"Damn it! These Konoha brats are too cunning, always playing the fool."
Kazeno coughed up blood in frustration.
Despite his meticulous planning and caution, he still hadn't escaped the pursuit of Konoha's freaks.
He was numb.
This was the fourth time they'd hit a steal plate.
The crucial point was, why were all the young people in Konoha so strong?
Would Sand even stand a chance against them in 10 years?
He reckoned that Sunagakure wouldn't even be on the world map in a few years, let alone ten.
"Is it too late to surrender now?" Scarface asked in a timid voice that didn't match his appearance.
"Hmph! You were the ones who said you didn't want to fight, then you were the ones who wanted to fight, and now you're the ones begging for mercy.
"You Sand ninjas are the most cunning, changing your faces faster than us girls." Ino looked down at them, her figure bathed in the dense golden ripples emanating from behind her, making her look like a goddess descending from the heavens.
"That's right, Konoha isn't a place you can come and go as you please."
"I suggest you put on some dresses. bleh bleh bleh." Sakura, emboldened by Ino's presence, felt her confidence swell, mercilessly taunting them.
When it came to arguing, she considered herself the best.
"Hah! A samurai would rather die than be humiliated!"
"Kill them! Kill them all!" Kazeno finally lost his composure, yelling orders at the six remaining subordinates beside him.
"But Lord Kazeno, We're not samurai!"
"Hmph! Let's see who's faster." Ino waved her right hand.
A sky full of Noble Phantasms shot down like a barrage of bullets.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
The Sand ninjas hurriedly used the defensive jutsu they had prepared.
Thick walls of water and earth rose from the ground.
Thud thud thud!
In the blink of an eye, the earth and water walls were blasted to smithereens. Kazeno and the others had to split into two groups and continuously cast defensive techniques to barely withstand the bombardment.
Seeing the weapons floating in the air disappear, all the Sand ninjas breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, this little brat didn't seem as strong as they had imagined.
That was right; how could there be so many powerful young ninjas? It was all in their heads.
"Heh heh heh, it's our turn to show off."
"Lord Kazeno, I'll capture those two girls." Scarface, eager to prove himself after twice begging the enemy for mercy, jumped out with a ferocious grin.
But before he could even finish weaving hand signs to perform his jutsu, golden ripples lit up once more.
This time, there were too many to count.
The smile on Scarface's face instantly froze, replaced by despair.
The other Sand ninjas also stood frozen, staring blankly at the beautiful golden ripples in the sky, utterly lost.
In the next moment, an endless stream of Noble Phantasms burst forth from the ripples.
…
Far away in Kirigakure, the Kirigakure, a similar crisis was unfolding, just like in Konoha.
Countless mercenaries, lured by Gilgamesh's vast wealth, joined the ranks of cannon fodder, relentlessly assaulting Kirigakure's defenses.
Meanwhile, the remaining Uchiha clan members faced off against elite ninjas, individuals capable of single-handedly decimating ordinary forces.
Over the past few years, the Land of Water's army and Kirigakure's ninjas had suffered continuous defeats.
Now, countless islands across the Land of Water had fallen into Gilgamesh's hands, leaving only Kirigakure, the main base and symbol of their ultimate strength.
"Your fighting spirit is quite admirable," Gilgamesh announced from his extravagant Vimana, his celestial chariot, high in the sky. "Why not follow the Uchiha and submit to my rule? I can lead you to conquer all, granting you endless glory and riches."
"Hmph! We will never surrender to invaders!"
"We'd rather be shattered jade than intact tiles!" Chōjūrō, the usually meek young Jonin often teased by Mei, pushed up his glasses and retorted with uncharacteristic firmness in his tone.
"Besides, our Mizukage will be back soon."
"When she returns, she will surely defeat you."
The title of Mizukage piqued Gilgamesh's interest slightly: "Oh? Mizukage? Is that the strongest person here?"
Young Chōjūrō puffed out his chest: "That's right! Lady Mei possesses two Kekkei Genkai. No one can defeat her." He had always been shy and lacked confidence, but Mei, like an older sister, had always taken care of him, allowing his strength to grow rapidly.
Beside him, Ao, an older Jonin and also a trusted confidant of the Fifth Mizukage, couldn't bear to listen any longer and quickly rapped Chōjūrō on the head.
"Don't exaggerate. The Mizukage is indeed strong, but there are countless powerful individuals in the ninja world. Apart from Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi from Konoha decades ago, no one can claim to be invincible."
Even the mighty Hashirama had his destined rival, Madara Uchiha.
Ao, possessing a Byakugan, gazed at the Hero King in the sky, his expression growing increasingly grave.
The overbearing aura of dominance was incredibly oppressive.
He had never seen such a natural regal presence in anyone, as if he were born to rule the world.
Not even the Kage possessed such an aura. If they weren't on opposing sides, he might have felt the urge to prostrate himself in worship.
The gradual erosion of the Land of Water and the successive defeats of Kirigakure's ninjas, their strongest force, certainly proved the Hero King's capabilities.
The title of "Hero King" originated from Konoha, referring to the most ancient heroic king in history.
Even the First Hokage and his powerful shinobi village couldn't detain him, and he even managed to take the remaining Uchiha clan members with him.
"Oh? Interesting. Then quickly bring out your Mizukage."
"Let me finish you all off at once, lest this back-and-forth game of whack-a-mole waste my time." Gilgamesh leaned back lazily on his throne, completely disregarding the elite Kirigakure ninjas arrayed in formation at the village gate below.
However, the sounds of fierce fighting echoed from the outskirts of the village.
Fugaku Uchiha, leading a vast army of mercenaries, was clashing with Kirigakure's main forces.
Impatient, Gilgamesh flew directly to Kirigakure in his Vimana.
After all, his true objective wasn't senseless slaughter, but to subdue these people, strengthening his own forces in preparation for his future assault on Konoha and the entire ninja world.
"Um... our Mizukage is occupied and will need a moment," Chōjūrō said, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Tch. Don't tell me she abandoned you and fled on her own?
"A leader who abandons their subordinates and runs away is despicable in my eyes.
"Very well, I won't wait any longer. Show me all you've got and see if you can amuse me. If I'm pleased, perhaps I'll spare your pathetic lives."
Gilgamesh finished speaking and waved his right hand.
Countless golden ripples shimmered in the air, and a multitude of Noble Phantasms emerged from them, poised to strike.
In the next moment, like extinguished lamps, most of the golden ripples and Noble Phantasms vanished.
"The hell? Where are my Noble Phantasms?" Gilgamesh, who had been leaning back on his throne, abruptly straightened up, his eyes widening.
He could sense that many treasures from the Gate of Babylon had suddenly disappeared.
The familiar sensation immediately reminded him of his experience in Konoha.
"The fourth time! This is the fourth time my treasures have been stolen!
"Thieves of Konoha, I will return and tear you to shreds!"
The King's roar resounded throughout Kirigakure.
join my patreon for advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL