Few know that beneath Konoha lie two enormous underground bases.
One is located below the Hokage building, while the other is near the Hokage Rock, hidden beneath the mountains and forest.
These two bases have numerous entrances, allowing rapid underground movement and quick access to various places within Konoha.
However, every entrance is sealed with barriers and blends seamlessly with nature. Unless you're part of Root or the Anbu, you won't find these entrances, let alone break the seals.
Even if someone accidentally stumbles upon an entrance, surveillance devices nearby would pick it up immediately, and the Anbu would come to chase them off.
In more severe cases, the intruder might be branded with a sealing mark or have their memory read.
The underground bases are also protected by barriers—neither the Byakugan nor sensory techniques can see through them.
These two bases are undoubtedly Konoha's most concealed locations.
But to Izayoi, the barriers, the hidden entrances, and the sealing techniques meant nothing.
Appearing a few meters away from a mountain wall in a flash, Izayoi glanced at a protruding stone on the wall above. Then, using gravity to lift a pebble from the ground, he fired it out with repulsive force.
The pebble shot forward like an armor-piercing bullet, instantly smashing the protruding stone and destroying the surveillance device hidden inside.
In the surveillance control room, one of the screens immediately went white.
Root members noticed this instantly and rushed to report to Shimura Danzo.
"Lord Danzo, the A-3 entrance surveillance has been destroyed. Suspected intruder inside the base."
Hearing this, Shimura Danzo, sitting on a stone chair, slowly opened his unbandaged left eye and replied coldly, "Is it someone from the Anbu?"
"Unknown. The enemy hasn't revealed themselves, but their methods don't seem like it," the Root member answered.
"Send Wind or Take Root to eliminate him. If it's Anbu…" Danzo was about to use this as a chance to weaken the Anbu as usual, but then seemed to recall something and changed his mind, "Spare his life. Imprison him. He might become one of my subordinates later."
Danzo didn't take the intruder seriously at all.
These were unusual times—Konoha's sensory barrier now even extended to the village's gates.
Only a few top officials knew the rotation schedule of the sensory team.
Right now, the most dangerous person in the village was Orochimaru, who had already begun fighting Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Even so, Danzo, who had a Kotoamatsukami as his trump card, didn't fear Orochimaru in the slightest.
In his mind, no one in Konoha now could match him.
And someone sneaking into the Root base like this? Definitely just a coward trying to exploit the chaos to steal secrets.
But the voice that echoed in Danzo's mind the next second made his expression change drastically—he stood up with a jolt.
"Lord Danzo, the intruder has been found. He's from the Akatsuki."
Yamanaka Wind's voice exploded in Danzo's mind.
Danzo's face darkened. "Akatsuki? Why are they here? Why now? Damn Orochimaru…"
Danzo's first suspicion wasn't Uchiha Itachi, who was undercover in the Akatsuki, but Orochimaru, who had once been a member.
After all, Uchiha Itachi had slaughtered his entire clan for his brother's safety. As long as Uchiha Sasuke remained in Konoha, Itachi would be Konoha's most loyal hound—it couldn't be him targeting Danzo.
Still, just in case, Danzo asked, "Is it Uchiha Itachi?"
"No. The chakra is Yin Release, but there's no trace of the Sharingan. It's a man with short orange hair wearing the Akatsuki cloak—he has purple ripple-pattern eyes," Yamanaka Wind described.
Danzo's breathing turned heavy. He quickly asked, "Purple ripple-pattern eyes—are you sure?"
Noticing Danzo's reaction, Yamanaka Wind paused before replying, "Confirmed. He has a pair of purple ripple-patterned eyes… such incredible eye power! He's already discovered me and destroyed the surveillance device."
"Mobilize all teams! Everyone, follow me and take that guy down!" Danzo ordered immediately, leaving the room at top speed, eyes filled with fanaticism.
The Rinnegan!
That brat from back then—he actually came to me on his own.
Then I won't hold back!
Thanks to Yamanaka Wind, who used the Mind Reading Technique and operated the surveillance and barrier systems, all the Root members who weren't dispatched to support the battle or help evacuate villagers turned into streaks of black shadows and rushed toward Izayoi.
Izayoi watched it all calmly.
He chuckled and muttered, "Perfect. This way, I can wipe all of you out in one go."
Then, several figures appeared behind him—it was the human puppets made from Kurosuki Raiga and his Kurosuki clan.
Izayoi raised his hand and made a gesture. In a cave by the Nanga River, his shadow clone received the signal and immediately controlled the puppets to dash off in a certain direction.
Ranmaru, responsible for hiding three hundred puppets, also turned his gaze toward the Root members—red light bursting from his eyes.
Meanwhile, Izayoi's real body stepped toward Danzo's location.
The underground base was vast, filled with ancient architecture from the Warring States period. The lighting was dim, perfect for concealment.
Soon, Izayoi arrived at a bridge.
Suddenly, four overlapping voices shouted from all directions—
"Ninja Art: Four Violet Flames Formation!"
A purple, transparent barrier shot up from all sides of the bridge, sealing the space.
At the same time, numerous figures emerged from the rooftops of the ancient structures, or used Earth Style techniques to appear halfway out of the ceiling. They all formed hand signs and shouted—
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
"Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
"Lightning Style: Thunder Roar!"
"Composite Ninjutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet…"
One after another, high-difficulty, high-power elemental jutsu—and even composite techniques combining two chakra natures—poured down from above the incomplete Four Violet Flames Formation.
Even the ground under Izayoi's feet turned into a swamp, trying to bind his movement.
Root attacked with full force from the start.
This kind of coordinated assault would overwhelm even S-rank Akatsuki members—only a few could endure it.
After all, a ninja battle is a battle of information.
When you have no intel, the best tactic is all-out firepower.
Even among the Five Kage, except for Ōnoki, the others would struggle under such a barrage of advanced ninjutsu.
Unfortunately, Izayoi was no ordinary Kage-level ninja.
He was on par with Obito Uchiha, who had Kamui—a rule-breaking power user.
Izayoi floated into the air, easily escaping the swamp, spread his arms wide, and shouted, "Shinra Tensei!"
Chakra rapidly converted into repulsive force, compressing into a transparent green sphere that enveloped Izayoi.
The sphere shattered—an invisible shockwave burst forth.
It resembled Wind Style but was far superior, like an adult smacking away soap bubbles.
All the incoming ninjutsu was instantly scattered, dissolving into streams of light and energy that faded away.
Then, the repulsive shockwave slammed into the Four Violet Flames Formation like a bull crashing into a wooden gate.
The barrier bulged outward like a balloon.
But in moments, it deflated and returned to normal.
The leftover repulsion wasn't enough to destroy a barrier capable of containing a Kage-level opponent.
"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!"
As Izayoi floated mid-air unleashing his technique, a shout suddenly came from the shadows.
Invisible Yin energy slipped through the barrier and entered Izayoi's body.