Chapter 409: The Border Army's Collapse!
Chapter 409: The Border Army's Collapse!
Root Division!
Danzo received a note from the Shadow Division.
"You may leave now!" He waved, signaling the Shadow Division to depart.
The Root Division had an extremely close relationship with the Shadow Division, as it was a place for training new Shadow Division members. It was only after Danzo took control of the Root Division that it became an independent kingdom.
Thus, the relationship between the two divisions was a delicate balance of cooperation and competition. This Shadow Division member could directly meet with Danzo because of this connection.
Otherwise, if it were anyone else, not only would they not be able to meet with Danzo, but they might not even be allowed into the Root Division.
"Niji knows I've been busy gathering Cloud Village intelligence, I hope there isn't another problem to trouble me," Danzo muttered to himself, feeling slightly uneasy.
He glanced at the note, and his expression began to change, growing more and more excited.
"The Demigod Program?" Danzo exclaimed, standing up in excitement.
If the information on the note was true, it would be an incredible opportunity.
A method to significantly enhance the strength of lower-ranked ninjas with minimal consequences, and Danzo brushed aside the mentioned drawbacks.
In his eyes, these drawbacks were insignificant.
"If I can get my hands on it..." he muttered excitedly to himself.
But the prerequisite was a successful operation, so he wouldn't make a move yet. Instead, he would observe, and only after confirming the surgery's effectiveness would he take action.
The next day!
Ninjas began to assemble one by one.
Within a few days, a ninja army was formed.
The F3 Clan took the lead in this endeavor.
The Sarutobi, Tsukuyomi, and Mizukado Clans contributed the most, with over five hundred ninjas, while the other clans numbered less than two hundred combined, leaving the majority of the army consisting of civilian ninjas.
Aftereffects emerged!
The Noble Clans no longer trusted the Hokage.
Having been deceived once before, they had lost most of their clan members without receiving any compensation.
Even with short memories, they wouldn't forget this lesson so quickly.
Only because Sarutobi Shinzo remained as the Hokage did they send out this number of ninjas; otherwise, they would have been more reluctant.
The army's commander, Sarutobi Shinzo, led the troops from the front.
Looking at the villagers and higher-ups seeing them off, his mood could be described in four words.
Proud and confident!
With this experience, even when competing for the position of Hokage in the future, he would have a solid foundation.
What a pity!
Sarutobi Shinzo didn't understand one thing.
Experience only held value when one won; losing would bring shame.
Within the army, Dong Ping and his 404th Squad had gathered.
Mountain Clan Houshi had joined them temporarily.
As a registered active ninja of Konoha, he couldn't refuse the village's order.
Unless he defected, he would follow Dong Ping's command without hesitation, especially since most of his family had already moved to the Heavenly Fortress. He had nothing to fear.
The issue was that the Heavenly Fortress still needed Konoha's support, so they couldn't turn against the village yet, and thus, he had to obey orders.
Nearby, several figures stood, their bodies concealed in high-collared coats and sunglasses.
The Oilada Clan! All the adult Oilada ninjas had arrived.
The underage ninjas were moving with the rest of the clan to the Heavenly Fortress, escorted by Uchiha Yae.
With her reputation, no one dared to attack them.
Her achievements were awe-inspiring.
Single-handedly hunting down members of the Xuan Yuan Clan, known for their ability to hunt Kage, and defeating the veteran Kage-level powerhouse, Kakuzu, she had torn through enemy lines on the battlefield, earning her the title 'Thunderfire Queen'.
Her reputation as a fierce warrior had spread throughout the Shinobi World.
With such a formidable protector, even with the Oilada Clan's main forces joining the reinforcement army, there were no safety concerns.
These Oilada ninjas were active ninjas, and the village naturally couldn't refuse to summon them.
The village's permission for their migration to the Heavenly Fortress didn't mean they condoned their defection; they had to obey orders.
However, Honglian didn't join them; as she wasn't a Konoha ninja, she wouldn't participate. Instead, two of the 'Three Reds' combination accompanied the army.
Red Bean and Sunset Red were both formidable, so it was unlikely that they wouldn't participate in this Ninja Village War.
"It seems like this battle is to pave the way for the next generation of Kage, isn't it?"
Hyuga Cangyue's gaze shifted to the front of the team, where Sarutobi Shinzo stood tall and proud. He muttered a mocking remark under his breath.
"Sometimes, no matter how well the path is paved, it doesn't guarantee a smooth journey. Who knows, the person might disappear along the way!"
Dong Ping added.
He remembered that in the future, Sarutobi Konohamaru was an orphan, the kind whose parents had both... well, let's just say they were no longer around.
And according to his memory, Sarutobi Konohamaru was a few years younger than Prince Naruto.
This year, Naruto was...
That's why Dong Ping said what he did.
If it had been anyone else, Hyuga Cangyue and Houshi Yamayama would have brushed it off as idle chatter.
But when Dong Ping, who had proven his prophetic abilities, spoke, it was a different story.
"Really?"
Houshi Yamayama, usually quiet and reserved, couldn't help but ask in surprise.
After all, he was the eldest son of the Hokage! He had Shadow Division protection, the 'Boar Deer Butterfly' trio by his side, and he himself was an elite Jonin.
Who could kill him?
Even on the battlefield, where ninjutsu reigned supreme, it wasn't easy for a main general to fall.
"Who knows..."
Dong Ping withdrew his gaze, not continuing the conversation.
He wasn't entirely sure about this either.
The original plot seemed to have no details about Konohamaru's parents, so Dong Ping didn't know the full story either.
After leaving Konoha, the team moved through the forest, leaping from tree to tree.
If they marched like a typical squad, it would take at least half a month to reach the front lines.
But with this method, they could arrive in just a few days.
This was just the basic marching speed; if they accelerated, a Jonin could reach the front lines in a single day. However, doing so might result in losing their combat abilities, and if the enemy seized the opportunity, it would be over.
Therefore, this marching speed was the safest.
Dong Ping's 404th Squad stayed in the middle of the team, not getting involved in the leadership dispute at the front.
Yes, Danzo and Sarutobi Shinzo had started their power struggle as soon as they left Konoha.
Everyone knew Sarutobi Shinzo's capabilities, which gave Danzo the confidence to suppress him and seize command.
If he succeeded, even as the deputy, he could claim the achievements as his own.
This was the main reason he had agreed to be the deputy, willing to be subordinate to Sarutobi Shinzo, a younger generation.
Danzo's ambition was to become the Hokage, and he wouldn't let anyone else take the credit.
He had even dared to assassinate Sarutobi Kazumi; how much more would he do for credit?
Unfortunately, Choshin Kokoro and Doraku Mizutogashi had anticipated this and had already prepared an assistant for Shinzo.
Jinzo Akado!
Although this 'Leaf Strategist' didn't want to confront Danzo either, he knew which side he should stand on. He stood up to Danzo, preventing him from obtaining command.
He even tried to drag Dong Ping into it, but he refused.
No way!
Dong Ping had already made his stance clear through his actions.
He would obey the village's orders, but they shouldn't expect him to give his all. Just not causing trouble was already doing the village a favor.
Time to watch the show!
He would just sit back, eat, and enjoy the spectacle.
After a day of marching, the team set up camp for the night, only to receive an urgent message.
The front lines had collapsed! The Fourth Raikage and Kirabi led three thousand Cloud Village ninjas into the Fire Country, crushing the original border forces.
Until now, it had been a localized conflict, with only about a thousand ninjas involved. They had planned to add another thousand to support, thinking that with their numbers, logistics, and home advantage, repelling the Cloud Village ninjas would be manageable.
But they never expected to encounter this situation before even joining forces with the border troops.
So, the team had to reconsider their next move.
And of course, the 404th Squad had to be involved.
After all, among them were two titled Kage-level experts, and the remaining one had the Byakugan, indicating their importance.
(End of Chapter)
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