Chapter 457: Kara's Move
SWISH! SWISH!
"Someone is pursuing us. Stay behind and cover our retreat!"
In the desert region of the Land of Demons, several figures were speeding forward at high speeds, riding devices resembling hoverboards.
The squad leader barked orders to the rest of the team.
"Yes, sir!"
Several members skidded to an immediate halt, pulling high-tech equipment from their waist pouches to set up traps around the perimeter.
Meanwhile, the leader departed rapidly, moving at extreme speeds.
It seemed as though delaying by even a single second would mean being caught and killed by the pursuers.
A full half-day after he departed, a massive airship finally appeared in the distant sky.
"Captain, they're moving so fast... They must be nearly out of your scent tracking range by now, right?"
A male shinobi spoke to Kiba Inuzuka.
None of them had ever imagined anyone could run so fast against the speed of Konoha's combat airship.
Kiba Inuzuka replied sharply, "Stay on high alert. The enemy's Scientific Ninja Tools aren't something we can afford to underestimate."
HUMMM!
At that exact moment, his nose twitched, and he immediately activated the airship's defensive system.
A massive protective barrier instantly expanded around the vessel.
Several high-pressure water jets came blasting up from below.
They slammed hard against the energy shield, causing heavy ripples across its surface.
"It's an enemy ambush! Attack!"
SWISH! SWISH!
Kiba leaped off the ship without hesitation, with Akamaru right on his heels.
"Akamaru, Super Fang Wolf Fang!"
BANG!
The giant two-headed wolf quickly materialized, instantly whipping up a colossal tornado.
A powerful technique that had once been able to breach the Rashomon gate had now become part of his standard arsenal.
Man and hound launched a lightning-fast joint attack at the enemy below.
BANG!
...
Inside Konoha.
Having heard the report on the Priestess's prophecy, Tobitake Tonbo stroked his chin thoughtfully.
It seemed a final showdown was inevitable after all. And judging by the details of the Priestess's vision, the entity on the opposing side was none other than Otsutsuki Shibai.
He had been resurrected.
This matched the earlier deductions made by him and Orochimaru: the entity was indeed not dead, having utilized some method to orchestrate a resurrection thousands of years later.
It also proved that all the preparations Tonbo had been making were entirely justified.
Was Kara gathering terrifying monsters across the Shinobi World to build up their operational foundation?
If that was the case, he needed to make even more extensive preparations.
They also needed to expand the cultivation of talented personnel.
As for whether there were any flaws in the Priestess's prophecy, he felt her vision was spot-on.
That entity's resurrection was a absolute certainty.
While specific details of the future could be altered, the revival of someone who had already existed was virtually impossible to undo.
Curse it all... A terrifying future is bound to arrive in the end. Will it truly come down to a ultimate decisive war?
With those thoughts in mind, Tonbo returned to the Technology Development Bureau and shared the intelligence with Orochimaru and the team.
Hearing this, Orochimaru chuckled softly. "Heh... Your intelligence is getting even more outrageous. I have no idea where you dig all this up, but it proves we've been on the right track all along.
However, our current preparations are still far from enough. We need even more contingencies.
I'm already working on new countermeasures. If we ever face an opponent like that, they might actually come in handy."
Kabuto Yakushi added, "In that case, I'll put in extra effort as well. I'll let Tsumi and the others spend more time with the children at the orphanage while I focus more on our work here."
When the lips are gone, the teeth turn cold.
If the world were truly destroyed, the orphanage would perish right along with it—an outcome Kabuto could never accept.
Because of this, he resolved to push himself even harder.
He had been far too lax previously, failing to increase his strength rapidly enough.
...
Kiba Inuzuka's mission to retrieve Moryo ended in failure.
They only managed to eliminate a few insignificant Outer members.
Upon receiving the intelligence, Konoha extracted the enemies' memories and tracked down their hideout, only to find the facility completely deserted.
Even after employing various specialized tracking techniques, they only succeeded in wiping out more peripheral operatives; the individual who had physically carried Moryo away had completely vanished.
This was an outcome none of Konoha's high council had anticipated.
Another failure.
Kara's operational capabilities were absurdly formidable.
This was especially evident when battling Kara's Outer members, where it became clear that their development of Scientific Ninja Tools was advancing even faster than Konoha's.
Utilizing Scientific Ninja Tools in active combat had already become an integral part of Kara's military doctrine.
Across all sectors of the Shinobi Alliance—Kumogakure, Kirigakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure...
Upon receiving Konoha's reports and intelligence regarding the high probability of upcoming global events, every nation adjusted its defense policies accordingly.
Yet another crisis threatening the entire Shinobi World was on the horizon.
Adjustments were unavoidable.
Shifting funds from basic infrastructure projects into development programs, each village began selectively drafting key personnel to undergo intensive strength enhancements.
Even retired former Kage traveled to Konoha to participate in training facilities shared across the Alliance.
All of it was geared toward becoming stronger to neutralize any potential upcoming crisis.
Beyond the major villages, the World Ninja Association issued a public announcement, formally disclosing Kara's existence to the global population.
They urged everyone to maintain extreme vigilance and prevent themselves from being manipulated by Kara.
"Special report from the Shinobi Alliance: According to the prophetic vision from the Priestess of the Land of Demons, a Fifth Great Shinobi World War will erupt in the near future. This war will pit unknown, highly dangerous enemies against the collective might of the entire Shinobi World.
Here and now, the high council of the Shinobi Alliance calls upon citizens worldwide:
Remain vigilant regarding those around you and do not give the enemy any opportunity to exploit.
Otherwise, the hard-won peace we share will crumble under the enemy's offensive.
Simultaneously, the World Ninja Association has issued a official notice placing bounties on Kara personnel. Any individual who hunts down Kara members or gathers vital intelligence on the organization will receive substantial rewards from the Shinobi Alliance—including housing, real estate, currency, ninjutsu scrolls, and various other resources.
The Shinobi Alliance is currently mobilizing for war. Former Five Kage, alongside numerous top-tier powerhouses, have commenced joint combat training.
This concludes the official report from the Shinobi Alliance."
Across global broadcast channels, citizens sitting in front of their televisions were suddenly redirected to this news broadcast, listening in utter shock to the announcement.
No one had imagined that such dark, treacherous currents were surging beneath such a peaceful era.
To think the entire world could face potential destruction.
Under these circumstances, anxiety and panic spread rapidly among the civilian population.
People began suspecting those around them, viewing ordinary behaviors with distrust.
At the slightest anomaly, citizens immediately reported suspect individuals to local authorities.
Oddly enough, this widespread paranoia led to the actual capture of numerous Kara operatives, as well as the discovery of their communication channels and classified intelligence.
Driven by countless bounty hunters, the World Ninja Association's public notice spread rapidly to every corner of every nation across the globe.
What had originally been an internal affair for the Shinobi Alliance had now escalated into a global, full-spectrum mobilization.
"Heh... It looks like we'll need to lay low for a while and wait until this storm passes before making our next move."
Inside Kara, every member watching the news broadcast realized that serious trouble had arrived.
This was no longer a matter of operating in the shadows; they had been fully exposed to the global public.
Amado remarked calmly, "It doesn't matter. No matter how intense a news cycle is, it will eventually fade from the screens over time.
We will temporarily suspend active operations and hibernate. Order all members to refrain from acting recklessly."
Since things had come to this, there was no other choice but to retreat into hiding.
In terms of sheer raw military strength, they were still no match for the combined Shinobi Alliance.
However, ten or twenty years down the line, that balance could easily shift.
"Hehehehe... For the Shinobi Alliance to publicly release this information—aren't they afraid of driving civilians across every nation into a panic, throwing society into chaos and ruining countless lives?" another member sneered.
Victor countered, "As long as ninjutsu exists, resolving issues like civilian panic is trivial. Never underestimate the power of ninjutsu."
Recently, Victor had mastered even greater biological life-force techniques, raising his regenerative capabilities to a whole new level.
His cybernetic body modifications had entered a revolutionary phase; he was now capable of mastering all basic elemental transformations and had even unlocked Wood Style.
Such was the absolute power of science.
He understood better than anyone that whether through ninjutsu or advanced technology, incredible feats were entirely achievable—much like the widespread neural ninjutsu Amado had deciphered that was present in almost every human being across the world.
It was entirely within the realm of possibility.
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