"The village doesn't have much strength left!" Raikage said coldly, "Damn it, they want to force us to retreat."
Itsuki smiled but didn't respond.
This was completely different from the original storyline.
In the original, Obito initiated the plan to capture the tailed beasts; they were the attackers, aiming to seize the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails. But now, the Shinobi Alliance was the one launching the assault, trying to stop the Eye of the Moon plan, with Obito on the defensive.
As a result, the enemy would do anything to force them to fall back.
"General, what should we do now?" someone asked, looking at Itsuki.
Itsuki shifted his gaze to Shikaku Nara and said, "The most brilliant mind in the Shinobi World—any suggestions?"
"Yes!" Shikaku Nara calmly responded. "I do have a few ideas."
"I believe, in this situation, we should send more elite shinobi to support Lord Fugaku's vanguard unit," Shikaku continued.
"Support the vanguard?" Raikage questioned, "What about the rear?"
"We have 60,000 battle-ready shinobi right now," Shikaku said. "We can divide them, sending a group to target White Zetsu while maintaining basic defenses in the remaining villages. Once we've concentrated our forces and wiped out White Zetsu, we can quickly return to defend the other villages and eliminate all the White Zetsu units."
"As for the reanimated shinobi, our top fighters will handle them."
"This..." Raikage and the others fell silent.
After a long pause, Onoki finally spoke, "It seems simple, but it's a solid plan."
"However..." Onoki looked at Shikaku and said, "There's a prerequisite for all this."
"Please enlighten me," Shikaku said, surprised.
"The condition is that 'that person' isn't on the battlefield," Onoki sighed and closed his eyes, concealing his complex emotions.
"That person?" Shikaku was puzzled.
He turned to look at the other Kage, who remained expressionless. Onoki's words didn't surprise them.
"Mu," Onoki said calmly. "The Second Tsuchikage, Mu, who was also my teacher."
"Your teacher?" Shikaku was startled and then his expression changed. "I remember now, you... you're..."
The relationship between master and disciple, especially at the level of a Kage, usually involves passing down core techniques.
"Yes, Lord Mu and I both possess the rare Kekkai Tota," Onoki said gravely.
"Rare" was an understatement—it was unique. In the entire shinobi world, only this master-disciple duo had the Kekkai Tota.
Deidara once had the potential, but he focused on developing his explosive techniques instead, much to Onoki's frustration, almost driving him to visit Mu in the afterlife.
If Onoki had met Mu back then, he might have ended up like the reanimated shinobi, becoming one of the undead.
"Particle Style!" Itsuki explained calmly, "It's a jutsu that can obliterate countless opponents. If the Second Tsuchikage is unleashed on the battlefield, our losses will be unimaginable."
"Exactly!" Onoki nodded, then froze, glaring coldly at Itsuki.
"Unleashed?"
Seriously? That's my teacher! I'm willing to fight because I see you, Uchiha Itsuki, are fully committed, with almost all the elite forces of the Fire Hidden Village out there.
That's why I'm ready to fight with all I've got.
Itsuki turned to Onoki and smirked, "Don't die, old man."
"Hmph!"
Onoki closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were full of murderous intent directed at Itsuki.
"Once we deal with Uchiha Obito and Orochimaru, Uchiha Itsuki, I will settle things with you!"
"Let's be real," Itsuki sighed, "I have a feeling you won't live that long."
You...
Onoki's forehead veins bulged with rage. The other Kage also looked exasperated.
This man is about to go to the battlefield, risking his life, and you're here predicting his death like it's a certainty. Are you not afraid he'll just give up?
"Hmph!" Onoki huffed and turned away.
"Wait..." Itsuki started to speak.
"Stop!" Mei Terumi, seeing Itsuki was about to speak again, quickly stepped forward, gently pulling him aside. "Behave, let's not say anything more, okay?"
Itsuki: "..."
Are you treating me like a child?
But... Mei Terumi's coaxing was sweet.
Satisfied, Itsuki snuggled closer to Mei, seeking affection like a child. He even wiggled a bit. Mmm, this feels nice.
"..."
Onoki sighed in exasperation.
The others were speechless too.
This guy is actually our General?
Mifune even looked a little hopeless, thinking, "Has the Land of Iron really fallen under the leadership of someone like this? I've failed my ancestors!"
"Forget it, I'm leaving!" Onoki said, taking off into the sky.
"Oh, one more thing!" Itsuki looked up at Onoki. "Don't forget to meet up with your teammates."
"Teammates?" Onoki turned to Itsuki.
"Yes!" Itsuki smiled mischievously. "And one of them is someone you miss dearly."
Onoki hesitated, then his expression shifted. "You don't mean..."
"I think you've guessed right!" Itsuki beamed.
"Hmph!" Onoki huffed again and flew off, his final expression unreadable even to Itsuki.
"What do you think—was he happy or angry?" Itsuki asked the group.
"It's hard to be happy, but deep down, he probably is," Pakura said, giving a strangely accurate insight into Onoki's feelings.
"Deidara, huh?" Raikage said in a low voice. "His explosive techniques might actually come in handy."
Itsuki smiled. "The Hidden Stone Village has always had the largest number of shinobi, and their specialty is joint jutsu. They used it to kill the Third Raikage, didn't they?"
Raikage's face turned black as coal.
Pakura couldn't help but step forward and cover Itsuki's mouth, gritting her teeth. "Shut up, will you?"
If you can't speak nicely, just don't speak at all!
Look at what you're saying—are you trying to test Raikage's patience?
Pushing him to the edge at this point, what good would that do you?
"...Fine," Itsuki said, looking as if he'd been genuinely scared into silence.
Sigh.
Several people sighed at the same time.
"This is just too much!"
Having Uchiha Itsuki around is really a test of patience.
In every sense!
Itsuki pouted; they didn't even let him finish speaking. What a bore.
Why interrupt him?
It's as if they think a few words from him would drive the Raikage mad.
Wrong!
The Raikage might seem rash, but in reality, he's pretty rational.
Just a bit impulsive.
Uchiha Itsuki was excellent at bringing people back to their senses.
With a smile, Itsuki shifted his gaze toward Mabui again.
Instantly, the dark-skinned beauty shivered.
"Don't look at me like that. It's creepy."
…
"Whoosh!"
Ōnoki continued flying.
From his perspective, he could see the masses of ninja below.
The Shinobi Alliance had received their orders and was now divided into seven groups.
Six of those groups had returned to their respective Hidden Villages, each numbering between 5,000 and 8,000.
Their mission: to defend the villages!
When White Zetsu's forces attacked, their job was to block every enemy from entering the village.
Lastly,
Ten thousand elite ninjas!
They would serve as the main force to deal with White Zetsu!
Their task was to eliminate White Zetsu as quickly as possible, then move on to support the other Hidden Villages and wipe out White Zetsu one by one.
But there was one major problem:
The reanimated ninjas!
Even though the vanguard had fought a brilliant battle,
No one could ignore the power of the reanimated ninjas.
Especially the group currently heading toward the Alliance headquarters:
The Second Hokage! The Second Tsuchikage! The Second Mizukage! The Third Raikage! The Fourth Kazekage!
These five alone could easily destroy an entire Hidden Village.
In the past, just these five could've brought down one of the Great Hidden Villages.
But!
They also had their own enemies!
"Clack, clack, clack!"
Amid the sound of machinery moving,
Sasori's Hiruko puppet appeared.
Sasori's voice, filled with anger, echoed: "Granny Chiyo, will you ever stop? If you want to die, then hurry up and do it. Stop wasting my time here."
Behind him was none other than Granny Chiyo of the Hidden Sand.
Her dazed eyes stared at Sasori, and she chuckled, "I am about to die, which is why I want to see my beloved grandson one last time."
Sasori gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Uchiha Itsuki, you never do anything decent."
"Why'd you summon this old woman who's about to die?"
"This? And you expect me to help you fight?"
"You're lucky I don't kill you myself!"
Sasori stormed off angrily.
Next to him, Hidan was carrying his massive scythe, grinning as he watched Sasori.
It was rare to see Sasori in such a predicament.
"Hmph!"
Nearby, Kakuzu snorted, "Quit staring, or Sasori will tear you apart!"
"Tch!"
Hidan scoffed, "You think I'm scared?"
"Maybe not, but Sasori could still manage it."
Deidara's playful voice came from above.
He was lazily flying on his giant white bird.
"I'm looking forward to seeing if you're still this cocky after Sasori tears you apart."
"Little Deidara, I'd actually like to try cutting your head off too," Hidan grinned.
Deidara glanced at him, sneering, "Then give it a try."
"Enough!"
A low voice interrupted them.
It was none other than Uchiha Itachi!
He coldly stared at these lunatics, saying, "The Mokukage's orders were not for us to fight among ourselves but to deal with the reanimated ninjas."
"Hmph!"
The Akatsuki members didn't pay him much mind, smirking in defiance.
Itachi remained calm, "In our last fight, I won. I hope you remember that."
"Hmph!"
The Akatsuki members quieted down.
When Itachi had joined them, under Itsuki's supervision, they'd fought a battle.
The result was unsurprising.
Kakuzu, who was tasked with testing Itachi's strength, had been thoroughly beaten.
No one had expected Itachi to possess the same eye techniques as Uchiha Itsuki.
Uchiha Itachi!
Kakuzu!
Hidan!
Deidara!
Sasori!
Granny Chiyo!
And soon Ōnoki would arrive.
This was the power Itsuki had assembled to fight the reanimated Kage.
The one giving Itsuki the biggest headache was Tobirama Senju.
That bastard's Flying Thunder God technique might even be stronger than Minato's.
If he kept teleporting all over the battlefield, who knows what kind of havoc he'd wreak on the Shinobi Alliance.
…
"Ugh!"
With a few groans,
Several of the Kage opened their eyes.
They glanced at each other, surprised to see one another.
"You… I…"
Tobirama Senju looked at his hands and sighed, "Reanimation again… It's the Reanimation Jutsu!"
"Reanimation?"
The Second Mizukage blinked, then burst into laughter, "How amusing! Second Hokage, who would've thought you'd one day be controlled by your own jutsu?"
"Hmph!"
The Second Tsuchikage scoffed, glaring at the Mizukage, "You're reanimated too, and under someone else's control. What's so funny about that?"
"Indeed, I am being controlled!"
The Mizukage glanced at his palm and said, "The moment I saw you, I wanted to kill you. But someone's stopping me from doing it."
"Funny, I had the same thought."
Bloodshot eyes stared back at each other.
"Esteemed Kage, it's an honor."
A deep voice from the Third Raikage broke the tension.
"You must be the Raikage... Yes, Raikage!"
The Mizukage glanced at him. He knew a bit about this old rival's successor.
Next, his gaze fell upon the Fourth Kazekage.
"But I don't know you."
A sinister smile crept across his face.
The Kazekage snorted, "I'm the Fourth Kazekage."
"The Fourth, huh?"
The Raikage muttered, "Has the Sand Village already passed the title to the Fifth?"
The Kazekage, Rasa, crossed his arms, "After my death, someone else will surely take over as Kazekage."
"Of course, the Mist is uncertain, the Raikage has reached the Fourth, the Tsuchikage is at the Third, and Konoha is the most interesting."
He mockingly glanced at Tobirama Senju, "Konoha reached the Fourth Hokage, and after this Tobirama's disciple, the Third Hokage, reclaimed the position after the Fourth died in battle!"
"They can do that?"
The Mizukage couldn't help but laugh, "Is Konoha so lacking in people that they need to pull a retired Hokage back to power?"
Tobirama calmly replied, "Forget that. Is it just me, or do I sense a lot of chakra gathering? Some of it feels very familiar."
"You're right!"
A voice from Mū echoed, "There's a massive amount of chakra gathering. Some of it is familiar... but why? Could it be…"
Could it be that the shinobi have formed an alliance?
Otherwise, there's no explanation.
(End of the chapter)