As Shota along with Pakura and her genin team reached Konoha, they were surprised to see the massive destruction that the Nine-Tails attack had caused.
The once beautiful village hidden in the leaves now showed clear signs of the terrible disaster it has just suffered.
The mountains around Konoha were thoroughly destroyed. Large parts of the hills had simply disappeared, leaving behind huge craters and broken rock formations.
It did not take Shota much to gather that they were destroyed by tailed beast bombs. The power of the Nine-Tails was truly frightening to see up close.
The nearby forests were still being burned by some flames. Smoke rose from the trees, and the air smelled of burnt wood and ash. The destruction had spread far beyond the village walls.
Shota could see how the attack had affected everything around Konoha. The land looked scarred and wounded, and it would take many years for nature to heal these wounds.
The village itself seemed to be half destroyed, but the majority of the destruction was contained to the outskirts of the village. The inner parts still stood, though many buildings had damage.
People were working hard to clear the rubble and start rebuilding. The sight was both sad and impressive. Even after such a big disaster, the people of Konoha were already trying to recover and make their village strong again.
"So much destruction, so much damage..." one of Pakura's genins, whose name Shota forgot, said in a quiet voice. The young boy looked around with wide eyes, clearly shocked by what he was seeing.
Maki said with despair in her voice, "It is unbelievable that there is such a thing that could do so much damage. And it is not just the damage, it even managed to kill the Fourth Hokage, someone who could teleport..."
"Sensei, what if we face such a threat? What if the One-Tails gets loose from his Jinchuriki?" one of the other genin asked, sounding scared.
Pakura said, "Do not worry. I would protect you three. And as for the One-Tails getting loose, you do not have to worry."
She then pointed at Shota, who was lazily walking behind them with half-closed eyes. "With someone like him with us, you do not have to worry about a Jinchuriki going out of control," she said confidently.
Shota's half-lidded eyes immediately became more alert as he blushed. He thought, 'Pakura-sama just praised me! Oh my god, oh my god!'
His heart beat faster, and he felt a warm feeling spread through his chest. Being praised by his idol made the long journey worth it.
He tried to act cool outwardly and said, "Suna has measures in place if Shukaku, the One-Tails, gets loose from his Jinchuriki. So you do not have to worry about it. As for the Fourth Hokage dying, Nine-Tails is called the strongest tailed beast for a reason."
'Well, he could have survived if he was not distracted by Obito,' Shota thought quietly. He knew the real story behind the attack, but he could not say it out loud.
They continued to walk toward Konoha, and the genin immediately felt something amiss that was making breathing a little hard and making their skin stand on end.
The air felt heavy and oppressive, like something dangerous was still lingering around them.
Maki asked with sweat dripping down her neck, "What is this heavy feeling in the air, Sensei?"
Pakura said, "It is the Nine-Tails chakra. Or rather the lingering chakra after the attack. The Nine-Tails must have used quite a lot of its chakra for it to be saturated in the atmosphere to this degree."
Shota thought, 'The Nine-Tails chakra has not yet disappeared. That means that I can still complete my secondary objective of agreeing to come here.'
As they were about to reach the village entrance, they were approached by Konoha shinobi in the dozens who were on guard and ready to attack them.
The Leaf ninja surrounded the group quickly, their hands on their weapons and their eyes sharp.
Shota knew that they had a good reason to be on guard. Konoha had just suffered a terrible attack, and they were naturally suspicious of visitors from other villages.
Shota and Pakura were two S-rank shinobi of Suna, and while they were in alliance with Konoha, it would not be a lie to think that Suna would not consider attacking a weakened Konoha after all the suffering Suna had suffered in the past two wars.
The history between the villages was full of pain and betrayal. Many people in Suna still remembered the losses from those conflicts, and some might see this as a chance for revenge. Konoha's leaders had to be careful. They could not afford to let their guard down, even with allies.
The shinobi of the Leaf had lost their Hokage and many comrades. Their village was damaged, and their strength was reduced.
In such a situation, any strong visitor could be seen as a potential threat. Shota understood their caution completely. He would have done the same if the roles were reversed.
The alliance was important, but trust had to be earned again after such a big disaster. The Konoha shinobi were protecting their home, and Shota respected that. He kept his hands visible and his posture non-threatening as he waited for them to speak.
The lead shinobi stepped forward. It was a big man with red hair. Shota recognized him as the clan head of the Akimichi clan, Choza Akimichi.
The man's presence was strong, and his eyes were sharp as he looked at the Suna group. "State your purpose, shinobi of Suna," Choza said in a deep, commanding voice.
Shota stepped forward carefully, keeping his hands open to show he meant no harm.
--------Author Notes---------
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