Arima led his temporary squad to rendezvous with Dodai and Kata. Now that he had fully grasped the whereabouts of the airborne fortress, Ancor Vantian, it was time to close the net.
Previously, when Arima had erupted with overwhelming presence to boldly announce his arrival, that information had swiftly reached the upper echelons of the various shinobi villages stationed near Roran.
According to a prior agreement, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure had temporarily set aside their personal grudges to unite against the growing power of the Konoha–Kumogakure alliance.
Originally, the three Kage had planned to lead squads of elite shinobi and ambush the Third Hokage on the road.
But to their surprise, they learned that Arima had already safely joined a Konoha team within Roran. This unexpected development threw their plan into uncertainty.
Upon receiving reports from their scouts, the three Kage held an emergency meeting deep in the desert.
The three allied forces had gathered their might, over sixty elite Jonin, not to mention the presence of the Kage themselves.
Their combined strength could sweep aside nearly any force in the shinobi world. Yet, before they engaged the Third Hokage Arima, the outcome remained unpredictable.
Sandstorms raged across the desert, gusts of wind pelting those present with grains of sand like tiny blades slicing across their faces.
Third Mizukage Yonoya felt the sting on his skin and grew increasingly irritated.
He despised dry, sandy environments like the desert. He and his two reluctant allies had been lying in wait here for nearly a week.
Now that it seemed their plan had been exposed, all that effort was likely wasted.
Narrowing his eyes, he silently observed his two fellow Kage, quietly calculating his next move.
The desert terrain was extremely unfavorable for his techniques, and he had to remain constantly alert against a potential betrayal from his so-called "allies."
Third Tsuchikage Onoki also eyed the others in silence, visibly displeased.
Their joint operation to trap the Kumogakure squad had ended in failure. The enemy had successfully escaped and passed crucial intel to the Third Hokage.
As a result, they had wasted days lying in wait.
Their plan to use the three Kumogakure Jonin as bait had fallen apart, and the barrier they'd set to block the Flying Thunder God Technique was now completely useless.
Onoki, proud as he was, would never have agreed to an alliance with his long-time enemy Kirigakure if not for his fear of the Third Hokage's Mangekyo Sharingan, an eye said to rival even Uchiha Madara's.
But now that the alliance was formed, he was determined to see it through.
Seeing his allies silent since the meeting began, Third Kazekage Sagawa was the first to speak. This desert was his home turf, and he had the responsibility to break the deadlock.
Kazekage Sagawa said, "Gentlemen, since the Third Hokage Arima has already entered Roran, we'll need to adjust our assassination plan."
Mizukage Yonoya responded with a grim voice, "If we can't restrict the Flying Thunder God, Arima will move like the wind, freely. If that happens, we'll lose control of the battlefield."
Onoki frowned. "We all received detailed intelligence from that mysterious informant, and it turned out to be accurate.
But why was he so familiar with the Hokage's movements? Could this all be part of a larger plan by Arima to trap us instead? What if the messenger was just one of his clones?
His Flying Thunder God is nearly impossible to predict."
Sagawa responded with confidence. "The informant's identity may be a mystery, but it's clear he wants Arima dead just as much as we do.
The three of us have formed a pact. We must not allow doubts to divide us.
The Konoha–Kumogakure alliance is growing too strong, they've been devouring our living space step by step. I'm sure you both feel the pressure just as I do."
Onoki and Yonoya nodded reluctantly. They had little choice but to push their internal calculations aside for now.
Then Onoki offered a proposal. "We could invite Hanzo of the Rain Village into the alliance.
Though he doesn't have many elite shinobi under him, I acknowledge his personal strength. Against Arima, every advantage counts."
Yonoya hesitated. "Hanzo is not easy to deal with. His arrogance is next level. He's always seen the Five Great Nations as enemies. Bringing him in might spark infighting within our alliance."
Onoki dismissed the concern. "If I can put aside old grudges with a sworn enemy like Kirigakure for the sake of my village, then surely Hanzo, being the leader of a village, can act with the same responsibility."
Yonoya conceded the point. With such a powerful enemy ahead, internal disputes would have to wait.
Sagawa then asked, "Did either of your villages send your Jinchuriki?"
Onoki shook his head. "Against Wood Release and the Mangekyo Sharingan, the Tailed Beasts' powers are easily suppressed.
Worse, they could be turned against us. You haven't seen that eye in action, you can't imagine how terrifying it truly is."
Yonoya and Sagawa exchanged glances, suspicion flickering in their eyes. Clearly, Onoki had suffered losses against that eye before.
Onoki continued, "You've heard about the Sky Shinobi, haven't you? If Arima wipes them out, the Lands of Demons and Bears will fall under Konoha-Kumo control.
That would completely sever our three villages from one another geographically."
At that moment, Sagawa revealed, "We came to Roran for two reasons, to deal with Arima, and to seize the Zero-Tails and the airborne fortress from the Sky Shinobi. I've already fought their leader."
This caught Onoki and Yonoya by surprise. They gestured for him to explain further.
Sagawa continued slowly, "I specialize in Magnet Release and often scan for underground mineral veins in the desert.
Not long ago, while returning to the village, I sensed an intense chakra signature overhead. I followed it and saw a massive floating fortress.
But before I could get closer, a strange man wrapped in black cloth intercepted me and forced me into battle."
Onoki leaned forward. "How strong was he?"
Sagawa shook his head. "He was unlike any shinobi I've faced. He radiated a dark aura and took my Iron Sand attacks head-on without a scratch.
His only form of offense was taijutsu, but he still managed to fight me evenly. I suspect he wasn't even going all out."
Yonoya's eyes gleamed. "If we could seize that airborne fortress, we wouldn't have to worry about Konoha and Kumo's encirclement anymore."
Onoki agreed. While he could use the Earth Style: Super Light-Weight Rock Technique, even he couldn't keep such a massive structure afloat on his own.
If Iwagakure could claim the airborne fortress, their military deployment plans would become reality.
They might even unify the shinobi world and trample Konoha in revenge for Madara's humiliations.
To Sagawa, the fortress held incredible value. If Sunagakure could occupy it, they would no longer suffer from resource scarcity.
With his Magnet Release techniques, they could rise above the other villages in power.
Even before the first battle, the alliance was already scheming over the spoils, the airborne fortress had become a seed of discord.
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