Chapter 397: Chapter 397: No, they just ran?

The other side of the Uzushiogakure coastline.

"Stop them!" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Shimura Danzō looked expressionlessly at the Kirigakure troops not far away.

Hearing the order, the Anbu immediately charged forward.

This caught the just-landed Kirigakure forces completely off guard.

"Dammit, why are Konoha’s ninjas here?!"

The Third Mizukage’s face darkened, his gaze falling on Danzō.

Even Konoha’s Hokage had come in person.

Did someone leak the information to Konoha?

He had no time to think. As the Anbu rushed up to him, he could only fight back in haste.

A fierce battle instantly broke out between the Anbu and the Kirigakure elites.

Shimura Danzō, having learned the news beforehand, had brought nearly all of the village’s Anbu.

While Kirigakure had only a few dozen men.

They had no advantage in numbers, and in only a short time they were pushed into a disadvantage.

Seeing that things were going badly, the Third Mizukage felt the urge to retreat.

But then he remembered he wasn’t alone.

There were also the Kumogakure and Iwagakure forces on the island.

As long as they held out a little longer, reinforcements would arrive.

When that happened, offense and defense would switch!

Thinking of this, the Third Mizukage gritted his teeth and charged toward Shimura Danzō.

Take down the leader first.

Danzō had the same idea, and the two quickly clashed.

"Don’t tell me you’re waiting for reinforcements?"

Danzō sneered, his kunai stabbing toward the Mizukage’s throat.

The Third Mizukage dodged sideways, shock flashing in his eyes.

The Hokage actually knew he had reinforcements!

So the attack on Uzushiogakure really had been exposed.

Konoha had already prepared countermeasures.

Who leaked the information to Konoha?!

A short, floating figure appeared in his mind.

If anyone would tell Konoha...

It could only be Kirigakure’s sworn enemy—

The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki.

The Third Mizukage looked at his subordinates falling back everywhere, and the reinforcements that never came.

His eyes flashed with undisguised fury.

"Ōnoki, what a perfect scheme!"

As long as the Iwa forces didn’t come to help, with their numbers, they were absolutely no match for Konoha’s Anbu.

Then they would be left with only two options:

Either break out by sheer luck—or be captured alive, or killed!

And Ōnoki wouldn’t need to do anything, yet could wipe them out completely.

Heh... looks like I was too stupid.

Didn’t see through things as clearly as those muscle-headed Kumogakure fools...

I thought there were no eternal enemies in this world, only eternal interests.

But Ōnoki has just given me a harsh lesson.

Danzō, who was forming seals, was a bit confused.

Why was the Mizukage suddenly bringing up Ōnoki?

Though baffled, his hands didn’t stop.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"

Seeing this, the Third Mizukage’s eyes turned manic.

Right now, he could only go all out!

Once he broke through and returned to the village, he would never let Ōnoki go!

But the ideal is full, while reality is cruel.

Even with the natural advantage Kirigakure elites had at the shore—they couldn’t withstand the overwhelming numbers of Konoha’s Anbu.

Even worse, several members of the Hyūga clan were among the Anbu.

Their powerful Mist Technique was completely useless.

The battle ended quickly.

The Third Mizukage was pinned to the ground by the Anbu. Seeing the corpses of his comrades around him, his eyes turned red.

"Damned Ōnoki, I’ll never forgive you!"

Shimura Danzō: "???"

Did the Mizukage’s brain malfunction?

Why was he blaming Ōnoki nonstop?

He instinctively glanced around but didn’t see Ōnoki anywhere.

"Lock him up."

Danzō didn’t bother thinking further and ordered the Anbu to imprison the Mizukage.

A living Kage was far more valuable than a dead one!

Kirigakure would surely be willing to pay a small price to get their Mizukage-sama back.

Danzō looked up at the dark sky and murmured softly:

"There were three villages involved?"

Saying so, he dragged the man and headed toward the last signal flare’s location.

"Hiruzen, is the battle over?"

Halfway there, Danzō saw Hiruzen and the Uzumaki clan head walking over with a group of Uzumaki clansmen.

The two groups met.

"Mm. Renya defeated the Third Tsuchikage, then left."

Sarutobi Hiruzen explained what had happened.

The Third Tsuchikage?

The Third Mizukage craned his neck and indeed saw Ōnoki bound tightly like a rice dumpling.

"Hahaha! Heaven truly has eyes!"

He couldn’t help laughing.

He didn’t expect Konoha to capture the leak—Ōnoki.

Wait... no...

The Third Mizukage suddenly reacted—Ōnoki had been caught.

That meant he couldn’t have leaked the information.

Which meant the culprit was someone else.

Ōnoki’s image faded from his mind, replaced by a dark-skinned muscular man.

Would that muscle-headed Raikage really commit such a treacherous act?

The Third Mizukage stared into the distance at the signal flare, falling into thought.

Only if the Raikage was captured would they know.

If he was caught, then it meant he wasn’t the one who leaked it.

If he wasn’t, then...

Beneath the signal flare in the distance—

"Raikage, didn’t expect you to be involved."

Renya had appeared on the battlefield at some point, his gaze locked onto the dark-skinned man.

The Second Raikage was currently fighting the Uzumaki clansmen.

Hearing the familiar voice, he froze on the spot.

He instinctively turned.

A stern-faced long-haired man was standing there, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

The Second Raikage’s pupils shrank instantly, old traumas flooding his mind.

Uchiha Renya—Kumogakure’s absolute nightmare!

The moment they saw Renya, the Second Raikage and the Kumogakure elites didn’t hesitate—they immediately turned and bolted.

Ever since the war ended, Kumogakure had an unwritten rule:

If you encounter Uchiha Renya, don’t hesitate—abandon the mission and retreat immediately.

And this rule was created by the Second Raikage himself!

A few smart Kumogakure elites had already fled the moment Renya appeared.

While the Raikage was still frozen in shock.

Renya looked at the fleeing Kumogakure ninja, utterly bewildered.

No, seriously—just like that?

Especially the few in front who didn’t even care about their own Raikage.

He quickly snapped out of it and gave chase.

He couldn’t just let them run.

Especially the Second Raikage!

Renya still planned on extorting a huge sum from Kumogakure using their precious Raikage.

He caught up to the Second Raikage quickly.

"Keheheh... Raikage-sama, long time no see."

The Second Raikage’s expression twisted. He instinctively tried to call his subordinates to counterattack—only to find the Kumogakure ninja already two miles away.

"Is it really okay for us to abandon Raikage-sama?"

"Quit talking! Staying means death!"

"If the Raikage dies we can replace him. If we die, we’re gone for good."

"Good point—run!"

The Kumogakure elites vanished from the horizon in an instant.

Leaving behind only the Second Raikage, drenched in cold sweat.

At least his men followed orders well.

----------------

Pls Drop some Power Stones

+100 Chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo