After learning—or deducing—the mastermind behind Shinji's ambush, Sasuke, Yakumo, and Neji's teams surged forward with even greater speed, moving in perfect sync!
If one were to pull back and view from above, they and the Jonin squads tasked with protecting them would resemble three arrows aimed straight at Shinji's team's location.
A heavy, seething anger brewed in everyone's hearts.
Sasuke, in particular, vividly remembered what Danzo had done to him and Shinji in the past. He never imagined that, even now, Danzo would dare to strike again!
He even faintly suspected that the mysterious attacker who targeted him earlier was connected to Danzo, as the timing of that assault was far too convenient!
Kakashi's emotions were far more complex.
He had been powerless to prevent the Uchiha clan's massacre, but he had secretly vowed to protect the two surviving Uchiha children as best he could.
Yet, first Sasuke was attacked, and now Shinji was targeted, leaving Kakashi overwhelmed with guilt.
Yakumo and Neji's thoughts were simpler—driven by an urgent need to rush to Shinji's aid.
Tsunade, however, was already thinking about the aftermath.
Based on the intelligence, Danzo's Root had already made their move. Even with a Jonin squad protecting Shinji's team, their chances of survival were slim.
If Danzo had used some trick to lure Yamato away, Shinji's team was almost certainly doomed.
In such a scenario, Tsunade had to start considering how to handle the fallout.
"With so many witnesses, no matter how perfectly Root covers their tracks, they can't silence everyone!" Tsunade paused, then mused, "And Uchiha Shinji is Koharu Utatane's protégé. By doing this, Danzo is clearly trying to cut off Koharu's options, forcing her and Mitokado Homura to realign with him!"
After piecing together the situation, Tsunade realized this could be an opportunity to oust Danzo from the village's leadership.
Danzo's domineering and erratic actions would surely infuriate Koharu after the fact.
If they could secure evidence of Danzo's attempt to kill Uchiha Shinji and stabilize Koharu and Homura, expelling Danzo from the Advisory Council would be a logical step.
Before long, the group rushing to reinforce Shinji's team rendezvoused with Jiraiya, who was also heading toward Shinji's location.
Since Jiraiya's Command Center was farther from Shinji's team, even though he had set out earlier, he hadn't overtaken the others.
After joining forces, the now-larger group didn't pause. They pressed forward, racing toward Shinji's team.
Tsunade signaled to Jiraiya, and the two fell to the rear of the group.
Once they were slightly distanced from the others, Tsunade whispered, "Where did the intelligence come from?"
"It came from the village! I suspect it was intercepted by the Communications Corps during a transmission between Danzo and Root's assassins," Jiraiya offered his guess.
He didn't know the exact source of the intel, and with time being critical, he hadn't had the chance to verify it.
Tsunade frowned slightly upon hearing this.
Jiraiya noticed her expression and asked, "What's wrong?"
Tsunade shook her head. "Nothing, it just feels… too convenient."
"We'll investigate that later!" Jiraiya paused, then added, "For now, we focus on ensuring the students' safety!"
Tsunade sighed. "From the timing, we're probably too late."
"If Uchiha Shinji's team linked up with Yamato's squad, they might hold out for a while. If we hurry, we could still save them!" Jiraiya refused to give up.
Tsunade nodded faintly.
This was one reason she'd chosen to rush to their aid with full force. Yamato wasn't an ordinary Jonin—he was an elite wielding Wood Release. Though his Wood Release wasn't as refined as Yakumo's, if he played it cautiously, he could buy enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
If one were to pull back and survey the eastern coastal region of the Land of Hot Springs, they'd see several other Jonin squads converging on Shinji's team's location from different directions.
At this moment, Shinji's team was the focal point of everyone's attention!
But just then, three figures appeared ahead of the group.
When they saw those figures, many in the group paled—it was Yamato's squad, tasked with supervising and protecting Shinji's team.
Jiraiya leapt forward, confronting Yamato. "Why are you here? Where's Uchiha Shinji's team?"
"Jiraiya-sama, we were following your temporary support order!" Yamato replied, bewildered, producing the directive.
Jiraiya examined it, then gritted his teeth. "Damn it, it's real!"
The "directive" could be any item, and Jiraiya's was a specially crafted kunai engraved with "Sword of Shinobi Love"—a relic of the Fourth Hokage, nearly impossible for outside forces to forge.
Tsunade stepped forward, looking at the directive in Jiraiya's hand. Her expression darkened as she sighed, "We're too late."
If Yamato's squad had been with Shinji's team, there might've been a sliver of hope. But with Yamato's squad lured away by a genuine directive, Shinji's team had no chance.
Rushing there now, they might not even find bodies to recover!
After all, erasing evidence was Root's specialty!
Learning that Yamato, the Jonin tasked with protecting Shinji's team, had been drawn away by a legitimate order, Sasuke, Yakumo, Neji, and the other students were consumed with fury.
Swish.
Without a word, Sasuke bolted forward again!
Yakumo and Neji followed, with their teammates close behind!
Yamato, realizing the situation, didn't even pause to address Jiraiya or Tsunade. His face darkened, and he turned back, racing toward Shinji's team's location.
"Let's go. We have to see for ourselves," Jiraiya said, shaking his head as he led the group onward.
The group sped forward until they finally glimpsed the rocky cave where Shinji's team was located. Those with keen senses caught a faint, almost imperceptible whiff of blood in the air!
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Sasuke cursed, his Sharingan blazing as he charged ahead.
Yakumo's eyes brimmed with tears. She was overwhelmed with regret—if she'd ignored the others and unleashed Ido from the start, Ido's spirit form might've reached Shinji in time!
Neji, with his Byakugan activated, kept his brows tightly furrowed.
Soon, they vaulted over a massive boulder, taking in the battlefield at the cave's entrance—and then, one by one, they froze in shock!
Before them lay dozens of unconscious black-clad figures, stacked layer upon layer into a small pile of bodies.
Atop the pile, Shinji sat leisurely, sipping water, while a white cat perched on his shoulder, elegantly licking its paw.