Inside the command tent on the Land of Whirlpools front line, Nara Rokaku was analyzing possible Kiri-nin attack directions with Uzumaki Yuka.
The Kiri-nin hid in the vast sea, able to come and go as they pleased, which was very troublesome.
Suddenly, Nara Shikaku entered the tent.
"Commander, Deputy Commander, Commander Fox has entered the camp!"
Uzumaki Yuka found it strange. Why hadn't Fox notified her first if he was coming?
Yōkō entered the command post. After exchanging greetings with everyone, he said:
"Section Head Rokaku, the war in the Land of Whirlpools needs to end quickly.
I have developed an instant teleportation system that allows Konoha ninja to appear in any town regardless of distance. This will expand Konoha ninja's operational range and strengthen Konoha's influence.
Compared to this transformation, the war in the Land of Whirlpools becomes insignificant. In fact, the very nature of shinobi world warfare may change because of it.
I've come to the front lines here to deal with the Kiri-nin swiftly, so Konoha can devote more energy to building the Flying Altar system."
"Flying Altar system?" After hearing Fox's description, Nara Rokaku immediately understood what he intended.
Previously, Konoha's mission system involved nobles going to Konoha to post missions, and Konoha dispatching squads to complete them.
The average completion time for a mission was about a month.
Missions in major vassal states were especially time-consuming.
If Konoha ninja could instantly appear in the capital of the Land of Rivers or the Land of Whirlpools, the mission system would undergo a fundamental revolution.
Nara Rokaku frowned deeply, quickly considering the pros and cons.
Yōkō said, "Deputy Commander Yuka, the Uzumaki clan excels in sealing techniques. I'd like the Uzumaki clan to join the Three Gods Religion to accelerate altar construction."
The Three Gods Religion was growing larger. Hidan was sometimes too fanatical and extreme. Introducing other forces could serve as a check on Hidan, preventing his faction from becoming too dominant within the religion.
For every person who offered their soul to the Three Gods, Yōkō could control them on a soul level, but he only used those control methods as a last resort.
Uzumaki Yuka quickly had Uzumaki Kaichō gather the Uzumaki ninja.
After explaining the Three Gods Religion to them, Yōkō recruited 30 Uzumaki ninja who voluntarily joined.
These Uzumaki ninja were skilled in sealing techniques. After a week of training, they could be sent to coastal towns or fishing villages to build altars.
Uzumaki Yuka, as clan head, was the first to take the plunge, leading the Uzumaki ninja in offering their souls to the Three Gods.
After the offering, they too could borrow a portion of the Three Gods' power—that is, borrow Yōkō's abilities.
For an average chūnin, even for a jōnin, Yōkō was equivalent to a god among shinobi.
Another week later, with Yōkō's personal participation and the Uzumaki ninja's hard work, many altars were set up in the major coastal towns of the Land of Whirlpools.
Uzumaki Yuka returned to Uzushiogakure and set up an altar within the ruins.
In Uzumaki Yuka's view, the altars were good in every way, except for the requirement to offer one's soul.
Fox said the soul was the purest spiritual energy. Only after offering one's soul could one bear the power of the Three Gods.
Souls were the Three Gods' favorite nourishment.
Looking at the ruins of Uzushiogakure, Uzumaki Yuka silently vowed to rebuild it one day and let the Uzumaki clan thrive there once more.
Deep in the ocean, Commander Yagura Karatachi was in the cabin of a large ship, staring at a map of the Land of Whirlpools.
Yagura suddenly turned his head. A pitcher plant grew from the wooden deck.
The plant opened, revealing the Black and White Zetsu inside.
Zetsu said, "Commander Yagura, I've recently scouted that Konoha has withdrawn the Guardian Ninja from the Daimyō of the Land of Whirlpools!
It seems the war pressure has forced Konoha to even pull back the Daimyō's guard.
This is an opportunity, a precious one! Take the chance to launch an attack and test Konoha's true state."
Yagura asked, "What about Sarutobi Hiruzen? And Fox? Where are those two now?
If Konoha is under so much pressure that they're withdrawing Guardian Ninja, those two should take to the battlefield, right?"
"Sarutobi Hiruzen is still in Konoha," Zetsu said. "As for Fox... Fox's power is too great. I dare not get close to him.
I can only infer where Fox is based on traces left afterward.
Based on current signs, Fox should not be in the Land of Whirlpools."
Actually, Fox is in the Land of Whirlpools, White Zetsu thought to himself.
Pain said we should goad Yagura into launching a full-scale offensive to force Fox to appear, creating an opportunity for Ōnoki and the Raikage to act.
Yagura stared at the map, pondering.
After waiting a whole night, a Kiri-nin entered the cabin with a scroll.
Yagura read the scroll, which said the capital of the Land of Whirlpools was in chaos, the Daimyō's samurai killed, and the Guardian Ninja gone.
He nodded repeatedly. It seemed the Akatsuki ninja hired by Ōnoki hadn't lied to him. Konoha was indeed under so much pressure that they had to recall the Guardian Ninja.
When Kirigakure attacked the Land of Whirlpools, Kumogakure attacked the Land of Hot Water, and Iwagakure attacked the Land of Grass, Konoha was struck from multiple directions.
From what Yagura knew, Kumogakure and Iwagakure were also fighting fiercely, suffering casualties no less than Kirigakure's.
"Assemble the troops! Target... the capital of the Land of Whirlpools!"
The messenger ninja hurriedly left the cabin.Yagura thought for a moment and said, "Have the Six-Tails Jinchūriki come see me!"
Hearing Yagura intended to use the Six-Tails, Zetsu's pitcher plant, before closing, said, "Commander Yagura, I will inform the Tsuchikage and Raikage of your resolve..."
Yagura gathered all his forces: the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, major clans like the Hōzuki and Kaguya, and also brought the Six-Tails Jinchūriki.
Kirigakure had obtained some of the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, but research progress had always been slow, lacking sealing technique geniuses.
Unlike Kumogakure, where B and Ryūjin, those two Jinchūriki, though both dead, left behind a vast legacy of sealing techniques that aided the development of Kumo's Jinchūriki sealing arts.
Sending three groups of 200 Kiri-nin to other directions as diversions, Yagura led 1,500 Kiri-nin, charging toward the largest port in the Land of Whirlpools: Ryousei Port.
Ryousei Port was where Kirigakure and Konoha signed the humiliating armistice at the end of the Second Great Shinobi War.
Yagura thought to himself, This is where I will lead Kirigakure to wash away that shame!
It was only 20 kilometers from the capital of the Land of Whirlpools. After taking Ryousei Port, they could march straight on the capital.
That would allow them to test Konoha's true state.
If Konoha was truly under so much pressure that they had to deploy even Guardian Ninja to the front lines, then they could seize the opportunity to occupy the capital, besiege it to draw out Konoha reinforcements, and kill the supporting Konoha ninja units.
Ryousei Port was eerily quiet.
Seeing over a thousand Kiri-nin, all the nobles, officials, merchants, fishermen, and others hid in their homes or corners, hoping for a miracle, hoping not to be killed by the Kiri-nin.
In places unknown to the Kiri-nin, cloaked followers emerged from a temple hall and approached the altar in the courtyard.
Inside the hall were three divine statues. The followers' robes also bore the Three Gods Religion emblem, resembling a trident.
After a prayer, the sealing formula on the altar suddenly glowed.
A figure instantly appeared.
The follower hurriedly said, "Leader Fox, you've come."
"Yes, I've come."
Yōkō walked toward the courtyard's entrance.
Through the gate, he saw countless Kiri-nin leaping across rooftops.
And behind Yōkō, groups of Konoha ninja were appearing instantly.
In a very short time, the courtyard was filled with Konoha ninja.
Yōkō said, "Spread out! Don't block the arrival of other ninja!"
With that, Yōkō stepped out of the courtyard.
(End of Chapter)