The same situation that had unfolded in Hidden Sand was now playing out in Konoha.
After receiving the intelligence Jiraiya had sent back, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately convened a meeting of the village leadership.
"Yotsuki Sora... That man is completely beyond anything we expected!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, his expression grim as he passed the scroll in his hands around to his three old comrades.
The three Hokage Advisors exchanged glances. When they read the battle report, their expressions grew just as remarkable.
"H-how is this possible?!"
"Fighting a thousand men alone and defeating Ōnoki? How could that be possible?!"
"Is that man a monster?!"
"Don't doubt the report's authenticity. Jiraiya delivered it to me in person from the battlefield."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. More than Yotsuki Sora's strength, he was worried about the situation they now faced.
"...Since we failed to help Hidden Stone deal with Hidden Cloud, it won't be long before we find ourselves fighting on two fronts."
Ever since the war began, the last thing he wanted was for Konoha to fight on multiple fronts and fall into the same predicament as during the Second Shinobi War.
That was why, while Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud were locked in a fierce battle, he had ordered Jiraiya's unit to intercept Hidden Cloud's reinforcements, hoping to let Hidden Stone beat them into submission.
Who could have guessed that after they intercepted over a thousand Hidden Cloud shinobi,
that man Yotsuki Sora, who had long since left the Land of Earth, would suddenly barge into the battlefield and accomplish something like this!
A long-range Space-Time Ninjutsu.
Nintaijutsu that could rival the Third Raikage's.
A special kekkei genkai that could stand up to Dust Release!
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a splitting headache. He pressed his fingers hard against his temples and rubbed them.
If a man like that appeared on the front lines against Konoha...
He didn't believe Konoha could fare any better than Hidden Stone had.
"We've already done it, so there's no point regretting it. Besides, those Hidden Cloud shinobi wanted to fight us anyway!" Danzo had seen Hiruzen Sarutobi's concern. He spoke coldly. "The elite Hidden Cloud forces stationed in the Land of Hot Water haven't moved at all. You and I both know what those dark-skinned bastards are plotting!"
"That's true..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.
Hidden Cloud's intentions were obvious, but intentions were still only intentions.
The two sides had clashed, but their conflict had remained limited to skirmishes. No large-scale war had broken out.
But by sending troops to stop Hidden Stone, Konoha had made it clear that the two sides were now at war!
"Worrying about all that is pointless, Hiruzen. What we really need to consider is how to deal with those Hidden Cloud shinobi!" Danzo slammed his cane down, making it thud against the floor. "Especially Yotsuki Sora!"
"That man is a pure battle maniac. Look at the report. His mission was to cover the retreat, and after the Third Raikage and the Hidden Cloud shinobi withdrew, he could have left long ago. But instead, he fought the Hidden Stone shinobi for three whole days and nights, even deliberately taking Dust Release head-on..."
"Ordinary methods won't work against someone comparable to a Tailed Beast," Mitokado Homura said slowly, speaking for the first time. "We need some special measures."
"Special measures?"
At that, the four men looked at one another. The tension in their brows eased somewhat.
As the Shinobi World's most powerful village, if there was one thing Konoha had that utterly surpassed the other villages, aside from its brainless leadership, it was its collection of bizarre forbidden jutsu and secret techniques!
Never mind the secret techniques of the various clans. Konoha's own records alone contained more than enough forbidden jutsu to fill a whole room.
Did they even know what the Book of Seals was?
Did they even know what a master of forbidden jutsu was?!
Who could understand the joy of having a Second Hokage who loved inventing things and stirring up trouble?
"Still, forbidden jutsu go against the natural order. We can't use them recklessly."
Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly shook his head.
He knew what Konoha was hiding. Just a few of those forbidden jutsu would be enough to cause a massive upheaval in the Shinobi World.
The Reaper Death Seal.
Impure World Reincarnation.
If the Shinobi World learned about these techniques and Konoha used them openly, Konoha would probably be under siege by the entire Shinobi World by tomorrow!
"Don't worry, Hiruzen. I'll carefully select a suitable forbidden jutsu."
Danzo knew his old friend's concerns all too well. He immediately patted his chest in reassurance.
"Besides, not all the forbidden jutsu we have came from our teacher."
"The techniques Lady Mito left behind would be perfect for dealing with someone like Yotsuki Sora."
"Lady Mito's techniques!"
At that, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes lit up.
"In that case, I'll leave this mission to you. Also, we must reinforce the eastern front. Your Wind Release happens to counter their Lightning Release, so I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you with that as well."
The eastern front?
Command of the troops?
Danzo's eyes gleamed. "Don't worry, Hiruzen. Leave it all to me!"
With Sora holding off the pursuit, the remnants of Hidden Cloud carried the gravely wounded Third Raikage at full speed. They successfully reunited with the Hidden Cloud forces in the Land of Hot Water.
By the time they had regrouped and prepared to go support Sora, word had already spread that Hidden Stone had been defeated and White Stone Gorge had been leveled.
The whole world was stunned!
The shock among Hidden Cloud was even greater than that felt by the other villages.
"When did we get such an insanely powerful big shot?!"
"What, Blood Wrist? You don't know? You must be some newborn brat."
"Well, it's no wonder you haven't heard of him. When Lord Sora first made a name for himself, he slapped the Tsuchikage's son so hard he lost all hope. His heaven-gifted talent let him dominate the Shinobi World of his time, with no one daring to challenge him. He was hailed as the Land of Lightning's greatest prodigy in a century. Later, he got bored and went to train in seclusion on a remote island overseas!"
"Holy crap, he was that badass?!"
Though he hadn't returned for more than a decade, Sora's reputation spread like a whirlwind, sweeping through every corner of Hidden Cloud in an instant.
At the same time, the A-B Combination, stationed on the Land of Hot Water defensive line, received the intelligence that had been deliberately withheld from them.
"Smash!"
A slammed his palm down on the table in the tent and shattered it. The legitimate son of the Third Raikage rose to his feet, his face burning with fury. He stared at the messenger before him. "Why wasn't I told about everything that happened in the Land of Earth? Why wasn't the report sent to me?!"
Cold sweat poured down the messenger's forehead. "Th-this... Lord Third specifically instructed us to do so before he left..."
"Father... he..."
A clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked. His ragged breaths sounded like those of a wounded lion, and his chest heaved violently.
His anger wasn't directed at the messenger. It was aimed at his father, far away in the rear, lying in a hospital bed and hovering between life and death, and at the advisors who had concealed such crucial intelligence from him until everything was settled.
He understood his father's intentions—he hadn't wanted A to be distracted and wanted him to remain in command of the Land of Hot Water defensive line to guard against Konoha.
But understanding that couldn't extinguish the humiliation and rage in his heart.
He was the Raikage's heir, the future leader of Hidden Cloud!
His father had been trapped on the front lines, brought to the brink of death, and yet he, his son and heir, had been kept in the dark, denied even the chance to rush to his aid.
In the end, it had been that... that "brother" of his, who had vanished without a trace for more than a decade and had a strained relationship with the family and village, who brought him back!
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