One Piece: I am Imu

"Have everyone take their positions," Shikaku instructed through his earpiece. "But remind them: before making any moves, they must not harbor killing intent. Nor should they go out of their way to hide. Just maintain a normal, vigilant posture, as if they were standing guard."

He continued calmly, "The enemy has exceptionally strong sensory abilities. No matter how well we conceal ourselves, we'll likely be detected anyway."

"Instead, it's better to pretend we're merely an honor guard, assembled to welcome them."

No one replied through the earpieces, but across the battlefield, shinobi began to consciously relax their bodies and minds.

Meanwhile—

Inside Konoha Village, in the Hokage's office—

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood silently at the window.

From Roran and Crocodile capturing the Third Raikage alive, to this individual who clearly wasn't the First Hokage yet wielded powerful Wood Release—

All these events left Hiruzen with a growing sense of unease.

"Old man! I'm back!"

Suddenly, the door behind him swung open, and a tall, white-haired man strode inside—it was none other than Jiraiya.

Hiruzen turned around. His furrowed brows eased slightly, and he smiled. "So? Did the Great Toad Sage have any prophecies for you?"

"The Sage only said one thing…" Jiraiya replied, still looking puzzled. "He said it's good news."

"Good news?"

Hiruzen froze for a moment, confused.

What could that possibly mean? Why would it be considered good news?

At the same time—

In the Intelligence Analysis Division of Konoha—

Orochimaru studied a newly acquired pair of large scissors and a peculiarly shaped handgun. They were the Teigu that Minato had confiscated in his confrontation against Sheele and Tsukushi.

His expression, like that of the three tokubetsu jonin standing nearby, was filled with bewilderment.

Because Orochimaru had discovered—he couldn't understand it at all.

...

In the dense forest—

Five figures darted swiftly between the towering trees.

At this moment, Aramaki was thoroughly enjoying the ninja style of traveling.

Leaping from tree to tree was quite entertaining.

"First Hokage-sama, about one kilometre ahead, I've spotted Konoha shinobi. It seems they've been sent to welcome you."

At that moment, Hyūga Hizashi suddenly spoke from the front.

"Excellent, excellent! Seems the Third Hokage is quite the hospitable fellow. Rawawa—!"

Aramaki swept his Observation Haki forward and immediately sensed a group of about one hundred chakra signatures—completely exposed, no killing intent, and with reassuring formation spacing.

His smile grew even brighter.

"Naturally, First Hokage-sama," Minato responded softly, keeping pace beside Aramaki with a gentle smile, though inwardly he was already certain this man was not the First Hokage.

Meanwhile, Sara, who was being carried by Akimichi Chōza, had a complicated expression.

In the end, she had chosen not to reveal anything about the World Government to Minato and the others.

After all, it hadn't been long since the World Government had saved Rōran—something she had personally witnessed and experienced firsthand.

That powerful emotional shift—from despair to salvation—remained vivid in her memory.

By comparison, the rebellion of Minister Anrokuzan and his subsequent defeat at the hands of Konoha shinobi was something she only knew secondhand, as those memories had been sealed.

Thus, Sara ultimately followed her heart. She was unwilling to betray the World Government like an ungrateful traitor, yet she still silently prayed for Konoha's safety.

It was the only thing a powerless woman like her could do.

Very soon, both sides met in a clearing deliberately left open within the forest. Nara Shikaku led the way forward with a smile.

"Good work, Minato, Hizashi, Gaku, Chōza."

After greeting his familiar colleagues, Shikaku turned with an earnest, respectful, and slightly curious expression toward the towering figure of Aramaki.

"This must be the First Hokage-sama. It's an honor to meet you!"

"I am the current head of the Nara Clan, Nara Shikaku. I've been ordered by the Third Hokage to escort you to Konoha."

Upon hearing this, Aramaki threw his head back and laughed loudly. "Rawawa! Then let's get moving! I can't wait to see Konoha!"

"Of course," Shikaku nodded respectfully. However, his gaze soon shifted to Sara, who had just jumped off Akimichi Chōza's back.

"This must be Her Majesty, the Queen of Rōran. Since you lack ninja abilities, we've prepared a palanquin for you."

As he spoke, a chūnin from the Sarutobi Clan stepped forward, leading the somewhat nervous Sara away.

Seeing this, Minato quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then let's depart," Shikaku smiled at the eager Aramaki, then turned and shouted, "Formation!"

With that, he swiftly leapt toward a large tree ahead.

"Hmm?"

Seeing Shikaku move, Aramaki instinctively lifted his foot to follow—thinking they were about to resume their tree-leaping travel.

But the moment he tried to step, his foot stuck fast to the leaf-covered ground.

Startled, he glanced down—and saw densely packed black script spreading up from his ankle. At the same time, shouts rang out around him, neat and synchronized:

"Shadow Imitation Technique!"

In the next instant, shadows shot out from all directions like low-flying arrows, swiftly connecting to the already immobilized Aramaki.

Immediately—

Everyone watched as Aramaki's body froze in place, while the black script that had first appeared now covered him entirely.

From atop a distant tree, Shikaku, who had also been channeling his clan's secret technique, let out a long breath of relief. His face lit up with delight.

"Tactic successful!"

At his words, the surrounding Konoha shinobi broke into wide grins.

No one had expected things to go so smoothly.

"What's going on?"

Akimichi Chōza and Inuzuka Gaku both looked baffled at the scene, while Hyūga Hizashi narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and began backing away from Aramaki.

"This man's a fake! He's not the First Hokage! Stay clear of him!" Shikaku shouted urgently to them, then turned to Yamanaka Inoichi standing nearby.

"I'm counting on you next."

"Got it!"

Inoichi, already prepared, formed the hand seals for his clan's secret jutsu, aiming straight at Aramaki.

"Mind Transfer Technique!"

"Pfft—"

But in the very next second, just as Hyuga Hiashi was about to support Yamanaka Inoichi's unconscious body,

Inoichi suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his previously healthy complexion draining pale in an instant, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

"How is this possible!!!"

"What happened?!"

Because he needed to maintain the hand seal for the Shadow Imitation Technique, Nara Shikaku could only turn his head anxiously and ask in alarm.

Hyuga Hiashi, supporting the limp Inoichi, also wore a look of confusion.

The nearby shinobi quickly noticed something was wrong, and the forest fell into a deathly silence, the atmosphere turning heavy and tense.

"T-There's... a wall... an unbelievably hard wall... inside his mind..."

As Yamanaka Inoichi stammered out words from his bloodied mouth,

Aramaki below suddenly let out a crazed, grating laugh that made everyone's ears ache.

"Rawawa—Rawawa—!"

Aramaki already understood the situation.

Although he knew that Minato and the others hadn't believed his explanation about being the First Hokage, he didn't expect them to ambush him so quickly, much less use some kind of spiritual attack.

"My willpower is so strong that even Conqueror's Haki can't shake it, and you think your pathetic little spiritual attack could break through?"

"Rawawa! This is hilarious! Such ignorance, such reckless bravado — not knowing your place at all! This will have me laughing for an entire year!"

Although Aramaki didn't possess actual Conqueror's Haki, he certainly wasn't the type to be knocked unconscious by someone else's Haki.

Aramaki's laughter and mocking words made all the Konoha shinobi at the scene turn ashen-faced.

"You talk big, but you're still immobilized, aren't you?"

Nara Shikaku growled back, his face dark with anger, then shouted: "Execute Plan B!"

"Shadow Strangle Technique!"

All ten members of the Nara Clan present, including Shikaku himself, shouted in unison.

Aramaki immediately sensed shadowy hands forming and creeping up his body like ghosts.

At the same time, ten members each from the Sarutobi Clan, the Uchiha Clan, and the Shimura Clan, who had been watching the scene unfold, stepped forward. They stood on the surrounding branches, forming hand seals rapidly in front of them.

A violent tide of flames, combined with surging gusts of wind, fused into an even fiercer inferno, engulfing Aramaki.

The flames spiraled upward visibly, forming a gigantic flaming tornado that towered high above the forest canopy.

"Something's wrong!!"

Even though the flaming tornado was still roaring and burning fiercely, Shikaku and the other members of the Nara clan could clearly feel it—through their ongoing Shadow Imitation Technique—the target was moving!

Their faces all changed dramatically.

Hiashi, who had kept his Byakugan activated the entire time, spoke at that moment: "He's still inside, but a layer of wooden defense has appeared around him—similar to a Water Formation Wall. And the flames haven't burned through it at all."

"Also, there's no chakra inside his body!"

"What?!"

Before they could ask any further, the furious flaming tornado finally exhausted the chakra sustaining it and collapsed on the spot.

All eyes were drawn to the scorched, lava-filled battlefield, where a bowl-shaped shield stood tall in the center.

And looking at its smooth surface and flowing luster, it didn't resemble Wood Release at all.

It looked far more like metal—like steel.

"Execute Plan C—"

Just as Nara Shikaku was about to shout his next order amidst the stunned silence,

"Shut up already!"

"Now it's time for my show!"

Aramaki's booming roar erupted across the battlefield.

At the same time, all the Konoha shinobi noticed something alarming: the ground under their feet and the trees around them began to shake violently, growing a second time at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Not good!"

Minato saw this scene and his expression changed drastically.

"Everyone, stay alert!!"

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