"How could this happen… How could this happen…"
Inside the principal's office of Konoha's Ninja Academy, Koharu Utatane, who had hurried over to discuss matters with Hiruzen Sarutobi, had completely lost her usual calm composure.
She was still wearing the clothes of a Hokage advisor.
While pacing back and forth in the room in an irritating manner, she muttered almost to herself:
"Three Jinchuriki. Have they gone mad? Drawing Iwagakure and Kumogakure shinobi in at a time like this… Is Root planning to completely destroy Konoha?"
"That is not important right now. Report Minato and Kushina's situation to me first!"
Homura Mitokado angrily slammed his fist on the desk and shouted at the Anbu rapidly moving around to receive intelligence.
"If something happens to Minato's side too, the Nine-Tails will also become their tool and accomplice in destroying Konoha! Mobilize every Anbu and Root shinobi! We must immediately organize manpower for a counterattack!"
After saying that, Homura Mitokado turned to look at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had already changed into combat uniform and was carrying the Adamantine Staff transformed from Enma, clearly preparing to go into battle.
His brows furrowed deeply.
In an anxious and dissatisfied tone, he asked, "What are you doing, Hiruzen? The battle has not yet reached Konoha proper. At a time like this, should you not remain in the village to maintain everyone's confidence?"
"Then who will deal with the Jinchuriki outside who are continuously attacking? Minato and Jiraiya alone?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped.
He turned and looked at Homura Mitokado.
Those eyes, whose light was usually restrained, now flashed with undisguised anger and coldness. With just one exchange of gazes, Homura Mitokado, whose strength had once not been far beneath his, could not help taking several steps back, his face showing shock and uncertainty.
"Hiruzen, Homura's words have some reason too. If you, the former Hokage, take the initiative to enter battle when the enemy has not yet stepped into the village proper, what will happen if the enemy launches a surprise attack on the village?"
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was unusually solemn, Koharu Utatane could not help speaking up to explain Homura Mitokado's statement.
"Besides, we know nothing about the situation outside right now. If you enter the battlefield, it will be very easy for you to fall into the enemy's trap…"
"Are the two of you not still in the village, Koharu, Homura?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept over Koharu Utatane, then looked at the clothes on Homura Mitokado's body that were also not very suitable for battle.
First, he took a deep breath.
Then he spoke in as calm a voice as possible.
"Although you have not set foot on the battlefield for many years, some of your former strength should still remain. Remaining inside the village and commanding the jonin to gather and meet the enemy is something you should still be able to do…"
"But those Jinchuriki outside the village who are launching attacks must have me join the battlefield before they can be completely driven back."
"Or are you planning to bring Jiraiya and activate the Four Red Yang Formation to protect the village and withstand the destructive power of the Tailed Beast Balls?"
"The Four Red Yang Formation? It could be used to buy time for intelligence scouting…"
Koharu Utatane opened her eyes, which had always been narrowed, and looked hesitantly toward Homura Mitokado, who had also frowned.
"But once the Four Red Yang Formation is activated, not only will it require four Hokage-level experts to maintain the barrier, it will also make it difficult for us to send new intelligence personnel out to investigate the situation. If the first batch of intelligence personnel proves insufficient, then we will have trapped ourselves."
Homura Mitokado decisively shook his head and rejected the decision.
In an icy voice, he said, "And that person who deflected the Tailed Beast Balls just now is still unknown to us as friend or foe… We cannot risk letting him remain inside our barrier."
"Then the two of you should prepare to enter battle as soon as possible."
Hearing the two of them reject his proposal, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not become particularly angry.
He merely shook his head with unusual calm, pointed toward the three enormous chakra masses that had lit up again in the distance, then vanished from the spot with a large group of Anbu using Body Flicker.
Only one piece of advice drifted through the principal's office.
"The enemy has come with overwhelming momentum this time. No one in Konoha can remain uninvolved…"
"Remember it. We were once shinobi who galloped across the battlefield too, shinobi whose appearance made enemies tremble with fear."
"Damn it!"
Homura Mitokado slammed his fist onto the desk in front of him again.
Furious, he said to Koharu Utatane, "Hiruzen is being too impulsive! The more a situation is like this, the more a leader should remain calm. Casually entering battle when intelligence is unclear will only give the enemy a chance to heavily damage our morale…"
"But Hiruzen also has a point."
Koharu Utatane shook her head, her expression complicated.
"Right now, Minato must remain by Kushina's side to prevent the Nine-Tails inside her from losing control and rampaging. That couple basically cannot participate in battle. Jiraiya can fight, but he is only one person. If he goes out to meet the enemy Jinchuriki, the village risks being struck directly by Tailed Beast Balls. If he guards the village, then prolonged defense will inevitably fail…"
"If Hiruzen does not enter battle, we can only watch helplessly as the village is destroyed."
"But… those damned Root bastards!"
Homura Mitokado originally wanted to argue a few more sentences, but the cruel and merciless reality left him unable to find any rebuttal.
After gritting his teeth and holding it in for a long while, he changed targets and angrily cursed Root, the organization that had launched a strong assault against Konoha.
He said furiously, "If not for them gathering Iwagakure and Kumogakure shinobi and seizing this one-in-a-lifetime opportunity of Kushina's childbirth, how could we possibly be beaten into such a sorry state?"
"There is no need to keep dwelling on this now."
Koharu Utatane shook her head and sighed.
"Hiruzen is right. We should prepare to enter battle as well… In a situation like this, we can no longer sit back and watch from safety."
"Even if we are going to enter battle, we must wait until the Intelligence Division sends back a little more information…"
Before Homura Mitokado could finish speaking, a figure wearing an Anbu mask crashed through the principal's office window as if unable to control his body, smashing down in front of the two of them.
Then that heavily wounded Anbu raised his hand with extreme difficulty.
His palm had already been corroded into a dark purple color by poison.
In a hoarse voice, he reported:
"The enemy… inside the village… is… sala…man…"
Before his words finished, the violent poison took away the last trace of his life.
Before Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado could step forward and ask him further questions, the hand that Anbu had raised fell weakly to the ground with a thud.
Amid glass shards scattered across the floor, he fell completely silent.
"Salaman? Salamander!?"
As Hokage advisors who controlled a great deal of classified intelligence, the two understood the information this Anbu had risked his life to deliver almost instantly.
Their expressions completely panicked because of this heavy piece of intelligence.
"Damn it!? That old bastard Hanzō was actually rescued by Root!? Damn it. Aside from Tsunade, no one can neutralize the Black Salamander's deadly poison. If that thing rampages inside the village, it will not take long for Konoha to be finished!"
Compared to Koharu Utatane, who was anxiously spinning in place, Homura Mitokado's performance was ultimately a little better.
He gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and tore apart the clothing symbolizing his status as Hokage advisor in a few swift movements, turning it into something more convenient for movement.
Then, while walking toward the broken window the Anbu had crashed through, he said to Koharu Utatane:
"There is no choice. I will first go see whether that old bastard Hanzō is truly causing trouble in the village. Koharu, quickly send the information to Hiruzen and Jiraiya, then prepare ninja tools and come support me. It has been so long since I fought. I do not know how long I can hold that old bastard—"
Puchi—!
"Cough… ah…"
Just as one of Homura Mitokado's feet stepped out of the broken window and he prepared to rush to the battlefield, his body suddenly stiffened.
In disbelief, he lowered his head and looked at the large hand covered in countless stitch marks that had pierced through his chest from the rear side and was now holding his still-beating heart.
He violently spat out a large mouthful of blood.
"Homura!"
Seeing Homura Mitokado ambushed, Koharu Utatane's mind went completely blank from the immense shock.
Immediately afterward, a drilling pain came from behind her.
Because of the pain, she instinctively looked back.
Then she saw the Anbu who had originally fallen to the ground transforming into a white humanoid monster while stabbing a sharp kunai into her back.
Then, with a violent twist, he completely severed her spine.
Join my Patreon to read public release chapters and get 1 chapter ahead for free. Paid members can read more advanced chapters.
Continue reading here
patreon.com/Inkveil_