What are you trying to do!

Rumble!

A muffled explosion came from the forest, quite unlike the crisp sound of a normal detonation tag.

Luo Sha turned around in surprise. Was that guy's explosive tag flooded?

"Wow!"

Ebizo instantly understood why the masked man was trying to shift the blame.

Blue light flowed from Yang Xiang's body, covering the severed arm and condensing into a layer of chakra water film, completely enveloping the entire arm.

The detonators exploded one after another inside the water film, tearing and deforming the water layer, but they still failed to break through it.

Ultimate chakra form transformation.

The muffled sound that Luo Sha had just heard, which he thought was the "water entering the explosive tag," was from this.

Danzo seemed to have anticipated this, and without turning back, his figure disappeared into the depths of the night.

Yang Xiang did not pursue.

He lowered his gaze, looking down at the Sand Ninja team below.

Swish swish!

Several figures broke through the air and landed on the treetops around Yang Xiang.

Moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, illuminating the leaf headbands and the Thousand Hands clan emblem on their bodies.

Peach Blossom has arrived.

The ninjas of the Senju lineage have also arrived.

They witnessed the astonishing scene unfolding in Yang Xiang's hands at the same time.

Many people's eyes flashed with barely concealed surprise.

This child from Senior Tao Hua's family... is even stronger than rumored.

!!!

Luo Sha stared at Yang Xiang's hand in disbelief.

The severed arm, covered in explosive tags, gradually shrank in his palm until it was completely annihilated.

Yang Xiang sensed that the movement in his hand was gradually subsiding, and then turned his gaze to the Sand Ninja.

"Gentlemen," he said calmly, "you don't seem to belong here."

The gazes of the Thousand Hands ninjas all fell downwards.

Gudong.

Someone couldn't help but swallow.

Yang Xiang, Tao Hua, and those thousand-handed people on the treetop.

An invisible pressure pressed down like a millstone.

Are we... meant to fight against this kind of opponent?

Ebizo's emotions were churning.

This is Konoha.

He was about to explain when he heard a "thump" beside him.

Someone fell to the ground.

...?

The scene was horrifying, but not enough to make someone faint.

Whose child is this, so inexperienced?

He looked closely...

Isn't that the Konoha ninja who led the way earlier?!

He looked at his teammates with a puzzled expression.

Teammates were drenched in sweat:

Fearing his whereabouts would be exposed, he carried the Konoha ninja he had knocked unconscious all the way here, but his hand slipped and the ninja fell to the ground.

Ebizo was horrified.

Why did you bring him along?!

Pick it up!

I told you to pick up the Konoha ninja!

...

Konoha is exceptionally lively tonight.

First, the Senju clan's territory inexplicably erupted, which then triggered a chain reaction throughout the village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had barely stepped into the Hokage Building and hadn't even settled into his seat when he received an urgent report: a large group of Senju clan members were making unusual movements.

The already tense Third Hokage exploded on the spot.

The entire secret service and defense forces were mobilized.

In an instant, Konoha was brightly lit.

All the major ninja clans received a strict order: stay at home and are forbidden from going out.

Foreign delegations that have arrived in Konoha are being surrounded by layers of security at their lodgings.

The Uchiha clan, however, led by Uchiha Kagami, proceeded unimpeded to the scene of the incident.

Danzo, who was supposed to be responsible for intercepting them, was inexplicably absent today.

They waited and waited, but he didn't come.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to personally lead his ANBU and two advisors to the scene.

...

Mito Uzumaki sensed the commotion in the village and also realized that the people guarding the mansion were Senju ninjas, not Anbu.

She paused for a moment.

"Tsunade," she called to her granddaughter, pointing her in the right direction, "you go too."

Tonight's unexpected turn of events made her suddenly realize something:

The village, or rather the current leadership, has never lost its fear of Qian Shou.

Thousand Hands has no intention of harming anyone, but some people always harbor the intention to guard against Thousand Hands.

Those who took power from the Thousand Hands began to fear that the master of power would one day take it back.

And the Senju junior he had been silently watching...

It was not a docile sheep, but a fierce tiger that had already revealed its claws.

Judging from the clan's movements tonight, it seems that an invisible net has bound the remaining ninjas together as one.

And she, the "mistress," was completely unaware of it.

If Tsunade doesn't go tonight...

It seems the main family will be excluded by the Thousand Hands lineage.

Hashira...

I'm sorry.

...

"Yang Xiang!"

Due to their advantageous geographical location, the Uchiha clan was the first to arrive.

Pairs of scarlet Sharingan eyes lit up in the forest, exuding a chilling aura.

The Senju and Uchiha clans faced off across the distance.

Many people have faced each other on the battlefield.

The atmosphere was tense, like a battleground.

"What's going on?" Uchiha Kagami asked in a deep voice.

The Senju clan acted strangely tonight, and the Uchiha were the first ninja clan to notice. In the past, they would have avoided them like the plague.

He was terrified that someone with ulterior motives would use this against him.

However, since Yang Xiang joined the team, he has secretly made connections with Tao Hua's faction.

This gave him a reason to intervene.

After a brief deliberation, he arrived with a few usable members of his tribe.

He originally thought that since both the Senju and Uchiha were in dire straits, if they could support each other, it might not be a bad way out.

He forgot that the two races had been fighting for hundreds of years.

Many of the ninjas in front of us, who are at the peak of their abilities, have a blood feud with each other.

The situation was beginning to spiral out of control.

Yang Xiang stepped forward, blocking the Sharingan's gaze.

"It's nothing," he said casually. "I ran into an assassin."

"Senju—Uchiha!"

The third generation has arrived.

The secret forces and the defense forces simultaneously surrounded the three sides.

It was only then that it became clear that the Senju and Uchiha were not at a disadvantage in terms of numbers.

After all, this isn't decades from now.

The prestige of the two founding ninja clans remains undeniable.

Not all the people are dead yet.

...

Ebizo's head is almost bald.

Although...but...we don't deserve this, do we?!

It feels like the entire village of Konoha has come!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze finally fell on his face.

Why are there still Sand Ninja involved here?

Since there are outsiders present, it's not appropriate to attack either of the two clans, otherwise word will spread that I, the third generation leader, have failed in my governance.

"Ebizo," the Third Hokage forced a smile that could barely be described as kind.

"So you're leading the team this time. What... what are you all doing here?"

Ebizo's sweat poured down even more freely.

Seeing that all the Sand Ninja were silent, Hiruzen Sarutobi also sensed that something was wrong.

Could they be involved with ninjas from other countries?

Are the Senju and Uchiha clans colluding with the Sand Village ninja?

What do they want to do?

To establish a second empire?!

Just as he was lost in thought, Yang Xiang threw a piece of pitch-black object at his feet.

"Lord Hokage," the boy said calmly.

"I was assassinated tonight, but the assassin escaped, leaving behind only this severed arm."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked down.

……assassin?

Which idiot came to assassinate Yang Xiang?

Doesn't he know Yang Xiang's strength level?

Then I remembered that I had only found out tonight.

I felt relieved instantly.

It seems he's a fellow unlucky soul sharing my misfortune.

However, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he felt a surge of anger again.

Danzo, oh Danzo.

I can't control you now.

You keep the important intelligence to yourself, but you're absent when it matters most.

I think you've gotten too big for your britches.

You want to be Hokage, huh?