144. Intelligence

Konoha's Rear Command Center

One by one, Konoha shinobi swiftly planted their small flags on the battlefield map under Shikaku’s command.

Among them, one ninja silently observed the shifting battle formations as he placed his flag.

More precisely, he was studying the movement patterns of all Konoha squads.

Just as I thought…

His eyes gleamed with excitement.

He had finally deciphered Danzō’s command pattern!

All the squads operated within a fixed range, as if an invisible barrier enclosed them.

And that shape—it was a perfect circle!

If Danzō truly possessed some kind of terrifying reconnaissance ability, then his most likely location would be... the center of that circle!

Only from there could he oversee and coordinate every squad’s movements with such precision.

The realization sent a thrill through him.

The reason Iwagakure and Kumogakure’s joint forces were struggling so much was entirely due to Danzō’s unseen and elusive reconnaissance.

If his theory was correct, then all the Allied Shinobi Forces had to do was concentrate their efforts on eliminating Danzō—

And with his fall, Konoha’s morale would crumble, allowing them to be annihilated in one decisive strike!

The thought made his pulse race.

But knowing Danzō’s location was only the first step.

The real challenge was getting this intelligence out.

The entire command center was under heavy ANBU guard. Escaping was impossible.

But soon, he devised a plan—

Suddenly, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Medic! Someone passed out!"

As deputy commander, Shikaku merely called out calmly.

His lack of urgency was understandable—several shinobi had already collapsed under the intense workload of the past few days.

Thus, no one found the incident particularly unusual.

They simply continued their duties while alerting the medical team to carry the man away.

Soon, the supposed "unconscious" ninja was taken to the medical bay for treatment.

This was the weakest point in the command center’s security.

Just as the attending medical ninja began channeling chakra for diagnosis—

The spy sprang into action!

Somehow, he had concealed a small iron shard in his hand.

In an instant, it flashed like a cold streak of lightning, stabbing toward the medic!

Caught completely off guard, the medic barely managed to stagger back.

But it wasn’t enough—his arm was slashed, and blood sprayed into the air.

Realizing his strike hadn’t been fatal, the spy knew escape was impossible.

But before he died—he had to deliver the intelligence.

Abandoning the wounded medic, he burst out of the room.

The moment he stepped outside—

His hands flew into rapid seals, and in a flash—

A flock of summoned sparrows shot into the sky!


The ANBU guards reacted instantly, intercepting the enemy spy before he could escape.

A dragon of fire intertwined with streaks of lightning, forming an impenetrable net in midair.

Countless sparrows were incinerated before they could ascend, their charred remains falling lifelessly to the ground.

At the same time, two more shinobi appeared beside the spy, subduing him effortlessly with their ninja blades.

The captured spy's face twisted with unwillingness, as if he had failed an important mission.

Then, perhaps realizing his impending fate, he activated a forbidden technique.

Blood poured from his seven orifices—

He had committed suicide.

A Hyūga shinobi had witnessed the entire event through his Byakugan and promptly reported the details to Shikaku.

Expressionless, Shikaku asked,

"So in the end, he still managed to pass on the intelligence using a summoning beast?"

The Hyūga ninja beside him nodded grimly.

"Yes. When he summoned the flock of sparrows, not all of them scattered into the sky.

One, under the cover of the others, carried the intelligence and disappeared through a reverse summoning."

The Hyūga ninja was visibly tense as he gave his report.

He didn’t know exactly what information had been leaked, but at this critical moment, any intelligence could be disastrous.

Shikaku’s face darkened.

"Search the area. Deploy every available shinobi to hunt it down!"

If they were going to act, they had to make it look real. Shikaku knew this better than anyone.

If not for the Hyūga’s surveillance, he might have truly been fooled.


---


Before long, Ōnoki received the intelligence from his spy.

He was so overwhelmed with excitement that he floated out of his chair.

"We've found Danzō's location!"

His hands trembled as he read the analysis in the report.

But everything—the enemy's movements, their response, and even their decision-making process—

Had already been foreseen by Danzō.

Throughout this war, Danzō had been like a supercomputer, constantly calculating and analyzing the enemy’s every move.

This time was no exception.

As the Allied Shinobi Forces rapidly closed in on his position, Danzō remained expressionless.

Calmly, he began unwrapping the bandages around his face and arm.

At the same time, he spoke to Katsuyu’s clone:

"All units, prepare for the ambush."

"Understood."

A chorus of swift acknowledgments followed.

Hidden deep within the forest, Fugaku Uchiha watched the approaching enemy intently.

And the moment they entered range—

"Katon: Gōka Ryū no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique)

A roaring dragon of fire erupted from his mouth, hurtling toward the enemy squads.


Watching the attack, the Third Raikage narrowed his eyes, his body crackling with lightning.

"It seems the Tsuchikage was right. Danzō really is there."

If their intelligence had been wrong, why would Danzō be so desperate to send his men to block them?

But precisely because of this—

"We cannot let him succeed."

Making a quick decision, the Raikage turned to one of his top subordinates.

"Yugito, handle this one."

The Two-Tails' jinchūriki, Nii Yugito, immediately stepped forward.

"Understood, Lord Raikage."

Meanwhile, the Raikage led his elite squad, including the AB Combo, straight toward Danzō's location—

For the final showdown.



____

She was a blonde beauty, agile and swift, moving with the grace of a nimble tanuki.

Without hesitation, Yugito Nii led several squads away from the main battlefield.

At the same time, she began channeling the power of the Tailed Beast within her, releasing a blue fireball covered in black markings from her mouth.

The blue flames collided with Uchiha Fugaku’s red fire in the dense forest—

BOOM!

An explosion erupted, igniting a raging inferno.

The blast sounded like the bell tolling the beginning of war.

Yugito’s Kumo squad and Fugaku’s Konoha squad plunged into the smoke—

And clashed in fierce combat!

Similar battles erupted across the battlefield.

As the Third Raikage’s strike force advanced, a massive shadow suddenly descended from the sky.

It was a familiar figure to Kumo—

Gamabunta from Mount Myōboku!

And this technique, named by Jiraiya himself—

"Yatai Kuzushi no Jutsu" (Roof Tile Destruction Technique)!

If he landed unchecked, the sheer mass of the toad would devastate everything beneath him.

"Yo yo! Sneak attacks, dirty tricks, a real coward—what a punk-ass prick!"

An embarrassing rap echoed.

From the shadows, Killer Bee stepped forward.

Without hesitation, he entered Eight-Tails Mode.

Scarlet chakra exploded.

A colossal beast emerged, even larger than Gamabunta.

The Eight-Tails, an amalgamation of creatures—

A bull’s body, an octopus’s tentacles, and pure muscle in a dull, purplish-pink hue.

With a swing of his tentacle-covered tails, the Hachibi blocked Gamabunta’s descent.

To avoid being entangled, Gamabunta swiftly drew his massive blade and slashed at the tentacle.

The Eight-Tails retracted immediately, allowing Jiraiya to create distance.



"So, the legendary Sannin of Konoha, the 'Gallant' Jiraiya, has finally arrived."

The Third Raikage spoke meaningfully, narrowing his sharp gaze.

Jiraiya’s appearance confirmed his suspicions.

Danzō must be immobilized by some side effect of his technique—

Otherwise, he would’ve escaped long ago.

Jiraiya shook his head as he faced the Raikage.

"Sorry, but no one's getting through here."

Without further warning, he tapped Gamabunta’s head with his wooden geta sandals.

Gamabunta instantly understood and spat out a massive wave of toad oil.

At the same time, Jiraiya unleashed a scorching fire jutsu, igniting the oil—

A roaring sea of flames engulfed the battlefield!



"Yo yo, what a bastard! Ain't nobody touching my brothers, that’s a fact, kid!"

Through the Eight-Tails, Killer Bee roared in fury.

The Hachibi opened its massive jaws—

And unleashed a torrent of black ink!

The ink and the flaming toad oil collided violently—

Hissing clouds of thick white steam erupted, spreading in all directions.

The battlefield was consumed by mist and smoke.

"Leave this one to me!"

Killer Bee grinned, stepping forward.

"I’ll make sure this punk learns his lesson!"