Chapter 934 : It's GONE!!!

“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…

Since Hiruzen decided to bury the news of Danzo's death, the official orders relayed to the army were vague. The army were merely informed that a rank S threat had appeared near the border, requiring immediate and overwhelming force to confront.

His decision was unopposed by the Council. Despite Danzo having become a liability for Konoha, he was still a great deterrent for remaining villages. They were less likely to make a move if they believed Hiruzen wasn't injured and Danzo was still hiding in Konoha's shadows.

While it created a hidden danger of Konoha not being as powerful as others believe if a war started, it wasn't a great concern for the time being. With Konoha's plans to rapidly promote the prowess of their ninjas to deal with the upcoming challenges, this hidden danger would be resolved in no time.

Fujin continued moving forward. It wasn't the first time he was sent to hunt himself, though it was the first time he was leading an army for that purpose. As such, the awkwardness of the situation no longer bothered him.

He replied, “It's Akuro.”

Surprised, Hoka asked, “The vagabond haunting Kumo? Tsk, I didn't think Kumo would be so incompetent. Despite spending over a year and a half and sacrificing hundreds of ninjas, they've failed to hunt him down.”

Glancing at his former teammate, Fujin thought, ‘Well, you can't exactly blame them… I doubt any other village, including Konoha, would fare better if I were to target them. Besides, Danzo's life is worth more than the hundreds of Kumo ninjas I killed as Akuro. Then again, it's not truly a loss for Konoha. Though he would never say it out loud, even Hiruzen wouldn't deny that Danzo had become a hidden danger for Konoha. Actually, it wasn't even hidden…’

Hoka asked, “What do you think? Is he as strong as they say he is?”

Fujin shrugged, “We'll find out soon, if he doesn't run away like the old man believes… This should be similar to military exercises. However, if Akuro decides to target us like he targets Kumo, we'll have opportunities to grasp his strength…”

Hoka processed Fujin's words before nodding. Since the true details of their march were kept confidential, there wasn't much he could ask Fujin. If the matter wasn't serious, Fujin would have informed him of the remaining details during their conversation.

Swiftly but stealthily, Konoha's army continued moving through the dense forests with their guard raised. As the first rays of the Sun hit them, they finally reached close to the spot where Akuro annihilated what remained of the Root.

Observing with his Byakugan, Hoka frowned, “I can't see anything. It feels like something is blocking the Byakugan…”

The remaining Hyuga ninjas in the vanguard experienced the same. Fujin nodded, “There are several seals ahead. However…”

The ninjas around Fujin noticed a frown forming on his lips. He turned to a Yamanaka Special Jounin next to him and ordered, “Inform Lord Third there are seals ahead, blocking every means of sensing. However, the quantity of seals is less than expected…”

Fujin's words confused the ones around him. Without waiting any time, the Yamanaka ninja immediately carried out the task. Shikaku immediately sent out orders for the army to stop moving and take appropriate positions.

While the army got into formation, Hiruzen, Shikaku, Hiashi, Shibi and Kakashi, or rather their Shadow Clones, appeared next to Fujin. Hiruzen's clone said, “We'll inspect the situation ahead with our clones. Follow us.”

A Shadow Clone popped next to Fujin, consisting 10% of his chakra. He joined with the rest and finally moved away from the army.

Shikaku's clone immediately asked, “How large is the gap between what you expected and what’s actually there?”

Fujin's clone answered, “It's huge. Elder Danzo mentioned the large number of seals used by Akuro several times. This place should have been crawling with seals. Instead, it feels like the standard procedure the Anbu follow while guarding an important spot…”

Hiruzen's clone frowned too as he sensed the same. The six Shadow Clones flickered towards the battlefield, all but one raising their guard to the highest level. They instantly spread out across the ruined battlefield.

Hiruzen’s clone expanded his chakra field aggressively, probing every inch of the surroundings for any hint of hidden chakra signatures. Kakashi’s clone raised his headband, the Sharingan spinning slowly as his gaze swept across the area, searching for Genjutsu or lingering chakra traces.

Hiashi’s clone activated his Byakugan, veins bulging around his temples as his vision pierced through the corpses and scattered rubble. Nearby, Shibi’s clone quietly scattered a handful of his insects, letting them crawl over the broken ground to check for concealed traps or underground threats.

Shikaku’s clone, remaining slightly behind the others. He had no plans to participate in any battle as his job was to simply observe the enemy moves and devise a counter for his main body to implement.

Just like the rest, Fujin's clone also made a move, his expression stern as his own chakra field spread wide to sense any presence. At the same time, minute amounts of his chakra transformed into winds and harmlessly mixed into the surrounding air. Unlike the rest, his seriousness was mostly for show. If they were to be ambushed, Fujin would undoubtedly be the most shocked among them!

Within moments, the clones confirmed what Hiruzen already suspected. The clearing lay silent, cold and lifeless. No sign of Akuro, no lurking enemy, no freshly laid traps. Just the aftermath of ruthless violence.

They immediately noticed the cold corpses of the fallen Root ninjas, the signs of decomposing already setting in. Some distance away, at the bottom of the large crater left behind by the Reverse Four Symbol Seal, lay the body of Shimura Danzo—lifeless and still, a symbol of a once-iron grip brought to an end.

The wind rustled through the broken clearing, but no other threat revealed itself. The clones exchanged brief glances, acknowledging the quiet, uneasy calm before the next step.

Hiruzen's clone gave a nod while looking at Kakashi's clone. While Kakashi's clone stored all the dead bodies in scrolls, Hiruzen's clone said, “You were correct, Fujin. This place only has the seals set up by the Root to hide the vein. There aren't any other…”

Suddenly, Hiruzen's clone stopped speaking as his eyes widened in shock! Within moments, the same shock was visible on the faces of the Shadow Clones of Hiashi, Fujin and Shibi. Only Shikaku's one was slightly slower, but he realized what shocked the rest.

Moments ago, their entire focus was concentrated on dealing with Akuro or discovering any traps awaiting them. So, they had overlooked an important detail, which had taken a backseat for that duration. When Hiruzen's clone spoke, they finally realized it. Of course, one of them was merely acting.

Without any hesitation, the five clones flickered towards the spot where Danzo had detected the Lightning Crystal Vein! They immediately noticed an extremely deep hole in the ground at the exact spot where Akuro was previously roasting chicken. However, it lacked any presence of the Lightning element!

Shikaku's clone muttered in shock, “What in the world?”
Fujin's clone wondered aloud, expressing his confusion, “Where's the Lightning Crystal Vein? Wasn't it supposed to be here according to Danzo?”
Hiashi's clone observed the hole carefully and said in disbelief, “It's gone… The vein is empty… Not a single Lightning Crystal that can be mined here…”
Shibi's clone added grimly, “No, it's far more thorough. Even after a vein is completely mined, small traces of its energy are left behind, which last for hundreds of years. However, my bugs fail to detect the traces of any Lightning energy. It's almost as if there was never a vein here…”