136. Counterattack on Konoha

Summoning: Toad Mouth Bind.

This technique involves summoning a massive toad from Mount Myoboku directly above the enemy, using its sheer weight to crush them instantly. It is a highly effective maneuver. Toad Gamabunta had been summoned this way many times before, making grand entrances that easily overwhelmed his foes.

But today, Gamabunta was clearly careless. As he attempted his usual dramatic flair, he was ambushed by a well-prepared Kisame. Severely wounded the moment he appeared, he was forced to flee back to Mount Myoboku in a panic.

*Crunch. Crunch.*

Right in front of Minato Namikaze, Kisame took the frog leg he had torn from Gamabunta, chewed through bone and flesh alike, and devoured it completely. When he finished, he licked his claws, looking as though he were still hungry for more.

How could this be?

Minato’s heart sank to the bottom of his chest, his expression turning grim before he even realized it. He had originally planned to coordinate with Gamabunta, having the toad pin Kisame down while he found an opening to use a high-level sealing jutsu to subdue him. But now, with Gamabunta retreating at lightning speed due to his injuries, Minato could no longer conceive of a way to deal with Kisame.

Thus, Minato could only retreat back to the ranks of the Konoha army. With a grave expression, he shouted to the assembled shinobi:

"Run! I will do everything in my power to hold this monster back and buy time for everyone to evacuate!"

What?

Hearing this, the Konoha forces finally realized that Minato Namikaze had lost. Even the Yellow Flash was no match for that monster. Consequently, the remaining Konoha ninja completely lost their will to fight and scattered in all directions, fleeing in a rout.

"You think you can run? Is it really that easy?"

Kisame let out a cold laugh. He flew into the air, opened his mouth, and spewed out an endless torrent of water.

Water Style: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave.

A massive, ellipsoidal water prison appeared in mid-air. Its diameter expanded rapidly—from one hundred meters, to two hundred, to five hundred... In just over ten seconds, the diameter of the prison reached a staggering one thousand meters.

Kisame remained at the center of the water prison, moving along with it as he sped forward. Wherever he went, he swept up wave after wave of Konoha ninja who were unable to escape in time, trapping them within the prison where they suffocated.

Facing the water prison created by Kisame, Minato realized in despair that he was helpless. The only thing he could do while retreating was to use the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to carry away a few Konoha ninja, but he only managed to save a few dozen. Most of the others were slaughtered by Kisame.

After sweeping through the Konoha army with overwhelming force, Kisame dispersed the Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave. He deliberately left some survivors—mostly the elites and high-ranking members of Konoha’s major clans—and held them captive alongside Hiashi Hyuga and Fugaku Uchiha, whom he had abducted earlier.

Hmm?

Suddenly, Kisame sensed something. He looked toward a distant hill and quickly locked his gaze onto the black-and-white figure hiding there. He curled his lips into a meaningful smile.

"Oh no!"

Facing Kisame’s devilish grin, the black-and-white figure’s expression changed instantly. Without hesitation, they dove into the ground and vanished in a flash.

Kisame did not pursue; he knew he couldn't catch them anyway. These rats were getting better at running every day.

Amidst the excited gazes of the Hidden Mist ninja, Kisame slowly descended to the ground. This war, which they had feared would result in the destruction of their village, had been turned around by a single, terrifying man. Kisame Hoshigaki had single-handedly repelled Konoha’s five-thousand-strong army and saved the Hidden Mist.

In this moment, the people of the Mist looked upon their newly appointed Fifth Mizukage with nothing but worship. Of course, alongside that worship was an unavoidable fear. After all, the form Kisame had taken was truly terrifying, enough to make one’s legs go weak and chills run down one’s spine.

"Lord Mizukage, what should we do next?"

Gengetsu looked up at Kisame, asking cautiously as he awaited orders.

"Naturally—we counterattack Konoha."

Kisame sneered, answering without a second thought. "Konoha launched a massive invasion against us; they must pay the most devastating price. The lives of these five thousand ninja alone are far from enough."

The Mist ninja were stunned, their expressions shifting in a variety of ways. People like Mangetsu Hozuki were naturally ecstatic, immediately shouting and clamoring to follow Kisame into Konoha. However, those led by Gengetsu were more concerned, feeling uneasy about Kisame’s plan. They urged him not to be rash, arguing that since they had already repelled the invasion, they should be content with their victory, as Konoha would likely never dare to strike again.

After all, the Hidden Mist did not have much fighting strength left. Relying on these few hundred people to counterattack Konoha seemed unrealistic. In Gengetsu’s eyes, while Kisame possessed near-invincible power, Konoha’s foundations were deep and should never be underestimated. At that very moment, Konoha still had Hiruzen Sarutobi, the "Strongest Hokage," and his three disciples, the "Legendary Sannin," overseeing the village. And one must not forget that Konoha possessed the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, a massive strategic weapon. Furthermore, no one could say for sure if the vast village of Konoha didn't have a second or third person like Might Duy—someone who held the title of Genin but was actually more formidable than a Kage-level powerhouse.

Kisame understood their concerns. However, he did not change his mind. Confident in his own plans, he instructed them:

"You stay here and clean up the battlefield. I will go to counterattack Konoha alone. If I don't return, you can just disband and go your separate ways."

With those words, Kisame sucked the Konoha captives into the Box of Ultimate Bliss, let out a loud laugh, flapped his wings, and shot into the sky, heading straight for the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire.

Meanwhile, ten thousand miles away in the Land of Toads, Mount Myoboku:

Mountains stretched into the distance, filled with waterfalls and flowing rivers. On the ground were giant, colorful mushrooms, green lotus leaves several meters high, and yellow, bugle-shaped trees. Every plant here was far larger than the ordinary flora found in the ninja world. This was because they were all nourished by natural energy.

Beyond the plants, those who benefited most from this environment were the toads of Mount Myoboku. They varied in size and appearance; some lounged in the sun on leaves as large as parasols, while others swam in the rivers, living carefree and happy lives.

Over a thousand years ago, this group of toads discovered this paradise. Nourished by natural energy, they gained power and longevity far surpassing that of humans. From that point on, they transformed from mere beasts into sages.

In reality, however, the conduct of the Mount Myoboku toads was less like sages and more like the mafia. They followed a strict hierarchy: the highest-ranking toad, Gamamaru, was revered as the Great Honorable Toad; below him were the two elders, and below them were the leaders and their many underlings.

Toad Gamabunta was the toad boss of this generation. With a ruffian-like face, powerful strength, and an aggressive personality, he acted like a crime lord in his daily affairs and held significant prestige among the toads.

But today, Gamabunta had made a fool of himself in front of his subordinates. Just moments ago, he had calmly told the toads that he had been summoned from the ninja world and was going to help some useless human subordinate settle some trouble. Yet, less than a minute later, he had fled back in a miserable state, his backside covered in blood and one leg torn off.

"Boss, what happened to you?"

Seeing Gamabunta’s wretched state, the toads were terrified.

"Damn it! That brat Minato Namikaze set me up!"

Gamabunta couldn't help but curse. Before he vanished, he had finally seen Kisame’s true form—it was clearly "Satori," which had escaped from the Box of Ultimate Bliss. That a monster from the ancient era had reappeared in the ninja world was unthinkable. No, he had to inform the two elders and the Great Toad Sage immediately...

Land of Fire, Hidden Leaf Village.

In the intelligence center, a member of the Yamanaka clan received the report from the front lines, slowly took off his headset, and stood frozen, his face deathly pale.

"What is it?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked quickly, a premonition of disaster rising in his heart.

"Lord Hokage... Minato Namikaze has been defeated. Our army has been routed across the board and was almost completely annihilated by the enemy..."

The man’s lips trembled as he spoke, his face filled with disbelief.

What?!

As these words fell, the entire intelligence center plunged into dead silence. Hiruzen and the others could not hide the shock on their faces. After confirming the news repeatedly, Hiruzen slumped into his chair, as if struck by a bolt of lightning.

Among those present, only Danzo and Orochimaru exchanged a glance. While they maintained the same grim expressions as everyone else on the surface, they both felt a sense of relief inside. The total annihilation of the Konoha army was actually the outcome they most wanted to see. To Orochimaru, Minato’s defeat shattered the myth of the Yellow Flash’s invincibility, which was a huge boost to his own bid for the Fourth Hokage. For Danzo, with thousands of Konoha ninja dead, Hiruzen, as Hokage, would certainly be held accountable; his lifelong reputation was effectively ruined. As the advisor to the Hokage, he could finally step forward with justification to force him to step down and seize power. Thinking of this, Danzo couldn't suppress his inner joy, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

Just then, a blur passed before their eyes, and a moment later, a yellow-haired figure appeared in the center of the hall.

Minato Namikaze had returned.

"Lord Hokage, I am incompetent. I failed to defeat Kisame Hoshigaki."

As soon as he appeared, Minato knelt on one knee and bowed his head to Hiruzen in apology. He then recounted the entire battle from the moment he arrived on the battlefield. As Minato spoke, the expressions of Hiruzen and the others grew increasingly somber, as they gained a deeper understanding of Kisame’s terrifying strength.

"You say Gamabunta was severely wounded?"

When Jiraiya heard the news that Gamabunta had lost a leg to Kisame, his brows knit together tightly. "I must go to Mount Myoboku," he said hastily. Before he could finish, he performed the hand seals and used the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to head to Mount Myoboku.

At that moment, a new report arrived: Kisame Hoshigaki had left the Hidden Mist and was flying toward the Hidden Leaf!

Hearing this, Hiruzen made a swift decision and announced that the entire village was to enter a state of war without delay. A rapid, loud air-raid siren began to wail over the village.

"What’s happening?"

Inside the village, many villagers stopped in their tracks, looking up with confused and bewildered expressions. The Third Shinobi World War was nearing its end, and Konoha was arguably the greatest winner, having achieved victory on every front. Life in the village had recently been peaceful, as if no war were occurring at all. They were just waiting for the victorious army to return from the Hidden Mist for a grand celebration.

Until the siren sounded, that beautiful illusion was shattered like a bubble.

Over the next half hour, the ordinary villagers were forced into long queues, scrambling to enter underground air-raid shelters and bunkers. The ninja stationed in the village went into action, setting up various barriers and traps inside and outside the village, fully prepared for battle.

They were facing a grave threat.

For the first time in many years, the village of Konoha was about to be directly attacked by an enemy. What made it even harder to believe and accept was that the enemy was only one person.

In the intelligence center:

*Poof.* After a cloud of white smoke cleared, Jiraiya returned. With him were the two Sages of Mount Myoboku—Fukasaku and Shima. They were two small toads perched on Jiraiya’s left and right shoulders. Though they looked unassuming, these two had actually cultivated for over eight hundred years and were elder-level figures in Mount Myoboku, second only to the Great Toad Sage. Their strength was terrifying.

The two sages had not been alarmed because the village was under attack; they had come specifically because of Kisame Hoshigaki. Or, more accurately, because of Satori. These long-lived, knowledgeable toads brought detailed intelligence about the Box of Ultimate Bliss and Satori to Hiruzen and the others. It was the ultimate weapon of the Sage of Six Paths era.

"It seems that when Kisame Hoshigaki went to the Blood Prison, it was to get the Box of Ultimate Bliss from the Grass Village. I never imagined the legends about that box were true, and that he actually succeeded in obtaining it," Jiraiya remarked with a heavy heart. When he had encountered Kisame in the prison carriage at the Grass Village, he never could have guessed that a prisoner would become Konoha’s greatest enemy.

"Since we now understand the source of his power, it shouldn't be impossible to deal with him, right?" Tsunade stepped forward, clenching her fists and radiating intense fighting spirit. She had many old and new scores to settle with Kisame, and today was the perfect day to finish them.

"Don't worry. Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima have come to help us defeat Satori and reseal it back into the Box of Ultimate Bliss," Jiraiya said confidently.

"Little Jiraiya is right," the two sages echoed, nodding.

"That’s wonderful."

Hiruzen’s face brightened, and he immediately ordered his three disciples—Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade—to head to the village gates. They were to block Kisame Hoshigaki outside and prevent him from wreaking havoc within the village at all costs.

"Yes!"

The three Sannin replied in unison. Led by Jiraiya, they quickly headed to the village outskirts to establish the first line of defense.

After watching the three of them leave, Hiruzen felt slightly more at ease. He then turned to Minato:

"Minato, go and rest. You did your best; do not blame yourself. Also... tell Kushina to prepare. If necessary, we may need to use the power of the Nine-Tails."

Minato’s expression changed upon hearing this, but he quickly returned to normal and bowed his head. "Yes, Lord Hokage."

As soon as he spoke, he used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu and vanished from the hall.