[A/N: No chapter for the next few days. I'll lock on starting 3rd June. The arc is almost over. ]

Fujin recalled the day after the Uchiha Massacre, 'When Mieko died, Hoka desired revenge on Itachi more than anyone else. As time passed and his horizons have broadened, his desire has lessened, though it still lingers. Unfortunately, he still hasn't encountered Itachi or become strong enough to take revenge…'

Unlike his teammate, Fujin had no plans to go after Itachi. His life was plenty miserable as it was. More importantly, killing Itachi was an important step in Sasuke's growth. Even though the future had changed beyond recognition, the danger Kaguya posed still existed. Fujin may have grown very strong, but he wasn't foolish enough to ignore such a threat.

He thought, 'Until I eliminate Black Zetsu or destroy the Rinnegans, I won't block Naruto's and Sasuke's paths. While the danger doesn't end with Kaguya and more Otsutsuki may appear in the future, Hagoromo could still interfere in the future if things become dire.

Not to mention, eliminating Itachi… isn't exactly easy…'

With no one at the level of Hashirama and Madara alive, Fujin could be considered as one of the strongest ninja in the world. Extremely few ninjas in the world could keep up with him in an all-out battle. Perhaps only Nagato, if he were to use his main body instead of distributing his powers among the Six Paths, could defeat Fujin convincingly. As for killing Fujin, who could now teleport over a thousand kilometers away, it was almost impossible.

However, Itachi held trump cards that were lethal even for Fujin. If Fujin were to face Itachi, he'd have to seal his eyes just like he did against Danzo. Though he was confident in his speed, a single misstep could see him burnt alive by Amaterasu because he didn't possess Orochimaru's substitution jutsu or a Tailed Beast cloak.

He couldn't afford to be stabbed by the Totsuka Blade either. Despite being one of the most skilled Fuinjutsu Grandmasters, Orochimaru had been completely helpless against it. Fujin had no reason to believe he'd fare any better.

To make matters worse, Itachi's defense wasn't lacking either. Just penetrating through the Sussano was already a headache. Adding Yata Mirror on top of it, Fujin wasn't sure if he could penetrate Itachi's defenses at all.

All these dangerous trump cards made Itachi one of the most terrifying ninjas alive — far more dangerous than anyone else realized. In addition, there was Kisame, who was always with him, and the possibility of Obito interfering to either steal Itachi's eyes or eliminate his killer.

Of course, Fujin wasn't helpless either. Since he was already aware of these threats, he wouldn't be caught off guard and would always stay a step ahead. With the Flying Thunder God jutsu, dodging Amaterasu and the Totsuka Blade wasn't too difficult. Even the formidable defenses of Susanoo and Yata Mirror weren't an insurmountable obstacle — Fujin could simply outlast Itachi, who didn't possess the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.

Yet, Itachi possessed another trump card that truly terrified Fujin. It didn't matter whether he kept his eyes closed or not, Fujin was helpless against the Genjutsu that Shisui's eye in Itachi's possession could cast. If he failed to teleport away in time, it would mean complete and utter defeat.

If Shisui's left eye were to make an appearance in their battle, Fujin would instantly teleport hundreds of kilometers away and wouldn't bother returning to the battlefield no matter what was at stake. The end result would be him providing the information about his abilities to Itachi with nothing to gain in return.

Fujin thought, 'If I were to ever face Itachi, my biggest asset would be the fact that he's Konoha's spy and he wouldn't want to kill or gravely injure Konoha's 'future' unless he doubted my loyalty to the village. I'm not opposed to exploiting this secret, but there's little point in doing so. Besides, I can't be sure if Itachi wouldn't do anything drastic if pushed to the edge. His desire to die at his brother's hands is pretty strong.

Anyway, compared to Itachi, I have countless more reasons to eliminate Obito… Once Kakashi masters Kamui, I'll switch my focus to Obito. He'll die just like Danzo, though no one will revive him. Madara… I shall save you from humiliation by dismantling every arrangement you left behind.'

As Danzo spoke, he glanced at Fujin. For some reason, he felt something different about the boy. Unfortunately, Fujin's expression revealed nothing. He didn't even bother returning Danzo's gaze, almost as if lost deep in thought. Danzo could only turn back to his task.

——

Roughly two hours later, Konoha's forces marched out of the village. The sudden mobilization alerted the spies hidden among the crowds, who slipped into position to observe the army. Under normal circumstances, the deployment of a single division wouldn't cause alarm. It simply wasn't a large enough force to threaten any of the Great Villages.

However, when they recognized the army was led by none other than Hiruzen, the former Hokage, the color drained from their faces. Fujin's presence next to the Professor sent terror coursing through their veins. A few shivered in horror as they recalled his horrifying performance in previous clashes. The more they scanned the formation, the more nervous they grew.

An Iwa spy thought nervously, 'The Third Hokage, Konoha's Sword, and the Copy Ninja… each one of them is a headache on their own, yet all three are moving at the same time! Not to mention Nara Shikaku, the Jounin Commander and Konoha's chief strategist. Even the Hyuga clan leader, who rarely leaves the village, is here along with the Aburame clan leader. What is Konoha planning? Why send a single division packed with more than a dozen Elite Jounins? Please don't tell me they're going to escalate our hidden war…'

He knew about the skirmishes between Anbu from both villages. But those were still in early stages and fought entirely in the shadows. He never expected Konoha to escalate the conflict so boldly, especially since it had been Konoha that provoked Iwa in the first place.

The spies from other villages were equally worried. Suna still hadn't recovered from the losses of the previous war; this single division possessed enough firepower to cripple them further. Kiri was in a similar position, having just ended its civil war less than three months ago. The Kumo spies still remembered how several of their hidden camps had been wiped out—believed to be the work of Konoha—and feared another scheme brewing.

Without exception, every spy wanted to send an urgent report. But remembering the tragedy that befell their predecessors, they dared not send messages recklessly. The only exception was Suna's spies, who had been spared the previous disaster. They were about to experience what the other villages had suffered a year and a half ago.

Of course, that had little to do with the army that marched on. The division, nearly 1,200 strong, advanced in ordered ranks, their flak jackets swaying under the moonlight. Once beyond the village walls, they broke into smaller platoons and began moving swiftly through the dense forests surrounding Konoha.

In the rear, Shibi asked in surprise, "I thought Danzo would join us. Why did he stay behind?"

Shikaku explained, "Akuro seemed unaware of some recently created techniques. So he might not know about Edo Tensei. If we reveal Danzo's reanimation now, Akuro might realize we've uncovered secrets he'd rather keep hidden." his secrets have been leaked to us."

Hiashi nodded, "We're already at a disadvantage. You're right. We can't afford to miss even a small chance to tilt the scales."

Hiruzen added, "Though I can't reanimate ninjas at full strength, the reanimated can't run out of chakra. If things go wrong, Danzo can assist Tsunade and Jiraiya in reverse summoning as many of our forces as possible."

Fearing a trap from Akatsuki, Shikaku had proposed this safeguard. The village had just lost Danzo. He wasn't too keen to see Hiruzen following his old friend by using the Reaper Death Seal again to deter the Akatsuki.

As such, each ninja had been given a communication tag. Those with personal summons had been asked to establish a link, while the rest signed temporary contracts so they could be reverse summoned if needed. That way, even in an ambush, losses could be reduced.

Of course, it wasn't an easy task. Reverse summoning couldn't be done in groups. Every ninja needed to be reverse summoned individually. And, it cost a great deal of chakra.

While most ninjas could theoretically learn Summoning Jutsu, few ever did due to risk and the difficulty of forming a pact. As a result, there was a shortage of ninjas who could perform reverse summoning reliably, a vital requirement.

The entire effort depended heavily on Tsunade, Jiraiya, Danzo, and a handful of others, making it far from efficient. Even using Shadow Clones wouldn't be enough to save everyone quickly. In the end, it would come down to how long the main force could buy time. Still, it might save dozens, perhaps hundreds, of lives.

"So what's this mission really about, Fujin? Which S-rank maniac dared to openly cross our borders?" Hoka asked Fujin softly, who led the vanguard to hunt himself…

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