"Damn it, you think you can just run away after causing a ruckus in Konoha?!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was both surprised and delighted to see that the number of enemies had decreased significantly. In any case, with fewer enemies directly facing him, he could more freely mobilize his forces. This was Konoha; those few enemies would eventually be surrounded and killed by Konoha ninjas.
"Whether you're trying to escape or not, you know the answer in your heart. I advise you to hand over the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki as soon as possible. The Akatsuki organization is determined to get the Tailed Beasts!"
After Xiao Nan's paper doll unleashed a barrage of shurikens, it left a warning in a cool voice before disappearing.
Hiruzen, how are you doing here?
After Konan disappeared, Danzo Shimura arrived with a group of Root members, followed by some guards and civilian ninjas. This chaotic group not only failed to help the Anbu eliminate the remaining giant summoning beasts, but also allowed the Cerberus and Yatagarasu to escape the encirclement and wreak havoc in other parts of Konoha.
"Chase them! We can't let these guys continue to destroy our homes!"
After quickly treating his injuries, Hiruzen Sarutobi rallied the surrounding ninjas to give chase. The enemy had already invaded the front of the Hokage Building; if he didn't launch a counterattack soon, the morale of the Konoha people would truly crumble.
Under Hiruzen Sarutobi's command, the disorganized civilian ninjas and ANBU temporarily formed a joint force, splitting into several groups and heading towards the areas in the village where the unrest continued. Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura led the elite forces of the ANBU and Root to remain in place to continue rallying forces and eliminate the remaining instigators as quickly as possible.
Watching the troops gradually disappear into the distance, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were filled with gloom. The number of ninjas who participated in the defense of the village was far less than he had estimated! In particular, there were no ninjas from the Aburame and Inuzuka clans that he had previously expected. He had originally thought that Danzo would be able to bring their entire clans.
"Danzo, why are you so late, and with so few people? Where are the Aburame and Inuzuka families?"
These two are currently the largest clans in Konoha. In this critical moment, are they really unwilling to send even a single person?!
Hiruzen Sarutobi had a vague sense of unease, but he didn't want to think about it any further. Instead, he preferred to believe that the two families were just having a minor argument.
"Where are the Aburame and Inuzuka families now?!"
Danzo Shimura's face was extremely grim. "Both families are completely empty. All the people and supplies have vanished without a trace! Apart from the buildings, interior furniture, and daily necessities, everything else is spotless, with hardly any leftover trash!"
Honestly, if Danzo hadn't known he hadn't given the order, he might have even thought that the two clan territories had been thoroughly ransacked by the Root ninjas, since they had taken all the valuables.
Danzo's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Hiruzen Sarutobi's head. The momentum he had built up with anger dissipated considerably, and he suddenly felt his whole body screaming with exhaustion. He really was getting old.
Ta-da!
His aged body could barely support him, and Hiruzen Sarutobi staggered back several steps before managing to regain his footing. His head was still buzzing, as if he had been punched in the head.
"Traitors! You're all traitors to Konoha! Hyuga Kaze, you bastard!"
Ignoring that he was on the street and that Konoha was engulfed in war, Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart was burning with intense hatred, and he couldn't help but start cursing.
"Hiruzen, calm down. We need to eliminate the invaders in Konoha first!"
Having already been enraged once, Danzo, now quite experienced, allowed Hiruzen to curse him a few times before actually speaking up to comfort him.
"I will never let that bastard Hyuga Kaze get away with this, nor will I let Yukigami Village get away with it!"
After being comforted by Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi uttered a harsh remark, as if he could already foresee the destruction of Hyuga Kaze and Yukigami Village under his powerful hand. His expression improved considerably.
"Konoha's strength is far beyond what a few enemies can handle. They mainly have the advantage of surprise, and their ninjutsu is just too strange."
Hiruzen Sarutobi briefly explained the abilities of the Six Paths of Pain to Danzo, who was now somewhat perplexed. He couldn't help but ask, "You really don't have a way to contact the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
"If I had something to hide from you, would I?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was very dissatisfied with his old friend's suspicion. "That impulsive Jiraiya didn't leave any contact information at all, and those toads from Mount Myōboku are also arrogant. Apart from notifying me after Jiraiya's accident and sending back some information, they don't contact Konoha at all!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was furious when the toads of Mount Myōboku were mentioned. If he had their contact information, how could he not contact Naruto? After all, the Nine-Tails was a powerful force, and especially now, he couldn't care less about the danger of the Nine-Tails' attack.
"Then what should we do? Judging from the intelligence you just gave us, it's difficult for us to kill them without suffering heavy losses with our current manpower. Moreover, without a strong leader, they might not even be able to organize an attack with just those civilian ninjas. If the enemy manages to leave Konoha intact after wreaking havoc, Konoha will become a laughing stock."
Danzo Shimura also felt somewhat helpless about the current situation. If it weren't for the fact that he had become so deeply involved with Hiruzen Sarutobi over the past few years, he really wouldn't have wanted to lead the Root to intervene. Wouldn't it have been better for him to take over the protection of Konoha, gain prestige, and ascend to the Hokage throne after Hiruzen's defeat?
"It's indeed a bit difficult. Their abilities are too strange, and some of them haven't even made a move yet," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, a hint of unease creeping into his voice. He wondered how strong those Akatsuki members were. If they were all like that mechanical monster, it would be too dangerous. Why had he been so impulsive in the first place, launching a direct charge?
After calming himself down, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled and made up his mind, staring intently at Danzo.
"Danzo, we can't hide any longer now. If Konoha is destroyed, how will we face our teacher in the Pure Land!"
Shimura Danzo was slightly taken aback by Hiruzen's words. "You mean?"
"I know you have many trump cards up your sleeve, and I've also prepared some methods to defend Konoha. This time, we must use them all to show the enemy the true strength of Konoha!"
While watching the commotion from the Hokage Rock, Hinata Kaze ate sunflower seeds and took the sealing scrolls from the shadow clones who were collecting supplies, then tossed them into his training room space to store them.
"Phew, what tricks have those two old folks come up with this time? This show is getting more and more exciting. I hope your preparations will give me some surprises."
Hinata Kaze's eyes were sharp and penetrating, and he could read Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips from afar. He was genuinely curious about the tricks these two old guys had up their sleeves.
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