In the main building of the Ninja Guild.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had also spotted the Five Elders' incoming assault. His face paled dramatically as he rushed to head out and support Konan.
But before he could even leave the room, a figure materialized inside.
"President!" A look of relief crossed Sarutobi's face.
It was Lin Xuan, who had arrived via the Flying Thunder God technique.
Lin Xuan waved him off and said, "I'm just a shadow clone. The real me is still over at Impel Down!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression shifted at those words.
With the Five Elders attacking, the president had only sent back a shadow clone? Did he really think a mere clone could handle them?
Lin Xuan's shadow clone smiled and said, "Even if this clone went all out, it might be able to injure them, but it'd end up dissipating in the process!"
He paused for a moment before adding, "Besides, I don't actually plan on getting involved."
Sarutobi Hiruzen froze, staring at Lin Xuan in confusion. He wanted to ask—if he wasn't planning to fight, then why send a shadow clone back at all?
"Of course, it's for the live stream!"
As if reading his mind, Lin Xuan's shadow clone gave a faint smile. "The whole point of sending this clone back is... to handle the broadcast."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nearly stumbled at that.
The real Lin Xuan wasn't coming back to help, but he'd specifically dispatched a clone just for streaming? What kind of twisted logic was that?
The thought gave Sarutobi a headache, and a wave of frustration washed over him.
Seeing the clone's complete lack of urgency, Sarutobi felt helpless and quickly said, "President, in that case, I'll head over to back up Konan right now. She won't last long against those five!"
"Stay here and keep things under control. I'll go check it out myself."
But Lin Xuan stopped him. "No need. Konan won't go down that easily. Consider this a test for her. Heh, these old fossils think they can pull off a sneak attack on my base while I'm away? They're way out of their league!"
Before vanishing, Lin Xuan muttered under his breath, "Heh, these undying relics, trying to copy my tactics by raiding the home front."
With that, his figure disappeared from the room.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was left standing there, looking bewildered and scratching his head as he mumbled, "What did the president mean by that last bit? Is it some kind of puzzle?"
For now, though, he held off on rushing to Konan's aid.
He hadn't known Lin Xuan for very long, but he'd gotten a sense of the man—he was confident to a fault and never jumped into anything without a solid plan.
If the president was that sure, then everything should be fine!
It wasn't long before Sarutobi noticed a change in the live feed playing in his view.
The battle at Impel Down was wrapping up, and suddenly the screen vanished—along with Lin Xuan's personal stream to him. In its place, a new scene appeared: Konan facing off against the Five Elders!
Clearly, the president's shadow clone had made it to the scene. That eased Sarutobi's mind a bit. Even if the clone couldn't beat the Five Elders, it should at least be able to get Konan out safely.
At that very moment, countless people across the world wore looks of shock as the broadcast shifted.
What the hell was going on?
They recognized the five old men on screen—they were none other than the World Government's Five Elders. And the woman clashing with them was Konan, whose standout performances in the previous wars had made her familiar to many.
Soon enough, people realized the fight was taking place right near the Sabaody Archipelago.
Had the Five Elders launched an attack on Sabaody?
The revelation stunned everyone. They'd been wondering why the Five Elders—the pinnacle of the World Government's power—hadn't shown up during the massive raid on Impel Down by the Ninja Guild.
Now, watching the stream, it all clicked.
So, the Five Elders had abandoned reinforcing Impel Down and instead gone to strike at the Ninja Guild's headquarters!
"Despicable! The Five Elders pulled a sneak attack on Sabaody!"
"All the Ninja Guild's forces are tied up at Impel Down—perfect timing for a raid. Those old bastards are sneaky as hell!"
"The guild's in for a rough one. That blue-haired woman can't possibly hold off the Five Elders!"
"Hmph, might as well use this chance to wipe out the Ninja Guild for good!"
Around the world, reactions poured in as people watched the assault on Sabaody. Some fumed with worry, others gloated, and a few just sat back to enjoy the spectacle.
Meanwhile, Cyborg Kong and Sengoku broke out in cold sweats.
With the Five Elders' fight on Sabaody now broadcast for all to see, their covert operation was blown wide open.
Cyborg Kong glanced nervously toward the Gates of Justice, already dreading how he'd face Lin Xuan's wrath.
But when he looked, he was surprised to see Lin Xuan still sitting cross-legged there, completely unmoved—as if he had no idea what was happening.
What was this all about?
"Marshal Kong, what's going on here?" Sengoku asked, puzzled.
"How should I know?" Cyborg Kong was even more baffled. He'd pictured all sorts of furious reactions from Lin Xuan, but this eerie calm? That hadn't crossed his mind.
Lin Xuan paid no attention to Cyborg Kong or their confusion. Instead, he focused intently on the unfolding battle between the Five Elders and Konan.
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T/N:
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