"You're right. It was Uchiha Chen. The entire village of Hot Spring Village witnessed that battle with their own eyes!"
At the mention of Uchiha Chen, Izumitani Yoju couldn't suppress the smile that spread across his face.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tsunade looked at each other in shock, both wondering the same thing.
When had Uchiha Chen gained this kind of ability?
Fighting a hundred opponents alone, he had killed at least three Jonin and seriously wounded another!
Hadn't he improved far too much?
Aoba Yamashiro, who had come in with Izumitani Yoju, was stunned as well.
Uchiha Chen was practically a celebrity who had suddenly "made a name for himself" in Konoha recently. Aoba hadn't expected to hear his name here too, let alone such astonishing news about him.
"By the way, I wonder if Brother Chen has returned to Konoha yet. I'd still like to formally thank him on behalf of the villagers."
As if something had just occurred to him, Izumitani Yoju stepped forward and asked the Lord Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi, with an expectant look.
"Uchiha Chen hasn't returned yet."
Before Hiruzen could speak, Tsunade answered with a frown.
"What? Brother Chen hasn't returned yet? At his speed, shouldn't he have gotten back long before us?"
Hearing that Uchiha Chen hadn't returned to Konoha, Izumitani Yoju was startled, worry showing on his face.
"Heh, there's no need to worry. Uchiha Chen is on a mission, so he won't be back that soon," the Lord Third explained with a smile from his seat at the head of the room.
Suddenly, a shadow darted in through the window and dropped to one knee before Hiruzen Sarutobi. It was a Konoha Anbu.
"Lord Third, a large force from Sunagakure has been spotted a hundred miles outside Mount Kikyo. They're heading this way!"
"What?! Sunagakure really dares to do this? How many of them are there?" Tsunade clenched her fists and asked through gritted teeth.
"Lord Third, Lady Tsunade, Sunagakure's force numbers at least five thousand. It's being led by the Chiyo siblings!"
"Very well, very well. They dare to send so many ninja? Is Sunagakure intent on fighting us to the death?"
A cold glint flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. He held his pipe in his hand, keeping it away from his mouth as wisps of smoke rose before him.
"Lord Third, what should we do?"
"Send word to assemble all of Konoha's forces and defend Mount Kikyo. No one is to engage the enemy recklessly.
"Also, tell Namikaze Minato and the Jonin on the other fronts to hurry back!"
After a brief moment of thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked toward the Anbu and gave his orders.
"Yes!"
With that, the Anbu vanished through the window in a flash.
"Aoba Yamashiro, take Village Chief Izumitani and the villagers of Hot Spring Village to the site of the Chunin Ninja Exams from previous years and get them settled there," Hiruzen Sarutobi instructed, turning to Aoba.
"Thank you, Lord Third. Although the ninja of Hot Spring Village aren't very strong, we can still do what we can to help. Just give us your orders," Izumitani Yoju said earnestly, stepping forward to express his gratitude. He could barely contain his excitement at being given refuge by the Lord Third.
After Aoba Yamashiro left with Izumitani Yoju, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to Tsunade.
"Tsunade, you're not going to Mount Kikyo!"
"No... I'm going to Mount Kikyo," Tsunade replied, suddenly looking up as she refused.
"But your Hemophobia... You know this isn't the time to act on impulse."
Seeing the stubborn look on Tsunade's face, Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated, but soon his expression hardened.
"I..." Tsunade gritted her teeth and tried to argue, but couldn't find the words. Hiruzen was right: with her Hemophobia, she'd be no use at all on Mount Kikyo!
"That's enough. You're staying here!"
With that, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent. He studied the various files on his desk, his brow deeply furrowed, while he puffed out smoke rings faster and faster.
"Quick, get the medical team!"
"Everyone, stay inside and guard this place!"
On the newly built defensive wall at Mount Kikyo, Konoha's ninja stared intently at the large force from Sunagakure below.
The two sides had already clashed several times. Although Sunagakure had more people, Konoha's forces were using the terrain to their advantage and had managed to hold their own.
Both sides had suffered casualties.
"That's... Chiyo, Sunagakure's elite Jonin! But who's the other one?"
On the wall, Aoba Yamashiro watched as two white-haired elders slowly emerged from the ranks of Sunagakure's ninja.
He recognized Chiyo, a veteran powerhouse of Sunagakure, but he couldn't identify the old man beside her.
"I don't recognize the one next to her either. Could he be Chiyo's younger brother, Ebizo?"
Namiashi Raidō looked just as puzzled.
"No, that isn't Ebizo. It's Ya, a user of Sunagakure's Kekkei Genkai, Scorch Release!"
Just then, a Konoha Anbu wearing a cat-faced mask appeared beside Aoba Yamashiro and Namiashi Raidō, his voice grave.
"What? A Scorch Release user?!"
"Cat, are you serious? Isn't Pakura the Scorch Release user? And who's this old man?"
Aoba Yamashiro and Namiashi Raidō were both taken aback and asked in disbelief.
"Pakura is indeed a Scorch Release user, but Ya was her teacher.
"You're so young, of course you wouldn't know about him. Ya hasn't appeared on the battlefield for many years, and people in the Ninja World thought he was dead. No one expected him to show up here today!"
The Konoha Anbu codenamed Cat kept his eyes fixed on Chiyo and Ya as he explained.
"But, Cat... you're obviously about our age. How do you know all that?"
"Because I have this. It has all the information in it."
As he spoke, Cat raised the thick register in his hand. It contained information about famous ninja from the great nations.
Aoba Yamashiro and Namiashi Raidō: ...
"Bad news! They're about to lead the attack!"
Someone shouted. The three of them hurriedly looked over and saw Chiyo pull a scroll from her robes.
Chiyo tossed the scroll into the air, and it unfurled overhead.
Chiyo's chakra kept the scroll suspended in midair.
As she continued feeding chakra into the scroll, a cold smile appeared on Chiyo's face.
"The Chikamatsu Ten Puppets!!"
Chiyo swept her hand outward, and clouds of white chakra smoke rose one after another all around her.