"What the…?"
Shigure was stunned for a moment.
"You're saying these people want to attack Kirigakure?"
As he spoke, a sense of unease crept into his mind. Logically, the conflict between the three great ninja villages should have already settled down by now.
Yet at this critical moment, instead of worrying about the threat of the Ōtsutsuki clan, they had chosen to attack the Hidden Mist Village, especially when Konoha had already been destroyed.
No matter how he looked at it, something felt wrong.
Under normal circumstances, none of the major villages should be making a move against Kirigakure right now. And yet, not only were they attacking, they had mobilized elite ninja forces to do so.
This was not a covert operation.
It was rushed.
Yes, rushed.
Even elite ninja forces, once they exceed a certain number, cannot move without creating noticeable disturbances. There was no way such a force could avoid detection.
Since it was not stealth, then their goal must be speed.
They were trying to strike Kirigakure as quickly as possible.
Otherwise, they would have prepared more thoroughly, gathering not just elite forces but also ordinary ninja troops. Even if those troops were considered expendable, their numbers still mattered in large-scale warfare.
But this… this was different.
Shigure's brows furrowed deeply as he stared at the ninja before him.
"Is there anything else?" he asked.
The messenger hesitated slightly before continuing.
"Yes… Orochimaru-sama asked us to inform the Mizukage that he may already be under control."
The statement sounded strange, even to the messenger himself.
After all, Orochimaru was supposedly in Kirigakure. How could he claim to be under control?
Shigure froze for a brief moment, then began piecing things together.
Orochimaru joining Kirigakure had always been suspicious. And knowing his nature, the one who joined was almost certainly not his true body.
A clone.
Whether it was for espionage against Konoha or simply a contingency plan, Orochimaru had clearly prepared multiple layers of insurance.
However, clones could sense the condition of the original body.
Which meant… something had happened to the real Orochimaru.
After weighing the situation, the clone must have decided to pass on this warning.
"If the original body is being controlled…" Shigure muttered, his expression darkening, "then Obito might be as well."
The messenger continued, "Orochimaru-sama also said… he used Impure World Reincarnation to revive Uchiha Madara. And… there may be something wrong with Madara too."
Shigure's expression changed instantly.
Of course.
He should have thought of this sooner.
Obito and Orochimaru working together would inevitably seek greater power. Reviving Madara was the most logical move.
So now, the situation was this:
Obito, Orochimaru, and Madara, three Kage-level figures, had either been defeated or suppressed by a single enemy… and Orochimaru himself had been controlled.
Worse still, if Orochimaru was under someone's control, then Impure World Reincarnation could be used to revive even more powerful ninja.
That was a disaster waiting to happen.
Shigure's face grew increasingly grim.
Who could possibly control Orochimaru?
Anyone capable of that would be on the same level as, or even beyond, Obito and Madara.
At that moment, a single possibility surfaced in his mind.
"The Ōtsutsuki clan…"
More specifically,their leader.
There had been no trace of such a figure before, but it was impossible for the Ōtsutsuki clan to rely solely on the three individuals Shigure had already eliminated.
There had to be someone stronger.
And that person was most likely the clan's patriarch.
Shigure's thoughts sharpened.
If Orochimaru's original body had been controlled, then there was another possibility…
The Rinnegan.
If the attack on Konoha had included targeting the Hyūga clan's Byakugan, then perhaps the Ōtsutsuki patriarch had already gathered enough power to awaken the Rinnegan.
In the original history, the Rinnegan was awakened by those of Ōtsutsuki lineage.
And if someone from the main branch… a clan leader, no less…
Then their bloodline power would be far beyond ordinary standards.
If members of the Ōtsutsuki clan could awaken the Rinnegan by using the Hyūga clan's Byakugan, then it stood to reason that their patriarch could achieve the same.
However, what puzzled Shigure was something else entirely.
What had driven the Ōtsutsuki clan to invade the shinobi world ahead of time?
And why choose to seize the Byakugan of the Hyūga clan to awaken the Rinnegan?
No matter the reason, one thing was certain.
The situation had already changed.
There was no point overthinking it now.
All he could do… was respond accordingly.
"Kuji, gather everyone. We're returning to Kirigakure," Shigure ordered calmly.
Kuji nodded immediately. "Understood!"
He had also heard the report. The combined forces of the three great ninja villages were advancing, and Kirigakure was in a dire state.
There was no time to waste.
They had to return at once and defend the village.
As the Mist ninja assembled, Shigure prepared to use his Cloud Release to transport everyone directly back to Kirigakure.
At that moment, Tsunade stepped forward.
"Shigure, we're coming too."
Behind her stood Hatake Kakashi, along with the remaining shinobi of Konoha who were still capable of fighting. Those who were too injured had been left behind.
There were not many of them.
Roughly a hundred at most.
This was all that remained of Konoha's fighting force.
Among them, familiar faces stood out, Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, and others who had survived the devastation.
Shigure looked at Tsunade. "This is Kirigakure's battle."
Tsunade snorted. "Do you really think I'd believe that?"
She crossed her arms, her gaze sharp.
"The movements of the three great ninja villages… this has the Ōtsutsuki clan written all over it."
"Otherwise, even if you gave them ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare attack your Kirigakure."
She was right.
Shigure did not argue.
Originally, he had intended to leave Konoha's remaining forces behind to rebuild the village. Their current state was far from ideal.
But Tsunade clearly had no such intentions.
Even after suffering heavy losses, she still sought revenge.
And Shigure had no reason to stop her.
"…Fine. Then we move together."
"Let's see what the Ōtsutsuki clan is planning… and what the other villages are thinking."
As his voice fell, clouds began to gather beneath their feet.
Dense mist and vapor condensed into a massive cloud platform, enveloping both Kirigakure and Konoha shinobi.
Slowly, the cloud began to rise.
Lifting them into the air.
Senju Hashirama blinked in surprise. "What kind of technique is this?"
Namikaze Minato smiled faintly. "A truly fascinating jutsu."
Naruto scratched his head, his expression a little awkward.
"That's just how Shigure is… he's always coming up with strange new techniques."