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The western part of the Land of Fire.
That dangerous canyon no longer held the same deathly silence as it did a day ago.
Now, it had become a heavily guarded military camp.
Deep within the canyon, the reverse transmission array personally set up by Mabui was radiating powerful and stable fluctuations.
Each flash of light saw dozens of Kumogakure shinobi emerge from it.
Their eyes were cold, and their movements swift.
Upon landing, they quickly joined various parts of the canyon under the guidance of their respective jonin.
They either stood guard or rested, without making a single unnecessary sound.
From last night until now, only a day had passed.
The number of people who had been teleported had already exceeded one thousand!
A chilling atmosphere filled the canyon.
Not even snakes, insects, rats, or ants dared to approach the barrier.
A stood on a high vantage point, his burly figure overlooking the continuously growing troops below.
His gaze swept over them, his heart heavy, the pressure like a mountain.
Five thousand people.
This was the force he had gambled Kumogakure, and even the future of the Land of Lightning, to acquire!
To assemble this surprise attack army, he had almost emptied the Land of Lightning.
He had even withdrawn many troops stationed at the borders of the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire.
Precisely because of this, the garrison forces remaining at the Land of Fire's border were continuously suffering attacks from Konoha's border army.
Not a single good piece of news came back in the battle reports.
They had gained almost no advantage in the skirmishes with the Land of Fire.
But these skirmishes had to be maintained.
By continuously bleeding them this way, he could firmly tie down Konoha's attention and buy precious time for his operation.
The price he paid was four loyal subordinates, the emptiness of the Land of Lightning, and even his entire reputation as Raikage!
In this battle, if they did not win, the country would be destroyed!
"Mabui."
His deep voice rang out.
Mabui, who had been guarding the array, immediately looked up upon hearing him. Sweat drenched the hair on her forehead, and her face was pale from the prolonged lack of rest.
Maintaining such a massive spatial jutsu for an extended period had severely drained her chakra and spirit.
"Raikage-sama!"
"How much longer?"
"At the current efficiency, by 2 days, all five thousand main forces will be assembled."
Mabui's voice was weary, but her eyes were exceptionally bright.
She could feel that as the total amount of chakra within the canyon continuously increased, the array's operational efficiency also grew higher and higher.
Initially, it could only teleport ten people at a time.
Now, it could teleport nearly fifty people at a time!
The more people that were teleported, the more chakra they could inject into the array, and the larger the scale of the next teleportation!
A perfect positive cycle!
"Very good." A nodded, his eyes becoming incredibly fierce, and he ordered. "Everyone, seize the time to rest and conserve your strength!"
"The day after tomorrow at noon, we will launch a full-scale attack!"
"Yes!"
The sun was setting.
Night had not yet completely covered the land.
The gates of Konoha finally appeared in everyone's sight.
The convoy, which had been rushing for half a day, slowly decreased its speed.
Inside the carriages, the tense atmosphere quietly relaxed.
Everyone let out a long sigh of relief.
They made it.
The village... was safe.
Kurenai Yuhi lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.
Looking at her approaching home, her red eyes were veiled with a mist, a mix of excitement and the nervousness of returning home.
The convoy stopped steadily at the village gate.
Minato, the Fourth Hokage, stood at the forefront, with elders Koharu and Homura behind him, as well as representatives from various families and jonin-class shinobi.
The scene was solemn and grand.
Shin stepped down from the carriage, supported by Uchiha Kasumi.
"Welcome, Daimyo-sama!"
Minato stepped forward, bowing slightly, and the Konoha higher-ups behind him also saluted in unison.
"Everyone has worked hard!"
"It is our duty!"
"My lord, you have traveled far and wide. You must be very tired. A residence has been prepared. Would you like to rest first?"
"It's fine!" Shin waved his hand, refusing.
"Compared to me, they are the ones who are truly tired." He looked at the dust-covered Guardian Shinobi Twelve behind him and said. "I'm giving you a holiday. Go home and see your families."
At these words, the Guardian Shinobi Twelve were all stunned.
"My lord, what about your safety...?" Asuma asked without thinking.
"With the Shadow Guard here, it's enough." Shin waved his hand. "Go, have a good rest tonight!"
"Thank you for your consideration, my lord!" The Guardian Shinobi Twelve bowed in gratitude.
Just as they were about to move, a flash of red caught Asuma's peripheral vision. He saw Kurenai Yuhi getting out of the carriage, and surprise immediately flashed in his eyes.
"Yuhi?!"
The young man's joy at seeing an old friend made him instinctively exclaim, almost wanting to go forward and greet her.
However, as soon as his foot moved, a hand grabbed him.
It was Nara Shikato.
"She is now the daimyo's wife."
Nara Shikato kept his voice very low, but every word was clear. "Don't overstep."
Asuma immediately froze, his inner surprise instantly solidifying, all his words caught in his throat.
He watched the girl he once knew so well, now elegantly dressed, standing beside the man who held immense power.
A feeling of being worlds apart arose within him.
Yes... she was already the daimyo's woman.
Asuma silently withdrew his gaze, burying his impulsive emotions, along with the bitterness that welled up in his heart.
The commotion here did not attract too much attention.
Shin naturally saw it, but he did not care. The fleeting emotions of youth could not withstand the test of time.
He cast his gaze upon Kurenai Yuhi beside him.
Seeing that she had not heard the call, but instead was staring intently at the back of the welcoming crowd, Shin followed her gaze and then saw the middle-aged man with a worried expression, jonin Shinku Yuhi.
Shin smiled.
He turned to Uchiha Kasumi and Kurenai Yuhi.
"You two as well."
"Kasumi, haven't you been constantly talking about your older sister? Go back and see her."
"As for you..." He looked at Kurenai Yuhi, his tone carrying a hint of teasing. "If you don't go now, your father's neck will be strained from looking."
Uchiha Kasumi's heart stirred, and she meekly agreed. "Yes, thank you for your consideration, my lord."
And Kurenai Yuhi was already blushing from what was said.
She no longer hesitated. After receiving permission, she bowed deeply to Shin. "Thank you, my lord!"
Before her words finished, the girl lifted her skirt and ran towards her father. "Father!"
A tearful cry moved many of the hardened individuals present.
Watching this heartwarming scene of father and daughter reuniting, Shin's face held a gentle smile.
After dealing with personal matters, he turned his head and looked back at Minato and the group of Konoha higher-ups behind him.
Minato immediately understood. "Daimyo-sama, please proceed to the Hokage building."
Shin nodded slightly, said nothing more, and stepped forward.
Minato immediately followed, half a step behind, showing the respect due to a subordinate.
The other welcoming individuals also silently followed behind.
Soon, the Hokage building appeared before them.
One by one, surrounding the daimyo, they entered in an orderly fashion.