[Land of Sky, Sky Fortress]
A gigantic steel monster hovered in the high sky, taking advantage of the cover of clouds to avoid the search of Konoha's shinobi on the ground.
"General Hōjaku, you did very well."
On the central control room's screen, a gentle face was projected.
The man in the image looked about sixty years old, with graying hair and beard, wearing a brown cap, smiling amiably, looking just like an ordinary farmer.
Yet as the highest leader of the Sky Fortress, General Hōjaku deeply lowered his head with devotion when facing this "farmer", "It is Lord Shinnō, your command has guided us the way."
Shinnō quite enjoyed the respect from his subordinates, narrowed his eyes and laughed a few times, then asked, "The attack on Konoha is in two days' time, are all preparations complete?"
"This battle, for the revival of the Land of Sky, for our unification of the shinobi world, is the crucial first step."
This group of people attacking the towns of the Land of Fire originated from a destroyed nation, the Land of Sky.
The Land of Sky, originally famous for various flying tools and tactics, and based on this founded the "Sky Ninja Village." The leader at that time was Shinnō.
However, back then Shinnō was not an old man, but a middle-aged man not yet forty, in the prime of his years.
With the outbreak of the Second Shinobi World War, Shinnō saw the great nations all waging war, seizing profits and technology through battle.
Shinnō also could not restrain his desire to conquer the world, and dispatched the first generation Sky Ninja army to attack Konoha.
And then…
They became the only village almost wiped out in the Second Shinobi World War. The Sky Ninja Village's shinobi suffered innumerable deaths, while the instigator of war, Shinnō, escaped with his life.
As the saying goes, misfortune may be a blessing in disguise. Not long after the village's destruction, Shinnō came to know Orochimaru.
Under Orochimaru's temptation and help, he infiltrated Konoha and stole two forbidden jutsu, the Eight Gates and the Zero-Tails Technique.
Using this as foundation, he rebuilt the Sky Ninja Village, and gave it a new slogan, "Restore the Sky Ninja!"
After over ten years of focused development, coupled with the recent turmoil in the shinobi world, Shinnō felt "the time has come."
Thus, the Sky Ninja army re-emerged into the shinobi world.
"But…"
General Hōjaku showed hesitation.
Shinnō kept his smile, but his eyes turned cold, "You are hesitating?"
"No."
General Hōjaku clenched his right fist, pressed it to his chest, and shouted, "The will of national restoration, never to be forgotten for a moment!"
After shouting, he turned his head toward the direction of Konoha, expression once again solemn.
"I am only worried, Lord Shinnō, you should have also heard, that 'the man whose name cannot be spoken' is in Konoha."
The study of Ryosuke was practically a required subject for the armed forces of every great nation.
Ryosuke having a "mysterious little vine" had long since not been a secret.
As long as one got entangled with Ryosuke, there was a certain chance of being traced back by the vine and then killed with a single punch.
To avoid contact with Ryosuke, various methods, whether useful or not, spread across the world, among them one rule, "Do not utter Ryosuke's name."
Even the Sky Ninja shinobi who threw out posters of surrender had to, after each action, disguise themselves as civilians and walk down from the Sky Fortress.
They would wait a while, confirm they weren't being tracked by Ryosuke, and then return again.
"I understand your worry."
Shinnō said, "But this is the best chance, there will be no second one. You should be clear, if we want to restore the Land of Sky, it could actually already be done."
"Yes."
With their mastery of flying ninja tools and the Sky Fortress, they already had the capital to stand in the shinobi world.
"But if we want to do more, to get more, we must obtain…"
Shinnō raised his hand and pointed at the sky.
"Their approval."
The Sky Ninja army soared in the sky, overlooking the entire world from above.
Yet above the Sky Ninja army, there was still another group standing.
Shinnō did not know their identities, nor where they came from, but Shinnō knew, "they" always cast their gaze from the top of the heavens.
"As long as we can destroy Konoha, can cause injury to 'the man whose name cannot be spoken.'"
Shinnō revealed a smile, "'They' will continuously send free supplies, wealth, and weapons."
"This is an era about to descend into chaos. Whoever can grasp the wind, can ride it up and stand at the top of the world."
The appearance of Senju Hashirama caused the great nations to create shinobi villages, and under the intent of the daimyōs and financial groups, the system of one country one shinobi village was maintained until today.
The appearance of Ryosuke gradually rewrote this structure.
If a shinobi village could not even protect its own country, and its independence as a village was eroded, once it succumbed to the temptation of awakened ideologies, it was very possible it would raise its hand against the daimyōs and financial groups that supported it…
Then, did a shinobi village still have the necessity to exist?
This was also the reason why Pain always acted fearless in front of the financial groups.
Without the Tailed Beasts of the villages, their legitimacy and authority would be struck down.
As long as Akatsuki continued to target capturing Tailed Beasts as their first goal, money would continuously flow into their accounts.
There was no need, as Kakuzu thought, to deliberately act to maintain relations with the financial groups.
Kakuzu's consideration was from a mercenary perspective.
Pain saw the grand trend.
"…We cannot do Akatsuki's path."
Shinnō said, "We don't need to become Akatsuki."
"No matter how strong they are, with only that number of people, in the end they are just a mercenary organization."
"Once the uniqueness of shinobi villages collapses, there must be a new armed force to replace them."
"In the time to come, various forces will come out to 'grab the spotlight,' and we…"
"Must become the most outstanding one."
It was as if the shinobi world were like a chaotic financial market. The industries of the old corporations (the shinobi villages) were increasingly sunset, so capital had to consider new risky investment targets.
Akatsuki was the first organization to obtain financing.
Shinnō, wanted to become the second.
For this, he had to offer a "roadshow presentation" strong enough to move hearts, that is, "It's up to you, General Hōjaku, you will become the hero of the Sky Ninja army."
General Hōjaku gave a heavy nod.
He understood Shinnō's meaning.
Go attack, go bomb, then, go die.
Die gloriously, die with grand fanfare, let the world witness his death.
His flesh and ashes would become the steps for the Sky Ninja army to climb to the peak.
"I understand, Lord Shinnō, I will have the resolve to fight until the last man!"
"Good! Very spirited!"
Shinnō, seeing the mobilization complete, was just about to arrange the tactics more carefully, when suddenly, the radar alarm blared.
A scout shouted, "Unidentified flying object approaching!"
"A bird?"
"At this speed… not a bird."
Everyone followed the radar's direction.
As the radar's warning grew more urgent, the "beep beep" sounds dense like raindrops, they saw the clouds torn open, a toy plane flew out.
"Ha!"
Many people sneered.
"This thing? Even the mice in my house are bigger!"
Inside and outside the Sky Fortress was filled with an air of cheer.
Only Shinnō and General Hōjaku's faces suddenly changed, and a name that should not have been spoken squeezed out between clenched teeth.
"Ryosuke!"
The clouds tore open again, Ryosuke floated in front of the Sky Fortress.
All laughter stopped.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/XenosX
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰