bookbashuk Chapter 17: The Showdown Between Shadows.
Chapter 17: The Showdown Between Shadows.
He took a deep breath and stepped into the cave.
The darkness lasted only a moment.
As he emerged from the other end of the cave, sunlight pierced through the morning mist, illuminating a clearing surrounded by mountains below.
"I didn't expect this village to still exist... and it's even bigger now."
Looking along the woods, there was a small village in a clearing at the end.
The houses are scattered in a pleasing manner, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys, and the sounds of chickens and dogs can be faintly heard.
The surrounding flowers, trees and shrubs are exceptionally lush, a stark contrast to the desolate landscape ravaged by war outside.
If one had to make a comparison, Hinata Seiran would say it was a paradise.
"This is truly a paradise on earth."
Hinata Seiran lifted his hood and looked at the peaceful scene before him, the tension in his chest eased slightly.
The villagers inside probably have no idea that there's a war going on outside.
They lived a quiet life, farming, raising chickens, and watching the sunrise and sunset...
"Heh...you're overthinking it..."
-
"Hokage-sama, urgent report!"
The door to the Hokage's office was suddenly flung open, and an Anbu member practically stumbled in.
"Um?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's slight sense of relief, which came from Danzo's report that "everything is going well," was interrupted in that instant.
He quickly composed himself and asked in a deep voice, "Tell me slowly, don't rush me."
"Yes... Lord Hokage."
The member of the secret service took a deep breath and tried his best to calm his voice.
"The situation on the Iwagakure battlefield is not optimistic. The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, has personally rushed to the front lines. Even with Minato and Jiraiya working together, it will be difficult to completely suppress him."
He paused, then added, "Onoki's Dust Release has an extremely strong suppressive effect on the battlefield. To avoid large-scale casualties among the troops, Jiraiya-sama has ordered a partial retreat."
"Our original advance lines... are being pushed back step by step by Iwagakure."
The counter-pressure has returned?!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted slightly.
How long has it been since the Kannabi Bridge was destroyed?
Logically speaking, Iwagakure's supply lines should have been severely damaged, and it would be impossible for them to recover in a short period of time.
But now, not only has the other side stabilized the situation, they've even been able to mount such a powerful counterattack...
Did they have prior preparation and establish an alternative logistical route? Or...?
The smoke billowed in front of him, making his expression even more obscure and difficult to decipher.
"Has Onoki gone to the battlefield...?"
In his memory, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, rarely stepped onto the front lines of battle.
The only memorable instance was the encirclement and killing of the Third Raikage.
Now, this veteran Kage, known for his caution, tact, and strength, is once again in action, and this is combined with the intelligence that Iwagakure's logistics have suddenly been restored...
The meaning behind this is all too obvious.
Iwagakure has received the full support of the Daimyo of the Land of Earth.
This is a nationwide effort to fight Konoha to the death.
"So the village... has it really reached its most critical moment?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly closed his eyes.
Images flashed through my mind.
The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, single-handedly suppressed the chaos of the world and forcefully pacified the ninja world.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, led them to conquer all directions, establishing Konoha's true system and order through ruthlessness and wisdom.
Then it was his turn.
That year, the teacher died in battle, and the position of Hokage was hastily passed down.
Konoha was in turmoil, and he had to take up the straw hat at the most dangerous moment, shouldering the fate of the entire village.
It was after that that he led Konoha out of the war step by step and won the Second Shinobi World War.
Those glorious years, those figures fighting bloody battles, those beliefs that were once torn apart by war but were pieced back together by the Will of Fire...
Even today, I have never truly left him.
A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes, his eyes no longer showing any hesitation, only contemplation and determination.
"How's Orochimaru doing?"
The ANBU member was slightly taken aback, but quickly reacted, taking out a scroll from his pocket and unfolding it: "The Cloud Village troops have withdrawn from the Land of Fire."
"Lord Orochimaru is leading his troops to clear out the remaining enemy forces, and this morning he launched a full-scale counterattack."
He turned the page and continued his report: "This is intelligence from Kumogakure intercepted by the Hyuga Seiran squad from the Land of Hot Springs."
"After they stole the intelligence, they first sent it to the front line, and then sent a copy back to the village."
"..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips twitched slightly.
They really are soldiers trained by Orochimaru.
They were meticulous in their work, sending intelligence to the front lines first and then to the villages.
This is typical of the style of "reporting to the front lines during wartime, and reporting to the village during political affairs," completely the style of Orochimaru's subordinates.
However, at such a time, such news is undoubtedly a shot in the arm.
At least, the Cloud Hidden Front has stabilized.
They even have room to launch a counterattack.
Thinking of this, a rare hint of relief finally appeared in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes.
Moreover, since the Qinglan Squad has already completed the mission of escorting the daimyo's son.
So perhaps we can take this opportunity to have a proper talk with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire about the issue of material support.
What Konoha needs now is more than just victory.
It is also the capital needed to sustain the continuation of this war.
"Pass on my orders."
Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his pipe, his voice suddenly rising in pitch, carrying an undeniable air of authority.
"First, send a message to Jiraiya: hold the current position and do not retreat even half a step. Make sure to hold off the main force of Iwagakure and wait for the village's reinforcements to arrive."
"Second, dispatch the main forces of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans to the Iwagakure battlefield immediately to support Jiraiya's army."
He paused briefly before continuing, "The Mist Concealment Battlefield... can't cause any trouble anymore. Maintaining the current containment posture is sufficient; there's no need to send reinforcements."
"yes!"
The members of the secret service received their orders and disappeared from the office in a flash.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked over the layers of eaves towards the capital.
The wind blew up his Hokage robes, the hem of which fluttered slightly.
It's time to make a trip to the capital myself.
At that time, it will be in the true sense...
The showdown between shadows.
-
Why does something feel so strange?
Hinata Seiran observed for a long time before turning his gaze to the largest house in the center of the village.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the village seemed unusually strange.
One by one, villagers carrying chickens, ducks, fish, and meat emerged from their homes, their expressions excited, and walked in an orderly fashion toward the largest house in the center of the village.
Their faces bore an almost morbid excitement, as if they were about to welcome some grand celebration, or as if they were worshipping some incredibly important being.
"Are they going to hold a banquet?"
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Hyuga Seiran dismissed it.
Having lived in the ninja world for so long, he had naturally seen wedding banquets, celebrations, festivals, and even some major gatherings within clans.
But those scenes mostly occur in regions with stable situations, or in families or towns with relatively abundant resources.
Even if a small village like this is celebrating a happy occasion or something else, it shouldn't be held in such a grand way.
Moreover, the way these people were behaving didn't seem like they were celebrating a happy occasion at all.
It's more like they were being dominated by some kind of emotion.