69novels Chapter 92 The Beginning of the War
Chapter 92 The Beginning of the War
Chapter 92 The Beginning of the War
Yuan Tuoye quickly flipped through the hard-won stack of scrolls in his hand.
As the cold edges of the pages brushed against his fingertips, he could clearly feel the weight of the forbidden knowledge they carried.
Happy transaction.
He knew very well that Orochimaru would not have the opportunity to prepare false information during this sudden ambush.
He also has his own speculations about the authenticity of the information, which is a viable research path.
As for the severed horn of the Eight-Tails, which shimmers with a special luster, its immense vitality and unique chakra remnant are the most irrefutable features.
At the other end, Orochimaru extended his pale yet nimble fingers and carefully stroked the container holding the cells.
His distinctive snake-like eyes gleamed with an uncontrollable fervor and hunger, as if he couldn't wait to study them.
"Good deal," he said in a hoarse voice, a hint of satisfied pleasure in his voice, his lips curving upwards almost imperceptibly.
These cells from Jugo are enough to allow his research on cursed seals to enter a completely new stage.
Although being semi-forced into completing this transaction stirred a chilling anger within him.
But when you can actually feel the power of the cells in your fingertips, that dissatisfaction is quickly replaced by a sense of accomplishment. It's worth paying a small price for these cells.
Yuan Tuoye's gaze swept around, and the earth, as if struck by a meteorite, was shocking. The shattered soil and deep ravines silently demonstrated the terror of his monstrous strength.
However, what concerned him even more were the giant snake corpses lying on the ground, their shapes twisted. The traces left by these spiritual beings were the most obvious and indicative evidence.
After thinking for a while, he placed one hand firmly on the soft soil and rocks.
In an instant, the ground seemed to come alive. An invisible force manipulated the soil like a flowing sea of sand, enveloping the snake corpses. The surging mud waves emitted a teeth-grinding grinding sound, and in a flash, it devoured and decomposed all the remains, burying them completely deep underground, as if they had never existed.
As for the battlefield, it would be a waste of time to fully restore it, so he gave up on that idea.
Having done all this, his figure flickered, leaving no afterimage, before disappearing into the darkness of the forest, completely vanishing from Orochimaru's perception range.
"Heh, really—not a single flaw." Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils stared at the direction where Minamoto no Takuya disappeared, showing no surprise, but instead revealing a playful sneer.
He was not entirely unprepared; with a puff of white smoke rising, his figure quietly disappeared, leaving the land that had just experienced a brief but deadly clash.
When the Hidden Leaf Village's Anbu and patrolling ninjas finally arrived at the location of the violent chakra eruption, all they found was a shocking battlefield of ruins.
Huge cracks, like hideous scars, pierced through the woodland, and the soil was churned and broken as if it had been devoured by a giant beast.
Minato Namikaze, clad in the Hokage's robes, stood at the edge of the ruins, his bright blue eyes now filled with an unyielding solemnity.
He could feel the terrifying chakra fluctuations that remained within it.
"Two powerful ninjas—fighting it out right in front of Konoha's doorstep?"
His brows furrowed tightly, and a familiar figure almost instantly flashed into his mind: Orochimaru!
However, who is the opponent that can confront it head-on and even cause such damage?
"Could it be—that person?"
On the night of the Nine-Tails, the figure of that mysterious and powerful enemy who called himself Uchiha Madara and controlled the Nine-Tails became exceptionally clear in my memory.
Or is there some unknown third party lurking in the shadows, someone who covets Konoha?
His hand unconsciously pressed against his throbbing temples; the clues were too scattered to piece together a complete picture.
Even the enemy is uncertain, so what can we do besides strengthen our defenses and launch a proactive attack? He sighed deeply.
Deep down, he didn't want to believe the possibility of a traitor. In Konoha, besides himself, there were probably only Jiraiya and Tsunade who possessed such strength and could fight Orochimaru.
His gaze swept over the violent destruction again, which did indeed bear a resemblance to Tsunade's monstrous strength.
But she—had no reason to hide her identity and act this way, right?
The chaotic thoughts ultimately turned into a deep sense of powerlessness.
With a storm brewing, Konoha is now dancing on the edge of a knife, and all it can do is to "meet the enemy's attacks head-on and deal with any challenges as they come."
He quickly made a decision: he had to suppress the news of Orochimaru's defection for the time being!
Konoha, which had just stumbled back from the Nine-Tails' calamity, could not withstand this second heavy blow.
Panic grips the people, and trust in higher authorities has crumbled—each consequence is enough to reopen wounds that have yet to heal.
Minato Namikaze gritted his teeth, intending to strictly limit this information to a very small circle of people, so that even the Jonin would not need to know the truth for the time being.
However, the irony of fate is that those who personally stir up the vortex in the shadows will never allow calm and tranquility to prevail.
An invisible hand had already quietly manipulated the mechanisms of information transmission.
Minato Namikaze never expected that while he was trying his best to block the news, the information that "Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, was conducting human experiments and betraying Konoha" had already broken out in the undercurrents of the ninja world and spread at an alarming speed.
Ironically, the Konoha ninjas, who were the site of the incident, were almost the last to learn the truth. It wasn't until the overwhelming wave of public opinion was almost upon him that Minato Namikaze realized what was happening.
"So it really was him?" Minato stood by the window of the Hokage's office, gazing intently at the distant Konoha, a symbol of reconstruction, his voice low and muttering to himself.
Such a precise strike at Konoha's most vulnerable moment, a ruthless tactic intended to incite greater chaos and war, leaves almost no doubt that it was "Uchiha Madara" who controlled the Nine-Tails!
If Kurama fails to conquer Konoha, will he then ignite the flames of war within Konoha?
The heavy sigh eventually turned into a resolute command.
An emergency high-level meeting was convened. Faced with the cruel truth that could no longer be concealed, Minato Namikaze had no choice but to reveal the evidence of Orochimaru's forbidden human experiments and label him a defector.
The deathly silence in the meeting room was then replaced by a tremendous uproar! Whispers instantly turned into a shocked commotion.
One of the Legendary Sannin! Lord Orochimaru? Human experimentation! Yet another one—Shimura Danzo?! Anger and disbelief clashed and filled the air.
"Everyone!" Minato Namikaze's voice rang out again, but this time it was filled with unprecedented solemnity, instantly silencing all the discussions.
"Since the incident can no longer be concealed, all ninjas must be informed, but this is not the only crisis." His sharp gaze swept over every high-ranking official present. "After the Nine-Tails' attack, Kumogakure and Iwagakure have long been eyeing the borders of the Land of Fire. Previously, both sides were still probing each other, and the conflict was stopped at friction. However—"
He paused, his voice growing heavier, "Orochimaru's defection has left Konoha weaker than ever before in the eyes of the enemy."
Without needing to say more, every veteran ninja present seemed to smell the gunpowder.
The land and resources of the Land of Fire constantly attract greedy opportunists.
They understood this all too well. If they put themselves in the other person's shoes, how could they possibly let go of such a golden opportunity?
"From this day forward, the intelligence department must closely monitor all border developments! Order all departments to immediately begin combat readiness mobilization!" Minato Namikaze's voice struck like a rock, setting the tone for the meeting.
"Yes!" The response was uniform, yet it carried a chilling undercurrent of impending doom.
After the meeting, only Minato remained in the empty office.
He remained silent for a moment, then formed a special hand seal and gently pressed his palm against the ground.
"Spirit Summoning Technique!" As the white smoke dissipated, a toad appeared before them.
"Please make sure to deliver this letter to Jiraiya-sensei as soon as possible." Minato Namikaze solemnly handed a pre-written secret letter to the summoning toad, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Konoha needs that bold and unrestrained figure to stand up again.
The storm has already passed, and war is fast approaching.
Inside the office of the deputy captain of the secret service.
Yuan Tuoye sat alone, his fingers twirling the intelligence scroll that had just been delivered from the border overnight.
The situation at the border can be described as extremely tense.
Just as he had predicted, when news of Orochimaru's defection spread, the situation in the ninja world began to churn rapidly, like boiling water.
The Land of Wind and the Land of Water? These two brothers, preoccupied with their own troubles and licking their wounds, have no time to worry about the turmoil in Konoha.
What truly makes one feel uneasy is the shadow cast by the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth.
The Iwagakure ninja became increasingly arrogant, openly seizing mission quotas and their greedy eyes sweeping across Konoha's territory.
Although the friction has not escalated to close combat, the posture of being poised to strike is already clear.
However, this is not the most formidable opponent.
-
Gen Takuno's gaze fell on the section about Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning, without the slightest surprise on his face.
The Cloud Hidden forces moved faster and more aggressively, constantly probing and pressuring, escalating frictions of all sizes along the border.
They were like a powerful, long-dormant beast, cautiously probing the strength and weakness of Konoha, this "wounded dragon."
The reason is obvious: the smoke of the Third Shinobi World War failed to severely damage Kumogakure.
The Third Raikage's heroic sacrifice preserved most of their power and bought them precious breathing time.
Years of biding their time have honed the blades of the Hidden Cloud Village to a gleaming shine.
With a strong military and abundant national power.
In contrast, Konoha was hit by a series of misfortunes. The shadow of the Nine-Tails' rebellion had not yet dissipated when Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, rebelled and left the village.
In the eyes of the Hidden Cloud Village, the Land of Fire had long been an extremely tempting "fat sheep".
The sound of knuckles lightly tapping the table was particularly abrupt in the quiet room.
A slight smile silently curved the corners of Yuan Tuoye's mouth.
It's coming soon. Judging from the current situation, the war between Konoha and Kumogakure, which is being orchestrated by the circumstances, will inevitably break out soon!
Large numbers of troops from both countries are already secretly vying for power along the border, just waiting for the first thunderclap to sound from who-knows-where.
As one of the leaders of the intelligence department, my duty is to analyze intelligence and transmit information.
Important or urgent battlefield intelligence can bypass him and go directly to the desk of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
This position, which doesn't require going to the battlefield, is a relatively safe haven.
However, safety is not what Gen Takuno desires.
He slowly stood up; this position was too restrictive.
Under Minato Namikaze's watchful eye, the "things" he wanted to do became increasingly difficult.
Even with the help of psychic abilities, there will always be times when they are insufficient to address urgent needs.
One or two absences might be barely excused, but repeated absences will inevitably arouse suspicion, and trouble will soon follow.
His gaze swept over the totems on the wall symbolizing Konoha and the Land of Fire, and as he pondered his plan, a resolute glint flashed in the depths of Gen Takuno's eyes.
It's time for him to use the legendary strongest illusion technique!
He straightened his ANBU uniform, pushed open the door, and strode confidently toward the Hokage Building in the center of the village.
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