436. Let’s Watch the Meteor Shower Together

Land of Earth, Capital City.

The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a deep, heavy darkness over the city. In the silence of the late night, several shadowy figures darted through the air, heading straight for the daimyo's castle tower.

"Be careful. This mission is of utmost importance. We must succeed in one strike," one of the masked ninjas whispered as they bypassed the guards and quietly infiltrated the inner chambers of the castle. They were now just one step away from the daimyo's sleeping quarters.

"Understood. The future of Iwagakure depends on this. Even if it costs our lives, we must not fail!" one of the ninjas responded in a low voice.

Indeed, they were the elite Anbu forces sent by Ōnoki to carry out the assassination mission in the capital.

If they could eliminate the daimyo here, the capital would fall into chaos, leaving it leaderless. At that moment, the Iwa army would sweep in like a storm, crushing the city and bringing a new dawn to the Land of Earth!

With this hopeful vision in mind, the six highly skilled Iwa ninjas quickly infiltrated the sleeping quarters.

With a flash of cold light, a ninja blade shot out like lightning, stabbing toward the bed.

The ninja wielding the blade showed no hesitation. The conflict between the two sides had reached an irreconcilable point.

Only by eliminating the daimyo and his forces could Iwagakure usher in a brighter future.

But soon, his expression changed drastically.

"Something's wrong!" he suddenly hissed.

Sure enough, the figure struck by the blade let out a *poof* and turned into a piece of dry wood. At the same time, a buzzing sound filled their ears.

The attacking ninja's face paled as he realized what was happening. "Fall back, now!"

As soon as he spoke, several beetles hidden in the darkness suddenly expanded. In the next second, the entire room was engulfed in flames.

"Just as Lord Danzō predicted, Ōnoki really took the risk," said the only female member of the Yellow Group, watching the flames consume the sleeping quarters.

"Of course. Lord Danzō's judgment is never wrong," said Shukan, the leader of the group, his expression turning serious. "The battle isn't over yet. Prepare for combat."

As soon as he finished speaking, five figures emerged from the thick smoke. One of them was carrying a charred body, seemingly on the verge of death.

"Impressive. The elite of Iwagakure managed to survive our ambush with only one casualty," Shukan remarked coldly, extinguishing the cigarette between his fingers. "Let's finish them off!"

"Yes!" the Yellow Group responded in unison.

The five members of Yellow Group quickly sprang into action. First was Shukan, their leader. His body rapidly expanded, covered in thick yellow fur, and his face transformed into a beastly visage. His speed and strength had increased several times over.

Next was the female member. Her body was covered in purple scales, her teeth sharpened, and her eyes glowed with an eerie light.

The short member grew a pair of black wings wreathed in flames, resembling a demon.

The large member's muscles bulged with crimson veins, like some kind of bioengineered superhuman.

Finally, the tall, thin man's hands, hidden beneath his coat, had transformed into mantis-like claws with a metallic sheen.

The battle didn't last long. After years of continuous "evolution," the Yellow Group's strength had reached unprecedented heights. Even facing five elite Iwa jonin, they held the absolute advantage.

In fact, unless Ōnoki and Rōshi personally intervened, no one stood a chance against them.

"Damn it, who are you people?" the lead Iwa ninja asked, his face grim as he stared at the five bizarre figures.

He couldn't comprehend how such strange beings existed in the shinobi world. After just a few minutes of fighting, his team was already riddled with bizarre injuries.

He himself had been infected with a parasite—a explosive beetle now living inside his body. Any attempt to use chakra would trigger it to grow larger, putting him at risk of exploding at any moment.

His comrades were no better off. One had been ensnared by the mysterious woman's genjutsu, and by the time he regained his senses, his arm had turned to stone.

The short member's incredible speed and ability to unleash scorching flames from his body had given them a hard time.

The large member's immense strength and ability to spray corrosive blood made him a terrifying opponent.

And the tall, thin man's lightning-fast slashes could even cut through the rocks they summoned with their ninjutsu.

As ninjas from a major village, the Iwa team found it hard to believe that such a power system even existed.

In response to the Iwa ninja's question, Shukan smiled faintly. "We are the demons who will overturn the entire shinobi world!"

With that, he snapped his fingers. In the next moment, the explosive beetle inside the Iwa ninja's body detonated. Amid the violent explosion, the other four members of the Yellow Group moved in unison, completely annihilating the elite Iwa assassination squad.

---

At the same time, the support troops sent by Iwagakure were lurking in the forest on the outskirts of the capital.

As the most trusted person of Ōnoki, this beheading operation was led by Kitsuchi as the squad captain.

Once the team inside completed the beheading, the outside troops would immediately take action, seizing the moment of enemy chaos to capture the city in one decisive strike!

Although their plan seemed flawless, Kitsuchi still wore a worried expression.

Would the daimyo really oppose Iwagakure head-on without any certainty of victory?

Would this beheading operation truly go as smoothly as expected?

As it turned out, his concerns were not unfounded.

Because that night, instead of receiving the signal of a successful operation, Kitsuchi and his Iwagakure troops were met with a dense, piercing barrage of whistling projectiles.


When they looked up, countless fireballs were raining down from the sky, like a massive meteor shower.

Kitsuchi remembered seeing something like this before. In Konoha, they called it...

Artillery shells.