The first-level emergency order had been issued.

The Police Department, under the command of Acting Minister Uchiha Ranzan, sprang into action without delay. A section of elite officers rushed toward the village's main gate to fend off a horde of rabid dogs and venomous snakes pushing forward. Meanwhile, others dispersed to guide the village's civilians toward various shelters.

The shelter beneath the Hokage Rock was the largest in the village, but not the only one. With hundreds of thousands of people in Konoha, it was impossible to crowd them all into one shelter—this wasn't just about space but also practicality. If everyone were directed to one shelter, it would take ages just to get in line and reach the entrance.

Konoha's shelters are arranged by district, with each neighborhood having its own to accommodate nearby residents conveniently.

Of course,

Only regular villagers—especially the elderly, women, and children—sought shelter.

Ninjas couldn't retreat.

Not only that, but they were expected to join the fight immediately.

"Lady Tsunade, shall we…?" Shizune hesitated, unable to bring herself to say the word "evacuate." Though she and Tsunade had left Konoha for years of wandering after her uncle's death, she still held deep feelings for this village, which her uncle had died protecting.

If possible,

She wanted to help in this time of crisis.

But Tsunade's hemophobia was the crux of the issue. Hemophobia, an intense fear of blood, manifests differently from person to person. Tsunade's case was moderate; she could handle small amounts of blood without issue, so long as she didn't face excessive gore for prolonged periods.

This was why, on Baihua King Street, Tsunade had KO'd that monstrous creature without flinching—she hadn't looked at the bloody corpse she left behind.

But things were different now. In a massive battle like this, she couldn't avoid the sight of gore. Tsunade couldn't fight in these circumstances.

"…What is happening?"

Tsunade, oblivious to Shizune's internal struggle,

leaned out of the hotel room window, gazing at the monstrous birds approaching from the village gate. Her heart was a mix of confusion and pain. Why were old friends standing against the village? Orochimaru, Hiruko…they had both become enemies.

"Shizune, let's go to the Hokage building."

"Huh?"

Shizune's eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you dawdling for? Hurry up, don't pack—we'll be back soon; we're only going out for a bit." Tsunade leapt from the window, sprinting towards the not-too-distant Hokage building, leaving Shizune to quickly follow.

Maybe this is for the best, heading to the Hokage building…It should be the safest place right now. Though the Hokage himself isn't there, someone with a strong reputation is. She figured Tsunade's safety was guaranteed.

Shizune's thoughts were filled with concern for Tsunade. Tsunade, on the other hand, wasn't thinking about herself at all. She simply wanted to confirm the situation. Was Hiruko truly causing trouble? Knowing her hemophobia, she chose not to rush to the village gate but instead to the Hokage building.

At this moment, The Hokage building, the brain and heart of Konoha,

should have already gathered intelligence on the invaders.

The Akimichi Household.

The sudden disaster had brought unexpected disruption to the clan. Choza Akimichi rushed into the courtyard, his words not even out before the Fifth Hokage, who had been basking in the sun on the porch, asked, "Choza, what's going on? It's quite noisy outside."

"Uncle, the village…we're under attack."

"The village…attack…?"

Torifu Akimichi's calm expression changed, his shock practically written across his face as he turned to look in the direction of the commotion, his murky eyes wide.

"What's going on? Explain clearly!"

"It's Hiruko; the attacker claims to be Hiruko. He's driving a swarm of monsters to attack, and the area near the main gate has become a battlefield. Lord Hokage's assistant has issued a first-level emergency order, and a messenger should arrive soon… Oh, and all this was relayed by Shikaku and Inoichi."

Choza shared everything he had learned.

The Yamanaka Clan's mind-altering techniques are remarkably advanced.

They can be used not only for sensing and combat but, under specific conditions, for long-distance communication. The strange jutsu, secret arts, and bloodline limits throughout the ninja world have slowed the development of scientific technology, to be fair.

In short, Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka had teamed up at the Hokage building to relay this news to the Fifth Hokage before the messenger arrived so he would have some time to prepare.

"A first-level emergency order?"

Akimichi Torifu's expression grew more complex.

By protocol,

a first-level emergency order can't be issued without the Hokage's signature. Even if the Hokage cannot perform his duties, both the Hokage's assistant and the advisory elders must sign to exercise such authority. If there is no Hokage assistant, the advisory elders and the entire council must authorize it.

But now,

according to Choza, the advisory elders hadn't even shown up. The Hokage's assistant, Uchiha Sougen, had issued the emergency order with no one challenging it; everyone immediately jumped into action.

"Looks like my time as Hokage is truly over."

Akimichi Torifu sighed.

"I should have…retired sooner."

He let out a bitter smile—hesitation had indeed brought chaos.

If he had firmly decided to step down earlier, he wouldn't face this problem. The village was under attack, but he, the Hokage, couldn't appear at the front line to protect the villagers. When this crisis ended, he knew he'd face a storm of criticism.

The Hokage

is the leader of the village.

It is also the village's spiritual symbol.

While enjoying that great power and prestige, one must also bear an equally heavy responsibility. A Hokage who cannot step up to protect the village in times of crisis is unworthy. How did Hiruzen Sarutobi become Hokage again after resigning in shame?

It was on the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage.

"Dingzuo, I'm not very mobile right now. Lead the clan members to the village gate immediately to join the battle." Akimichi Choza decisively issued orders, stepping down with a sense of acceptance—if not now, his condition wouldn't let him continue for long, anyway.

However,

he couldn't let this trouble spill over and affect the clan.

"Huh? But what about the family?" Dingzuo Akimichi looked conflicted.

This was a common issue in large clans: in times of crisis, clans within the village typically prioritized their own safety rather than immediately rushing out to fight.

"Gather the women and children, leave enough people to protect them, and then you, Dingzuo, lead a group to join the fight. Even if it's not many, just—make sure you give me a strong front." Akimichi Choza had little choice. He was also worried that if all the clan's strong fighters left, they'd be vulnerable to an attack.

They had to rely on the clan members who held the power of the Super Expansion Jutsu to hold their ground; only five or six 'giants' would be needed to create an impressive display. This would also help lessen any criticism that might arise afterward.

He wasn't actually worried about the village's safety.

Not because the Hokage himself was cold-hearted or unfeeling, but because he trusted that, with Sougen there, the Ninja World wouldn't have a crisis that his Hokage's advisor couldn't handle. While his own skills weren't among the best in the world, as the Second Hokage's nominal disciple and actual bodyguard, his judgment was sharp. Uchiha Sougen—

If he had been born a few decades earlier, he might have become legendary alongside Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.

Near the Ichiraku Ramen shop.

The young boys and girls were fighting with everything they had.

Naruto, Sasuke, Yakumo, Fukija, Hotaru... these young ones left the supporting Chunin and Genin astounded. Although they hadn't yet graduated from the Ninja Academy, in this world where bloodline superiority was revered, disparities were apparent from the moment of birth.

There was no need to elaborate on Sasuke and Fukija. The Uchiha were the Ninja World's top clan, and both had awakened their eyes, even though it was still at the single-tomoe level. If it weren't for the Academy's rules, it wouldn't be strange for these two, with the Uchiha clan's comprehensive education, to reach Chunin rank by eleven or twelve.

Naruto wasn't the same lonely child anymore, either. Not only had he learned the Yin Release technique of Super Beast Scroll from Sougen, but he also received Jiraiya's careful instruction, which brought out his exceptional talents and outstanding potential. When sparring with Sasuke, he usually won more than he lost.

Yakumo and Hotaru didn't need much introduction, either. As Sougen's disciples, they may have gone unnoticed in the Ninja Academy, but in times of war, they would already have made names for themselves—much like Sougen and Shisui in the Third Great Ninja War, who earned titles like Flame Demon and Swift Body by the time they were teens, leaving trails of enemy corpses.

For these young talents, it was only a matter of time before they became known throughout the Ninja World. And it wouldn't be long.

The current crisis, in a way, was an excellent trial, providing them a chance to make up for their lack of battle experience.

Sparring in daily training didn't match the atmosphere and intensity of actual combat. The lack of real battle experience was their biggest weakness, so at the beginning of the fight, they struggled to turn their abilities into combat power.

Fortunately, once they took the first step, the rest was just about adaptation.

This group of the village's most gifted young talents adapted quickly, and none of them faced any internal conflict about killing, since their opponents were not human but monstrous birds. Killing these creatures carried no psychological burden.

In every way, these creatures served as ideal whetstones.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu."

Standing on the back of an inky black bird, Fukija's scarlet eyes tracked an opening and blew a large fireball at the target.

Simultaneously,

"Wind Release."

Hotaru, who stood nearby, heard the cue and used her clan's secret technique, facing her palm toward the direction the fireball was headed.

The wind roared.

With fierce gusts, the enormous fireball, which had almost dissipated after engulfing one creature, flared back to life, burning yet another bird's wing to a crisp before finally fading.

This was the Tsuchigumo clan's secret technique, Word Binding Technique. By writing certain words, the user could control their corresponding power. However, not every word held power, or rather, there was a limit to the number of words the Tsuchigumo clan had perfected over generations.

At the moment, Hotaru only controlled a few characters, but there was room for growth, and perhaps one day she would push this limit further.

"Not quite enough,"

Hotaru muttered, biting her lip in frustration.

Her cooperation with Fukija was clearly shaky; her gust of wind had arrived just a bit late. She managed to revive the dying fireball's strength, but it lacked the usual might they achieved in practice.

It was clear that practice and real combat were two different things!

"Fukija, don't worry. With more attempts, you'll get used to it," Fukija said confidently, brimming with Uchiha pride. Indeed, no reason was needed for this; the Uchiha name was enough.

"Understood."

Hotaru took a deep breath, steeling herself as they resumed fighting side by side.

Elsewhere,

Sasuke, who had a deeper understanding with Naruto, adopted a different combat style. Riding the back of another inky black bird, Sasuke gripped a small chakra-enhanced sword with red sparks dancing along its edge—a gift from Sougen. With his beloved weapon, he cut through the birds like an assassin.

This style was obviously more dangerous.

Beyond the risk of getting too close to the birds, if Naruto failed to steer the bird accurately, Sasuke's fall would likely be fatal, barring a miracle.

But the advantage was clear. Compared to Fukija and Hotaru, who used chakra-heavy techniques, Sasuke's method was far more energy-efficient.

However,

in terms of killing speed,

the quietest was Yakumo, who stood like a statue on another bird, hands in a seal position.

Born with the Kurama clan's Five Senses Control kekkei genkai, Yakumo's killing speed was far beyond what Fukija, Sasuke, or Hotaru could manage. Although the technique's name suggested it manipulated the five senses, the true power lay not in deception but in "making illusion reality."

To put it simply, if Yakumo pulled down a meteor in her illusion, while an actual meteor wouldn't appear, the crater it made would manifest in reality.

Of course, this was Konoha.

Yakumo wasn't about to use such brute force techniques.

In her illusion,

lightning bolts fell from the sky, striking down bird after bird.

In reality, no thunder or lightning could be seen or heard, yet the birds cried out and fell, blackened as if struck by lightning.

…

"How terrifying!"

Under the shade of a tree, Kawama watched the fierce battle above, where the young shinobi fought the monstrous birds. He couldn't help but voice his thoughts: truly terrifying! The gifted of Konoha seemed to spring up like bamboo shoots after rain, growing almost aggressively.

"No more delays… This problem must be rooted out soon!"

He muttered to himself.

Kawama's initial plan to deliver just a few Konoha shinobi heads to that Madara Uchiha had vanished. A toxic, intense killing intent grew within him like weeds. Even if he couldn't wipe out Konoha in one go, he could at least remove a few seedlings!

"Beluh, put in more effort!"

He shifted his gaze toward the main gate of Konoha. Compared to this side skirmish, that was where the real battle was unfolding. Elite forces from both the Police Force and the ANBU were engaged in a fierce fight against Beluh's creatures.

But for Kawama, it wasn't enough.

The strongest Konoha shinobi hadn't yet joined the fray!

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