Chapter 296: Konoha’s Reinforcements
Roshi and Han’s fully tailed beast transformed Four-Tails Son Goku and Five-Tails Kokuō, with bodies over sixty meters tall, were like two moving small mountains. In the eyes of ordinary ninja, they were already colossal behemoths that needed to be looked up at, like natural disasters.
However, when Uchiha Hikari’s two-hundred-meter-tall Perfect Susanoo rose from the ground, its red chakra standing like a mountain range between heaven and earth, the entire battlefield fell into a near-stagnant dead silence.
These two tailed beasts appeared as small as pets gathered at the feet of a giant in comparison.
“Hey, hey, hey… what a joke!” Inside Four-Tails Son Goku, Roshi looked up at the dark red giant that obscured part of the sky, letting out an incredulous shout.
His lava-like chakra became momentarily disordered due to the shock: “This guy… how is he even bigger than our tailed beast transformations! The Uchiha Clan… what kind of monsters are they all!”
Han inside Five-Tails Kokuō didn’t speak, but its pure white head raised high, its beast pupils filled with unprecedented gravity.
He slightly turned his head, looking at Onoki floating in the air between them: “Old man… back when you were young, did you fight guys of that size?”
Even as the ultimate hidden weapons of the Stone Village, this was their first time witnessing the complete form of the Uchiha Clan’s legendary Susanoo, and the visual and psychological impact was overwhelmingly shocking.
In the distance, the Stone Village army, originally trying to reorganize their formation and surround the core battlefield under the command of Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, and Bun’ya, now fell into a deathly silence.
When that red war god fully stood upon the earth, all commands and all tactics seemed to lose meaning.
Many Stone Ninja’s kunai clattered to the ground, but no one picked them up.
Some ninja with weaker mental fortitude even had their legs give out, collapsing to the ground as the stench of incontinence quietly spread.
“That… that is… the power of the Uchiha?”
“God… it’s a god…”
“How could we… possibly defeat such a monster…”
They gaped, staring blankly at the unimaginable red giant, as an emotion called despair spread silently.
Bun’ya’s hoarse shouts were drowned in the stormy waves of their hearts, Kurotsuchi’s tightly clenched fists turned knuckles white from excessive force, and the vigilance originally aimed at Tottori Mountain Castle now seemed utterly insignificant.
In contrast, atop Tottori Mountain Castle, it was a completely different scene.
“That… that is Lord Hikari’s power?” A young Star Ninja special jonin leaned on the castle wall, gazing at the dark red giant connecting heaven and earth in the distance, his voice trembling uncontrollably, but more so with a proud excitement.
Natsuhi stood at the forefront, strong winds blowing her red long hair, as she tried to maintain her composure, but her eyes also sparkled with shock.
She took a deep breath, her voice spreading across the castle wall: “Everyone! Did you see that? The Stone Village’s army of over ten thousand is nothing but chickens and dogs before Lord Hikari! Hold the defensive line and await the counterattack order!”
As her words fell, the oppressive atmosphere on the castle wall caused by the enemy’s vast numbers was swept away, replaced by soaring morale and fanatical belief.
“Lord Hikari forever!”
“Land of Stars will win!”
At the core of the battlefield, Uchiha Hikari stood within the diamond crystal at the center of the Perfect Susanoo’s forehead, hands casually crossed over her chest, her scarlet Mangekyo Sharingan looking down at the two tailed beasts below who were on high alert and Onoki floating in the air, with a hint of playfulness and arrogance.
Clear, cold words with an echoing quality transmitted through the Susanoo across the battlefield:
“So, are you ready… to entertain me?”
Onoki’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat, his throat bobbing up and down.
………………
Meanwhile, far away at the North Train Station in the Star Capital, it was a scene of tension and order.
The special squad composed of Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Izumi, and Uchiha Inabi had just arrived and was taking a brief rest at the edge of the platform.
They unscrewed their water canteens to replenish fluids, swallowing special high-energy Military Rations Pills to quickly recover the stamina and chakra consumed from the rapid march back from the western front.
Footsteps approached, and Uzumaki Kushina and Minato Namikaze personally arrived at the platform.
“Shisui, Izumi, Inabi, good work.” Uzumaki Kushina was concise: “The next special express military train to Tottori Mountain Castle is ready and can depart at any time.”
“You can board and continue resting. Rail transport will save much more energy than just rushing on foot. It’s not too late to go full speed after reaching the border area.”
The Land of Stars now had five main railway lines covering major cities and strategic locations. As an eastern border stronghold and the location of the You River Dam, Tottori Mountain Castle was naturally an important node in the rail network.
Under wartime conditions, all rail lines were under strict military control. Uzumaki Kushina was mobilizing all administrative power to efficiently allocate national logistics supplies and garrison forces, continuously supporting the eastern front.
“Thank you, Lady Kushina.” Shisui politely thanked her. He still had that gentle and steady demeanor, but there was a hint of fatigue from the long journey between his brows.
Minato stepped forward, his eyes full of concern: “The battle reports from the west came via telegraph, but they were brief. I only know that Fourth Kazekage Rasa was captured and the Sand Village main force was routed. What are the details?”
Shisui set down his water canteen, organized his thoughts, and explained in detail: “Lord Minato, the two elite surprise attack units dispatched by Sand Village, totaling over four hundred, were successfully intercepted and completely annihilated by Kimimaro Kaguya’s squad and Hotaru’s squad on the east and west sides of the Sea of Death. This greatly damaged their morale and disrupted their strategic deployment.”
“Afterward, Lord Hikari commanded the Star Ninja Army main force to launch a general offensive against the remaining seventeen hundred Sand Ninja.”
He paused, his tone carrying a hint of pride: “In this battle, Lord Hikari didn’t even personally act. The Star Ninja Army relied on equipment and tactical advantages to crush the enemy force several times their number head-on. It can be said that the Star Ninja’s individual combat power is no longer comparable to the average level of ninja from various countries in the past Ninja Wars.”
Uchiha Izumi’s big eyes looked at this reanimated Fourth Hokage, her crisp voice adding from the side: “Brother Shisui is right. The Chakra Kinetic Armor provides powerful defense and mobility, while the Kunai Gun multiplies mid-to-long-range firepower projection efficiency. More importantly, our logistics support system is very comprehensive. All combat ninja’s standard ninja tools, Explosive Tags, Military Rations Pills, First Aid Medicine, etc., are uniformly issued by the state, ensuring stable combat power performance with standardized equipment.”
Izumi hadn’t participated in the Third Great Ninja War, but Inabi and Shisui were jonin who rose to fame during the Third Great Ninja War. They knew how much advantage the Star Ninja’s army supply system had over other ninja villages’ personal equipment self-funding system.
It was precisely because the Land of Stars had developed sufficient technology and industrial capacity, transforming ninja tool production, Military Rations Pill manufacturing, etc., from family workshops to factory assembly lines, achieving preliminary industrialization.
Minato listened to their descriptions, filled with endless emotion in his heart.
He knew well that the Land of Stars had its own ninja training system, and every formal ninja was an elite.
But he hadn’t expected the gap to widen to such an extent.
Four hundred Star Ninja not only withstood the assault of over two thousand Sand Village main force but completely annihilated them!
This was not just a gap in ninja quality, but a comprehensive crush in national overall strength, technology level, and logistics support systems.
As if remembering something, Shisui added: “Oh, right, Sand Village’s Chiyo… is dead.”
Minato was stunned upon hearing this, a complex expression on his face: “Granny Chiyo? How did she…”
The gunpowder smoke of the Third Great Ninja War seemed to reappear before his eyes. That Sand Village elder who controlled the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets and was masterful with poison had left a deep impression on him.
Uchiha Inabi interjected, his tone carrying a chill from post-battle: “After Rasa was severely wounded by Izumi and me, Chiyo had Baki take Rasa to retreat while she stayed behind to cover. She unleashed all her treasured puppets and deadly poisons to block our pursuit. But we were prepared, wearing Gas Masks. In the end, she died under Brother Shisui’s blade.”
Hearing that this prominent figure from three Ninja Wars had fallen, Minato was silent for a moment, ultimately turning it into a soft sigh.
For a ninja, especially a Sand Village elder who participated in three Ninja Wars, dying on the battlefield guarding the village might be a kind of destiny and honor.
“Sand Village’s main force is completely wiped out, and Hizashi Hyuga is leading troops approaching Sand Village’s homeland.” Minato analyzed the situation.
“Logically, this is the perfect opportunity to annex Sand Village and the Land of Wind. But… Konoha probably won’t sit idly by.” He frowned slightly, unsure if that Third Hokage had dispatched reinforcements.
After a brief rest, Shisui and the others no longer delayed and boarded the already fired-up military train.
The train whistle blared long, speeding north along the tracks.
They carried out direct orders from Menma on this trip.
As a dagger squad reinforcing the eastern front, and to leave an unforgettable “painful memory” in the remaining life of the Stone Village, especially Onoki, in a way he could absolutely never forget.
Almost at the same time, Sand Village in the Land of Wind had completely fallen into an abyss of chaos and panic.
The news of the frontline’s crushing defeat spread like plague-ridden wind with the soul-lost Sand Ninja who luckily escaped from the Sea of Death, rapidly throughout the village.
The Star Ninja Army had limited troops and couldn’t form a watertight encirclement, so some fish slipped through the net and escaped back.
However, the defeated remnants who brought back the news delivered the most fatal blow.
Fourth Kazekage Rasa captured, and after Ebizo’s death, Advisor Elder Chiyo also fell in battle. Most of the village’s jonin and elite ninja were dead or captured…
Now Sand Village’s garrison forces were unprecedentedly weak, with fewer than three jonin able to take charge.
Losing core leadership, the village was like one with its spine removed—rumors spread everywhere, hearts panicked, and public order nearly collapsed.
It was in this context that a Konoha reinforcement force personally led by Shimura Danzō passed through the narrow cliff passages on the outskirts of Sand Village and entered this chaotic land.
Surprisingly, there was no Sand Village jonin to greet them, only a chunin named Yorōjin.
Danzō leaned on his cane, his single eye scanning the chaotic scene before him, brows tightly furrowed.
Behind him followed twelve Root elites including Aburame Yuruma, and twelve Anbu elites including Yamato led by Kakashi.
Additionally, there were several experienced jonin and special jonin such as Might Guy, Inuzuka Kiba, Mimura Hamaki, Hyuga Iroha, Nara Shiosui, and a hundred chunin and genin all tempered by the Third Great Ninja War with rich combat experience.
This mixed team could be called Konoha’s currently most rapidly mobilizable elite force.
“Where are your village’s elders and jonin?” Danzō’s voice carried dissatisfaction and questioning: “Why is the village in such chaos?”
Yorōjin wore a face of exhaustion and fear, hurriedly explaining: “Lord Danzō, the frontline… the frontline collapsed! The village now only has Senior Nishiaka barely organizing defense and countermeasures…”
“Frontline collapsed?” Danzō’s single eye widened sharply, and Kakashi and others behind him also showed shock.
No matter how weak Sand Village was, it was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, with over two thousand standing ninja, and this time they had mobilized almost all.
The Land of Stars had risen only a few years ago, with ninja numbers absolutely at a disadvantage. How could they rout the Sand main force so quickly?
Kakashi’s face hidden under the mask showed no expression, but his visible dead fish eye also grew serious.
He had just returned from executing that unspeakable “framing” mission in the Land of Earth, and before he could catch his breath, he was assigned a new task.
Nominally led by him, supporting Sand Village together with Danzō and his Root.
Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn’t restored Danzō’s power, so Kakashi was the official commander, with Root’s Aburame Yuruma as deputy.
But Danzō, leveraging his years of intelligence network in Sand Village and providing key intelligence on the One-Tails jinchūriki, suspected Nine-Tails and unknown Ten-Tails in the Sea of Death, forced Hiruzen Sarutobi to let him join this operation.
Kakashi’s other secret mission was to verify the truth of those two tailed beasts in the Sea of Death.
Might Guy stood to Kakashi’s left. Even with his thick nerves, he felt the uneasy and despairing atmosphere around them. He nudged Kakashi’s shoulder and whispered: “Kakashi, the situation seems really bad.”
Yamato stood to the right, even more sensitive. He whispered: “Senior Kakashi, I have a very bad premonition.”
At that moment, Yorōjin, who was instructing his subordinates, suddenly noticed one person missing from the team. He looked around puzzled and asked loudly: “Hey! Where did Kabuto go?”
“Kabuto?”
This name instantly triggered Shimura Danzō’s sensitive nerves.
His single eye contracted sharply, an extremely ominous premonition washing over him like ice water!
That Kabuto Yakushi who disappeared on the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall, questioned by Konoha High Council and dismissed by Hiruzen Sarutobi—Danzō hadn’t had the energy to pay attention to a pawn’s disappearance recently.
But hearing this name again touched his nerves. Moments later, he frowned slightly, thinking it might just be a coincidence, after all, that guy…
BOOM——！！！
Before he could think further, a deafening explosion roared from the north of Sand Village!
“What happened?!”
“Enemy attack?! Did the Star Ninja come?!”
The violent explosion even made the ground tremble slightly. The already chaotic crowd in Sand Village instantly erupted, cries and screams filling the air.
Danzō, Kakashi, and others quickly leaped onto nearby taller buildings, gazing north.
Yorōjin also jumped up. When he saw the direction of the explosion, his face turned deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down: “That… that’s the northern passage! One of the only two passages into the village!”
“Everyone! Battle preparations!” Danzō ordered without hesitation.
He realized the Star Ninja’s offensive was far swifter and more decisive than they anticipated!
Kakashi quickly made hand signals. The well-trained Konoha ninja pulled out kunai and shuriken and moved. Kakashi drew the short sword from his back, Anbu and Root dispersed to advantageous positions, other jonin led their squads to spread out, vigilantly watching north.
At the entrance of the northern passage of Sand Village, smoke and dust rolled, sand filling the air.
And amid the billowing sand, figures in deep blue Star Ninja uniforms charged out!
They moved swiftly, coordinated perfectly, their Kunai Guns spitting fire tongues, precisely eliminating scattered Sand Ninja trying to resist.
The few at the forefront were particularly conspicuous.
Leading was Hizashi Hyuga, Byakugan blazing, veins bulging, Star Ninja Headband on his forehead.
Beside him, several ninja in Star Ninja uniforms with the Uchiha Fan Crest embroidered on their collars fired kunai or formed seals to unleash Fire Release Ninjutsu.
They formed a sharp dagger, thrusting straight into the chaotic heartland of Sand Village.
And behind them, large numbers of Star Ninja in deep blue uniforms poured into Sand Village!
“Hyuga… and… Uchiha!” The Konoha ninja were no longer calm.
Former comrades-in-arms now faced them as enemies, charging over!
