Chapter 866: Earth Release: Splitting Earth Turning Palm!
Desert.
Looking out, all that could be seen was monotonous yellow.
The undulating, high and low Sand Dunes looked ancient and unchanging.
But whenever a Whirlwind swept past, they would transform into a different appearance in the blink of an eye.
The scorching Sunlight blurred the Air in the Line of Sight, and one could even vaguely see the steaming Heat rising from the Sandy Ground.
Oishi was one of the few Jonin in Stone Village, so he served as the Commander of the Reconnaissance Unit.
After scattering a group of Ninja skilled in concealment, Perception, and Detection like a fishing net that let nothing through, and arranging ten people to form a Relay Station responsible for transmitting Intelligence, he came out alone to scout.
This was because he had developed a Secret Technique called 'Camouflage Concealment Technique'.
This technique allowed his Body to perfectly blend with the surrounding Environment, and even when moving, there would be no phenomenon of blurred Air.
It could be said to be an Invisibility Technique with a more perfect Invisibility Effect than the standard Invisibility Technique.
It was also by virtue of this that he successfully gained Promotion to Jonin of Stone Village.
It was just a pity that this 'Camouflage Conceouflage Technique' still had some shortcomings.
For example, it could be detected by Sensor Ninja through their Aura, the Scent could be smelled by Ninja Dogs, and the sound of walking could not be concealed or anything like that.
This was a problem he had been racking his brains over but had been unable to overcome.
At this moment.
Relying on the perfect Invisibility Effect, Oishi advanced quickly towards the Direction of Sunagakure at a Speed much faster than other reconnaissance Ninja.
However, to be cautious of Sunagakure's usual Sand Trap, he could only walk quickly.
Running fast was absolutely out of the question.
Moreover, running would definitely leave obvious Footprints.
"As expected, those Bastards are as despicable and sinister as ever!"
Oishi narrowed his eyes, staring at the surface of the Yellow Sand about a meter in front of him. Under the reflection of the Sunlight, several Cold Lights faintly flickered there.
They were definitely Senbon, and one hundred percent coated with Potent Poison.
He dared not move forward any further. Who knew how many Traps were hidden in this Zone? Perhaps these few Senbon were just for show.
This was the most disgusting thing about Sunagakure.
They utilized the Desert Environment to its fullest, which was also the reason why other Ninja Villages were unwilling to attack Sunagakure's territory.
But who could blame them when the Daimyo issued a Declaration of War?
He even explicitly requested Sanctions against Sunagakure, and especially that crucial Crocodile.
As Ninja, they naturally had to comply, biting the bullet and attacking this boundless Sand Sea.
The current Situation was not the same as the time with the Third Raikage.
The Third Raikage had previously launched a sneak attack on the unprepared Sunagakure when no one knew about it.
But now, Sunagakure must have made sufficient preparation.
So, no one knew how many terrifying Traps and Sand Hidden Ninja and Puppetry that could launch a Sneak Attack at any moment to take Human Life were hidden in the Desert ahead.
Oishi's thoughts were correct.
The reconnaissance Ninja he had sent out earlier had tragically died in various Traps in many places due to various reasons.
Besides the common Poison Senbon.
There were also Poison Bombs that would explode into a cloud of Poison Smoke when activated.
Or Poisonous Snakes released in large numbers in a certain Zone beforehand.
These Poisonous Snakes must have undergone some training, causing them to not only have an astonishing amount of Poison but also be full of Aggressiveness towards people, and they would detonate the Poison Bombs placed inside their Bodies after death.
It could be said that Stone Village's Reconnaissance Unit was completely advancing one bloody Footprint at a time, forging safe routes for the Troops behind using a large number of Human Lives.
[Roar!]
Suddenly, Oishi's ears heard an Explosion Sound from afar.
"It must be some unlucky guy who stepped on an Explosive Tag."
He wasn't surprised. Explosive Tags were also a Trap Item that was both common and uncommon.
It was common because its Effect had always been good. People within nearly ten meters radius after the Explosion, if they didn't have good countermeasures.
Even if they weren't blown to death on the spot, they would lose Combat capability due to their Heads being groggy.
The reason it was uncommon was that the price of Explosive Tags was expensive in any Ninja Village.
Even in Konohagakure, a Chunin from an ordinary Family would have to save money for a long time to be able to purchase one or two.
In Sunagakure, which was generally considered one of the poorest of the Five Great Ninja Villages, this item could basically only be seen on Jonin, and only a few.
For most Ninja, having one Explosive Tag on their person could serve as a life-saving Trump Card.
So, few people would use it as a Trap.
If it hits, it's fine, but if it doesn't, can you go back and retrieve it?
But the subsequent development made Oishi, and even all the Iwagakure Ninja, feel Unimaginable.
[Roar Roar Roar Roar...]
Since that first Explosion Sound rang out, it was like the curtain had been opened on a symphony.
Explosion Sounds rang out one after another everywhere, and the sky-high Flame left many Iwagakure Ninja stunned.
"Is Sunagakure giving up?"
Kitsuchi, the Commander of nearly six thousand Main Battle Force, stood on a tall Sand Dune, scanning the Reconnaissance Unit ahead who were struggling desperately in the Flame and Shockwave.
Nearby behind him were Mahiru, Hikari, Bunga, Higashi Shiribito, and several other Jonin.
"Hehehehe, maybe they were scared by our Stone Hidden's ten thousand Great Army, and took out all their Assets to save their lives~~"
Mahiru Jonin, who was carrying a Long Saber on his back, sneered repeatedly, but Wen Ya Jōnin showed a displeased Expression upon hearing his laughter.
"Fellow Village Partners are sacrificing for us, how can you laugh?"
"Uh—"
Mahiru Jonin was startled. Seeing Bunga's face was cold, he gave a cold snort and said no more.
There was nothing he could do.
He probably couldn't beat the other person. Bunga also ignored him, turned his Head, and suggested to Kitsuchi in a deep voice.
"Captain Kitsuchi, I Suggest letting the Reconnaissance Unit retreat. Let me take a thousand people over to use Joint Ninjutsu and clear out all possible Traps and Explosions ahead!"
"Mmm..."
Kitsuchi considered for a moment, and finally nodded in agreement: "Let's do that then. There's no need to use the lives of fellow villagers anymore to consume Sunagakure's Traps. It seems the other side is indeed fighting desperately."
Although Sunagakure was the poorest of the Five Great Ninja Villages, it was still one of the Five Great Ninja Villages after all.
He didn't dare to bet on how many Explosive Tag reserves Sunagakure had.
Especially that Newly Promoted Fourth Fukurokuju, his Magnet Release: Gold Dust alone was enough for them to spend money to buy Explosive Tags.
To be honest.
Kitsuchi wasn't even sure if his own Village was still richer than Sunagakure...
Soon.
As the Order was passed down, the Iwagakure Ninja of the Reconnaissance Unit who were still alive ahead all breathed a sigh of relief.
They really didn't dare to continue forward, and immediately turned around, returning to their own Main Camp at full Speed.
Along the way, the Fragments of their Colleagues blown into pieces made everyone's Expression turn pale and break out in a cold sweat. They didn't care about these deaths, but such a tragic way to die was still somewhat difficult to bear.
At the same time.
Bunga led a thousand Iwagakure Genin of the Main Battle Force, lined up in a single row, to the very front and knelt down.
"Earth Release: Splitting Earth Turning Palm!!!"
Over a thousand Iwagakure Ninja shouted in unison, and over a thousand Palms also slapped heavily on the surface of the hot Sand Layer at the same time.
The next moment.
Following the rumbling Commotion.
The large area of Yellow Sand ahead began to shake violently, and twisted Cracks appeared one after another, causing the surrounding Yellow Sand to pour down like Flowing Water.
But this wasn't important.
What was important was that as the Sand Layer Tremorred, continuous Explosions occurred one wave after another.
[Roar Roar Roar Roar...]
The surging Flame, rising and falling, visually looked like Explosions covering the entire Sand Sea.
All the Iwagakure Ninja were left stunned.
How is that possible?
How could Sunagakure possibly have so many Explosive Tags!
Just how many Explosive Tags is this?!
And those Ninja of the Reconnaissance Unit who were lucky enough to run back were filled with lingering fear. If they had continued forward just now, they would surely have died!
"Could there still be so many Explosive Tags buried behind?"
Kitsuchi on the Sand Dune muttered to himself with a solemn Expression. Could it be that they have to push forward using Joint Ninjutsu from now on?
If they really do that.
Even if they reach the vicinity of Sunagakure, they would also have a large number of Personnel unable to engage in Combat.
After all, their Chakra would be almost depleted, how could they fight?
Kitsuchi felt troubled...
Thank you to Helmsman Huang Qie Huang Qie Bei Shang for the 5200 Qidian Coin Tip! Bow! Thank you for your Support and Encouragement!
Thank you to Hui Du Gou Lin Kou for the 200 Qidian Coin Tip! Bow! Thank you for your Support and Encouragement!
Kong
Shiki
God
Joy
Mu
Haku
Zetsu
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 867: Flying Puppets!
"Earth Release: Fissure Palm!"
[Booming...]
Wen Ya Jonin's expression was grim as he looked at the continuous explosions appearing again in front of him, completely ignoring the incoming heatwave, Chakra, and fine Sand.
The thousand Ninja behind him were no longer the first batch of people, and this was already the fourth time they had used Fissure Palm.
Feeling the Chakra Amount in his body that was almost two-thirds depleted.
Wen Ya ignored the bewildered Genin and used Body Flicker to appear before Kitsuchi.
"Captain, the Quantity of Explosive Tags in Sunagakure is very strange. Even if they bought them from outside, they couldn't possibly have this many!"
"Indeed."
"Moreover, given the current Situation, who could they possibly buy so many Explosive Tags from, and who could even produce this many Explosive Tags?" Kitsuchi said with a heavy heart.
"That's right, the combined Scale of these five waves of Explosions has already exceeded our Stone Village's Explosive Tag reserves!"
Huoguang Jonin, who was excellent in various Abilities like Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, also spoke up in agreement.
"So what do we do now? If there are still so many Explosive Tag Traps ahead, won't we have to use the thousand-person joint Fissure Palm every two or three hundred meters?"
Dong Siren Jonin asked urgently.
Currently, they already have a thousand Ninja who have gone to the Rear Guard where the Tsuchikage is stationed to rest and recuperate due to insufficient Chakra.
There are also a thousand Ninja there whose Chakra is running low after using Fissure Palm twice.
Adding to that the Ninja from the Reconnaissance Team who suffered Casualties earlier.
What's going on? They haven't even seen Sunagakure's Shadow yet, but they've already lost nearly three thousand Combat Power?
"I... I'll go ask Lord Tsuchikage."
Kitsuchi thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a Method. Although his Strength was very strong, he wasn't good at thinking about complex Matters.
This is probably why in the Canon, the one who succeeded as Tsuchikage wasn't him, but his Daughter, Kurotsuchi.
Of course.
Whether Ōnoki can come up with a Method is also questionable.
But just as Kitsuchi turned around to Dispatch a Chunin to Report the Situation here.
To the northwest, which was the Direction the Stone Hidden Great Army was currently advancing, in the clear blue Sky without a single white cloud, many Black Shadows suddenly appeared.
The first to discover them were naturally the thousand Iwagakure Ninja who had just used Fissure Palm with Wen Ya Jonin.
"Look, what's that!"
"Uh, it looks like a flock of birds..."
"That's not right, I feel like they're quite big, a bit like Humans?"
But as soon as he said this, several nearby Genin glanced over with gazes like they were looking at an idiot: "What kind of idiotic talk is that? How could Humans possibly fly in the Sky?"
"Huh? Lord Tsuchikage can, can't he!" The stared-at Genin retorted stubbornly.
"So you mean that dense crowd all have Lord Tsuchikage's Ability/Skill?" Another Genin retorted, leaving the former speechless: "This... this..."
"Hey, it really looks like Humans!"
Suddenly, an Exclamation rang out, causing the Genin who felt a bit smug from winning the argument to subconsciously curse: "How is that possible? Are you losing your mind too?"
But when his Gaze swept over, his entire body instantly stood rooted to the spot.
Because as Time passed, the Distance between the two sides grew closer and closer, and the general outlines could already be seen clearly.
It really was a group of Human Form figures flying in the Sky!
"Could it be Sky Ninjas? But weren't they wiped out by Konoha ten years ago..."
An old Iwagakure Genin who had experienced the Second Great Ninja War muttered to himself.
He had experienced an Air Raid launched by Sky Ninjas when he was stationed at a certain Fortress back then.
That scene of Explosive Tags and Kunai tied together constantly falling from the Sky was truly unforgettable for a lifetime.
The key was that besides throwing Kunai and Shuriken on the Ground, they truly had no other Means of Counterattack.
So they could only use Ninjutsu like Earth Release: Earth Wall for Defense.
Recalling these things, this old Iwagakure Genin looked at the scattered Black Shadows attacking from the Sky, and an uncontrollable feeling of Unease rose in his heart.
In the blink of an eye.
They finally saw clearly the appearance of the approaching figures.
"Humans?"
"No, they're Puppetry, they're Puppetry!!"
Several Iwagakure Ninja with better eyesight exclaimed one after another.
What they saw were strange Puppetry, each one entirely brownish-yellow, with slender waists, Limbs, necks, and round Heads, resembling Human Form clay dolls.
These Puppetry seemed to fly by means of two streams of red Energy sprayed from the back of their Backing.
Their Speed was very fast, and their Quantity numbered over a thousand.
"Enemy Attack!!!"
Although it was still not clear what these Puppetry were or how they would launch their attack next.
But the Iwagakure Ninja were not fools either; they all raised their spirits, became highly vigilant, and some had already started forming Hand Seals with their hands.
However.
They found that this Puppet Army seemed to have no intention of attacking, and swept past overhead without stopping.
"Phew----"
This made many people heave a sigh of relief, but just then, an old-sounding shout rang out.
"Quickly use Earth Release: Earth Wall!"
"They've dropped Explosives!!"
Before the words fell, they saw an old Ninja not far away, whom everyone knew, inexplicably squat down and create a small Earthen House with thick Walls, desperately calling out to those nearby.
"Quickly come in, come in!"
Surprisingly, some Ninja, although they didn't know why, still subconsciously ran inside.
At the same time.
More people noticed black pellets falling from the Sky, and remembering the old Ninja's warning, they instantly turned pale with fright.
It was already too late.
[Booming...]
Explosions, Explosions, and more continuous Explosions. Although the Volume of the pellets was very small, their Power after hitting the Ground was enough to blow away people within a five or six-meter radius.
Surging firelight engulfed one Iwagakure Ninja after another.
Violent Shockwaves shook the Yellow Sand into towering pillars of sand, one after another.
The Human Screams were completely drowned out, only the continuous Rumble echoed throughout this Sand Sea.
And that group of Puppetry paid no attention to everything behind them, because their Target was the larger Stone Hidden Great Army ahead.
"Don't let them get close!!"
Kitsuchi, who had already reacted, roared at the Team behind him. Mahiru, Huoguang, and the other Jonin also took their positions immediately.
"Earth Release: Stone Pillar Spears!"
"Earth Release: Stone Pillar Spears!"
Many Iwagakure Genin heard the Order and immediately used the Ninjutsu that Stone Village had developed in recent years to deal with aerial enemies.
This was a Ninjutsu that wasn't difficult to Learn but could create sharp stone spears and shoot them towards High Altitude, and the more Chakra Amount output, the more stone spears would be created.
For a moment.
The Whistling Sound was incessant, and thousands of sharp stone spears flew into the Sky like a Volley of Arrows.
Facing a Ground attack of such Scale.
The Puppetry in the Sky scattered one after another, using their extremely high Mobility to avoid the dense stone spears, and at the same time used the Weapons on their bodies to launch a Counterattack.
Next, Kitsuchi and the others saw the true Means of these Puppetry.
They saw that some of the Puppetry had some kind of Launcher installed on their right arms, from which red Energy Spheres would be sprayed out one after another.
Every time these red Energy Spheres landed among the crowd, they would produce violent Explosions.
Although their Power was far less than Explosive Tags, their advantage was that they could fire rapidly in succession. One wave of Offensive could kill or injure two to three hundred Ninja.
At the same time.
The Iwagakure Ninja noticed that there were also some Puppetry that seemed to not have Launchers installed.
They actually dove down and used the Rotating Blades installed on their hands to launch a fearless and bloody Slaughter against them.
Even if they were destroyed, they would cause a Great Explosion comparable to an Explosive Tag.
(End of Chapter)
**Chapter 868: Sand Crocodile's Means!**
About two kilometers away from the Stone Hidden Army, there was an oasis, not very large, but not very small either. Their plan was originally to advance to this location and use it as their Base Camp. However, now, it had already been occupied by a large number of Sand Hidden Ninja in advance.
They created a circle of walls to block the sandstorm, surrounding the area completely. Among them, a five-story Earthen House, the largest in area, stood tall somewhere on the oasis edge.
At this time, inside the extremely spacious room on the fifth floor, Fourth Kazekage Rasa, Pakura, and over a dozen other Sand Jonin were standing together, watching the Virtual Screen floating in the air. The scene in the screen feed was surprisingly the Iwagakure Ninja two kilometers away, furiously clearing up the puppet fragments.
"Is the first batch of puppets gone so quickly? Advisor Chiyo can send out the second Puppet Force!"
"Okay."
Rasa suddenly lowered his head and gave an order to a small creature on his palm that looked like a snail. The key was that this small creature could even imitate Chiyo's expression in its reply.
Den Den Mushi!
However, the Virtual Screen in the air was not the work of a Den Den Mushi. But rather Sabatini, who was currently standing by the window, gazing into the distance with a strangely shaped Monocular Telescope.
Sabatini, a person from the Imperial Arms World, was one of the former Captains of the Empire Reconnaissance Unit and the Imperial Arms User of Thousand-Mile Heavenly Eye: High Insight, High Awareness. He was also a current Member of CIPHER POL-8, primarily responsible for using his Imperial Arms' Ability to gather Intelligence over long distances.
The Ability of Thousand-Mile Heavenly Eye: High Insight, High Awareness was that it could see anywhere within one thousand kilometers through a lens, and manifest the screen feed he sees nearby as a virtual image. This meant he could not only see it himself but also let others see it together.
Moreover, the visual distance of one thousand kilometers far exceeded the Byakugan, which could only see one kilometer, although it lacked the Byakugan's See-through Ability. Therefore, to ensure there were no obstructions in between, Sunagakure also sent people ahead of time to level some higher sand dunes, which is why they specifically built this five-story building.
Regarding the Den Den Mushi, Sabatini, and his Imperial Arms, when they first appeared, they naturally greatly shocked Rasa, Chiyo, and the others. But after all, they were Ninja, and coupled with the Stone Hidden Army bearing down again, they could only force themselves to accept and adapt at the fastest speed.
It couldn't be helped. Crocodile simply disdained explaining things to them. He just told them what they were for and how to use them. Because in his view, these people would know about these things sooner or later anyway.
At the same time, Crocodile also had people take out the puppets piled up in the warehouse in Rōran as scrap. Then, he found a few Sunagakure Puppeteers to see if they could control them.
As expected, these Puppeteers could control them. It was just that they stated the difficulty of operating them was relatively high, and they consumed more Chakra.
This was very reasonable. Putting aside the fact that the material of the Dragon Pulse Puppet manufactured by An Lushan was entirely Steel, the Functions it possessed were also ahead of its Era.
Not only could it fly at high speed and had Agility, but it could also spray Chakra using a detachable Launcher. Coupled with a circle of Kunai around its Waist that could both Launch and be retracted via Chakra Thread, as well as relatively excellent Melee Combat ability. It could be said to completely surpass ninety percent of the puppets of this period. Even the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets made by Chiyo herself were not necessarily much better than them in terms of refinement.
The problem was, there were now no Dragon Veins providing almost Infinite Energy, nor were there ubiquitous Pipelines connecting these puppets at any time. This required extremely long Chakra Threads, further increasing Chakra consumption.
Coupled with the fact that once the Distance was great, the Puppeteers couldn't see the Combat Situation at all.
In order to see the scene of Ninja World people killing each other, Crocodile solved these problems one by one.
First was the Energy problem. He had seen Data about Tailed Beasts, so he directly released the current One-Tails Jinchuriki, whom Sunagakure had imprisoned: Bunpuku, an old monk with a shaved head, white eyebrows, and a long white Beard.
Crocodile told Bunpuku and Shukaku inside him about the Situation, requiring them to provide Chakra for the one thousand excellent Puppeteers who had been selected.
Initially, they naturally met with refusal. But Crocodile used the consequences of Sunagakure facing destruction and countless Sunagakure citizens turning to ash and smoke to 'persuade' the compassionate Bunpuku.
As for Shukaku, Crocodile threatened that if he refused, he would directly extract him from Bunpuku's body.
This sounded like a good thing for Shukaku. But the key point was that Shukaku and Bunpuku had developed feelings for each other over several decades.
Even because of the latter's pure Mindset and what he said, 'As long as they can truly accept each other, Human and Tailed Beast are no different,' he evaluated his character as very similar to the Sage of Six Paths.
In this Situation, Shukaku didn't want Bunpuku to die from being extracted from him.
After all, these Tailed Beasts were actually not monsters completely without Feelings. They just felt Anger because they had been subjected to long-term imprisonment by Humans. But if they met someone they approved of, they would also care deeply.
Thus, Crocodile, relying on threats, found a substitute for the Dragon Veins.
Next was the visual range problem. The first thing he thought of was the Den Den Mushi and the accompanying camera technology.
The World Government also greatly supported Crocodile's Plan. Without hesitation, they Dispatched a technical team to bring a large number of Video Den Den Mushi, and at the same time installed connected Cameras on the Roran Puppets.
This way, the one thousand Elite Puppeteers personally led by Chiyo could control the puppets two kilometers away for Combat through the high-definition footage projected by the Video Den Den Mushi.
Hmm.
Don't ask about delay, Den Den Mushi have no delay problem, and neither do Chakra Threads.
So the Situation outside now was this: Chiyo and one thousand Elite Puppeteers were covered all over with a layer of crimson red Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak. Then they condensed into red Chakra Threads connected to the series of Roran Puppets lined up in front of them.
Once these Roran Puppets sprayed red Chakra Tail Flames and soared into the sky, they would watch the puppet's first-person Viewpoint projected by the Den Den Mushi to continue to maintain Control.
Just like now. As Rasa's Order came, one thousand Roran Puppets flew towards the Stone Hidden Army's location again.
If this second Puppet Force was wiped out, there would still be a third, a fourth...
An Lushan, oh, in other words, Sunagakure's former Rogue Ninja, Hundred Legs. He mobilized the entire Rōran nation's Manpower, Material Resources, and Dragon Veins energy. Spending a period of six years, he built nearly ten thousand puppets in total.
Coupled with the large number of Landmines buried along the way, if that ten thousand strong Stone Hidden Army really pushed through, it's hard to say how many people will be left.
"No way."
The Iwagakure Ninja had just finished simply clearing up the puppet fragments and the Remains of their fallen Colleagues on the Battlefield when they were shocked to find another group of puppets flew over in the sky in the distance!
But the puppets didn't care about their Mood. As soon as they entered the attack range, they immediately launched a fierce Offensive.
Wave after wave of red Chakra Energy Bullets, raining down, bombarded the Ninja on the Ground.
Amidst the continuous sound of Bombardment, the second round of Fierce Battle began again.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 869: Kizaru's Headache! (Combined Chapter)
"Shukaku replacing Dragon Veins as the Energy Core, Den Den Mushi plus Cameras achieving Super Long-Range Puppet Control."
Im looked at the Report and the accompanying Stereoscopic Image Record in the Holographic Virtual Image, clicking his tongue in wonder.
"That Crocodile guy really has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. He doesn't seem like a Sea Star Person at all."
He immediately had 'Hoshi' (the nickname for the Super Den Den Mushi Intelligent Consciousness) send this footage to Vegapunk at the Academy of Science.
At the same time, he shifted his focus to the Dragon Veins.
Actually, regarding these Dragon Veins, due to the advanced information he provided, the World Government had dispatched Researcher and Alchemist to study them in the Underground Palace in Rōran a long time ago.
Initially, many conventional equipment from the Academy of Science couldn't even detect the Dragon Veins' Energy, and some people even suggested that there might have been a mistake.
But when Principal Taylor from the Truth Alchemy Academy Branch Campus in Academy City, along with two Professors who had reached the Intermediate Alchemist rank, inspected it, they were extremely shocked. They stated that they had perceived an Earth Vein Energy that was indescribably vast and extremely concentrated.
They even speculated that here, one only needed to guide the Earth Vein Energy out with Mental Power to form a highly condensed Earth Vein Energy Entity.
However, when Principal Taylor activated the Alchemy Array he had carefully drawn on the ground, it only briefly emitted a faint purple radiance before he let out a clear Painful Grunt and fell to the ground with a pale face.
This naturally caused the two Alchemy Professors to exclaim and feel Nervousness.
"Principal, what happened to you?!"
Although Taylor was quite a bit younger than them, he was a Senior Alchemist and also Dean Isaac's Disciple. Both his Ability and Moral Character were highly respected by them.
Principal Taylor allowed one of them to help him up, his face showing both Suffering and shock. He muttered in a low voice, gritting his teeth.
"The Earth Vein... below... actually has its own Consciousness!!"
Just as he activated the Transmutation, his consciousness, attached to his Mental Power, clearly heard a Japanese Language Roar filled with Anger: You are not Rōran Royalty, get out!!
Taylor actually didn't know Japanese Language or Chinese Characters before.
But after joining the World Government, he discovered that Japanese Language was very common, whether on the World Mainland or in several other Otherworld.
So he took some time out from his busy teaching and Research, and in less than two months, he had basically learned it.
The other Alchemist who came from the Truth Alchemy Academy were similar; even the slowest one took less than half a year to no longer sound like a 'beginner'.
Because anyone who can become an Alchemist must have excellent Learning Ability.
Getting back to the Dragon Veins.
Taylor had originally thought that after encountering the World Government, he had already seen enough incredible things, but he didn't expect to be struck a blow here.
Perhaps it was because Alchemist often dealt with Earth Vein Power that they found the existence of consciousness within Earth Vein Power even more unbelievable.
Soon.
Taylor wrote a detailed Report on the specific Situation and handed it over to the World Government personnel.
The Report also mentioned that when he poured his Mental Power into the Alchemy Array, he felt an Obstruction of considerable strength.
He speculated that Alchemist who hadn't reached High Rank would find it difficult to Breakthrough this Obstruction.
In other words, if it were the two Alchemy Professors, they likely wouldn't have been able to come into contact with the Dragon Vein Consciousness at all, and naturally, their Spirit wouldn't have been attacked.
Taylor speculated that this should be the Sealing Jutsu applied here by the Konoha Ninja named Minato Namikaze mentioned in the Intelligence.
This should be considered the first contact and contest between the Alchemy of the Imperial Arms World and the Sealing Jutsu of the Ninja World.
In short.
The current Situation was that to have normal Communication with this Dragon Veins, the help of the Queen of Rōran was needed, and Minato Namikaze's Sealing Jutsu also needed to be undone.
At the same time.
In the Report, Taylor proposed that they try to use Alchemy to see if they could lift the Sealing Jutsu.
He also suggested calling over his Teacher, Dean Isaac, who had reached the Stigma Alchemist rank, to take a look.
Im had no Opinion on this.
Although Isaac's Stigma Alchemy couldn't be performed on the World, it should be no problem in the Ninja World.
However, he only found out afterwards that Dean Isaac had already gone to the Zero Magic World at Mr. Shu's invitation to meet the Genius Young Man who possessed the 'Ancient Alchemy Holy Relic', Damian.
Over in the Zero Magic World, the Situation was both chaotic and not chaotic.
It was chaotic because the Albion Kingdom, united with the Tristain Kingdom, had just defeated the Allied Forces of the Germania Kingdom and the Gallia Kingdom.
Coupled with the Pope of the Holy Romalian Empire declaring to the outside world that he Supported the Albion Kingdom becoming the sole Nation of the Continent, he then unilaterally revoked Romalia's National Qualification.
At the same time, with the Brimir Religion as the main body, it joined the Albion Kingdom and became its sole state religion.
Such world-shaking events, one after another, had already made the Popular Support across the entire Halkeginia Continent unsettled, anxious, and Unease.
Yet, many Great Nobles also appeared, leading lesser nobles in a collective Rebellion.
This left King Wales, who was no longer under the Control of Andvari's Ring, with no time to be angry at Mima Amatori.
He could only begin campaigning in all directions to suppress the Nobility Rebels in Various Places with the help of the former Gallia Kingdom's King Joseph and the former Tristain Kingdom's Marshal Gramont, these two Big Shots.
This reminded him of when he first met Mima Amatori and the others; he was also fighting Nobility Rebels, but the Scale was far incomparable to the present.
But no one expected.
Just as the Young King Wales, who couldn't even spend a few days with his newlywed wife, was toiling hard to suppress most of the Nobility Rebels, Mima Amatori spread the News of the 'Windstone Catastrophe' outwards again.
He also had the Citizens from Various Places across the entire Continent gather in the Royal Capital of the former Nation, where special Airship would take them to Albion Sky Island to avoid disaster.
This left the countless Citizens, who hadn't calmed down yet, at a loss.
But when the World Government personnel, following Mima Amatori's Plan, broadcast the scene of the Ground around the Continent already beginning to crack and rise up using Video Den Den Mushi in the Plaza of major City, everyone's shocked feelings quickly fermented into terror. Soon, long Flow of People, bringing their families, began to appear across the Continent.
At the same time.
Facing the Angry questioning King Wales after returning, Mima Amatori finally revealed everything.
Namely, that the 'Windstone Catastrophe' was real, and what the World Government was.
How shocked King Wales was upon learning this, and how he digested and accepted it, needs no further explanation.
After all, whether he accepted it or not, reality would not change because of this.
This World was destined to be taken over and Ruled by the World Government.
So, regardless of how helpless King Wales felt, all he could do was continue working and prepare to arrange for the Refugee from the entire Continent who were pouring in.
It can be said that, including him, the entire Zero Magic World was played like a puppet by Mima Amatori.
Then, after handing all of this over to the Otherworld Strategy Committee to be responsible for, he returned to the Canberra Continent in the Titan World with Levi, Mekko, Chelsea, and others.
Next, they would return to the World Mainland to receive the World Government's Reward, conferment of medals, and promotion.
However, there were two Matter that Mima Amatori found regrettable.
First, he probably wouldn't be able to see the scene when all the Void gathered together for the first time.
Ever since they found Tiffania, the Half-Elf whose Mountain peak in front of her Body was so large that it was enough to make ninety-nine percent of women feel jealous, in Westwood Village, they were only missing the Void Familiar 'Heart of God', Riviera Rashel, whom Tiffania hadn't summoned yet.
Second, he couldn't personally lead the Human Great Army to invade the Elf Kingdom in the Sahara Desert. Otherwise, his Merit could still increase significantly.
Because the main Wind Stone Ore Vein was right there.
But no matter what.
Since the Order had come down, Mima Amatori could only accept it. Then, under King Wales' complex Gaze, he slowly left this interesting Magic World.
As for what kind of shocking mental journey the people of the Zero Magic World would experience next when facing the World Government, that was none of his Matter...
However, Mima Amatori absolutely couldn't imagine that not long after he left, this World welcomed another world-class major event.
This event was even sent to Im at this moment.
"The revival of the Ancient Demon Dragon?"
Im looked at the scene in the Holographic Virtual Image where the entire City had turned into a scorched earth inferno in a Sea of Fire and was speechless.
The name of this City was Aquileia, located within the territory of the Romalia Papal State, and was widely known on the Halkeginia Continent by the name 'Water Seven'.
Hmm.
Another Water Seven. The prototype is probably also Venice, Italy...
What kind of Ancient Dragon is this?
Im remembered that in the 'Canon', because the Black Substance on its Body Surface possessed extremely strong Magic Resistance, all Conventional Magic, including Holy Light Magic, was ineffective against it.
Therefore, Hiraga Saito used a Japanese F2 Fighter Aircraft stolen from a Japan Air Force Base to fire Missile.
First, he Destroyed its black outer shell, revealing the Body composed of Magma inside, and then Louise used Void Magic to completely annihilate it.
Hmm.
Stole a Fighter Aircraft...
Eh, let's not dwell on the rationality for now. In short, this Ancient Demon Dragon, which could burn down a City with waterways in all directions overnight, while its Magic Resistance was indeed remarkable, its Physical Resistance was obviously unsatisfactory. An airborne cruise Missile could cause a Break Defense.
Of course, it only broke open the outer layer of black shell.
It was not possible to continue using Missile or other Firearms to cause Injuries to its Main Body.
As mentioned before.
Because the Main Body of this Demonic Dragon was composed of Magma, that is to say, it was actually an Elemental Magic Life, and also possessed the Ability to ignore Physical Damage attacks through Element Transformation.
Which is also why Louise's Void Magic was needed to play a decisive role.
So, should we find Louise and let her follow the Process in the Canon once?
Of course not.
"Ancient Demon Dragon, this is a good thing. How can we annihilate it?"
Im looked at the Demonic Dragon pictures and Footage filmed by the Air Force of the Zero Magic World and showed a Smile.
In the Future, the World Government will definitely encounter more Magic World, and the black outer shell on its Body is excellent Anti-Magic Material.
The key is that this is also a renewable Resources.
Because this Ancient Demon Dragon can recover its Injuries and outer shell as long as it has enough Magma!
"Fortunately, Kizaru is over in the Zero Magic World. Send this Intelligence over and let him and the Five Elders figure out a way to Control it..."
While Thought, Im input the information he knew using the Virtual Keyboard he pulled up.
But just as he was about to instruct 'Hoshi' to send it to the Five Elders, he suddenly thought of another problem.
"That's not right!"
"Kizaru's Ability seems difficult to Control the Demonic Dragon..."
Im frowned.
He believed Kizaru had the Ability to defeat the Demonic Dragon. As for whether he could completely kill it, that was unclear. But the objective was Control, not Destruction.
Im pondered for a long time, and finally input a new Content into the Virtual Screen in front of him.
[Order: Air Force Admiral 'Golden Lion' Shiki, stationed on the Moon, and Air Force Admiral 'Kizaru' Borsalino, stationed in the Zero Magic World, are to swap places; Order: Air Force Admiral 'Golden Lion' Shiki is to Control the revived Ancient Demon Dragon in the Zero Magic World and provide Protection and Support for the Academy of Science's Research work.]
Kizaru had already suppressed the Elf Kingdom and obtained the Wind Stone Ore Vein for the World Government.
He had also guarded the Zero Magic World for a period of time, which can be considered to have achieved the goal of forcefully giving him a wave of Merit. Pulling him back now is not too disadvantageous.
After all, as long as he has Merit, that's fine. As for whether this Merit is big or small, isn't it up to the Higher-ups like them to judge?
"Speaking of which, compared to Shiki, Borsalino's Ability seems more suitable for Combat in Space..."
Im suddenly thought of this.
Although Devil Fruit don't really follow science, the Principle that Light travels faster in a Vacuum than in Air should be correct.
Coupled with the fact that it had been Experiment before, Logia User have no problems in the Universe, including Breathing, except for still being affected by Celestial Gravity.
"Then so be it!"
The more Im thought about it, the more he felt his Order was correct. He immediately instructed 'Hoshi' to send the Order to the Five Elders.
On the other side.
Above the City of Aquileia in the Zero Magic World, which had turned into a scorched earth sea of fire.
It was already nearing evening at this time.
The bottom edge of the Sunset on the Horizon, accompanied by fiery red clouds, was slowly approaching the long Horizon.
At the same time.
Following rapid Whistling Sound, Golden Beam of light all over the sky bombarded a Dark Demonic Dragon like pouring Heavy Rain. Continuous Explosion and Rumble submerged more than half of the latter's Dragon Body within them.
Seeing this, the Officers and Soldiers of the Air Force Fleet watching the battle from an extreme distance were extremely Excitement, shouting loudly.
"Wow wow wow, Yasakani no Magatama, it's Admiral Kizaru's Yasakani no Magatama!"
"It's too spectacular! Countless Light Bullet that are completely unclear, the Explosion Power of each shot far exceeds the 'Lightning Spear Missile'!"
"Hahahaha, this is the Admiral's Strength! What kind of damn Ancient Demonic Dragon, it's dead for sure!"
These Officer and Soldier from the World Mainland held a certain degree of Contempt towards the Zero Magic World, oh no, I should say, towards things from all Otherworld.
It's no wonder they feel this way, because up until now, the World Government has indeed achieved consecutive victories.
So upon hearing that this World had revived something claimed to be able to Destroy the World, they treated it as entertainment.
"Destroy the World?"
An Air Force Colonel stood on the Runway Deck of an Aerospace Carrier, a Cigar in his mouth, and sneered disdainfully.
"Sorry, but this World has already been taken over by the World Government. Whether or not to Destroy it is up to us!"
As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately received strong Support and great praise from the other surrounding Air Force Officers.
"Well said!"
"That's right! Something belonging to our World Government, is a broken dragon worthy of Destruction? Seeking death!"
Only Rear Admiral Lan, who was from the Imperial Arms World, didn't laugh along. Instead, he looked at the giant four-cornered golden star in the sky, which was even more brilliant and dazzling than the Sunset, with a worried Expression.
Because he noticed that Admiral Kizaru's 'Yasakani no Magatama' had already lasted for a full nearly three minutes.
Three minutes, huh.
At a Rate of Fire of at least a hundred shots per second for 'Yasakani no Magatama', just a rough calculation can imagine that nearly twenty thousand Light Beam have already been fired, and each shot can accurately bombard the Body of that Demonic Dragon.
But even with such intense Bombardment, it surprisingly still hasn't made Admiral Kizaru stop.
What does this mean?
However, the next second, Rear Admiral Lan saw that four-cornered golden star, which was even more brilliant and dazzling than the Sunset, suddenly shrunk at a Speed visible to the naked eye.
"Is it finally over?"
But Borsalino, who was condensing Light Particles to recover his Body, let out a long sigh.
He looked speechlessly at the thick Black Smoke below, from which came bursts of demonic dragon Roar.
"What in the world is this thing?"
"Can't be killed by cutting with Haki, can't be injured by Bombardment. Except for being able to peel off a layer of its skin, it seems like there's really no Method to deal with it. What a terrifying Dragon~"
The Effect of Haki on Logia User is that it can ignore Element Transformation and directly allow attacks to touch the Ability User's Main Body.
But the problem is that the Ancient Demon Dragon's Main Body is that mass composed of Magma.
Ordinary Haki, besides making it feel Suffering, indeed cannot cause much Injuries.
Even if Injuries is caused, it cannot be killed. As long as it runs back into a Volcano and stays for a while, it can fly out again full of Life and vigor...
"How troublesome~"
**Chapter 870: Will of Fire!**
Just as the Zero Magic World was 'working hard' to attract the World Government's attention.
The Ninja World also became more boisterous with the war between Sunagakure and Stone Hidden in the Sand Sea.
However, in this World.
Whether it was Sunagakure, Stone Hidden, or Cloud Hidden and Rain Hidden Village who were currently raiding Rōran, none of them could truly be considered the main players.
Because the Center of the Ninja World would always be Konohagakure in the Land of Fire.
At this moment.
Konohagakure had entered the Highest Level of Combat Readiness.
Aside from the Border Ninja who absolutely could not be withdrawn, and the Ninja who couldn't rush back due to Missions.
Almost all Konoha Ninja had returned to the Village.
This made the Atmosphere in Konohagakure one of extreme Nervousness.
The Civilians consciously stayed in their homes, watching the rapidly darting Ninja figures outside through the Windows, secretly praying for everything to be safe.
Jiraiya, as the Commander appointed by Hiruzen Sarutobi, clearly Understood how powerful the enemy Konoha was about to face.
Coupled with the sudden loss of Communication from Mount Myōboku, it created a strong sense of Unease in his Heart.
Therefore, he no longer acted as carefree as usual, but very seriously displayed his Military Acumen, constructing two Defense Lines on the South Side of Konohagakure with nearly ten thousand Konoha Ninja.
He also had people carry out the Elimination of all the Trees in this Forest.
Even though Jiraiya knew that Aramaki's Wood Release could create a vast Sea of Trees at any Time.
He still did so.
Because he hoped to consume some more of Aramaki's Strength this way.
Although they still hadn't figured out what Energy Aramaki, who had no Chakra in his body, used to drive his Wood Release.
According to common sense, using an Ability would definitely result in some consumption.
Moreover.
According to the failed Experience of Nara Shikaku and the others, it had been proven that small-scale Elite Combat was basically useless against Aramaki.
So Jiraiya decided to use large-scale Joint Ninjutsu as the main Means to counter Aramaki.
Then these Trees also had no need to exist.
"Still haven't found Tsunade?"
In the Hokage's Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked the Anbu Ninja kneeling before him.
Minato Namikaze's foot injury was more serious than imagined.
It had not only caused a puncture at the end of the lower leg bone, but his foot and part of his lower leg Muscle had withered.
This had already exceeded the Scope that the Medical Ninja of the Hidden Leaf Hospital could handle.
So the only Method was to have Tsunade return to be responsible for the treatment.
Konoha's current situation absolutely could not afford to lose Minato Namikaze, this huge Combat Power.
"Not yet..."
Just as this Anbu Ninja was about to answer, another Anbu Ninja flew in from outside the open Window.
This person didn't even wait for Hiruzen Sarutobi to ask, and immediately reported loudly.
"Lord Hokage, the Haneda Squad just sent a Falcon Message! They discovered Lord Tsunade and Genin Shizune within the Land of Snow and are currently making contact!"
"Land of Snow?"
"What are they doing there!"
A Large Map of the Ninja World instantly appeared in Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind.
The Land of Snow was at the very northwest end! Even if they started rushing back now, it would be too late! This made his Mood irritable.
That Anbu Ninja replied, "Hmm... it is said that Lord Tsunade went there to avoid the Gambling Debt she owes in the Land of Bears, and also to taste the famous Snow Sake of the Land of Snow."
"..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was instantly speechless. The next second, his Palm slapped his forehead, and he sighed helplessly:
"How about this, you send a Kunai of Minato's over with the fastest Speed, and then have Minato find a way to use Flying Thunder God to bring Tsunade and Shizune back..."
This was the only Method he could think of now.
"Yes!"
The next second, with two 'swish swish' sounds, the Anbu Ninja disappeared without a trace, while Hiruzen Sarutobi sat back on his chair, lost in thought.
Bang!
Just then, the Door of the Office was roughly pushed open.
This made the Third Hokage, who possessed many Epithets such as 'Shinobi Hero' and 'Professor of Ninjutsu'.
And was even called the 'Strongest Hokage of All Generations' by many Konoha Ninja.
The Third Hokage, who was old but not yet old, revealed a displeased expression.
"Danzō, when will you learn to knock on the Door, or even just open it gently?"
But Danzō, who quickly walked in without concealing the urgency in his Heart, ignored this matter.
He immediately slammed a Document onto the Office Desk with a 'bang'.
"Hiruzen, you first read the Content on this!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, noticing that Shimura Danzō's Gaze was unusually serious, and his Pupils were even subtly trembling.
In decades, this was truly the first Time he had seen Danzō like this.
"Alright."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped talking nonsense, picked up the Document, and looked down.
But he immediately raised his head sharply again, slammed the Desktop, and stood Up, roaring angrily: "You actually unauthorizedly had someone search Queen Sara's Memory!"
"Danzō, This Old Man remembers warning you before not to mess around! Don't forget, I am the Hokage!"
The loudness of his angry roar even spread outside, making two passing Konoha Ninja scared and quickly walk away.
"What Time is it now?! They've already attacked our Doorstep, and you are still so indecisive!"
Facing the terrifying Aura emanating from Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō indeed let out a cold snort, confronting him without showing weakness and arguing based on reason.
"We need more Intelligence on that Aramaki! And whether it's Aramaki or the previous Crocodile, they both came from that Rōran!"
"Then as the Queen of Rōran, she must know more things!"
"Also, This Old Man is not saying I didn't try normal Communication! But that Queen of Rōran clearly showed signs everywhere that she knew important Intelligence, yet she just refused Cooperation, and even adopted a silent Attitude!"
"Then you tell me, besides having the people of the Yamanaka Clan search her Memory, what other Method is there?"
Facing Shimura Danzō's retorts one after another, Hiruzen Sarutobi's Anger gradually calmed down.
Because he knew Danzō was right.
"Alright, stop talking nonsense, hurry and look! The Content above is enough to shock you for another half a day!" Danzō coldly snorted and urged him.
"Sigh—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, and then picked up that Intelligence Report again and read it.
"This..."
Indeed, as he looked, his Eyes kept widening, his mouth was also open but couldn't close for a long Time, and the expression on his face changed layer by layer from surprise, doubt, to shock.
Danzō didn't mock or ridicule because of this, as his current Mood hadn't completely calmed down either.
"Otherworld Invaders who came to our Ninja World through a Space-Time Method called Star Gate, and they are also Invaders who have already conquered multiple Worlds before!"
"Whether it's Aramaki, whom we are about to face, or Crocodile, who previously captured the Third Raikage Alive, their true Identities are both Military Officer of this cross-world Influence/Power called the World Government!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's head was about to explode. The sheer Information Volume was overwhelming, coming too fiercely and too much.
He was seen covering his forehead and muttering to himself.
"No wonder, no wonder that Aramaki doesn't have Chakra in his body! So his Abilities weren't Bloodline Limits at all, nor were they Ninjutsu..."
"What do we do now, Hiruzen?" Danzō asked.
Because he had thought for a long Time on the way, and couldn't think of any good Method. He might as well let Hiruzen Sarutobi think; didn't he just say he was the Hokage...
"Immediately transmit this Intelligence as Highest Level Confidential to Jiraiya! Hmm, also send it to Orochimaru, and Minato Namikaze!"
After speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head and looked resolutely at Danzō across the table.
"Also, old buddy, we should put on our Combat Uniforms again. We must first defeat or repel this Aramaki. Only this way will Konoha have more Time to prepare..."
Danzō was silent for a long Time.
Because he heard the heavy deep meaning in Hiruzen's words.
But he finally nodded.
"It is indeed Time for us to inherit Teacher's Will of Fire. But I need to go back and prepare first..."
In the end, the current Danzō was not the him from twenty-something years later.
The Hot Blood within him had not completely cooled.