449. The Ruins of the Land of the Sky

"Boom!!"

The fireball exploded, causing a terrifying blast.

Even though Shinnō had mastered the secret technique of "Body Revival," the explosion still left him with significant injuries.

Despite his fury, Shinnō, now aware that "these kids aren't simple," didn't dare to linger

He charged through the raging flames, stomping heavily on the ground and bursting out of the smoke like a frenzied rhinoceros!

Unfortunately, the Konoha team had anticipated this.

As Shinnō emerged from the smoke, he was met by Jūgo, whose body had expanded to a size comparable to his own—and looked even more menacing.

Without giving Shinnō any time to react, Jūgo unleashed a powerful punch, his elbow spewing chakra like a roaring steel engine.

With a deafening crash, the punch slammed into Shinnō!

Unable to react in time, Shinnō could only throw a punch of his own.

In the next moment, the ground beneath their feet shattered, and both were sent flying over ten meters by the tremendous force.

"What kind of monsters are these kids?" Shinnō wondered, his arm trembling and numb.

How could such terrifying combat power exist in a group of children? But his shock didn't end there.

In the next second, a pale spine shot out from the ground beneath him, coiling around his enlarged body like a python.

At the same time, the chilling cold returned, freezing him into an ice sculpture once more.

Just as he prepared to forcibly use the dark chakra hidden within his body, a pair of blood-red eyes appeared before him.

Finally, he realized who these opponents were.

Konoha...

Under the genjutsu control of Itachi Uchiha, Shinnō's swollen body rapidly deflated, marking the end of the capture operation.

"Well done. Now, use the Sharingan to thoroughly interrogate him for information about the Land of the Sky," Kakashi, the team leader, appeared in time, a faint smile in his eyes.

It was clear that he was quite satisfied with the performance of the six-member team.

Although one of them had been slacking off... given his earlier stellar acting performance, Kakashi decided to let it slide.

At Kakashi's words, Itachi immediately activated his genjutsu and began the forced interrogation.

Soon, the secrets of the Land of the Sky were revealed one by one by its leader.

Forbidden medical techniques, the Zero-Tails, dark chakra, the remnants' hideout, flying ninja tools, aircraft carriers, and the aerial fortress known as *Ancor Vantian*...

All these unheard-of terms left everyone, including Kakashi, wide-eyed.

"It seems we've caught a big fish," Kakashi said, stroking his chin.

No wonder Danzō had classified this mission as S-rank. The "goods" were this valuable!

---

Meanwhile, back in Konoha, the relevant intelligence had also been received.

"No wonder we haven't found any traces of the Land of the Sky's remnants all these years. They've hidden their base on such a remote island," Minato said, somewhat surprised as he read the intelligence sent back by Kakashi's summoning creature.

According to Shinnō's information, the remnants of the Land of the Sky were currently hiding on a tropical rainforest island north of the Land of Fire.

The island was remote and extremely well-hidden!

Moreover, the intelligence mentioned flying ninja tools, aerial fortresses, and the Zero-Tails, which explained why Danzō had gone to such lengths to capture the leader of the Land of the Sky.

If Konoha could obtain these things, it would significantly enhance their military-industrial system and secure air superiority in future wars!

"So, should we mobilize the military district to deal with these remnants?" Minato asked Danzō, curious about the "Darkness of the Shinobi World's" next move.

"No, the remnants of the Land of the Sky are highly vigilant. A large-scale operation would only alert them. In my opinion, let Kakashi and Kabuto's team handle it while they're there," Danzō said calmly from his seat.

This approach surprised Minato.

After all, the Land of the Sky had once been a nation!

Sending just Kakashi and a few kids to deal with them seemed a bit too casual.

To this, Danzō waved his hand and smiled, "Don't worry. Have faith in the power of Konoha's new generation."

Since their teacher had spoken, Minato had no choice but to agree.

He quickly sent orders to Kakashi:

Proceed to the remnants' hideout and completely eradicate the Land of the Sky!

He added:

Stay safe.

---

North of the Land of Fire.

A small, obscure village located upstream of the Shinano River continued its daily life of working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

But the arrival of a Konoha team disrupted the peace.

To be precise, the villagers didn't know this was a Konoha team.

After all, they all looked to be around ten years old—just children.

However, their agile movements and dignified demeanor made it clear that these kids were anything but ordinary.

Indeed, this visiting Konoha team was Kabuto and his group, here to carry out their mission.

As for Kakashi, he remained hidden, not showing himself. His reasoning was that Kabuto and the others, being young, could lower the enemy's guard.

Meanwhile, he could stay in the shadows and strike at the critical moment!

Although this explanation sounded plausible and somewhat reasonable, Kabuto couldn't shake the feeling that it was just an excuse for Kakashi to slack off and read the latest issue of *Make-Out Paradise*.

However, after the lesson from their departure, Kabuto didn't dare to speak up this time.

He could only obediently play the role of the hardworking underling...

Fortunately, they didn't stay in the village for long. After gathering some basic information, they continued into the tropical rainforest.

"According to the intelligence, the Land of the Sky's only aerial fortress should be the ruins mentioned by the villagers. Now that we've found the village, we should be able to locate the remnants soon," Kabuto said, looking at the map in his hands.

The map was based on the intelligence provided by Shinnō, so its accuracy should be reliable.

However, before they could set off to find the ruins, a small child of indeterminate gender popped up.

"Are you going to those ruins?"

"I can guide you!"