Obito's figure stepped out of the Kamui dimension's vortex, appearing in the familiar corner of the Mizukage Office.
Everything was exactly as he had left it, including the short figure sitting behind the desk.
As usual, Obito approached Yagura, preparing to take control. Just as he was about to touch the Fourth Mizukage.
The dazed Yagura suddenly looked up, his eyes, which should have been vacant and lifeless, burned with long-suppressed fury.
Dark red tailed beast chakra instantly erupted, covering his entire body. Yagura raised his hand and slapped at Obito, who was within arm's reach.
Obito's pupils constricted abruptly, and he instinctively activated his phasing ability.
Yagura's hand passed through his chest without any obstruction, as if it had struck only an illusion.
Obito reacted extremely quickly, stepping forward through Yagura's body, and at the same time, grabbing the back of the other's neck with his backhand, attempting to regain control.
Just as he raised his hand, a thick mist permeated the office without warning, and visibility rapidly decreased.
"Boil Release: Scorching Stream!"
Hot, corrosive steam poured down from the ceiling, passing through Obito's body. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Half-Tailed Beast transformed Yagura pushed off with his feet, leaping backward to create distance from Obito.
In the thick fog, Zabuza had appeared behind Obito at some unknown point, holding a kunai and thrusting it towards Obito's neck.
However, this sure-hit strike also fell into nothingness.
Although the continuous attacks did not succeed, the Hidden Mist Ninja coordinated perfectly. Led by Mei and Zabuza, Ao and several elite Anbu members had already fanned out, subtly encircling Obito.
Beneath the mask, Obito's face was terrifyingly grim. He had miscalculated; he hadn't expected the Hidden Mist to be able to discover and dispel the genjutsu he had placed on Yagura.
"Tsk..." He let out a displeased click of his tongue. It was meaningless to continue fighting here, especially since the opponents were prepared and Yagura had already broken free.
Now was not the time for an all-out war.
Space began to warp again, and Obito's figure silently vanished from his spot before the encirclement was complete.
After confirming the masked man had left, the Tailed Beast Chakra on Yagura's body slowly receded. Heavy panting came from beneath his hat; to facilitate long-term control, Obito had kept him in a relatively weakened state, and the brief outburst just now had almost drained his stamina.
"Lord Mizukage." Mei stepped forward, her voice filled with concern.
Yagura indicated he was fine, took off his Mizukage hat, and his eyes swept across the messy office, finally resting on the Advisor who had arrived.
The advisor leaned on his snake staff and walked up to him, scrutinizing him for a moment before turning to the surrounding Anbu and giving a solemn order: "Immediately begin tracking! Search for all suspicious traces within and around the village, and do not let that intruder escape! At the same time, strengthen security at all entry and exit points!"
"Yes!" The Anbu acknowledged the order and quickly moved into action.
After the Anbu dispersed, only Genji, Yagura, Mei, and Zabuza remained in the office.
Yagura, as if drained of strength, slowly sat back in his chair, his voice hoarse and filled with deep fatigue and self-reproach, looking at the Advisor: "Elder, what... what have I done?"
—
Eastern border of the Land of Fire, before dawn.
Over a hundred rogue ninja and wandering ninja, under the cover of night, divided into several groups, silently stepped onto the land of the Land of Fire, ready to carry out their harassment mission.
The forest was silent, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind. However, just as the first group of ninja penetrated less than a hundred meters past the border line.
Countless kunai with explosive tags attached poured down like a sudden storm from the dense forests on both sides, shooting towards the most densely packed areas of the crowd!
"An ambush!"
"It's Konoha ninja!"
Exclamations and explosions erupted almost simultaneously! The once tranquil forest was instantly filled with fire and battle cries.
Kakashi's figure appeared on the trunk of a large tree, his Sharingan sweeping across the chaotic battlefield.
"They came, as expected." The intelligence, transmitted through the Anbu channels, was accurate.
Shisui was active on the other side of the battlefield, with multiple clones attacking simultaneously, their short blades cutting deadly arcs, intercepting every intruder attempting to break through the defense line.
Konoha's ambush unit was clearly well-prepared and coordinated, catching the numerically superior invaders off guard and forcing them to retreat.
However, on the edge of the chaotic battlefield, Orochimaru, disguised as an ordinary wandering ninja, fixed his gaze on a particularly conspicuous squad in the midst of the battle.
It was a team of four, moving swiftly, coordinating seamlessly. Most notably, as they darted and weaved, the eerie, crimson Sharingan occasionally flashed in their eye sockets.
"Finally found them..." Orochimaru's long tongue subconsciously licked his lips.
The Root members following behind him exchanged glances. They also confirmed that the battle situation was favorable for Konoha; these disorganized mercenaries were clearly unable to break through the defense line.
As Orochimaru moved silently, this squad also, like shadows, quietly approached the Uchiha Anbu squad that was currently engaged in battle with the wandering Ninja.
—
Konoha Village, Hokage Building.
The sky had already turned a faint white, and the weak morning light streamed through the window, spilling onto the floor of the Hokage Office.
"By now, over there... they should have already made their move, right?" Tsunade stood by the window, gazing at the gradually brightening skyline.
Information regarding the movements of the Land of Waves mercenaries was transmitted back with the highest priority.
According to the Anbu analysis department's interpretation, the intelligence came from another reliable team that had been long-term undercover, and its credibility was rated as the highest level.
For this, Tsunade had dispatched several elite squads to support the existing defense line.
Once the time and location of the raid were confirmed, for Konoha, the disorganized mercenaries would not pose much trouble.
With Kakashi and Shisui's abilities, dealing with a group of mercenaries should, in theory, not have too much suspense.
Roshi stood not far from her: "Hmm, according to the plan, the ambush should have commenced before dawn. No emergency distress signals have been received, which at least indicates the situation is still under control."
Just then, the office door was gently pushed open, and Shizune poked her head in.
"Lady Tsunade, the time is almost here. The ceremony site is ready, and all the advisors, clan heads, and representatives have arrived."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade took a deep breath, as if exhaling all the fatigue and worry of the night.
She stretched her somewhat stiff neck and shoulders.
"Understood." Tsunade turned around, a confident expression appearing on her face, "Let's go, it's time to complete this troublesome ceremony."
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