Three days after the Kara Organization seized Kirigakure and boldly declared a ninja world war.
At the border of the Land of Lightning, an army of nearly ten thousand ninjas breached the frontier and entered the territory.
This force was, of course, formed by Sasuke, with half consisting of surrendered Kirigakure ninjas and the other half being external Kara Organization soldiers. Sasuke always acted swiftly and decisively, not joking when he said he would attack Kirigakure.
In just three days, he quelled all rebellions in Kirigakure, forcibly assembled a massive army, and rushed thousands of kilometers across the sea to invade the Land of Lightning. Especially since this involved saving his friend Naruto and confronting Isshiki, Sasuke was now more impatient than anyone.
If not for specific reasons making it difficult for him to act alone, Sasuke would have long ridden his Six Paths Susano'o, flown straight to Kumogakure, and razed it to the ground. However, leading a large army to attack the Land of Lightning created a massive stir, better drawing the world's attention and pressuring Konoha…
Naturally, the Land of Lightning also noticed the Kara Organization's troop movements, realizing they had once again chosen their land as the target and battlefield.
There was no time to hesitate.
After receiving war warnings from spies and scouts, the Fifth Raikage, backed by the furious Fourth Raikage, immediately mobilized all village ninjas to meet the battle head-on.
No one was foolish. After learning of Kirigakure's tragedy, everyone understood that if the battlefield were set within Kumogakure, even if they won, the village would suffer massive losses, potentially equivalent to its destruction.
The only way to save the village was to leave it and engage the enemy, setting the battlefield and front line in a vast, uninhabited area.
Though casualties would be higher, it was better than turning Kumogakure into ruins…
Don't assume the Fourth Raikage, A, was all brawn. His mind still worked sharply. Moreover, the Fifth Raikage, Darui, was a rare strategic thinker in Kumogakure.
"Damn Otsutsuki Sasuke, I'll crush him!"
The former Fourth Raikage, A, stood atop a towering boulder, gazing forward with a resolute expression. Though aged and retired, his fiery spirit and explosive, decisive nature hadn't changed a bit.
For Kumogakure, he was ready to sacrifice his life at any moment!
"Boss, the enemy is a formidable foe who killed the Seventh Hokage. Honestly, we might not be his match!"
The Fifth Raikage, Darui, stroked his thin mustache, standing beside A with a worried and anxious expression. Though he had been Raikage for years, in front of Boss A, he remained a loyal bodyguard.
"Darui! The battle hasn't even started, and you're already losing your fighting spirit? How can you protect the village like that?"
"Boss, I'm just stating facts. Otsutsuki Sasuke is far stronger than Otsutsuki Momoshiki. We barely have a chance of winning…"
Compared to the retired former Raikage, Darui knew the terror of the so-called Otsutsuki better. The last time he fought Momoshiki, a single kick nearly sent him to the Pure Land. And Otsutsuki Sasuke was stronger than Momoshiki.
He was a monster no ninja could defeat!
"What's this Otsutsuki Momoshiki? How strong could he be?"
"Stronger than Uchiha Madara back then…"
Darui reminded softly. His boss had no concrete sense of Momoshiki's power but certainly had a deep experience with that man's terror.
"…"
The Fourth Raikage fell silent, choking hard.
He couldn't help but glance far to the southwest, just a hundred kilometers from the main battlefield of the Fourth Ninja World War. He could still vaguely see the remnants of the giant hills formed after two Chibaku Tensei meteors fell back then.
This made the Fourth Raikage's heart tremble uncontrollably.
Indeed. Once Madara's name came up, with a tangible comparison, the Fourth Raikage immediately grasped a concrete sense of dread.
There was no choice.
Madara was the only formidable enemy who had ever made the unyielding Fourth Raikage feel despair.
"Even against such a strong enemy, as ninjas, we can't just give up."
"I refuse to acknowledge these alien creatures!"
"Even if I die, I want to die on the battlefield!"
Fear didn't mean cowardice. Though outmatched, A and most Kumogakure ninjas wouldn't lack the courage to die.
"Fighting side by side with Boss again isn't bad. The final dance of the Fourth and Fifth?" Darui raised his great sword, as if he'd grown years younger.
"If anyone's dying, I'll die first. These old bones won't hide behind you!"
"Boss, though our chances are slim, I don't plan on dying with the village."
"Hmm? You have a plan?"
"Since Otsutsuki Sasuke and the Kara Organization could quickly seize Kirigakure, I doubt our village can hold them off. But we've detected their attack's trail, so we can at least intercept them early and block the battlefield outside the village!"
"And I've contacted Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and a few other smaller villages."
"They've all sent troops…"
"As long as we can hold their main force here and wait for the other reinforcements to arrive, there's still a chance to encircle and annihilate them, turning the tide!" Darui spoke honestly.
Though the previous four-Kage online meeting ended unpleasantly, Darui, as Raikage, remained rational. After the meeting, he quietly reached out to Kurotsuchi and Gaara, convincing both to send reinforcements.
As for Konoha? They completely cut off communication requests. Darui couldn't even contact the new Hokage, so there was no choice.
"Darui! You…"
The Fourth Raikage was slightly annoyed at Darui's request for aid, but faced with a village-destroying crisis, he knew Darui's actions were right. After all, if not for the infuriating temporary Eighth Hokage, Code, the Fourth Raikage wouldn't have clashed with him, causing the meeting to collapse.
"It's just wishful thinking; the success rate is actually low."
"If we can't hold off Otsutsuki Sasuke and his forces, it's all over. At that point, we can only hope Bee-sama can lead the others to survive…" Darui sighed, knowing better than anyone how tough this battle was.
Facing Otsutsuki Sasuke, even if the five villages allied, their chances of winning might be less than 30%, let alone Kumogakure alone. He could only hope they'd fight desperately for the slimmest chance of a miracle!
"Bee shouldn't do anything stupid again, right?"
The Fourth Raikage was slightly worried, but now he could only trust his brother, Killer B. As a Jinchūriki, only B had the ability to protect the village. Otherwise, if their headquarters were attacked, the remaining Kumogakure ninjas might lack the strength to fight back.
"Bee-sama, he…"
"They're coming!"
Darui was about to say more, but a sensory-type ninja and scout up front suddenly shouted, signaling an enemy attack.
The next second, a purple light eclipsing the sunrise slowly rose from the earth's edge in the distance.
A majestic, mountain-like Six Paths Susano'o led a black sea of troops, charging with overwhelming momentum toward Kumogakure's front line.
The terrifying chakra pressure swept like a scorching summer wave. Though tens of thousands of meters away, it was enough to instill fear and numbness.
*SRAAAASH—!*
The god-demon-like Susano'o drew its sword and swung, a chakra slash tens of thousands of meters long arriving instantly, carving a deep valley in the ground and tearing through a corner of Kumogakure's defenses.
"Bastard!"
"Otsutsuki Sasuke! Your opponent is me!"
The Fourth Raikage unleashed his full power, transforming into a lightning bolt and charging at Sasuke, eerily reminiscent of a scene sixteen years ago. Only this time, Sasuke's Susano'o was 'slightly' larger.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
On the other side.
As the Kara Organization's forces clashed with Kumogakure's, two other figures had already circled the battlefield, speeding toward Kumogakure's headquarters.