Chapter 51: Ao - Kirigakure Ninja

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The key issue under discussion was who should be sent to handle the situation with Kirigakure. 

With Jiraiya already dispatched to deal with Iwagakure, who could be entrusted with such a critical mission this time? 

Tsunade, as Hokage, was generally unable to leave the village herself, but the available candidates left much to be desired. 

Tsunade couldn't help but think of Orochimaru; had things not turned out the way they did, such worries wouldn't have plagued her. 

But the reality was as it stood—there was no choice but to deal with the situation.

Konoha boasted many elite shinobi, and names were being recommended one after another during the meeting. 

Even the feudal lord had no clear favourite, and Tsunade herself found the situation frustrating. 

As discussions continued, Danzo, who had been silent, rose and said, "This time, I will personally take charge." 

"In our current situation, apart from the Hokage, I see no one else better suited for this mission than myself."

His statement left the room in a brief silence. Tsunade frowned but had to admit that, based solely on capability, Danzo was indeed a strong candidate. 

Seeing the hesitation, Danzo continued, "I am the Root of Konoha. Though I have always grown in the shadows, my dedication to protecting the village is no less than anyone else's." 

"For the Land of Fire, for Konoha, I am prepared to lay down my life if necessary." 

His words were heartfelt; Danzo, though a staunch militarist, had no hesitation when faced with war.

Tsunade, despite her reservations, eventually gave in. Danzo was thus appointed as the leader to repel Kirigakure's invasion. 

As a symbol of the militarist faction, Danzo was not only highly skilled but also had many capable subordinates. 

Tsunade assigned additional shinobi to accompany him, forming a specialized unit that swiftly departed for the border of the Land of Fire—the same area Naruto had visited previously.

True to his reputation for extreme methods, Danzo planned a preemptive strike instead of waiting for Kirigakure's forces to act. 

Kirigakure's main army, which included many elite shinobi such as the ones Naruto had encountered before, was advancing rapidly. 

Anticipating their route, Danzo laid a meticulous ambush along their path. As soon as the Kirigakure forces entered the ambush zone, Danzo ordered an all-out attack.

The battle took place on the water, so Danzo had wisely selected water-style specialists for his team. 

Together, they launched a large-scale Water Release assault. 

Kirigakure was caught off guard; they had not expected Konoha to anticipate their movements, let alone strike first. 

Their sensory ninja was resting, having planned to unleash a devastating attack upon nearing the Land of Fire. 

Instead, they were thrown into disarray as the lead ships were shattered, sending their occupants plunging into the sea.

Before they could recover, waves of jutsu rained down on them, leaving weaker Kirigakure shinobi with little chance of survival. 

Danzo's forces gained the upper hand. However, just as victory seemed certain, an enormous tidal wave surged toward Konoha's forces, as if the entire ocean was bearing down upon them. 

Through his Sharingan, Danzo caught sight of a woman amidst the chaos—none other than the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi.

Danzo was stunned that the Mizukage herself was leading the attack. Calculating his next move, he realized the situation had escalated. 

Alongside Mei's powerful Water Release techniques, other Kirigakure shinobi began unleashing an array of Water Release jutsu. 

With the battle on the sea, Kirigakure held a significant geographical advantage, and their overwhelming force was now on full display.

Danzo activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, halting Mei's Water Release momentarily. 

Sensing something amiss, Ao, her Byakugan-wielding subordinate, quickly identified that Mei had fallen under a genjutsu. 

Seizing the opportunity, Danzo ordered his forces to erect earth-style barriers to counter the water attacks and initiated a strategic retreat. 

Although Ao managed to free Mei from the genjutsu shortly after, the delay was enough for Konoha's forces to withdraw, leaving only the wreckage of ships and the bodies of Kirigakure shinobi behind.

"Thank you," Mei said to Ao. 

"If not for you, I wouldn't have realized I was under genjutsu."

Ao replied, "No need to thank me, Mizukage-sama. But it's troubling that this was the work of Uchiha Shisui's eye. Otherwise, they wouldn't have escaped so easily."

Mei sighed. "I didn't expect Konoha to send him—Danzo, the 'Shadow of the Shinobi.' 

Long spurned by the Hokage, his deployment was beyond our expectations." 

"Had we been prepared, we wouldn't have suffered such losses."

The surrounding Kirigakure shinobi hung their heads in silence, sharing her sentiment. They had underestimated their enemy and paid the price. 

Having learned their lesson, Kirigakure grew more cautious, making it harder for Konoha to gain a tactical advantage moving forward.

Meanwhile, Danzo and his team regrouped near the coast, maintaining a strategic distance from the sea to prevent Kirigakure from exploiting their terrain advantage while ensuring a strong defensive position. 

Kirigakure, wary after their loss, did not attempt an immediate pursuit. 

Although Danzo had not achieved a decisive victory, the mission was still considered a success—Konoha had suffered no casualties.

Tsunade, back in the Hokage's office, received a steady flow of reports from the front lines. 

Though there were no defeats, the prolonged stalemate placed Konoha in a precarious position. 

The village had nearly exhausted its reserve shinobi, and if the Land of Lightning were to launch an attack at this moment, Konoha would likely fall. 

Resolving one conflict quickly had become an urgent priority for the survival of the village.

Since the last ceasefire, Onoki had resisted pressure from various factions in the Land of Earth, refusing to launch an attack. 

Jiraiya, who longed for peace, was similarly reluctant to strike unless provoked. 

However, an order from Tsunade disrupted the fragile calm on the battlefield. 

Pressured by Kirigakure's actions, Tsunade instructed Jiraiya to resolve the conflict with Iwagakure swiftly and provide reinforcements to the other battlefront. 

Failure to do so would plunge Konoha into a dire crisis. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Jiraiya reluctantly launched an offensive against Iwagakure. 

However, Iwagakure excelled in defence. 

Their fortifications posed a significant challenge, and despite a full day of relentless assault, Jiraiya's forces managed only minor damage to their defences. 

A quick resolution seemed impossible without significant losses.

On Danzo's front, while his initial surprise attack had dealt a heavy blow to Kirigakure and his strategic positioning kept them at bay, the enemy began to adapt. 

With persistent scouting and Ao's Byakugan, Kirigakure gradually gained a clear picture of Konoha's actual strength.

Kirigakure's counterattack began with a large-scale Water Release, flooding Konoha's fortifications. 

Though the terrain limited the water's effect, it succeeded in altering the battlefield dynamics. 

This was followed by an aggressive assault. First, taijutsu specialists targeted the fortifications, gradually breaking them down. 

A brutal melee ensued as both sides clashed. 

Among the elite fighters, Hiashi Hyuga stood out, his Byakugan and Gentle Fist enabling him to incapacitate most opponents swiftly. 

However, this time, he faced a formidable adversary—"Bloodstorm," the Kirigakure shinobi who had previously decimated Konoha forces with a single blow. 

Bloodstorm launched a powerful punch at Hiashi, but the Byakugan allowed him to detect and counter-attack, even from behind.

Hiashi deflected the punch with a perfectly timed Rotation, sending Bloodstorm flying. 

Capitalizing on the opening, he followed up with a Vacuum Palm that struck his opponent mid-air. 

Despite this, Hiashi observed through his Byakugan that Bloodstorm was unharmed. 

Moving swiftly to the anticipated landing point, Hiashi assumed a unique stance and unleashed his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. 

His strikes were precise and infused with powerful chakra, surpassing even Neji's intensity.

Bloodstorm staggered back but remained unaffected by the Gentle Fist's chakra disruption. 

Covered in a strange liquid, he taunted Hiashi, "So, you're from the Hyuga main family, Hiashi. 

Unfortunately for you, your Gentle Fist won't work on me." Leaping forward, he launched his most powerful punch yet. 

Hiashi countered once more with Rotation, deflecting the blow and landing another Vacuum Palm.

The two warriors stood apart, scrutinizing each other for weaknesses. 

Other shinobi gave them a wide berth, avoiding the collateral damage from their clash. Both knew they had encountered a challenging opponent.

Meanwhile, Danzo confronted Mei Terumi, the Mizukage, who led Kirigakure's forces. 

Recognizing that most Konoha shinobi were no match for her, Danzo stepped forward.

Even for him, Mei's Lava and Boil Release techniques were formidable threats. 

She unleashed streams of corrosive acid, forcing Danzo to evade continuously. 

As the attacks intensified, evasion became impossible. Lacking an effective Wind Release counter, Danzo resorted to his rarely used Wood Release.

Though his Wood Release was not as powerful as the First Hokage's, its mere appearance startled Mei, who knew it as the legendary jutsu of Hashirama Senju. 

However, Danzo's true trump card was his Mangekyo Sharingan's Kotoamatsukami. 

While he didn't know how Mei had broken free from his genjutsu before, he planned to use it again at the right moment.

Standing calmly, Danzo activated his Sharingan, causing Mei to halt her attack abruptly. 

Seizing the opportunity, Danzo prepared a lethal strike, but Ao and Chojuro intervened. 

Chojuro infused his twin blades with chakra and attacked Danzo, while Ao rushed to Mei's side to dispel the genjutsu.

Dodging Chojuro's assault, Danzo glared at Ao and growled, "So, it was you who broke my technique last time. To think Konoha's Byakugan fell into an outsider's hands!"

As Ao released Mei from the genjutsu, he responded coolly, "And you seem to have stolen and transplanted Uchiha Shisui's eye." 

"In that regard, we're not so different. My Byakugan is one of Kirigakure's prized spoils."

At that moment, two Root members arrived at Danzo's side, asking, "Danzo-sama, are you all right?"

Danzo, suppressing his frustration, replied, "My technique has been disrupted. The situation is unfavourable. Retreat to the next position immediately."

Following his orders, Konoha's forces retreated to a pre-constructed defensive stronghold. 

Danzo had meticulously planned for such contingencies, simulating battle scenarios to ensure a structured withdrawal. 

As Kirigakure's forces advanced, they found themselves exhausted from prolonged combat and their chakra reserves depleted.

Mei observed the formidable new defences Konoha had established and decided to halt the attack. 

Ao agreed with her assessment, recommending a tactical retreat to regroup and rest before resuming the offensive.

As Kirigakure's forces withdrew, Danzo breathed a sigh of relief. Outnumbered and at a disadvantage, Konoha had narrowly avoided disaster. 

However, Danzo fumed internally over Ao's interference, vowing, I must reclaim that Byakugan. 

The Hyuga's bloodline limit cannot remain in foreign hands.

Despite his anger, Danzo recognized that eliminating Ao would not be easy, especially given the current imbalance of power. 

He resolved to find a way to turn the tide in the next day's battle.

<End Chapter>

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