Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 221 Gathering of Four Villages

The arrival of 3,000 Iwagakure ninja in the Land of Waves caused quite a stir, and they didn't try to hide it. Konoha received the intelligence within a few days, and Hiruzen Sarutobi and his two companions were nearly driven to the point of vomiting blood.

"What does Onoki want to do?"

Crushing the exquisite pipe bowl once more, Hiruzen Sarutobi truly wished he could rush to Iwagakure and burn Onoki to ashes.

The eastern front was already in chaos due to the involvement of Kumogakure, and now Iwagakure has also mobilized, with a force of 3,000 ninja, seemingly led by Kyoto and the Four-Tails Jinchuriki.

One of them is the son of the Tsuchikage, and the other is the Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails. In addition, there are three thousand ninja soldiers. Iwagakure is obviously serious.

"Hiruzen, what should we do next? Should we send Might Guy over?"

Mitomon's face turned pale. He knew that reinforcements had to be sent to the eastern front, otherwise they would definitely not be able to hold out.

The ninjas of Kirigakure are not good at fighting deep in the mainland, where there are few rivers and less moisture in the air than in the sea, so using water-style ninjutsu would consume a lot of energy.

However, Iwagakure is very skilled in land combat, and this time they have dispatched three thousand ninja soldiers.

There's no way to fight!

"I'll talk to Dai about it later."

It took him a while to calm down. Hiruzen Sarutobi realized that he had no choice but to send Might Guy over now. Otherwise, if the eastern front was completely defeated or even wiped out, the entire war would be out of control, and his plans would be impossible to implement. He would inevitably lose everything.

"There must be a problem with the Senju as well. Although Iwagakure has the largest ninja army, it is impossible for them to easily send 3,000 ninja to fight. They may have secretly reached some kind of agreement with the Senju, just like Kumogakure and the Uchiha."

Koharu Utatane said angrily, believing that the Senju must be colluding with Iwagakure.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Homura Mitokado's expressions darkened at this, as this was their biggest worry.

"Senju Orange Water used Wood Release, which poses an even greater threat to Iwagakure."

After a long silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only think the best. Moreover, if he were Onoki, he would definitely prioritize annihilating the Senju clan to prevent the emergence of another invincible First Hokage.

The same must be true for other ninja villages, which is why he is confident in annihilating the Senju clan.

That much is certain, and no matter what agreement the Senju and Iwagakure reach, this will not change.

"Lord Hokage, the latest information is that this morning all the Kirigakure and Iwa ninja from the Land of Waves left by boat, heading east. It seems they are heading back to the Land of Water."

At this moment, an ANBU ninja appeared and revealed the latest intelligence.

"They've left? Heading towards the Land of Water? What are they planning to do?"

The three were puzzled, not understanding what the Hidden Mist Village was up to.

"Order Jiraiya to intensify surveillance in the eastern sea area to prevent Kirigakure from suddenly turning to land. Report any abnormalities immediately."

Unable to fathom the situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only issue a conservative order: to prepare for the worst and then wait for the latest developments from the three great ninja villages.

The forces of three ninja villages have gathered there, so they must have a grand plan. It's just that we can't figure out what they're up to for the time being.

Not to mention Hiruzen Sarutobi and his group, even Jiraiya and the others at the front lines couldn't understand what Kirigakure was up to.

Nara Shikaku locked himself in his room, the walls of which were covered with intelligence records from the front lines during this period.

He had a bad feeling when he learned that three thousand Iwa ninja had arrived in the Land of Waves. Now that all three thousand Iwa ninja, as well as Kirigakure and Kumogakure ninja, have left the Land of Waves, that bad feeling has become even stronger.

Moreover, he always felt that he had missed something, especially when he saw the information about the appearance of the Iwagakure Ninja Army.

That must be a key point; once we find it, we'll know what Kirigakure is up to.

After four days of tireless, sleepless, and unhealthy study of the intelligence reports plastered on the wall, Nara Shikaku finally realized a crucial point he had previously overlooked.

"Quickly inform Lord Jiraiya to lead his army south to the peninsula. Kirigakure wants to take that peninsula."

Nara Shikaku, his eyes bloodshot, opened the door and called out to his friends Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza, who had been waiting outside.

He finally understood what was going on; the Hidden Mist Village's appetite was terrifyingly large.

"I'll go and inform Lord Jiraiya right away."

Akimichi Choza, who was eating, was startled and immediately got up to inform Jiraiya and the others, but was stopped by Yamanaka Inoichi.

"You stay here and look after Shikaku. I'll go and get Jiraiya and the others."

After finishing his sentence, Yamanaka Inoichi leaped away. He could tell that Shikaku was in a bad state, and considering that he had been thinking in this room for the past few days, he figured that having Jiraiya and the others come over would be a better explanation.

"Shikaku, have some potato chips."

Choza Akimichi handed over the half-eaten bag of potato chips and also picked up a bottle of beverage and twisted it open.

Nara Shikaku didn't stand on ceremony. He took the bag of potato chips, quickly crushed the chips, poured in the drink, shook it, and then quickly gulped it down his throat after it turned into a paste.

This will allow for better eating and digestion, and time is of the essence; I must inform Jiraiya of the results of my analysis as soon as possible.

Not long after, Jiraiya and the others arrived one after another and were led into a room by Nara Shikaku.

"Shikaku, what are you thinking about?"

Jiraiya asked solemnly, noting that Nara Shikaku had grown rapidly during this time and his displayed wisdom had convinced them; his previous statement must have been based on solid information.

Everyone stared intently at Nara Shikaku, waiting for him to explain the words he had spoken earlier.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya had already ordered the ninja forces in the camp to assemble, awaiting Nara Shikaku's intelligence. If the intelligence was reasonable, they would respond immediately.

"I've always found it a little strange that the ninjas of Kirigakure don't use Earth Release ninjutsu. I thought it was because they weren't good at it, but after looking at the old records, I found that Kirigakure ninjas do use Earth Release ninjutsu, but not many people use it."

It was only after Yagura Karatachi took over the command of the ninja army that no one used Earth Release ninjutsu anymore; to be precise, everyone who knew how to use Earth Release ninjutsu disappeared.

Considering the arrival of the Three Thousand Rock Ninja Army and their sudden departure, I suspect that they are not targeting the area we are stationed in, but rather the peninsula in the southeast. Only by occupying that area can Kirigakure be defended.

I suspect that those missing Earth Release ninjas were secretly relocated there to build fortifications; that's the real battlefield chosen by Kirigakure. The recent fighting is just a diversionary tactic to distract us.

Nara Shikaku knew that time was of the essence and that he needed to get there as soon as possible, as he explained things at a rapid pace and presented relevant intelligence records as evidence.

Once the combined forces of the three great ninja villages establish themselves there, it will be impossible to fight them.

At the same time, the daimyo prefecture and the village will inevitably issue a death order to reclaim their territory, making them even more passive.

"Minato, immediately ride the Ninja Hawk there and search for any trace of the Mist Ninja."

Jiraiya solemnly gave orders to his disciples. Although this was just Nara Shikaku's guess, in such matters, it's better to be safe than sorry.

If Kirigakure really has its eye on that place and has established a defensive line, then we'll be in deep trouble.

And upon closer reflection, the possibility is indeed quite high.

"Start searching from the west. Since they traveled by boat eastward instead of heading directly south, they definitely weren't going to the eastern part of the peninsula. They most likely landed from the west."

Nara Shikaku added that he had figured many things out now; Kirigakure had been too ambitious this time.

Minato Namikaze didn't say much, and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave.

The others stayed behind to listen to Nara Shikaku's detailed analysis and to discuss the strategic arrangements for their next move there.

You can't just rush over there; you'd be easily ambushed along the way.

The opponent has two or even three Jinchuriki of Tailed Beasts, and all of them can release Tailed Beast Balls. If you are suddenly hit by a Tailed Beast Ball halfway through, you will be in trouble.

Military campaigns are not child's play; they involve many aspects and cannot be taken lightly.

"Lord Jiraiya, I suggest we write to the Hokage immediately and ask him to send people to the island nations such as the Land of Tea and the Land of Rainbows as soon as possible to contact the daimyo's residences and ninja villages there."

If my guess is correct, Kirigakure has been planning this for a long time. Those ninja villages in those island nations may have already been wiped out, just to prevent us from joining forces with them.

The Hidden Mist Village and the Land of Water want this entire sea area!

As Nara Shikaku spoke, he drew a large circle on the map, encompassing all the islands, large and small.

Upon seeing that circle, everyone's expression turned grim; if that were truly the case, it would be even more disastrous.

"Kumakuya Village has set a bad precedent!"

Kurenai sighed, realizing that the reason why the Daimyo of the Land of Water and Kirigakure had such great ambitions and appetites was because they had conquered Kumogakure, which was located in the northern territories of the Land of the Moon, the Land of Hot Springs, the Land of Rice Fields, and the Land of Fire.

From that time onward, the nature of the Ninja World War changed. It was no longer just a war between ninja villages, but a war between nations, and its ferocity was bound to far exceed that of the previous Ninja World War.

None of them will necessarily survive.

"Is this what war is?"

Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a little confused at this moment. When he was a child, he admired heroes who made great contributions in the war, such as his teacher.

Back then, I dreamed of shining brightly in the Ninja World War and being praised and worshipped by countless people.

Only now did I truly realize the horror of war, which was far more complex than I had imagined and far exceeded my ability to cope.

"Lu Jiu, you should rest well first. If your guess is true, we will need your brains even more after we head south."

Looking at Nara Shikaku, whose face was pale and eyes were bloodshot, Mitarashi Shishou greatly admired the boy.

If it weren't for Nara Shikaku, they would have continued to ignore it until Kirigakure completed all their arrangements, at which point it would have been too late to go there.

"How can I possibly sleep now?"

Nara Shikaku smiled bitterly. He was filled with fear and his mind was filled with the cruel things that might happen next. How could he possibly fall asleep?

Mitarashi Shishou didn't say much about this, but flashed forward and struck the boy on the back of the neck with a chop, knocking him unconscious.

"Cheng Zuo, take good care of your teammates."

"yes!"

Akimichi Choza nodded blankly, then took his friend's arm and carried him to the bed in the corner of the room.

Jiraiya and the others quickly walked out to the war room to discuss the matter. At the same time, Jiraiya quickly wrote a letter and had it sent back to the village as soon as possible.

The current battle situation has completely exceeded his control and must be decided by his teacher, while also requiring the village's maximum support.

On the other side, Minato Namikaze didn't stop at all. Taking advantage of his small stature, he rode the Ninja Hawk and flew at high speed, arriving at the target location that same day, and then searched from the sky.

"Oh, I found it."

Tamura Hao, who was having a barbecue on a defensive fortification, looked up and, with the help of his Byakugan, saw the Ninja Hawk in the distance and Minato Namikaze above it.

Although his face was not clearly visible, his blond hair was quite striking.

"Much earlier than expected."

Ye Yue Ai, whose mouth was greasy from eating, took a sip of beer and was quite surprised.

I thought they could hide it for a few more days, but I didn't expect it to be discovered today.

"Is that Minato Namikaze?"

Putting down the grilled gluten in his hand, Yagura followed Tamura Hiroshi's gaze.

If Konoha were to send someone to investigate, Minato Namikaze would definitely be the first choice.

If Minato Namikaze, who possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique, wanted to leave, no one could stop him, not even Uchiha Hikaru.

This is the unsolvable aspect of space-time ninjutsu.

"It's him!"

Once at the super telescope, Fokai observed it and confirmed it was Minato Namikaze.

"The real battle is about to begin."

Huang Tu put down his beer, patted his stomach, and felt a sense of anticipation.

"Tu-ge's next task is not easy. He has to lead your village's Jonin to play hide-and-seek with Konoha's ninjas underground and protect the waterway we've dug."

Tamura Hao handed one of the grilled sausages to Huang Tu, who then led the Iwagakure Jonin to protect the underground waterway.

While Earth Release ninjutsu can manipulate earth and rocks to rise, it consumes a lot of chakra. Simply transforming the earth is the least consuming method.

Next, they will use the advantages of the waterway to condense the soil and rocks into stone balls, and use the force of the water to roll them into the western sea, rather than lifting them to the banks.

That waterway was the conveyor belt they chose, which could greatly improve the efficiency of river excavation.

Of course, the Tailed Beast Bomb and even the Tailed Beast Ball will also be used to blast those mountains apart.

"The underground is our home turf; we'll make sure they never leave alive!"

Huang Tu happily took the sausage and took a bite. They, the Hidden Stone Village, were not afraid of fighting underground.

"I will deploy all my sensory ninjas to assist you."

Yagura, the head of the Yagura administration, stated that the waterway is crucial to the speed of river excavation and cannot be compromised.

He took all the sensory ninjas from the village with him this time, in order to prevent Konoha ninjas from infiltrating underground and destroying the waterways.

At the same time, it was also a lure to entice the Konoha ninjas to infiltrate and enter the Iwagakure ninjas' hunting grounds.

"I'll deal with Jiraiya."

Zi spoke up, saying that he was most interested in Jiraiya and wanted to uncover the secrets of his Sage Mode; battle was the most direct way to do so.

Although the opponent was very strong, he himself was not weak either, not to mention that he had four assistants to fight with him. They all carried one of the tails of the Four-Tails, and their combat power was no less than that of a Kage-level powerhouse after activating the Tailed Beast Cloak.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi is definitely getting restless; I wonder if he'll come over in person."

Swallowing the roasted meat in her mouth, Yotsuki Ai really wanted to test her skills against the strongest Hokage.

They have never forgotten the debt of murdering them back then.

"It's hard to say."

Tamura Hao couldn't really say for sure. He was a seasoned shut-in, ostensibly there to keep the village in check and stabilize the people's hearts. Getting him to leave Konoha wouldn't be easy.

Especially in war, if you win, it's fine, but if you lose, it will inevitably cause a devastating blow to your reputation and prestige. Given Konoha's abundance of talented people, you could easily be ousted from the position of Hokage.

It's normal for the strongest Hokage to be cautious.

Meanwhile, Minato Namikaze, perched on the back of a ninja hawk in the distance, used a small telescope to observe the situation. He noticed the anomaly from afar and, after confirming that there were a large number of ninjas there, immediately returned.

He's just here to investigate, and the results need to be sent back as soon as possible.

Tamura and the others paid no attention to Minato Namikaze's spying, and the next day at noon, reinforcements from Sunagakure arrived.

Sunagakure has completely occupied the Land of Rivers, which is connected to this bay. All you need to do is take a boat down the river to the sea and then head east to reach it.

Now that the three major ninja villages have joined forces, it's not good to leave Sunagakure behind, lest they get the wrong idea.

"Didn't Rasa-kun come?"

After watching the hundreds of Sand Ninja disembark from the ship, Tamura Hao was a little disappointed, as he didn't see Rasa-kun.

"Did I disappoint you by leading the team to provide support?"

Ye Cang was displeased. "I traveled all this way by boat, and you ask about Luo Sha first."

Should I leave?

"How could that be? It's just that some things are better discussed with Rasa-kun. After all, he is the Kazekage's disciple and the future Fourth Kazekage, and he is more likely to represent Sunagakure."

Tamura Hiroshi, with his signature gentle smile, indicated that he had important matters to discuss with Rasa-kun.

"Then go and talk to him."

With a cold snort, Yecang stepped forward and greeted Tongkua Norito, who was in charge of welcoming him.

Tongkusa no Erin gave Yekura and the boy a strange look, sensing that something seemed off between them.

Something's not right in the relationship.

However, he didn't say much about it and led Yekura and the hundreds of Sand Ninja who came with him to the camp.

The Sand Village's support this time is quite substantial, with thirty Chunin, although most of them are only Special Jonin, with no Elite Jonin and only Pakura having Kage-level strength. Still, it's quite impressive.

Moreover, Yekura is currently very strong; the power of her Scorching Release has increased several levels after fusing with Amaterasu's flames.

Scorching Release is actually a bloodline limit that is primarily wind-attribute with fire-attribute as a secondary attribute. Therefore, even if you throw a Scorching Release fireball into someone's body, it will only evaporate the moisture in the other person, rather than quickly burning them into ashes.

However, after incorporating Amaterasu flames, not only did Yekura cultivate the high-temperature properties of fire to their limit, but Amaterasu flames also further increased the temperature.

The power of Amaterasu Scorching Release has increased significantly, especially when it is used as a Rasengan, which further amplifies its power.

At this moment, Ye Cang is considered a top-tier powerhouse even among Kage-level fighters; at least in terms of attack power, he is absolutely formidable.

Yagura and the others in the camp welcomed Pakura and many Sand Ninja, and even held a banquet.

"The atmosphere here doesn't feel like a war zone."

Ye Cang glanced at the boy who had come over and sat down beside him, and voiced his doubts.

The atmosphere here is so relaxed; it doesn't feel like a war is about to break out.

"We've been fighting non-stop, and many of the Iwagakure ninjas are seasick, so their physical and mental condition isn't very good. If we don't take a few days to relax and recover, it will definitely affect our performance in the upcoming battles."

Tamura Hao didn't think there was anything wrong with such a relaxed atmosphere. Ninjas are human too, and they can't always be tense, otherwise problems could easily arise.

For example, in foreign movies from the past, many soldiers who came down from the battlefield had psychological problems, and some even went to extremes.

Those are all real, not fictional.

Therefore, necessary relaxation is necessary, and a balanced approach is key.

(End of this chapter)