The Edo Tensei forbidden jutsu was truly terrifying.
Even after Ye Zi had taken Fugaku Uchiha's eyes, when resurrected through Edo Tensei, Fugaku still retained his Mangekyō Sharingan and could use its abilities as if nothing had changed.
Ye Zi had no interest in meeting Fugaku again, so from the moment of preparation to the completion of Edo Tensei, he continuously suppressed Fukao's consciousness, preventing him from waking up. Then, he sealed him in a coffin and stored it in his Summoning Space, to be summoned only when needed.
After reviving Fugaku, the next ones to be resurrected were Jiraiya and two Great Toads. This was to ensure that the reanimated Jiraiya could enter Sage Mode, thereby enhancing his power, which required the two toads to be resurrected alongside him.
When Ye Zi prepared to resurrect Jiraiya, Orochimaru was present.
Soon, Jiraiya and the two Great Toads were successfully revived, but Ye Zi kept their consciousness suppressed.
Orochimaru watched the lifeless, empty-eyed Jiraiya with an expression of cold indifference. Ye Zi glanced at Orochimaru, unable to discern what he was thinking.
"Do you want me to restore his consciousness?" Ye Zi asked.
Orochimaru had come specifically to witness this event, perhaps he wanted to see Jiraiya one last time before Ye Zi sealed him away. However, since he hadn't spoken up, it was clear that his resolve was not firm.
Orochimaru did not respond immediately but continued to silently observe the reanimated Jiraiya. His eyes carried a trace of complexity.
Ye Zi wasn't in a hurry to seal Jiraiya away. He patiently waited for Orochimaru's answer.
"...No need," Orochimaru finally said coldly after a brief pause.
Hearing this, Ye Zi sealed Jiraiya and the two Great Toads back into a coffin and sent it into the Summoning Space.
Fugaku and Jiraiya who could activate Sage Mode, were both significant assets in battle.
As the coffin sank into the ground and disappeared, Orochimaru turned and silently left the room without saying another word.
Ye Zi watched Orochimaru leave, then remained in the room for a while before heading back to his own quarters to rest.
The meeting time set by Nagato was drawing near, and Ye Zi was almost fully prepared for his mission in Kumogakure.
His plan was to infiltrate first and capture the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, having White Zetsu take them away immediately. After that, he would head to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning to find the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki. If he could avoid a direct confrontation with Kumogakure, that would be ideal. But if a fight was inevitable, Ye Zi wouldn't back down.
However, the main objective was still to capture the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki…
Lying on his bed, Ye Zi narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to let himself fall asleep.
In the meantime, Shokui had been diligently refining chakra…
...
Iwagakure
Ōnoki's initial attitude toward the negotiation was hostile, but after Shikaku's persuasion, he eventually adjusted his stance.
When it came to Konoha's proposal for an alliance, Ōnoki did not hesitate for long before agreeing. Like Sunagakure, Iwagakure currently had no tailed beasts in its possession.
For a hidden village, a tailed beast was a strategic-level weapon. Though difficult to control, when used correctly, it was an invaluable trump card in battle.
The Five-Tails Jinchūriki had disappeared without a trace, and there was a high probability that it had fallen into Amegakure's hands.
Ōnoki's quick decision was based on two conditions:
If Amegakure was destroyed, Iwagakure's tailed beast must be returned.Even if the other villages agreed to the alliance, they must first accept these terms.
Both conditions were non-negotiable. If they were not met, then the alliance was out of the question.
Shikaku agreed to these terms, and thus, Iwagakure formally joined the alliance.
Ōnoki's decisiveness made the negotiations much easier for Shikaku. After leaving the intelligence scrolls in Iwagakure, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio set off once more, this time toward the Land of Lightning.
....
The Land of Lightning
The terrain of the Land of Lightning was dominated by towering mountains, and Kumogakure, the nation's military stronghold, was built atop these peaks.
Reaching Kumogakure was no easy task for the Ino-Shika-Chō trio. After overcoming numerous obstacles, they were finally granted an audience with the Third Raikage.
Kumogakure's administrative building stood atop the highest peak in the region. The surrounding mist gave it an ethereal appearance, and from the office windows, one could reach out and almost touch the clouds.
Inside the office, the Third Raikage sat on a massive, rugged stone chair, his right elbow resting on the armrest, hand supporting his cheek as he casually leaned to the side, gazing at the trio with an unreadable expression.
His muscular body, as tough as solid rock, exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Beside him stood a middle-aged man wearing a hat, with an eyepatch inscribed with the kanji "雷" (Lightning) covering his left eye. This was Tōdai, the Third Raikage's trusted advisor.
Shikaku handed over the intelligence scroll to Tōdai before looking silently at the Third Raikage, fully aware of the oppressive aura filling the room. A thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead.
During the Third Shinobi War, Konoha had suffered significant losses at the hands of the Third Raikage. His monstrous physique and raw power were even more terrifying than a tailed beast, earning him the nickname "the Human-Tailed Beast."
And that reputation had been forged through countless battles on the frontlines…
In every battle before this, no one had ever managed to injure the Third Raikage. It was always a one-sided massacre, with the Third Raikage mercilessly slaughtering his enemies, creating an overwhelming sense of unfairness.
You couldn't harm the Third Raikage, but he could snap your neck with ease.
This was what made the Third Raikage so terrifying, when facing him in battle, his enemies would experience an overwhelming sense of helplessness because they simply had no idea how to kill him.
Standing before such a person, saying there was no pressure would be an outright lie.
"Kumogakure is now arguably the strongest of all the shinobi villages. It's not just because they have two formidable Jinchūriki; the real reason is the unparalleled strength of the Third Raikage," Shikaku thought to himself.
The Third Raikage began reading through the intelligence scroll. When Shikaku handed it over, he had already explained Konoha's intentions as persuasively as possible.
However, deep inside, the Third Raikage felt utter disdain for this proposal, though he kept his expression neutral.
An alliance to attack Amegakure and Ye Zi?
Why would he waste his time on such a thankless task? His original strategy was to let Amegakure and Ye Zi continue weakening the other villages, but unfortunately, they had been too inactive in recent years for that plan to work.
Even though he found Konoha's proposition laughable, the Third Raikage did not reject it outright. Even if his mind was already made up, he would still take a moment to reconsider before making a final decision.
After silently reading through the scroll, the Third Raikage casually tossed it to Tōdai instead of immediately refusing.
Why? Because he was interested in the tailed beasts.
Tōdai caught the scroll and opened it. He understood that the Third Raikage wanted him to review it as well.
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio patiently waited for the Third Raikage's response.
Inside the Raikage's office, however, there were no Anbu guards stationed nearby, a stark contrast to what they had encountered in Iwagakure.
Back in Iwagakure, the Tsuchikage had intentionally set up an intimidating formation to exert psychological pressure on them. Yet now, in Kumogakure, the only people in the room were the Third Raikage and Tōdai.
And yet, the pressure they felt here was far greater than in Iwagakure.
The so-called strongest Third Raikage didn't need a show of force. Just sitting there was enough to make the atmosphere feel like a crushing weight.
Recalling the records on the Third Raikage in Konoha's intelligence files, one question inevitably came to mind:
Who, if anyone, could defeat the Third Raikage?
No, the better question was...
Who could even manage to injure him?
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Currently on Chapter 545 - Kushina's Arrival to the Battlefield