The Ten-Tails was still incredibly useful to Kitagawa Minamoto.
At the very least, he could use it to accelerate the planting of his Divine Tree!
"Moreover, there isn't just one Ten-Tails. Isshiki still has one in his possession. The question is, how much longer will it take for them to thaw out?"
Sometimes, Kitagawa Minamoto couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic toward Isshiki. After all, Isshiki had attached himself to Obito Uchiha. And no matter how strong Obito became, he always seemed to rely on Kamui in battle.
This reliance on Kamui had stunted Obito's tactical growth, making him a "one-trick pony" who relied on surprise attacks. If he couldn't win, he could always escape using Kamui. And if worse came to worst, he could use Izanagi to ensure his survival.
"It's practically cheating," Kitagawa Minamoto stroked his chin thoughtfully. But too much reliance on "cheating" could spell disaster for Isshiki.
"Looks like I'll need to find an opportunity to strike decisively. Otherwise, Obito will never get the growth he needs."
"Hokage-sama!" Just as Kitagawa Minamoto was deep in thought, Inoichi Yamanaka suddenly spoke urgently.
"There's new information from the frontlines!"
"Oh?" Kitagawa Minamoto paused, while Mei Terumī, Deidara, and the usually silent Gaara all turned their attention to him.
"What's happening on the frontlines? Has Akatsuki made another move?"
"Yes, Akatsuki's core forces have appeared." Inoichi, wearing specialized equipment to process the incoming intelligence, spoke with utmost seriousness.
"Not only that, but powerful Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation users have appeared on various battlefields—including the former Kage from different villages!"
"Tch, not surprising at all, hmm." Deidara shrugged, not finding this revelation particularly shocking. Mei Terumī nodded in agreement. Ever since Orochimaru had introduced Impure World Reincarnation, this development had been predictable.
Gaara, however, frowned and asked with some hesitation. "Can we confirm which Kage have been resurrected?"
"So far, it seems all the Kage from other villages are present—except for the Hokage." Inoichi replied awkwardly, which piqued Deidara's interest.
"All of them, huh? That's fantastic!"
"Indeed, this isn't necessarily a bad thing." Gaara murmured softly, while Mei Terumī raised her eyebrows in contemplation.
"It seems we've been a bit slow to react. But meeting these former Kage doesn't sound like a bad idea after all."
"Minamoto, should we head to the frontlines?" Deidara suddenly sat up straight and suggested in a low voice.
"Just like when we went to Kumogakure before—staying here is boring. Even the old man has gone out. We younger ones shouldn't just sit around, right?"
"I think it's worth considering." Mei Terumī, who harbored a deep resentment toward Akatsuki, found herself agreeing.
Whether it was their control over Kirigakure in the past, their recent attack on Yagura, or their ambush on the Fourth Mizukage—all of it made her unwilling to remain idle. Besides, with her village's former Kage now resurrected, she was even less inclined to stay behind!
"I also think we should act. As Kage, we shouldn't leave everything to our subordinates." Gaara spoke earnestly, clearly uninterested in staying put.
"Is that so?" Kitagawa Minamoto stroked his chin, pondering for a moment before nodding.
He was already planning to "help" Obito and his allies speed up their progress, and this presented the perfect opportunity to send Black Zetsu to "retrieve" certain items. Given the circumstances, staying here indeed seemed pointless. It was better to go out and take action!
"Alright then, let's move."
"What?" Shikaku Nara's eyes widened in disbelief. Not just him—everyone else looked equally shocked.
Why were these young Kage so restless?
"Isn't this a bit impulsive? We still need people here..."
"Actually, you're more than enough. We can always stay in contact." Kitagawa Minamoto interrupted Shikaku with a smile, before he could finish his sentence.
"Besides, the Third Hokage is still in Konohagakure. You can have him come over to assist you. And since Akatsuki has resurrected the Kage, we can't just sit back and watch."
"I see..." Shikaku sighed helplessly. These Kage were beyond his ability to command.
Given the complexity of the situation, letting them proactively engage to accelerate the war's progress seemed like a reasonable choice. With that in mind, he decided not to stop them. Kitagawa Minamoto and the others were already standing up.
"Alright then, let's prepare to move out—especially you all." Kitagawa Minamoto smiled slightly, stretching his neck as he spoke in a low voice.
"Don't embarrass yourselves in front of those old-timers, especially in front of your own troops."
"Tch, as if that would happen, hmm!" Deidara grinned widely. Mei Terumī clenched her fists, while Gaara nodded solemnly.
They were all eager to see how the former Kage would perform!
"There's a massive amount of Chakra ahead—it seems we've been sent to the battlefield." In the mountainous terrain, the Second Tsuchikage used his Chakra to sense the surroundings, speaking in a slightly irritable tone after a while.
During his lifetime, he had not only been the Second Tsuchikage but also an exceptionally skilled sensory ninja. His ability to control the battlefield was unparalleled.
"Still, it's surprising to see all the villages united this time."
"Tch, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Did you expect a single village to handle those troublesome foes?" The Second Mizukage twitched his mustache and shrugged, though his expression quickly turned to annoyance.
"Honestly, you're reliable, but teaming up with you is really unpleasant."
"Hmph, same here." The Second Tsuchikage snorted coldly, clearly unable to forget how they had mutually destroyed each other in the past.
"Do you think I enjoy being stuck with an oily, eyebrow-less guy like you? I won't hold back against your successors!"
"Tch, careful you don't mess up, zombie." The Second Mizukage shrugged indifferently, though he couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
"Honestly, facing my successors is unpleasant. I wonder how much they've grown—it's unsettling."
"Perhaps... they've grown a bit." The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, finally spoke up, though he seemed uncertain.
He had wanted to ask Chiyo about the current Fifth Kazekage, but Chiyo hadn't bothered to explain. This left him feeling awkward, though he understood why. He knew that his poor choices had nearly doomed Sunagakure.
"Sigh... If I hadn't made those choices back then, would things really be any better now?"
Suddenly, the Second Tsuchikage's expression changed slightly. He had sensed an overwhelming surge of Chakra—so immense it made him feel despair.
This Chakra was both gentle, like nature itself, yet violent, as if it could destroy everything.
"What is this?" The Second Tsuchikage instinctively felt uneasy. But before he could think further, the Chakra vanished in an instant. It was as if it had never been there, leaving him feeling disoriented.
"Hey, zombie, what's wrong with you?" The Second Mizukage noticed the Tsuchikage's odd behavior and asked curiously. But before he could get an answer, another powerful Chakra surged—this time accompanied by a massive wave of sand!
The sandstorm gathered like a tidal wave, sweeping toward them with incredible force.
"Wow, what a magnificent sand wave! Whose handiwork is this?" The Second Mizukage was thrilled, his playful nature evident. Being resurrected, he wasn't inclined to take things seriously.
"This is..." Rasa recognized the familiar Chakra within the sandstorm, and his body instinctively reacted. Placing his hands on the ground, he summoned a massive wave of sand to counter the incoming attack.
"Ah, seems like it's someone from your village." The Second Mizukage chuckled, though he scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Magnet Release, huh? But I thought Sunagakure specialized in puppet techniques?"
"Times have changed, Second Mizukage-sama!" A voice echoed from above, followed by an explosion of ferocious Chakra.
"Lava Release: Dissolving Technique!" "Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
The air was suddenly filled with highly corrosive acid and equally corrosive, high-temperature mist. In an instant, the three were enveloped in the deadly combination.
"My, my! Lava Release and Boil Release from the same person—not bad at all!" The Second Mizukage raised an eyebrow, impressed.
"You lunatic! How did I end up dying alongside you?" The Second Tsuchikage felt utterly embarrassed. However, he was relieved that the overwhelming Chakra he had sensed earlier had disappeared, and it seemed to belong to the Allied Shinobi Forces.
"Well, it seems you've revealed your position too..." Without hesitation, he raised his hand, white Chakra light gathering in his palm.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
To his surprise, an identical white beam of light appeared in the sky. The two massive beams collided in midair, releasing a cataclysmic force!
As the light faded, a massive crater had formed on the ground—a testament to the incredible power of the technique.
"Ōnoki? No..." The Second Tsuchikage looked up to see a young man with blond hair sitting on a clay bird in the sky.
The Second Mizukage's face broke into a grin. "Dust Release, huh? Hey, zombie, is that your student Ōnoki? I wonder how that little runt looks now—is he even older than you?"
"Why don't you see for yourself?" The Second Tsuchikage snorted coldly before continuing.
"The person who used those techniques earlier must be from your village. It seems we've got shinobi from three villages gathered here."
"Tch, I was hoping it wasn't someone from Kirigakure." The Second Mizukage pursed his lips. He didn't mind killing shinobi from other villages—that was just bad luck on their part. But if a talented shinobi from his own village died here, that would be unfortunate. His biggest concern was one particular possibility.
"Hey, do you think the current Kage are the ones who've come to face us?"
"As much as I hate to admit it, you're right, mustache man!" Deidara, having overheard their conversation, cheerfully confirmed their suspicions.
"I'm the Fourth Tsuchikage, hmm!"
"It seems Iwagakure has produced an idiot Tsuchikage." The Second Tsuchikage's body was wrapped in bandages, but the Second Mizukage could sense his displeasure. However, when he glanced at Mei Terumī, his smile faded.
"So, you're the current Mizukage?"
"Second Mizukage-sama, I am the Fifth Mizukage." Mei Terumī nodded respectfully.
"I never imagined I'd meet you. Our failure to protect you and the others led to the current situation."
"Then that means..." Rasa looked up at the figure floating in the air, whose features somewhat resembled his own. With mixed emotions, he asked:
"Gaara, are you now the Fifth Kazekage?"
"Yes." Unfortunately, Gaara merely nodded coldly, seemingly uninterested in conversing with his father.
"Sigh, it seems the shinobi world truly has changed. We old-timers have indeed been left behind." The Second Mizukage could only sigh in resignation, while the Second Tsuchikage added:
"Well then, young Kage, prepare yourselves. Though we'd rather not fight..."
"We no longer have a choice!"
"Tch, to think we'd be paired with traitors like you." In the Land of Hot Water, the Third and Fourth Raikage stood together, both looking at their companions with disgust.
These two were tall, with horns growing from their heads, and carried various tools—a gourd, a sword, and a rope. Without a doubt, they were Kinkaku and Ginkaku, the infamous duo who had assassinated the Second Raikage and killed the Second Hokage!
"Traitor is a relative term. Losers are called traitors, but winners are hailed as reformers and visionaries." Kinkaku and Ginkaku looked at the Third and Fourth Raikage with equal contempt.
"If anyone deserves to be called traitors and fools, it's you two."
"One of you had mental issues, sacrificing yourself to let your subordinates escape. The other trusted someone as devious as Tobirama Senju. Kumogakure's downfall was inevitable with leadership like yours."
"You..." The father-son Raikage duo clenched their fists, but they were currently unable to attack their "allies."
If they could, they would have already smashed these brothers' skulls in!
"Hmm?" Suddenly, they sensed something unusual.
Looking up, they spotted a figure appearing at the forefront of the White Zetsu army. When they saw this person, they immediately felt something was wrong—his Chakra was unexpectedly powerful.
"It's him..." The Fourth Raikage's expression instantly darkened. At the same moment, Orochimaru, who was controlling the Impure World Reincarnation, also reacted.
"So he's here. In that case..."
After a moment's thought, he relayed the information to White Zetsu, and simultaneously, Black Zetsu, Obito, Nagato, and even Kimimaro received the message.
"Kitagawa Minamoto has arrived!"
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