Hearing Aizen's words, Minato's expression darkened slightly as he understood what he meant.
Aizen reached out and gave a slight tug. A pitch-black slit appeared in the space before him, and the darkness slowly spread open like a cloth bag. Aizen stepped forward and crossed through it.
"Let's go. By the time word of this reaches the Rock Ninja, we can look forward to seeing what Ōnoki does next."
Aizen's voice drifted back to them as he stood with his back to the two.
At his words, Minato and Sasori tensed and followed him.
The three of them slowly disappeared from the scene, which was thick with the sharp stench of blood.
Two days later.
Within the Land of Earth.
"Whoosh—"
Gusts of wind whipped sand and dust across the desolate wasteland, bringing a hint of menace to the empty landscape.
In Iwagakure, nestled among rocky hills, shadowy figures hurried across the rooftops, their expressions grave.
From above, it would have been clear that they were all converging on the high stone structure at the village's center—the Tsuchikage's office.
"Bang!!"
A dull thud echoed through the spacious hall.
Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage, looked grim as he slammed his palm onto the thick wooden table, leaving a deep dent in its surface.
Fine cracks spread from the dent like cow's hair, as if announcing the depth of Ōnoki's barely restrained fury to everyone present.
"Is there still no word from Nanto? Did the nearly hundred Rock Ninja under his command simply vanish without a trace?!"
Ōnoki swept his sharp gaze across the assembled Rock Ninja, his voice low and furious.
Given Iwagakure's current circumstances, nearly a hundred Rock Ninja were no small force. Moreover, the group under Nanto's command was quite capable.
With Iwagakure on the verge of war with Konoha,