Akatsuki's counterattack

Kumogakure.

Pain strolled leisurely down the main road in the village, watching the thick smoke rising around him and the panicked villagers. A strange sense of pleasure suddenly rose in his heart.

Back then, the scene before us was something we could see everywhere in the Land of Rain. The burning flames of war and the turmoil of the people—what the Land of Rain experienced was dozens of times more cruel than what we see now.

Did these great ninja villages ever imagine that this tragic fate would also befall them?

The Ninja World needs cleansing, the Ninja World needs rebuilding, and he is the god who descended to earth with this mission.

At this moment, Nagato's goal became even clearer.

Pain raised his hand and, without any preparatory movement, activated Shinra Tensei Cloud Ninja.

A powerful repulsive force propelled the group forward, carving a fan-shaped trench in the ground. The group of ninjas were like flies swatted by a fly swatter; they were sent flying without a chance to utter a word, spitting blood and dying in mid-air.

Pain withdrew his hand, not even bothering to glance at it again, and continued walking forward.

His purpose in coming here was simple: to cause trouble for the Cloud Village and buy time for the Akatsuki to seal the Eight-Tails.

Of course, now there's another reason he just thought of: let the Kumogakure also feel the pain. Only by deeply experiencing this pain can they truly understand the beauty of peace.

The Fourth Raikage A led his team into the village, where he first encountered the Asura Path, which was wreaking havoc.

The continuous stream of lasers and missiles fired from his body forced the Cloud Ninja surrounding him to constantly dodge, and these missed shots were not wasted, venting their fire on the surrounding houses and causing even greater damage.

The Fourth Raikage A was absolutely furious when he saw this.

"Ignore the surrounding buildings, unleash a wide-range Ninjutsu attack on him!"

The Raikage's words were like lifting the ban on the Cloud Ninja, and in an instant, fire dragons, Lightning Net, Wind Blade, Earth Spike, and all sorts of Ninjutsu rained down on the central Asura Path.

"Boom! Kakkou soared into the sky, smoke filled the air, and the lasers and missiles finally ceased. The Cloud Ninja were filled with anticipation. With one source of chaos eliminated, the village could finally relax a little."

Before the smoke had completely cleared, a Cloud Ninja rushed in to investigate, but what he saw made his expression change drastically.

On the still-burning ground, there were no enemy corpses, not even a fragment of clothing.

"The enemy has escaped!"

A report came from the Cloud Ninja through the smoke. The Fourth Raikage A, looked even more grim. The enemy was more troublesome than expected, and the Cloud Village was likely to suffer heavy losses this time.

"Spread out. Leave one squad with me, the rest go to support the various battlefields."

In the center of the village, beside the Animal Path, the Asura Path is inspecting its weapons.

At the crucial moment earlier, it was the Animal Path that used the Summoning Technique to summon the Asura Path to its side, thus avoiding the overwhelming Ninjutsu attack.

Now, after assessing the remaining weapons and ammunition, Asura Path strode out and threw himself back into the battle.

On the spot, the Animal Path Hand Seals seal to communicate with the spirit again. A wisp of white smoke rose up, and the Human Path beside him. However, at this moment, his right arm was missing, clearly indicating that the battle had just taken a toll on him.

As the Cloud Ninja recovered from their initial panic, their numerical advantage began to show, with several times more Cloud Ninja than Akatsuki participating in battles on various battlefields.

Although they suffered heavy losses, they did manage to suppress the arrogance of the Six Paths Puppet.

Konoha.

Taiichi's Shadow Clone appeared directly in the Hokage's Office using the Flying Thunder God.

"Killer B has been captured. Everything is proceeding according to plan. Our raiding party should set off now."

Minato frowned slightly and asked again, "We weren't discovered, were we? Was there anything suspicious about the fight?"

Taiichi shook his head. "The battle was fierce, and the Akatsuki used all their strength. At least on the surface, I can't see any problems."

Minato then looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who also shook his head, indicating that there was nothing to ask, and then made up his mind.

"Shikaku, Inoichi, Choza, you will lead the team to meet up with Taiichi in the Land of Hot Water. Once there, follow Taiichi's orders. Now, let's depart!"

9

Yes. *3

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio immediately accepted the order and left the office without uttering a word of nonsense.

"I hope the plan goes smoothly. If we can successfully eliminate Akatsuki this time, it will be a great relief to the Ninja World."

Minato went to the window and watched the Ino-Shika-Cho and the group of ninjas behind them gradually disappear into the distance on the main road. He couldn't help but sigh softly.

Time ticked by, and as the Sun Barrier had completely set, Minato prepared to pack up and go home to be with his wife and children.

Just then, there was a rapid knocking on the door.

Minato frowned, stopped what he was doing, and looked up at the gate.

"Enter."

An office clerk Earth Flow in, carrying an urgent intelligence report.

"Hokage-sama, an urgent plea for help from the Daimyo's Mansion has arrived —the Capital of Fire under attack."

Minato suddenly stood up, his face showing indescribable shock.

Daimyo's Mansion —Requesting aid—How could that be? What could have happened there?

The next moment, like a lightning bolt striking my mind, everything became clear.

It must be the Akatsuki! They're so crazy! They don't dare to cause trouble in Konoha, so they've brought the war all the way to the Capital of Fire.

Minato received the intelligence and immediately ordered the internal staff, "Go, immediately notify the Third Kazekage and the two Advisor, and have them come to the Hokage's Office."

After speaking, he immediately began to browse the intelligence reports, reading them quickly.

The more Minato looked, the worse Minato expression became. In the end, he slammed his hand on the table.

"Damn Akatsuki, damn Mist Village!"

Why criticize Mist Village? Because it was Moryo and his Ghost Legion that attacked the Capital of Fire. And it was because Mist Village lost the one-fifth of Moryo's physical body they were guarding that the Ghost Legion was able to reappear.

Soon, in just over ten minutes, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the two Advisor arrived at the office.

The first thing they noticed was Minato's gloomy face, which was rare for Minato, demonstrating the seriousness of the situation.

When Minato saw them, he didn't stand on ceremony and simply explained the situation to the three of them.

The three reacted almost identically to Minato, with shock followed by anger.

"Gentlemen, things have come to this. We should send reinforcements immediately. The ninjas in the Capital of Fire aren't very strong. If this drags on, I'm worried they might fall."

But who should be sent? Konoha has many skilled fighters in the village, but when it comes to dealing with Moryo of that size, Taiichi is the most suitable.

"Bring Taiichi back, and also call Shikaku and his team back," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, speaking with a sense of helplessness.

"If we call Taiichi back, then the Akatsuki's operation will be canceled! The Cloud Village has already contributed the Eight-Tails; won't they come after us with trouble?"

Mitokado Homura asked a series of questions, clearly his mind hadn't quite caught up yet.

Utatane Koharu, tugged at his clothes and sighed as well.

"The Akatsuki have attacked the Capital of Fire, do you think the Cloud Village will let this go? This plan has completely failed; we've all been outmaneuvered by the Akatsuki."

Seeing that no one had any objections, Minato took out a specially made Flying Thunder God Kunai belonging to Taiichi from the drawer.

The crowd glanced at it, feeling a bit strange. One Flying Thunder God ninja had another Flying Thunder God ninja's mark Kunai next to him, but to be fair, it was indeed the best way to communicate.

As the seal in the Kunai was activated, Taiichi appeared on the spot in the next instant.

At this moment, Taiichi held Chakra Light Blade in his right hand, his whole body surging with power, completely in a state of battle readiness.

As soon as Taiichi appeared, his senses swept out. The Flying Thunder God Kunai he left with Minato was triggered, making him think that Minato had been attacked, which was why he made such a powerful entrance. However, the information from his senses made his momentum falter.

This is the Hokage's Office, and look at the people here—they're all high-ranking officials from Konoha.

He believed that some people here were dissatisfied with Minato, but he certainly didn't believe that these people intended to harm Minato.

"Is this... a drill?"

Taiichi made a joke, Chakra Light Blade in his hand scattered into specks of light and disappeared.

"If only it were a drill." Minato Daimyo's Mansion has requested reinforcements. The Capital of Fire under attack by Moryo. I called you back to provide support."

Taiichi's expression instantly turned serious. He immediately understood the situation and, while marveling at the Akatsuki's "courage," asked, "Is there any news from Cloud Village?"

I knew I'd asked a pointless question the moment I opened my mouth.

He raised one hand, and a Shadow Clone appeared beside him. The next moment, the Shadow Clone disappeared, and everyone stopped talking and just waited for him quietly.

Not long after, a memory surfaced in Taiichi's mind.

"Kumogakure was also attacked, by Pain, the leader of Pain, and the losses were—quite heavy."

We looked at each other, and there was a sense of shared sorrow, but also a feeling of relief and schadenfreude.

Konoha only suffered damage to the Capital of Fire, and although they also suffered heavy losses, they themselves were not injured. However, Cloud Village fared much worse, as the entire village was attacked. This is truly tragic.

"Alright, Taiichi, you should go now. The situation in the Capital of Fire is indeed urgent."

Finally, Minato spoke up, and Taiichi didn't hesitate, immediately using Flying Thunder God to leave the office.

Two hours earlier, outside the Capital of Fire, the Moryo appeared.

He gazed at the vast city in the distance, once again marveling at the potential of humankind.

Individually, they may seem unremarkable, even surpassing the might of wild beasts like jackals and tigers. But when their numbers increase, things change.

Among these ordinary people, there will always be some exceptionally talented individuals.

Some of these beings are incredibly powerful, capable of destroying the world; others are exceptionally innovative, leading humanity to build advanced civilizations.

In the past two years, the Moryo has transformed into a human and gained a deeper understanding of human history and characteristics. He can't help but feel fortunate that he wasn't born in the era of the Sage of Six Paths, otherwise he might not have survived.

However, now, Moryo glanced at the sky; it was almost time.

His body began to swell, gradually losing its human form, and eventually transforming into a five-headed monster 50 meters tall.

Meanwhile, the once lush green trees around them began to turn yellow and lose moisture, and even the land gradually began to turn into a swamp.

One by one, the rock and earth Puppet slowly rose from the earth. They paired up and formed squares, and each time a square was formed, they walked heavily toward the Capital of Fire.

Meanwhile, in the Capital of Fire, ever since the Moryo revealed its true form, that colossal 50-meter-tall creature remained conspicuous even from several kilometers away.

The soldiers on duty on the city wall spotted the monster immediately.

Although they didn't recognize the Moryo, the fact that such a creature blatantly appeared Capital of Fire made it clear to anyone that it harbored ill intentions.

"Three mournful bugle calls echoed through the sky, a warning signal when the city was under attack."

The once languid city was instantly invigorated, and the entire city descended into chaos.

Fortunately, soldiers quickly took to the streets to maintain order in the city, and the number of guards on the city walls continued to increase. Not long after, ninjas who guarded the Capital of Fire also appeared on the city walls, and the unrest finally subsided.

"What kind of monster is that? It looks to be forty or fifty meters long. Could it be the legendary Tailed Beast?"

The speaker was a ninja without Headband. He was originally a wandering ninja who was recruited by the Daimyo because of his excellent swordsmanship.

"That's not some Tailed Beast, that's a demonic creature even more terrifying than Tailed Beast, a demonic spirit Moryo,' but—given its size, it seems it's not at its full strength."

The one speaking is a Konoha Ninja. Judging from his familiarity with the Moryo, he must have participated in the extermination of the Moryo.

Upon hearing that someone actually knew about this monster, the general immediately stepped forward to ask for clarification, and the Konoha Ninja recounted everything he knew.

"This monster is beyond our capabilities. We must immediately notify Konoha and have them send reinforcements. Right now, all we can do is delay it as much as possible before Konoha 'Konoha reinforcements arrive. Otherwise, once it gets close to the city, the entire Capital of Fire will be destroyed."

Such important intelligence was too much for the general to handle on his own; he immediately sent someone to the Daimyo's Mansion to report it.

He himself followed the advice of the Konoha Ninja and organized an army to cooperate with the ninja forces to go out of the city to intercept the Moryo and his Ghost Legion.

However, the battle was far more brutal than expected. Without top experts to entangle them, the 50-meter-tall behemoth was simply overwhelming for ordinary ninjas.

The ninjas' Ninjutsu had little effect on the Moryo, while the Moryo's attacks, even a simple tail whip, were unbearable for the ninjas.

Fortunately, the Capital of Fire still has Jonin, though only five (some of whom are protecting the Daimyo). Their methods still pose some threat to Moryo, and it can be said that Moryo's slowed progress is all caused by these five Jonin.

As they drew ever closer to the city behind them, one of the Konoha Jonin finally lost his temper.

"Damn it, we can't do much on our own. Doesn't the Daimyo still have Jonin? Get them here right now!"