Night fell, and the moon was obscured by clouds.
In the western part of the Land of Fire, within a canyon that was little more than a vague mark on the map.
The terrain was rugged and treacherous, making it a natural place to hide.
Nine figures swept into the depths of the canyon. After confirming there were no pursuers, they finally came to a halt.
"This is it."
A Kumo scout unrolled a map, his voice hoarse from the grueling journey.
They had detoured through the Land of Water, then rushed from the eastern Land of Fire all the way to this remote area, crossing more than half the country.
Even if they were made of iron, they were now approaching their limits.
A stood atop a large rock, surveying the surroundings. "Quickly set up the barrier."
"Yes!"
The remaining Kumo shinobi immediately moved into action, swiftly setting up several advanced concealment barriers around the canyon.
Soon, their Chakra signatures merged into the terrain, rendering them undetectable to ordinary sensory Ninjutsu.
With the barrier complete, everyone exhaled in relief. Their taut nerves eased, and the overwhelming fatigue rushed in.
Several shinobi staggered and nearly collapsed on the spot.
Killer B gently set down Mabui, who had been slung over his shoulder during the long flight.
The kunoichi, who had endured hours of relentless jostling, was pale. As soon as her feet touched the ground, her legs gave out and she slid down against the rock wall, unable to stand.
The usually energetic and loud Killer B stood silently beside her.
The playful grin on his face was long gone, replaced by a solemn expression.
A leapt down from the boulder. His sharp gaze swept across the exhausted faces around him.
"Rest in place for half an hour."
The order took everyone by surprise.
One shinobi couldn't help but speak. "Raikage-sama, time is critical…"
"I know time is critical," A interrupted sharply. "But exhausted soldiers are no good to me."
"I need everyone at full strength for the next phase."
"That's an order."
"Yes!"
No one raised further objections.
Each found a place to sit, took out soldier pills and water, and began recovering as fast as they could.
B and Mabui also leaned quietly against the canyon wall, not wasting energy pretending to be strong.
Time passed quickly.
After just under an hour, seeing that everyone had regained their strength, A's voice rang out once more.
"Move out."
The Kumo shinobi stood up immediately.
Mabui walked to the center of the canyon and unrolled a massive sealing scroll on the ground.
She took a deep breath, then formed hand signs and began activating the intricate Jutsu inscribed on the scroll.
Everyone present knew the core of this operation.
The key was the reverse formation Mabui was now deploying.
This forbidden-level space-time Ninjutsu was, in theory, capable of transporting the main army of Kumo directly into the Land of Fire.
But that was only in theory.
A teleportation of such scale required an astronomical amount of Chakra as an activation cost.
With only the nine of them present, it was impossible to bring over the full army in one go.
According to their pre-arranged plan, they would first open a small-scale channel, enough to teleport ten elite shinobi already on standby back in the village.
For an attack on Konoha, that number was like a drop in the ocean.
But the true value of the formation was its ability to store energy.
Once the structure was complete, they could continue pouring Chakra into it.
The more Chakra stored, the exponentially greater the teleportation scale would be.
From now on, it was a race against time.
They had to amass enough energy in the formation to transport the main force before Konoha discovered them.
A watched the complex formation light up with a faint glow as Chakra was poured in. His gaze sharpened.
He didn't need anyone to remind him of the risks.
This was already an all-in gamble.
"Split into three groups," A ordered. His tone was crisp and decisive.
"One on watch. The other two rotate Chakra input into the formation."
He looked at his silent younger brother.
"B, you and I will stay on standby to support."
"Everyone else, begin."
"Yes!"
No one hesitated.
Two Kumo shinobi immediately sat cross-legged, placing their hands on the formation's energy nodes and began steadily transmitting Chakra.
Their grief was buried, transformed into iron resolve.
Doro... and all the fallen comrades...
Konoha will pay the price.
We'll offer them the head of the Fourth Hokage as tribute to your spirits.
…Meanwhile.
Konoha Village, Hokage Building.
Inside the office, a heavy silence filled the air.
Minato held a confidential report in hand, brows deeply furrowed.
"Message from the Daimyo Manor. The Daimyo has decided to depart early for Konoha to observe the Chūnin Exams."
As his voice landed, it was like a thunderclap.
"What?!" Koharu exclaimed in shock. "That's absurd! Completely reckless!"
"Doesn't he understand he might be the target of those Kumo lunatics?!"
"Minato, send a letter to stop him immediately!" Homura slammed the table. "As Daimyo, to personally place himself in danger is irresponsible to the entire Land of Fire!"
Despite their outrage, Minato remained composed.
"Elders, please calm down," he said evenly. "The Daimyo is being escorted by all members of the Guardian Ninja Twelve."
"And his personal Shadow Guard."
"In addition, the hundred elite shinobi we dispatched have joined his entourage and are currently en route."
As Minato listed off the escort details, the Advisors' expressions froze.
They weren't fools.
The Guardian Ninja Twelve.
A mysterious unit.
Over a hundred elite Konoha shinobi.
That level of protection was excessive for a Daimyo visit, but perhaps not enough considering the potential target on his back.
Both Koharu and Homura exchanged looks.
"The Daimyo… is using himself as bait?" Homura's voice trembled.
His words pierced like a blade.
Shame surged in their hearts.
Why would the Daimyo do this?
Because Konoha, the so-called strongest shinobi village couldn't even catch a dozen intruders.
Because Hyuga Hiashi, with over a hundred elites, had his net torn apart by a suicide squad.
This was Konoha's failure.
Their shame.
A slap in the face to the entire leadership.
"Luring the snake out of its hole…" Homura gritted his teeth. "To kill the enemy we couldn't find…"
"The strongest village in the shinobi world…" Koharu slumped into her chair, her voice filled with bitter self-mockery.
"And we need the Daimyo to clean up our mess…"
"What a cruel irony."
Minato clenched his fists, his silence heavier than their words.
As Hokage, the humiliation struck him deeper than anyone else.
The Daimyo had not uttered a single word of blame.
And that made it worse than any scolding.
It was a silent indictment.
Konoha, you are incompetent.
A moment later, Minato suddenly stood.
His voice no longer carried its usual calm.
"Order!"
"Raise the village's alert level to maximum!"
"Anbu will take full control of the Chūnin Exams venue. A triple-layered barrier will be deployed."
"All shinobi on leave are to return to duty immediately. Patrol frequency is to be increased. All suspicious individuals must be investigated thoroughly!"
He paused, then added.
"Draft a detailed reception and escort plan for the Daimyo. I will review it personally."
"His safety during this visit is our top priority!"
"Konoha... cannot afford another mistake."
As the orders were issued, multiple Anbu instantly disappeared into the village.
The Konoha war machine roared to life once again.
All for the sake of one visit from the Daimyo.
All to preserve the dignity of the strongest village.
(To be continued.)