NOVEL WEB Chapter 216: Lucky Konoha!
Asuma was among them as well.
Though his own strength wasn't particularly outstanding, Konoha was desperate for any able shinobi.
Moreover, after Orochimaru's attack on Konoha and the Akatsuki raid, the village had very few forces left to rely on.
This was also Asuma's chance to enter the core group.
When he saw Uchiha Haru, a complex expression crossed his face.
Inside, because of Kurenai Yūhi's instinctive rejection of Haru at first—and then her growing admiration—and after Haru had told him about his father, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Asuma had harbored some resentment.
He didn't believe what Haru said was true; he thought Haru was trying to discredit his father because the Uchiha clan had left Konoha.
But no matter what, Asuma still regarded Haru as a comrade and part of Konoha.
Now, with Sarutobi Hiruzen dead in battle, it was Uchiha Haru who stood tall, resolving problems and defeating enemies when Konoha needed help most.
He had become the hero of the entire Hidden Leaf Village.
Though still drowning in the pain of losing his father, Asuma admired someone like Haru from the bottom of his heart—someone willing to aid Konoha in its darkest hour without bitterness or grudges.
At the same time, he was plagued by doubts about the so-called "Six One Three" conspiracy in his mind.
Clearly, Uchiha Haru was driven out of Konoha, but when the village faced true peril, he was willing to sacrifice everything to help. That showed Haru wasn't petty or vindictive.
Would such a person really discredit others just because of personal grievances?
He didn't know, and he was afraid to think too deeply.
What if his deceased father wasn't as noble and majestic as he had believed?
That thought terrified him.
Later, after Sarutobi Hiruzen's death and Kakashi's ascension as Hokage, more truths about Hiruzen's tenure surfaced.
Though Hiruzen hadn't directly committed those deeds, he was closely linked to the shady leader of the Anbu faction, Shimura Danzo.
No one else knew this clearly—except Asuma.
Battling for influence in Konoha looked impressive, but in reality, it meant little without Hiruzen's nod.
The exposed dark secrets were clearly beyond Danzo's authority alone.
In other words, Hiruzen knew about these schemes and didn't stop them; in fact, he tacitly approved.
Asuma, who had trusted Sarutobi Hiruzen deeply, began to question everything.
Could it be that everything Haru said was true?
Had his father been deceiving him—and everyone else—all along?
These thoughts distressed him until the coalition of the three great ninja villages attacked Konoha.
He was forced to push those thoughts aside—or rather, the crisis forced him to divert his attention.
Now, when he saw Uchiha Haru again, those troubling memories rushed back into his mind.
Asuma exhaled slowly, trying to clear his thoughts.
He gave Haru a slight nod in greeting.
The others in the room followed suit when they saw Haru.
They were deeply moved that he had come to help at such a critical moment.
"Uchiha Haru, how many people have you brought with you this time?" Kakashi asked, looking directly at Haru.
He had assumed the Hidden Mist Village had finally agreed to ally with Konoha and send reinforcements.
Unexpectedly, Haru just shook his head.
"This time, the Hidden Mist Village declined to send reinforcements."
"I am here on my own behalf."
"A few shinobi from the Hidden Mist Village came with me—volunteers."
After hearing Haru's words, Kakashi, Asuma, and the others showed traces of disappointment.
Konoha desperately needed not just elite fighters but also many jonin, chunin, and medical ninjas.
The handful Haru brought would hardly be enough.
But the Hidden Mist Village refused help, and they had already prepared themselves mentally.
The enemy's strength far surpassed theirs. No one would want to get involved in such a dangerous mess.
If circumstances were different, the Hidden Mist might have helped.
Regardless, at least there were reinforcements now.
And this reinforcement was a top-tier master like Uchiha Haru.
This was a blessing for Konoha, which was short of manpower.
For Konoha, this was already very good news.
Everyone was well aware of Haru's power.
He alone had defeated Pain—the Deva Path wielder of the Rinnegan—and saved Konoha from the brink of destruction.
Such a person might just turn the tide of battle completely.
After hearing that the Hidden Mist Village had declined the alliance, a subtle disappointment spread through the room. They composed themselves quickly and began discussing their next steps.
Kakashi and the others first briefed Uchiha Haru on the current battlefield situation.
They were facing a combined assault from the three major ninja villages: the Hidden Cloud Village (Kumogakure), the Hidden Sand Village (Sunagakure), and the Hidden Rock Village (Iwagakure).
Konoha, already weakened, was struggling to hold its ground and was forced into a gradual retreat, suffering heavy casualties along the way.
Whether in basic skirmishes involving regular ninja or confrontations between elite fighters, Konoha was overwhelmingly outmatched.
The sheer number of Konoha's ordinary ninja paled in comparison to the combined allied forces.
As for high-level combatants, apart from Jiraiya and Tsunade, who had rushed back upon hearing the news, there were no true Kage-level powerhouses to support the village.
Though Kakashi was formidable, he had yet to reach the true Kage tier. Meanwhile, almost all the strongest warriors from the three allied villages had gathered, and their numbers far exceeded Konoha's.
Among their ranks, even the Sand Village, normally considered weaker, had deployed veterans of Kage-level strength like Chiyo and her brother Ebizo.
Neither were to be underestimated.
The Cloud and Rock Villages sent their top-tier fighters as well—the Fourth Raikage, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki Killer Bee, and even the elderly Third Tsuchikage from Iwagakure appeared on the battlefield.
The lineup was nothing short of formidable.
Given such overwhelming force, it was a miracle Konoha had managed to hold on this long.
After Kakashi's report, solemn expressions settled on everyone's faces.
The crisis Konoha faced now was the gravest since the days when Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had first founded the village.
If they were not extremely careful, Konoha could be utterly destroyed.
The Hidden Leaf Village might vanish completely from the world.
The only person who remained calm and seemingly indifferent was Uchiha Haru.
With his current strength, unless an opponent of equal caliber appeared, any lesser threat was negligible, regardless of their numbers.
He would not take them seriously.
"Konoha," Kakashi finally asked, looking at Uchiha Haru with heavy hope, "what should we do?"
Previously, under his command, Konoha had nearly been defeated and had no will to resist.
Now, if anyone could save the situation, it was only Haru.
The others also turned their gaze to him.
Though they were currently in Konoha, not Kirigakure, strength was respected above all else.
With the village on the brink of collapse, all hope rested on the strongest among them: Uchiha Haru.
Haru replied coolly, "If the enemy comes, we stop them. If the flood comes, we swallow it."
"As long as they dare show up, they will pay the price."
Though his voice was calm, it carried a potent murderous intent, his words heavy with conviction.
Those around him nodded in agreement.
They had witnessed his power firsthand and believed in his ability to change the tide.
Yet, the opponent's strength was undeniably formidable, and unease lingered among them.
Kakashi furrowed his brow and cautioned, "Haru, your strength is incredible, but you mustn't be reckless."
"The intelligence team I sent learned the Hidden Cloud Village came fully prepared."
"Alongside their elite troops, both the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki Killer Bee are in action."
"There's also a massive weapon known as the Chakra Cannon."
"It requires hundreds of ninja simultaneously supplying chakra to it. When fully charged, it unleashes an immense burst of energy."
"We don't yet know its full destructive potential, but it's clearly a secret weapon of the Cloud Village."
"This is what the three-village alliance has brought specifically to deal with you."
It was no secret that Konoha sought aid from Kirigakure.
Despite decades of animosity—even outright war—between the two villages, Konoha's current predicament left no choice.
Even if the Kirigakure leadership harbored grudges, saving Konoha was a priority, and pride was set aside to seek help.
Moreover, Kirigakure was home to Uchiha Haru, originally from Konoha.
Previously, during the Konoha Chunin Exams, Haru had blocked an Akatsuki attack and even killed their leader, Tendo Pain.
This demonstrated that, though Haru had left Konoha, he might not have entirely severed his bonds or lost his sense of loyalty.
The three-village coalition had launched their attack simultaneously, and it was likely Haru would intervene on Konoha's behalf.
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