The Hand of God Creates the Strongest Hidden Mist Village

Chapter 67 Danzo: "I have tracked down the Mist Blade Squad!"

Konoha Camp.

The sudden emergence of the Mist Blade Squad was like a resounding slap in the face to the entire eastern front of Konoha.

The devastating losses at the Cangnan supply depot, the deaths of Sarutobi Shinnosuke and two Jonin, the mysterious disappearance of massive amounts of strategic supplies... In a very short time, this series of events swept through Konoha's leadership like a hurricane, triggering unprecedented anger and panic.

Inside the Eastern Front Command Post, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was almost suffocating.

Fugaku Uchiha sat in the main seat, expressionless.

He has sent all the intelligence back to the village, and at the same time, he is consolidating the battle lines as much as possible and searching for information about the Mist Blade Squad.

But those guys vanished without a trace after causing such devastation, like ghosts.

He dispatched a large number of reconnaissance ninjas, and even mobilized elites from the Hyuga, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans to conduct a thorough search along possible retreat routes, but to no avail.

They seemed to have vanished into thin air, or... had they completely left the Land of Fire?

"Perhaps... they've already retreated back to the Land of Water?"

One of the Jonin hesitated and said, "After all, with such a commotion, they must know we'll retaliate fiercely."

This is possible, but until they have a definite location of the other party, they must maximize their search efforts.

This is not only a precaution, but also a response to the higher authorities.

"alright."

Fugaku took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Pass down the order: all forward outposts, logistical hubs, and key transportation routes must remain on high alert. Continue to deploy more sensory-type ninjas, improve the early warning barrier, and double the patrols. At the same time, notify the rear to strengthen internal vetting and strictly prevent espionage!"

"yes!"

The order was given, but the worry on everyone's faces did not lessen.

Passive defense is ultimately a poor strategy.

Unable to find any trace of the enemy, one can only anxiously wait for them to bare their fangs again.

This feeling of being pricked by thorns made everyone present feel irritated.

To make matters worse, after learning of the Mist Blade Squad's astonishing achievements, the main force of the Mist Village was greatly encouraged and its offensive intensified significantly.

The pressure on Konoha's eastern defense line has increased dramatically, with many strongholds under siege.

House seemingly endless rain.

"Report! Lord Jiraiya has arrived at the camp!"

Just then, a messenger ninja rushed into the conference room, knelt on one knee, and broke the silence.

Jiraiya?

Fugaku was taken aback, then overjoyed!

They already knew that Jiraiya was coming. The situation in Iwagakure was stabilizing, while the fighting in Kirigakure had just begun. Therefore, the higher-ups decided to send Jiraiya to support them.

However, no one expected the Cangnan Supply Station incident to occur, which directly caused the Hokage faction's trust in Uchiha Fugaku to plummet to rock bottom.

What was originally intended as support will likely turn into a transfer of command.

However, now is not the time to think about these things. The pressure from Kirigakure is too great. With Jiraiya's addition, it is not only an increase in high-end combat power, but also a way to stabilize morale and boost fighting spirit. In any case, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks!

"Please invite Jiraiya-sama in quickly."

"Hey, Fugaku, long time no see. Things don't look too good."

Before the words were finished, the curtain was lifted, and a tall, middle-aged man with white, spiky hair and red paint marks on his face walked in.

He was wearing a loose combat uniform, and the headband on his head was not the traditional Konoha vortex, but rather the character "oil".

It was Jiraiya who had just arrived!

He glanced around the command post at the oppressive and heavy atmosphere, and at the undisguised fatigue and worry on everyone's faces. The relaxed smile on his face faded, and he became serious.

"Lord Jiraiya!"

Fugaku stood up, and the other Konoha ninjas also bowed.

"No need for such formalities."

Jiraiya waved his hand, walked to the sand table, and quickly scanned the enemy and friendly positions marked on it: "I have a general understanding of the situation. Kirigakure's frontal offensive has intensified, but no matter what, we must first remove this thorn in our side."

"Fugaku, any new developments regarding that 'Mist Blade' squad and that Uchiha Makoto?"

Mentioning Makoto Karatachi, he couldn't help but think of Shinnosuke, and a trace of regret flashed in his eyes.

As the teacher's eldest son, Shinnosuke had a very close relationship with him. On several occasions, Shinnosuke was even with him when he went out to gather material. If the teacher hadn't been worried that Shinnosuke would lead him astray, he would have wanted to take Shinnosuke as his disciple.

But unexpectedly...

"I'm sorry, Jiraiya-sama, there's no new progress."

Fugaku shook his head: "The last time they appeared was at the Cangnan supply station, and then they completely disappeared."

"I suspect they may have broken up into smaller groups, or gone into hiding using some method unknown to us, or even retreated to the Water Kingdom to regroup. Our search and blockade have not yielded any valuable clues so far, and the intelligence department has not been able to extract much information from the prisoners' minds either."

Jiraiya frowned.

He understood Fugaku and the Uchiha clan. They might have some differences with the village, but they would never be perfunctory on the battlefield.

Even Fugaku couldn't find a trace of them; this Mist Blade squad is indeed troublesome.

"Since conventional searches are ineffective, let's try a different approach. They've been fighting continuously, so their supplies must be considerable. They need to resupply, rest, and also to find out what's going on in Konoha."

After a moment's thought, Jiraiya said, "Send orders to the intelligence squad and the infiltration and reconnaissance squad to focus on monitoring the black market and underground gold exchange, as well as all locations within the Land of Fire where smuggling or secret transactions may occur, especially any unusual movement of medical supplies, special ninja tools, and high-grade ration pills."

"Also, I'll be going to Mount Myōboku..."

"There's no need for such trouble, Jiraiya."

Before Jiraiya could finish speaking, a deep, aged voice suddenly came from the doorway.

The curtain was lifted again, and an elderly man with thick bandages wrapped around his right eye and right arm, dressed in a dark kimono and leaning on a cane, slowly walked in. Behind him were two ninjas with a chilling aura, wearing animal masks.

"Lord Danzo?"

Fugaku frowned slightly, but did not bow; he simply nodded.

The relationship between the Uchiha clan and Danzo has always been one of irreconcilable conflict.

Jiraiya frowned slightly: "Old man Danzo, what are you doing at the front lines?"

Danzo seemed completely unconcerned about the two men's attitudes, or perhaps he was already used to them.

He swept his gaze across the sand table, finally settling on Jiraiya, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "By order of the Hokage and the Elder Council, I have come to take charge of the pursuit and annihilation of the Mist Blade Squad."

"The defense of the eastern front and the main combat operations will remain the responsibility of the two of you. However, all intelligence and operations concerning the Mist Blade Squad must be reported to me. I will have full command over them, and they will be given priority in coordinating with Operation 'Root'!"

He paused, tapping his cane lightly on the ground: "Jiraiya, your method is too slow and too passive. Once they reveal their true colors, who knows how many more Konoha ninja will be sacrificed and how much material will be destroyed."

"To deal with these venomous snakes that lurk in the shadows, we need more direct and effective methods!"

"We're completely in the dark right now. We don't even know the enemy's exact location, let alone have much intelligence. Do we expect to achieve everything in one step without accumulating intelligence bit by bit?"

Jiraiya snorted, "Or does Elder Danzo already have information?"

Danzo did not answer directly, but instead tilted his head slightly.

"Ryoma".

Behind him, the hooded woman, Longma, stepped forward and took out a scroll from her bosom.

"I have obtained information regarding the Mist Ninja Team!"

"What?!"