Battle Begins, Target: Artificial Humans
"Judging by the time, the Fifth Generation should have arrived in the Daimyo's Mansion by now."
Shikaku was somewhat uneasy.
Known for his cunning, he couldn't think of a way to break the deadlock when faced with overwhelming strength.
"Since our teacher has entrusted the village to us, what we must do is protect Konoha and await their triumphant return."
Uchiha Itachi didn't even look up, focusing on handling the tasks that Kazashiro had entrusted to him before leaving.
"Next, all we need to do is post this notice."
After a while, Itachi stopped what he was doing and showed a relieved smile.
"Is that the notice about the permanent exemption of dependency tax? I'll send someone to post it right away."
Shikaku obviously knew about this.
The so-called "support tax" is actually a protection fee levied on the common people of Konoha to maintain the village's daily expenses.
Konoha provides a safe place for civilians to live. In return, in addition to the war tax levied during the war, civilians also have to pay a monthly fee that will not affect their daily lives.
But this will still ultimately place a certain burden on them.
Since Konoha no longer relies on funding from the Land of Fire, Kazashiro, who was determined to separate civilians from ninjas, made this decision before leaving.
"Whether they are ninjas or ordinary people, as long as they live in Konoha, they are part of Konoha. As the Hokage, it is natural for me to ensure that they live a prosperous life."
This is what Kazashiro said to Uchiha Itachi when he wasn't being silly.
"Yes, you're right. It just so happens that the Fourth Generation Hokage is going to inspect the perimeter wall defenses. I'll go check if there's anything I need to be aware of."
With a formidable enemy at hand, Shikaku needs to ensure that every defensive facility in Konoha remains in good working order.
At the same time, they were all looking forward to Kazashiro and the others' triumphant return.
"Based on the intelligence we currently have, it is highly likely that there is an Artificial Human named 'Ras' within the Daimyo's Mansion. We must eliminate him as quickly as possible to avoid repeating the mistakes Jonin Asuma Sarutobi."
Sometime later, the soldiers who had led the way had disappeared.
The palace gates before them were tightly shut, and an intense pressure emanated from within.
Stimulated by this oppressive aura in the Shirakumo Hayama subconsciously reached behind her back and gripped the hilt of her knife.
Uchiha Inabi subconsciously activated her Three-Tomoe Sharingan, leaned forward, and prepared to make her move.
"Such a large-scale operation has never occurred even during the Second and Third Shinobi World War."
Fugaku's voice came through the communicator.
"Quiet."
Immediately following was Hyuga Hiashi's reprimand.
Fugaku Uchiha: "Oh."
"Attention everyone, something seems to be coming out." An aged voice rang out, and then the communicator fell silent.
"They're here!"
Kazashiro was the first to notice the anomaly.
The moment his voice rang out, the heavy palace doors shattered from the force erupting from within.
"Hmm."
Despite Kazashiro's prior warning, Uchiha Inabi was still unable to dodge and was overturned by this powerful force.
Fortunately, he activated his Sharingan, thus avoiding being affected by the flying debris.
"They're here! Wind Release: Vacuum Wave."
Kazashiro vaguely saw the attacking figure in the dust, quickly formed hand seals, and spat out a sharp wind blade.
"Vacuum Sword"
Shirakumo Hayama, transforming Wind Release Chakra into sword energy and unleashing a slash.
Kazashiro's attack arrived first, splitting the flying dust in two and revealing Slos's languid figure.
"Yawn."
Slos opened his mouth, let out a big yawn, and casually waved his hands, dispersing the attacks of the two.
"With just his bare hands?!"
Shirakumo Hayama. He couldn't imagine why an attack that could cut through iron felt like a gentle breeze when it touched the opponent.
There was something on his arm.
Uchiha Inabi struggled to her feet and, using her Sharingan, discerned the mystery on the other person's arm.
"Is it an arm guard?"
"It looks very similar, so be careful anyway."
Kazashiro warned the group, "Be careful, he has two long swords hanging from his waist."
As they spoke, Slos remained in place, showing no intention of launching an attack.
Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation Arrow
Uchiha Inabi used Fire Style to draw attention, and Kazashiro took the opportunity to throw several Flying Thunder God Kunai at her.
"Spiral Flash Super Round Dance Three Style!"
This is a technique created by Minato, combining a flashbang and the Flying Thunder God Technique to blind the opponent while launching an attack.
When Kazashiro moved to the position of the third Flying Thunder God Kunai, a sudden feeling of dizziness made him stop moving further.
The perspective was reversed, and everything in front of me changed.
"Yaowan!"
There is only one person who can cause this feeling, and that is Uchiha Yaowan.
Slos raised his arm, ignoring the flames burning his flesh, and slammed it down directly at Kazashiro, who was kneeling on the ground.
On the other side, golden chains emerged from the shadows and rushed straight towards Kazashiro.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet"
"Wind Release · Vacuum Great Ball."
Fire Style dispelled the chains, and Wind Release pushed Slos backward.
Slos's fist slammed into the ground, almost grazing Kazashiro's scalp, shattering the carefully repaired road surface.
The cracks in the ground continued to spread, and the palace behind him began to tremble visibly.
Countless tiles fell to the ground, making a crisp sound.
"What terrifying power."
Kazashiro, who felt the blow up close, turned deathly pale; he had almost become a headless knight.
"Hmph, you unfilial son, I told you to hone your basic skills long ago. If it weren't for my intervention, you should know what your fate would be."
Shimura Danzō stared intently at Slos with a grim face, his reprimand directed at his own simple-minded son.
"Alright, Danzo, we can talk about it later. Come help me now."
Hiruzen Sarutobi in combat with Yaowan, sent out a request for assistance. He was not facing Yaowan alone; behind her was a withered, red-haired woman.