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Land of Lightning, Battlefield.
In the quiet forest, faint rustling sounds could be heard, as if some small animal was quickly moving through the dense undergrowth. In the distance, a long eagle cry echoed, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves.
Suddenly, the sounds of the small animal's movement abruptly ceased, as if it had discovered prey and was waiting quietly.
Until a certain moment.
"Whoosh—!"
Dense shuriken suddenly shot out from an inconspicuous bush, like a shower of dark iron.
At the same time, several figures abruptly charged out from their ambush positions, their Kunai and Ninja blades fiercely pointed at the figures hiding behind the tree trunks.
The leader was a Ninja with wide Byakugan.
"Hyuga!"
The Cloud Ninja hiding behind the tree trunks suddenly cried out, and then the figures who had been hiding behind the tree trunks immediately charged out from various places without hesitation.
Hiding in front of the Hyuga Clan was meaningless.
In almost an instant, the leading Hyuga Jonin killed a charging Cloud Ninja with a ruthless and fluid Gentle Fist Art, and immediately after, a Cloud Jonin latched onto his figure.
The Chunin and Genin behind them also began to engage in rapid combat. The clang of metal on metal echoed through the forest, which had been silent a second ago. Sparks flew continuously onto the ground, between the trees, and on the branches. Green and white vests intertwined into a murky sea.
The Hyuga Ninja leading the squad had no time to heed the constant roars and wails behind him. His Gentle Fist Art, imbued with heavy Chakra, continuously struck towards the Cloud Jonin in front of him. A sharp, piercing sound of his fingertips cutting through the air could be faintly heard.
However, no Jonin was famous for nothing. The Cloud Jonin, enveloped in fine lightning, wielded his blade in an impenetrable flurry, sweeping and constantly striking at the Hyuga's arms, which were narrowly avoided.
Their figures moved through the crowd at extreme speed, with the booming vibrations of giant trees being split by Lightning Release Ninja blades echoing in their ears.
Suddenly, the Hyuga Ninja sharply caught the moment the opponent stumbled. His footsteps surged forward, and his Gentle Fist, which had been in a striking posture, abruptly lifted. He crashed into the opponent's embrace, pushing through the blade, and delivered an extremely decisive palm strike to the Cloud Jonin, who was enveloped in Lightning Release Chakra Mode. At the same time, his other hand was poised with fingers together, ready to strike a vital point.
"Bang!"
A heavy sensation of palm-to-skin contact came from the center of the scattered smoke, but the Hyuga Jonin keenly noticed a rough, abrasive feeling on his skin.
Substitution Jutsu.
Before the smoke could dissipate, his Byakugan, which had remained active, had already captured the figure of the Cloud Ninja swinging his blade down from above. He disregarded everything else and abruptly raised his hand.
"Eight Trigrams Empty Palm!"
"Lightning Release: Fang Thrust!"
At extremely close range, both sides collided abruptly.
It was a desperate struggle for life and death.
As the Ninja blade pierced the Hyuga Jonin's shoulder, the tall Cloud Ninja's chest and abdomen took a direct hit from an Empty Palm. His entire chest and abdomen seemed to cave in, and he spewed a mouthful of blood.
However, although the Hyuga Jonin landed a hit, his right arm hung uselessly in front of him, having been largely severed along with his shoulder. He could no longer exert any force.
In contrast, the Cloud Jonin, despite being hit, could still stand up after vomiting blood, retaining his fighting capability.
At the same time, he also observed the grim situation around him through his Byakugan.
Despite being outnumbered, these Cloud Ninja all possessed Chunin-level strength or higher, and in a short time, they had decimated most of the encircling force.
Facing such a desperate situation, the Hyuga Ninja knew he was doomed, but he still struggled to support his body, completely ignoring the massive wound that was gushing blood, gasping for air.
"Damn Konoha."
However, the determination of the Cloud Ninja opposite him was no less. His eyes were bloodshot from the excruciating pain in his internal organs. He drew a Kunai from behind him: "Let me show you the consequences of daring to invade the Land of Lightning."
The great defeat on the main battlefield, the continuous resistance within their own territory, and the suffering caused by the destruction of Village after Village had turned the current Cloud Ninja into a sorrowful army.
As for how this war transformed from an invasion into a defensive counterattack, they couldn't care less—on the battlefield, between life and death, there was no reason, only a stance.
However, just as he roared and lunged at the Hyuga, whose combat ability was largely crippled.
"Thud!"
A Kunai suddenly dropped from the sky, embedding itself deeply into the soil.
Both the Cloud and Hyuga's attention were drawn by the sound of the Kunai striking the ground, and they instinctively looked over.
It wasn't just one sound.
"Thud, thud, thud—"
Unbeknownst to them, dozens of Kunai began to rain down from the sky, thrown from afar.
That familiar sight made the Cloud Jonin, who had just been roaring, remember a terrifying image. His face abruptly changed from ferocious to a ghastly, terrified pallor.
The next moment.
In just an instant.
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
The sudden flash of golden light, like a flickering static on a screen across the entire battlefield, instantly vanished and instantly reappeared.
In contrast, there were Wind Release shuriken, reaping lives like the Shinigami's scythe.
"Retreat—"
"Yellow Flash!"
All the surviving Ninja suddenly let out heart-wrenching wails to their comrades further back.
The Hyuga Ninja whose arm had been crippled earlier felt that in his almost panoramic vision, with just a flash of light, the flowing blade had already sliced across the neck of the Cloud Ninja who was nearly upon him.
Even a Hyuga couldn't help but marvel at this terrifying speed.
"Even the Byakugan can't perceive it?"
"What a terrifying fellow."
It wasn't long.
Aside from those who turned and fled, only a large number of Cloud Ninja corpses remained on the ground.
Namikaze Minato then appeared, looking at the severely wounded Hyuga Jonin, and showed a sunny and gentle smile:
"Can you still hold on?"
"Yes."
The other party immediately nodded: "Thank you for your support."
"No problem."
Namikaze Minato simply nodded, and his figure immediately vanished—he had another battlefield that needed support.
Perhaps it was during the time he fought alongside Kiri-kun on the Land of Wind battlefield that he had almost adapted to this fighting style. Namikaze Minato was now accustomed to the feeling of rushing between different places every day.
It wasn't until he had been busy all day that he finally had a chance to return to the camp to rest for a while.
"You've worked hard, Minato."
Hatake Sakumo, who was dealing with documents behind his desk, smiled and nodded when he saw him return, but his face still held a troubled expression, seemingly very helpless.
"Is there anything I can help you with, Lord Sakumo?"
Although still young, as one of the deputy commanders of this camp, Namikaze Minato naturally had the right to inquire about relevant military matters.
"It's nothing major, just that supplies are a bit insufficient. Originally, there was enough, but because of what happened, well."
Hatake Sakumo chuckled, lightly brushing over the topic: "I wonder if the next round of supplies can arrive sooner. There are also many things happening in the Village right now."
Namikaze Minato's expression froze slightly upon hearing this, then he understood.
Even on the front lines, Ninja of their status naturally had the right to know about the series of changes happening within the Village.
It had been nearly half a month since the Sarutobi Clan was purged by the "Substitute Hokage Council." Even on the front lines, many people had already learned of the relevant news.
Civilian Ninja were naturally uninterested in such squabbles among the higher-ups and were not particularly affected, but Ninja Clan members were completely different.
A considerable number even used their merits on the front lines to demand that the Village explain the situation.
For this, Sawara Kiri even made a special trip to the front lines.
Among them, the most significant reaction naturally came from the Sarutobi Ninja still on the front lines—they were fighting desperately at the front, yet their home base in the rear was raided. Who could endure that?
Therefore, some of the more extreme Sarutobi Ninja secretly organized themselves and, taking advantage of lax security, ambushed and killed several warehouse teams, burning down the front-line logistics department and losing a significant amount of supplies.
Although most of them were captured, a few were still at large.
For this, Hatake Sakumo was severely criticized by the Hokage Building for his poor defense.
Namikaze Minato, still young, was naturally helpless regarding such matters.
He thought for a moment, then changed the subject, saying, "I heard that the Village's reforms are going quite smoothly. When Kiri-kun wrote to me before, he even mentioned that the next batch of supplies would be transported in a different way."
"Ah, I heard about that too."
"That Kiri kid is still so mysterious."
Hatake Sakumo also smiled. That brat always manages to bring everyone quite a few surprises.
Just as they were talking, they suddenly heard a soft sound from outside the door.
"Is anyone there, meow?"
The two were startled at first, then saw the Ninja guarding outside had already helped lift the tent flap.
At first glance, they didn't notice any figures.
Then, lowering their gaze, they saw a plump, black-and-white cat sitting upright on the ground, with a small bag on its back and a Konoha forehead protector tied around its waist like a belt. It was wagging its tail and waving a paw in the air.
"An Uchiha Clan Ninja Cat?"
Minato and Sakumo exchanged glances, as if they had thought of something.
The Ninja Cat meowed, reminding them, "Konoha Meow Meow Express, please come to the warehouse to sign for your delivery, meow."
Sure enough.
Is this what Sawara Kiri meant by 'another method of transport'?
Both of them were stunned, exchanging surprised glances, their hearts filled with curiosity.
It was understandable for Ninja Cats to be used for delivering messages and for vigilance in the past, but how could they, with their small bodies, accomplish a big task like transporting supplies?
Could it be that the Ninja Cat Clan had also cultivated super-sized Ninja Cats?
As they thought this, they followed the Ninja Cat to the newly rebuilt warehouse.
Upon entering the warehouse, they saw four or five other Ninja Cats of the same size already waiting there, all with small backpacks on their backs, quietly sitting on the ground eating dried fish.
"Here's the delivery slip, meow. Please sign it first."
The leading black-and-white cat was very professional, holding out a slip and a pen.
After Hatake Sakumo signed with a puzzled expression, they saw the Ninja Cats take out button-style capsules, about the thickness of a thumb and the length of a palm, from their small backpacks.
They first separated themselves according to different specifications, then simultaneously pressed the button on the top of the capsules with their paw pads.
"Bang—"
A cloud of smoke bloomed.
The previously empty warehouse was instantly filled with rows of large containers packed with various supplies.
"Leaving, meow."
Completely ignoring the astonished expressions of Hatake Sakumo and Namikaze Minato, the leading black-and-white cat, as if accustomed to it, led its group of younger siblings out of the warehouse door.
They had many tasks, and many large shipments were still waiting to be delivered.
"This is truly..."
Hatake Sakumo stared at the scene, dumbfounded for a long time, unsure how to describe the situation before him.
Suddenly, he felt that all the escort missions he had done in the first half of his life would probably never be encountered again.
The landscape of the transportation industry would inevitably undergo immense changes because of that tiny capsule.
Namikaze Minato, on the other hand, keenly realized another matter.
Not only would the transportation industry undergo significant changes, but military supplies and large-scale transport units, which previously had to rely on horse-drawn carriages, would also change—they might even be completely abolished.
In the future, the number of personnel required in the rear would be greatly reduced due to this invention.
Conversely, this was equivalent to increasing a large number of frontline personnel.
The Land of Fire, which already had a manpower advantage, would gain an even greater advantage because of this.
"Truly remarkable."
Thinking of this, Namikaze Minato couldn't help but shake his head helplessly.
Kiri-kun always managed to come up with things beyond his imagination.
But now, they no longer had to worry about supply issues.
"Oh, right, meow."
Just as they were thinking, the black-and-white cat that had left earlier seemed to remember something and trotted back, handing over a letter:
"A high-priority urgent letter from the Village, I almost forgot, meow."
"Leaving, meow."
Hatake Sakumo was startled and squatted down to take the letter.
After opening it, his expression gradually turned serious, and he furrowed his brows slightly.
"Uchiha Setsuna could not be captured. Please continue to maintain vigilance on the front lines."
Even before the Hokage Building made its move against the Sarutobi Clan, the front lines had already received news that various emergencies might occur. As a result, for that entire week, Sakumo and Minato acted together to avoid being subjected to a beheading—the two, having already witnessed the Third Raikage's strength, had long broadened their horizons and knew that there were strong individuals in this Ninja World who completely surpassed the title of 'Kage'.
If they were separated, they might suddenly be finished.
However, this situation of acting together had lasted for a whole week, and there had been no abnormalities on the front lines, which gradually made the two relax their guard.
But now this again...
Hatake Sakumo's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and he murmured, "In this Ninja World, are there still many strong individuals like the Third Raikage?"
"And where could they have come from?"
Konoha White Fang, who had traversed the Ninja World for many years, simply couldn't understand.
Namikaze Minato, however, suddenly recalled the Uchiha Clan girl who had broken free from her seal earlier, whom even Sawara Kiri had to go all out against.
"It's better to be careful."
"So?"
The girl with a lion-like mane of hair sat on a tree branch, her two fair legs dangling in the air, asking the black-and-white figure that floated out of the tree trunk beside her:
"Is this mission canceled just like that?"
Zetsu's face still bore that stiff smile from before, and he said casually, "Well, it was originally an action initiated to support the parasites within Konoha."
"Since they've failed, there's naturally no need for us to waste our efforts."
Their voices were slightly muffled by the roaring waterfall behind them, which crashed down from a height. Amidst the lush, dense forest, faint afterimages left by figures moving through were vaguely noticeable.
"Is that so?"
"I was quite looking forward to it, though."
Uchiha Hikari's tone seemed to carry the dullness of dashed hopes, quite helpless: "Maybe if we met, that guy would join us, wouldn't he?"
"He must also be someone who deeply desires 'love'."
"Not very likely."
Zetsu's tone, however, was very firm: "In that Village, after all, he has his sister, his teacher, and someone he likes."
"Heh-eh—?!"
Uchiha Hikari drew out a long sound, propped herself up with her hands, and spun as she leaped down to the ground dozens of meters below.
Almost at the instant she was about to land.
Those shadowy figures suddenly swarmed out from all directions.
Some raised umbrellas, others formed hand signs.
All sorts of attacks surged towards her.
However, Uchiha Hikari merely stood there quietly.
A giant-like body suddenly materialized from nothingness.
All seemingly fierce attacks, striking the giant-like figure, failed to leave the slightest mark.
The giant suddenly raised its palm, and a giant blade, whose length alone was enough to pierce dozens of meters, condensed in the center of its palm, and it flew mercilessly towards the group of attackers in front of it.
With just a seemingly ordinary sword strike, the surrounding hundreds of meters of forest were instantly cleared, leaving a conical patch of bare ground.
All the attackers hiding within perished without a trace.
On the girl's face, however, a brilliant smile appeared, and she said as if it were obvious:
"Then let's snatch him!"
"Being a Ninja, that kind of thing, I can bear it all by myself."
"Anyway, he must be just like me."
"Yes, that's right."
Zetsu remained horizontally on the tree, looking at the smile on the girl's face and the large area of ground cleared behind her, and unconsciously lowered his voice:
"You're the only one who thinks that, aren't you?"
"Oh, right."
Halfway through his self-muttering, Zetsu seemed to suddenly remember something and swam back to the girl's side, reminding her:
"Madara-sama said he wanted to meet that guy, you know."
"Ha—?!"
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