A sealed Ninja Tool breaking through barriers by itself and flying away was unthinkable.
"It is absolutely true!" the ANBU member said quickly. "We saw it break through the seals and fly off, heading toward…"
Buzz!
Before he could finish, a scorching sensation surged in from afar, as if it came straight from the soul.
Jiraiya and Tsunade both changed expression and turned sharply toward the window.
To the southeast of Konoha, where the Ryoma Clan resided, a pillar of pure golden flame shot into the sky. It tore through the last darkness before dawn, dazzling and sacred, lighting up half of Konoha like broad daylight.
Even the statues on distant Hokage Rock were coated in flowing gold light.
"What is that?" Tsunade's pupils shrank.
"That direction is the Ryoma Clan?" Jiraiya stared at the pillar and guessed, "Is this the power of 'Wrath'? Did someone gain its recognition?"
Why would someone suddenly gain the recognition of 'Wrath'?
Had something happened within the Ryoma Clan?
Thinking of how "Root" and Danzo had been unusually quiet recently, a chilling thought rose in both their minds. Unease, even fear, welled up.
"Quick," Tsunade said heavily. "Send people to the Ryoma Clan and ask…"
Boom!!
Her words were cut off again.
The window glass hummed softly, and the water in the teacups on the desk shook violently. In the distance, several thick black smoke columns mixed with fire shot into the sky, staining the freshly brightened horizon.
A dense mass of "birds" appeared above Konoha.
"Enemy attack?!" the two of them shouted together, their faces changing.
That direction was the Barrier Technique unit.
"Emergency alert!"
Without hesitation, Jiraiya gave the order. "Third stage!"
Across all of Konoha, aside from the Hokage Rock that embraced the village, the tallest structure was the Barrier Tower. It rose above the rooftops as a fixed part of the village skyline, visible from nearly every district.
Barrier Tower was one of the core hubs of Konoha's defense system. In the center of the room floated a huge translucent water sphere several meters across, slowly rotating in midair. Its surface reflected faint light that shifted with every pulse of power.
Three members of the Barrier Team wore loose, pale purple robes. Two stood on either side of the water sphere, maintaining the connection between their own Chakra and the Barrier Technique device. Their hands were steady, their breathing slow and controlled.
The man serving as the Barrier Team squad leader sat at the front with his eyes closed. His mind was fully immersed in sensing the Barrier Technique, alert for any abnormal Chakra fluctuations that might appear at any moment. He looked as still as a monk in meditation.
As Konoha's first line of defense, the Barrier Team did not fight on the front lines. Instead, they carried the heavier responsibility of maintaining, monitoring, and protecting the Barrier Technique that covered the entire village. Their role was quiet, but nothing in the village worked without them.
The Barrier Technique was divided into three main types. There were sensory barriers used for reconnaissance and tracking all object movements, containment barriers meant to restrict powerful enemies, and defensive barriers that isolated space from Obito. Each served a distinct purpose in the village defense network.
The system the Barrier Team operated daily was the sensory-type Barrier Technique. It could detect abnormal Chakra reactions from illegal intrusions and even record how often every person passed through the barrier. Any irregularity would be noticed almost immediately.
Because of this, Konoha was considered the hardest village to infiltrate among the Five Great Ninja Villages. The floating water sphere was the visible core device of the Konoha Sensory Barrier. As long as it remained intact, the barrier's awareness never slept.
Near the windows, several ordinary Ninja responsible for routine patrol and guard duty looked far more relaxed. They wore standard uniforms that allowed easier movement and leaned casually against the walls. Without alarms or disturbances, this was their scheduled rest period.
"Come on, it's your turn to draw."
A few of them sat cross-legged on the floor around a small open space. They passed time with a simple card game, clearly bored but comfortable. Laughter came easily in the quiet room.
Another person leaned against the window and yawned. He absentmindedly gazed at the gradually brightening sky, his thoughts drifting. Long stretches of calm duty had worn down most of their vigilance.
Then, in that very moment.
The Barrier Team squad leader seated before the barrier device suddenly opened his eyes. His pupils shrank, and his expression turned grave in an instant. The shift was so abrupt it felt like a blade cutting through the calm.
Almost at the same time, the surface of the floating water sphere erupted with countless ripples. They spread wildly across the area corresponding to the village above, as if several stones had been thrown in at once. The smooth surface became chaotic.
"It's intruders!"
The Barrier Team squad leader snapped his head toward the card-playing Ninja. With a stern voice he said, "East Gate point D. Targets are twelve… no, fifty-three." His tone sharpened as the number kept climbing.
The speed was wrong.
The relaxed faces of the Ninja changed at once, and they rose instinctively. Before any of them could react further, it happened.
Bang! kacha!
The sharp sound of glass shattering and metal clattering filled the room. Several metal spheres about the size of fists were hurled in through the window from outside. They struck the smooth floor and rolled forward with crisp, chilling clicks.
Everyone's gaze was drawn to the rolling spheres. A trace of fear rose in their eyes as they followed their movement. No one spoke, and no one dared look away.
At the same time, on the street below the Barrier Tower, scattered villagers and early-rising shop owners had begun their day. Stalls were being set up, and quiet chatter drifted through the air.
"Wait, what's that?" A vegetable seller about to open his stand looked up and suddenly pointed at the sky, shouting in alarm.
Others followed his gaze, confusion and unease spreading across their faces. High above Konoha, a dense mass like a flock of black birds had appeared. It was racing toward the center of the village at an astonishing speed.
When the roaring wind pressed down from above, tearing the air with a sharp howl, people finally saw clearly. Those were not birds at all. They were people in uniform outfits, strange double wings fixed to their backs, masks covering their faces and leaving only cold eyes exposed.
Three of them broke away from the formation and dove lower toward the Barrier Tower.
Boom!!!
The first deafening explosion tore through the top level of the Barrier Tower. Flames and thick smoke swallowed the barrier room, and the solid structure groaned under the blast before beginning to collapse. The sound rolled across the village like thunder.
Huge stones and shattered beams poured down from above. They smashed into the street below with brutal force. The rushing wind overturned simple stalls and whipped clothes and hair into the air.
"Run!"
"Intruders!"
"They can fly!"
Screams of terror replaced the earlier shouts. People fled in panic, scattering in every direction. Some collapsed to the ground, scrambling backward, while others shoved and stumbled as they tried to break into nearby shops for cover.
Rumble!!!
The Barrier Tower collapsed completely. More massive stones screamed down from the sky and slammed into the crowded street. Dust surged upward, swallowing cries, sobs, and the thunder of destruction.