Chapter 62: Kikyo Mountain
The pale blue panel displayed a newly unlocked skill. Izumo's spirits instantly lifted, and the exhaustion weighing down his body seemed to fade away.
Taking advantage of that momentum, he began trying to control more strands of hair. First, a single brown strand atop his head—he made it lie neatly like a gentle wave, then slowly stand upright like a thorn.
After that, he moved on to the stubble along his lower jaw, the brows between his eyes, and even the fine hairs on his arms.
The process was far more difficult than he had imagined.
Each strand required an extremely precise output of mental energy. Even the slightest lapse in concentration would throw everything into chaos.
Sometimes he intended to lift the fine hairs on his left side, yet the right side would tremble instead. Other times, his control became too forceful, causing the hair to snap straight from the follicle, leaving behind tiny beads of blood.
But his Master-level Basic Taijutsu and Chakra Control now played a crucial role. He could rapidly adjust the intensity of his mental energy, sense the condition of each strand in real time through chakra perception, and immediately correct any deviation.
By the time the sun sank behind the mountain peaks, he could already weave the brown hair on his head into a simple crisscross pattern. Meanwhile, the fine hairs on his arms could lie neatly in straight lines, responding to the commands of his consciousness.
Just as he was about to proceed to controlling muscle fibers, a sharp whistle suddenly echoed from the direction of the camp. The sound pierced the air like a blade slicing through the evening, reverberating repeatedly through the valley.
Hearing it, Izumo immediately returned to camp. The Jōnin had already gathered at the command headquarters.
After Namikaze Minato arrived alongside Akimichi Doto and Inuzuka Ago, all Jōnin not stationed at the Kumogakure border had assembled. Nara Shikahachi held a classified report bound with a red cord, his face tense.
"Everyone! Emergency situation! A combined force from Sunagakure and Kumogakure has launched a surprise assault. Kikyo Mountain… Kikyo Mountain has fallen!"
Izumo's heart dropped straight into the depths.
Kikyo Mountain was Konoha's western gateway, only thirty kilometers from the village. If Kikyo Mountain had fallen, then Konoha itself would be directly exposed within the enemy's strike range. Even the people in the village—including Aunt Noriko—could be placed in immediate danger.
Though anxiety churned within him, Minato still asked calmly, "What are the Third Hokage's orders?"
"Lord Hokage will remain in the village to command directly. The Three Sannin will also return from other battlefields to reinforce the defenses. In addition, Lord Hokage has ordered Jōnin Minato to lead a team to intercept the Raikage's AB Combination. Twenty Jōnin will remain to guard the border, while the rest will proceed to the main battlefield and await orders there."
Under Nara Shikahachi's coordination, Izumo was assigned to the main battlefield. He followed the group toward the grand command headquarters not far from Konoha.
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Inside the main command headquarters at that moment, the lights burned brightly, yet the atmosphere felt suffocating. Even the air itself seemed to have solidified like molten lead.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sat in the central seat. The pipe between his fingers had long gone out. Ash had fallen across the map on the table. His brows were deeply furrowed, forming endless lines like dried riverbeds.
Orochimaru stood beside him, a faint smile hanging at the corner of his lips. A sharp gleam flickered within his narrow eyes.
"The situation is worse than expected."
The Third Hokage's voice broke the silence, heavy with undisguised fatigue. His fingertips paled under pressure as he pointed at the map. "Sunagakure's Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, used the pretext of the 'missing Kazekage' to divert domestic conflict, then allied with Kumogakure to launch a surprise assault. We were completely caught off guard. The vanguard consists of Sunagakure's puppet forces and Kumogakure's AB Combination, totaling two thousand eight hundred ninja. They have already occupied Kikyo Mountain along with its summit fortress."
On the map, Kikyo Mountain was marked with a striking red circle. Around it, the enemy's force deployment was densely recorded.
Orochimaru's gaze fell upon the marker located only thirty kilometers from Konoha. Konoha had just finished an intense battle against Iwagakure, while friction along the Kirigakure border had never ceased. Their military strength had been severely drained. Now, facing an attack from two fronts, their situation was extremely precarious.
"Sarutobi-sensei, Sunagakure's puppet forces are led directly by that old woman Chiyo. Her poison and puppet techniques cannot be underestimated."
He lightly licked the corner of his lips, his tone calm yet carrying lethal undertones. "As for Kumogakure's AB Combination, as long as Minato is the one intercepting them, it won't be a major problem."
"Orochimaru, I will assign you to lead the First Legion in a frontal assault on Kikyo Mountain. Jiraiya and Danzō will each lead the other two legions in flanking assaults. That way, we will surround them from three directions and seize victory!"
Orochimaru showed no obvious reaction.
"I will need Tsunade to deal with that old woman Chiyo's poison. When will Tsunade arrive?"
"An emergency order has already been sent. She is expected to arrive tomorrow together with the Jōnin forces coming from the Kumogakure border," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied, tapping his pipe, his voice heavy.
"Sarutobi-sensei, if the Konoha White Fang were still alive, this battle would surely be much easier, wouldn't it? He was an expert at dealing with puppet techniques."
Orochimaru seemed to recall something, a faint, somber smile forming. "I've heard that the White Fang's son has also been transferred to the main battlefield."
"Orochimaru, don't say such useless things. No one wished for what happened to Sakumo." Sarutobi Hiruzen's already grim expression darkened further. "Try not to assign Kakashi missions that are too dangerous. Sakumo's child still needs time to grow."
"Is that so, Sarutobi-sensei?"
Orochimaru looked at Hiruzen deeply.
Transferring him to the main battlefield—doesn't that effectively make him bait to draw Sunagakure's attention? Then pretending to ask me to protect him, so that if anything happens, the responsibility can be easily shifted onto me, isn't that right? Sarutobi-sensei… you're becoming more and more like a politician, rather than a ninja.
"That will be all for now, Sensei. Tomorrow, once the forces are assembled, we depart immediately!"
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