Tsunade, Hiruzen, and the others received their orders and departed one after another.
The vast Hokage office was left with only Minato, Shikaku, and a few other senior officials.
"My lord," Minato stepped forward quickly, his voice full of urgency. "The Kumogakure army will arrive soon. It's too dangerous for you to remain here."
"Please relocate to the shelter behind the Hokage Rock immediately. It's the safest place in the village."
The shelter.
It had been designed and reinforced under the direct supervision of the First Hokage himself, hidden deep within the mountain, capable of withstanding even a Tailed Beast Ball.
Ensuring the Daimyo's safety was the Hokage's most fundamental duty.
Arashi merely smiled in response.
He didn't answer. Instead, he turned and walked toward the large floor-to-ceiling window of the office.
Outside, the sun had already set, and night had fallen.
The lights of Konoha shimmered like stars.
Under Tsunade's command, countless civilians were steadily evacuating toward the shelter.
"The shelter?" Arashi murmured, as if talking to himself. "Minato, tell me… in this world, is there such a thing as an absolutely safe place?"
Minato was taken aback. He hadn't expected that question.
He instinctively replied, "Yes… a place where one has the power to protect themselves."
"Exactly." Arashi's smile widened.
He stood there with his back facing everyone.
In his perception, countless sources of Chakra were converging from the west, closing in rapidly.
Three thousand killing intents merged as one, so thick it felt tangible.
They had arrived.
Heh.
The moment they were discovered, they began their assault.
That Raikage A was truly decisive.
"My lord?" Shikaku felt something was off.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak—
Bang!
A sudden explosion rang out.
The blast made everyone's eardrums ring.
The tempered glass of the window shattered in front of everyone's shocked eyes.
A violent gust of wind rushed in, sending maps and scrolls flying all over the office.
In the midst of the chaos, Arashi's figure leapt out from the window.
"Daimyo-sama!"
Minato cried out in alarm, instinctively reaching for his Flying Thunder God marker to save him. But his hand froze mid-air.
Because what he saw next defied belief.
The Daimyo, who had just leapt out of the window, didn't fall.
Instead, his body halted mid-air, then lightly tapped his foot against the wall and soared upward again.
In just a few breaths, under the stunned gazes of everyone in the office and the village, the man in ornate robes was already standing atop the Hokage Rock.
The office fell utterly silent.
Shikaku stood there with his mouth open, scrolls slipping from his grasp unnoticed.
"Th-the Daimyo… he… he can use Ninjutsu?" Asuma had just returned from relaying orders and was frozen in place, mumbling as if in a daze.
"This… this isn't Ninjutsu…" Minato muttered, his voice trembling. "This kind of movement… this level of body control…"
He couldn't finish the sentence.
His gaze remained locked on the figure now standing atop Hokage Rock.
Even he, without using Flying Thunder God, would have to leap multiple times to reach that place.
But Arashi didn't need any footing at all.
At that moment, standing on Hokage Rock, Arashi slowly closed his eyes.
His vast perception spread outward in an instant, crashing directly into the oncoming tide of killing intent from the west.
Among them, he sensed several familiar Chakras.
"Raikage A. Killer B…"
"Three thousand Kumogakure shinobi…"
"Very good. You're all here."
He spoke softly to himself, then opened his eyes.
The Nine Tomoe Rinnegan activated in silence.
He slowly raised both hands, clasping them together in front of his chest.
"What's that?"
"What is Daimyo-sama about to do?!"
The Konoha shinobi who could see him were all stunned.
Then, they heard it.
His voice wasn't loud, yet it echoed through the entire village with perfect clarity.
"Earth Release: Earth Wall Barrier."
Boom, boom, boom, boom—!!!
The moment his voice fell, the entire ground began to shake violently.
Starting from the base of the Hokage Rock, the earth cracked open with a deafening roar.
A massive yellow-brown wall surged up from underground.
The moment it appeared, it plowed straight through the forests on either side, sending trees and debris flying.
Soil and boulders rose like a wave, rapidly expanding outward.
Ten meters.
Fifty meters.
One hundred meters.
The wall continued to grow taller and wider.
Metallic luster began to emerge on its surface, covered in countless flowing runes.
It extended outward, tracing the perimeter of the village, eventually forming a perfect ring.
The two ends met directly in front of Konoha's main gate.
They crashed together with a deep rumble.
Sealing it shut.
A towering wall, over a hundred meters tall and more than ten meters thick, had risen in the span of a dozen seconds, encircling the entire village.
A fortress wall had formed in an instant.
"This… this is Earth Release?" Tsunade, who had been leading evacuation efforts, stared up in disbelief.
Her worldview felt like it had been shattered into pieces.
No one answered.
Because everyone in the village was too stunned to speak.
Inside the Hokage's office.
Minato, Shikaku, and the others stared blankly at the miraculous scene through the shattered window.
"This scale… this Chakra…" Minato mumbled, eyes filled with shock.
Everyone present, and all across Konoha, had been left speechless.
...
Western Land of Fire.
"Roar!"
"Konoha dogs! I'm here!"
"Get ready to die!"
Three thousand Kumogakure shinobi charged forward with deafening war cries, their formation surging like a tidal wave.
Raikage A led the charge, Lightning Release coursing across his body. His speed blurred the air, leaving afterimages behind.
"B! Don't hold back! The moment we're in, release the Eight-Tails!"
"Yo, stupid big brother, I know..."
Killer B answered in his usual rhythm.
Suddenly, a thunderous boom erupted.
The earth shook.
Just as the outline of Konoha came into view in the distance…
A line of yellow earth rose from the horizon.
It grew taller and wider by the second.
"What the hell is that?!"
Raikage A stopped instantly, and the shinobi behind him slammed to a halt.
All of them stared, dumbfounded.
Within seconds, that "line" had become a sheer cliff face.
An earthen wall that cut them off from Konoha entirely, stretching endlessly in both directions.
Their path was completely blocked.
"Damn it!" Raikage A roared like a wild beast.
What even was this?
Was it Genjutsu?
Killer B's joking demeanor vanished. Eight-Tails' Chakra surged within him.
He stood still for a moment, listening intently, then his expression grew grim.
"Big bro… this thing… it's real."
...
In the forest farther away.
From behind a tree trunk, three shadowy figures observed the scene.
White Zetsu, Tobi, and Uchiha Obito peeked out together.
Behind his spiraled mask, Obito's Sharingan spun frantically as he stared at the massive earthen wall rising around Konoha.
His former amusement and carefreeness vanished.
All that remained was silent, overwhelming dread.
"What… what is this…" Black Zetsu emerged as well, voice trembling with unease.
This was a variable far beyond his predictions.
This power… was reminiscent of that legendary figure…
The Sage of Six Paths.
He turned suddenly, eyes locking on the lone figure standing atop the towering wall.
"…The Daimyo of the Land of Fire, Chiba Arashi."
"Just who… are you?!"
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)