Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 549 The Allied Ninjas Meet: The Advantage Lies With Us!

Between the Land of Iron and the Land of Fire lies a relatively open basin, flat in the middle and surrounded by mountains on all sides, rarely visited by people.

At this moment, however, this place has been transformed into a huge military camp.

Tens of thousands of ninjas, led by the Hidden Mist Village, Hidden Cloud Village, Hidden Leaf Village, and Hidden Stone Village, gathered here.

In addition to the four major ninja villages, other small and medium-sized ninja villages such as Kusagakure, Takigakure, and Amegakure also dispatched ninja forces ranging from several hundred to a thousand people.

Dressed in their own distinctive ninja uniforms and wearing different headbands, they gathered together in this basin, all for the purpose of eliminating the greatest threat to the ninja world!

The kingdom of stars!

Outside the basin, Mifune led over a thousand warriors from the Land of Iron, traveling at high speed.

These warriors from the far north wore layered silver armor and were each equipped with two katana. They appeared bulky, but their movements were clean and efficient. They ran through the forest at a speed no slower than ninjas.

The Land of Iron, which has adhered to a policy of neutrality for decades, should not have participated in the war in the ninja world. However, this time, the daimyo and lords of the Land of Iron also felt threatened by the Land of Stars.

That emerging nation seems poised to overthrow the old order of the entire ninja world.

So, under the persuasion of diplomatic teams sent by other daimyo, the daimyo of the Land of Iron summoned Admiral Mifune and ordered him to lead the warriors of the Land of Iron to participate in this coalition.

When Mifune led this samurai force to the high mountains on the edge of the basin, he saw that the entire basin was covered with densely packed tents, numbering at least forty or fifty thousand people.

Colorful flags fluttered in the wind, each embroidered with the mark of a different village.

Hidden by clouds, hidden by mist, hidden by leaves, hidden by rocks, hidden by grass, hidden by waterfalls —

This is not the entire coalition force, but only a portion of the vanguard and main force.

As Mifune led the samurai deeper into the basin, he discovered that the situation with the allied forces seemed quite serious.

"You bastard! I've finally found you! Today I will avenge my father!" A furious voice rang out.

Mifune looked in the direction of the sound and saw two ninjas dressed in uniforms from different ninja villages facing off.

A group of ninjas gathered around to watch the spectacle, some stirring up trouble, others observing coldly.

"Yo, isn't this the son of so-and-so from Kirigakure? Perfect, let's take care of him today." The ninja opposite him sneered and drew his ninja sword without flinching.

It's not just these two.

Similar conflicts are unfolding in every corner of the basin.

"The Tochigi clan, prepare to die!"

"Ha, who do we have here? It's just a lackey of the Seven Mansions Clan."

From the establishment of the ninja village system to the present day, only a little over sixty years have passed, spanning just three generations.

After three major wars that swept across the entire ninja world, the deep-seated hatred between the various ninja villages had long been ingrained in their very blood.

The long-standing feud between Konoha and Kumogakure, the grudges between Iwagakure and Konoha, the old hatred between Kirigakure and Kumogakure —

Therefore, when the allied forces met, small-scale, uncontrollable conflicts quickly broke out. These ninjas, who harbored deep hatred for each other, did not care that the allied forces were formed to counter the threat from the Land of Stars; they only cared about their enemies.

On a mountain at the edge of the basin, there is an abandoned temple that has been temporarily set up as the headquarters for the Allied Shinobi Forces.

The temple's main gate was somewhat dilapidated, and the walls were covered with vines and moss, but the main buildings were still intact and large enough to accommodate dozens of people for meetings.

Mifune instructed his subordinate Okisuke: "Set up camp here and don't cause any trouble."

"Yes, sir!" Okisuke was a samurai in his forties, second only to Admiral Mifune in strength, and also Mifune's right-hand man.

After Mifune led two samurai toward the temple on the mountain, Oki immediately waved his hand to direct the samurai to set up camp.

As for the conflicts and disputes not far away, he simply watched with indifference.

When Mifune arrived at the temple on the mountaintop, there were already quite a few people sitting in the courtyard.

The Fourth Raikage A of Kumogakure, the Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi of Kirigakure, the Acting Hokage Danzo Shimura of Konoha, and the Third Tsuchikage Onoki of Iwagakure.

They sat on opposite sides, each with their own guards behind them, just like the Four Shadows Conference half a month ago.

This time, however, there were some ninjas in the courtyard that Mifune had never seen before.

Mifune glanced at their headbands.

On the Takigakure side was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a dark vest, with a calm expression, accompanied by a young ninja and a teenage ninja.

Mifune searched through the official documents exchanged between the allied forces and found that the leader of Takigakure Village was named something like Shibukawa.

He then turned to look at the ninjas of Amegakure.

The leader was a middle-aged ninja with orange sunglasses and slicked-back white hair. He was relaxed and followed by two ninjas wearing straw hats. Although their faces were not clearly visible, they should both be elites from Amegakure.

Mifune narrowed his eyes slightly.

Because Hanzo, the former leader of Amegakure, was the guy who gave him the greatest humiliation of his life, but was also the guy he wanted to defeat his whole life!

However, Amegakure changed its leader a few years ago, but because Amegakure has been closed off for a long time, few people outside know about Amegakure.

It was only half a month ago, after the Allied Shinobi Forces were confirmed to be formed, that the four major ninja villages notified all countries and ninja villages. It was only then that Amegakure issued a diplomatic document, letting Mifune know that the new leader of Amegakure was named something like Sanzu Amado.

Mifune then looked to the other side. It was said that the leader of Kusagakure was getting old, so he sent the brothers Muwa and Mujo to lead the Kusagakure ninja to join forces.

The two men looked to be in their thirties, with thin faces and sharp eyes. They looked somewhat alike, but one of them had a terrifying scar on his face, making him look more menacing.

Other ninja villages are too small for their leaders to even be present here.

However, as the three ships drew closer, they discovered that the four shadows seemed to be arguing.

Lei Ying Ai slammed his right hand on the table next to him, making a loud "bang".

His voice boomed like thunder, his tone domineering and forceful as he declared, "The command of the allied forces should naturally be given to the strongest ninja, and my Hidden Cloud Village will not shirk this responsibility!"

Behind him, Darui and hope stood expressionless, arms crossed, their eyes scanning the others present warily.

Mei Mizukage chuckled softly, twirling a strand of her long brown hair with her fingers, and said slowly, "Let a Shura's two-time defeated general lead the entire army?"

Her voice was sweet and charming, but the sarcasm in her words made the air in the entire courtyard drop several degrees.

It's no secret that Raikage A lost to Shura twice. Whether it was Shura's first attempt to storm Kumogakure and the resulting earth-shattering explosion, or Raikage A's second attempt to intercept Shura's group at Hell Valley, spies from various villages in Kumogakure had sent back intelligence.

After all, Kumogakure is not as closed off as Kirigakure, nor is Amegakure as isolated.

"You woman! What did you say?!" Enraged by the touch on her wound, Raikage Ai immediately scrambled up from her chair.

A powerful surge of chakra emanated from his body, making everyone in the courtyard feel a sense of oppression.

Darui and hope behind him immediately assumed fighting stances.

"Alright, Lord Raikage," Danzo, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly spoke.

He opened his single eye, glanced at Raikage Aikong's fluttering left sleeve, and said meaningfully, "Your left hand was also lost in the battle with Shura, wasn't it?"

Although little information about the battle at Hell Valley was leaked, the fact that a powerful Kage like the Fourth Raikage, A, had become a one-armed ninja naturally attracted the attention of all the major ninja villages.

Danzo's words, on the surface, were a question, but in reality, they were also an implication.

You, Raikage, have even lost your left hand. What qualifications do you have to compete for this position of commander?

Ray Shadow Ai's expression grew even more gloomy.

"Since you want to know, then I'll tell you! So that you won't accuse me of withholding information when you're severely injured later."

Although Lei Ying Ai was angry, he was not the kind of person who refused to accept defeat.

He rolled up his left sleeve, revealing his smooth left elbow. The other ninjas in the courtyard, as well as Mifune and the leaders of the various ninja villages, all looked over with surprised expressions.

Raikage A is a recognized powerful ninja, and there are very few ninjas in the ninja world who can stand up to him head-on.

Just how powerful would one have to be to lose an arm to beat him?

Raikage Ai looked at his arm and said in a heavy voice, "During the battle at Hell Valley, Shura used a ninjutsu that I had never seen before."

"A short, black stick, only as wide as a thumb, but its length seems to change at will. It's not like a fixed weapon such as a kunai or a senbon; it's more like—more like it appears out of nowhere!"

Upon hearing Lei Ying's description, everyone present frowned and pondered deeply.

Unlike kunai or senbon, which have a fixed design, weapons whose length or even shape can be changed at will?

Danzo, Mei Terumi, and the others looked at Onoki, who was floating in mid-air on the other side.

Of these ninja villages, only Iwagakure and the Land of Stars have experience in warfare.

Five years ago, the village of Iwagakure suffered heavy losses in that crushing defeat, and should have a deeper understanding of the fighting style of the Land of Stars.

However, facing the questioning gazes of the crowd, Onoki simply shook his head and said in a low voice, "To my shame, our Iwagakure village did not fight against Shura. The only ones who fought against us were the Uchiha clan—"

In that battle, Onoki mobilized tens of thousands of Iwagakure ninja, attempting to launch a surprise attack on the heart of the Land of Stars while the Land of Stars was embroiled in a stalemate with Sunagakure. However, they were routed by the Uchiha clan's Susanoo, with two Jinchuriki severely injured, tens of thousands of Iwagakure ninja collapsing, and suffering heavy casualties.

With so many Iwagakure ninjas participating in the war, it was natural that spies from various countries had infiltrated Iwagakure as well, so the intelligence quickly spread.

The leaders of all the ninja villages turned their gazes toward Konoha Village.

Danzo remained calm and composed, showing no change in expression. Ryoma Aburame, standing behind him, wore small sunglasses, making his expression unreadable.

On the contrary, Lu Jiu, who was also standing behind him, felt rather embarrassed and wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

The entire ninja world knows that the Uchiha clan was a prestigious ninja clan in Konoha. However, not long after being forced out of Konoha, a few Uchiha ninjas defeated tens of thousands of ninjas from Iwagakure, including the Tsuchikage and two Jinchuriki, forcing Iwagakure to cede territory and sue for peace. They even served as the Land of Stars' vassal for several years.

How can Konoha not be embarrassed right now?

Raikage A continued, "And what's most terrifying is that this weapon has a strong chakra interference capability. I was in Lightning Release Chakra Mode at the time, but his weapon easily pierced through my Lightning Release Armor. After penetrating my left arm, it interfered with my meridians and chakra flow. I had no choice but to cut off my left hand myself to restore my chakra flow and bodily functions."

Recalling that battle, Raikage A still felt lingering fear. If Killer Bee hadn't used the Eight Tailed Beasts to protect him and Yugito, who was unconscious at the time, they might have died there.

The other Kage and ninja village leaders also became serious upon hearing this information.

The Raikage's strength ranks among the top ninjas in this Allied Shinobi Forces, and he could even be considered the strongest.

Even he was completely outmatched when fighting Shura, which made the others even more disheartened.

Lei Ying Ai rolled up his sleeves and continued, "That's why I became the commander of the allied forces—because I know that guy's strength best!"

However, this explanation failed to convince Mei Terumi, Danzo, and Onoki.

The four shadows each had their own agendas and were unwilling to let anyone else become the commander of the allied forces, but voting was not a practical option.

The ninja world is, after all, a world that values ​​strength. The four great ninja villages are the ones with the right to vote, but they cannot trust the other villages. This is another unsolvable problem.

Just as everyone was at a stalemate, a calm voice rang out.

"Since the Kage are still unable to reach an agreement, how about each village send a team of strategists to form a joint command headquarters for the Allied Shinobi Forces?"

Ai, Mei Terumi, Onoki, Danzo, and the others looked in the direction of the sound and saw Mifune standing in the center of the courtyard, leaning on his katana with both hands, calmly looking at the four Kage.

Upon hearing this, the leaders of the other ninja villages also looked over.

"What should we do if there is a disagreement about the use of troops?" Onoki asked.

He formed the Allied Shinobi Forces because he was terrified of Uchiha Hikaru, let alone Shura, who was even stronger than Uchiha Hikaru.

If they split their forces to advance, Onoki was genuinely afraid that the Iwagakure troops would be crushed by the Uchiha clan again.

Mifune continued, "Given the current state of the Allied Shinobi Forces, a joint operation is most likely impossible."

He looked up and glanced around, then said meaningfully, "You all saw the conflict below, didn't you?"

Ai, Mei Terumi, Onoki, Danzo, and the others all recalled the reports from their subordinates about how ninjas from different villages had clashed after discovering their enemies, and they nodded solemnly.

Those hatreds cannot be resolved in a day or two. Forcibly organizing these people into a fighting force would likely cause internal fighting within the allied forces before they even reach the Star Kingdom.

Mifune then continued, "Therefore, I suggest that we split into at least four groups and meet at the Star City."

The entire proposal stunned the four actors present.

Onoki frowned and said, "If we divide our forces like this, won't we be unable to concentrate all our strength, giving the Land of Stars an opportunity?"

"But if each of our armies has nearly ten thousand ninjas, the Land of Stars would need at least the same number of troops to complete the repelling, wouldn't it?" Mizukage Mei Terumi smiled gently.

Then, Mei Terumi added, "With the Land of Stars having only been established for ten years, how many ninjas could it possibly have?"

This sentence, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred up ripples.

Danzo leaned forward slightly, touching his chin, saying nothing, but considering the feasibility of the plan.

Ray Shadow Ai was also deep in thought.

In this timeline, the mutual understanding between Naruto and Gaara, as seen in the original work, and the Akatsuki's overt threat to the Jinchuriki of each village, meant that the major ninja villages were unable to trust and understand each other.

The enemy they faced was not the White Zetsu army, which could appear from nowhere, but a country with fixed territory and cities.

Therefore, the current situation has become that "whoever enters the Star City first is the victor."

Each major ninja village formed its own faction, while smaller ninja villages chose to annex a single army.

Whoever captures Star City first will have the highest priority in choosing the spoils.

Moreover, in the eyes of these traditional ninja villages, the training of ninjas is not something that can be accomplished overnight.

The Land of Stars has only been established for a mere ten years. Even if it has annexed many countries in the western part of the ninja world, and even Sunagakure and the Land of Wind, it would be good if it could produce at most 20,000 ninjas.

And they had a total of 80,000 allied troops!

Eight thousand against twenty thousand!

The advantage lies with me!

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