"I am Yoshimura Ryoto, the captain of the Jonin team."
"Why are the Jonin team members with our Anbu captain?" Uchiha Itachi questioned in a low voice. "What are you plotting? Let Gekko Tetsu answer the phone!"
"Captain Uchiha Itachi, calm down," Yoshimura Ryoto said. "The Jonin team and the Anbu are together, so naturally they have a cooperative mission. Why don't you come to the Security Department, and we can talk slowly."
"A joint mission? Why don't I, the Anbu Captain-Commander, know about this!" Uchiha Itachi suppressed his anger. "And why are you at the Security Department? You even dared to kidnap Lord Jiraiya, what are you trying to do? Release Lord Jiraiya immediately!"
"Let me speak," Uchiha Shisui stepped forward and said to Yoshimura Ryoto.
Yoshimura Ryoto handed the radio to Uchiha Shisui, who prepared himself before speaking after hearing Uchiha Itachi's angry growl over the radio.
"Where is he?"
"Itachi, this is Shisui. Calm down." Shisui said calmly.
"Shisui?" Itachi Uchiha said in disbelief, "How come you've joined them too? Wasn't it because of your influence that I pledged allegiance to the Third Hokage and Lord Jiraiya? But how can you kidnap Lord Jiraiya now?"
"I won't say anything more. Now, release Lord Jiraiya immediately!"
"Captain Itachi, I'm sorry, we can't release him. Lord Jiraiya is suspected of aiding the enemy and betraying the village. We can't release him until we've investigated everything. But don't worry, if it's confirmed that Lord Jiraiya is innocent, we'll release him immediately."
"Shisui-nii!" Itachi Uchiha roared.
"Itachi, calm down." Shisui reminded him again.
"Calm down what?" Shisui's complete siding with the other side had completely shattered Itachi Uchiha's composure. "You rogue ninja, just you wait! I'm coming right now, and I'll blow you all to smithereens with my ninjutsu!"
Itachi Uchiha angrily hung up the phone.
In Uchiha Touhuan's office, Shisui looked helplessly at everyone: "He said he's going to blow us all to bits."
"I can hear you." Kakashi's lips twitched, and after a while, he said to Shisui, "Shisui, I'm counting on you to stop him."
"Understood." Shisui nodded.
A flying insect flew out from Aburame Shiki's body and entered Uchiha Shisui's ear. Shisui exchanged glances with the others, then pushed open the door and walked out of the office.
"Akuta-senpai, how's it going on your end?" After Shisui left, Kakashi contacted Inuzuka Akuta, who was leading the team guarding the Ino-Shika-Cho clan's territory, using a communication insect.
"They've already started to assemble," Inuzuka Jax replied.
"Just hold them off, prioritize the safety of our own people," Kakashi said.
"Understood." Inuzuka Jax ended the call. In his line of sight, Akimichi Choza, clad in full armor, led a squad of Ino-Shika-Cho ninja, slowly emerging from the clan's territory.
"Clan Chief Jax, what do you say?" Uchiha Haruka asked beside Inuzuka Jax after activating her Three-Tomoe.
"Just stop them. If they know what's good for them, try to avoid conflict," Inuzuka Jax said.
"Understood." The people behind Inuzuka Jax nodded, no longer concealing themselves, and stepped out from their hiding places, blocking the only road leading from the clan's territory to the village.
The two groups soon met face to face.
"Clan Chief Jax, are you here as a guest again?" Akimichi Choza asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Yes, we are all still grateful for the hospitality we received from Clan Chief Choza last time," Inuzuka Jacques said. "I wonder if Clan Chief Choza could treat our two clans as well as he did last time?"
"I'm afraid that's not possible. Such a big thing has happened in the village, and I should be there," Akimichi Choza said.
"Clan Chief Choza, are you really sure? If you take action, you won't be able to escape the charge of aiding and abetting internal strife," Inuzuka Jacques said. "Why do you have to do this? Jiraiya has already been arrested, and you can't change the outcome. Forcibly intervening will not benefit your Ino-Shika-Cho trio."
At this moment, ten Uchiha ninjas with three-tomoe Sharingan slowly stepped out from behind Inuzuka Jacques and stood in front of Akimichi Choza.
In the darkness, ten pairs of crimson Sharingan eyes immediately put immense pressure on Akimichi Choza and the Ino-Shika-Cho clan members behind him. This time, unlike last time, his closest allies, Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi, were not by his side. In a one-on-one fight, his strength was roughly equal to Inuzuka Jax's.
However, the Jonin and Chunin of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans behind him would likely be no match for the Inuzuka and Aburame clan members led by ten Uchiha Jonin with three tomoe.
Seeing this, Akimichi Choza could only take out his radio and call Yamanaka Inoichi.
At the Anbu base, Yamanaka Inoichi answered the radio, and Uchiha Itachi and Nara Shikaku looked at him.
"Choza? What happened?" Yamanaka Inoichi asked.
"Our reinforcements probably can't get here. The Inuzuka and Aburame clans have deployed their elite forces, along with ten three-tomoe Uchiha Jonin. We're probably no match for them," Akimichi Choza said.
As Akimichi Choza finished speaking, Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Shikaku fell silent.
After a while, Nara Shikaku sighed, took the radio from Yamanaka Inoichi's hand, and said, "That's fine. Take the clansmen back. Leave things here to me and Inoichi."
"Shikaku to assist?" Uchiha Itachi looked at Nara Shikaku in disbelief. He hadn't expected Shikaku to give such an order at this crucial moment.
"Go back and tell Shikamaru he's the sixteenth Shika."
"Ino will be the sixteenth Ino." Yamanaka Inoichi chimed in from the side.
After they finished speaking, Nara Shikaku hung up the radio.
"Captain Itachi, please understand, as the clan head, I can't let my clansmen die in vain. I have to be responsible for the clan." After arranging everything, Nara Shikaku looked at Uchiha Itachi.
"Is the clan more important than the village?" Uchiha Itachi asked with difficulty.
"Of course the village is more important than the clan, but this is just internal strife, isn't it? After tomorrow's sun rises, the village will still be the village." Nara Shikaku said.
"Captain Itachi, let's go." Yamanaka Inoichi then spoke up, "Weren't we going to use ninjutsu to blow those rogue ninjas into the sky? Take all the ninjas we can still mobilize."
"But..." Uchiha Itachi's expression of confusion deepened. Hadn't they already sent all the clansmen back home?
"The Ino-Shika-Cho clans are powerless to do anything about this, but the fifteenth generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho cannot remain uninvolved," Nara Shikaku said, removing his earring and taking out a small metal box engraved with the Sarutobi clan crest. He opened it and placed
the earring inside. Yamanaka Inoichi did the same at the same time.
Looking at the missing corner inside the box, the two exchanged a helpless smile.
Meanwhile, outside the Ino-Shika-Cho clan's territory, Akimichi Choza, whose communication had been cut off, put down his radio and looked at Inuzuka Jacques and his group with a serious expression.
"What, Clan Chief Choza, have you thought it through?" Inuzuka Jacques asked.
"We can withdraw our troops, but I demand to speak directly with your leader," Akimichi Choza said.
"Alright." After confirming with Kakashi again, Inuzuka Jacques nodded and gave a wink to an Aburame clan ninja beside him. The ninja understood, and a communication insect slowly flew to Akimichi Choza's ear.
Choza Akimichi didn't resist, only channeling chakra into his ear after the insect burrowed inside.
"Choza-senpai, how have you been?" Kakashi's voice rang in Choza's ear.
"Kakashi? It's you?" Choza nodded.
"With Toukoku out, I'm in charge of the overall situation right now," Kakashi said. "Tell me, Choza-senpai, what are the conditions of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio?"
"Our three clans can withdraw their troops, but you must let me pass," Choza said. "Don't worry, it's just me."
"Why?" Kakashi asked, puzzled.
"Some things should end with our generation," Choza said.
Kakashi was silent for a moment before speaking, "Alright, I'll be at the Security Department, awaiting your arrival."
The communication was cut off, and the communication insect left Choza's ear. Choza turned to look at his clansmen behind him.
"Go back, everyone. The sixteenth Ino-Shika-Cho trio are Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji. Assist them well."
"Clan head, what's going on?" a Jonin from the Akimichi clan asked, puzzled.
Akimichi Choji didn't answer, but continued giving instructions: "Let Shikamaru choose the witnesses for their Potara oaths. Anyone who isn't from the Sarutobi clan is fine."
With that, Akimichi Choji walked alone towards Inuzuka Jax and her group. Inuzuka Jax waved, and the others made way for him.
In Uchiha Touhuan's office, Kakashi finished his call, tidied his ninja tools, and then looked at Aburame Shii.
"Clan head Shii, it's basically just this final battle left. Keep an eye on things here for me. If anything happens, let me know immediately," Kakashi said.
"Understood," Aburame Shii nodded.
Kakashi then left Uchiha Touhuan's office.
...
At the Anbu headquarters, Itachi Uchiha began mobilizing the remaining ninjas from the Anbu and Jonin teams. However, aside from administrative staff, Itachi only had seventeen combat personnel left. These included one ninja from the Yamanaka and one from the Akimichi clans, all from the Utatane, Mito, and Sarutobi clans.
This was all the force Itachi could currently muster.
Just before Itachi was about to depart, Choza Akimichi rushed over.
Seeing his old friend arrive, Shikaku Nara sighed helplessly and said, "The earring box is on my desk."
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(End of Chapter)