"What? Did something go wrong?"
Seeing Hiruko suddenly open his eyes and reveal an unusual expression, Sasori of the Red Sand immediately guessed that something unexpected had happened. A hint of schadenfreude crept into his otherwise emotionless voice as he questioned his companion.
"Hmph! It's nothing serious. Just a minor problem."
Faced with Sasori's sarcasm, Hiruko merely snorted coldly.
Although his expression remained unchanged, his thoughts were racing.
Just moments ago, the synthetic beast he had dispatched into Sunagakure had finally located the One-Tail Jinchūriki. However, before it could carry out its mission, the images being transmitted through their connection had suddenly been cut off.
Hiruko had no idea what had happened.
Nevertheless, based on the final sensations transmitted by the synthetic beast, he could piece together a few clues.
Scorching heat! An unbearably high temperature! Intense pain!
His synthetic beast had been modified through the Chimera Technique. Ordinary Fire Style techniques shouldn't have been capable of inflicting such extensive damage on it in an instant.
There was only one possibility.
'Scorch Style?'
Hiruko frowned.
Among the ninjas in Sunagakure who possessed Scorch Style, only the Fifth Kazekage was known to have mastered it.
"So, what if I've been discovered? I've already prepared for unexpected situations!"
A cold smile spread across Hiruko's face. He bit his finger, then slammed his palm against the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
As dense white smoke billowed into the air, an enormous synthetic beast resembling a monstrous bird appeared before them.
The creature possessed two pairs of wings, giving it a total of four. Its enormous body and grotesque appearance made it look less like a natural creature and more like a flying abomination assembled through some twisted experiment.
Hiruko leaped onto the monstrous bird's back and turned to look at Sasori.
"Come on up! Let me show you how I'm going to capture the One-Tail!"
Seeing Hiruko's confident, almost mocking demeanour, Sasori finally developed some interest in the proceedings.
"I'd like to see how you intend to accomplish that."
He leaped onto the creature's back and settled beside Hiruko.
With a powerful flap of its four wings, the monstrous bird soared into the sky, carrying both men rapidly upward.
The creature's flying speed was astonishing. Before long, the outline of Sunagakure appeared in their field of vision.
Thanks to the monstrous bird's flight capabilities, the two Akatsuki members bypassed Sunagakure's defenses with almost no effort and arrived directly above the village.
Even when the Suna ninjas stationed below noticed the strange bird hovering in the sky, they were momentarily at a loss.
After all, they had no effective anti-air capabilities.
"What about that building?"
Hiruko's gaze swept across the village before settling on a particular structure below.
It was an ochre-coloured building constructed from sand, situated behind the Kazekage Building and not far from it.
The final images transmitted by his synthetic beast had originated from that very location.
In other words, the One-Tail Jinchūriki he intended to capture was inside!
"For this operation, I've meticulously prepared a great many gifts!"
A maniacal smile appeared on Hiruko's face.
He had been preparing for this day for far too long.
Gathering five ninja who possessed different Kekkei Genkai would have been an extraordinarily difficult task if he had relied entirely on his own abilities.
However, everything would be different with the leader's assistance.
As long as he successfully captured the One-Tail, he would undoubtedly attract the leader's attention!
And once that happened, he could use the leader's influence and resources to locate the five Kekkei Genkai ninjas he needed.
Then, he would finally achieve the ultimate realm of the Chimera Technique!
…
Inside the house, Pakura had just finished unleashing her Scorch Style jutsu.
"Gaara, are you all right?!"
She immediately rushed toward the bed.
The sudden appearance of the strange creature had clearly frightened Gaara. The little boy had retreated into a corner of the bed, curling up beneath his blankets and wrapping them tightly around himself.
When he saw Pakura rushing toward him, he finally snapped out of his fright. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he immediately threw himself into her arms.
"Auntie!"
Feeling Gaara's heart pounding wildly against her chest, Pakura felt a pang of sadness. She gently stroked his back, trying to calm him down.
"It's all right. Auntie is here."
This child had lost his mother at birth.
As for that beast, Rasa, he had never treated Gaara as his own son.
In Rasa's eyes, Gaara was nothing more than a tool for containing the One-Tail.
Fortunately, after Rasa went mad, Pakura had assumed the position of Kazekage and adopted Gaara as her own son.
Under her care, the little boy had been able to enjoy a happy childhood.
Although they weren't related by blood, Pakura had become far more of a genuine parent to him than Rasa had ever been.
She would never allow anyone to harm Gaara!
Whether it was because he was the One-Tail Jinchūriki or because he was her beloved son, Pakura would never permit anyone to lay a hand on him!
Suddenly, a powerful sense of crisis surged through her heart.
Relying on the battle instincts she had accumulated over years of combat, Pakura immediately hugged Gaara tightly and rolled backward.
BOOM!!!
A tremendous explosion tore through the house. Flames surged outward in an instant, swallowing the room and sending debris flying in every direction.
…
High above the village, Hiruko looked down at the destruction with a maniacal smile.
"Explode! Explode! The more violently you explode, the better!"
Beside him, on the back of the monstrous bird, lay a large collection of spider-like synthetic beasts. Each spider had an explosive sac resembling a poisonous gland on its back.
These were the Exploding Spiders, synthetic beasts Hiruko had specially cultivated for this operation.
The destructive force produced by an Exploding Spider's self-detonation was even greater than that of an ordinary explosive tag!
Sasori, standing beside Hiruko, shot him a cold glance.
Combining explosions with that disgusting synthetic ability only made the entire thing more repulsive!
Whether it was the use of explosives or the grotesque art of forcibly combining different creatures, both were things Sasori deeply detested.
And now, both of those things had been brought together in a single person!
…
On the ground, Sunagakure had descended into chaos following the sudden explosion.
Numerous ninja rushed out of their houses, staring in shock at the site of the blast.
"That location...?"
The pupils of several Suna ninjas contracted.
If they remembered correctly, that was the Jinchūriki's residence!
"Sensei! Sensei!"
A young woman wearing a white headscarf, with purple markings on both cheeks, pushed through the crowd. Crying out in panic, she rushed toward the ruins and began frantically searching through the debris.
It was Maki, Pakura's student.
"Maki, I'm fine."
The familiar voice immediately brought relief to Maki's eyes.
She hurriedly turned toward the source of the sound and saw Pakura crouching behind the ruins, shielding Gaara with both arms.
"Sensei, your hand...!"
Maki's expression froze when she noticed the burns covering Pakura's arm.
"It's nothing."
Pakura shook her head.
The burns had been caused by the flames that erupted while she was protecting Gaara. Such minor injuries were of little consequence to her.
In fact, if she hadn't needed to shield Gaara, an explosion of that magnitude wouldn't have been enough to injure her at all.
What truly concerned Pakura was the identity of their attacker.
This was Sunagakure, one of the Five Great Hidden Villages!
Who would dare launch such a brazen attack against them?
Just as her expression grew increasingly grim, a series of startled shouts reached her ears.
"Look at the sky!"
Pakura immediately raised her head.
Her pupils contracted sharply!
A gigantic bird was hovering high above Sunagakure, and strange objects were falling from its body like rain.
As she recognized what was happening, alarm surged through her heart. An intense sense of impending danger overwhelmed her instincts.
"Retreat immediately!!!"
Her warning had barely left her mouth when—
BOOM! BOOM!! BOOM!!!
Deafening explosions erupted throughout Sunagakure in rapid succession.
Terrifying shock waves swept through the village, while the continuous blasts echoed across the streets like the furious roars of a monstrous beast.
High above, Hiruko watched the destruction unfold from the back of his monstrous bird and burst into maniacal laughter.
"Hahahahaha! Excellent! Excellent!"
"This level of destruction is worthy of the gift I've prepared so meticulously! Kazekage, are you satisfied with my present?!"
Hiruko was enjoying himself immensely!
Deep resentment had festered within his heart for many years.
Back in Konoha, despite all the effort he had put into his training, he had never received the recognition he believed he deserved.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had ignored him.
His classmates and friends had ignored him.
Even the Sannin had paid him little attention.
And that scoundrel Orochimaru had gone so far as to rely on his own natural talent to humiliate and look down on him!
Why?!
Why, despite all his efforts, could he never surpass those who were born into prominent families or possessed powerful Kekkei Genkai?!
Was one's background truly so important that it could render every ounce of hard work meaningless?
He was unwilling to accept that!
He wanted to prove to the entire world that he, Hiruko, was a genius!
A genuine genius!
So, what if he hadn't been born with a Kekkei Genkai?
So, what if his background was humble?
With the Chimera Technique he had developed, he would simply plunder the Kekkei Genkai of others and make their powers his own!
Standing beside him, Sasori noticed the change in Hiruko's demeanour. A trace of solemnity appeared in his eyes.
He could see it clearly.
There was madness in Hiruko's eyes!
It was the madness of someone who was willing to do absolutely anything to achieve his goal!
…
On the ground, the destruction continued.
"Cough! Cough, cough!"
As the dense, choking smoke slowly dispersed, Pakura turned her head and surveyed the surroundings. Her pupils trembled slightly at the sight before her.
It was a scene of utter devastation!
The terrifying explosions had destroyed numerous buildings, reducing entire structures to piles of rubble. Many Suna shinobi had perished in the blasts, while those who had survived were injured, coughing violently as they struggled to escape the smoke and debris.
Pakura slowly raised her head.
In her grayish-brown eyes, fury burned like scorching flames.
"Scorch Style ∙ Fervent Steaming Assassination!"
Without the slightest hesitation, she unleashed her strongest attack!
A gigantic fireball, roughly as tall as a person and radiating terrifying heat, shot toward the monstrous bird hovering in the sky.
However, something happened that took Pakura by surprise.
Her full-powered attack, fuelled by her anger, failed to reach the enemy.
After traveling several dozen meters, its chakra was exhausted, and the fireball dispersed before it could strike the target.
Pakura's expression turned solemn.
Scorch Style was inherently better suited to close-range combat. Its long-range offensive capabilities were limited.
Her opponent clearly understood this weakness, which explained why he was using the monstrous bird to attack from high above.
"Wind Style ∙ Sickle Weasel!"
"Puppet Jutsu ∙ Thousand Needle Shot!"
"Wind Style ∙ Wind Cutter!"
Various attacks shot toward the sky from different directions.
However, the four-winged monstrous bird easily evaded them all.
"It's useless! It's all useless!!"
Hiruko's madness became even more pronounced as he manipulated the monstrous bird.
This synthetic creature had been specifically prepared for the operation. Its ability to fly at tremendous heights allowed it to evade most attacks launched from the ground.
Very few ninja in the shinobi qorld possessed the ability to fly, and Sunagakure had none who could effectively pursue him into the sky.
With the synthetic monstrous bird beneath him, Hiruko could maintain his advantage from an almost untouchable position!
"Damn it!"
Pakura clenched her fists in frustration.
She had clearly recognized the problem.
Her opponent had come thoroughly prepared, possessing detailed knowledge of Sunagakure's situation and its available combat capabilities.
With the village's current methods of attack, they were completely unable to harm Hiruko while he remained high above them.
Pakura didn't know that, in the original timeline, Akatsuki had also employed an aerial strategy against Sunagakure.
However, the one who had dealt with that crisis had been Gaara, who had already become Kazekage.
At that point, Gaara possessed the ability to fly.
But the current Gaara was still young and had virtually no combat experience or ability.
As for Pakura, the Fifth Kazekage, long-range combat wasn't her specialty.
Consequently, this battle was even more dangerous than the aerial confrontation in the original timeline!
"Maki! Immediately send word to Iwagakure and Kumogakure. Request reinforcements from both villages!"
The situation was growing increasingly urgent. Pakura had no time to dwell on the problem and immediately issued her order.
Now that the Four Great Nations had formed an alliance and shared common interests, the other members were obligated under the alliance treaty to assist Sunagakure if it came under attack.
As for Kirigakure, it was separated from them by the sea and too far away to provide timely assistance. Pakura didn't even consider requesting its help.
"Yes!"
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Maki didn't dare hesitate. She immediately prepared to depart and deliver the request for reinforcements.
"Wait!"
Just as she was about to leave, Pakura's voice suddenly stopped her.
"What's wrong, sensei?"
At such a critical moment, why had her teacher suddenly changed her mind?
Pakura took a breath and looked at Maki with an exceptionally solemn expression.
"Prepare another request for assistance and send it to Konoha."
"What?!"
Maki stared at her teacher in shock.
"Konoha? Isn't that wrong? Sensei, isn't Konoha an enemy of the Four Nations Alliance? Is it really all right to ask them for help?"
Although Maki didn't pay particularly close attention to international affairs, she was well aware of the conflict between the Four Nations Alliance and the Republic of Fire.
Recently, the entire shinobi qorld had been abuzz with rumours about the struggle between these two great powers!
The Fire Republic had overthrown the Daimyō nobles, established a new national system, and seized both political and military power. These changes had provoked resistance from the Four Great Nations, which were led by their respective governments.
To oppose Konoha's growing influence, the four nations had even formed the Four Nations Alliance, uniting to stand against Konoha and its new political order.
Requesting assistance from Konoha was undoubtedly a politically dangerous decision!
If the other three Great Nations learned of it, they would inevitably use the matter to create trouble for Sunagakure.
At that point, Sunagakure's already difficult situation would become even more complicated.
"Just do as I say! Where's all this nonsense coming from?!"
Pakura urged her impatiently.
Her decision to request assistance from Konoha wasn't something she had made on a whim.
She had carefully considered the situation!
Judging by the attire of the two ninjas riding the monstrous bird, they were most likely members of the recently infamous Akatsuki.
And the leader of Akatsuki was Pain, the wielder of the Eyes of the Sage!
Throughout the entire shinobi world, the only ninja who could face Pain without fear was probably Konoha's Fifth Hokage, Namikaze Mirai!
The other three Great Nations might be able to repel the two attackers currently hovering above Sunagakure. But what would happen if Pain personally intervened?
What could Sunagakure possibly use to resist him?
Only Namikaze Mirai.
Only Mirai could stop Pain!
"Understood!"
Although Maki didn't know precisely what her teacher was thinking, she understood the urgency of the situation and didn't dare neglect her orders.
Sunagakure had reached its most critical moment.
At a time like this, even the slightest hesitation could plunge the village into an abyss from which it might never recover!
…
Protected behind Pakura, Gaara clenched his fists unwillingly. His eyes were already brimming with tears.
"Damn it! I'm truly useless! Everyone else is fighting with all their might, while I'm completely useless!"
Inside him, the One-Tail Shukaku sensed Gaara's emotions and fell into deep contemplation.
With his insight, Shukaku could naturally tell that the two ominous figures hovering above the village were most likely targeting him.
If he were captured by them, he had no idea what kind of fate awaited him.
'Should I lend some of my power to this brat? But with his current abilities, he'd probably struggle to control it, wouldn't he?'
Shukaku was conflicted.
…
High above Sunagakure, Hiruko had been hovering in the sky for some time.
Now, he finally launched his second attack!
"Die! All of you, just die!!!"
Amid his maniacal laughter, an even larger number of self-destructing spiders descended from the sky. They fell toward Sunagakure as densely as raindrops, their explosive sacs ready to detonate upon impact.
On the ground, Pakura and the numerous Suna ninjas looked up at the horrifying sight.
Their pupils trembled violently!
"Oh no!!!"
*****
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✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
✓ Naruto: Senmei Asahi
✓ Naruto: The Fifth Hokage Is Naruto's Uncle
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✓ Naruto: The Calamity of Amegakure