Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 402 Hinata Kumokawa: Orders? From now on, what I say is an order.
"Roar!"

In the forests surrounding the capital of the Land of Fire, a dark, twisted mass of figures surged toward the city from all directions like a tide.

A series of hoarse, inhuman howls rose and fell, interspersed with the sickening sound of bones grinding together.

It was a 'void' drawn by the negative emotions and deathly aura within the city.

They come in all shapes and sizes, their pale masks reflecting an ominous luster in the sunlight. Wherever they go, vegetation withers and the earth reeks of decay.

boom! Boom!

"Stop these damned monsters!"

"Too many! Over here... Ah!"

The surviving samurai and members of the Twelve Guardian Ninja formed a precarious defensive line outside the castle.

Blades flashed, ninjutsu roared, and 'Hollows' were constantly killed, but more monsters continued to surge forward, stepping over the remains of their own kind.

The defensive line is being compressed step by step, resulting in heavy casualties. The ground is already littered with the corpses of numerous samurai and a small number of ninjas.

"Earth Land!"

Nanwu pierced through a 'virtual' mask and roared at Dilu, who was not far away: "How much longer will it take to complete the barrier around the capital?!"

He, Xidu, and Dongmao stood back to back, all three of them drenched in sweat, their chakra almost completely depleted.

boom!
Jiraiya emitted a faint golden light, swatting away the approaching Hollows, but more Hollows immediately filled the gap.

"It will take more time!" he said, his face grim. "The barrier node has been severely damaged, and my people are working hard to repair it!"

"Time? Time is what we lack most!" Nanwu gritted his teeth and said, "Beizi has already sacrificed himself. Without him, we simply cannot unleash 'Thunder Dream Thunder Man'!"

"With the current manpower, we simply can't stop these monsters!"

Click!

Uzuki Yugao pierced a Hollow mask with her sword, panting heavily as she turned and demanded, "Where are the people from Konoha? Why didn't they seek help from Konoha?!"

Di Lu and Nan Wu did not answer her.

Clearly, on the one hand, they didn't expect these 'illusions' to arrive so quickly; originally, they only needed to repair the barrier.

On the other hand, it's naturally because they don't want Konoha to know the current state of the capital and then have any bad thoughts.

Although they are different from Kazuma, who is a radical, and do not think about taking the power of the Hokage back into the hands of the Daimyo, they will not allow the Hokage to control the power of the Land of Fire.

What they really want is a separation of power between the Daimyo and the Hokage.

Meanwhile, the people inside the city who hadn't had time to evacuate watched in horror as the sound waves outside the city grew ever closer, listening to the screams and roars that kept coming from outside...

"It's over! It's all over!" A businessman, his face ashen, slumped to the ground and muttered, "I knew it, I knew these remaining useless people were no good at all!"

"What guardian ninjas, what samurai, they're all trash!"

"If those guys hadn't insisted on sealing the city gates, saying they needed to maintain order, I would have left here and reached Konoha long ago!"

These words instantly ignited the suppressed fear and anger of the surrounding crowd.

"Damn it!"

"If we were in Konoha now, under the protection of the Fifth Hokage, how could this be?"

"If this were Konoha, let alone these damned Hollows, even the Akatsuki and the Espada would absolutely not dare to set foot in Konoha!"

"Damn it! The Daimyo sent that prince to Konoha, and now he's safe, but what about us?"

"What's the use of saying all this now? We're all going to die here!"

There is no doubt that people have completely lost faith in the remaining defenses within the city and are filled with anger at the incompetence of the samurai and guardian ninja.

Whoosh! Bang!
A piercing, shrill sound ripped through the battlefield as a red signal flare exploded in the southeast.

"Damn it! The southeast has fallen!" Di Lu suddenly turned his head to look in the southeast.

A breach had been torn in the southeastern defense line, and the 'Void' surged into the city like a flood, engulfing the warriors who were blocking the way one by one.

"We can't hold out!" Nanwu's eyes were bloodshot, and lightning flashed wildly around him. "Prepare to abandon the city! Everyone who can still move, protect the Second Prince and the people, and break through to the west!"

Upon hearing this, Di Lu and the others' expressions instantly turned extremely ugly.

They all knew what this choice meant.

Once outside the city, facing the pursuit of the 'Void,' they are powerless to protect everyone, and most civilians are destined to become victims.

But for now, this is the only option.

The Crown Prince's fate is still unknown; they must protect Prince Wonritong's life.

When the samurai relayed the order to abandon the city and break out, everyone was plunged into fear and despair.

"No! We can't leave the city! There are monsters everywhere outside!"

"Staying here is a dead end!"

Desperate cries, angry rebukes, and helpless prayers intertwined.

But, that's it.

Suddenly, several dark figures swept across the blazing sun, casting shadows from the sky. Nanwu, Dilu, and the others subconsciously looked up.

High in the sky, a figure spread its pure white wings and floated like a god under the blazing sun, its face obscured.

Around him, dozens of dark figures were falling downwards at an extremely fast speed.

"Art fire escape ho fireball!"

"Lightning Release: Lightning Tiger - All-Out Attack!"

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Boom! Boom!
Dozens of ninjutsu rained down like a storm, bombarding the densest part of the 'Hollow' tide.

The flames from the explosion intertwined with the roaring lightning, rising up and halting the advance of the 'Void', though they could not kill it.

The next moment, the dozens of figures wearing ANBU masks drew their short swords and fell into the churning dust.

Click! Click!

A series of crisp sounds rang out; those were the sounds of 'Void' masks being precisely pierced. In just a few breaths, more than ten 'Void' masks dissipated as spiritual energy.

But the surrounding voids immediately surged towards the ANBU ninjas like a tidal wave.

"Be careful..." Nan Wu's expression changed drastically, and he shouted subconsciously.

shhhhhh!
A sharp, dense whistling sound suddenly came from high above!

Hinata Kumokawa's wings suddenly flapped, and thousands upon thousands of pure white arrows rained down, instantly covering the entire southeastern region and frantically annihilating all the 'Hollows' within its range!
As the smoke and dust cleared, a vacuum zone was surprisingly cleared out of the southeastern defense line that had been submerged by the 'void'.

"Konoha ninja, heed my command!" Hyuga Kumokawa, hovering in the air, coldly commanded, "Exterminate all Hollows outside the city. Do not allow a single one to set foot inside!"

"Yes!" The Konoha ninjas responded in unison, their voices even drowning out Hollow's roar.

This response instantly ignited the previously deathly silence and despair within the city!

"Wh-what?" The merchant, who was slumped on the ground, raised his head in a daze, his face still wet with tears.

When he saw the figure in the sky, he leaped up from the ground and grabbed the person next to him, shaking him frantically: "It's the Fifth Hokage! The Hokage-sama has arrived!"

"It's Konoha ninja! We're saved!"

"I knew it! I knew Konoha and the Hokage wouldn't abandon us!" "Kill all those damned monsters!"

"Kumokawa-sama!"

Gazing at the figure suspended in the air, the crowd erupted in wild shouts of joy, their eyes filled with fervor and hope. Some even wept uncontrollably, overwhelmed with emotion at surviving the ordeal.

Just moments before, they were mired in despair, but now, that figure and that resounding "Yes" cleaved through all the gloom, giving them renewed hope.

Several hours later, the sun gradually set in the west.

As the last rays of sunlight painted the sky red, the sounds of battle outside the city gradually subsided.

Squeak!

The heavy city gates were slowly and tentatively pushed open, and the people inside held their breath and looked on. What they saw was a shocking scene.

Thanks to the Konoha ninja's methodical suppression, all the Hollows were intercepted outside the city; however, the price of victory was equally heavy.

The scorched earth was riddled with craters, and the air was thick with the stench of blood and burnt flesh. Some Konoha ninjas were silently collecting the bodies of their comrades, a testament to the brutality of the battle.

Meanwhile, Hinata Kumokawa floated in mid-air, his white divine robe fluttering gently in the evening breeze.

Behind him stood a group of Konoha ninjas with cold expressions, standing in formation, staring intently at the samurai and guardian ninjas blocking their way.

"What do you mean by this?"

Hinata Kumokawa's voice was calm and clear, reaching everyone's ears.

"Namo Amitabha."

Jiriku stepped forward, put his hands together, and bowed slightly: "This humble monk is Jiriku, the current abbot of the Fire Temple, and also one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas."

"May I ask, Hokage, what is the purpose of Konoha's large-scale mobilization here?"

Hyuga Kumokawa looked down at the land and said calmly, "The evil god cult is rampant, the 'Void' calamity is rampant, and the capital of the Land of Fire is in imminent danger."

"Konoha has come to quell the chaos and restore peace to the people of the Land of Fire."

Upon hearing this, Di Lu's expression changed slightly, and he realized something was wrong. He could only grit his teeth and continue, "Thank you for your help. We will remember this kindness."

"However, if I may be so bold, the Daimyo Prefecture did not send a request for help to Konoha."

"Your Excellency has brought so many ninjas here, making quite a show of force. Without orders, we dare not let you into the city without authorization."

Upon hearing this, the Konoha ninjas behind Hyuga Kumokawa turned grim, and the samurai behind Jiraiya unconsciously gripped their sword hilts tighter, instantly creating an extremely tense atmosphere.

"Order?"

A faint, ambiguous smile appeared on Hinata Kumokawa's lips.

Kakashi Hatake, standing behind him, immediately understood. With a strange expression, he took out a scroll from his pocket and casually tossed it to Jiraiya in front of him.

Di Lu instinctively caught the scroll and unfolded it.

However, when he saw the contents of the scroll, his expression immediately froze.

On the pristine white scroll, there were only two large characters.

--Order.

"That's the order." Hinata Kumokawa's voice suddenly turned cold.

Jiro suddenly snapped out of his daze, his expression changed, and he hurriedly looked up and said, "No, Hokage, this isn't my fate..."

boom! !

Before he could finish speaking, a vast and boundless chakra suddenly erupted from Hyuga Kumokawa's body!
A visible shockwave blasted towards Di Lu and his group, violently sending the warriors behind them flying, armor and all. The heavy city gate was smashed open by this force!

“You…” Di Lu knelt on one knee, barely supporting his body. His clenched fist was white at the knuckles. Under the terrifying pressure, even raising his head became difficult.

Hyuga Kumokawa flew slowly over Jiraiya and the others without even glancing down at them, and said coldly, "From now on, what I say is an order."

"Everyone," he ordered, "into the city."

The Konoha ninjas, who had been waiting for a long time, followed closely behind Hyuga Kumokawa.

They walked past the kneeling samurai and guardian ninjas without glancing to the side, their faces beaming with pride.

The moment Xiang Yunchuan entered the city, the crowds on both sides of the road fell silent for a moment, then erupted into deafening cheers.

"Lord Hokage!"

The will of the people is already clear.

Amid the cheers, Uchiha Sasuke in the group suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He sensed a familiar chakra, and suddenly turned his head to look at the dark figure that flashed by in the distance through the forest.

That aura... there's absolutely no mistake!

Sasuke's gaze sharpened, and without hesitation, he turned and broke away from the group, rushing out of the city like an arrow.

"Where are you going?" The ninja beside him instinctively tried to stop him, but missed and could only run off to report.

Upon receiving the news, Kakashi Hatake quickly walked behind Hyuga Kumokawa and whispered, "Sasuke has left the team and headed towards the outskirts of the city. Should we bring him back?"

Hinata Kumokawa didn't stop, still watching the cheering crowd ahead, and nodded slightly: "Go."

Upon hearing this, Kakashi's figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

At that moment, Uchiha Sasuke disappeared into the dim forest in a few leaps, chasing after the familiar aura that was about to dissipate.

On the trunk of a tree he had just passed, the bark suddenly began to wriggle unnaturally.

A pitcher plant slowly grew out of it, then unfolded, revealing the face of the black and white monster.

"Is this enough?" Black Zetsu's voice was hoarse. "Itachi."

In the shadow of the tree branches above, Itachi Uchiha stood quietly, the red light of the setting sun filtering through the gaps in the leaves and casting a blood-red shadow on his face.

Those crimson Mangekyou Sharingan slowly rotated in the darkness, locking onto Sasuke's departing figure.

"Hmm," Itachi Uchiha said coldly, "That's enough."

Upon hearing this, Black Zetsu's eyes narrowed into slits, and an overwhelming joy welled up within him.

The day we've been waiting for has finally arrived.

Now, Black Zetsu has fully confirmed that Naruto Uzumaki is the reincarnation of Ashura's chakra.

Although some unexpected twists and turns occurred along the way, such as not expecting Naruto to take such extreme measures, and even more unexpectedly, that he could control the Nine-Tails' chakra...

However, all these changes are ultimately still within a controllable range.

In fact, according to Itachi Uchiha, the possibility of Sasuke awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan is even higher.

"Next, as long as we follow the plan and get Sasuke Uchiha to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan, we will be able to recreate the path that Madara Uchiha walked back then."

Black Zetsu thought excitedly, "A new pair of Rinnegan will surely be born in my hands!"

"Mother, just wait a little longer, the day you are free will come soon!"

Wow…

The shadows of the trees swayed, and the weasel's figure vanished silently, as if it had never existed.

Jue slowly sank into the tree trunk, leaving only a barely audible, chilling laugh echoing through the forest, as sinister as a venomous snake's hiss.

(End of this chapter)