At this time, the Konoha shinobi also had the same thoughts. They had long known that the situation in the capital was critical. Once the two sides turned hostile, they would inevitably become the first targets for Tobi to control. Among them were the children of two Konoha elders, a candidate from the Hyuga main family, and an heir from the Aburame clan.
However, because they couldn't leave too early, everyone remained in the capital, waiting for the right moment. When the conflict was about to erupt, that would be the best time to leave the capital.
The Konoha shinobi certainly couldn't rely on themselves to leave the capital. Without outside support, there might be some trouble along the way. As public opinion grew more heated, they began to contact people outside.
Their contact person was Sakumo Hatake, who the village had stationed near the capital. The reason Sakumo Hatake was there was to ensure that when a conflict broke out, someone from outside could help those inside escape. Sakumo Hatake had discussed evacuation plans in the camp more than once.
After Princess Chihime's visit, everyone felt the time was drawing near and asked Sakumo Hatake if they could leave the capital. On this point, they needed the approval of those outside, otherwise it would be difficult to leave.
Sakumo Hatake considered it carefully and felt that since even Princess Chihime believed the atmosphere in the Daimyo's mansion was strange, they really couldn't wait any longer. It was almost time to leave, so he wrote a letter to inform them.
That night, the Konoha shinobi gathered to discuss leaving the country soon. Asuna unrolled a scroll before everyone's eyes. It contained a cipher written using Lightning Release, and after translation, the full content was revealed to everyone.
This was Sakumo Hatake's evacuation plan. Sakumo Hatake stated that everyone must have been secretly monitored already, and being near the Daimyo's mansion, it was practically impossible to sneak away. At most, they could hide for a period of time. Therefore, to leave the capital, they would definitely have to break through with force.
The forces within the capital mainly consisted of Tobi, other Guardian Shinobi, and Chakra Samurai. The former posed the greatest threat, while the latter, as long as they weren't heavily surrounded, could only be considered a significant obstacle. Therefore, the key to the operation was whether they could shake off Tobi and his pursuers before being surrounded by Chakra Samurai.
As long as the Chakra Samurai did not form a encirclement, with a ninja's individual combat ability, a small number of samurai would be no match. The only ones who could stop them were Tobi and the other Guardian Shinobi. In other words, they were the biggest enemies preventing the Konoha shinobi from leaving Konoha.
To divert the enemy's forces and provide cover for the Konoha shinobi to leave the capital, the Konoha Hidden Village would arrange for an aerial combat unit to assist the Konoha shinobi from high altitude. To obstruct Tobi and his group, Sakumo Hatake would also personally come to help.
And once everyone left the capital and rushed into the complex environment of the forest, large-scale Chakra Samurai would be ineffective, and Tobi and his group would find it difficult to keep up in pursuit. As long as they could reach this point, the Konoha shinobi would be considered safe.
"What do you all think?" Asuna asked.
"Perhaps it's the only way. After all, we're in the enemy's stronghold, and even though the capital isn't a small city, the enemy hasn't completely controlled every part of it yet," Hyuga Hiashi said. "Breaking through with force is inevitable. I also anticipated it, but it's a bit far from the capital's outskirts here. We need to move closer."
"Indeed, the closer we are to the capital's outskirts, the fewer obstacles we'll encounter along the way, which is very beneficial for conserving stamina," Mizuki added.
The others nodded. Stamina would certainly be crucial for leaving. They had to minimize areas where they would expend stamina. A battle with Tobi and his group might be unavoidable, but there was no need to fight every Chakra Samurai. In the right environment, Chakra Samurai couldn't leverage their numerical advantage, reducing meaningless battles.
"So, the next step is to evade the external surveillance and delay being discovered for as long as possible, right?" Uchiha Ken asked when he heard this.
"That's right," Hyuga Hiashi nodded, bringing a map before everyone. "Although I say that, I'm afraid we can't hide for too long."
The people monitoring the Konoha shinobi were mainly those from the Daimyo's mansion, most of whom were Chakra Samurai trained by Tobi. A small number were other ninja hired by the Daimyo's mansion, and some even included Guardian Shinobi.
Thinking of those Guardian Shinobi, Asuna and the others felt a bit helpless, thinking that these people were truly something, so wholeheartedly following Tobi. However, these people were originally living alone and only had the Daimyo's mansion to rely on, so loyalty to their employer was natural.
Although their usual relationship wasn't good, the Konoha shinobi felt some sympathy for them, believing they didn't need to be buried with the Daimyo's mansion. But the other party might not understand. And while sympathy was one thing, if they met as enemies, Asuna and the others would not hold back.
"Leaving aside the people outside, don't forget there's also that elusive guy," Mizuki said. Everyone knew who she was referring to: Black Zetsu.
After returning from their last mission, Asuna and Mizuki had told everyone about that guy. Hyuga Hiashi believed that his stealth abilities were exquisite, and even the Byakugan might not be able to detect his traces. If a special barrier was set up, at least within the barrier's range, his presence could be detected, but it was uncertain once he left.
"If this guy is also monitoring us, once we leave here, we'll definitely be noticed. Hiding from those on the surface won't help," Hyuga Hiashi said.
Everyone felt a bit helpless about this. It seemed they could only quickly break out towards the outside when the opponent was unprepared. This might be the most efficient method. As long as that shadowy figure was monitoring them, they definitely couldn't sneak away.
"Besides the agreed-upon time, we also need to agree on a signal with them, so that when a direct conflict occurs, they can immediately rush over," Aburame Shibi quietly suggested.
"Good idea. This also gives us the initiative. In case things don't go smoothly and the other party makes a move first, we can also notify them to start the plan early," Fujimura Yuuki said.
"Alright, then that's how it will be. Don't go out these days, to avoid sudden attacks," Hyuga Hiashi nodded, looking at Asuna, indicating she could write the letter.
Asuna reconfirmed the discussed content with everyone, then wrote it down in cipher on the scroll, one by one. Of course, it wasn't the kind for Fumori Masaki; Sakumo Hatake couldn't use Sage Mode and couldn't decipher that kind of cipher, so Asuna used the traditional ANBU sealing cipher.
Neither Sakumo Hatake nor Asuna had joined the ANBU, but because Heizo Hattori was present, they knew this method of communication between ANBU members. Initially, it was just to facilitate contact with Heizo Hattori.
Once written, Asuna sent the scroll out through the previous secret channel. The next step was to wait for a reply, while also paying attention to every move from the Daimyo's mansion. With Hyuga Hiashi's Byakugan and Aburame Shibi's parasitic insects, the Konoha shinobi would surely be able to detect any enemy actions.
If the enemy launched a surprise attack before the letter was sent, Asuna and the others weren't without options. Sakumo Hatake had been paying attention to the movements within the capital daily. As long as they caused a fierce battle, it would be enough to get the attention of the camp. However, this would consume too much chakra, so it was better to agree on a signal that didn't consume much.
Just as Asuna and the others sent out the scroll, Sakumo Hatake's camp had visitors. Sakumo Hatake was immediately surprised upon seeing them: "Sensei! And Sensei Kagami, why are you here? Is the village alright?"
The people who arrived were Fumori Masaki and Uchiha Kagami. Their travel was known only to the higher-ups, and they hadn't informed Sakumo Hatake of their arrival.
"Surprised, aren't you? That's the effect we wanted," Fumori Masaki smiled and said to Sakumo Hatake, "I was worried about the situation here, so I came to help. Someone in the village will take care of things, no need to worry."
"But why didn't you tell me? I could have revised the plan."
"The reason we didn't tell you was to achieve an unexpected effect."
"The enemy has a stealth expert who cannot be found by conventional methods. If they knew we were here, and changed their action plan, it would be troublesome," Uchiha Kagami said.
"Tobi must have anticipated that you would go to meet Asuna and the others, and he will formulate a plan based on your strength, at most gaining the initiative or not. Concealing our existence will then become a sudden variable, increasing the possibility of Asuna and the others leaving safely," Fumori Masaki added.
"In that case, I can't tell Asuna and the others either," Sakumo Hatake said. "If Asuna and Mizuki knew you two were here, they would surely be very happy…"
"The surprise can wait until then," Fumori Masaki said. "Has the action plan been finalized?"
"It's basically finalized, just waiting for their reply," Sakumo Hatake nodded, handing his proposed plan to Fumori Masaki.
This operation required the aerial combat unit, and this matter had been submitted to the village and approved. Heizo Hattori then brought the initial thirty-person unit – after the mission to attack the Jashin village ended, the aerial combat unit received high praise and was allowed to expand. New recruits were still in training; only the original thirty had been tested.
"Hmm, a armed conflict is unavoidable. Although Asuna and the others haven't replied yet, once the operation begins, they should also only be able to start with a forceful breakthrough."
Fumori Masaki and Uchiha Kagami were both present during the village's founding, and they were very familiar with traditional ninja methods. If Tobi was smart, he would definitely have heavily monitored the area where Asuna and the others resided. Perhaps Black Zetsu would even be involved, making it almost impossible to sneak away.
"But since Sensei and Sensei Kagami are here, it will be very smooth to get Asuna and the others out," Sakumo Hatake was very happy. If it were just him alone, it might be dangerous, but now that the village's Hokage and the Uchiha clan head were both here, if they still couldn't succeed, then the enemy's power would be too terrifying.
And from past intelligence, the enemy's power was not that terrifying at all. The mysterious person who attacked Asuna could basically be confirmed to be Tobi himself — although there was no direct evidence, the village did not need direct evidence to make a judgment, unless it was to prove this matter before the Daimyo.
Asuna had no major trouble defeating Tobi, let alone facing Fumori Masaki and Uchiha Kagami. Sakumo Hatake clearly understood the strength of the two; the former was the strongest Hokage in the village, and the latter possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Getting Asuna and the others out might not be a problem, but we have other objectives here," Fumori Masaki said. "Don't be careless; the enemy's abilities should be hidden. We are also here to prevent unexpected situations."
"I understand," Sakumo Hatake nodded heavily.
Immediately, Sakumo Hatake called Heizo Hattori and Minato Namikaze over. They were all Fumori Masaki's students and privy to this matter, because in the operation to help Asuna and the others leave the capital, they would mainly rely on them. Fumori Masaki and Uchiha Kagami's true enemies were Tobi and his group.
Fumori Masaki confirmed everyone's preparations, then waited in the camp for Asuna's reply. Once the reply arrived, he read its content in the presence of the five. As expected, Asuna and her group also believed that a forceful breakthrough was necessary and requested to agree on a signal for unexpected situations.
After the reply, everyone waited for the time to come, and also had to watch whether Tobi and his group would act before the agreed time. Fumori Masaki personally took on the responsibility of surveillance. He possessed the Sage Mode, was full of energy, and had extremely strong sensory abilities. Wherever natural energy flowed was his eyes, his hands.
Fumori Masaki's Sage Mode was even above Asuna's, especially after obtaining the Tailed Beast Chakra, his mastery of Sage Mode advanced further, getting closer and closer to the Six Paths Sage Mode.
This time, Fumori Masaki also arrived with a new level of mastery. No matter what hidden methods Tobi had, Fumori Masaki would make sure he got a good look.
Of course, whether Tobi could be dealt with wasn't the most important thing. The important thing was Black Zetsu. As long as Black Zetsu could be dealt with, Tobi was nothing. He was originally someone who could be dealt with if they wanted to. In the past, they were just worried that if they dealt with him too early, and Black Zetsu disappeared, it would be troublesome. Also, without Tobi's provocation, it wouldn't be so easy for the Konoha Hidden Village to overthrow the Daimyo system.
Fortunately, everything was coming to an end. Fumori Masaki quietly watched the distant capital. In his perception, every blade of grass and tree in the capital emitted ripples, bringing a large amount of information. He could also sense Asuna and the others, and it seemed he could also sense a certain lurking individual.