"So that's it. This is an assassination plan targeting Jin-nii, right?"
Konan coldly spoke.
Although she couldn't distinguish the subtle differences between the Root and Anbu's masks, just seeing these people dressed in grayish-white flak jackets allowed her to guess the whole story from beginning to end.
"Very clever, little girl picked up by Uchiha Jin."
The Root at the front sneered through his mask:
"Here gathered the strongest elite forces of Kumogakure and Konoha's Root. Even Jin with his Mangekyo Sharingan won't leave here alive, not to mention we now have you as a hostage."
"To deal with Jin-nii, you actually joined forces with external enemies? I remember a year ago, Kumogakure was still trying to extort Konoha heavily. Now you can shamelessly seek their cooperation to deal with your own people?"
Konan sneered repeatedly:
"As expected, Jin-nii was right. Konoha is thoroughly rotten."
"Hmph, say whatever you want in the last moments of your life."
Aburame Tatsuma, a Root's member and Danzo's confidant, sneered coldly:
"Anyway, Jin and you will be buried here soon."
Konan's sneer remained, then she prepared to squat down.
"What are you trying to do!?"
Seeing her movement, Tatsuma suddenly waved his hand.
The Aburame Clan's unique Parasitic Insects attacked Konan.
"I'm tired. Is it okay to sit for a while? Anyway, I'm going to die."
Konan pressed her small bottom against the ground, calm and unruffled.
Behind and to the right of Tatsuma, another Root Ninja with long hair reaching his back stepped forward, pressed down Tatsuma's hand, and said in a hoarse voice:
"She's just a twelve or thirteen-year-old kid. No need to be so nervous."
"Hmph, who's nervous?"
Tatsuma snorted coldly and withdrew the Parasitic Insects.
Meanwhile, the fingertips of Konan's hands, tightly bound behind her back, inconspicuously touched the ground beneath her.
This unremarkable scene didn't attract the attention of anyone from either Kumogakure or Root.
Orochimaru, who had just stopped Tatsuma from behind his mask, thought to himself:
'Even with me and A, can this lineup kill Uchiha Jin? Just relying on this little hostage girl? Are Danzo and Sarutobi-sensei crazy? Speaking of which, should I really get involved? No one knows what that guy has been doing these past six months...'
At this moment, Orochimaru looked at Konan, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, looking calm and composed.
His heart grew increasingly uneasy, thinking:
'I've sent a messenger hawk to deliver the information. After getting the news, that guy Jin won't take his anger out on me, will he?"
Meanwhile, Konan's cold eyes swept over everyone present one by one, counting silently in her heart:
'111... 112... 113... 114... 114 people in total?'
'The others are nothing special, but this 'A', the Raikage's successor, is said to be very fast. I wonder if my ability can catch him... It's indeed safer to wait for Jin-nii to come, right?'
'But I really want to test what level my power has reached in the Ninja World...'
Just as Konan was hesitating whether to act or not, the Sensor Ninja within Root suddenly shouted:
"He's coming! Everyone, hide!"
Tatsuma, the overall commander of this operation, also said:
"Remember! Strike the moment Uchiha Jin shows an opening!"
As soon as he said this, all the Root Ninjas used various hiding techniques, blending into the environment.
"This scene is indeed very familiar."
About half a minute later, Jin strolled leisurely to the foot of Madara's statue, facing A and his group across the river.
"Several years ago, you infiltrated Konoha and kidnapped Kushina, right? This time it's Konan. You Kumogakure people sure love do such things."
Jin said with full mockery.
Thinking about it carefully, after the Third Great Ninja War ended in the future, when Konoha and Kumogakure signed the armistice agreement, Kumogakure tried to kidnap Hinata.
Later, they turned the tables and, through Hiruzen's hand, obtained Hizashi's body.
They were truly addicted to kidnapping.
"Enough nonsense! Jin, today, this place will be your burial ground!"
A roared furiously.
"Call me 'Grandpa'~"
Jin curled his lips, squinting his eyes:
"Did you forget what I told you last time in Konoha? From now on, whenever you meet me outside, you must call me 'Grandpa'."
"SHUT UP!!!"
In a fit of rage, A wanted to charge forward and fight Jin directly.
The reason he agreed to Danzo's plan to ambush and assassinate Jin was because the humiliation he suffered in Konoha afterwards haunted him like a nightmare, lingering for a long time.
If he didn't kill Jin, A felt he would never get over this hurdle in his lifetime.
"Please calm down, A-sama!"
A Kumogakure's Ninja raised his hand to block the furious A who was about to charge out.
Then, he took out two kunai from the tool pouch on his side.
He threw one to Jin's feet across the river.
The other he pressed against the temple of Konan, who was sitting on the ground.
"If you don't want anything to happen to this little girl, commit suicide with that kunai!"
Hearing this, Jin couldn't help but laugh again.
He knew why this scene was so familiar.
'Wasn't it the same scenario in the original story where Hanzo used Konan to threaten Nagato into killing Yahiko?'
'That old bastard Danzo was definitely behind the scenes, fueling the flames.'
For these Kumogakure's Ninjas to be able to swagger into the Land of Fire and even infiltrate places like Tanzaku Quarters, which is only tens of kilometers away from Konoha, if they said they had no inside help, even a dog wouldn't believe it.
Jin glanced at the smile on Konan's face as she sat on the ground.
The smile on his face grew even brighter.
"What are you laughing at?"
Seeing this, A couldn't help but question.
'What's going on?'
The ominous feeling in his heart grew stronger.
Jin didn't answer the dying man's question.
He just imitated a certain ten-year-old furry fan who hadn't won a championship for 20 years and just got one before being forced to retire, making a throwing gesture.
'Pikaconan! I choose you!'
Noticing Jin's movement, Konan's pupils constricted sharply.
Her entire aura suddenly transformed.
Boom-!!!
The entire ground shook violently.
Before the Kumogakure's Ninjas around Konan could steady themselves, Hashirama's statue, with a size comparable to a Complete Body Susanoo, tore itself from the ground and floated above everyone's heads.
"Wh-what is that!?"
"Th-the statue, it's flying!?"
"Is that a Ninjutsu?"
"Who? Whose technique is it!?"
Konan, who had been sitting cross-legged, rose into the air without forming hand seals, like the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.
Her small mouth coldly spat out two words:
"Fallen Angel!"
The gigantic statue, almost blocking the sky, descended directly.
Seeing this astonishing scene, the Root Ninjas hiding nearby were forced to reveal themselves due to the earthquake.
"Retreat! Get further away!"
Tatsuma, who had originally planned to assassinate Jin, screamed hoarsely.
However, the head-first statue was less than ten meters from the ground!
Boom-!!!
The First Hokage's statue completely landed.
Its head shattered upon contact with the ground.
The nearby statue of Uchiha Madara didn't fare much better either.
The parts below the knees completely disappeared.
The entire stone sculpture was in a precarious state.
...
Chat Group of the Dead:
[Hashirama: My brand new statue! F***! My brand new, new statue! F***you! My statue!!!]
[Mito: @Hashirama, Hashirama, don't be like this, I'm scared...]
[Izuna: Wow, so this is the power of the Devil Fruit? Speaking of which, big brother's statue didn't escape either. But he's not dead yet. I wonder how he'll react when he finds out.]
[Ace: I wonder how Luffy is doing. I hope he can walk out of the shadow of NTR...]
…
In the air above-
Jin untied the ropes on Konan's hands, and the two looked down from above.
"You can already skillfully control this volume. It seems you can face Elite Jonin calmly now."
Jin said lightly.
"It's just that there's someone below who is far beyond the level of an Elite Jonin."
As soon as Konan finished speaking, a blue light shot towards them from the dust raised by the statue.
Who else could it be but A?
Konan suddenly raised her hand.
Like Gaara controlling sand, the shattered statue rubble responded to her call.
It rushed towards the blue light at extreme speed.
However, it fell further and further behind.
"No good, I can't catch up."
Konan shook her head, looking disappointed.
"At times like this, coordination is key."
Jin raised his right hand and snapped his fingers with a 'snap'.
Whoosh—
An emerald green storm whistled in, merging with the rubble controlled by Konan.
Its speed increased several times at once, rapidly approaching A in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
"Wha-!?"
A's expression changed dramatically.
Konan also looked down in astonishment.
On the split forehead of the Hashirama's statue below and to the right, Kurenai was standing!
"At times like this, the importance of teamwork is evident."
Jin cosplayed as a certain Copy Ninja.
And in the brief moment A was stunned, a black cloud rushed towards him from the side at extreme speed.
"Prometheus!"
Rin on the thunder cloud raised her hand and shouted.
"Coming! Master!"
A fire cloud rose from above Rin's head.
Rin grabbed at the surface of the fire cloud with her small hand, wrenching out a ball of flame.
"Heavens' Fire!"
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted on A's body.
...
"Cough cough!"
In the dust, Tatsuma coughed as he climbed up from the ground. The mask on his face had split in half and fallen at his feet, blood continuously dripping from his forehead.
"Is, is anyone still alive? Quick, quick go report to Danzo-sama... guh!"
Before Tatsuma could finish speaking, a kunai had already pierced his neck from behind.
When he used his last bit of strength to look back, he stared in shock, his eyeballs wide.
"O, Orochimaru... you..."
"No need to be so surprised, right? Tatsuma-kun~"
Orochimaru licked his lips and sneered:
"Danzo and Sarutobi-sensei will soon be going to the next world too. As their die-hard loyalist, shouldn't you go first to prepare to welcome them?"
After saying this, Orochimaru pushed the kunai deeper and looked forward, saying with a laugh:
"Don't you think so? Jin-kun~"
"To be honest, I think it's a pity the [Konoha Crush Plan] can't be implemented. If possible, I'd like those old foxes to die a more painful death."
Jin said, looking somewhat regretful.