The three-pronged kunai in Minato's hand was instantly etched with sealing formulas. Without hesitation, he plunged it straight into the Edo Tensei body of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
In the blink of an eye, the seal spread across Hiruzen's form, locking it in place. His body was now completely immobilized, unable to regenerate.
"Sorry, Lord Third. If I didn't do this, there'd be no way I could face Kushina," Minato said coldly—his first words to Hiruzen since his resurrection.
Shame flickered across Hiruzen's face.
"It's me who wronged all of you... Go, stop the First and the others. Don't waste time on this old man."
Whether or not Hyuga Gakuya had fabricated rumors, Naruto's childhood was what it was—and Hiruzen couldn't deny his share of the blame.
Naruto said nothing, his face expressionless. He simply grabbed his father's arm and headed off into the distance.
Naturally, Naruto's appearance here was part of Gakuya's plan. At the same time, Killer Bee had been dispatched by Gakuya to support the Raikage.
It was all part of the script. Gakuya had reluctantly sent Naruto and Killer Bee onto the stage, setting up for Obito and Sasuke to make their move and capture the two Jinchuriki.
Naruto gripped Minato's arm tightly as they sped toward Tsunade's location.
Tsunade, already locked in fierce battle with Hashirama Senju, was badly injured. When she saw Naruto approaching, she glared and barked,
"Naruto! Why aren't you hiding where we told you to?! Don't you realize Obito and the others are after you?!"
Naruto stood firm. "Granny Tsunade, I can't just sit back and watch everyone throw themselves into danger while I do nothing!"
Tsunade's brow twitched.
"You brat, always so reckless! If you fall into enemy hands, everything we've done will be for nothing!"
Minato quickly stepped in. "Lady Tsunade, Naruto's just trying to protect everyone. Now's not the time to argue—we need to face the crisis at hand."
"That's right! Besides, Mokushū already acknowledged my strength and agreed to let me back you up." Naruto wiped his nose and grinned proudly. "And I've broken the Edo Tensei control over my dad, so you can count on us in the next battle."
Minato's eyes widened in surprise. "You actually convinced Hyuga Gakuya?"
Naruto lit up at the question.
"Mokushū said he's willing to give the shinobi world a chance to prove itself—that this world isn't beyond saving. He should be in the command post coordinating things right now."
Minato smiled. "You kids... really know how to surprise me."
...
Back in the cave...
Kabuto, still connected to his Edo Tensei network, witnessed everything that had happened. Realization struck—and his eyes widened in shock.
"What? Impossible!"
Sasuke, seeing the usually composed Kabuto so shaken, narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"
Kabuto pushed up his glasses and tried to stay calm.
"The Allied Shinobi Forces have developed a sealing tag that cuts off Edo Tensei control. Minato and Rasa have both been taken down and freed from my command."
Sasuke scowled. "And how did you let that happen? You really let a screw-up like this slide?"
Kabuto wiped the cold sweat from his brow and forced a smirk.
"No matter. Those pawns were expendable. Now that both the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails have appeared, it's time to reveal our final pieces."
Obito slung his fan over his back.
"We're done waiting. Let's proceed as planned. Sasuke, you'll take Pain and capture the Nine-Tails. I'll go after the Eight-Tails with the Gedo Statue."
"As for Hyuga Gakuya... let Madara handle him. Nagato can deal with the rest of the ninja."
Sasuke snorted and darted out of the cave, with a Pain puppet close behind. Obito activated Kamui and vanished.
...
On the Eastern Front, the Fourth Raikage clashed violently with the Third. With Killer Bee's help, he seized a brief opening and slipped the sealing tag into his father's body.
The Third Raikage froze, his movements grinding to a halt. His gaze gradually regained clarity. He looked at his son with a long sigh.
"So I wasn't wrong about you after all."
With the strongest spear and shield now reunited, the remaining Edo Tensei on this front were quickly defeated and sealed.
...
Meanwhile, on the Southern Front, Mei Terumi was struggling to approach Chiyo, her movements constantly hindered by Hōzuki Gengetsu.
At a critical moment, she cleverly used the Hidden Mist Technique to disorient Gengetsu, then dashed past him and reached Chiyo, placing the sealing tag onto her.
Chiyo snapped back to her senses and immediately joined Mei in turning the tide of the Southern Front. Together, they even brought Hōzuki Gengetsu back under control.
...
On the Western Front, Onoki gradually gained the upper hand in the sky battle against Mu. After a narrow clash, he exploited a brief moment when Mu was unbalanced and sealed him with a tag.
With Mu recovered, the two Tsuchikage—past and present—joined forces. Their Dust Release techniques overwhelmed and sealed the remaining Edo Tensei on their front.
...
On the Northern Front, Gaara used his sand to restrain his father Rasa and placed the sealing tag on him.
Rasa looked at his son, pride filling his eyes. The two stood shoulder to shoulder, bringing a critical turnaround to the Northern battlefield.
...
On the Fifth Front, Tsunade was still locked in battle with Hashirama. With help from Naruto and Minato, she finally found her chance and placed the tag on Hashirama.
...
Hashirama, regaining his consciousness, immediately joined Jiraiya and the others to suppress Tobirama, restoring his brother's control as well.
Kakashi, engaged in an intense fight with his father, Sakumo Hatake, also found a chance. With precise timing, he inserted the tag into his father's body. Sakumo awakened and stood side by side with his son, ready to face the enemy together.
As more and more Edo Tensei shinobi were sealed or freed across the battlefield, the pressure on the Allied Shinobi Forces began to ease. The tide was finally turning in their favor.
...
In the command post, a ninja burst into the room, his voice brimming with excitement.
"Report! Good news from the Eastern Front—the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee successfully sealed the tag into the Third Raikage! He's back to normal!"
Soon after, reports of victories poured in one after another.
Hyuga Gakuya's expression remained unchanged. He simply gave a calm command: "Have all units regroup at the command post as soon as possible."
The other ninja stared in stunned silence, overwhelmed by Gakuya's composure. They'd expected celebration, a cheer, at the very least some visible relief. But his demeanor never wavered.
Murmurs spread through the command center.
"Mokushū-sama is way too calm... Even after so many victories?"
"Yeah, like he predicted all this from the start."
"He is the leader of the Federation. Maybe he's fought in so many battles that even a turnaround like this doesn't faze him."
"But this is the turning point! How can he be so... detached?"
A more seasoned shinobi nodded thoughtfully.
"Maybe he's thinking beyond this—planning the long game. Who knows what's in that head of his?"
Despite the whispers, Gakuya remained silent, as if already working through the next phase of the war in his mind.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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