Some days passed before the dust settled.
Kasuka Kazahana had finally taken her place as the heir to the throne. Since Ye Liang had acquired the cursed blade, the other princes were powerless to object.
However, the situation in the Land of Snow looked grim!
A massive wave of White Zetsu launched an attack. Perhaps because their master had been defeated by Ye Liang, their assault was ferocious beyond measure—relentless, as if they would fight to their last breath.
Ye Liang arrived at the border.
The Uchiha warriors fought desperately against these White Zetsu, yet suffered heavy losses. Their casualties far outweighed their victories.
There were simply too many White Zetsu.
"Lord Ye Liang, we can no longer remain in the Land of Snow—we must retreat!" Fugaku Uchiha urged urgently.
"We cannot retreat. These White Zetsu thrive on war itself. If we abandon the Land of Snow now, all civilians behind our lines will be infected and turned into allies."
Ye Liang analyzed.
From his previous battle against Fake Ye Liang, he had already pieced everything together.
Fake Ye Liang must have arrived in the Naruto world in much the same way as Ye Liang had done, except earlier, giving him stronger foundational abilities.
However, instead of targeting Konoha like Ye Liang had done, he directly formed an alliance with Black Zetsu.
And became a villain?
"What should we do then? The Uchiha clan can barely hold on any longer!" Fugaku Uchiha anxiously asked.
Ye Liang gazed toward the distant battlefield, slowly walking up onto a high hill.
He raised the cursed blade and channeled all of his chakra into it.
"Then let's kill them all!"
With a mighty roar!
[Arc Slash] swept across the battlefield filled with White Zetsu.
Its range was astonishingly wide, and those White Zetsu bathed in red light were instantly shredded into dust by the sword's aura!
Everyone was stunned!
That single slash had just killed tens of thousands of White Zetsu!
It was as absurdly impossible as pigs flying in the sky.
The Uchiha warriors felt their spirits lift, while the remaining White Zetsu, terrified, began fleeing for their lives without daring to look back, fearing being cut down by another slash.
Fugaku Uchiha quickly rushed over to support Ye Liang.
That single powerful slash had completely drained Ye Liang's body, leaving him somewhat exhausted.
"This slash should stall them for a while. Quickly prepare to contact the other ninja villages."
"Contact other ninja villages? Lord Ye Liang, what exactly are you planning?"
[Establish Otogakure!]
...
Time passed swiftly—seasons changed, and so did the fate of nations.
Konoha welcomed back someone who hadn't been seen in a long time—an old ally returned.
Hokage office.
"Ye Liang, you want us Konoha to submit to your Otogakure?"
"Not submission—merger! You know the current crisis well enough. Those insidious White Zetsu nearly infected the entire world."
"So what? Handling Konoha's affairs is naturally our own business!" Danzo glared darkly at Ye Liang before him.
Half a year ago, a force calling itself Otogakure suddenly emerged near the Land of Snow. It rapidly absorbed nearby minor ninja groups, even drawing samurai from the Land of Snow into its ranks.
The faction soon grew immensely powerful.
And their leader's name is Ye Liang.
"Then have Hiruzen Sarutobi come see me! I'll talk to him!"
"Haha, get your facts straight. I'm the current acting Hokage—Hiruzen long stepped back from the frontline," Danzo Shimura said contemptuously.
"You..."
Ye Liang could barely draw a breath.
Originally, he had planned to ally with Konoha to handle the White Zetsu threat. But Danzo stood in his way, putting him in a tough spot.
This man was stubborn to the point of arrogance and harbored deep hostility toward Ye Liang—he wasn't going to listen.
"Then just wait there to die!" Furious, Ye Liang stormed out of the Hokage office with his subordinates.
Halfway there—
"Lord Ye Liang, are we really leaving Konoha behind? If the White Zetsu spreads here, the upcoming battle will become even harder." Fugaku Uchiha asked with concern.
As Otogakure's strategist, Fugaku was also Ye Liang's deputy.
"It's not that I don't want to help—it's that I can't. You know what kind of person Danzo is."
Fugaku fell silent at those words.
Indeed.
Fugaku knew Danzo all too well. During the previous Anbu attack, although Ye Liang had saved the Uchiha clan, Danzo still killed many of their members.
The hatred between both sides could no longer be resolved.
"You go back with the others first. I've got something personal to settle here—I'll follow later."
"Understood, Lord Ye Liang." Fugaku took his leave and left with his subordinates.
Ye Liang silently vanished into the shadows.
An apartment.
Kushina had finally managed to lull Naruto to sleep. Wiping sweat from her brow, she walked back to the living room.
"Who!"
A large hand wrapped around her waist.
Before Kushina could cry out, the intruder silenced her with his lips.
"Ye Liang!"
Her eyes flew open in shock as Ye Liang kissed her.
Her initially defensive posture gradually relaxed. Slowly, she responded. Only when she was nearly out of breath did the kiss finally end.
"Ye Liang, what are you doing? Naruto's still asleep," Kushina blushed and pouted.
Still, she wasn't surprised by Ye Liang's arrival.
When she learned today that Ye Liang had represented Otogakure on a diplomatic mission to Konoha, she knew he would definitely return.
Sure enough!
"Danzo won't cooperate. Get ready—we're leaving tonight."
"Leaving?"
"Yes! This place isn't safe anymore. The White Zetsu grows stronger every day. If we don't shift our strategy, Konoha's doomed!"
"What about the others?"
"I've already made arrangements outside the village. I'll get them all out."
Ye Liang nodded.
"Alright."
In the current situation, Konoha was sure to become an easy target. In the original narrative, Konoha had always drawn trouble. Now that Danzo held the reins...
He looked at Kushina.
Ye Liang could stand by and let Konoha fall to the White Zetsu—but there were some people, pieces of the past, he had to take with him.
Kushina was one of them. Anko was another. And all comrades, disciples—everyone connected to him, Ye Liang intended to bring them all back to the Land of Snow.
"Pack up and meet outside the village. I'll go to Ichiraku Noodle Shop first."
"Why would you go there so late?"
"I can't get enough of it!"
The next day.
Danzo slammed his fist on the desk in fury, shattering it completely.
"Where did everyone go?"
"It seems they've all gone to Otogakure."
"Otogakure?"
"Hn," Shisui Uchiha answered expressionlessly.
"Damn it! This is a betrayal of Konoha! I'll find them and kill every last one!"
"Calm down, Lord Danzo. Ye Liang only took away some old folks, women, and children. Our Anbu are still here."
"Old folks, women, and children?"
"Yeah — including his friends, apprentices, and coworkers. He even took the owner of Ichiraku Noodle Shop."
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