Konoha Notes

Chapter 231 Air Raid
To find out what Danzo is up to, we need to figure out what he's doing that's worth risking being completely placed under house arrest for.

There is only one answer—he believes this matter can completely reverse his current predicament.

The unusual movements of the outposts in the Land of Rivers have been investigated multiple times by Kakashi's squads, but they have never come up with any useful results.

All known traces of ninja activity and suspicious outposts have been thoroughly investigated, and the excess supplies deployed have left no trace in the ninja world.

Their investigation has been thorough enough. If this matter is unrelated to Danzo, it can basically be classified as a common border smuggling activity.

After all, border outposts involve the flow of supplies and personnel, and if it's not related to war, it's likely a smuggling operation involving buying low and selling high.

Especially the location of the River Country; passing through it leads to the market of the Wind Country.

Why would Danzo cause such a commotion just to make money through smuggling?
impossible.

If those supplies were neither prepared for armed operations nor smuggled, the remaining possibility is that they were used as some kind of support bribe to gain the support of certain key forces and get them on Danzo's side.

So, who is it that Danzo would do this for...?

Inside the outpost, Shuji was deep in thought, staring at the unfolded map. A ninja strode in, interrupting his reverie.

"Jonin Shuji, an official document has arrived from Sunagakure. Their team participating in the Chunin Exams has already set off."

"There are a total of 12 teams participating, each led by a ninja, for a total of 39 people."

At this time?
Shuji's brow twitched slightly. Sunagakure had indeed reported their approximate itinerary in advance. Making a formal notification to the Konoha border outpost before departure was also in accordance with procedure. After all, this was a cross-border operation involving thirty-nine ninjas.

"How long does it usually take for the Sunagakure teams to arrive in the Land of Rivers after receiving the notification?" Shuji asked.

He certainly knew the time it would take to travel from Sunagakure to the Land of Rivers under forced march conditions. But the speed could vary, depending on how long the people of Sunagakure wanted to travel.

The outpost ninja in charge of reporting replied, "They usually arrive the next day. The Sunagakure teams usually bring some local specialties, which they sell in the Land of Rivers according to market prices. They then clear out the remaining goods after entering the Land of Fire. On the return trip, they purchase a large amount of supplies to bring back."

"Follow standard procedures and prepare for their arrival," Xiu Si instructed. "Ensure they cross the border smoothly, while keeping a close watch on them."

"Yes!"

Although it seems unlikely, it's still necessary to check if any unauthorized individuals have infiltrated the Sand Village team.

The investigation into the unusual whereabouts of the supplies within the Land of Rivers will have to be put on hold for a day. Tomorrow, I'll go with the people from the outpost to meet this team from the Land of Wind.

Having made his plans in mind, Xiu Si went to bed early.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking and the morning light had not yet dispelled the thin mist in the forest, Xiu Si had already prepared his equipment.

Just then, a sharp alarm shattered the morning's tranquility.

"Jonin Shuji!" An ANBU member appeared before him in an instant, his voice urgent. "We've received an urgent message! Three nearby outposts have been attacked!"

"The enemy is using projectiles, dropping explosives from the air!"

Attack? Flying object?

Xiu Si immediately slipped out of the guard post and looked up at the sky.

In the dim morning light, six black dots were rapidly approaching his outpost.

With a buzzing sound, their outlines quickly became clear.

There were six ninjas, dressed in grayish-brown clothing that was not the standard of any known major ninja village, with goggles covering their faces and mechanical wings that, while seemingly simple in structure, provided the ability to fly, fixed to their backs.

Empty-handed?!
Why did it appear at this time?!

The aerial ninjas in the sky had clearly also noticed the movement at the ground outpost. They quickly adjusted their formation and began to dive downwards, intending to use their altitude advantage to launch an attack.

Xiu Si looked up, quickly calculating their flight path and altitude in his mind. Twenty meters, eighteen meters, fifteen meters... twelve meters!

The aerial ninjas stabilized their dive at a height of approximately twelve meters above the ground. This distance was precisely within the effective range of most conventional ninja's ranged ninjutsu attacks.

Just as they launched their attack.

Shuji instantly formed hand seals.

"Wind Release·Wind Cut!"

A dozen or so wind blades, with speed and range far exceeding the air ninja's expectations, tore through the air and hurtled upwards!
In mid-air, the six air ninjas who were about to throw explosives suddenly froze, their movements completely halted. The next instant, blinding lines of blood spurted from their torsos and limbs simultaneously!
Before they could even utter a scream, the aircraft, along with its severed remains, plummeted in a desperate arc.

The wreckage crashed onto the open ground around the outpost with a dull thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Go and confirm the situation, and arrange for Earth Release ninjas to construct defensive fortifications."

"Send someone immediately to report the details of the attack to the village as quickly as possible."

Xiu Si's gaze didn't even linger on the six remains.

Empty Endurance.

Is this Danzo's hidden card?

If this is his trump card, he should never waste it on this kind of border harassment bombing.

Therefore, this round of attacks is not the end, but only the beginning.

What truly needs attention is not the bombing raids by the air force. Such attacks, when faced with organized border troops, can only create temporary chaos.

Under such a stupid attack, the most severe damage is to fixed buildings, followed by the densely packed troops in open areas.

However, for experienced, swift, and quick-moving Konoha border ninjas who know how to disperse and find cover, the actual casualties will not be too great.

Therefore, the focus should be on the potential, actual attacks that accompany these harassing attacks.

"Notify border troops to assemble and prepare to deal with any subsequent attacks."

"First through fifth squads, follow me to prepare to welcome our allies."

If the people arriving from Sunagakure are also the contestants.

Shuji held a glimmer of hope.

But eventually, when he saw the well-prepared army in the land of rivers, he realized he had to face reality.

The leader was dressed in a white robe and wore a bamboo hat.

"Lord Fengying."

Shuji looked at the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, who had led the Sand Village's elite forces to this place, and slowly spoke.

"You actually have to come in person for a Chunin Exam."

Rasa said in a deep voice, "We have received an urgent request from the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers. An unknown force has attacked towns in the Land of Rivers through aerial attacks. As a neighboring country and ally, Sunagakure has an obligation to help maintain regional stability, so we have come to provide assistance."

After saying that, he looked at Shuji and the Konoha ninja behind him.

"As for the teams participating in the Chunin Exams, they are still proceeding according to the original plan. If Konoha doesn't mind, you can wait here for a while, meet up with them, and then head to Konoha together."

(End of this chapter)