"I never imagined Sunagakure had such a trump card, no wonder Senki Ryuji dared to be so brazen."
In the increasingly tense Hokage's Office, Konoha's higher-ups hearing Orochimaru's report collectively inhaled sharply.
They had experienced the potency of Hanzo's summon, the 'Black Salamander'.
Without corresponding antibodies, no one could match it.
Moreover, its poison lasted long, covered vast areas, spread quickly. Ordinary Shinobi couldn't even escape… a veritable battlefield biochemical weapon.
Sunagakure's two salamanders seemed even more potent than Hanzo's, instantly killing Orochimaru's poison-resistant summon, leaving them clueless how to counter.
"How many gas masks in the equipment depot?" The Third Hokage looked at Homura.
Konoha's logistics were his responsibility.
"Not many, only two to three hundred," Homura replied gravely.
Poison users were common in the Shinobi World, but biological weapon users were only Hanzo.
Gas masks were rarely used.
Thus, no Shinobi Village stockpiled such items.
Konoha's two to three hundred masks remained from early Third Shinobi World War's battles with Amegakure.
"Two to three hundred..."
Hiruzen stroked his beard, looking at a central crystal ball. Two giant salamanders rampaged through Konoha's bustling streets, their passively emitted poison forcing intervening Konoha's Shinobi to watch from afar.
After brief thought, he ordered, "...Distribute masks to elite clan members. Prioritize stopping the giant salamanders' destruction."
Though frontline combat temporarily ceased, it hadn't truly ended.
Most Konoha's shinobi remained at the front, plus those on missions. Only under 2000 combat-capable Chunin and above remained in Konoha.
Previously, Fugaku's 300 Police Force were annihilated. Orochimaru's 200 elite only had one survivor.
Now, Konoha had about 1500 left.
If Sunagakure continued zero-casualty annihilations, this operation would truly backfire.
Thus, Hiruzen directly assigned clan elites, instructing, "Remember, have all operatives remain vigilant against Sunagakure's hidden methods. Avoid repeating earlier mistakes."
"Yes."
Seeing the messenger leave, Hiruzen remained uneasy.
Clan elites also went to the frontlines; few remained in the village. Relying solely on them might not stop the salamanders.
Moreover, Ryuji's side needed addressing.
Anxious, he paced behind his desk, unaware his pipe had long extinguished.
"Sarutobi-sensei..."
Orochimaru's sudden speech drew everyone's attention.
Calmly, Orochimaru continued, "Current circumstances suggest prioritizing Karura and Yashamaru's situations."
Hearing this, everyone looked at the other two crystal balls.
One displayed the hospital situation.
Sunagakure's puppeteers held the hospital's inpatient building, using doors and windows as cover, setting up war machines, turning the building into a temporary fortress.
Storming it would cost hundreds, maybe thousands, of casualties.
Destroying the building outright would harm all patients inside.
Remember, it was wartime.
Eighty percent of inpatients were frontline-injured Shinobi brought back for treatment. With recuperation, they could fight again.
Sacrificing hundreds of Shinobi patients to eliminate fifty puppeteers wasn't worth it.
Moreover, Konoha wanted them as hostages to bargain with Sunagakure. Killing them would be even more counterproductive.
The other crystal ball showed the commercial street situation.
Once bustling streets were ruins. Under sand-filled skies, only broken walls remained.
Karura, resembling a delicate girl, stood atop a ruined building, elegantly controlling sand like a conductor, attacking surrounding Konoha's Shinobi.
About two hundred Konoha's Shinobi, white animal-masked Anbu, standard green-vested Shinobi, were present.
Amidst the sand sea, most could only watch from afar. Only about a dozen dared approach.
But merely daring to approach; they couldn't get close.
The tsunami-like sand waves, like the girl's extended arms, flexibly dispersed around, crushing any attempting to approach.
Even long-range Ninjutsu attacks were blocked by sand.
She alone surpassed these two hundred Shinobi.
Seeing this, Hiruzen and others looked back at Orochimaru. "You think prioritizing them is better?"
"Correct!" Orochimaru nodded. "Though Karura is strong, I don't believe she surpasses Aka, who killed Hanzo. Deploying elites with support, capturing her would be far easier than dealing with Senki Ryuji first."
"...True." After brief analysis, Hiruzen nodded in agreement.
In fact, this was obvious with slight thought.
But Ryuji's unexpected actions shocked Konoha's higher-ups, temporarily scrambling their judgment.
"The hospital is even simpler." Orochimaru extended his long tongue, licking his lips, revealing a cruel smile. "Those war machines are troublesome, but only for humans. Using large creatures as shields would render them ineffective."
"You want to handle that personally?"
Everyone instantly understood.
Only the Sannin possessed large summons in Konoha.
Jiraiya left seeking Nagato. Tsunade's whereabouts were unknown. Only Orochimaru remained.
"Correct."
Hearing Orochimaru's confirmation, Hiruzen briefly considered, then agreed.
"Then I'll head to the hospital."
"Mm."
Seeing Hiruzen's nod, Orochimaru smiled, turning to leave.
Hiruzen's gaze returned to the other three. "Then, Karura's side..."
"I'll go."
Danzo spoke indifferently, standing.
Now, Konoha's high-level fighters were either assigned tasks or absent.
Only the four in the room remained.
But the Hokage, as village leader, needed overall command. Koharu and Homura were elder advisors.
Only Danzo, as Root's leader, bore assassination and village defense duties.
He was most suitable now.
"No, I'll go personally," Hiruzen countered. "The situation is grim. I can't leisurely wait in the office."
"Unacceptable!"
Danzo and both elders objected simultaneously.
The three exchanged glances, tacitly letting Danzo speak.
"You're the Hokage. Once you enter the battlefield, Konoha holds nothing back." Danzo said coldly, "For a hundred-strong Sunagakure's delegation, the Hokage personally fighting… what reputation would other Konoha's Shinobi have?"
"Losing reputation is better than losing lives!"
"You doubt my capability?" Danzo countered sharply, showing no subordinate-to-superior attitude.
But Hiruzen didn't blame him.
He knew Danzo acted for Konoha.
Seeing Hiruzen hesitate, Danzo continued, "Moreover, this is Senki Ryuji's premeditated scheme. Who knows what other tricks he has? Without you, the Hokage, commanding overall strategy, if battlefield changes occur, the village couldn't respond promptly."
"...Then I leave it to you, Danzo!" After hesitation, Hiruzen was persuaded.
In truth, growing up together, sharing countless life-and-death experiences, they knew each other's capabilities well.
Though Karura possessed immense Chakra and Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai, crystal ball observation revealed severe lack of combat experience.
Against weaker Shinobi, she could overwhelm with Chakra and Ninjutsu. Against equals, she stood no chance.
Hiruzen didn't doubt Danzo's ability, but with Konoha in chaos, he felt anxious, wanting quick resolution.
"You stay here and command overall strategy."
The commercial street was on the main road before the Hokage Tower, extremely close.
After receiving orders, Danzo quickly arrived with trusted subordinates.
The area had become a sand world.
Ground sandified, buildings weathered and collapsed, sand filled the sky like a minor sandstorm.
Karura stood at the sand sea's center. Within her sand domain, she sensed all intruders physically.
Danzo's group was no exception.
Sensing unusual Chakra, she immediately manipulated sand, forming a thick hand grabbing toward them.
[Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!]
Facing the sand hand, Danzo calmly formed seals, inhaling sharply, then exhaling fiercely.
Sharp, scythe-like wind spewed from his mouth, slicing the sand hand in two.
Hundreds of meters away, Karura felt her technique disrupted, pausing briefly before manipulating sand with even greater chakra.
Sand drifting in the sky, covering the ground, even chasing other Konoha's Shinobi… all converged before the girl, forming a hundred-meter-tall sand wave crashing toward Danzo.
The terrifying scene stunned other Konoha's Shinobi.
"So powerful!"
Danzo was also surprised, but his hands kept moving, forming seals. "Summoning Technique."
Poof!
Amid thick white smoke, a house-sized, elephant-like creature, gray-skinned, head wrapped in bandages, was summoned.