The border between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire.
Several thousand elite ninja from Kumogakure, forming a black torrent, were rolling towards Konoha's northern fortress with an unstoppable momentum.
Each of them was burly and muscular, with faint arcs of electricity wrapping around their bodies, and their faces wore expressions of bloodlust and excitement.
Kumogakure, this village that revered martial prowess and took pride in battle, had been dormant for too long.
And today, under the leadership of their Kage, they would announce their return to the entire ninja world.
At the very front of the torrent was a figure like a demon god.
The Third Raikage, A.
He was bare-chested, his bronze skin covered with battle scars, and every muscle was filled with explosive power.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Release Armor!"
A blinding blue electric light erupted from his body, forming a suit of armor made of pure lightning that enveloped his entire body.
Crackle—crackle—
The violent lightning made the air hiss as if it couldn't bear the strain.
His personal guards were forced back again and again by this powerful chakra.
"Hahaha! This is the feeling!"
A, feeling the surging power within him, let out a hearty laugh.
"Lord Raikage, according to intelligence, Konoha's three armies have been tied down by Amegakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure. Their domestic forces are empty. This is the best opportunity for us to break through their northern defensive line in one fell swoop!"
His secretary, also a powerful jonin, reported excitedly.
"Indeed," A snorted with disdain.
He glanced south, at that fertile land, his eyes filled with greed and contempt.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen... that weak little brat who used to hide behind his teacher has actually become Hokage."
"Hmph, so be it. Back then, Senju Tobirama died at the hands of our Kumogakure. Today, let his student leave his life here as well!"
"Relay my orders! Full speed ahead! I want to raze this broken fortress of Konoha to the ground before nightfall!"
"Yes!"
The morale of the Kumogakure army reached its peak with the Raikage's roar.
The sound of thunder rolled, and the killing intent soared.
In their eyes, this war no longer held any suspense.
They would be like a red-hot blade, easily cutting through this rotten piece of cheese that was Konoha.
"Woo—woo—woo—"
The urgent sound of alarms instantly echoed throughout the entire northern fortress.
The Konoha ninja who had been chatting, the laziness and confusion on their faces swept away, were instantly filled with a murderous aura.
The barrier squad's ninja flew through hand seals, and visible chakra barriers rose up on all four sides of the fortress, enveloping the entire fortress like an iron barrel.
The medical squad's ninja quickly set up temporary aid stations in the rear, preparing a large amount of medical supplies.
The combat unit's ninja, holding kunai and ninja swords, densely packed the hundreds of meters of the city wall, their sharp eyes staring at the distant horizon.
The entire fortress, in just a few short minutes, had transformed from a seemingly lax holiday camp into a war machine on high alert.
This was the foundation of Konoha.
Even in the most peaceful of times, they had never forgotten the cruelty of war.
Shimura Danzo stood at the highest point of the city wall, looking at the orderly scene below, his heart filled with emotion.
Only now did he understand that Hiruzen's seemingly idle waiting before was not laziness, but a form of extreme confidence.
Confidence that his subordinates could enter the perfect combat state the moment they received the order.
Confidence in himself, that he could handle everything that was to come.
"All units, on my command!"
Danzo's voice, amplified by chakra, spread throughout the entire fortress. "The enemy is approaching! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!"
"Root members, disperse into the formation, be responsible for monitoring the battlefield, and be ready to provide support and carry out special missions at any time!"
"Anbu members, form assault squads and await my signal!"
One order after another was issued from his mouth in an orderly manner.
At this moment, he was no longer the competitor living in Hiruzen's shadow, but in the true sense, the Hokage's second-in-command, the deputy commander-in-chief of the battlefield.
And Sarutobi Hiruzen stood beside him, just watching calmly, without saying a word.
He had completely handed over the pre-battle command to Danzo.
This trust sent an indescribable warmth through Danzo's heart.
He knew that Hiruzen was telling him in this way: Danzo, I trust you.
"Hiruzen, thank you," Danzo said in a low voice.
"We are comrades, are we not?" Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled.
Just then, on the distant horizon, a dark cloud appeared.
That dark cloud was moving rapidly towards the fortress at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Rumble—!"
A dull thunder came from the distant sky, as if a thousand troops and ten thousand horses were galloping towards them.
The earth began to tremble slightly.
The ninja on the city wall knew that it was the ninja army of Kumogakure.
It was the main force of Kumogakure, famous for its strong physique and domineering Lightning Release!
As the distance closed, the true face of that dark cloud was finally revealed.
It was a huge army composed of over a thousand burly Kumogakure ninja in white combat uniforms.
Each of them was like a beast released from its cage, exuding a brutal aura.
And at the very front of the army, a burly figure was running at a speed that surpassed human limits.
His body was wrapped in a layer of dazzling blue lightning, and his whole person had turned into a bolt of lightning that tore through the air.
Where the lightning passed, deep ravines were plowed into the ground, and the air let out a pained cry as if it couldn't bear the strain.
The Third Raikage, A!
He was not behind the main army, but had chosen to be the arrowhead of the entire army, leading the charge at the very front.
What confidence, what dominance.
He was going to use his own body to smash open Konoha's national gate for the army behind him.
"Is that... the Third Raikage?"
On the city wall, a young Konoha chunin's voice trembled as he looked at the blue lightning that was like a god descending to earth.
"What... what terrifying chakra..."
"Is this really a power that a human can possess?"
Even the battle-hardened veterans couldn't help but tighten their grip on their weapons, their palms covered in cold sweat, when faced with this oppressive feeling that was like a natural disaster.
"Everyone, hold your ground!"
Danzo shouted sternly. "He's just a brute! We are the ninja of Konoha! Behind us is the village, our families!"
His voice woke up the wavering ninja.
That's right, they were the ninja of Konoha.
Behind them was Lord Hokage!
Everyone's gaze, in unison, turned to the figure standing in the very center of the city wall.
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