Mechanical Fortress

"Welcome, esteemed ninja of Konoha."

The caravan leader, an old man in his sixties or seventies, personally led his people to greet Yamei and his group.

"Ah, this is just causing you trouble," Kakashi stepped forward to negotiate.

"Haha, not at all. We feel exceptionally safe with all you ninja adults here tonight."

The group exchanged pleasantries as they settled into the camp, and the caravan members brought out various foods.

"Oh, and these two..." the caravan leader began, as if by chance.

"Oh, they're just our mission targets," Kakashi replied vaguely.

"My apologies, I shouldn't have asked," the old man said with an apologetic smile.

"Your caravan must travel all over the world frequently, old sir?" Yamei inquired.

The old man chuckled and nodded, "Indeed, our caravan travels between various countries year-round to make a living."

"Then you must be very knowledgeable, old sir. Do you happen to know about the Gelel Stone?"

Upon hearing Yamei's words, the old man's pupils constricted sharply. He glanced at Yamei, who wore a slight smile, with surprise, then looked at Timsi, his expression gradually darkening.

"You've come for the Gelel Stone?"

Everyone was startled. They hadn't expected such a casual question to yield a clue!

Timsi and Rank also looked over, surprised that this old man knew about the Gelel Stone!

"No, it's not us. To be precise, it's them," Yamei pointed at Timsi and Rank.

The old man opened his mouth, then sighed softly, "Why are you still searching for the Gelel Stone! This is something that should not be awakened!"

"Something that shouldn't be awakened? I only know it's something we need," Timsi stated firmly, a faint glow emanating from his chest. Then, an oval stone projection appeared.

Seeing the stone, everyone was somewhat amazed.

The old man's pupils contracted, and he sighed again, "As expected..."

Kakashi and the others exchanged bewildered glances. "So this is that Gelel Stone?"

The old man nodded gently. "That's right, this is the crystallization of Gelel, the energy of the Source of Life!"

He then looked at Timsi. "Only royalty from our clan can form such a bond with the Gelel Stone! So you are kin to our clan!"

"But why don't you know about the Gelel Stone... could it be because the Book of Gelel is lost?"

Kakashi and the others were also taken aback by this revelation.

Seeming to notice their confusion, a flicker of reminiscence crossed the old man's eyes. "No one knows how this stone came to be."

"Our ancestors discovered this incredible mineral vein, refined it into a crystal, and named it Gelel!"

"Based on the Gelel Stone, our ancestors established a vast empire, created inexhaustible water sources, and livestock that grew overnight! It brought us happiness!"

"But along with happiness, it also brought disaster. People began to use the stone's power to wage war!"

"The vast empire was utterly destroyed! In the end, only a very small number of people survived."

"And those who survived sealed the Source of Life, the mineral vein of the Gelel Stone, deep underground, vowing never to awaken it again!"

Everyone was stunned by the story! Such a terrifying thing existed?

"Why not destroy it completely?" Shino inquired.

"We wanted to!" the old man sighed softly. "But only the royalty of our clan can destroy it. Without our royalty... we can only guard it for generations..."

At this, everyone's gaze involuntarily shifted to Timsi.

"Destroy it? Heh, impossible!" Timsi scoffed. "After hearing your words, I'm even more convinced... I must obtain it no matter what!"

"Don't you understand the terror of this power?" Ino asked, displeased with Timsi's attitude.

"Hmph! Power is ultimately a dead thing! What it does depends on the user!"

"I believe Lord Heide can wield this power well and establish a nation of peace and happiness, free from conflict!"

"Idiot."

"What did you say!" Timsi glared at Yamei furiously.

"I said you're an idiot," Yamei met his gaze directly.

"What do you know!" Timsi roared. "War only brings misfortune! Without a leader, war will never end!"

"And Lord Heide is that leader. He needs this power!"

"A clumsy excuse," Yamei sneered. "If simply having a leader could resolve conflict, then... why was that ancient empire destroyed?"

"That was due to the incompetence of that empire's leader. If it were Lord Heide, the empire would have developed peacefully!" Timsi retorted dismissively.

Seeing Timsi's current demeanor, Yamei felt a strong urge to record it and show it to him when Heide dealt with him personally.

RUMBLE!

Just then, the ground began to shake violently! The rumbling sound approached rapidly from afar!

"Alert!"

Kakashi and Yūhi Kurenai shouted in unison, and everyone rushed out of the tent, only to witness a shocking sight.

Under the moonlight, a Mechanical Fortress dozens of meters tall was rapidly approaching!

"Hahaha! Lord Hyde is here! You're finished!" Rank's face contorted into a manic grin!

She had been tied up, eating, drinking, and relieving herself for days, and had had enough.

"It was you who sent the signal!?"

Yūhi Kurenai's expression turned grim. They had restricted their opponents' powers, so how could they still attract enemies?

"Hmph! Scared now, aren't you! Let us go! With your strength, Lord Hyde might even give you a good position!" Timsi said repeatedly.

Everyone ignored him, watching the giant fortress draw nearer. Kakashi quickly organized the retreat:

"Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura, you three take the people and evacuate!"

"Yamei! Sasuke, Choji, Kiba, Shino, and Hinata, we'll be responsible for holding off the enemy!"

"Understood!"

Accepting their orders, Kakashi and Yūhi Kurenai led the others to confront the soldiers who had emerged from the fortress.

Meanwhile, Ino and the others hurried to help the merchant caravan evacuate.

On the ground, nearly a hundred soldiers were charging forward! Kakashi's expression was grim.

"Kakashi-sensei, use Wind Style to cooperate with me," Yamei said, forming hand seals.

Kakashi paused for a moment before quickly following suit, forming his own seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

As one of Madara's signature Ninjutsu, Great Fire Annihilation! In Yamei's hands, it was brought to life!

With a blast from his mouth, the surging heat was like ocean waves, flooding the land before them! The intense temperature forced everyone to shield their faces!

Kakashi's Wind Style, by comparison, was like a small bubble…

While it did have some amplifying effect… it was pitifully weak.

"Wha… What the…"

Kakashi's single visible eye widened. Yūhi Kurenai, Sasuke, and the others stared blankly at the scene, feeling utterly overwhelmed.