The next day, at night.
Outside Konoha in the Fire Country.
"Scar, is a plan like this really reliable?"
One-Eye frowned as he asked the scar-faced man beside him.
"Didn't you come too, whether it's reliable or not? Then why don't you come up with a better idea?"
Scar sneered.
"Kusagakure has nearly five thousand people now, including three thousand shinobi. We still have a strong chance against a severely weakened Konoha."
A dense mass of Kusagakure shinobi had already lain in ambush near Konoha Shinobi Village, steadily closing in on Konoha.
"Once all our people have gathered, we'll charge straight in!"
Scar's eyes gleamed as though he could already see himself occupying Konoha.
Inside Konoha.
"Have they arrived?"
"Reporting to Lord Hokage, they have arrived and are already surrounding Konoha Shinobi Village."
"Good. Once everyone from Kusagakure has gathered together, launch the large-scale combination ninjutsu and send them home."
"Yes."
After speaking, an ANBU shinobi vanished from the rooftop of the Hokage Office Building.
Tsunade, clad in a Hokage robe, stood with her arms folded as she looked through the night toward the entrance to Konoha.
"They really don't know the meaning of death."
After the ANBU shinobi left, he quickly arrived at an underground open space.
Various monitors here displayed the situation outside Konoha.
"Lord Orochimaru, Lord Hokage said we can begin preparing the large-scale combination ninjutsu."
"Fine. We still have to listen to little Tsunade's orders."
Orochimaru, dressed in a white uniform with his hair tied in a single ponytail, walked up to a massive formation.
ANBU shinobi stood at every node of the formation.
There were twenty-four shinobi in total.
"This may hurt a little later. You'd better endure it, or all our efforts will have been for nothing."
Orochimaru placed one hand beside the