Chapter 342: The Akatsuki Dream Team Has Arrived!
"Our objective is crystal clear,"
"The central point of the third-ring defense—Tenshu Tower!"
"The Five Kage Summit is taking place there. The Kage and the daimyo will definitely be present."
"So the plan is simple—"
Yahiko stood solemnly before the towering black stone city wall, his voice firm:
"We'll split into two groups—one to lure the enemy, and one to break through."
"We'll concentrate our strength and strike like a dagger, piercing deep into their defensive lines!"
"Break through as fast as possible, decapitate the daimyo, punch straight through the enemy ranks, and withdraw!"
"The bait team will rotate positions, isolating enemy forces and preventing our team from being surrounded and bogged down."
"As for the breakthrough team,"
"They must take the most aggressive approach possible,"
"And crush every obstacle in their path!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, even Kakuzu—oldest and most battle-hardened among them—gave a rare nod of approval.
"A wise move."
Facing tens of thousands of soldiers crammed into the narrow battlefield of the inner city, a scattered breakout would only allow the enemy to split them up and pick them off.
Akatsuki's advantage was simple: everyone on their side was at least elite jonin-level.
Only by focusing their strength could they smash through the lines, preserve their power for whatever unknown foe guarded the third layer, and ultimately take the daimyo's head!
"Alright, let's confirm the teams once more."
Yahiko tilted his head slightly, gaze steady.
"The bait team: myself, Konan, Mangetsu Hozuki, and Oyashiro En."
"The breakthrough team: Nagato, Mr. Kakuzu, and Mei Terumi!"
"Lastly, Lord Sasori will cover our retreat and destroy that chakra cannon in Kumogakure—the one that foiled Orochimaru's plan to collapse the village."
"That's everything!"
"Wait!"
Just then, Oyashiro En furrowed his brow, pushing down the square-lensed sunglasses perched on his nose.
Revealed beneath were the Blood Dragon Eyes—sclera white, irises blood-red, and pupils square.
"The first obstacle in our path isn't just some wall we can climb over."
He lifted his left hand and waved it forward. A faint, weightless current of chakra brushed across the ground ahead, like wind rippling a pond's surface—creating invisible ripples in midair.
Oyashiro En continued, expression grave:
"It's this spherical barrier created by the Kumo Barrier Corps that covers the entire inner city!"
"Anyone who intrudes will be detected immediately, and troops will be dispatched to intercept."
"If we could avoid that..."
But before he could finish—
Swoosh!
From several kilometers away on the western side of the inner city, a network of tadpole-like sealing script patterns suddenly flared into motion, racing past the group and out of sight in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, the entire massive barrier over the city abruptly became visible—
And in the next split second,
Its surface turned blood red, crawling with writhing seal markings!
Then—
Bang!
With a tremor, the detection barrier shattered like glass!
"Someone hit the west side before we did?!"
Mei Terumi's eyes widened, glancing north in surprise.
"Who could it be?!"
"Whoever it is, they just did us a huge favor. This is our chance!"
Yahiko quickly looked over his shoulder, brow furrowed.
"Nagato!"
"Hm!" Nagato gave a solemn nod.
He stepped forward, reaching for Yahiko's shoulder—
And Yahiko immediately squatted down to support Nagato's legs.
"Let's begin!"
Yahiko took a deep breath, channeling chakra.
Beneath the black-and-red Akatsuki cloak, his well-built body tensed, veins bulging with effort.
Unlike Nagato, with his mastery of all six chakra natures and possession of the "Eyes of the Sage,"
And unlike Konan, a genius who created Paper Release on her own—
Yahiko considered himself slow-witted, relying solely on his mastery of Water Release and greatsword taijutsu to train to a level that even Jiraiya had found astonishing.
This was a body refined enough to go toe-to-toe in melee with a six-tailed, half-transformed Naruto!
Now—
Hoisting Nagato upward, veins bulging on his forehead, Yahiko let out a deep roar:
"Ha!!"
As if launching a javelin, he thrust Nagato skyward with a single hand beneath his feet!
Boom!
A piercing sonic boom ripped through the air as Nagato soared upward at supersonic speed!
He flew over the wall, the barrier, and the heads of countless stunned guards—
Catching the stares of enemies from all directions within the inner city,
Nagato extended a single hand downward.
The fierce wind tore through his red hair, exposing—
The concentric rings of his fearsome Rinnegan, with a single black dot at the center!
And then—
"RAAAAAHHHH!!!"
He let out a roar and clenched his hand toward the center!
"Shinra Tensei!!!"
The invisible hand of a god that repels all creation—
Descended in an instant!
A circular gravitational blast erupted from Nagato at its center, expanding out to nearly 100 meters midair!
In a single moment—
Like being smashed by a solid iron ball, the 20-meter-high city wall crumbled instantly!
The guards and small-nation shinobi stationed atop the wall didn't even have time to react before being flung through the air by the invisible force. Those unlucky enough to be beneath the wall were crushed in an instant!
By the time Nagato used the blast's recoil to launch himself downward again—
The Kumogakure ninja a hundred meters away finally snapped out of their daze, screaming as they rang the alarm!
"Enemy attack!"
"Enemy attack!!"
"Command post! We're under attack from the east—requesting immediate backup!!!"
Before the smoke and dust had even cleared,
From the outer walls to the command center, then to the eastern command sub-division via signal flags, the order was transmitted and implemented.
In just moments,
A force of over a thousand mixed-rank shinobi, under the command of the Kumo elites, surged toward the east like a black tide.
But then—
As the smoke dispersed—
Seven figures of varying heights had already appeared behind Nagato!
What they had in common:
All wore the same black cloak with red clouds—Akatsuki!
The wind blew violently, setting all eight cloaks flapping!
Among them, two figures stepped forward—hands forming seals at lightning speed as they moved.
Leading the charge was a tall figure with eerie green eyes, a mask, and two shadowy figures perched on his shoulders.
Combining his Fire Mask and Wind Mask from the Earth Grudge Fear technique,
He unleashed simultaneous Fire Style: Head Grudge Flame and Wind Style: Pressure Damage—creating a massive-scale ninjutsu combo attack.
"Combined Style: Flame-Wind Chaos Dance—Freak Mask Inferno!"
The seals were completed in an instant.
Kakuzu inhaled deeply and sealed with the final Snake hand sign!
"—BOOM!!"
Just as the panicked wall guards clashed with the ambushers—
They were met with—
A violent gust of wind surging nearly a kilometer!
And a towering wall of flame—like a tsunami—came crashing down upon them!