The Fourth Raikage said somewhat impatiently, "Senior Hiruzen, how much longer must we wait? We can invade the Hidden Rain Village right now."
The Fourth Raikage was eager for battle. Now that the Shinobi of the First Division were fully assembled, his bellicose heart could no longer wait.
The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe and smiled, "A, don't be in such a hurry. Wait for the Headquarters' deployment. Let the professionals handle the professional matters."
"That rhetoric again!"
The Fourth Raikage truly couldn't stand it anymore.
The Third Hokage said to the Shinobi beside him, "Let the various units return to camp and rest for now. They won't be heading to the battlefield for a while."
"Understood!"
The messenger Shinobi immediately went to inform the green recruits standing below to dismiss.
Seeing that there was nothing important and unable to wait any longer, the Fourth Raikage took his younger brother to a nearby mountain forest to train their muscles.
The Third Hokage was waiting for both the assembly of the other Villages and for news from Orochimaru.
He looked toward Danzo, "Danzo, has Orochimaru still not sent back any word?"
Danzo shook his head.
The Third Hokage frowned slightly, "What is that fellow doing? Does he still have his own schemes at a critical time like this?"
A mysterious figure wearing a hood spoke up, "Hokage-sama, there is no need to worry. Orochimaru gave me a copy of the Edo Tensei Ritual Formula. When the time comes, I will naturally summon the Edo Tensei bodies to deal with Uchiha Madara."
The Third Hokage looked at the hooded mysterious figure and asked, "Hiruko, do you know what Orochimaru is actually up to?"
The mysterious figure in the hood was indeed Hiruko, who had come along as Orochimaru's representative.
Hiruko shook his head, "I don't know. That venomous snake Orochimaru has always been self-centered. In my opinion, if the battle doesn't go well, he might just hide away in Ryūchi Cave."
Jiraiya rubbed his head, "That certainly fits Orochimaru's personality."
The Third Hokage sighed and asked Hiruko, "Hiruko, how many Edo Tensei bodies can you summon?"
Hiruko replied, "Aside from the First and Second, I can summon all of Orochimaru's Edo Tensei bodies. These include Sakumo, Duy, Kagami..."
When Hiruko mentioned Sarutobi Sasuke, he cast a cautious glance at the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage remained expressionless, and his face didn't look too grim.
He had known about this for a long time.
However, Jiraiya and Minato, who were hearing this for the first time, were dumbfounded.
Orochimaru was truly capable of such atrocious acts.
The Third Hokage comforted everyone, saying, "This isn't something to be embarrassed about. My father was a great Shinobi; he would surely be happy to fight for the future of the Shinobi World."
"If I should unfortunately fall in battle in the future, then use Edo Tensei on me to protect Konoha!"
The Third Hokage thought of the Reaper Death Seal; once that Sealing Jutsu was performed, his soul would be pulled into the stomach of the Shinigami.
He probably wouldn't even have the chance for Edo Tensei.
Everyone present collectively admired the Third Hokage's righteousness.
Jiraiya followed suit, saying, "If I also die in battle, take a part of my remains back."
"If the Village meets with misfortune, summon me back with Edo Tensei to protect it."
Minato also chimed in, saying he would protect the Village even in death.
Danzo sneered coldly in his heart. Did these people really think just anyone could learn Edo Tensei?
Fine, fine. Since you've said so, you can become the underground reserves of Root in the future, protecting the Village from the darkness.
Kakuzu, listening to the talk of Edo Tensei from the side, had an expression hidden behind his mask, but his mood had turned extremely dark.
If he died, wouldn't he be summoned by these Konoha people, disturbing his peace?
Tobirama's technique was truly sinister beyond measure.
Fukasaku couldn't help but speak up after hearing this, "That's enough. The dead should not interfere too much with the affairs of the living. This will lead to an imbalance between Yin and Yang."
Different perspectives saw different problems.
The Third Hokage and Danzo saw the compensation in combat power brought by Edo Tensei, while the two Great Sages of Mount Myōboku saw the Yin-Yang imbalance caused by the abuse of such a technique.
The Third Hokage cupped his hands to the two Sages, "Great Sages, I understand your meaning, but this time is an exception."
"We cannot face Madara with our strength alone."
Fukasaku said with a touch of human sentiment, "Since you are letting the Village's heroes join the fight, you must at least make up for their regrets! For instance, let the deceased see their grown children."
Fukasaku hoped that these summoned heroic spirits would fight for their descendants of their own will, rather than being used as puppets of war.
The Third Hokage nodded, "The Sage is right. Hiruko, summon all the heroes who rest eternally underground! Let the heroes of Konoha see this era and see if it is worth their protection."
Hiruko nodded, "Very well. Speaking of which, I suppose I count as a rogue Shinobi."
The Third Hokage said, "The things you did are sealed within the Anbu and will not be exposed. In the end, you are still an excellent Konoha Jonin."
"Thanks!"
Hiruko nodded and thanked the Third Hokage. Hiruko also had some relatives in Konoha; as long as one is human, they hope to have a bit of glory before death and a better reputation afterward.
He was no exception!
Immediately after, Hiruko summoned all the Edo Tensei bodies except for the First and Second.
Sakumo, Duy, Kagami, Dan...
Inside a Chunin tent.
Asuma was showing off his chakra weapons to Kurenai and Shizune.
"See this, Kurenai, Shizune? This is my Flying Swallow. My big brother made it for me. This is a chakra weapon."
Kurenai and Shizune looked on with extreme envy. chakra weapons were made from metals that conducted chakra most efficiently.
They could be infused with chakra that had undergone nature transformation, possessing power far beyond ordinary weapons.
For example, if infused with Wind, the chakra weapon would become exceptionally sharp, capable of even piercing through steel.
However, chakra metal was extremely expensive; even a Jonin might not be able to afford it.
Asuma was only a Chunin yet had a pair of Flying Swallows made of chakra metal, which made Kurenai and Shizune incredibly envious.
Kurenai was a bit defiant and huffed, "Asuma, stop showing off. A small pebble thrown by a master is much stronger than your flying shuriken."
"You're only a Chunin using such a good weapon; be careful not to become a prime target on the battlefield."
Asuma brandished his Flying Swallow and said, "I'm not afraid. This time I'm going to make a name for myself and become the youngest Jonin after Kakashi and Obito."
"By the way, where are Kakashi and Obito? Why haven't I seen their squad?"
Shizune said, "Kakashi and Obito are Jonin. They are responsible for protecting Kushina and Senior Yugito in the Village."
Asuma felt it was a pity, "I see! That's a real shame. The two of them won't be able to see my invincible form on the battlefield."
"This time, I'm going to rush to the very front, capture Uchiha Ryou alive, and make a name for my Sarutobi clan."
Kurenai advised, "Asuma, let's just stick to hauling supplies in logistics. Don't think about going to the front lines to earn military merit."
"If you run into that big villain Uchiha Ryou, you might get kicked to death before you even graze his clothes."
Asuma felt a bit hurt, "Kurenai, how can you say that? Don't you have a grudge against him? Why are you speaking up for our enemy?"
Kurenai wiped her shuriken and Kunai, saying somewhat despondently, "It's not that I'm speaking for my enemy, it's just that Uchiha Ryou has taken some kind of powerful medicine or something."
"Even Jiraiya-sama and Minato-sama are no match for him!"
"On the other hand, I haven't even successfully mastered the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique. In the future, I won't even be qualified to shine someone's shoes!"
Kurenai had lost her former pride.
War can stimulate a Shinobi's latent potential, but that doesn't mean one can just cheat!
Although Kurenai had high talent for genjutsu, she couldn't cash in on her talent in such a short amount of time.
Obito could learn Kakashi's Chidori in a short time because his Sharingan had awakened, and the talent of the Uchiha elite had been roused.
But Kurenai couldn't. Yuhi Shinku was already very gratified that her progress with the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique was even slightly visible.
And what about her enemy?
Although Ryou was not unparalleled under heaven like Madara, the number one threat to the Shinobi Allied Forces, he was still not to be underestimated.