The Third Hokage took a deep breath and pulled out another piece of intelligence, this one coming from the defeated Cloud Ninja.
Although they had already retreated, Konoha still left some people guarding the border, and soon received the message they sent.
"Absurd!" The Third Hokage's hand was shaking. The intelligence stated that the Cloud Ninja were demanding compensation for their losses!
The one who defeated you was that guy, Uchiha Kaede. And you come to us for compensation?! Are these muscle-heads insane?!
The Third Hokage was already suppressing a surge of anger, but just then, a low rumble suddenly entered his ears.
He frowned deeply, and without time to think further, he quickly walked out of the main camp.
When he fixed his gaze on the camp from which the sounds were coming, he instantly froze, a trace of astonishment rising in his heart.
He saw that on the west side of the camp, dust was flying, accompanied by roars and battle cries. Clearly, an intense battle was taking place there.
While the Third Hokage was wondering, a panic-stricken Ninja rushed over like a gust of wind.
Before he could steady himself, he reported breathlessly, "H-Hokage-sama! This is bad! Iwa Ninja have been spotted on the west side of the camp!"
The Third Hokage's face darkened upon hearing this, and he sternly demanded, "How many people? Why are they launching an attack at this time?"
The Ninja took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and replied, "Reporting to Hokage-sama, we've only seen one person so far! But that person is incredibly powerful, and many of our comrades are no match for him. Fortunately, Lord Hyuga noticed something was wrong in time and has already led his subordinates over."
"Only one person?" The Third Hokage relaxed slightly, looking suspiciously in the direction of the Iwa Ninja. Are they still planning to fight? Even if they win, they'll have to face Uchiha Kaede. Why would Ōnoki do something so foolish?
"Make sure to guard the other directions well! We absolutely cannot give the Iwa Ninja any opportunity!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was grave as he quickly issued the order and motioned for the person next to him to go and relay it.
After the man accepted the order and left, the Third Hokage frowned slightly, pondering. He had a faint feeling that something was amiss.
Nevertheless, he decided to personally head in the direction of the sound to investigate.
Stepping into the pitch-black forest, the silence around him was terrifying. Hiruzen Sarutobi cautiously stepped on the tree trunks, moving forward slowly, step by step.
Suddenly, an incredibly sharp Wind Blade whistled through the darkness, tearing through the air with a piercing sound, rushing straight toward the Third Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart jumped in surprise, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his body instinctively darted to the side to dodge.
However, this Wind Blade was extremely fast, narrowly grazing past his body.
Accompanied by a crisp snapping sound, the surrounding branches immediately broke off, cleanly split into two halves.
The Third Hokage leaped down from the tree, and just as his feet touched the ground, before he could steady himself, another gust of fierce wind carrying immense power surged toward him.
At the same time, a black figure, like a phantom, suddenly sprang out from the deep shadows of the forest.
In the blink of an eye, a hand, withered like dry wood, grabbed fiercely from behind the Third Hokage with lightning speed.
Although the Third Hokage reacted swiftly and sensed the approaching danger, the distance was too close and the event too sudden. Even with all his effort, he could only manage to twist his body to avoid the vital spots.
Nevertheless, that hand mercilessly left several deep gashes on his shoulder.
Blood instantly stained the Third Hokage's clothes. He tightly clutched his injured shoulder, his face full of alertness, his gaze fixed on the mysterious figure who had suddenly appeared before him.
Kakuzu expressionlessly retracted his hand, showing a hint of regret. He had thought he could just rip out the Hokage's heart and call it a day.
"You are... that mercenary Ninja!" The Third Hokage recognized Kakuzu. He had knowledge of all the powerful figures among the Iwa Ninja, and a quick investigation would reveal that this sudden appearance was a hired hand.
Jiongu! Kakuzu didn't waste words; he immediately went all out. Dark tentacles emerged from his back and rushed toward the Third Hokage again.
"How much did the Iwa Ninja pay you? I'll double it!" the Third Hokage said while dodging.
Kakuzu's movement stiffened for a moment, and then his attack became even more ferocious.
People in our line of work must maintain credibility! Kakuzu thought, otherwise, who would hire him next time?!
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt utterly miserable. If this were years ago, he wouldn't fear Kakuzu at all, but now he was old and injured, forced to be suppressed by Kakuzu's assault. He could only hope that Konoha's Ninja would arrive quickly.
Kakuzu didn't mind. Kitsuchi had already said that he just needed to attempt the assassination; he would be paid regardless of success. His plan was either to kill him instantly through a sneak attack, or just fight briefly until Konoha's Ninja arrived to witness him, and then leave.
Jiongu!! Just then, Kakuzu's keen senses detected several unfamiliar presences rapidly approaching.
In an instant, his eyes widened, and he chanted incantations, frantically unleashing his unique Secret Technique.
As a low roar sounded, several masked monsters emerged like phantoms from Kakuzu's back.
These monsters were pitch black, emitting a terrifying evil aura. As soon as they appeared, they released Ninjutsu alongside Kakuzu.
Kakuzu formed hand signs, and a powerful current of air erupted from the monsters' mouths: "Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
This current of air swept out like a fierce storm, scattering sand and stones, and uprooting all vegetation in its path.
Immediately after, he changed his hand signs again and roared, "Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
Blazing flames instantly shot up, intertwining and merging with the previous Wind Release, forming an intensely scorching sea of fire.
Even as the fire raged fiercely, Kakuzu was still able to launch further attacks.
He skillfully combined the two Ninjutsu to unleash an even more powerful Compound Ninjutsu—Blazing Wind Wave!
The power of this technique was astonishing; the combination of wind and fire generated a shockwave capable of destroying anything in its path.
In the Iwa Ninja position behind, Kitsuchi had already instructed the Ninja troops to gradually withdraw. He walked last, taking the chance to see if Kakuzu had truly gone through with the assassination.
Gazing at the blazing firelight suddenly shining in the distant sky, illuminating half the heavens, a faint smile slowly appeared on Kitsuchi's slightly weathered face.
This smile contained a hint of anticipation and excitement, because he knew what that massive firelight meant—Kakuzu had finally made his move!
"Hmph, I hope that guy Kakuzu can successfully take out that hateful old man, Hiruzen Sarutobi..." Kitsuchi muttered to himself, a light of hatred flickering in his eyes.
However, at that very moment, he completely failed to notice a faint, almost imperceptible blue bolt of lightning abruptly flashing out of thin air, mere tens of meters from his camp.
Immediately after, a figure quietly descended upon the land like a ghost.
Uchiha Kaede! He looked with confusion at the Iwa Ninja position before him, which seemed unusually deserted and sparse, and couldn't help but frown slightly.
Strange? Why is it so quiet? Where did all the Iwa Ninja go? Did they fight Konoha Village until this point? But the battle shouldn't be over yet, right?
While Uchiha Kaede was filled with suspicion, he suddenly seemed to realize something and abruptly raised his head to look into the distance.
At the same time, the massive firelight coming from afar happened to fall into his line of sight, instantly capturing his full attention.
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