Chapter 341: Then Let's Stake Our Lives to Realize Our Dreams!
"This time, in order to ensure the smooth progress of the Five Great Nations Conference,"
"Hidden Cloud has formed a total of seven units and set up three defensive lines within the inner city,"
"They're arranged in three rings,"
"They are—"
"The first ring, the Long Wall Defense Line."
With calm precision, pale fingers pointed to the outer edge of the map, followed by a steady voice,
"Composed of a ninja corps formed through a joint effort by smaller nations, invited forces from various daimyō, and Hidden Cloud's intelligence units. This group is the most numerous and diverse—samurai, rogue ninja, bounty hunters, personal guards of the daimyō from different nations, and key elite shinobi assigned by various villages, all of whom can heavily influence the outcome of war."
"They are responsible for guarding the city walls, gathering intel, and barrier detection. This is the most vulnerable of the three lines."
"Of course, based on subsequent intel, it seems Hidden Cloud doesn't intend to pin us down here."
"The second ring is the true elite defensive line of Hidden Cloud Village,"
The red-haired youth lifted his head, a glint flashing in his eyes as he shifted his finger to a vast blank area on the map, drawing a large circle centered on the symbol marking the Tenshukak,
"The War Stoppage Line!"
"Once you cross this line, you'll be facing battles no different from full-scale shinobi war!"
"This area is guarded by the three largest units—Special Combat Forces, Ambush Forces, and Disruption Forces."
The three units form a ring surrounding the central Tenshukaku.
More than two thousand elite troops are stationed across the 10-hectare inner city defense zone, loose on the outside but tight on the inside. Once intel is transmitted from the Long Wall line, these forces will immediately concentrate and rush to reinforce the combat zone across sectors.
At this point, Sasori paused for a moment—he had never spoken this much in one go before. Frowning slightly, he tapped the center of the map.
"As for the third and final line, the Imperial Guard Line—"
"All we know is that it's composed of the daimyō's personal guard units and a select elite kill team."
"Personnel details are unclear, but one thing is certain: it's the toughest line to break through."
Just outside the inner walls of Yunming City,
Behind a small rising hill,
Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, Mei Terumi, Mangetsu Hozuki, Oyashiro En, Kakuzu, and Sasori were all gathered before a detailed overhead map of the inner city layout.
As Sasori delivered this critical intel, everyone's expression turned grim.
"Are you certain this intel is accurate?" Yahiko asked with a furrowed brow, looking at Sasori with grave seriousness.
"Of course."
Sasori's expression remained unchanged as he calmly revealed the source.
"Yura, from the Hidden Sand diplomatic envoy, is a pawn I control through the Brainwashing Sand Technique. He's been stationed within Hidden Cloud's ranks since six days ago."
"The intel he sent out won't be far off."
"Hm..." Yahiko frowned, hesitating for a moment before speaking in a heavy tone:
"According to the information Nagato, Konan, and I have gathered through our tracking, ever since Uchiha Ci issued his assassination declaration,"
"Hidden Cloud has recalled its main force from the Land of Frost back to the Land of Lightning and hastily deployed them to Yunming City. If Lord Sasori's intel is accurate—"
"Then what we're facing..."
"Is an entire division of 8,000 elite Hidden Cloud troops, along with reinforcements from all corners of the ninja world dispatched under the command of the daimyō."
"In total—"
"Over ten thousand shinobi!"
This revelation caused everyone's expressions to darken further.
After Uchiha Ci said he wanted to be alone and sailed away—on the night everything fractured internally—each of the eight had taken on their own missions and scattered.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, using the chameleon's unique concealment ability, had chosen to gather intel in the most dangerous areas around Hidden Cloud.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu and Oyashiro En focused on finding infiltration routes into the inner city.
The map now laid before them was something Kakuzu had acquired from the Uchiha clan.
Mei Terumi and Mangetsu Hozuki, through the influence of their clans and affiliations, had scouted out information from the daimyō side, confirming the reinforcements sent to the Land of Lightning.
And as for Sasori of the Red Sand—this aloof red-haired youth—he seemed completely disconnected. Whether he was present or not seemed to make no difference. Even his support of Uchiha Ci appeared strangely unmotivated.
No one could see through him, no one knew what he was truly after, and no one had the standing to force him to do anything.
The original plan had merely been to ask him to stay put, avoid leaking intel, and after the incident, he was free to go as he pleased.
But unexpectedly,
While keeping silent, Sasori had managed to dig up the positions and numbers of five out of Hidden Cloud's seven interior defense units.
This was a massive surprise—
Or perhaps, a terrifying one.
At this moment,
Sasori swept his gaze across everyone and let out a quiet sneer.
As someone outside of this tangled web, he actually saw through everyone's goals and dreams more clearly than the rest.
"So?"
"Faced with an army of over ten thousand,"
"You misfit drifters who came seeking answers from a twelve-year-old boy—"
"Are you finally ready to face reality?"
Sasori stared at Yahiko and the others with great interest,
Trying to catch a glimpse of some despair or fear on their faces that might amuse him and ease the ever-growing agitation within him—his growing desire to see a certain someone again.
Delivering such a despair-inducing report to the Akatsuki right before the operation wasn't about good or evil.
It was just a bit of cruel entertainment.
Because Sasori hated waiting!
However—
"No!" Yahiko showed not the slightest hint of discouragement. He replied sincerely:
"Thank you very much for the intel, Lord Sasori! And thank you all for your efforts leading up to today!"
He lifted his head seriously, sweeping his gaze across the assembled group.
There was the annoyed frown on Sasori's face, the firm, trusting gazes of Nagato and Konan, the eager smile tugging at Mangetsu Hozuki's lips, Kakuzu's unchanged stoicism—
And the awkward discomfort on Oyashiro En's face, who had contributed nothing and nearly been beaten up, yet was being sincerely thanked anyway.
Finally, Yahiko turned his eyes to Mei Terumi, who had remained silent and whose expression had only grown heavier.
"Then, let's confirm one last thing."
"Mei Terumi, you haven't lied to us, have you?"
"According to the plan, whether Uchiha Ci shows up or not, this is the battle where our dream takes flight!"
"Of course!"
Upon hearing that, Mei Terumi took a deep breath, a resolute glint flashing through her clear emerald eyes.
"This isn't about begging for Uchiha Ci's power!"
"This is about moving forward for the sake of our own dreams!"
"Whether it's you, or me, or anyone else here!"
"We'll behead the daimyō, assassinate the Mizukage, seize a nation, and gather power that truly belongs to us!"
"And ultimately—"
"Let the entire world bask in the light of Akatsuki!"
Yahiko let out a long exhale, exchanged a look with Konan and Nagato,
Then,
He turned around, climbed the hilltop, his feet stepping onto dirt and stone,
Gazing at the twenty-meter-tall wall made of black stone in front of him, his eyes seemed to pierce through the blocks to the massive army of over a thousand soldiers behind it,
Yahiko's eyes sharpened in an instant, his lips curling up. He pounded his fist into his palm and laughed boldly:
"Then let's stake our lives—on making our dreams real!"
"Akatsuki—"
"Commence the operation!"