Konoha Notes

Chapter 157 Dawn
Obito's figure stepped out of the vortex of the Kamui dimension and appeared in a familiar corner of the Mizukage's office.

Everything was exactly the same as when he left, including the short figure sitting behind the desk wearing a straw hat.

As usual, Obito approached Yagura, preparing to take control. Just as he was about to touch the Fourth Mizukage.

Yagura, who had been sitting blankly, suddenly raised his head, his eyes, which should have been empty and lifeless, now burning with long-suppressed anger.

Dark red tailed beast chakra erupted instantly, covering his entire body, and Yagura raised his hand to strike Obito, who was standing close by.

Obito's pupils suddenly contracted, and he instinctively activated his Hollowfication ability.

Yagura's hand passed through his chest without any resistance, as if it had struck only a phantom.

Obito reacted extremely quickly, taking a step forward and passing through Yagura's body, while simultaneously grabbing the back of his opponent's neck, attempting to regain control.

Just as he raised his hand, a thick fog suddenly filled the office, and visibility decreased sharply.

"Melt Escape·Monster Melting Technique!"

Hot, acidic slime poured down from the ceiling, passing through Obito's body. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yagura, in his half-tailed beast form, exerted force with his feet and leaped backward, creating distance between himself and Obito.

In the thick fog, Zabuza Momochi appeared behind Obito without anyone noticing, holding a kunai and aiming it at Obito's neck.

However, this seemingly sure-fire strike also ended in nothingness.

Although the continuous attacks were ineffective, the Hidden Mist ninjas coordinated well. Led by Mei Terumi and Zabuza, Ao and several elite Anbu members had spread out and subtly surrounded Obito in the center.

Beneath the mask, Obito's face was terrifyingly grim. He had miscalculated; he hadn't expected the Hidden Mist Village to be able to detect and dispel the genjutsu he had placed on Yagura.

"Tsk..." He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. There was no point in staying here to fight, especially since the opponent was prepared and Yagura had already escaped.

Now is not the time to go to war.

Space began to distort again, and before the group could finish surrounding him, Obito's figure vanished silently, like ink merging into water.

After confirming that the masked man had left, the tailed beast chakra on Yagura slowly receded. Heavy breathing came from under the straw hat. In order to facilitate long-term control, Obito had kept him in a relatively weak state, and the brief burst of power just now had almost drained his strength.

"Lord Mizukage." Mei Terumi stepped forward, her voice filled with concern.

Yagura indicated that he was alright, took off his Mizukage hat, and glanced at the messy office before finally fixing his gaze on the arriving Genji.

Yuan Shi, leaning on his snake staff, walked up to him, scrutinized him for a moment, and then turned to the surrounding secret agents, ordering in a deep voice: "Immediately begin the pursuit! Search the village and surrounding areas for all suspicious traces. We must not let that intruder escape! At the same time, strengthen the security at all entrances and exits!"

"Yes!" The secret service received the order and quickly sprang into action.

After the ANBU dispersed, only the core members, including Genshi, Yagura, Mei Terumi, and Zabuza, remained in the office.

As if utterly exhausted, Yagura slowly sat back in his chair, his voice hoarse with deep weariness and self-reproach as he looked at Master Yuan: "Elder, what... what have I done?"
-
The eastern border of the Land of Fire, before dawn.

Under the cover of night, hundreds of rogue and wandering ninjas split into several groups and silently set foot on the land of the Land of Fire, preparing to carry out their harassment mission.

The forest was silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind. However, the first group of ninjas had barely penetrated a hundred meters into the border area when…

Countless kunai, each bound with an explosive tag, poured out from the dense forest on both sides like a storm, heading towards the most crowded area!
"An ambush!" "They're from Konoha!"

Screams and explosions rang out almost simultaneously! The once tranquil forest was instantly filled with flames and shouts of battle.

Kakashi appeared on the trunk of a large tree, his Sharingan sweeping across the chaotic battlefield.

"They've arrived as expected." The intelligence transmitted through the secret service's channels was accurate.

Uchiha Shisui was active on the other side of the battlefield, with multiple physical clones attacking simultaneously. His short swords drew deadly arcs, intercepting every intruder who tried to break through the defenses.

The ambush force from Konoha was clearly well-prepared and coordinated perfectly, catching the numerically superior invaders off guard and forcing them into a series of retreats.

However, on the edge of the chaotic battlefield, Orochimaru, disguised as an ordinary ninja, locked his gaze on a particularly conspicuous squad in the midst of the battle.

It was a team of four. They moved with lightning speed and coordinated perfectly. What was most striking was that, as they moved swiftly and agilely, their eyes occasionally flashed with those eerie and scarlet Sharingan eyes.

"Finally found it..." Orochimaru unconsciously licked his lips with his long tongue.

The Root members following behind him exchanged glances. They too confirmed that the battlefield situation favored Konoha; these ragtag mercenaries were clearly incapable of breaking through the defenses.

As Orochimaru moved silently, the squad, like a shadow, quietly approached the Uchiha Anbu squad that was fighting the Nagashinobi.
-
Konoha Village, Hokage Building.

The sky was already turning a pale white, and the faint morning light shone through the window onto the floor of the Hokage's office.

"Judging by the time, they should have already made their move over there." Tsunade stood by the window, gazing at the gradually lit-up skyline.

Information regarding the movements of mercenaries from the Land of Waves was transmitted back in duplicate with the highest priority.

According to the analysis of the undercover department, the information originated from another reliable team that has been operating undercover for a long time, and its credibility was rated as the highest level.

To this end, Tsunade added several elite squads to the existing defenses.

Once the time and location of the attack are confirmed, the rabble on the other side will not pose much of a problem for Konoha.

Given Kakashi and Uchiha Shisui's abilities, dealing with a group of mercenaries should theoretically be a foregone conclusion.

Shuuji stood not far from her: "Yes, according to the plan, the ambush should have already begun before dawn. The fact that no emergency distress signal has been sent back at least indicates that the situation is still under control."

Just then, the office door was gently pushed open, and Silent peeked in.

"Lady Tsunade, the time is almost here. The ceremony is ready, and all the advisors, clan leaders, and representatives have arrived."

Upon hearing this, Tsunade took a deep breath, as if exhaling all the fatigue and worries of the night.

She stretched her stiff neck and shoulders, and her dazzling golden hair seemed to be coated with a soft halo in the morning light streaming through the window.

"Understood." Tsunade turned around, a confident expression on her face. "Let's go, it's time to finish this troublesome ritual."

(End of this chapter)