"Disperse!"
Swish, swish, swish—!
Countless shinobi, led by the Five Great Kage, launched their coordinated assault!
Shikaku's voice echoed through the communication network:
"The enemy possesses extremely powerful dōjutsu, as we saw with Naruto's earlier clash. Obstructing their vision can create significant openings!"
Yamanaka Inoichi's voice followed:
"Kumogakure Unit, move in!"
Cee led the Kumogakure shinobi to the left flank of the Ten Tails, forming hand seals.
"Lightning Style: Pillar of Radiance!"
Darui led the other Kumogakure forces to the right flank and released his jutsu:
"Storm Release: Laser Circus!"
A brilliant flash of lightning erupted on Cee's side, while beams of dazzling aurora-like energy shot from Darui's fists toward the Ten Tails.
The overwhelming brightness made it nearly impossible for the Ten Tails to keep its eyes open. Even Obito and Madara realized that their enemies were replicating Naruto's tactic—obstructing the Ten Tails' field of vision.
As the light intensified, the Aburame clan of Konohagakure appeared. They simultaneously formed hand seals and extended their sleeves:
"Parasitic Insect Technique: Swarm Release!"
Inoichi's voice came through again:
"Kirigakure forces, proceed!"
The shinobi of Kirigakure performed hand seals in unison and exhaled:
"Hidden Mist Technique!"
Seeing this, the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī, stepped forward and shouted:
"All of Kirigakure, with me—exhale the mist!"
With Mei's assistance, the thick white mist rapidly expanded and covered the battlefield.
Clouds of chakra-charged insects scattered amidst the mist, providing both sensory disruption and visual interference.
Shikaku quickly followed up:
"Sunagakure forces, support them! Don't waste the airborne debris created by Kumogakure's Storm Release!"
Temari led the Wind Release unit to the frontlines, raising both her hands.
"Wind Style: Scattering Airflow!"
With this added momentum, the mist spread even further—its range effectively doubled.
Gaara, floating on a cloud of sand, also lifted his hand and infused his chakra into the winds.
"I'll contribute as well."
Waves of sand were swept into the airborne storm.
Shikaku nodded in satisfaction.
"Excellent! This perfectly obscures the enemy's field of vision and camouflages our movements. Let's fully exploit this opportunity!"
Temari watched the battlefield, deeply moved by the sheer coordination. She hadn't expected that Shikaku, the famed strategist of Konoha, could orchestrate a combined jutsu assault utilizing techniques from every village.
"He really is Shikamaru's father…"
On top of the Ten Tails, Obito activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, only to see a landscape swarming with chakra-infused insects.
Madara scoffed.
"With all this interference, normal sensory detection is impossible. But do they really think they can hide and strike us like this?"
Obito turned to him.
"What are you suggesting?"
Madara replied flatly:
"Sweep them away in one blast."
Obito frowned.
"Not yet. I want to conserve the Ten Tails' strength."
Madara glanced at him, sighed, and said:
"Do as you wish."
At the Allied Headquarters, Inoichi continued issuing orders:
"Iwagakure forces, move in!"
Ōnoki soared into the air and shouted:
"Kitsuchi, get ready!"
Kitsuchi, leading the Iwagakure unit, formed a series of hand seals.
"Ready! Earth Style: Core Rock Jutsu!"
RUMBLE—!
Massive blue chakra-infused blades of earth erupted from the ground, slicing through the terrain and merging into a colossal construct beneath the Ten Tails.
The intent was clear—disrupt the beast's stability and restrict its movement.
The Ten Tails thrashed and reached for the cliffs on either side, but its immense weight made the effort futile. The terrain continued to collapse beneath it.
Obito's expression turned grim as he glanced upward. Madara, by contrast, remained eerily calm.
Meanwhile, another Iwagakure unit led by Kurotsuchi maneuvered to the flank and performed her jutsu:
"Lava Style: Quicklime Congealing Technique!"
Torrents of burning lime shot from her mouth.
Inoichi's voice rang out again:
"Kirigakure, provide support!"
The Mist shinobi unleashed a mass of water release:
"Water Style: Water Bullet Technique!"
The water collided with the lime, causing an intense chemical reaction—rapid heating followed by hardening. The mixture solidified quickly, forming concrete.
At that moment, Shikaku shouted:
"Konohagakure, now! Time to finish this!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, appeared in a flicker of movement. He formed a series of hand seals.
"Everyone from the Sarutobi clan—show them your pride! Let's go!"
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bombs!"
With the Third Hokage leading the assault, wave after wave of flames surged toward the still-wet concrete, evaporating moisture and accelerating solidification.
Crack—crack—crack!
The hardened concrete encased the Ten Tails entirely—rendering it immobile.
Inoichi shouted excitedly:
"It's done!"
Shikaku smiled.
"The immobilization was a success. Now we proceed to the next phase..."
Above the battlefield, Madara watched the coordination below and commented:
"Unbelievable."
Obito turned toward him.
"What is?"
Madara answered:
"The shinobi from five villages—former enemies—are cooperating like a single unit. They used to wage war against each other, yet now they're united."
Obito narrowed his gaze at the mass of shinobi preparing to strike. As he glanced at the evolving form of the Ten Tails, he scoffed.
"So what? They're still just a bunch of pathetic fools clinging to a false hope. That hope doesn't exist."
Madara sneered.
"Exactly. People only recognize reality when they're crushed by despair. And now... the Ten Tails is nearly ready."
Back at the command center, Shikaku turned to Naruto.
"We don't need all forces to attack at once. Madara is powerful, yes, but if we deploy taijutsu units, they should be able to engage him. As for Obito, his intangibility only lasts five minutes. With coordination from the medical corps, we can hold them off."
Naruto's shadow clone raised his hand.
"No, Uncle Shikaku. You still don't get it."
Shikaku furrowed his brow.
"Naruto, this is no time for secrets. What aren't you telling us?"
The clone replied solemnly:
"The Ten Tails… it's almost fully transformed. Letting everyone charge in now would be meaningless."
Shikaku and Inoichi exchanged a grim look. Their mental communication network ensured this conversation stayed between the three of them.
After a tense moment, Shikaku issued the next order:
"The Five Kage and all the Hokage—move in for the kill!"
"All other shinobi—retreat immediately!"
The order caused an uproar among the Allied Forces.
"What kind of order is that?!"
"Are you serious?! We lit the fire, poured the water, and now we're told to retreat?!"
"We're not backing down! Let's go!"
"Yeah! We'll fight beside Lord Raikage!"
"We're not just support—we're shinobi too!"
Chaos erupted across the battlefield as many began to resist the order.
Naruto's clone stood atop a cliff, raised his voice, and shouted:
"Everyone—follow the command and retreat!"
Shikaku, through Inoichi's chakra network, reinforced the order. Only the Kage and designated elite were to advance.
Seeing the hesitance, the Fourth Raikage roared:
"Everyone, do what the strategist says—get your asses out of there, now!
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