Outside Konoha, a black spatial vortex appeared.
The spiraling, distorted space quickly calmed, and the vortex spat out several figures.
Ōnoki sniffed with his exaggeratedly large nose, inhaling the moist air.
"Who wouldn't love the lush forests of the Land of Fire? This place has favorable weather, fertile soil, and grows so many great trees.
Compared to the Land of Fire, the highlands of the Land of Earth are too barren."
The Land of Fire occupied the most habitable place on the shinobi continent, making people from other countries intensely jealous.
The Third Raikage looked into the distance through the forest, spotting several large faces faintly visible through the gaps in the tree canopy.
That was Konoha's famous Hokage Rock.
The Third Raikage was about to charge toward Konoha when Ōnoki stopped him.
"Wait! Raikage!" Ōnoki looked at Uchiha Obito and Zetsu:
"For this attack on Konoha, is Akatsuki only sending the two of you?"
The Third Raikage immediately understood Ōnoki's concern.
Akatsuki's Uchiha Obito possessed spatial teleportation abilities. If they fought Konoha to a stalemate, Akatsuki might swoop in to claim victory.
Zetsu spoke up, "Tsuchikage, you'd best hurry. I don't know how long Yagura Karatachi can hold off Fox.
We have no interest in your war. Pain told you, we want the Nine-Tails. We want Konoha to be unable to protect it.
In dealing with Konoha, we have no conflict.
As agreed, delivering you outside Konoha at the right time is enough. Obito hates Konoha deeply, so he's actively helping you. You should be thanking us."
Uchiha Obito vanished again. When he reappeared, he brought with him one hundred elite subordinates each for Ōnoki and the Raikage.
One hundred Iwa-nin, one hundred Kumo-nin, to handle flanking threats for Ōnoki and the Raikage, preventing them from being distracted.
The Third Raikage made the first move, clad in his Lightning Release Chakra Cloak, charging toward Konoha's outer wall.
On the watchtowers of the wall, the guard squad saw the forest outside the village suddenly erupted with dust. Something was rushing toward the village at tremendous speed.
Trees along the path toppled or even shattered, plowing a clearing dozens of meters long.
Before the guards could fire their signal flare into the sky, the entire watchtower was smashed to rubble.
They didn't need to worry about the flare not being launched, as the wall was breached for over a hundred meters. Anyone in Konoha could see something major had happened.
Inside the Hokage building, Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly turned his head, looking toward the eastern wall.
Just as he looked, he saw shattered bricks and stones from the wall flying, destroying the woods and houses below.
Fortunately, the area beneath the wall was relatively remote and had poor lighting, so few people lived there.
Throwing off his ceremonial robe to reveal the armor beneath, Hiruzen immediately shouted, "Kari! Go notify Fox!"
Yamanaka Kari disregarded protocol, rushing out the window and leaping toward the temple—the former Nademon Hall.
All the way, Kari thought about how he and the Hokage had been discussing these past few days: whether the appearance of the Three Gods Religion was beneficial or harmful to Konoha, and whether Konoha should completely change its attitude toward the daimyō and nobility as Commander Fox suggested.
As the Guardian Ninja Captain, he very much wanted the existing system to remain unchanged. He was familiar with the daimyō and the ways of the nobility.
If Konoha made changes, there would certainly be fierce resistance from the daimyō and nobles.
Yet, at this moment, Kari only thought about reaching the temple as quickly as possible, about getting reinforcements.
Konoha now faced enemies on all sides. Over ninety percent of the village's forces were in the major vassal states.
He could only hope that Commander Fox's temple system could help the village survive this crisis.
Landing in the temple courtyard, Yamanaka Kari saw an Uzumaki ninja had already unrolled a scroll, waiting for someone from the village.
This Uzumaki ninja was a follower of the Three Gods Religion, responsible for managing this temple.
"Hurry! Jōnin Kari! I've been ready!"
Yamanaka Kari stood before the altar. A sealing formula appeared on it.
He couldn't help but ask, "What if someone attacks the altar now, interrupting the teleportation?"
The Uzumaki ninja said, "Attacking the altar is attacking the Three Gods. Leader Fox would appear instantly. So... if you attacked the altar now, Jōnin Kari, you'd see Lord Fox sooner."
Yamanaka Kari thought, Well, well. If I attacked the altar, I could find Lord Fox faster, but I'd be the criminal. You'd have no problem at all.
Yamanaka Kari vanished instantly. His vision changed, and he saw an unfamiliar courtyard.
When he looked outside the courtyard, he found it was the familiar Ryousei Port.
Having served as the Guardian Ninja Captain for the Daimyō of the Land of Whirlpools for years, he had visited this place many times each year.
He Body flickered out of the temple courtyard, urgently searching for Commander Fox.
On the distant sea, the Wood Human had just pressed the Six-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball back into the ocean, causing a terrifying explosion.
Seeing that explosive scene, Yamanaka Kari sighed inwardly. Some battles could only be fought by top-tier ninja. If he were standing on the shore right now, he wouldn't know how to deal with the aftermath.
Yamanaka Kari saw Commander Fox turn his head and look at him.
He quickly made hand signals, indicating the situation was critical.
Someone arriving from Konoha, signaling an emergency—surely Lord Fox understood the severity.
Indeed, Lord Fox quickly headed his way.
"Lord Fox! Powerful enemies have attacked Konoha! One attack destroyed dozens, maybe a hundred meters of the village wall! Before I left, I heard a piercing sound of thunder!"
Yōkō said, "It seems the Third Raikage has made his move. Let's go. We'll teleport back."
Yōkō could have instantly appeared within Konoha himself. He chose not to. What he wanted was for Kushina and the others to return using the Flying Altar system. All Konoha ninja needed to adapt to this new system.
The temple follower activated the altar. Yōkō, Kari, and Kushina vanished instantly.
When their vision changed again, Yōkō was already inside Konoha.
In the distance, an iron staff dozens of meters long was smashing and churning at the breach in Konoha's wall.
High in the sky was a black dot—Ōnoki flying.
Yōkō said, "Kushina, help the Hokage deal with the Raikage. I'll handle Ōnoki."
Although the Raikage was strong—strong in being a 'stats monster'—Kushina had her chakra cloak and formidable recovery abilities, allowing her to hold out for some time.
Ōnoki's Dust Release, however, meant certain death if hit.
A mass of sand erupted beneath Yōkō's feet, carrying him into the air.
Yamanaka Kari was stunned. Why did Lord Fox know Suna's secret Sand Release technique? Lord Fox could fly too?
Was Section Head Rokaku's speculation true?
Rokaku had said Pakura becoming the Fifth Kazekage was abnormal, that there was Lord Fox's hidden manipulation behind it, that there was an unclear relationship between Pakura and Lord Fox.
Could it be... Lord Fox really had an affair with the Fifth Kazekage?
(End of Chapter)