Late at night, a heavy rainstorm poured over the Hidden Leaf Village.
Thick black clouds coiled like a massive python above, and lightning, as wide as tree trunks, flashed across the sky like mythical dragons, roaring within the stormy clouds.
Strong winds howled as they carried the downpour, hitting the village like a wild demon. The streets were empty, battered by the relentless rain and wind. Wooden houses creaked under the pressure, and windows rattled loudly.
Since the war began, Konoha's gates, usually open, were now firmly shut. The guards at the gate sought shelter inside the sentry box, grumbling about the awful weather and longing for a warm meal at home.
Amid the storm, the rain lashed like a whip. In the distance, under the faint flashes of lightning, a shadowy figure could be seen on the road.
"Who's there?" one of the guards squinted, trying to make out the figure through the downpour.
As the person came closer, the guard, with his sharp ninja vision, recognized them despite the rain and distance. His heart skipped a beat in shock and fear. "Is that... Lord Ryoma and Lord Fugaku?!"
Being a member of Root, he immediately recognized the two figures. But what truly sent chills down his spine was why these two, who were supposed to be fighting on the front lines against the Cloud Ninja, were suddenly here at the village gates?
Aburame Ryoma had been running for hours, carrying someone on his back. His mind and body were both on the verge of collapse, but sheer willpower had kept him going.
The gatekeeper hurried to approach them, but what he saw next left him speechless.
Uchiha Fugaku's right arm had been severed. Although it had been hastily bandaged to stop the bleeding, his face was deathly pale, his breathing shallow, and his lips were turning blue—as if he could die at any moment.
With such severe injuries and the fact that both men, who were supposed to be commanding the battle on the front lines, were now back in Konoha, a terrifying thought flashed through the gatekeeper's mind.
"Could it be...?"
A chill rushed through him, despite the rain drenching him to the bone.
"The front lines... were wiped out by the Cloud Ninja?"
Aburame Ryoma, barely able to stand, relayed the critical message: "The Raikage has led a small group of elite ninjas and the Jinchūriki, and they've broken through Mount Kikyo. Hurry, report to Lord Danzo immediately. We need to be prepared!"
After saying this, his eyes darkened, and he fainted.
All the frontline troops were wiped out?
The Raikage led the elite troops and Jinchūriki to break through the defense line of Mount Kikyo?
The gatekeeper ninja's first reaction was to think this must be a joke. Looking at the unconscious Aburame Ryoma on the ground and the seriously injured Uchiha Fugaku, he realized this wasn't an April Fools' joke. Everything was real, and he felt a chill of dread.
Boom!
A loud thunderclap snapped the gatekeeper ninja out of his shock, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
Something major had happened!
It would only take a day at most to get from the Kikyo Mountain defense line to Konoha.
In other words, the Raikage and his elite troops and Jinchūriki could arrive at Konoha's main entrance at any moment!
The gatekeeper ninja didn't hesitate. Chakra surged from his feet, and he dashed into the storm. As he ran, he pulled out a scroll and unleashed the "ninjutsu" inside.
Whoosh—pop!
A burst of fiery red fireworks sliced through the darkness and lit up the sky over Konoha, which was covered in thick black clouds. The magnificent fireworks blazed, with fiery red meteors streaking across the night sky. The loud roar even drowned out the thunder, waking many people from their sleep.
In the Hokage building, Danzo, who had been busy all day, was just updating on the situation at the three battlefronts: Rock, Mist, and Sand.
Orochimaru had successfully blocked Iwagakure's attack and reached a stalemate with Ōnoki.
Minato Namikaze had shown strong power against the Mist Ninjas, defeating them step by step. The war should end soon.
Even though the Sand Ninjas hadn't been defeated by Ino-Shika-Cho and their overall strength wasn't severely damaged. But there wasn't much to worry about in the short term.
Danzo was feeling uneasy because they hadn't received any updates from Kumogakure. He rubbed his tired eyes with his slender fingers and sighed deeply. "It's only been ten days. Uchiha Fugaku shouldn't have a problem. Once we capture the culprit, we can stabilize Kumogakure."
He felt confident as he studied the map on the table. His strategy seemed flawless. Capturing the small, scattered nations of rock, cloud, mist, and sand shouldn't be too difficult.
"Haha, Hiruzen, did you see this?" Danzo smirked, thinking of Sarutobi Hiruzen still confined to the hospital. "I am superior to you. Tobirama-sensei was wrong twenty years ago. I am the one truly fit to be Hokage!"
Danzo stood up slowly and gazed out at the village drenched in heavy rain. Everything seemed under control. "This time, everyone in the ninja world will remember my name—Shimura Danzo!"
Despite the exhaustion, he felt satisfied with his achievements. He believed that even if Sarutobi Hiruzen woke up, he wouldn't be able to stop him from becoming the next Hokage.
But then, a loud noise interrupted Danzo's thoughts.
He turned to see fiery red fireworks exploding in the sky outside. His eyes widened in shock and anger. "This is… an emergency signal that the village has been invaded. Impossible… Who could it be?"
A crow burst through the rain, flew through the broken window, and into the Hokage Building.
Glass shattered, strong winds and cold rain hit Danzo, but he didn't care. He picked up the crow, removed the scroll from its leg, and tore it open with a nervous expression.
The short message made Danzo's blood boil and his eyes well up.
"You useless fool! Uchiha Fugaku, you deserve to die!"
Fuming, Danzo ripped the scroll to shreds. His forehead veins bulged as he shouted angrily, "A thousand people! A thousand! Even if I sent a thousand pigs, it would take him a whole day and night to capture them!"
In one moment, he was imagining his triumph in the Third Ninja war, forcing Sarutobi Hiruzen to step down, and becoming Hokage. The next moment, he was plunged from his dream into disaster. Now, he was not just facing failure but possibly becoming a war criminal.
What is betrayal?
Uchiha Fugaku! Ah, Uchiha Fugaku! Danzo was so furious he felt like tearing him apart!
It made sense. There was no news from the Kumogakure front. It looked like they were all wiped out by a surprise attack before the war even began, and now they're at Konoha's doorstep!
"Quick! Spread my orders!"
Despite his rage, Danzo managed to stay rational. He shouted, "Immediately recall Minato Namikaze from the Mist Battlefield. Get Kushina ready. Activate the defensive barrier with the barrier squad. All ninjas in the village, prepare for battle and stand by!"
Elephant was stunned. Weren't they just in an advantageous position?
How did Konoha, which was on top, suddenly end up in such a dire situation?
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