Under several earth-shattering explosive roars, Konoha's tall walls were easily torn open like fragile building blocks, leaving a ferocious gap dozens of meters long.
Gravel, wood chips, twisted metal shot out in all directions. Smoke, dust, and fire shot into the sky, dyeing the heavens a grayish-yellow.
The warning lookout towers on the walls were also reduced to powder, as if made of paper, under that violent explosion.
Before the gunpowder smoke had even cleared, accompanied by sharp whistles and shouts full of killing intent, dozens of Otogakure's Ninja surged through the gap in the wall!
They wore matching dark combat uniforms, some with masks, some with painted faces, Otogakure's forehead protectors tied around their heads. Their eyes were cold, their movements swift... they were clearly well-trained elites.
At the very front were several Ninja with particularly fierce auras and vicious eyes. Many of them had once been Konoha's Ninja!
"Spread out! Act according to plan! Create chaos! Kill all who resist! Don't disappoint Orochimaru-sama!" An Otogakure's Ninja squad leader with a centipede-like scar on his face shouted harshly, his voice filled with twisted pleasure and hatred.
He took the lead in throwing out several kunai with explosive tags attached, precisely hitting the base of a lookout tower near the gap.
Boom!
The lookout tower tilted and collapsed in the explosion, crushing the roof of a civilian house below. Smoke and dust filled the air, screams rising on all sides.
Under the cover and leadership of this advance force, more Otogakure's Ninja, like a plague of locusts, poured through the gap, quickly splitting into several groups and advancing inward along different streets.
They were clearly quite familiar with Konoha's layout, their targets clear.
Key traffic nodes, supply warehouses, civilian gathering areas, and areas where defense units might be stationed.
The sounds of explosions, the roar of Ninjutsu, the clash of metal, and the terrified screams and cries of civilians instantly erupted throughout Konoha's originally peaceful and serene streets.
And providing cover for them was that purple three-headed giant snake, like a moving natural disaster!
Its massive body writhed in the gap. Its three fierce snake heads were held high, its cold vertical pupils scanning the Konoha's villagers fleeing in panic below like ants.
A casual swing of its tail could collapse a row of houses... opening its giant mouth to spew purple poison gas caused plants to wither and rocks to corrode wherever it passed... occasionally, it would suddenly lower its head to ram, shaking the very earth.
Ordinary villagers and Genin had no power to resist such a monster, only able to flee in despair.
"Enemy attack! It's the Otogakure's Ninja!"
"Protect the civilians! Evacuate! Evacuate towards the shelters!"
"Follow me! Stop that group of Otogakure's Ninja!"
"Where are the Medical-Nin! We need support here!"
After a brief moment of chaos, Konoha's year-round well-trained emergency mechanisms began to activate.
Patrol squads near the gap, Ninja on duty in the area, and Konoha's Ninja rushing from their homes or mission points quickly and spontaneously organized themselves. While doing their utmost to guide and shield civilians in their evacuation, they engaged in fierce encounters with the infiltrating Otogakure's Ninja forces on the streets, rooftops, and plazas.
Kunai and shuriken crossed in mid-air... the light of Ninjutsu flashed through the streets and alleys... roars and screams never ceased.
The peaceful neighborhood had instantly turned into a bloody battlefield.
However, the Otogakure's Ninja's surprise attack was well-prepared, they had the advantage in numbers, and were mostly composed of Konoha's Missing-Nin and elites, with rich combat experience and ruthless methods.
Konoha, caught off guard and needing to divert attention to protect civilians, was suppressed for a time, retreating steadily, their defense line constantly compressed inward.
"Don't panic! Rally to me! Form a defense line!"
Just then, a calm, powerful, authoritative voice rang out from a higher rooftop at the edge of the battlefield.
There, Shikaku, Choza, and Inoichi, the current heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, appeared on the front lines like a stabilizing pillar, leading over a dozen elite Ninja from their respective clans.
They had clearly assembled and arrived the moment the alarm sounded.
Shikaku stood at the very front, his hands quickly forming hand seals. His shadow spread rapidly from beneath his feet like a tide of darkness, precisely entangling several Otogakure's Ninja who had charged too far ahead, holding them firmly in place before they were quickly focused down and killed by Konoha's Ninja.
"Shikaku!" Inoichi rushed to his side, his face so grim it seemed about to drip water. He looked around at the increasing number of Otogakure's Ninja and the terrifying three-headed snake in the distance, his voice full of anger.
"It's the Otogakure! Have they gone mad? To openly attack Konoha! And judging by this scale... it's clearly been premeditated for a long time!"
Choza's massive body stood like a mountain guarding their flank. He held an iron staff in one hand, Chakra surging, his body beginning to slightly expand, ready to enter a partial multi-size technique state at any moment.
But he didn't immediately join the battle. Instead, he looked worriedly towards the direction of the final round arena behind the Hokage Rock, from which continuous explosions and sounds of commotion came, his voice low and anxious: "Over at the arena... the explosions are even more dense! Hokage-sama, he..."
"Choza!" Shikaku didn't look back, interrupting his companion's worry. His gaze swept over the battlefield like a hawk's, his brain rapidly calculating the situation between friend and foe, civilian evacuation routes, and possible counterattack strategies.
"Now is not the time to worry about the arena! Hokage-sama is the 'Strongest Hokage'! Not only does he have elite Anbu by his side, but also veteran Jonin like Kakashi, Asuma, and Guy at the arena, who can support him at any time."
"Our primary task now is to drive these invading Otogakure scum out of the village! Seal the gap! Prevent them from further infiltrating and destroying, creating greater panic and casualties! Otherwise, Konoha's losses will be incalculable!"
His analysis was calm and thorough, instantly identifying the most pressing crisis.
The arena was the core of this incident, but there were many of Konoha's high-level combat forces there, while the invaders before them were the immediate threat.
Under Shikaku's command, the somewhat scattered Konoha's Ninja who had been fighting each on their own suddenly found a rallying point and began consciously moving towards the position of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, converging.
Wounded comrades were dragged to the rear for simple bandaging, while those still able to fight quickly formed new combat groups.
With the strong support of Shikaku, Choza, and Inoichi, the defense line gradually stabilized, beginning to effectively block and push back the Otogakure's Ninja's advance.
"Shikaku-sama is right!"
"Together with the Ino-Shika-Cho-sama, let's drive these bastards out!"
"For Konoha!"
Konoha's morale received a boost.
More and more Ninja rushed from various parts of the village to converge, including many Jonin and core members from various clans.
Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist experts weaved across rooftops, using their Byakugan to discern enemy movements and seal their Tenketsu... Inuzuka Clan's Ninja, working with their Ninken, pursued through the streets and alleys... Insect users from Aburame Clan released swarms of dark insects to interfere with and devour the Otogakure's Ninja's Chakra...
Konoha's deep foundation and talent reserve as one of the old Five Great Ninja Villages began to show in this crisis.
The battle quickly escalated, becoming more bloody and intense.
But after Shikaku and the others appeared, Konoha gradually stabilized their footing, even beginning to organize effective counterattacks, pushing the Otogakure's Ninja's offensive back little by little.
However, everyone knew that the true test might not be these common Otogakure's Ninja soldiers before them.
At the same time that the [Konoha Crush Plan] began…
Far away, thousands of miles to the northwest of the Land of Fire… the Land of Stars.
The Star City, a magnificent capital that had risen in just a decade, integrating classical architectural beauty with a sense of modern technology, gleamed in the morning sun.
The towering buildings, the wide and clean streets, the orderly flow of vehicles and people, and the vigorous vitality permeating the air all formed a stark, glaring contrast with Konoha, which was now sunk in the flames of war and chaos.
In the top floor of the Land of Stars' main administrative building, the highest structure in the city's central administrative district, inside a huge office with an excellent view.
A figure stood silently before the floor-to-ceiling window.
His posture was straight, dressed in a blue everyday uniform, covered by a white ceremonial robe, the hem of which fluttered without wind.
Short blonde hair shimmered with a soft luster under the sunlight streaming through the glass.
However, on his young, handsome face, which always wore a warm smile, there was now a layer of gloom that was hard to dispel.
Those gray eyes were currently gazing into the distance towards the southeast.
That was the direction of the Land of Fire, where Konoha Village was located.
"Calculating the time... it should be about to start." Minato murmured to himself.
Just as his voice fell, a pair of slender arms gently wrapped around his waist from behind.
A familiar, gentle warmth approached, and Kushina pressed her cheek lightly against his broad back.
At this moment, Kushina no longer had her usual liveliness on her face, only worry for Minato remained.
She was the one who understood Minato best, understood his responsibility and love for Konoha that were etched into his soul, and also understood the contradiction and torment in his heart at this moment.
"Minato..." Kushina's voice was muffled, filled with distress.
She knew how much her husband was suffering right now.
As the former Fourth Hokage of Konoha, the Yellow Flash, Konoha's hero and guardian deity, he now had to stand from the standpoint of an 'enemy nation', watching helplessly as the village he once risked his life to protect sank into the flames of war and collapse, with his own son participating in the planning and the power he now served fanning the flames.
Even worse, the Land of Stars would take this opportunity to seize the Uchiha's secret technique heritage within Konoha, further weakening Konoha.
For Minato, this was tantamount to death by a thousand cuts.
Minato felt his wife's worry and comfort.
He didn't turn around. He just raised his hand, gently covering Kushina's hands wrapped around his waist, and with his slightly calloused fingers, gently patted the back of her hands, one stroke after another.
This subtle gesture was both to comfort her and to calm the turmoil surging within his own heart.
"I'm fine, Kushina." Minato's voice returned to its usual gentleness, though beneath that gentleness, a hint of sadness that couldn't be completely concealed could still be heard.
"It's just... I feel a bit sad for the Third Hokage-sama, that's all."
He paused, his gaze still not moving from the southeast, as if he could see that aged yet still straight figure engaged in a life-and-death battle with his own once-proud student.