Patter... patter...
En Oyashiro walked toward the center of the ruins, stepping over viscous pools of blood and charred flesh. A smile was plastered on his face, as if the scene before him had nothing to do with him.
His gaze swept over the Leaf ninja pinned in the ruins before finally settling on Ebisu, who was nailed to the wall.
Ebisu's consciousness was blurring from the intense pain and blood loss, but he struggled, trying to raise his one still-mobile hand, attempting to form a hand seal...
However, En Oyashiro simply raised his hand and used two fingers to pluck the comical, rhomboid glasses from his nose.
A pair of wicked, scarlet eyes lit up, with what looked like blood flowing deep within the pupils.
—The Ketsuryūgan (Blood Dragon Eye) can not only create human bombs but also manipulate blood. Its dōjutsu power rivals that of the Sharingan.
His eyes met Ebisu's. An invisible mental force instantly pierced Ebisu's brain, stopping his hand seal movement, preventing even his fingertips from moving.
"You can organize the evacuation, so your rank must be pretty high?" En Oyashiro flashed a cruel smile. "But with such weak strength, you're just a Special Jōnin?"
"Never mind. Since you're a figure of some consequence, you should know where the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is, right?"
Crack!
As he spoke, En Oyashiro lifted his foot and then brutally stomped down on one of Ebisu's knee joints. A burst of immense force erupted!
"Ugh, ah!" A sharp, agonizing scream was squeezed from Ebisu's throat.
His lower leg snapped at a twisted angle. The white bone even pierced the flesh, exposed to the air.
En Oyashiro leaned forward slightly, his scarlet Ketsuryūgan observing Ebisu's face, contorted in agony, at close range. His voice carried a hint of amusement: "Speak."
"Where is the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?"
Ebisu's entire body trembled violently. Cold sweat and blood mixed and streamed down his forehead.
He clenched his teeth until they nearly shattered, and blood oozed from the corners of his mouth, but he made no sound!
"Heh, gutsy," En Oyashiro seemed unsurprised, finding it even more amusing.
Crack!
Another chilling, bone-snapping crunch rang out!
En Oyashiro's foot lifted and fell again mercilessly, crushing the knee of Ebisu's other leg!
"Aah!!" A more desperate scream erupted. Ebisu's body convulsed and twitched.
"Speak," En Oyashiro's voice remained flat.
But the only response was Ebisu's bloodshot eyes, glaring defiantly at En Oyashiro.
Crunch, crunch!
En Oyashiro lifted his foot again. This time, he stomped on Ebisu's only remaining functional hand. The finger bones were instantly pulverized!
"Hah!" The intense pain nearly made Ebisu pass out. His body spasmed uncontrollably.
"You have one last chance." As he spoke, En Oyashiro slowly crouched down.
His scarlet Ketsuryūgan was practically touching Ebisu's face, admiring the undisguised pain, fear, and the rapidly fading glimmer of defiance in the other's eyes.
"Tell me. Tell me, and I'll spare your life."
En Oyashiro's whisper was filled with temptation and oppression. He grinned, "I'm actually a businessman. I hate killing people, so I'm not some crazy murderer."
"..." Ebisu gasped for breath, his mouth slowly opening.
As if using his last ounce of strength, a hoarse voice finally squeezed out of Ebisu's throat.
"Bast... ard..." he choked out. "I'm... a teacher..."
"Tsk." En Oyashiro slowly reached out and clamped his hand around Ebisu's neck. He sighed, "Pity. Incorrect answer."
CRUNCH!!
A sharp snap of a neck bone suddenly rang out.
En Oyashiro's hand squeezed hard, mercilessly crushing Ebisu's neck.
Ebisu's widely staring eyes instantly glazed over and then completely lost focus. His head slumped weakly.
En Oyashiro slowly straightened up and released his grip, letting Ebisu's corpse fall limply. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and meticulously wiped the blood from his hand.
He turned his head, his gaze settling on a specific direction within Konoha, and smiled: "Is that it?"
Although Ebisu's will was strong, and he didn't utter a single word, under the powerful insight of the Ketsuryūgan, En Oyashiro clearly saw it.
The moment he mentioned the words "Nine-Tails Jinchūriki," Ebisu's eyes had subtly glanced in that direction.
No matter how firm the will, the body's instinctive reaction could not escape the Ketsuryūgan's piercing vision.
"Heh, a pointless resistance," En Oyashiro scoffed softly, casually tossing the wiped handkerchief into the pool of blood.
The next moment, his figure flickered and, with a Shunshin (Body Flicker), sped toward that direction.
Deathly silence once again descended upon the area, broken only by the crackle of burning flames and the faint sound of explosions in the distance.
However, this silence did not last long.
The chakra arrows that had impaled Ebisu and the other Leaf ninja did not dissipate with En Oyashiro's departure.
Instead, as if receiving some command, they slowly began to integrate into the bodies of the Leaf ninja they had skewered.
The blood vessels beneath the skin bulged and writhed, turning an eerie purplish-red. Their pupils were dilated and vacant.
Ebisu, who was pinned to the wall, lifted his once-limply hanging head. The other Leaf ninja pinned to the ground also staggered and got up!
Their movements were incredibly stiff and distorted, their joints grinding with a teeth-aching sound. Then they began to walk, dispersing in all directions.
This was why Pain had En Oyashiro coordinate with Shinno and the Sky Ninja to create chaos.
En Oyashiro had already combined the ninja tool named "Holy Extinction Arrow" with his Ketsuryūgan's ability.
Originally, he needed physical contact to inject a special chakra, which would then corrupt the target and transform them into a human bomb. Now, he could achieve this through the ninja tool's chakra arrows.
These walking human bombs would seek out more living souls to be martyred with them, becoming seeds of greater panic and death sown deeper into Konoha.
The Hokage Office
At the same time, in the Hokage Office of the Hokage Tower.
Two figures stood before the large window, staring at the canvas of firelight and thick smoke outside.
In the high sky outside, the double-winged "vultures" circled and dive-bombed brazenly, periodically casting shadows of death and triggering new waves of explosions and flames.
In the lower sky, occasionally a shot-down Sky Ninja trailed black smoke as they fell. But more often, it was the stubborn yet chaotic resistance built by the lives of the Leaf ninja.
Jiraiya's usual cynical demeanor was gone, replaced by a solemnity that seemed to condense into ice.
Tsunade stood beside him, her face somewhat pale due to her hemophobia. Her lips were tightly pressed, and a burning, suppressed anxiety flickered in her spirited eyes.
The atmosphere in the office was almost suffocating.
Swish! Swish!
Two figures, almost simultaneously, appeared on bended knee in the center of the office behind Jiraiya and Tsunade, accompanied by a faint sound of rushing air.
One of them was scorched all over. His ninja vest was ripped in several places, and the exposed skin was covered in horrifying burns and blisters, still faintly emitting smoke.
He was breathing heavily, each breath carrying a searing pain, but he endured the agony. This was Kotetsu Hagane, responsible for barrier surveillance.
"Jiraiya-sama! Tsunade-sama!" Kotetsu's voice was extremely hoarse. He reported with the fastest possible speed and clarity, "The Barrier Team reports!"
"The intruders forcibly infiltrated through the Eastern Sector D directly above the village. Initial assessment suggests their infiltration method was a vertical descent at extremely high speed, avoiding the barrier's horizontal detection."
"The enemy's first wave of attack was highly targeted. Within three seconds of the barrier reacting, the barrier's detection and maintenance nodes were simultaneously hit by saturated, precise bombardment!"
His voice trembled with pain and rage: "The Barrier Team, aside from myself, has only eleven severely wounded survivors. Everyone else is dead!"
The Barrier Team, Konoha's first set of eyes and shields, was almost instantly annihilated by the enemy's premeditated, lightning-fast assault.
"Analysis Team report," the masked Anbu ninja beside him immediately spoke as Kotetsu finished.
"Based on current intelligence analysis, the intruders are primarily relying on specialized flying ninja tools to achieve absolute air superiority, equipped with rapid-fire kunai launchers for fire suppression and precise assassinations."
"They are also dropping bombs for area bombardment and destruction. Their flight altitude can be flexibly adjusted, largely evading the effective range of most of our conventional ninjutsu counterattacks."
"On the ground, the enemy is found to be using some unknown ability to transform captured or killed civilians and ninja into mobile human bombs!"
"These are detonated after infiltrating evacuation crowds or approaching defense nodes, to cause the maximum degree of chaos, panic, and casualties!"
Clearly, Konoha was being attacked by a highly professional force with absolute aerial dominance and specialized equipment.
"The enemy's intent is clear, execution is efficient, and their equipment is advanced and highly specific," Jiraiya frowned. "It seems they are not mere scattered rogues, but a premeditated, organized, and highly skilled professional assault force."
"What about the Hyūga Clan? Was that also the work of these intruders?"
"We attempted to approach the golden pillar of light around the Hyūga Clan compound and conducted preliminary contact analysis," the Anbu continued. "The parts of the body that made contact were instantly ignited by the golden flames."
"However, according to the wounded, what they felt was not physical burning pain, but a stinging sensation originating from the brain or soul. The intensity of the sting seems to vary, the reason is unknown."
"Considering its energy characteristics and manifestation, the Analysis Team's preliminary judgment is that the golden pillar of light and flame is highly likely related to 'Wrath,' one of the 'Seven Deadly Sins.'"
"Furthermore, before the light pillar erupted, intense chakra fluctuations were monitored inside the Hyūga compound. After the light pillar appeared, a small squad infiltrated the compound for reconnaissance."
"They discovered several Branch Family corpses on the path to the core area. When attempting to enter the core area, they were intercepted by 'Root.' The situation inside remains unclear."
Root?
Danzō had indeed been meddling in the shadows!
But why would the target be the Hyūga Clan?
Jiraiya and Tsunade's expressions grew even more solemn and dark.
The aerial assault and ground human bombs were already tricky enough, and now someone was using the power of a "Seven Deadly Sins" tool within the Hyūga Clan, with an attack that directly targets the soul.
What exactly happened inside the Hyūga Clan?
Branch Family members were dead, but what about the Main Family? What about Hiashi?
The situation was several times more complex than they had imagined.
"Kotetsu," Jiraiya suppressed his confusion and turned to Kotetsu, saying grimly, "Go to the Medical Department for treatment immediately."
"Yes," Kotetsu endured his injuries and vanished instantly after receiving the order.
"Anbu, immediately synchronize the analysis results with everyone. Emphasize the characteristics and countermeasures for the human bombs!"
Jiraiya looked at the Anbu ninja and continued: "Order all squads to prioritize civilian evacuation. If they encounter anyone acting abnormally, they are authorized to use extreme measures!"
"Take my order and dispatch personnel to investigate the situation at the Hyūga Clan. If anyone attempts to obstruct them, they are similarly authorized to use extreme measures!"
"Yes," the Anbu ninja also vanished from the spot.
After they left, only Jiraiya and Tsunade remained in the office. The sound of explosions in the distance continued unabated.
Tsunade, who had been unable to turn around to look at Kotetsu due to her hemophobia, trembled violently with rage and helplessness. She suddenly slammed her fist into the wall.
BAM!!
The sturdy wall instantly cracked open in a spiderweb pattern centered on her fist.
"Bastards!" Tsunade's veins bulged on her forehead. Her golden hair whipped wildly. Her eyes were filled with pain and fury. "How dare they?!"
She hated the enemy's arrogance, but even more, she hated her own powerlessness!
Due to her hemophobia, she couldn't participate in the fight, and she couldn't even use her specialized medical ninjutsu. She could only send Shizune to the Konoha Hospital to treat the wounded.
She, herself, was trapped like a useless waste in this damned office!
It was this very feeling of impotence that had made her choose to flee and leave Konoha before.
And now, it was happening again...
"Calm down, Tsunade."
Jiraiya said heavily, "Don't forget, you still have Katsuyu. With your chakra and Katsuyu's power, you can still treat a large number of the wounded, even without looking at their injuries!"
Hearing this, Tsunade took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the anger and helplessness in her heart, and calmed down.
"Jiraiya," Tsunade abruptly turned to him, "You must immediately go out and stabilize morale and knock those flies out of the sky!"
Jiraiya opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
As the person temporarily acting as Hokage, his duty right now was to coordinate the overall situation, not personally risk himself, especially before the enemy's intelligence had been fully gathered.
Of course, he didn't care about that. What he was worried about was that if he left, the highly unstable Tsunade would be left alone here...
However, before he could speak, Tsunade sharply raised her hand and directly cut him off.
"Stop with the nonsense," Tsunade said grimly. "Look at the situation outside. Most people have been stunned by this sudden, intense assault!"
"If someone of enough weight doesn't step up, stabilize the situation, and lead them in a counterattack, morale won't recover. Who knows how many more lives will be sacrificed before they can regroup!"
At this point, Tsunade added with a touch of self-mockery: "I can still manage the overall command and coordination from here."
Jiraiya finally swallowed the words at his mouth. He hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "I'll leave this to you then."
"Go!" Tsunade nodded.
Swish!
Jiraiya's figure vanished from the spot. Tsunade was left alone in the office.
She took another deep breath, as if exhaling all the fear and anxiety in her body. She strode out of the office and walked directly onto the top-floor platform of the Hokage Tower.
The wind at the high altitude was stronger, mixed with the smell of gunpowder, blood, and ashes, whipping her golden hair wildly.
She stood at the edge of the platform, looking down at the village engulfed in flames and chaos, watching the rampant Sky Ninja, and hearing the sounds of despair echoing from all directions...
Tsunade abruptly raised her right hand and bit her thumb.
Blood instantly welled up. The stinging crimson made her pupils violently contract. Her stomach convulsed fiercely again, but she forcibly suppressed the surging nausea and dizziness.
She quickly formed hand seals, pressed her bleeding finger to the ground, and a vast, colossal amount of chakra surged from her body, injecting into the Summoning Jutsu formula beneath her feet.
"Summoning Technique!"
Pouf!
An unimaginably huge cloud of white smoke erupted. A gigantic slug, almost as tall as the Hokage Tower itself, appeared out of thin air.
"Tsunade-sama," the slug, named Katsuyu, spoke with gentle concern.
"Katsuyu, I need your help!" Tsunade looked at the slug, who was at the same height as her. "Prioritize treating all the wounded and stabilizing their injuries!"
"Understood."
Katsuyu responded without hesitation. The surface of her colossal body began to ripple like a wave.
Countless smaller Katsuyu clones separated from her body like a tide, rapidly flowing downward, crawling toward all directions.
"Hoo..."
Tsunade exhaled deeply. The built-up frustration and helplessness in her chest seemed to ease slightly as Katsuyu's clones spread throughout the village.
Just then, an anxious and fatigued, yet incredibly familiar aged voice, clearly reached her ears.
"Tsunade!"
Hearing that voice, Tsunade's body jerked violently. She turned around almost instinctively.
She saw a figure rapidly leaping up from the floor below, landing on the rooftop platform.
The person had changed into his familiar black armor, his face marked by dust and exhaustion, his gray hair slightly dishevelled. It was Hiruzen Sarutobi!
"Teacher!" Uncontrollable joy surged onto Tsunade's face. She shouted the title she hadn't used in a long time.
Seeing the joy on Tsunade's face and hearing the long-lost title from her mouth, Hiruzen Sarutobi's spirits lifted. He smiled, "Don't worry, I'm ba—"
"Where are Hyūga Kawa and Hatake Kakashi?" Tsunade's next sentence was practically blurted out.
If the Old Man is already back, then Kakashi and Hyūga Kawa...
"..." Hiruzen Sarutobi's face twitched. His expression of happiness froze.
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