"War... has begun."
In a remote town at the border of the Land of Fire, a man wrapped in bandages furrowed his brows. Beside him, a young figure with a feminine appearance also carried a hint of melancholy.
"Yes, Zabuza-sama. The major villages have already mobilized."
These two were none other than Zabuza Momochi and Haku. Ever since Kitagawa Minamoto had freed them in the Land of Waves, the two had learned their lesson. Rather than staying in the Land of Waves, they had ventured deep into the shinobi continent, finding a relatively peaceful place to live in seclusion.
However, with the outbreak of war, peace was no longer an option for them. This war was far larger in scope than they had ever imagined!
"This is truly terrible..." After a moment of silence, Zabuza shook his head and finally spoke. "Or perhaps... it's incredibly interesting!"
"Zabuza-sama, should we leave this place?" Haku couldn't help but ask softly. In her eyes, the current situation was far too complex to ignore.
"Heading to the Land of Fire might be better, especially since the Fifth Hokage is there."
"That's true, but we're not going there for shelter." After a brief pause, Zabuza suddenly grinned, surprising Haku.
"Zabuza-sama, are you thinking..."
"That guy spared us once before. Even though I still find it frustrating, it's not like we can't do something in return."
"Are we going to join the fight, Zabuza-sama?"
"Hmm... it wouldn't feel right not to do something at such a grand event." Muttering to himself, Zabuza pulled out a kunai from his waist and examined it closely.
Before long, he made his decision. And at the same moment, many others across the shinobi world were making similar choices.
With the shinobi world in chaos and war breaking out on such a massive scale, no one could truly remain uninvolved. Numerous rogue shinobi and even mercenary groups began trickling into the Land of Fire. People like Zabuza and Haku were not alone—many others, scattered across the lands, were heading to Amegakure to gather, including some familiar faces.
For instance, shinobi from the Hidden Waterfall Village had voluntarily come to the Land of Fire to join the fight. Even shinobi from smaller nations like the Land of Frost were arriving in significant numbers.
Surprisingly, even a few shinobi from Kumogakure had "volunteered" to support the effort. Though Kumogakure harbored considerable animosity toward the shinobi world, according to their own "explanation," they claimed to have "warriors of justice" among them.
"This war is truly different from the others."
In the command center of the Land of Fire's capital, Shikaku Nara glanced at his friend Inoichi Yamanaka and couldn't help but voice his thoughts.
The command center had been set up outside Konohagakure to avoid any bias, especially given the highly complex makeup of the participating shinobi forces. Just like during the previous Three Kage Summit, they had chosen a neutral location in the Land of Fire to coordinate and direct the operations.
"In past wars, the goal was either to secure better development for one's village or to protect one's homeland."
"But this time, it's an organization declaring war on the entire shinobi world. I've never seen anything like it in all my years." Inoichi shrugged and replied with a smile.
"Perhaps the Hokage was right—that Obito Uchiha has a screw loose. But our tasks aren't exactly easy either."
"True..." Shikaku nodded. After extensive discussions, the shinobi forces had been divided into five units.
Three were large-scale units assigned to the main battlefronts. One was a smaller unit tasked with dealing with Akatsuki forces in the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Waves. The final unit was a mobile force designated for reinforcement across various battlefields.
However, the special mobile unit was still far from fully assembled, which was proving to be a headache.
"Naruto's Nine-Tails isn't exactly cooperative, and Sasuke hasn't fully recovered yet—it's quite troublesome."
"Don't worry. With the Second and Fourth Hokage on hand, things aren't as bad as they seem. And the Fifth Hokage can intervene at any time, can't he?" Inoichi shrugged again, his confidence leaning toward the older generation.
After all, they had more experience. Of course, among the younger generation, his greatest trust lay in the Fifth Hokage, Kitagawa Minamoto. But Kitagawa Minamoto was an exception—there was hardly anyone who didn't believe in him!
"Besides, isn't the biggest headache those scattered shinobi showing up? They're the ones causing the most trouble, aren't they?"
"Exactly. Screening them is a nightmare, but we can't turn them away either." Shikaku sighed deeply. Not only did they have to guard against Akatsuki spies among these arrivals, but they also couldn't afford to dampen their enthusiasm.
It was a delicate balance that would frustrate anyone.
"Especially those Kumogakure shinobi who've come on their own. Their village hasn't made any official statement."
"Those guys are trying to play both sides, aren't they?" Inoichi raised an eyebrow and shook his head disdainfully.
"Do they think it's still the old days? Aren't they afraid of biting off more than they can chew?"
"Who knows what they're thinking? Anyway, let's focus on our own tasks." Shikaku stretched lazily before speaking with a smile.
"We need to ensure smooth progress on the frontlines, coordinate the various units, and implement effective tactics. We've got plenty of work ahead of us."
"Indeed." Inoichi smiled, glancing at the new allies from Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and even Sunagakure around them. He sighed softly.
"This time, it's truly extraordinary..."
While they chatted casually, the battles across the shinobi world were intensifying, and Akatsuki's White Zetsu army had begun to move.
"This is getting troublesome..." Kakashi, leading the First Division, frowned as he saw enemies suddenly appear ahead.
Among the figures were numerous White Zetsu clones, and at the forefront stood four individuals wearing Kirigakure forehead protectors. Their faces were covered in cracks, a clear sign that they had been resurrected using Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation.
In addition to them, there were shinobi from various villages preparing to engage. Clearly, Akatsuki had assembled a diverse collection of shinobi for this war!
"Akatsuki's members are truly despicable. They've got all kinds of people fighting for them." Guy muttered under his breath, but soon his excitement began to rise.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist... Kirigakure really dropped the ball on this one. But still..."
"Hey, hey, hey—this is war!" Kakashi noticed Guy's change in mood and rolled his eyes.
"Also, those resurrected with Impure World Reincarnation can't be killed. Notify the sealing team to stay ready, and make sure they're protected at all costs."
"Got it, got it—I know!" Guy gave Kakashi a thumbs-up and grinned.
"I might lose to you when it comes to students, but I won't lose in other areas! Youth is meant to burn brightly!"
"You're such a handful..." Kakashi chuckled, lifting his forehead protector to reveal his Sharingan. He understood why Guy was so fired up—after all, Guy's father had once faced the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, unleashing the power of "youth."
That legacy had inspired Guy to this day. Now, facing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen again, it was only natural for Guy to be excited.
"Alright, alright—prepare for battle. We... hmm?" At that moment, Kakashi sensed something and looked up. To his surprise, Zabuza and Haku were already approaching!
"Huh? It's you?" Zabuza's arrival caught Kakashi off guard, and even the resurrected swordsmen looked surprised.
"Well, well... isn't this Zabuza? I didn't expect you to still be alive." Fuguki Suikazan raised an eyebrow and spoke sarcastically. Kushimaru Kuriarare remained silent, while Jinpachi Munashi sneered.
"Just another guy who picked up Jūzō's sword. But whatever—if you've got the blade, you must have some skill."
"True. I heard only you and Kisame survived after defecting. But to think you'd side with Konohagakure..." Ameyuri Ringo scoffed, though his gaze lingered on Guy.
"Tch... isn't this the brat from back then? I wonder how you compare to your father!"
Not just him—the other swordsmen couldn't help but focus on Guy. They had all suffered at the hands of Guy's father, Might Duy. Even if they hadn't been killed outright, the encounter had left a lasting impact.
It could be said that Might Duy single-handedly shattered the morale of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Now, meeting Guy, they naturally had mixed feelings.
"Why are you here?" Kakashi remained cautious, but curiosity crept into his tone.
"Minamoto spared you two—you were supposed to be in hiding. So why..."
"Hmph... this war isn't just for you lot." Zabuza snorted coldly, eyeing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and the resurrected forces behind them.
"I wanted to enjoy a peaceful life, but these guys wouldn't allow it. Don't forget—they tried recruiting me back then!"
"Looks like we'll be fighting side by side this time." Kakashi couldn't help but feel nostalgic. Zabuza had crossed paths with him twice before, both times as an enemy. Now, their roles had completely reversed—they were allies.
"The world truly is strange."
"Indeed it is. By the way, your command center sent me here." Zabuza hefted his Kubikiribōchō, feeling a peculiar sense of destiny. It seemed he couldn't escape Kakashi's presence.
"Though Minamoto isn't here, making me feel you're less reliable, let's team up to deal with these guys!"
"Come on—without Minamoto, you've never beaten me anyway, right?" Kakashi chuckled, but his demeanor quickly turned serious.
"Alright, let's move out. We can't afford to lose this one!"
With his orders issued, the shinobi behind him prepared themselves, charging toward the resurrected forces alongside him.
Meanwhile, battles were erupting across other regions. Whether it was Kitsuchi and Kurotsuchi's father-daughter duo, Temari and Kankurō's sibling pair, or Kirigakure forces—everyone was engaging their respective enemies.
This Fourth Shinobi World War had no room for hesitation. From the very beginning, the fighting was intense!
"Damn it, why can't I join the fight, hmm!" At the command center, Deidara was irritably poking at his hand, clearly frustrated.
"The old man gets to go with the reinforcement unit, so why am I stuck here? It's infuriating!"
"Keep it down. As Kage, we can't just run off wherever we please," Mei Terumī heard Deidara's complaints and massaged her temples, which only irritated Deidara further.
"But the old man hasn't officially announced anything yet! He hasn't stepped down, but he gets to have all the fun while I'm stuck here. It's so unfair, hmm!"
"Idiot." Kitagawa Minamoto rolled his eyes. In truth, he was feeling rather bored himself.
"I haven't officially announced anything either, but everyone knows I'm the Fifth Hokage. To be honest, I'm not thrilled about this situation either, but it's necessary."
"As Kage, we need to show restraint. Besides, Akatsuki's core members haven't appeared yet," Mei Terumī added, following Kitagawa's lead. She tilted her head curiously and asked, "Speaking of which, Minamoto, when do you think they'll make their move?"
"That's a question I don't have the answer to," Kitagawa Minamoto shrugged, though in reality, Kisame had provided him with considerable intelligence about Akatsuki.
They were already moving toward various battlefields, and Orochimaru had activated Kabuto to inquire about certain details within Konoha. It was easy to imagine that once they were in position, the intensity of the battles would escalate dramatically.
Most importantly...
"Nagato, Kimimaro, and Obito have all joined the fight. We're just not sure about Madara Uchiha's location yet."
It wasn't surprising that these three had joined the battle—they needed to free their Ōtsutsuki parasites, after all. The most troublesome was Madara Uchiha, whose whereabouts remained unknown and who could cause significant problems.
"But there's nothing to fear. Hashirama Senju has been waiting for him all along. Once they start moving, things will only get more interesting."
Kitagawa Minamoto was in excellent spirits. Their preparations for this war had been thorough. Perhaps the only thing that frustrated him was that Sasuke's eyes hadn't fully integrated yet.
"That's somewhat delaying my mission..."
He hadn't completely gathered the powers of Indra and Asura, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would obtain them during this war.
"And the Divine Tree source within me has almost fully recovered, with the fruit nearly ready. So..."
"I'm just waiting for Obito or Nagato to release the Ten-Tails. Then it will truly be my era!"
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