Chapter 348: Small Moves by Iwagakure and Kumogakure; The Ninja World Federation Cannot Be Stopped and Will Not Be Stopped [HN]

Inside the Raikage’s office, the thick granite desk suffered another disaster as Fourth Raikage A smashed his fist into it, leaving spiderweb like cracks across the surface.

“What do you mean people from the Moon came to the Ninja World? Is Konoha trying to fool children?”

“I think they’re deliberately creating hype!”

“Damn Konoha! The Yellow Flash and the Uchiha are personally stationed in that damn demonstration zone. Don’t think I don’t know what Konoha is trying to do! That brat Chiya wants to put a knife to our throats!”

He roared furiously, his voice like thunder.

The secretary calmly handed him an encrypted scroll.

“Raikage Lord, this was secretly sent by Ōnoki of Iwagakure.”

A immediately grabbed it and quickly read through the contents, and a sinister smile appeared on his fierce face.

“Heh, that old fox Ōnoki finally can’t sit still anymore?”

The contents of the scroll were simple.

Iwagakure and Kumogakure would secretly form an alliance to deal with Konoha’s expansion.

Their primary target was to destroy the “Federation Demonstration Zone.”

“Someone come!”

“Notify Ōnoki and arrange a time. This matter needs to be discussed face to face!”

“…”

Several days later, deep inside a desolate canyon on the border between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth.

Fourth Raikage A had arrived with Killer Bee to meet Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, who was floating in midair, along with his son Kurotsuchi’s father, Kitsuchi, and the elite Jonin Kakkō.

“A, your plan had better work.”

A folded his arms, his tone blunt.

Ōnoki snorted coldly, his voice old but carrying unquestionable authority.

“Raikage, control your impatience. Konoha is too powerful right now, so a direct confrontation would be unwise. But their Federation is still weak at its foundation. As long as we act in secret and make them distrust the Land of Hot Springs and the Land of Grass, the alliance will collapse on its own.”

“How exactly do we do that?”

Kitsuchi asked in a deep voice.

“It’s very simple.”

A cunning light flashed through Ōnoki’s eyes.

“We disguise ourselves as Konoha shinobi and attack important figures or facilities in Yugakure and Kusagakure. At the same time, we create several ‘accidents’ in the demonstration zone, making everyone believe that Konoha’s management is chaotic and that they harbor ulterior motives. Kumogakure’s forces will be responsible for launching direct attacks to create chaos and draw the attention of Minato and the Uchiha. Our Iwagakure shinobi are skilled at infiltration and demolition, so they will be responsible for the real destruction.”

A grinned, revealing his white teeth.

“Sounds good! Let’s let Konoha experience what it feels like to be stabbed in the back! Bee, when the time comes, make sure you put your strength to good use!”

“Yo~! Big brother, don’t worry. Foolish bastard, my Eight Sword Style has been hungry for a good fight~!”

Killer Bee immediately improvised a rap.

After a while, A spoke again.

“By the way, what does Lord Raikage think about the Moon invasion incident announced by Konoha?”

“The Moon?”

A sneered.

“It’s nothing but another scheme by Konoha!”

The two exchanged glances.

It was obvious that neither of them believed it.

…

Konoha Village, Hokage’s office.

Nara Shikaku placed a report on Chiya’s desk.

“Hokage Lord, the intelligence jointly intercepted by Root and ANBU confirms that Iwagakure and Kumogakure have secretly formed an alliance. Their target is the demonstration zone we established on the border between the Land of Hot Springs and the Land of Grass.”

Chiya’s eyes swept over the report.

There was no surprise on his face, only a trace of cold understanding.

His fingers gently tapped against the desk, producing a steady “tap, tap” sound.

“What are they planning to do?”

“They are expected to use a combination of framing, sowing discord, creating panic, and direct destruction. Kumogakure will be responsible for the direct feint, while Iwagakure will handle the covert explosions and assassinations.”

Shikaku analyzed the situation precisely.

“Looks like the lesson from the last war wasn’t deep enough.”

Chiya slowly stood up and walked toward the window, looking down at the prosperous Konoha.

“They think they can shake Konoha by joining forces? Naive.”

He turned around, his eyes sharp as blades.

“They were completely defeated in the previous war, and the same will happen this time!”

“Shikaku, activate the ‘Cleanup’ Plan.”

“Yes!”

…

Federation Demonstration Zone, border between the Land of Hot Springs and the Land of Grass.

Night had fallen, and the moonlight was hazy.

A group of swift moving shinobi wearing disguised Kumogakure forehead protectors quietly infiltrated the area and headed straight for the medical center under construction.

“Move! Create chaos and draw Konoha’s main forces away!”

The leader of the Kumogakure squad shouted in a low voice.

However, just as they were about to throw their explosive tags, countless black shadows suddenly shot out as though they were alive.

They emerged from the ground and from gaps in the walls, precisely wrapping around their ankles and wrists.

“What?!”

“Is this the Nara Clan’s Shadow Imitation Technique?!”

Before the cries could even fade, countless golden flashes moved through the crowd like the Grim Reaper.

“Flying Thunder God!”

Minato’s figure moved like a ghost.

Every swing of the special kunai in his hand brought a spray of blood.

The Kumogakure shinobi could not even see his appearance clearly before they fell one after another.

“Impossible! How could Minato be here?!”

The squad leader was horrified.

They had clearly calculated the gap in Minato and Fugaku’s patrol schedule.

At the same time, another group of Iwagakure demolition forces had just finished placing explosive tags around the energy transmission pipes when Uchiha shinobi silently appeared behind them and pressed kunai against their backs.

“Sharingan, Genjutsu.”

The leading Uchiha shinobi’s eyes were blood red, and his Three Tomoe slowly rotated.

Several Iwagakure shinobi instantly became dazed.

Their movements stiffened as they dismantled the explosive tags they had just installed.

Then, in perfect unison, they took out ropes and tied themselves up tightly.

In the distance, Uchiha Fugaku stood atop a tower and coldly watched the “small fry” being rapidly eliminated below.

His Mangekyō Sharingan emitted an eerie glow in the darkness.

Two Kumogakure elites who had attempted to assassinate Konoha engineers from a distance lay at his feet.

“Truly foolish.”

…

Raikage’s office.

A paced back and forth furiously.

“Useless! All of them are useless! Three elite squads were completely wiped out without even making a ripple?! They couldn’t even touch the clothes of a single Konoha shinobi?!”

“Raikage Lord, the three secret contact points we planted among the higher ups in the Land of Grass were all uprooted at the same time. All personnel… have disappeared.”

“What?!”

A suddenly stopped, his pupils shrinking.

At that moment, a communications shinobi came rushing in on all fours, his face deathly pale.

“R, Raikage Lord! Something, something terrible happened! Samui’s squad was ambushed by an unidentified powerful enemy while patrolling the border. They were seriously injured and knocked unconscious! Samui was, was taken away!”

“YOU BASTARDS!!!”

A’s roar nearly tore the roof off.

“Who did this?!”

“The, the only thing left at the scene was this…”

The communications shinobi tremblingly handed over a specially made kunai engraved with the Flying Thunder God Formula.

“Minato!!!”

A’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.

His violent Lightning Style chakra erupted uncontrollably, scorching the surrounding walls black.

He understood that this was Konoha’s blatant warning and retaliation.

Land of Earth, Iwagakure.

Ōnoki also received the bad news.

Kakkō, the commander of the demolition forces he trusted, had been publicly defeated and captured by a Konoha shinobi possessing the Sharingan while secretly returning to the village along the heavily guarded main road of Iwagakure.

The entire process had been as fast as lightning, and the surrounding Iwagakure shinobi had not even had time to react.

“Uchiha… Fugaku!”

Ōnoki trembled with rage, his old face turning red.

“How could he infiltrate this far?!”

Even more alarming was that almost at the same time, several important supply warehouses and weapons research facilities in Iwagakure suddenly suffered explosions and fires of unknown origin, causing heavy losses.

Every sign pointed toward Konoha, yet no direct evidence had been left behind.

“Konoha… how could their counterattack be so precise and so fast?! They knew our plan inside out. Could there be a spy inside Kumogakure?!”

Kitsuchi was both shocked and furious.

Ōnoki floated in midair and looked at the chaotic village below.

For the first time, he felt a bone deep chill.

He realized that this could not possibly be betrayal by Kumogakure.

Konoha’s intelligence network and countermeasure capabilities had probably already surpassed their imagination by far.

Their so called alliance with Kumogakure was nothing more than a ridiculous joke in the face of an absolute difference in strength.

“Immediately… immediately withdraw all external operations! Without my order, no one is allowed to provoke Konoha again!”

Ōnoki issued the order through clenched teeth.

He knew that Iwagakure had truly kicked an iron plate this time.

Konoha Hokage’s office.

Minato and Uchiha Fugaku stood before Chiya and reported the results of the counteroperation.

“Some of Kumogakure’s elite forces have been secretly imprisoned in a special cell prepared by Konoha’s Barrier Team. The Iwagakure demolition commander, Kakkō, has also been brought back and is currently being interrogated.”

Minato’s tone was calm.

After experiencing countless battles and missions, the current Minato had long since become indifferent toward such “small disturbances.”

“Several key facilities inside Iwagakure were ‘accidentally’ destroyed, and they will be difficult to restore in the short term. Kumogakure’s border forces have been forced to withdraw.”

Fugaku added, his tone carrying the coldness that remained after completing the mission.

Chiya sat in his chair, his fingers still gently tapping against the desk, as though everything that had just happened was nothing more than a trivial matter.

“Well done.”

He spoke calmly.

“After extracting all the intelligence Kakkō knows, ‘dispose’ of him. As for Samui… keep her imprisoned for now. She still has her uses.”

He raised his eyes.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the walls and reach the two shaken villages in the distance.

“This should be enough to make those two lords calm down for a while. After all, the Ninja World Federation is not limited to these small countries and small villages.”

“Pass down the order. Accelerate construction of the demonstration zone. At the same time, ‘appropriately’ publicize the fact that we ‘assisted’ Yugakure and Kusagakure in eliminating their internal unstable elements.”

A cold curve appeared at the corner of Chiya’s lips.

“I want the entire Ninja World to know.”

“Konoha’s peace cannot be violated. Konoha will protect its allies.”

“Anyone who reaches out a black hand must be prepared to have it cut off at the root.”

The office fell silent.

Only the sound of Chiya’s fingers tapping against the desk remained, like the lingering echo of a war drum.

It struck at everyone’s heart and announced that a new era belonging to Konoha and Uchiha Chiya was descending upon the Ninja World with unstoppable momentum.