Konoha Notes

Chapter 325 Both Ends
Orochimaru wasn't a pleasure-seeker, but sitting in the cabin of an airship hundreds of meters high, eating carefully prepared food, and watching the intermittent battle below, the feeling of being a prodigal son wasn't bad.

Meanwhile, in the small submarine hundreds of meters underwater, Shuji felt quite good. After diving underwater and controlling Burubi, he switched to using his clones to hold off Orochimaru. No matter what other tricks Orochimaru had up his sleeve, it was definitely the right thing to do to let the clones take some damage first.

The opponent released the reincarnation spell on Brubi, and their tactics shifted back to delaying tactics. Shuji was happy that his main body could come down and rest. If the clone's chakra ran low, he would dive into the water and switch back to the clone. In short, while he wasn't completely mentally exhausted, his body had at least had a good rest.

"Mr. Shuji, the communication toad has reported that the vanguard has clashed with Hiruko and Juzo Biwa several times. Their aerial reconnaissance of the flying fortress has been interrupted several times by Storm Release. So far, no other members similar to Akatsuki have been found." A Sand Village ninja reported.

Orochimaru, Hiruko, and Juzo Biwa.

The fact that only these three people appeared suggests either that Obito and his group are still waiting for the five great ninja villages to invest more resources, or... they've already set off.

There might not be many places to go, and the choices might be limited.

To achieve the goal of severely crippling the alliance of the five great ninja villages, the most effective method is to severely damage Konoha. If Konoha cannot regain its strength, the current united front will quickly crumble. Kirigakure will retreat, Iwagakure will observe, Sunagakure will recalculate its gains and losses, and Kumogakure will have few other options.

By then, the Land of Snow would truly become a treasure trove for Akatsuki, a place where they could develop rapidly overseas and occasionally unite with one side to attack another.

To protect their villages, the village leaders dared not leave their villages casually. Even if someone went missing, they dared not conduct a large-scale search for fear of being taken advantage of.

Therefore, once the Konoha headquarters shows a weakness, the target the enemy will choose is self-evident.

There should be news today, or tomorrow.

He looked at the tiny slug on his shoulder, waiting for news.
-
Konoha Village, Hokage's office.

The sunlight outside the window was lovely, streaming through the glass and casting a warm golden hue over the open documents on the desk. But Tsunade was in no mood to appreciate this tranquility.

The waiting was even more agonizing than I had imagined.

Tsunade realized that this feeling had been gone for several years. Hmm... it seems like it was last year, or the year before? Although she was still the Hokage, she didn't have much to worry about.

Anyway, someone will handle it; just go about your business. If you have an idea, great; talk to that guy about it, and you'll know soon enough whether it's feasible or not. If you don't have an idea, that's okay too; that guy will have one eventually.

Aside from not being able to leave the village at will—after all, the Hokage has to stay in the village—this kind of life isn't bad. He can just keep living like this until he gets tired of his current position, then he can throw down his burdens and retire to a carefree life.

As Tsunade thought of this, a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

But then, the smile faded.
Uchiha Madara...

They're already such grown-ups, yet they still manage to meddle in other people's lives when everyone else is doing well.

She looked at the scroll spread out on the table, which depicted the incantation for reverse spirit communication.

If the enemy's target is indeed the village, call everyone back. If the enemy's trump card is in the Snow Country, this is also a way to bring people back at any time.

This is precisely why Shuji and Jiraiya set off.

With prior preparation, these two individuals are the most capable of handling complex environments and have the most evacuation methods.

In addition to their reputation, their departure would create the impression of an emptiness within Konoha for outsiders.

"Tsunade-sama."

Yamanaka Inoichi's voice echoed in her mind.

"The homeland defense system has detected an anomaly. Something has entered the Land of Fire, but we cannot confirm what it is."

"Can't confirm it..." Tsunade repeated softly.

In other words, if not... never mind.

"Immediately contact Genma's team according to the previously arranged procedure and have them bring Onoki over."

"Yes."

"Tell Onoki that if Iwagakure suffers any losses as a result, Konoha is willing to take full responsibility for compensation."

"That old man probably doesn't want to spend the rest of his life tied down by a fortress and unable to move!"

"Yes!" Tsunade took a deep breath and first summoned a slug.

"Slug, inform Shuji immediately," Tsunade said rapidly, "Prepare to return to Shikkotsu Forest first. Tell him to be prepared, as the Reverse Summoning Jutsu could be activated at any time."

"understood."
-
In the energy room of Anker Bandian Fortress, Shennong and Zero-Tail merged into one.

excited.

An overwhelming sense of excitement welled up inside me.

He has endured so much since being betrayed by Orochimaru, and his long-cherished wish is finally about to be fulfilled.

For this day, he obeyed Akatsuki's orders and handed over most of his Sky Ninja Force and fleet to Sunagakure, watching helplessly as his years of hard work became someone else's weapon.

The other party has even become my enemy.

But finally...

The promise he received is about to be fulfilled.

Through the perception of the zero tail, Shennong "saw" it.

Konoha Village lay just ahead. The buildings, the streets, the people walking in the sunlight… all seemed oblivious to the impending destruction.

Ha ha ha ha……

"Hahahahaha!"

Dark chakra surged within him, and Shennong could no longer contain himself, bursting into laughter. The laughter echoed in the sealed energy room, mingling with Zero-Tails' deep roar, creating a chilling symphony.

"Witness it! Witness the fury and power of the Sky Ninja, Konoha!"

At that moment, the main cannon's light reached its peak, and Shennong's eyes widened, eager to see what would happen next.

Screams. Wails. Anger. And... despair!
He wanted to see Konoha turn to ashes in the light, to see the Konoha ninjas show expressions of fear, and to see the entire ninja world tremble before the power of the Sky Ninja!

however--

Just as the beam of light was about to hit Konoha Village, something unexpected happened.

The forests surrounding Konoha Village... have come to life.

No, it didn't just come alive. It grew wildly. The trees grew taller and thicker at a visible rate, their canopies intertwining to form thick green barriers over the village.

"Useless!" Shennong roared inside Zero-Tail's body. "In the face of Zero-Tail's power, and in the face of Anker Bandian's main cannon, these broken pieces of wood are of no use whatsoever!"

The beam of light struck the tree wall.

One layer, two layers... until a pair of giant wooden hands reached out.

Then, the owner of the giant hand stood up from the sea of ​​trees.

The towering wooden figure met Anker Bandian's main cannon head-on.

The golden light dissipated before the wooden figure.

Inside the energy room, Shennong's expression froze.

"No...impossible..."

Outside the flying fortress, Obito Uchiha sat atop the fortress, ignoring the cold wind.

He crossed his legs, rested his chin on one hand, and gazed through the holes in his mask at the man standing atop the wooden figure below.

“Orochimaru…” Obito said softly, “was tricked.”

(End of this chapter)