Meanwhile, Kabuto and Orochimaru's group had already arrived outside Konoha, at the Uzumaki clan shrine.
Don't ask how they got there so quickly. They were just there.
Although the Land of Whirlpools had long since fallen, a shrine still existed in Konoha—because Uzumaki Mito, Senju Hashirama's wife, and Uzumaki Kushina, Namikaze Minato's wife, were both Uzumaki, and neither of them had a simple background.
However, with Mito and Kushina both deceased, the shrine had gradually fallen into ruin.
After entering the shrine, Orochimaru extended snake heads from his hands and began selecting among the masks on the wall. Before long, he had chosen one.
Kabuto was curious. "You found it that fast?"
Orochimaru laughed hoarsely. "Hehehe. I've seen the Shinigami before, after all. I know its scent. Next, I only need to summon the Shinigami, and trade it sacrifices for the souls of my arms… and the souls of several Hokage. Kabuto, did you bring the White Zetsu?"
Kabuto tossed out several White Zetsu. "Already prepared. Please use them, Orochimaru-sama."
However, Kabuto didn't seem particularly interested in the ritual to come. He looked absent-minded, as if thinking about something else.
Orochimaru noticed. "What? Do you have something to do?"
Kabuto didn't hide it. "Earlier, because of the Rinnegan matter, Obito set me up. I was thinking… he probably wants to see the person he loves most, so I want to… [ ? ]."
"Hehehe. Kabuto, you really are a wicked man."
Orochimaru said that, but he didn't stop him. "Go handle your business. Guren and the others will guard this place—nothing will go wrong. I'm going to begin the ritual. I'm looking forward to getting my arms back."
With that, he put on the mask and began the ritual to summon the Shinigami.
Kabuto left the shrine and headed straight for the cemetery.
He'd been an infiltrator in Konoha for quite a while, so he naturally knew how to find the graves of those who died during the Third Shinobi War. Not long after, he found Nohara Rin's headstone.
"Heh. Obito… if you offend a venomous snake, you should be prepared to be bitten back. I'll let your beloved white moonlight witness what you've become. I wonder whether her heart will ache… or whether yours will hurt even more?"
When Kabuto returned to the shrine, Orochimaru's ritual was already finished.
Orochimaru clenched and unclenched his fists, savoring the strength in his hands, and the smile on his face finally became much more genuine.
Only he knew how agonizing it had been to lose his arms. Now that he had retrieved them—now that he had healthy hands again—many things would become far easier.
As for the four people who had been brought back via Edo Tensei, they all looked tense.
Senju Tobirama glared at Orochimaru with hostility. "So it's you again—this Orochimaru—using Edo Tensei to bring us back? You dare abuse the technique I created!"
Hiruzen looked shocked as well. "My soul—and the souls of the First and Second—should have been devoured by the Shinigami. And yet Minato has been released too. Even a technique like Shiki Fūjin (Reaper Death Seal) has been undone. Orochimaru, what exactly are you trying to do?!"
Hashirama scratched his head. "So… what's going on here?"
Minato, on the other hand, smiled like a little sun. "First Hokage-sama, Second Hokage-sama, hello. I'm the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato. Third Hokage-sama, long time no see."
"Oh? You're the Fourth? It's already the Fourth?" Hashirama looked very interested. "So how is the village now? It should be stable and peaceful, right?"
Minato awkwardly scratched his head. "Uh… I don't know. I died earlier than Third Hokage-sama, so I was swallowed by the Shinigami first."
Hashirama suddenly understood. "Right. You and Saru weren't sealed together. Then who is the Fifth now?"
Orochimaru kindly reminded him, "It's your granddaughter, Tsunade."
At that, Hashirama's expression stiffened, and he looked deeply worried about the village—leaving everyone confused. Was he worried Tsunade couldn't protect the village properly?
"It's because I spoiled little Tsuna back then. She learned my gambling habit. I'm really afraid she'll gamble the whole village away… hahahaha!"
Seeing the so-called God of Shinobi acting so unreliable, everyone immediately had black lines all over their faces.
It really felt like this "God of Shinobi" was not what they had imagined.
At that moment, Hiruzen stared straight at Orochimaru and demanded sternly, "Orochimaru, you brought the four of us back with Edo Tensei—what are you doing this for? Don't tell me you still intend to destroy the village?!"
"Oh, no, no, no. [ ? ] doesn't matter."
Kabuto walked in, pushing up his glasses. "Right now, Madara has launched the Fourth Shinobi World War. We're here to take you to the battlefield!"
What?! The Fourth Shinobi World War?!
Hashirama couldn't help pressing a hand to his forehead. "That baka Madara… what on earth is he doing now?"
Minato asked, "So the situation is bad, and you want us to help?"
Kabuto shook his head. "No—you've misunderstood. We're not on the side of the Allied Shinobi Forces. We're with Madara. And we're not asking you for help. You have no choice but to follow orders and act as Madara's partners… and join the final battle against the Allied Shinobi Forces."
Those words left all four Hokage stunned.
They could vaguely sense that this shinobi war was unlike any before—perhaps it had already gone completely insane, beyond anything they could imagine.
Early the next morning, the Allied Shinobi Forces began moving.
Every division pulled its defensive lines back, relying tightly on the main headquarters. Since they knew Madara would attack aggressively, scattering their forces wasn't a good idea. Better to unite and face the powerful enemy together.
A, Tsunade, and the others stopped sitting in offices. Instead, they set up directly on the front line—discussing tactics while waiting for the enemy to arrive.
As for Natsuki and Tenten, they'd slept wonderfully. After washing up, they also enjoyed a satisfying breakfast.
Then they prepared all their gear, refreshed and high-spirited, and headed to the front.
"So today is the decisive battle?" Natsuki looked at the arrangement and understood. "But I don't think having more people will necessarily help. It might just mean more casualties."
A was confident. "Natsuki, you're young. Maybe you haven't seen true army warfare. People say 'strength in numbers' for a reason—it's not just talk. Madara's Fire Release is strong, so we counter with a crowd of Water Release. It's that simple. With enough people, numbers do matter."
Tsunade explained in more detail. "Natsuki, I know you're strong, but Madara is an Edo Tensei body. His chakra is endless, while you will eventually run out. When that happens, others have to step in so you have time to rest. Do you understand?"
Natsuki nodded. He did understand.
So next… it's eighty thousand versus two. The advantage is ours, right?
(End of Chapter)
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