!"

"Even if it's just slowing it down and buying time for the pursuers, as long as we can form a pincer movement with the pursuing forces, we'll have a chance to shoot it down here."

"Now, all units are on high alert. They will proceed with the interception according to the plan and prepare to launch an attack to provide support..." Tsuchishiro was about to turn around and give the order.

Swish!
"Urgent military situation!"

A liaison ninja suddenly appeared in the tent, saying in a panicked tone, "A large number of enemies have been discovered behind the defensive line in the eastern coastal area of ​​the Land of Hot Springs."

"What?" Tsuchishiro and the others' expressions changed.

"About three minutes ago, the patrol forces along the eastern coastline and the aerial reconnaissance posts reported that a large number of flying puppets and suspected air ninja units suddenly appeared in the air near the sea."

The liaison ninja continued, "At the same time, a large number of puppets are rising from the sea and attacking the eastern coastal defense line."

"Based on observation, the leader of this enemy force is suspected to be Konan from the Akatsuki organization, as well as Kakuzu's Water Release clone."

Upon hearing this, Tsuchishiro frowned deeply and said in a low voice, "It seems the Five Kage's guess was correct."

"Although the Akatsuki sent the entire Amegakure fortress to fly into the Land of Hot Springs, they did not give up the idea of ​​sending small elite units to directly attack the Land of Hot Springs."

They were currently located on the western border of the Land of Hot Water, with the heartland and coastline of the Land of Hot Water behind them.

Now, the Rainbow Fortress, with its high speed and powerful firepower, is closing in ahead.

Then came the Konan unit, which suddenly appeared and launched a surprise attack from both the sea and the air.

Their force, which had originally planned to intercept the fortress, suddenly found itself caught in a pincer movement, attacked from both sides.

Now, they not only have to find a way to hold off the fortress in front, but they also have to divide their forces to deal with the sudden threat from behind. Their manpower is simply not enough.

Regardless of whether Akatsuki's surprise attack force can break through the defenses, at least the objective of containing them has been achieved.

"Order the troops on the eastern coast to hold out at all costs!"

Tsuchishiro forced himself to calm down quickly and said, "Immediately synchronize the intelligence with the main force of the Allied Forces and the command headquarters, and request that troops be sent to support the eastern defense line of the Land of Hotaru."

"Yes!" The liaison ninja disappeared into the tent.

------

A giant "water sphere" floated in the center of the command room, its surface rippling continuously.

"...Second Division Captain Hayate Gekko is seriously injured and unable to fight; Seventh Division Captain Deidara is unconscious due to exhaustion of chakra; Sixth Division Captain Mifune..."

At this point, Nara Shikaku paused for a moment before saying, "He succumbed to his injuries and has passed away."

Upon hearing this, Onoki and the others' faces immediately darkened, and the atmosphere became so tense it was almost palpable.

“However, during his brief period of regaining consciousness, he said that Hanzo harbored rebellious intentions towards Nagato or the Otsutsuki clan behind him,” Nara Shikaku added.

"What's the basis for that?" Onoki asked, his eyes lighting up.

“It’s a swordsman’s intuition.” Nara Shikaku shook his head. “The last look Hanzo gave me made Mifune feel that the Hanzo of the past was not dead.”

"If Hanzo were still the same Hanzo, he would never allow anyone else to lead the Land of Rain into the abyss."

Upon hearing this, Onoki fell silent. They couldn't risk cooperating with Hanzo based on Mifune's intuition and speculation; they could only keep him as an alternative.

"The Akatsuki organization also paid a heavy price," Mabui continued, speaking rapidly. "Hanzo escaped on the verge of death, and Wuwei and 'Satoru' were confirmed dead."

"Kakuzu's Wind Release clone was severely damaged, while his Earth Release main body and Lightning Release clone escaped. The ground armored forces and puppet forces were wiped out."

Hyuga Iroha placed his hands on either side of the water sphere, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, and said with his eyes closed, "The Rain Village Fortress has now breached the Rain Country's defenses and penetrated deep into the Land of Fire..."

"The Rain Fortress itself suffered only minor damage, and its flight capability was not affected. It continuously deployed puppet troops and air ninjas, coordinating with chakra artillery fire to harass the pursuing forces." "The pursuit speed of Might Guy's and Hiruzen Sarutobi's forces was slowed down, while Kakashi Hatake's western and Huang Tu's main forces cleared out the remaining enemies in the Land of Rain and established rear positions."

"On the western front of the Land of Hot Springs, Tsuchishiro's forces are about to engage the fortress, but on the eastern coast, Konan and Kakuzu's water-style clones are leading a sea and air surprise attack force to land."

The current situation is very clear.

The intercepting forces of the Land of Hot Water are now besieged on both sides, and the pursuing forces are hampered by the Rain Fortress, achieving little success. The main force of the allied forces led by Huang Tu needs time to catch up.

Looking at the sand table, Mei Terumi frowned and asked, "Do the things match?"

"The pursuit force was slowed down by the puppets and aerial harassment. Before Tsuchishiro's interception force could join the pursuit force, the Akatsuki organization might break through the defenses behind them."

"Huang Tu and his men need more time to organize; they don't have time to deal with the crisis on the eastern front."

All eyes were on Hinata Kumokawa.

"We can no longer let the interception force hold out alone." He spoke, his voice steady. "Lu Jiu, relay the following orders."

"First, order Might Guy to select elites from the Fourth Division, abandon the entanglement with the fortress, and rush to reinforce the eastern coastal defense line of the Land of Hot Springs at full speed."

"They must quickly converge on the interception force to defeat or contain Konan and her water-style clones and their landing force's offensive, thus eliminating the threat to the interception force's rear."

"Tell Kai that he doesn't need to annihilate the enemy. As long as he holds the eastern front, he can buy time for the western front. The rest of the Fourth Division will be taken over by Hiruzen Sarutobi to continue the pursuit."

Without a doubt, the Fourth Division, led by Guy, is currently the only force capable of traversing the battlefield and influencing the Eastern Front in a short period of time, given their speed.

"Second, order Jiraiya's Ninth Division to immediately organize an elite squad to infiltrate the fortress during the gap when troops are being deployed."

"The primary task is to kill Shennong, the Zero-Tails Jinchuriki who is most likely to be used as the fortress's energy source. The secondary task is to locate and kill Sasori, and paralyze the puppet army, which poses the greatest threat."

"Third, Kakashi's troops do not need to wait for Huang Tu. They should immediately lead the main force of the Fourth Division to rush to the border of the Land of Hot Springs at the fastest speed and with light equipment."

"Take over and strengthen the interception force on the western flank against Amegakure Fortress, and make sure to stop the fortress west of the border of the Land of Hot Water before it reaches the underground palace!"

"Fourth, order Huang Tu to speed up the clearing of the battlefield in the Land of Rain and reorganize the fighting force as quickly as possible."

"They are to act as the decisive force, launching a decisive attack on the fortress while Hijiri intercepts the fortress, Kai relieves the pressure on the eastern front, and Jiraiya creates chaos within the fortress."

"Fifth, order the interception force led by Toshiro to take all necessary measures to hold the existing interception positions before reinforcements arrive."

"Relying on the complex terrain, the priority is to kill their manpower and slow down their speed. We will hold out against the threat to the southern part of the east until the Miteke troops arrive."

"His mission is to stay put like a nail, at all costs, to buy time for Kaka's western team to reinforce and for Kai's counterattack on the eastern front!"

"Sixth, all existing defense forces around the underground palace are on high alert, and all pre-set traps and sealing barriers are activated."

"Our bottom line is to hold the final battle outside the underground palace; we absolutely cannot allow the Akatsuki organization to enter the underground palace!"

Nara Shikaku quickly repeated the key points of the command to confirm that everything was correct.

With veins bulging on his face, Yamanaka Inoichi sent the deployment information to various communication nodes on the battlefield via the communication network.

After giving the order, Hinata Kumokawa turned his gaze back to the water balloon, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

Orochimaru, disguised as "Rasa," narrowed his eyes, knowing that the organization was not putting enough pressure on the Allied Shinobi Forces.

Why isn't Nagato making a move yet?
"We have to get Hyuga Kumokawa out of command, otherwise we can't make a move," Orochimaru thought. "Looks like I'll have to give you a push."

Soon, the main force, interception force, and pursuit force all received the deployment from the command headquarters.

Kai led an elite force known for its speed, separating itself from the pursuing troops, and began rushing towards the eastern coastal defense line of the Land of Hot Water at top speed.

Kakashi, within the Land of Rain, was ahead of Huang Tu, catching up with the pursuing forces ahead at top speed.

Meanwhile, in a makeshift underground bunker on the western border of the Land of Hot Water.

Bang! Boom...

The faint sounds of explosions and roars coming from outside reminded everyone that the shadow of death was drawing ever closer.

"I see."

Tsuchishiro stood in front of the sand table, waved for the liaison ninja to leave, and turned his gaze to Jiraiya beside him.

"I'm in charge of staying here and doing everything I can to slow down that turtle shell."

Tsuchida said in a deep voice, "I'm entrusting the task of infiltrating the fortress and beheading Shennong and Scorpion to you."

Jiraiya's expression was unusually serious, devoid of any of his usual frivolity, with the two sages, Fukasaku and Shima, perched on his shoulders.

"Ah, leave it to me." He nodded, his gaze sweeping over the few ninjas who had been urgently summoned.

Uzuki Yugao is an ANBU ninja who is skilled in swordsmanship and stealth assassination.

Mitarashi Anko, a former disciple of Orochimaru, is proficient in snake-style ninjutsu.

Hyuga Takashi, a member of the Hyuga clan, is skilled in Gentle Fist and Wind Release ninjutsu. He possesses the Byakugan and is the "eye" of this operation.

Aburame Shiki, the chieftain of the Aburame clan, is skilled in manipulating insect swarms for reconnaissance, pheromone interference, and counter-reconnaissance.

Yu Nu Qu Gen, an elite member of the original "Root" tribe, possesses nano-level poisonous insects that pose a deadly threat to most life forms, making her a "scavenger" for clearing obstacles.

Like Aburame Torune, Yamanaka Fu was once Danzo's right-hand man. He is skilled in mental infiltration, memory reading, and silent defeat of enemies, and also carries secrets left behind by Root...

"Time is of the essence, so let's cut to the chase."

Jiraiya clapped his hands and grinned, "Our target is Shennong and the true form of Scorpion."

"It is speculated that Shennong is hiding in the middle area of ​​the fortress as the core energy source of the fortress, while Xie is hiding in the lower area of ​​the fortress and controlling the entire puppet army through some kind of amplification device."

“Killing the former will immediately turn the fortress into scrap metal; killing the latter will instantly paralyze the puppets outside, and the fortress’s defensive and harassment capabilities will be greatly reduced.”

He paused, then emphasized, "But we're going to Akatsuki's headquarters. What's inside?"

"Countless puppets? Nagato with the Rinnegan? Or even the Otsutsuki clan members hidden behind the Akatsuki?"

“They will definitely be watching every corner. If the seven of us go in, we could be crushed to dust at any moment.”

"Therefore, this mission is extremely risky, with a very slim chance of survival, or even a one in ten chance of death. The probability of returning alive is extremely low."

"Now, I'll ask one last time."

His gaze swept over the group, and he asked, "Are you all willing to undertake this mission?"

"It's not too late to quit now. I guarantee no one will blame you."

Upon hearing this, Tsuchishiro subconsciously frowned, and the atmosphere became tense.

(End of this chapter)