Gaara spoke quietly, sitting on his sand among the fallen Hokage and other Kage:
"As expected, you all fell to Madara Uchiha after all. Tō was right—if the Akatsuki had truly gone all-out, even one Tō alone could have slain you!"
Jiraiya and the other Kage, already conscious again, remained unable to stand.
Maki (coughing sharply): "Gaara, what about the alliance forces? Have they been defeated by the reanimated ninja?"
Gaara smiled faintly and answered in a low tone:
"From One-Tail to Seven-Tails, all were unharmed, though the Three-Tails was slain earlier by Uchiha Obito. That we couldn't prevent. In any case, all jinchūriki participated in the battle. It's only a matter of time before the reanimated are sealed. With elite shinobi from Flower Hidden Village and Rain Hidden Village aiding, they should succeed."
The Raikage let out a harsh snort:
"So Tō had all this planned long ago?"
Gaara inclined his head calmly:
"Possibly since four years ago. Back then, Tō believed she could kill Orochimaru, stopping the reanimation. Her plan was even to seal the husk of the Ten-Tails after extracting the other tailed beasts. But Orochimaru interfered in Konoha, so it never came to pass."
Jiraiya and Tsunade lowered their heads, as if ashamed to admit failure.
"True, the husk of the Ten-Tails was sealed with the chakra of the seven Tailed Beasts—but with Obito's power, he could seize it and become its jinchūriki himself."
Even Gaara frowned.
"Though Tō believed she could hold back the Four Hokage reanimated, once Madara joins them, the outcome becomes uncertain."
Turns out even Jiraiya reacted with disbelief:
"Impossible! Reanimated Four Hokage can't be consumed by Shinigami. And Orochimaru's current power is at most one-third of his peak! How could he pose such a threat?"
Gaara snorted coldly:
"Impossible? Tō visited the Uzumaki clan's shrine, and one of the Shinigami Masks is missing—the mask meant to contain the Four Hokage. Could it be... that mask ended up in Obito's hands?"
All other Kage frowned, unable to believe it.
Suddenly, Gaara surveyed Tō's toad summons, then took off like a gust of wind through scattered sand:
"Don't worry—for now, Nagato and Itachi can hold the line. If you recover, come join us."
And he vanished.
In another place:
Nagato frowned and looked coolly at Obito:
"If Obito truly controls the Ten-Tails husk, I would struggle even to face him, especially given his space–time ninjutsu."
However, Tō had foreseen this. She realized that even Konoha's powerful sealing jutsu couldn't stop space–time techniques. Obito's gene-enhanced Uchiha skills and Hashirama cells also meant he could manage the Ten-Tails husk.
Tō (coldly): "We can't focus on Obito now—we must eliminate Orochimaru first. Those Four Hokage aren't a simple threat."
In an instant, Tō vanished toward Orochimaru, though she'd known exactly what awaited. The Second and Fourth Hokage had already tagged her with Flying Thunder God marks and teleported to flank her.
Obito's space–time ninjutsu frustrated Tō, even her Star-Ripple Chains couldn't handle such rapid teleport jumps. She wrapped the chains around herself, deflecting attacks from the Second and Fourth Hokage, while the Third completed his seals.
A massive Five-Nature—Fuin: Five-Seal Barrier burst forth—a giant elemental chakra explosion. Tō coldly flung aside her clothes midair, formed seals, and unleashed Wood Release: Deciduous Canopy—the ground was covered in thick vines, assaulting Orochimaru's position.
Orochimaru frowned, clearly recognizing its force. He murmured:
"By now, your genjutsu is useless—especially before the First and Second Hokage. You can't escape."
He formed seals, invoking Inorganic Transfiguration again: earth pillars sprang from the ground around Tō.
But Tō had anticipated this—iron plates covered her body, her haki (presence) fully unleashed.
The sound of steel clashing rang out—it stunned even Orochimaru. Inorganic Transmutation is a technique that brings lifeless matter to life—an entirely natural style of ninjutsu. Yet Tō's technique, though seemingly unnatural, was shockingly powerful.
With Wood Release: Deciduous Canopy, massive vine arcs surged. Tō's Wind God Sword cut through several, but Orochimaru's Kamui Snake Hands appeared, assaulting. She responded with a pyro-style combination: wind-wreathed black flames erupted from her blade.
"Triangular Rashōmon!"
Boom! A massive shockwave erupted just over the site where Orochimaru stood—another Rashōmon gate appeared before her, conjured by the First Hokage.
Nagato then formed a seal:
"All-Things Heavenly Pull!"
A powerful gravitational force centered on Nagato pulled the battlefield inward—paper talismans scattered upward. Orochimaru and others were carried upward toward the center of this pull.
Simultaneously, the Second and Fourth Hokage teleported themselves away using Flying Thunder God.
Tō was drawn inward, but she pressed her palms, unleashing shockwave fists. Meanwhile, Naruto, mid‑leap, shouted to Sasuke:
"What should we do, Sasuke?! Obito's space–time ninjutsu is currently unstoppable!"
Sasuke and Itachi furrowed brows—Itachi began to read Obito's teleport style.
Just then:
Small‑Boil? Namikoto Tenshō—a powerful explosion erupted from Konan's paper explosion, propelled outward.
The wave decimated several lesser ninjas, but the major players defended themselves.
Tō seized the moment—charged up another bear‑paw shockwave, causing Turtle Island itself to tremble. A spatial tremor ensued—the shockwave also rippling space itself.
Tō and Nagato exchanged a glance and vanished.
They immediately reappeared behind the Third Hokage. Jigokudō (Hell Path) manifested and began to ensnare the Third's soul—if this strike connects, the Third will be decisively neutralized...