Rumble rumble...
The massive explosion reflected against the dim sky, turning it a fiery red!
Standing atop his clay bird, Deidara watched the mushroom cloud stirred up by the explosion in the distance, his eyes welling with tears of excitement: "Art is an explosion!"
Delta flew in front of Deidara at this moment: "Wh—what did you do?"
Deidara said: "Didn't you tell me to be responsible for the interception?"
Delta said: "But... forget it, there's no talking sense to a lunatic like you! A large number of enemies has appeared to the south. The Engineering Unit is still reinforcing things here; we need an interception!"
"I'm going!"
Deidara thrust both hands into the clay bags at his waist while urging the clay bird beneath him to fly toward the south.
Delta said: "Hey, if you can't hold it, send word back. Don't die in silence and leave us unprepared over here!"
Deidara laughed: "If I die, you will see my tombstone! It will be very big, very beautiful, and very bright!"
"Madman!"
Delta turned and flew back to the camp on the ground.
The camp area was extremely busy; the Engineering Unit was laying down small reinforcement nails, and the Sensory Unit was cautiously sensing the surroundings.
Passing through the various busy crowds, Delta arrived outside the camp.
At this moment, a team consisting of a three-person combat squad and an Engineering Unit was assembling outside the camp. The leader was Ranmaru, one of the members of the Research Institute's elite squad, and the two members of his combat squad were actually former Akatsuki colleagues Kakuzu and Hidan.
At a time like this, even prisoners had to take on combat missions. Thus, Kakuzu and Hidan were released by the Research Institute and incorporated into a prisoner unit, with Ranmaru serving as both the captain and their jailer.
Delta swept a glance over Kakuzu and Hidan, finally resting her gaze on Ranmaru: "The Sensory Unit in your direction has completely lost contact."
The shinobi of the Engineering Unit all looked solemn upon hearing this.
The reconnaissance units still active outside were, without exception, elites with both strength and experience. For such elites to lose contact without even sending back word, one could imagine how bad the situation was over there.
Ranmaru said: "It doesn't matter; there is no place in the shinobi world that is absolutely safe right now!"
Delta gave a nod, then said: "If they are cowardly in battle, you may execute them on the spot!"
Hidan said: "Hey, don't look down on people. Since this Great Lord is taking action, I won't flee without a fight!"
Kakuzu said: "Running away at a time like this is meaningless!"
Delta gave a light snort and said no more. She knew that although Kakuzu and Hidan were prisoners, they were lawless lunatics just like Deidara, making them most suitable for the current situation.
"We are heading out!"
Ranmaru simply waved his hand and led the squad out.
...
Land of Rain.
Several shinobi of the Hidden Rain Village looked blankly at the figure in the air: "Lady Angel, how long must we hold out here?"
The figure flying in the air said in a cold voice: "Until death!"
Undoubtedly, the figure flying in the air was the former Akatsuki member Konan. After Nagato's death, she had retired in the Land of Rain and opened an orphanage.
After the Great War arrived, Konan responded to the call of the Research Institute to cover the Engineering Unit as they laid small reinforcement nails.
Now that Yahiko and Nagato had passed away one after another, Konan no longer had any lingering attachment to life, so she was fearless.
Soon, several figures wrapped in dark purple smoke appeared in the field of vision of the Hidden Rain Village shinobi.
"They're here!"
A Hidden Rain Village shinobi shouted a warning.
The other Hidden Rain Village shinobi all grew tense, but no one retreated, and certainly no one fled, because everyone knew there was nowhere left to run!
...
Research Institute, underground command center.
"Report, one spot has been lit up in the Land of Fire..."
"Report, one spot has been lit up in the Land of Wind..."
"Report, one spot has been lit up in the Land of Grass..."
"Report, one spot has been lit up in the Land of Earth..."
"Report, another spot has been lit up in the Land of Fire..."
The reports from the Communication Unit rose and fell. Everyone's voice was hoarse and even slightly trembling, but their tone was extremely high-pitched!
Being in the command center, the personnel here had an understanding of the overall situation of the shinobi world that far exceeded the survivors of various nations outside. Therefore, when the Infinite Tsukuyomi was interrupted and the defensive barrier was broken, everyone knew in their hearts that the Barrier Project, which the Research Institute had worked so hard to build, had already failed.
So even if the operation to comprehensively lay down small reinforcement nails succeeded now, it would at most only be delaying the collapse of the shinobi world.
But even so, everyone persisted under a single belief, because the battle outside was not yet over, and the struggle of the shinobi world was not yet over!
Amado stared at the map: "Every region is fighting; we no longer have any way to control the overall situation!"
The Communication Unit had already stopped reporting battle reports to the command center, because battles were happening everywhere and sacrifices were being made everywhere. The Research Institute had even sent out the prisoners and had no reserve forces left in hand, so even if they received a report, they could not send out reinforcement troops.
Tsunade said: "However, the laying of reinforcement nails is going more smoothly than imagined. There are already over ninety reinforcement points lit up now!"
Sasori lamented: "No one is willing to sit and wait for death!"
He was a cold and selfish person. When Amado proposed the plan to lay small reinforcement nails, he was not optimistic about it, because given the current situation outside, any struggle seemed pale and weak. However, he didn't expect that after the plan was issued, every part of the shinobi world gave a response.
Tsunade shook her head: "No, they just want to tell the Hegemon that they are not afraid!"
Sasori glanced at Tsunade and, in a rare moment, did not argue.
Amado gave a light laugh: "Looking at these reinforcement points being lit up one by one, even I suddenly don't feel quite as afraid!"
Shizune, who was nearby, said: "Yes, even if we are ultimately defeated, we have given our all and have no regrets!"
Tsunade then looked at Amado: "How much time do we have left?"
Amado looked at the clock on the wall: "If the Core Node does not fall, the shinobi world should still be able to hold out for fifteen or sixteen hours! Of course, that is the worst-case scenario. If things go a bit better, maybe we can last another day!"
"One day, huh..." Whispering to herself, Tsunade turned and walked out: "I am no longer needed here; I am going to the battlefield!"
Amado was stunned for a moment and said: "You alone cannot change anything."
Tsunade said: "But I am the Hokage. I should die in battle on the battlefield, not die in a shelter!"
Shizune had already packed her equipment by this time: "Lady Tsunade, let's head out!"
Tsunade nodded lightly: "Let's go!"
Looking at the departing Tsunade and Shizune, Amado did not continue to dissuade them, because it was no longer necessary.
There was nothing left to command here in the command center. All that remained was to wait and pray.