Chapter 279: Comparison
"Pain, of course."
Hearing Deidara's question, Konan spoke without a moment's hesitation.
She had never seen Senju Hashirama, but even Hanzou, who was once known as a demigod, had died at Nagato's hands. Even if he faced the so-called God of Shinobi, Nagato would surely win.
However, no one echoed her sentiment; instead, everyone turned their gaze toward Kakuzu.
Everyone knew that Kakuzu was someone who had lived for a very long time, surviving from the Sengoku period to the present. If anyone were to comment on the strength of the First Hokage, he would be the most suitable.
"When I was young, I was indeed hired to assassinate the First Hokage."
Kakuzu spoke of this experience candidly, with the calm of someone merely stating a fact.
"However, it was an utter failure. I was repelled before I could even force out his true strength."
He paused, then added, "Later, I was also defeated by the Leader, which is why I joined the Akatsuki Organization."
In other words, Kakuzu had direct combat experience with both men.
He was the most qualified to compare the two.
However, Kakuzu's next words exceeded the expectations of Deidara and the others, revealing his deliberation as a veteran powerhouse:
"But in a Ninja battle, victory or defeat is never determined solely by raw power on paper."
Kakuzu said in a deep voice.
"Timing, geography, intelligence, condition, tactical counters... many factors constrain each other and change in an instant."
He analyzed, "As for timing and geography, whether it's the First Hokage's Wood Release, which is enough to alter the terrain, or the power controlled by the Leader, both can basically ignore the opponent's environmental advantage and even forcibly create a battlefield environment favorable to themselves.
In this regard, they stand at the same height."
Next, he mentioned the more critical aspect of compatibility and counters:
"Just as Deidara can effectively counter opponents who lack anti-air or long-range defense,
Kisame's Samehada is a natural 'Chakra devourer' and a nightmare for Ninjutsu-type Ninjas."
Kakuzu's gaze seemed to sweep across the crowd. "My understanding of the First Hokage's strength is not comprehensive. Nor is my understanding of the Leader's strength necessarily complete."
Finally, he gave an extremely conservative evaluation:
"Therefore, lacking a comprehensive, in-depth understanding—especially at the level of a Peak confrontation—I cannot give a definitive answer as to 'who is stronger.' That would not only be irresponsible but could also mislead the organization's judgment."
This old fellow really is a slippery old eel!
Everyone fell into their own thoughts after hearing Kakuzu's words.
This guy's words were almost the same as saying nothing, and discussing this didn't have much meaning anyway.
Zetsu, with his yin-yang face, half black and half white, and strange appearance, suddenly spoke up.
"That's not right."
Zetsu's light and shadow seemed to "turn" slightly, scanning the other projections present, and then, in that peculiar tone, he posed a question that made everyone freeze for a moment:
"Why has Hidan suddenly become so quiet?"
"..."
With Zetsu's reminder, everyone suddenly realized that Hidan, who was usually the loudest and most restless during meetings, was abnormally silent at this moment.
As if a switch had been suddenly flipped by Zetsu's words, that silent projection abruptly shook violently!
Immediately after, a voice so excited it was nearly frenzied, with an exaggeratedly rising intonation, erupted from the projection like a flood breaking through a dam, instantly filling the entire deep cave:
"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!!!"
It started with a long, attention-grabbing roar.
"Finally! Have you finally remembered this Great Me?"
Aha, I knew it! I knew you guys couldn't do without this Great Me!"
Hidan's voice was full of extreme excitement as his dissatisfaction from being "ignored" suddenly turned into the thrill of being "noticed," and his Astral Projection light and shadow began to gesticulate wildly.
"This Great Me is so important! So dazzling! So... well, full of Lord Jashin's grace!"
He began a speech full of logical leaps on his own, completely ignoring the seriousness of the previous topic:
"Do you want to? Huh? Do you want to? Follow this Great Me and throw yourselves into Lord Jashin's embrace!
Feel that supreme Pain, and let blood become the staircase to eternity!
Sacrifice all those self-righteous guys to Lord Jashin!"
What followed was a string of rapid-fire, logically incoherent, and blood-soaked religious vocabulary and fanatical self-indulgent chatter.
He would boast about the Jashinism doctrines one moment, describe his imaginary "perfect sacrifice" scenes the next, intersperse them with morbid praises of "Pain is pleasure," and even began to improvise and sing a discordant "Hymn to Jashin"...
This guy...
Deidara's bright yellow projection curled its lip and whispered, "Hmm... so noisy, there's no artistry in it at all."
Zetsu also had a headache; if he had known, he wouldn't have mentioned him.
——————————
Inside the Kamui Dimension, a constant atmosphere of loneliness, distortion, and unreality always permeated.
Grey was the main color here, with countless massive, irregularly shaped, and seemingly infinitely extending stone pillars arranged in rows, forming a static and eerie stone forest.
A figure stood alone atop one of the stone pillars.
He wore the Akatsuki Organization's black robe with red clouds and a spiral-patterned one-eyed mask on his face; it was Uchiha Obito.
His figure appeared exceptionally small in the vast and distorted space, yet it exuded a sense of paranoid determination.
A White Zetsu Clone was slowly "growing" out of the ground, reporting the latest intelligence gathered from the outside world in his unique, somewhat comical, and emotionless tone.
"So, besides the First, Second, and Fourth Hokage being resurrected via Edo Tensei on Hidden Leaf Village's side, now Kakashi Hatake's father, that 'White Fang of the Leaf,' Sakumo Hatake, has also been resurrected via Edo Tensei.
The specific details are still being confirmed, but the possibility of it being Sakumo Hatake is very high."
After all, there were only a few white-haired people in Hidden Leaf Village; it couldn't be that he saw Kakashi calling Jiraiya 'Dad,' right?
After the White Zetsu Clone finished speaking, he tilted his head, seemingly waiting for Obito's reaction.
Obito listened in silence.
The mask hid all his expressions, but in his exposed right eye, the pupil contracted imperceptibly upon hearing the name "Sakumo Hatake."
Sakumo Hatake... Kakashi's father.
The man who was once incredibly glorious in Kakashi's words, yet ultimately chose to take his own life due to rumors and his inner principles, leaving Kakashi with endless shadows and distorted creeds.
"You mean, besides the previous Hokages, that guy Kakashi's... father has also been resurrected?"
"Bringing back deceased loved ones to this desperate world full of Pain and hypocrisy... has Hidden Leaf Village become so weak that they need to rely on the dead to protect the Village?"
White Zetsu didn't understand why Obito was being so cynical; under Black Zetsu's influence, White Zetsu didn't think there was anything wrong with using the power of the dead.
Isn't it all just power?
Obito quickly suppressed the fluctuation in his heart.
For Obito, who had long since buried his emotions to realize the 'Eye of the Moon' plan, any individual encounter or any change in the present world was just noise on the way to the ultimate goal.
He waved his hand with a gesture of complete indifference and apathy.
"Forget it, let him be."
His voice returned to that hollow calm. "No matter how they act now, how they struggle in this illusory world... it's all just temporary."
His gaze seemed to penetrate the distorted barrier of the Kamui Dimension, looking toward the "perfect world" he had conceptualized countless times:
"Sooner or later, all of them—Kakashi, his father, the First Hokage, that so-called Sixth Hokage, and even you and I.
We will all welcome true peace in the eternal and beautiful dream world created by the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
There, there is no Pain, no loss, no despair—only the most perfect happiness in everyone's heart."
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