''Water Release: Vapor Gale jutsu!''

    Kagero exhaled mist, which quickly surrounded him and his students, concealing them from the Konoha ninjas. The mist expanded towards Illumi and his subordinates. Without a moment''s hesitation, the Konoha Jounins retreated.

    One of them muttered, "The intel was accurate. The mist is not only hiding them but is also hiding sharp wind currents. If it reaches us, we''ll be diced up."

    Another added, "It is a bit similar to Commander''s technique. Of course, it isn''t comparable since he can''t control the winds like Commander can."

    Illumi completed his hand seals and said, "Don''t underestimate him. He spent decades trying to recreate two Kekkei Genkai. Even though he failed, he has several combination jutsus. So, pay careful attention to every jutsu he uses."

    ''Phantom Mist jutsu''

    It was the turn of Kagero and his students to raise their guards. The thick mist around them suddenly turned purplish giving an eerie feeling. They heard several echoes and saw shadows of the Konoha ninjas flickering in the dense fog.

    Kagero immediately disrupted his chakra and said, "It''s a Genjutsu. Disrupt your chakra."

    Shizuma and Ganku didn''t need to be told. They disrupted their chakra flow at the same time as their sensei. As soon as they snapped out, their eyes were filled with a bright orange light. They immediately flickered away as flames ravaged through the windy mist Kagero had created.

    Kagero began weaving hand signs once again when trees suddenly sprouted from the ground. In the blink of an eye, they coiled around him and his students, trapping them. Kagero cursed, ''This Genjutsu... Do these fools think that the First Hokage is still alive for this Genjutsu to scare us?''

    Illumi''s figure appeared in front of them as he casually asked, "Why don''t you just surrender? I''m sure our Commander will be merciful and let you live. Perhaps you can enter a deal with Kusagakure and ensure the survival of most of your subordinates. Perhaps you could negotiate your life too. Why fight a lost battle?"

    Needless to say, neither Kagero nor his students paid any attention to Illumi''s words. They could see that he was just buying some time and focused entirely on breaking out of the Genjutsu. As soon as they did, they were once again greeted by hot flames. This time, they were even closer!

    Kageo immediately raised a water wall while Ganku raised an earth dome to protect themselves. The flames easily broke through the hastily erected wall of water but failed to penetrate the dome.

    Kagero frowned and thought, ''As expected, it won''t be easy. Though not as dangerous as the Uchiha clan, the Kurama clan''s Genjutsu is difficult to deal with as well. If he keeps trapping us in Genjutsu while others try to blow us up, we''ll eventually lose...''

    Kagero whispered, "Shizuma, Ganku stall the others. I''ll deal with Illumi first and then assist you."

    "Yes, Sensei." Both answered and moved towards Konoha''s Veteran Jounins from under the ground. The two unleashed all their might to keep the three Veteran Jounins occupied. In addition, they also kept an eye on the other Veteran Jounins making their way towards them.

    Illumi and Kagero finally faced off against each other without external disturbances. Illumi asked with a smirk, "Do you want to take on a Genjutsu specialist by yourself?"

    Kagero answered, "If you had the Sharingan, I wouldn''t have dared to. Unfortunately for you, the Kurama clan can''t compare with the Uchiha clan."

    Illumi understood that Kagero was trying to get under his skin. He laughed and said, "Good, let me see how long you can maintain this attitude."

    The two engaged in an intense battle as Illumi tried to trap Kagero under Genjutsu while Kagero tried to hit Illumi with his complex Ninjutsus before that happened. The armies clashed as well.

    However, unlike. Tsuchiro''s division, which made some inroads into Hoka''s division, Kagero''s army failed to gain an upper hand. Even though they ambushed Illumi''s division, their attack was from the front, where the stronger Konoha ninjas were. In addition, Illumi''s division not only enjoyed numerical superiority but also had far stronger ninjas.

    ——

    Mabui nodded and immediately got to work. The two factions in the Land of Water were shocked as well, but neither cared much about the information as their battles were becoming more intense. However, there was one person who cared deeply about it.

    In Iwagakure, Onoki read the report with widened eyes. For a moment, he couldn''t believe what he was reading and he read the report once again. As he confirmed the information, his anger soured through the roof. The scroll in his hands was obliterated into dust as he cursed loudly, "Those bastards dare to look down on me so much!"

    His subordinates stayed frozen in his office. Not a single one of them had ever seen their leader this angry.

    In Kusagakure, a Council Meeting was ongoing just like in Konoha. While they were careful, the meeting was a joyous one. Hiroshi said, "According to Ryoichi''s reports, the Konoha army will finally engage the remaining rebels today. Iwagakure''s forces haven''t made any moves."

    A smile appeared on his face as he announced, "The war will finally be over."

    Relief spread through the Council room. Though it had cost them a lot, their internal war would finally end. However, before they could celebrate, an Anbu ninja broke into the room, attracting everyone''s attention. His breathing was very rough and even though he was wearing a mask, everyone could sense that he seemed afraid.

    The Council immediately raised their guard. Hiroshi asked, "What''s the matter?"

    The Anbu ninja reported, "Hi... Hiroshi-sama. We''ve... We have just... received information."

    Seeing how terrified the Anbu ninja seemed, Hiroshi frowned. He asked with an ugly face, "Did Iwagakure make a move?"

    The Anbu ninja took deep breaths as he answered, "No... Iwagakure isn''t involved. The news is from the Land of Rice!"

    His words confused the council. Before they could guess, the Anbu ninja exclaimed loudly, "Konoha has set fire to the Land of Rice! Otogakure is completely destroyed! Orochimaru is believed to be on the run!"

    Without an exception, the pupils of every council member dilated and their eyes widened. Konoha had just been attacked by the combined forces of Sunagakure and Otogakure. Kusagakure had successfully diverted the army Konoha raised into the Land of Grass and kept them occupied. They couldn''t believe that Konoha had the manpower to do something so ridiculous.

    One of the council members asked in disbelief, "Do you mean that Konoha sent another army to the Land of Grass secretly while fighting a war here?"

    To the council''s surprise, the Anbu ninja shook his head and answered loudly, "No, it wasn''t another army. It was none other than Suzuki Fujin, the Spectral Swordsman!"

    [A/N: I''m aware that Otogakure wasn''t a village. I''ll cover it in the next chapter.]

    ————

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