At the border of the Land of Fire, the smell of rust mixed with the stench of blood swirled in the wind, making one want to vomit.
Hyuga Gen, leaning on his broken spear, knelt on one knee, his knee sinking into the blood-soaked mud. His left arm was twisted at an odd angle, bone fragments piercing his flesh, stark white against the surface, but he seemed to feel no pain—or rather, the pain throughout his body had overshadowed the injury.
He was a centurion in the Kirin Corps. Just three days ago, he was boasting to his brothers about how sharp his newly bought short sword was. Now, the sword was stuck three meters away from him, the cloth strips wrapped around the hilt stained blackish-red, while the blade was neatly broken, as if it had been bitten off by something.
"Cough... cough cough..." The violent coughing aggravated the wound in his chest, Hyuga Gen coughed up a mouthful of blood, his vision beginning to blur.
The horrific scene before me was worse than Hell itself.
The watchtower, originally used for garrisoning, was half-collapsed, with half a corpse hanging from the remaining wooden pillar, its owner unclear. A huge gap was torn in the camp's fence, through which black demon warriors surged in like a tide—these demon warriors could be cut into pieces and pieced back together, pierced and crawling forward; only by completely smashing the soul fire in their heads could the eerie green ghost fire be extinguished.
But there were too many of them, really too many.
"General Xuan! This way!" A wounded soldier dragged his broken leg over, clutching a blood-stained scroll tightly in his hand. "Quick... quickly send this out! This... this is Lady Lingyin's intelligence..."
Hyuga Gen recognized him as Hyuga Takeshi, a bodyguard of the Kirin Legion commander. Takeshi was a top student who had just graduated from the Konoha Ninja Academy earlier this year and was assigned to the Kirin Corps as a bodyguard. This kid used to faint at the sight of blood, but now his face was covered in other people's brains, yet his eyes shone with a frightening light.
"It can't be sent out..." Hyuga Gen's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against wood. He raised his head and looked at the northern horizon. The darkness there was still surging towards them, as if it would never run dry. "Even the communication hawks are all dead, and none of the messenger brothers have returned."
"We still have to deliver it!" Hyuga Takeshi shoved the scroll into Hyuga Gen's arms, pressing his hand down firmly. "This... this was obtained by the Legion Commander at the cost of his life! It contains the Oni Clan's objectives and data, their weaknesses... The Konoha High Command must know! The Lord Hokage must know!"
Hyuga Gen looked down at the scroll in his arms. The scroll was covered with coarse cloth, and the commander's blood was still warm, slightly salty and fishy. He remembered the commander's eyes when he charged into battle; it wasn't bravery, but a desperate struggle.
"Roar--"
A non-human roar came from the gap, and several demon warriors spotted them, dragging their rusty swords as they quickly approached. Their armor was tattered, and some had gaping holes in their bellies, their entrails dragging on the ground, leaving a trail of sticky black footprints.
A-Takeshi abruptly drew his Kunai from his waist, gritted his teeth, and stood up. "General Xuan, you go! I'll hold them off!"
"You're talking nonsense!" Hyuga Gen pulled him back, propping himself up with the broken spear. "You're only sixteen, I'm over thirty, I've lived enough."
He shoved the scroll into Hyuga Takeshi's arms, then took off his Forehead Protector and stuffed it into his collar. "Take this, run south, run for your life. When you see Konoha ninja, hand this over, tell them... tell them the Kirin Corps didn't back down, we've given our lives here, let them... avenge us."
Tears mingled with blood streamed down Hyuga Takeshi's face, and he let out a hoarse sob, unable to utter a complete sentence.
"Run!" Hyuga Gen suddenly roared, his voice making Hyuga Takeshi tremble. "Do you want us to die in vain?!"
He turned around, dragging the broken spear, and walked step by step toward the demon warriors. The broken spear scraped against the ground with a piercing sound, as if it were sending itself off to its own grave.
"Come on... Oni Clan scum..." Hyuga Gen's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a ruthless, desperate edge, "I'll... take you all down with me!"
The demon warrior roared and charged forward, his rusty sword slashing down at his head. Hyuga Gen jerked to the side, parrying the first blow with his broken spear, but couldn't dodge the second—the sharp rusty blade cleaved into his shoulder, almost splitting him in two.
The moment the excruciating pain shot through him, Hyuga Gen smiled instead. With his last ounce of strength, he unleashed Gentle Fist into the eye socket of the demon warrior before him.
The eerie green will-o'-the-wisp went out.
He fell to the ground, his gaze finally settling on the south, where Konoha, where he was born, lay, and where he had protected the peaceful world countless times.
" Hyuga Takeshi... run faster..."
This was Hyuga Gen Gen's last thought.
Hyuga Takeshi burrowed into the nearby bushes, biting his lip tightly, afraid to make a sound. He watched General Gen fall, watched the demon warriors tear his body apart, and then... then the demon warriors raised their heads, their empty eye sockets turning towards the direction where he was hiding.
"Found... alive..." a hoarse voice rang out, like a rusty door hinge turning.
Hyuga Takeshi's heart leaped into his throat. He turned and ran, fleeing south for his life. The footsteps behind him grew closer, accompanied by the creaking of armor and a chilling roar.
He didn't know how long he had been running, only that his legs no longer felt like his own, his lungs felt like a broken bellows, and every breath he took was filled with the smell of blood. He fell several times, each time scrambling to his feet, clutching the scroll in his arms so tightly that it hurt his palms.
"I can't die... I can't die..." he kept telling himself, "I have to deliver it... I absolutely have to deliver it..."
Konoha, Hokage's office.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled patterns of light on the floor. Kagami Uchiha sat behind his desk, a newly delivered war mission report clutched in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed.
He wore the traditional Hokage robe, his long black hair tied back with a ribbon, revealing his smooth forehead, on which was the mark representing his Hokage status. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were deeper than before, but his Sharingan were still sharp, as if they could see through people's hearts.
"This year's Ninja Academy students... their mission completion rate is quite good," Kagami muttered to himself, his fingers lightly tapping on the report. "They're just too reckless; all three combat missions resulted in unnecessary casualties."
He picked up his pen, ready to write comments on the report, when suddenly hurried footsteps came from outside the door, followed by the distinctive knocking sound of the Anbu —three short knocks followed by one long one.
"Jin," Jing put down his pen, his tone calm.
The door was pushed open, and an Anbu wearing a white mask rushed in, kneeling on one knee, his voice unusually panicked. " Lord Hokage! Urgent intelligence! Northern border... Kirin Corps... annihilated!"
Jing's pupils contracted sharply, and her previously calm gaze instantly turned fierce. "What did you say? Say it again."
" The Kirin Corps engaged in a fierce battle with the nobles in the Land of Iron, and the border defenses of the Land of Fire have been breached," the voice of the Anbu trembled. "According to the last intelligence that came back... no, it was the surviving legion commander's personal guard who just arrived at the East Gate. He said... the Kirin Corps is almost completely wiped out. The enemy is... Hell Oni Clan Warriors who poured in from the Land of Iron, and their numbers... are incalculable."
" Hell Oni Clan Warrior?" Jing jumped up, his chair sliding back half a meter with a jarring sound. "Is that confirmed?"
"Confirmed! The guard brought the last intelligence on Kirin Corps Commander Hyuga Suzune, and... and her Forehead Protector." The Anbu lowered his head. "The liaison officer has collapsed from exhaustion and is being treated in the infirmary."
Jing's fingers clenched into a tight fist, her knuckles turning white. The Kirin Corps was one of the five most elite ninja legions in the Land of Fire. Although not the best equipped, their combat power was not to be underestimated, and they had never made a mistake over the years.
An army of 100,000 wiped out?
The word hit him like a boulder.
"Prepare the vehicles." Mirror's voice was as cold as ice. "Assemble the entire Anbu, and... notify the Konoha Military Police Force. Tell Uchiha Tomioki, the clan leader, to bring all available personnel to the East Gate Plaza immediately."
"Yes!" The Anbu accepted the order and turned to run.
"Wait," Jing called out to him, "Give me the intelligence on the Kirin Corps."
The Anbu quickly pulled out the blood-stained scroll from their robes and presented it with both hands.
Jing took the scroll, his gaze growing colder as his fingertips touched the warm bloodstain. He quickly unrolled the scroll; the handwriting was hasty and messy, clearly written under extreme urgency.
"The ghost tide is endless; killing them allows them to resurrect, but only the soul fire from shattered heads can extinguish them. Among them are ghost generals capable of fighting Kage Level, ghost commanders capable of fighting Super Kage... and ghost kings capable of fighting Sage at least, with hundreds of ghost kings among them. They have already broken through the Land of Iron and are advancing into the Land of Fire. The remaining Kirin Corps has less than ten thousand men and is desperately resisting them. Quick reinforcements! Quick reinforcements! Quick reinforcements!"
The three "quick aids" were like three fires, burning Jing's heart with intense heat.
He abruptly looked up, his Sharingan slowly rotating in its sockets, the black Tomoe carrying a chilling killing intent. "It seems... the rumors from the Land of Iron are true. The legendary Gate of Hell... have truly opened."
He strode out of the office, and the ninjas in the corridor, seeing the Lord Hokage's expression, instinctively held their breath.
" Lord Hokage!" An aged voice rang out, and Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu from the advisory group rushed over. "What happened? I just saw the Anbu all gathering..."
"There's no time to explain." Jing stopped and spoke rapidly, "The northern border is in dire straits. The Kirin Corps has been wiped out, and the Oni Clan has invaded. I'm going to the front lines myself. I'm leaving the village affairs to you."
"What?!" Mitokado Homura's eyes widened. " Oni Clan? Those legendary creatures really exist?"
"This is not the time to discuss this." Mirror's gaze swept over them. "Immediately issue an emergency mobilization order, have all standby ninjas prepare, and send orders to all ninja legions to provide immediate support to the northern front. Also, protect the village, especially the safety of civilians and children."
"You're going yourself?" Utatane Koharu frowned. " Lord Hokage, you are the heart of the village; you can't risk your life so easily!"
"Core?" Jing sneered, not stopping her steps. "If we can't defend the border, and the village is gone, what's the point of talking about a core?"
His voice carried from afar. "Do as I say!"
The East Gate Square was already packed with people.
Thirty thousand Anbu members, dressed in black combat uniforms, wearing various masks, and holding ninja tools, stood silently in neat rows, like a group of cheetahs ready to pounce.
On the other side stood tens of thousands of the Uchiha Clan Konoha Military Police Force. Leading them was Uchiha Tomioki, a generation older than Kagami Uchiha, tall and imposing, with a scar running from his forehead to the corner of his eye—a mark from the battle against Iwagakure. He wore the Uchiha Clan's distinctive deep red armor, with two swords at his waist. Seeing Kagami approach, he immediately stepped forward.
"Kagami, what exactly happened? Why is the entire Konoha Military Police Force mobilized, and why did you, the Hokage, personally lead the team?" Tomioki's tone was a little impatient. He had watched Kagami grow up and had always been direct in his speech.
"Chief Tomioki, this is not the time for idle chatter." Jing looked at him, her eyes grave. " The Hell Oni Clan has invaded, the entire Kirin Corps is gone, and the Oni Clan has already marched into the Land of Fire."
Tomioki's impatience vanished instantly, replaced by shock. " The Oni Clan? Those who are dead... the legendary immortal beings?"
"Yes." Mirror nodded. "The intelligence said that only by shattering the soul fire in their heads can they be completely killed. This enemy is very strong and numerous. Our mission is to keep them outside the border, to prevent them from advancing any further, and to prevent them from getting close to Konoha."
His gaze swept over everyone in the square; his voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
"Brothers of the Anbu, members of the Konoha Military Police Force, you are the most elite force in Konoha. Today, what we are doing is not carrying out a mission, nor maintaining order, but protecting our homeland."
"The brothers of the Kirin Corps risked their lives to buy us time; we cannot let them die in vain."
"Now, follow me to support the North!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jing's body suddenly transformed into a blur and boarded the fighter jet, leaving only a faint Chakra fluctuation in his wake—this was his signature Body Flicker Technique, so fast that no one could see his movements.
"Keep up!" Tomioki roared, and was the first to board the chariot and give chase.
Thirty thousand Anbu and twenty thousand members of the Konoha Military Police Force moved at the same time. The sound of Chakra bursting out was like muffled thunder. Countless figures, like black lightning, boarded chariots and sped off to the north.
Eight hundred fighter jets, two thousand mechs, and more than three thousand armored vehicles sped off into the sky.
On a desolate plain fifty miles from the border defense line, Hyuga Takeshi was still running.
His legs were numb, and he almost fell several times, only managing to stay upright through sheer willpower. The demon warriors behind him were getting closer and closer, and he could even smell the stench emanating from them.
"Almost there... run faster..." He looked at a grove of trees ahead, a glimmer of hope rising in his heart. If he could get into the woods, perhaps he could shake them off.
Just then, his legs gave way and he fell heavily to the ground. The scroll in his arms fell out and rolled to the side.
Hyuga Takeshi struggled to get up, only to find that his ankle was swollen like a bun and he couldn't put any weight on it.
The sound of the demon warrior's footsteps stopped behind him.
He turned his head in despair and saw three demon warriors standing there, their eerie green flames flickering in their eye sockets, staring intently at him. One of them was carrying half a piece of armor, which belonged to Hyuga Gen Genjou.
"Can't run anymore, huh..." a hoarse voice rang out, tinged with mockery.
Hyuga Takeshi closed his eyes, awaiting death.
Just then, a sharp Space Break sound rang out!
"Call out--"
A jet-black missile, like a meteor, accurately pierced the head of the foremost demon warrior!
The eerie green flames instantly went out, and the demon warrior's body slumped to the ground, turning into a wisp of black smoke and dissipating.
The remaining two demon warriors turned their heads sharply in the direction from which the sound came.
Hyuga Takeshi opened his eyes in surprise.
In the distance, a black fighter jet streaked across the sky at an incredible speed, followed by hundreds of other fighter jets, like a black tide, and arrived in an instant.
The lead fighter jet landed above Hyuga Takeshi's head. A man disembarked from the jet and stopped beside Hyuga Takeshi. His long black hair fluttered in the wind, and his Sharingan gleamed crimson in the sunlight.
He glanced down at Hyuga Takeshi lying on the ground, then at the two demon warriors, his voice as cold as the winter wind:
"It seems... we're not too late after all."
Kagami Uchiha slowly raised his hand, and a ball of spinning Lightning Release Chakra in his palm.
"Clear the Anbu."
"Leave it to us!" Several voices rang out around him, and he rushed out, his short sword, imbued with the flames unique to the Uchiha Clan, slashing fiercely at the remaining Oni warriors.
Seeing this scene before him, Hyuga Takeshi suddenly laughed, and tears streamed down his face again.
He struggled to reach out, pointing north, his voice weak but clear:
"Ahead... ahead... there's still... a lot more..."
Jing looked in the direction he pointed and saw that the distant sky had been dyed black by a dense ghostly aura. In the distance, countless black figures could be vaguely seen writhing, like an approaching tide.
His gaze grew even more serious.
This is just the beginning.
The real battle is about to begin.