Chapter 279: The Mist Approaches
"Dispose of the body and prepare to move to the next location."
The leader ordered the two ninjas after the squad leader's death.
The two quickly got to work, dragging the body aside, skillfully cleaning up the blood and erasing all traces of the battle.
"Leader, are we really going to defect to Hyuga Fuji?"
A young ninja with glasses couldn't help but ask, his tone filled with hesitation, "The Second Tsuchikage was resurrected by Hyuga Fuji's Edo Tensei. Could he be under his control?"
"So what if he is?"
The rebel leader let out a cold laugh, his eyes gleaming with a strange light. "In this world of the strong preying on the weak, so-called loyalty and faith are nothing more than shackles for the weak. Hyuga Fuji may not be from the Land of Earth, but he has the strength to lead us to victory!"
"And that kind of power is something Onoki lacks. Do you want to stand on the losing side when the end comes?"
The rebel leader continued, "Besides, we have no other choice now. The Third Tsuchikage is old, and his era has long since passed. If we stay in the Land of Earth, it will only lead to our demise."
"Now someone needs us, and taking this chance to change sides is a blessing for us. Since we've made this decision, don't waver."
The ninja with glasses caught the warning in his words and quickly lowered his head in response, "Yes, I understand."
"Good. Dismissed. Prepare to move to the next outpost."
"Yes!"
Once the ninja with glasses left, the leader glanced at another subordinate. "In the next battle, assign him to the most dangerous position. If he survives, ensure he doesn't make it back."
The subordinate's eyes widened in shock, looking at the leader with uncertainty.
The leader patted his shoulder as he passed. "Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolutely disloyal. You should understand the consequences of what we're doing if it gets exposed."
The subordinate shivered.
"Understood, sir!"
The leader nodded, casting one last glance at the outpost before stepping outside and looking up at the sky.
The sky was overcast, with thick clouds weighing heavily on everyone's minds. The winter wind howled across the land, bringing with it a biting chill.
"Fitting weather," he sighed, setting off with his comrades towards the next outpost, which was also a planned rendezvous point. However, before they could reach it, they saw from a distance a massive surge of water descending from the sky, rushing towards the outpost.
The torrent surged violently, crashing against the surrounding buildings and raising towering waves. The water raged like an uncontrollable beast, tearing apart everything in its path.
Standing on top of the turbulent waters were several figures wearing Mist Village headbands. They stood motionless, their eyes sharp, hands swiftly forming seals as chakra surged through them. As the last seal completed, one opened his mouth, shooting a thin, piercing stream of water.
The water gleamed brilliantly like an aurora, cutting through the air with unmatched force, sweeping across the entire area. Everything in its path was torn apart by this immense power, and concrete buildings crumbled like paper under the assault.
Kisame and his subordinates had landed!
Meanwhile, on the coastline, hundreds of large ships were approaching.
…
"This is the situation. The Land of Earth has suffered severe losses and needs time to recover… Reinforcements? At this point, what's the use? We'll discuss how to handle Akatsuki at the next United Nations meeting."
Onoki gave a bitter smile, shaking his head as he set down the communication device used to contact the Land of Fire. He looked out over the devastated Iwagakure.
Once a prosperous village, half of Iwagakure was now in ruins.
Most of the buildings were destroyed, streets filled with rubble and debris, and the air heavy with the scent of smoke and blood. The villagers moved mechanically, silently clearing the wreckage.
In the center of the village lay two massive meteorites, too cumbersome to handle. Around the meteorites, Iwa-nin were busy trying to move them, but the sheer size and weight made them immovable with ordinary jutsu or tools, leaving only the option of dismantling them piece by piece.
"Tsuchikage-sama!" An Iwa-nin jonin hurried over, his expression grave. "We've just finished assessing the damage. It's worse than we anticipated."
"Speak," Onoki nodded, signaling him to continue.
"The village's defensive structures are almost entirely destroyed. Half of the jonin forces have fallen, and thanks to timely evacuations, civilian casualties are still within a manageable range."
The jonin's voice was heavy. "But the damage to our infrastructure and economy is devastating. The research facilities were also targeted, with Akatsuki deliberately sabotaging them. Some of our key researchers, who had been evacuated, were killed by White Zetsu infiltrators."
As he listened to the report, Onoki's heart grew heavier.
"Beyond the destruction caused by Akatsuki, there's also the damage from the clone rebellion…"
The jonin glanced sideways, where a clone was helping with the meteorites. When he mentioned the clones, the clone turned to look.
"We'll hold off on discussing the clones for now. I'll take full responsibility for them," Onoki waved dismissively.
Had the clones not intervened, the meteorites might not have been stopped in time. But their rebellion was a fact, and they had even invited Akatsuki, making Onoki's feelings about them complicated.
Considering the current priority was addressing Iwagakure's losses, it wasn't the right time to target all clones—perhaps only the chief culprits.
Thinking of the clone who had secretly contacted Akatsuki, Onoki's eyes darkened.
The jonin understood the situation, responding quietly with, "Yes, sir." Just as he was about to leave, another Iwa-nin ran up to Onoki, panting heavily.
"Tsuchikage-sama, we've lost contact with the defense forces at the coastal border. Mist Village has attacked!"
The Iwa-nin's voice was urgent, laced with barely concealed fear. His forehead was drenched in sweat, indicating he had run all the way.
Onoki felt like his mind had been struck by a hammer.
Just after the village was attacked by Akatsuki, Mist Village had launched an assault?
"Mist… why would they suddenly attack us?" Onoki muttered, quickly running through possibilities in his mind.
Finally, he zeroed in on one person.
After two years of digesting the gains from the Land of Wind, Hyuga Fuji had finally made his move!
"Tsuchikage-sama, what should we do now?"
Onoki took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm.
"Summon all the elders to the conference room immediately," Onoki commanded decisively. "We need to devise a response strategy as quickly as possible."
"Yes!" The jonin promptly accepted the order and left.
(End of Chapter)