Tap, tap, tap!!!
On Konoha's main street.
Hiruzen, clad in black tight-fitting combat gear, reversed-gripping the Adamantine Staff, raced ahead with an anxious expression.
Behind him were Homura, Koharu, Minato, Kushina, Mukai, Inoichi, Shikaku, Choza, Shibi, Tsume, Inuzuka Hana, Yuhi Shinku, Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuga Hizashi, Hyuga Hiashi, and a host of other top fighters.
Further behind, retired elders from the Shinobi Clans had also donned their combat uniforms once more, taking up their weapons and following.
And behind them were Konoha's elite Shinobi, famous and obscure alike.
On the rooftops lining the street, a total of 46 Anbu, led by their Commander and Vice-Commander, moved alongside the advancing force.
This group numbered only over three hundred.
However, though not large in number, there currently existed no person or force in the entire Shinobi World capable of stopping them.
Especially those elders who had dominated battlefields before the First Hokage founded Konoha and had lived peacefully in retirement until now... Most were in their sixties or seventies, their bodies already frail with age.
But if they fought with the resolve to die, their short-term explosive power might surpass even that of young powerhouses like Minato.
As proof, the relentless puppet army descending from the sky, whether a hundred or a thousand, couldn't make their steps falter in the slightest.
Whenever an obstacle was encountered, someone would step forward and resolve it with Ninjutsu that would make ordinary Shinobi's jaws drop.
This was the heritage of Konohagakure, leader of the Five Great Shinobi Villages… a depth and power the other four villages combined might not match.
At this life-and-death moment, the village bared its fangs fully.
"Faster! Faster!" Hiruzen urged as he sprinted ahead. "The enemy can all fly. If we don't intercept the delegation before they are taken aboard the Floating Continent, whether Konoha lives or dies will no longer be within our control."
"I'll go ahead to assess the situation."
Seeing Hiruzen nod, Minato instantly outpaced the main group, heading toward the Sunagakure's delegation's location.
Kushina watched his disappearing back with concern, praying for him deep inside.
An elder nearby saw this and sighed.
"Young people these days are getting less capable. Since First Hokage-sama founded Konoha, we've faced many strong enemies. But having the village brought to this state is a first."
Hearing this, the younger members in the group showed expressions of embarrassment.
"Old man, stop with the sarcasm," Another elder said. "Times are different now; the enemy is also unprecedented. This Floating Continent is on a completely different level from the Sky Fortress of the Land of Sky's Shinobi back in the day. Forget about how to shoot this thing down; even if we could, we wouldn't dare!"
Hearing this, the sarcastic elder also fell silent.
This enemy truly was unprecedented.
A landmass comparable in size to Konoha itself… if such a thing fell from the sky, it would be like a meteor striking the earth, causing mass extinction.
This wasn't on the same level as past enemies at all.
...
"I'm sorry, Captain!"
In the courtyard bustling with activity, Aki ran up to Ryuji and gave a deep, ninety-degree bow.
Seeing this, Ryuji was taken aback.
"Why are you apologizing to me?"
"I spoke ill of you earlier and undermined morale. I'm truly sorry."
"Oh, that!" Ryuji realized, then adopted a serious expression. "I didn't hear it, so consider it as if it never happened."
"Huh? But..."
"Hurry and go pack. Konoha's people won't let us leave so smoothly. If we're slow, there might be complications."
"Yes!"
Though still wanting to ask for punishment and forgiveness, Aki understood priorities. She accepted the order and went to help dismantle the equipment.
Those large machines were immensely powerful, but their assembly and disassembly were also very troublesome. Especially those catapults... things capable of launching boulders one and a half meters in diameter three kilometers. Though they incorporated some of the Mohist school's black tech, they were still as tall as a five-story building.
Once the girl was further away, Ryuji jumped onto the main rooftop.
This was the highest point in the entire courtyard, offering the farthest view, allowing him to spot Konoha's movements immediately.
The surrounding open ground remained empty, devoid of people. But at the edge of the woods beyond the clearing, shadows flickered, clearly indicating a large number of people hidden there.
'Calculating the time, they should be here by now. Did that guy not come back?' Ryuji wondered, somewhat puzzled.
He was referring to Minato.
Given his speed, he should have arrived here first.
However, the concealed forces within the woods were restless yet didn't dare act, clearly indicating the person in charge hadn't arrived yet.
"Probably didn't act alone," Karura guessed. "After all, he's only one person, and he lost to you before, Ryuji-sama. Coming alone would be useless anyway."
"Maybe."
Though he said that, Ryuji didn't agree.
Minato wasn't someone who wouldn't dare fight again after one failure. Though he didn't have the competitive spirit of a hot-blooded boy, a man aiming for the title of Hokage wouldn't shrink back because of a single defeat.
Konoha's only chance to turn the tables now was to intercept them before they boarded the Floating Continent.
Minato wouldn't let go of such an opportunity.
Even if fraught with danger, knowing he was no match, he would try every method to delay them.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be Namikaze Minato.
"Speaking of which, you are truly magnanimous, Ryuji-sama," Karura changed the subject, continuing.
"Hmm?"
"Aki's words cursing you outside… everyone clearly heard them, yet you said you didn't. If that's not magnanimous, what is?"
"Oh, that!" Ryuji couldn't help but laugh. "You think that's magnanimity?"
"Isn't it?"
"Of course not." Ryuji explained, "I just said the most appropriate thing at the right moment. Blaming her wasn't suitable then, and I also need to maintain my image."
"Really?" Karura looked at Ryuji suspiciously. "But you don't seem angry at all!"
"Just not showing it." Ryuji gave a weird laugh. "When we get back to the village, I'll give her some 'special assignments'."
"Eek!"
Looking at the girl's astonished face, Ryuji continued his weird laugh. "Feels like your image of me has shattered?"
"No, I just think you're even more impressive now."
"..."
Ryuji was speechless.
'Was this the so-called 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'?'
'Or did this surface one thing, a set of back behavior also count as a leader's skill, a form of ability in her eyes?'
'I really couldn't figure it out.'
Ryuji inwardly shook his head, ending the chat. He turned to Kuro. "Any developments?"
"Same as before… no, wait. Someone very fast entered my sensory range. He's incredibly fast, heading straight for us, from the woods opposite. He's here."
Everyone followed Kuro's gaze. At the edge of the forest opposite stood a young man in a green flak jacket, a Konoha's forehead protector on his brow, with a handsome, gentle face and striking golden hair.
—Namikaze Minato.
As Ryuji looked over, Minato also looked toward him. Their gazes intersected mid-air, their fervent fighting spirit colliding as if creating sparks.
Minato took a deep breath, put on a gas mask, and transformed into a streak of yellow light, instantly appearing on the main rooftop.
However, Ryuji was on the right; Minato appeared on the left.
The Shinobi in the courtyard sensed the anomaly, dropped what they were doing, drew their weapons, and surrounded the building.
Gin and the others also stepped in front of Ryuji, shielding him.
While Ryuji's injuries were healed, the vitality lost needed recuperation; he couldn't engage in strenuous exercise yet.
"Get back to what you were doing," Ryuji shouted loudly to the people below.
Seeing only Minato alone, the others hesitated briefly but then returned to their tasks.
Minato paid them no mind.
Ryuji waved, signaling Gin and the others to step aside, then moved to the front. He asked, "You come to see me alone? Aren't you afraid I'll detain you?"
"I have reasons I must come."
"Will you being alone make a difference?"
"I represent Konoha."
"Oh~" Ryuji examined him playfully, teasing, "I thought you came as a lone hero. Turns out you're here to negotiate."
"State your terms. What will it take for you to cease?" Minato didn't waste words, getting straight to the point.
"Tch!" Ryuji couldn't help but scoff. "You want to negotiate, so I negotiate? What kind of joke are you making?"
"You're unwilling to negotiate with Konoha?"
"Konoha's main army is at the frontlines. I have 5000 indestructible puppet soldiers. I can easily destroy Konoha. Any benefits I want, I can take them myself. Why negotiate with you and let you dictate terms?"
"If that's the case, then why haven't you already returned to the Floating Continent?"
"..."
Minato's words made Ryuji fall silent.
If he truly had the ability to destroy Konoha, or intended to, what would it matter whether these war machines, containing secrets of mechanized arts, were left behind or not?
If Konoha was going to be destroyed anyway, they could just retrieve them later, right?
Or was he worried Konoha would use these weapons against them?
But,
Konoha's only chance to reverse the situation was to prevent them from returning to the Floating Continent.
If they couldn't prevent that, then even if they obtained these weapons, it would only cause Sunagakure some trouble in the war at most.
The risks and gains of the two simply couldn't be compared.
Yet Ryuji did exactly that.
What did that indicate?
One: He was an idiot, an unqualified leader.
Two: He did it deliberately, to wait for Konoha's arrival, then negotiate.
As for why go through the extra step?
That was to avoid letting the other side see his desire to negotiate, allowing him to gain more benefits in the negotiation.
"Impressive as always. You saw through it at a glance." Ryuji couldn't help but praise, then sneered. "But don't misunderstand. I do want to negotiate with Konoha, but it's not a necessity. Whether we talk or not is up to me. You better adjust your attitude and show some respect."