As Uzumaki Mito hurried along her way, she directly activated her strongest jutsu—
Nine-Tails Chakra Mode!
This jutsu was born after she refined her control over the Nine-Tails' chakra to an extraordinarily delicate level, perfectly blending the Nine-Tails' chakra with her own to create this state.
Not only did it allow a jinchūriki to wield tailed-beast chakra flawlessly, it also enabled instantaneous full transformation into the tailed beast without any delay.
The enhancement it provided to both ninjutsu and taijutsu was staggering. Even an ordinary Kage-level shinobi, upon mastering this state, could temporarily reach early Super Kage level strength.
In the original history, Naruto had once used a similar form. After activating it, his raw speed in taijutsu alone was enough to keep up with the once-invincible Fourth Raikage—proof of just how terrifying the physical enhancement of this technique truly was.
After entering this mode, Naruto's ninjutsu power had also skyrocketed. Rasengan variants could be formed effortlessly, and elemental transformations came as naturally as breathing.
With Nine-Tails Mode active, Mito judged that her own strength had now barely reached the mid-stage level surpassing Kage.
And she knew exactly what kind of enemies she was about to face—
A coalition army of twenty thousand shinobi, five Kage-level combatants, and possibly even Sarutobi Hiruzen, who could strike at any moment.
If she did not use this jutsu, she might not even get the chance to fight.
As for the chakra consumption, Mito could still bear it.
When Naruto used this form, the Nine-Tails needed to re-refine chakra every few minutes. But Mito herself already stood at early-stage Super-Kage level and was evenly matched with the Nine-Tails.
She did not need to rely entirely on the beast to replenish chakra. Moreover, the Uzumaki clan's natural vitality meant her recovery speed was second to none.
Suddenly, as she sped forward, Mito saw the vast ocean stretching endlessly before her.
And in the distance—
The Land of Whirlpools was finally visible.
Yet the island was already ablaze.
Endless firelight rose skyward, thick smoke curling upward—visible even from this far away.
Countless warships surrounded the island, sealing it off completely.
From time to time, violent shockwaves of large-scale ninjutsu rippled outward from the island, a clear sign that the battle had already reached a fever pitch.
Seeing this, Mito's urgency intensified, and she was about to accelerate—
When suddenly, her perception detected something wrong.
She instantly pushed her speed to its limit and dodged sideways.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion erupted as a massive palm—several meters in diameter—smashed into the spot where she had been standing.
The ground collapsed instantly, forming a crater over ten meters deep.
Had she been even a fraction slower, she would have been reduced to pulp.
As the dust settled, a colossal white ape emerged before her.
The giant ape towered into the sky, its fur pure silver-white, flawless under the moonlight. It wore black armor across its massive frame, muscles coiled with overwhelming power.
In its right hand, it held a golden monk's staff—yet unlike ordinary staves, its tip was shaped like a razor-sharp spear, radiating murderous intent rather than serenity.
Standing over a hundred meters tall, it resembled a living divine Buddha.
With her keen eyesight, Mito also saw a middle-aged man in black armor standing atop the ape's shoulder.
That familiar face—
One she would never forget.
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Mito let out a sharp cry.
"Monkey Sage! Didn't you swear you would never interfere in the affairs of the shinobi world again?!"
This towering white ape was none other than the Monkey Sage, spoken of before by Sarutobi Sasuke and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
On the night the Senju clan was annihilated, Mito had already clashed with this being once. Even then, she had been faintly suppressed—and now, despite mastering Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, she still lacked confidence that she could defeat this unfathomable entity.
Back then, the Monkey Sage had personally declared that the Senju clan's destruction was ordained by fate—that he had merely acted as its executor.
He had also sworn never to interfere again.
And yet—here he was.
Faced with her accusation, the Monkey Sage did not answer immediately. Instead, it shot a cold glance at Sarutobi Hiruzen standing on its shoulder.
Though summoned by Hiruzen, the Monkey Sage was an immortal-level existence. It would never tolerate someone like him standing above it.
Sure enough, under that glare, Hiruzen hastily jumped down to the ground.
The reason he was here—despite supposedly remaining in the village—was clear.
He had come to deal with Uzumaki Mito.
Meanwhile, Mito never once spared Hiruzen a glance. Her eyes remained locked on the Monkey Sage.
And rightly so—why would a mid-stage surpassing Kage level concern herself with a mere Kage?
Hiruzen clearly understood this as well.
Simply summoning the Monkey Sage had already nearly drained his chakra reserves. The moment he landed, he immediately began retreating.
This plan had been in motion for a long time.
By borrowing the power of other nations, he aimed to wipe out the Land of Whirlpools while seizing the Uzumaki sealing techniques in one stroke.
Now that the Monkey Sage had taken the initiative to deal with Mito, luring her away from the battlefield and killing her here was perfectly acceptable.
Afterward, he could simply select a suitable survivor from the Uzumaki remnants to cultivate as a jinchūriki.
At that point, every high-end force in Konoha would be under his control.
The battle ahead was far beyond his involvement.
Hiruzen retreated several kilometers, where ANBU figures began to appear around him.
Ironically, while Sarutobi Shinnosuke had lied earlier, Hiruzen truly had not been in the village when Kushina arrived—making the lightning strike he took genuinely unlucky.
Once Hiruzen had withdrawn, the Monkey Sage finally spoke in a deep, resonant voice.
"I had no intention of meddling further in the shinobi world. My duty was already fulfilled."
"But Arata must die."
"And so… you will have to serve as bait."
At the mention of Arata's name, Mito's heart clenched.
Arata was the successor she had personally chosen for the position of Hokage—
And now, Tsunade's husband.
She would never allow him to be sacrificed.