Whoosh! Tenten flashed to a kunai, arriving right at the Gedō Mazō's thigh, and then she controlled the Kōkinjō (Golden Binding Rope) and snapped it onto the Gedō Mazō's body.
In the next second, the Gedō Mazō trembled uncontrollably. Its roaring mouth even clamped shut.
Looks like the Kōkinjō (Golden Binding Rope) was working. The Gedō Mazō was enduring it, forcing itself not to spit out the Kotodama (spirit word)!
"Stop it!"
Obito's eyes were bloodshot, but he could not do anything about it. Tenten was still a bit far, and her speed was too fast.
Tenten was not about to waste this perfect chance. She slapped a hand onto the Gedō Mazō's leg and successfully left a Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) formula. She was just about to plant a few more formulas in other spots when she suddenly sensed danger.
So she did not hesitate. She flashed away.
In the next instant, lightning surged over the Gedō Mazō's body and struck the position where Tenten had just been.
If Tenten had been even a fraction slower, she really would have been fried.
But at the same time, the Gedō Mazō failed to hold back. It opened its mouth and spat out a clump of something—exactly the Kotodama (spirit word) that had been forced out by the Kōkinjō (Golden Binding Rope)!
"I'll slice up that Kotodama curse you!"
Tenten threw another Jutsushiki Kunai (Formula Kunai) toward the Kotodama, but a kunai shot down from above and knocked her Formula Kunai aside—22.
It was Kabuto!
Obito also used the opening to close in on Tenten. So startled that her scalp went cold, Tenten hurriedly flashed behind Kakashi.
She was the key to the Kotodama curse. Whether this succeeded depended on her, so she was not stupid enough to personally take Obito head-on. She left that to Obito's real opponent.
Earlier, Kakashi and A had coordinated a hit on Obito. After that, with the Gedō Mazō appearing, Kakashi had to go help regulate the Alliance's troop deployments. Only now did he make it back—because the Allied forces were already set. At any time, they could swarm the Gedō Mazō.
Naturally, Kakashi supported Tenten's operation.
If Tenten could successfully seal the Gedō Mazō, then this battle was effectively decided.
So when Obito chased up, Kakashi decisively stepped in. At that, Obito had an urge to cry.
Kakashi again!
And he could not even go intangible anymore!
How was he supposed to fight this?!
At the same time, on the other side, Natsuki flashed onto the turtle, arriving right beside Sasuke.
Sasuke saw how battered Natsuki looked and was immediately alarmed. "Natsuki? Why do you look like this? Is the front line that tight?"
Natsuki nodded and called everyone over. "This place has already been discovered. Even Gaara hiding at Mount Myōboku was dragged back by the enemy. Hiding is useless now. Everyone, come with me to the battlefield. Fight shoulder to shoulder with our comrades!"
The moment he said that, the four Jinchūriki laughed—and all of them looked at Sasuke.
It was obvious. They were tired of waiting.
Naruto clenched his fist. "I trained here at the Waterfall of Truth, and Killer Bee-ojisan also guided me. I'm a perfect Jinchūriki now, so it's time to show what I can do, ya know! I've been pushing to go out and fight this whole time, but Sasuke kept stopping me. I've been going crazy holding it in!"
Sasuke snorted. "What do you know? This is an Allied operation. If we Jinchūriki rush over recklessly, there's a risk of getting captured. Then we're just causing trouble. Didn't you see how battered Natsuki looks? Don't get arrogant just because you've gained a little strength. The enemy's power is beyond imagination. We have to be cautious."
Naruto scratched his head, unable to talk his way past Sasuke.
At this point, Sasuke no longer had even a trace of his original self. He had grown into an outstanding powerhouse.
His strength was not weak at all. But like Gaara, he understood the big picture. He knew that hiding first was the best way to ensure victory.
If they had not been exposed, hiding might have remained the plan, and the Jinchūriki might not have taken the field at all.
Which meant that the current situation was already terrible. It was not optimistic in the slightest.
Natsuki explained, "Sasuke's right. The situation is not good. Orochimaru was revived by Kabuto, and then he used Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation) to bring back the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage. The Second and Fourth both know Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)—they use it even more smoothly than Tenten and I do. And the First is godlike. I'm not confident I can beat him."
This…
How did things end up like this?!
No one expected that the four Hokage, summoned back by Edo Tensei, would become the enemy's power.
Kabuto really deserved to die.
And when Naruto heard that the Fourth was here, his emotions immediately surged. He had clearly already met Minato within the seal and knew the truth about himself.
Now he could barely wait to see his dad.
But the moment he thought about how his dad had become a tool for Kabuto and Orochimaru, anger flooded him as well.
"What about Madara and Obito?" Sasuke asked about the key figures.
"As for Madara… I fought him a few times, and then he slipped up and got sucked into Tenten's red gourd. He's sealed right now."
…What?
Natsuki's answer left them all dazed.
Madara, of all people, had already been sealed away?
But when they remembered that Hashirama—Madara's equal—was still present, they did not feel any more relieved.
Either way, the enemy was strong. They could not underestimate them.
"Even though Madara is sealed, that doesn't guarantee he can't come back out. Someone might seize Tenten's red gourd—anything is possible. Also, the Gedō Mazō is the Ten-Tails' body, and the Ten-Tails was split into the nine Bijū. That means it may have special suppression or sealing power over Bijū, so you must be careful!"
Natsuki continued to warn them. Only after everyone nodded did he flash again, bringing them all back to the main battlefield.
The moment they arrived, seeing the chaotic melee everywhere, the Jinchūriki were briefly stunned.
Natsuki immediately grabbed Shikamaru and hauled him over. "Shikamaru, the Jinchūriki are here. You handle the battle assignments. Don't let them act recklessly. Place their combat power where it makes sense. Most importantly, do not let them get captured!"
"Alright, alright, I get it, I get it!"
Shikamaru scratched his head in frustration, then said to the five of them, "Killer Bee-ojisan, you go coordinate with A-sama. You two brothers together are unbeatable, and that's where you'll be safest."
Killer Bee immediately pointed two fingers at Shikamaru. "Nara kid, smart kid, your arrangement is high-level, you know, yeah!"
Then he flashed straight toward his big brother and threw himself at Tobirama with a Rairyū Netsutō (Liger Bomb).
"Bro, I'm here!"
"Hahaha! Bee, let's fight together!"
"Absolute beast Liger Bomb!"
The two brothers attacked Tobirama from front and back, the "pillar of the nation" pushing into a situation that was impossible to evade.
But the one in the middle was Tobirama.
Sensing the power of their attack, he naturally did not meet it head-on. He used Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) and vanished.
The two brothers missed with a misalignment. They were not discouraged at all, and continued to pursue Tobirama.
(End of Chapter)
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