aircannonsinc Chapter 459 The Akatsuki Attack
Chapter 459 The Akatsuki Attack
Chapter 459 The Akatsuki Attack
In the eastern part of the land of rivers, dusk was falling.
The vast primeval forest, like an endless dark green ocean, stretches layer upon layer towards the horizon in the twilight until it merges with the thick, leaden-gray clouds.
The canopies of towering ancient trees blocked out most of the sunlight, causing the forest paths to fall into twilight before sunset.
The occasional calls of birds or the rustling of unidentified animals moving through the bushes added to the wild and unknown chill.
A winding dirt road, worn down by caravans and travelers over the years, struggles to extend forward into the depths of the dense forest.
At this moment, a rather peculiar procession is traveling along this road.
A simple, enclosed freight wagon, pulled by two slow-moving horses, creaked and groaned as it rolled over the muddy road after the rain.
The wheels left deep ruts in the soft ground, indicating that the cargo inside the wagon was unusually heavy.
However, what truly caught the eye were the guards surrounding the carriage.
Uchiha Shisui, carrying a ninja sword on his back, led the way at the very front of the group.
He had slightly messy short black hair and a handsome face.
His gaze swept discreetly over every shadow, tree canopy, and rock on either side of the road that might conceal danger.
Slightly behind on either side of the carriage, Kimimaro and Shiro stood to the left and right respectively.
Bai's figure was slightly thin. She wore a white high-necked robe and a gray-blue Star Kingdom-style vest over it. Her smooth, long black hair was tied back with a simple hair tie.
His face was extremely handsome, even with a touch of androgynous beauty. He had fair skin, and his eyes gazed gently ahead. His hands hung naturally at his sides, and there seemed to be a faint chill emanating from his fingertips.
On the left, Kimimaro stands tall and straight like a pine tree, dressed in a smart gray outfit.
He had striking gray-white medium-length hair, red eyeshadow on his eyelids, two red dots between his eyebrows, and a handsome face that exuded a coldness that kept strangers at bay.
The veins around his eyes were slightly raised, and his pupils were pure white. His Byakugan, transplanted from a senior elder of the Hyuga clan, was now taking in the chakra flow, life signs, and terrain details within a one-kilometer radius from every angle. No movement could escape his notice.
Behind the carriage, three Chunin, dressed in standard gray-blue combat uniforms and wearing star-shaped headbands from the Land of Stars, stood in a triangular formation, their expressions focused and alert.
The team's pace could even be described as somewhat slow.
With the speed and mobility of these elite ninjas, if they travel light and run at full speed, they can easily cross the Land of Rivers and enter the Land of Stars in a single day.
However, since they set off from Konoha amidst the chaos, they have only reached the eastern border region of the Land of Rivers, and there is still a long way to go before reaching the Land of Stars.
The reason was simply the cargo loaded on that carriage.
Kimimaro paused slightly, his Byakugan scanning the area to his left and flank for a few seconds. Confirming nothing amiss, he moved swiftly, appearing half a step behind Shisui in an instant. His voice was low as he reported, "Shisui-senpai, we just received confirmation. Yukimi's team and Itasuke's team have both safely crossed the border outpost and entered the Land of Stars. Other teams have also sent safety signals. The evacuation mission for all teams is essentially complete."
Upon hearing this, Shisui breathed a sigh of relief, and the slightly tense lines of her shoulders and neck relaxed a little.
He raised his right hand and gently pressed his index finger on the miniature bone conduction communicator in his right cochlea to indicate that he had received it.
Through this device, which combines the "Chakra Network" with the latest communication technology from the Star Kingdom, he indeed had a clear grasp of the real-time location and status of each dispersed evacuation team.
Orochimaru's "Konoha Crush Plan" was originally intended to follow the initial plan: take advantage of the chaos Orochimaru created to launch a focused attack on Konoha's ANBU and Root bases, seize classified information, destroy core facilities, and cause as much damage as possible to weaken Konoha's war potential.
As the commander-in-chief of this infiltration operation, Shisui personally led Kimimaro, Haku, and other elite ninjas, aiming directly at Danzo Shimura's stronghold, the Root base.
However, plans can't keep up with changes.
The appearance of the Otsutsuki disrupted all plans. Lord Shura instructed them not to engage in combat with Konoha ninjas or other enemies, but to focus on a safe evacuation.
When Shisui led his team into the Root base, they discovered that this eerie underground base was only guarded by a small number of Root ninjas.
Much of the research data, experimental equipment, and forbidden scrolls at the root were moved away in advance, and even Danzo Shimura himself and his core confidants disappeared without a trace.
Shisui, having missed his target, did not hesitate.
As a top-tier ninja, he knew that opportunities in battle were fleeting and he also knew how to adapt to changing circumstances.
Since the primary objective could not be achieved, and the situation at the competition venue had become extremely dangerous and uncontrollable due to the escalation of the battle between Lord Shura and an unknown powerful enemy, he made a decisive decision to abandon the waste of time searching at the Root Base and instead implement the backup plan that had been prepared before departure.
He led his squad to quickly withdraw from the Root base, and relying on their familiarity with the terrain of Konoha, they quickly arrived at the ruins of the Nakagawa Shrine, which had been sealed off by Konoha and gradually abandoned after the "Night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre" several years ago.
The Naga River Shrine had long been razed to the ground, and the area was given to other ninja clans for commercial planning, leaving only a patch of newly grown weeds and ruins.
Using his memories and the power of his Sharingan, Shisui found the entrance to the shrine's underground secret chamber and entered the long-sealed chamber.
In the center of the secret chamber, a square stone tablet stands quietly, its surface inscribed with dense ancient characters.
The stone tablet is made of neither gold nor jade; it is cool to the touch and exudes the aura of age.
This is the inscription passed down through generations of the Uchiha clan, recording the family history and the secrets of the Mangekyou Sharingan!
Although Shisui was unaware that Black Zetsu had tampered with the stone tablet, it did not prevent it from remaining the core heritage and treasure trove of knowledge of the Uchiha clan.
Shisui had prepared a specially made storage scroll, intending to seal the stone tablet inside and take it away like transferring ordinary items.
However, when they tried to inject chakra into the scroll to cover the stone tablet, they found that the sealing technique of the storage scroll was completely ineffective and they could not fit the stone tablet into it at all!
I tried many times, but the result was the same.
Clearly, these stone tablets have been treated with special methods and contain some kind of restriction or property that resists the seal of space and time, making them impossible to carry with storage scrolls.
Left with no other choice, Shisui could only resort to the most primitive method: moving the goods.
They found a fairly sturdy freight wagon and a few slow horses on the spot, carefully lifted the heavy stone tablet onto the wagon, secured it with shock-absorbing padding and ropes, and then began this slow and arduous land transport.
This resulted in the squad led by Shisui becoming the slowest-moving and most conspicuous of all the evacuation squads.
However, as the commander-in-chief of this operation, covering the rear and bearing the greatest risk was one of Zhishui's responsibilities.
As the last rays of sunlight were finally swallowed up by the forest and the night.
A thick darkness surged from every corner of the forest, quickly enveloping the roads and carriages.
The sparse starlight and the pitiful glow of the crescent moon, which had not yet fully risen, were barely enough to illuminate the way ahead.
Zhi Shui stopped and raised his hand to signal the group to pause.
He looked up at the seemingly endless forest ahead and the distant, undulating mountain range that resembled the spine of a giant beast, then listened intently for a moment.
Apart from the night wind and the chirping of insects, there was no sign of a large group of people pursuing them.
"It seems that Konoha is too busy to send pursuers to cause us trouble for the time being." Shisui's voice rang out in the darkness, carrying a hint of relief.
"We've been traveling continuously and everyone is tired. Let's rest here tonight and continue our journey at dawn tomorrow. Shiro, Kimimaro, arrange for guard duty and setting up camp."
"Yes, Senior Shisui," Bai replied softly.
He and the three Chunin immediately sprang into action.
They guided the carriage to a relatively open clearing in the woods by the roadside. A Chunin carefully inspected the carriage's axles, wheel hubs, and the ropes securing the stone tablet, confirming that there was no damage or loosening after the long and bumpy journey.
Another Chunin took out a bag of fodder wrapped in oilcloth and a small bag of salt from his baggage. He mixed it with fresh grass he had collected from the vicinity and began to feed the tired steeds, checking their hooves and condition.
The third Chunin quickly set up several simple warning traps and insect-repelling herbs around the open area.
Kimimaro flashed and leaped onto the horizontal branch of the tallest ancient tree.
He stood firmly with his back against the thick tree trunk, his legs slightly apart.
He pushed the power of those white eyes to its optimal state.
Centered on him, within a spherical area with a radius of one kilometer, all life forms possessing chakra, the undulating terrain, and even large cavities deep underground were projected clearly into his mind like high-definition 3D images.
He would detect any unfamiliar chakra source that entered this area immediately.
Shisui looked at his team members' efficient and tacit cooperation, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.
He walked to a relatively flat rock and sat down, taking out a well-sealed soft bag from his ninja tool pouch at his waist.
Others also gathered around, each finding a place to sit down and taking out the same silver bag.
This is the standard individual field ration provided to the Star Country's ninja army.
The bag is small but cleverly designed, with simple instructions for use and a nutrition facts label printed on it.
Bai collected the food bags that everyone handed him, six in total.
He picked one up, found an inconspicuous pull tab on the side of the bag, and gently pulled it open to reveal several separate small bags inside, each containing a different item: a bag of mixed rice, a bag of stir-fried shredded pork, a bag of stir-fried vegetables, a bag of tea, and even a small bag of hard candy.
The most unique feature is a compartment at the bottom of the bag, separated by a special material, containing a small packet of quicklime and a water inlet.
Bai used Ice Release to create some small ice cubes. These ice cubes slowly melted in his palm. Bai carefully opened the quicklime interlayer water inlet of each ration bag, poured in these ice cubes, and then quickly pressed the water inlet back down.
Then, he neatly placed all the food ration bags inside the bag.
laugh----
A slight sound was heard as the ice came into contact with the quicklime.
Quicklime reacts violently with water, causing an exothermic reaction, and the heat is transferred through the interlayer to the food bag above.
Soon, the soft food bags expanded and heated up at a visible speed, and even the bag walls were covered with a layer of fine water droplets.
A mouthwatering aroma, a blend of heated rice, meat, and vegetables, began to waft through the clearing in the woods.
Shisui picked up a ration bag that had become bulging and warm, feeling the warmth from his palm, and looked at the steaming, tempting food inside. He couldn't help but exclaim, "What incredible technology!"
"Back when we were fighting, being able to eat a hot meal like this in the wild was a dream come true."
Haku was distributing heated ration bags to everyone when he heard this. He looked up, a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "Shisui-senpai, I heard that you participated in many battles between Konoha and Kirigakure on the border during the Third Shinobi World War? The conditions back then must have been very difficult, right?"
Although Haku is a member of the Snow Clan, he went berserk due to his bloodline limit going out of control when he was young, killing villagers and wandering in the Land of Water. He has no feelings for Kirigakure.
He was naturally curious about the past of Shisui, an elite Jonin who had experienced a complete war, such as whether the other party had fought against other Yuki clan ninjas.
Zhishui took the food bag from Bai and used the attached plastic spoon to scoop up a spoonful of rice mixed with meat juice and put it in his mouth.
The taste wasn't particularly delicious; it was a standard, industrially produced flavor with a balanced seasoning. But it was warm, moderately salty, and packed with energy.
He chewed slowly, his gaze seemingly gazing into the distant past.
"Yes, it was tough." Shisui's voice was somewhat distant, tinged with reminiscence.
"Back then, we fought back and forth between the islands along the coast with Kirigakure. We would often spend days on end lurking on the damp, cold islands, or on the mudflats filled with the smell of the sea and decaying matter."
"The most common food we eat is soldier pills, which can quickly replenish our strength and chakra, but the taste is really not good. Eating too much of them makes my stomach feel like it's full of stones. Occasionally, we get some rice balls, but they are usually cold and hard, and we have to swallow them with cold water."
He paused, then took another bite of vegetables: "Hot food? That's a luxury we can only indulge in occasionally when we retreat to a slightly safer outpost to rest. Usually, it's just a big pot of stewed offal soup with little oil, served with plenty of brown rice."
"Like this—" He shook the ration bag in his hand.
"The selection was complete, with both vegetables and meat, and it could be heated up at any time. At the time, it seemed like heavenly treatment."
He glanced around at the group of people who were eating quietly and quickly.
Although everyone was tired, they were still quite relaxed as they held their warm rations. Some even squinted their eyes slightly because they were eating candy.
This stands in stark contrast to the pale-faced, tired, and numb Konoha comrades in my memory.
"Just the fact that frontline ninjas can have a decent hot meal anytime, anywhere during lulls in the fighting has an immeasurable boost to morale," Shisui murmured, his tone filled with admiration for the technology of the Land of Stars.
This is not merely about satisfying one's appetite, but also about feeling valued and protected, which is a crucial element in maintaining the army's combat effectiveness and cohesion.
Dinner ended quickly.
Empty food bags, wrapping paper, and residue from the quicklime reaction were carefully collected and placed in a specially made sealed garbage bag.
As experienced ninjas, they knew that details determine success or failure, and they tried their best not to leave any clues that could be tracked down.
Just as everyone was preparing to take turns resting and arranging the order of night watch.
Buzz————
A very slight vibration came from the device on Zhishui's left wrist, which had a simple design resembling a black watch.
Immediately afterwards, a tiny indicator light, about the size of a grain of rice, on the side of the device suddenly changed from a gray standby light to a rapidly flashing dim red light!
red light!
Emergency contact channel!
Shisui's gaze instantly sharpened, and the relaxation brought by the casual conversation vanished without a trace.
He raised his right hand almost simultaneously, his index finger precisely pressing on the communicator in his right cochlea, activating full-channel reception.
The next second, a boy's voice, punctuated by obvious panting, metallic clanging sounds, and a forced composure, rang out: "Sand Squad calling! Under attack by unknown enemy! Repeat, Sand Squad under attack! The enemy is very strong! Requesting backup! Requesting emergency backup!"
It's Kankuro's voice!
That kid who controls puppets, who's usually a bit impulsive but has an amazing talent for puppetry!
Zhi Shui's heart sank suddenly.
The Sand Squad is a squad led by Yukimi and consisting of Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro.
Could it be that Konoha sent ninjas to pursue them?
Otherwise, given the local rogue ninjas or bandit groups in the Land of Rivers, even if those guys were foolish enough to provoke Gaara and his group, Kankuro wouldn't have been so eager to ask for help.
"This is Uchiha Shisui! Report your location and the enemy's details! Who are the enemies? How many? What are their characteristics?" Shisui spoke very quickly, directly into Kankuro's ears through the communication channel.
A more intense clanging and tearing sound came from the other end of the communicator, along with Kankuro's clearly strained groan and urgent reply: "Shisui-senpai! We're in a valley about five kilometers southeast of Black Pine Forest Town—enemies—two!"
"They were wearing long robes with black backgrounds and red clouds! One was a puppeteer! The other was a madman with a scythe, fighting like a madman. He almost chopped my crows and black ants to pieces! Cough cough—that guy with the scythe is a bit strange! The crow's poison has no effect on him!"
A long robe with a black background and red clouds?
"Akatsuki?!" Shisui blurted out instantly, his expression turning serious.
It turns out they're members of the mysterious rogue ninja organization "Akatsuki"!
As a high-ranking official in the Land of Stars, Shisui had also seen some intelligence about the Akatsuki organization, and one of the important long-term tasks of the Land of Stars Police Department was internal counterintelligence work.
But how did they end up here?
yes----
correct!
Gaara!
One-tailed Shukaku!
Shisui's eyes widened suddenly!