The intruder was none other than White Zetsu.
Following Ye Zi's orders, he had come to scout the enemy. But after only a single glance at the Allied Army encamped in Konoha, he was detected.
"Earth Release paired with barrier techniques? Very impressive."
Realizing he had been exposed, White Zetsu didn't hesitate, he turned and ran.
The Allied forces rushed in at top speed but caught nothing but air.
Unable to infiltrate Konoha, White Zetsu had no choice but to return to the base and report the news to Ye Zi as quickly as possible.
Because of this discovery, the Allied Shinobi Forces suspected Ye Zi might soon act. They immediately prepared the troops, ready to march on Ye Zi's base in the Land of Waterfalls once final orders were given.
...
Inside the base.
In a vast room, coffins stood upright lined in five neat rows, ten in each row.
The coffins were evenly spaced, arranged in a way that looked oddly pleasing to the eye.
Standing before them were Ye Zi and Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, you've also transplanted Hashirama's cells. Controlling this selection of Edo Tensei bodies shouldn't be a problem, right?" Ye Zi said calmly, gazing at the coffins.
The coffins contained reanimated shinobi, strong ones painstakingly gathered from every village by White Zetsu. In total there had been hundreds, but Ye Zi had culled them, handpicking fifty elites.
On the one hand, Orochimaru could not control hundreds at once. Even if he could, the precision would suffer and their abilities would be wasted.
On the other hand, with seventy thousand clones already in his army, there was no need for too many "generals." Fewer, stronger pawns were easier to control. Edo Tensei bodies were never at their full strength, if not used properly, their value would drop significantly.
Orochimaru gave a chilling chuckle. "You don't sound like someone worried about this. Why bother asking?"
Ye Zi nodded slightly. He still chose to trust Orochimaru. After all, without him, they never could have come this far.
Without Orochimaru, there would be no Edo Tensei. And even if there were, without Orochimaru, there'd be no one capable of properly controlling them.
"I'm fortunate," Ye Zi said, turning his head to look at Orochimaru's pale profile. "That the first person I met in this world… was you."
Yes, fortunate.
Once, to scrape together money for urgent medical bills, he had risked everything in an underground fight. The organizers betrayed him; he died under the fists of a veteran fighter. By chance heaven had spared him, his soul crossed into this world, and life continued.
Since then, he had stumbled and bled his way forward, walking a razor's edge, often a step from death's door. But he had survived, and finally reached this point, his goal seemingly within a single step.
If he hadn't met Orochimaru…
Hearing his words, Orochimaru's snake-like eyes, usually filled only with cold malice, flickered with faint sentiment. For all his cruelty, he was not entirely devoid of feeling.
Ye Zi's tone was calm, but Orochimaru heard the weight in his words. And was he not the same?
If he hadn't met Ye Zi, how else could he have touched the threshold of truth so swiftly?
"You know I don't need thanks," Orochimaru said, eyes fixed on the coffins.
Ye Zi withdrew his gaze, looked at them as well, and said in a low voice, "Whether I succeed or fail, remember what you promised me."
"Of course," Orochimaru replied without hesitation.
Ye Zi nodded, then turned toward the door. As he walked away, he added, "Even if you don't need it, Orochimaru… I still want to say thank you."
Orochimaru's expression didn't change. His eyes remained on the coffins.
"Everything's nearly ready. Once White Zetsu returns, we set out."
Just before the door closed, Ye Zi's last words lingered in Orochimaru's ears.
Now alone, Orochimaru stood amid the fifty coffins. The dim light and the chill air lent the room a suffocating coldness.
"You should have had better choices. Yet you insist on carrying such burdens. Hmph. In the end, people like you and me need no understanding from others. As long as we see the path clearly, we will walk it to the end."
His quiet murmur echoed in the dark, frigid chamber.
White Zetsu brought back little of value. Already fully prepared, Ye Zi immediately resolved to attack Konoha.
Only the final step remained. Even if every ninja village stood united, he would pay any price… to see his plan succeed!
The clone army numbered around seventy thousand.
If cultivation continued, it could surpass one hundred thousand, perhaps even several hundred thousand. But draining the Demonic Statue's tailed-beast chakra entirely was unwise. Besides, there were only thirty thousand enhancement serums.
At a ratio of two clones per serum, the balance was acceptable. But if the number grew further, it would slip to three to one making it pointless.
Orochimaru's Edo Tensei corps.
The seventy-thousand-strong clone army, empowered by thirty thousand serums. Nearly one hundred Hebi Squad members, each at least jōnin-class. And finally—Ye Zi, Shin Uchiha, Kisame, and Sasori.
Once Ye Zi made their mission clear, the Hebi Squad showed no fear. Nearly one hundred of them, arrayed in seven squads, stood waiting.
At the front, Ye Zi swept his gaze over them, their faces calm as stone. Before the march, he asked: "Are you afraid?"
His quiet words reached every ear. Silence answered him.
"Answer me," Ye Zi said softly.
"We are not afraid!" they roared together, firm and resolute.
Ye Zi closed his eyes slowly, emotions roiling in his chest. For a long moment he wrestled with them, until his heart hardened once more. Opening his eyes, cold and unflinching, he said: "Then… fight for me."
"Yes!"
Again came the unwavering response.
"I will fight, for Lord Ye Zi. Even if it costs me my life!" Kimimaro thought earnestly, eyes locked on him.
Not all shared Kimimaro's thoughts, but all had resolved themselves.
"The battle… begins."
Ye Zi glanced once more at them, then turned sharply toward the exit. The Hebi Squad followed silently.
At the entrance, Orochimaru and the others waited. Once Ye Zi emerged with his squad, they could depart at once.
As the procession marched down the corridor, two figures appeared at a corner.
Nanako watched them go, lips pressed tight, face clouded with worry. For some reason, her chest felt heavy, as though shadowed by an unshakable dread.
A premonition gripped her, that once Ye Zi left the base, she would never see him again.
The feeling crushed her, as though unseen hands were pushing her to stop him. Yet her legs felt rooted, unable to move.
"Lady Nanako…" Sakana murmured beside her, hesitant as he saw her expression.
At the head of the column, Ye Zi suddenly glanced back for a moment, then faced forward again.
Ahead, white light spilled through the entrance, the glow of the outside world.
To him, important people were no longer just one.
For his final goal, he would use any means. But he could never allow those beside him to be harmed.
Nanako, unsuited for battle, had been left behind, with ten guards to protect her.
"I'm sorry… Nanako."
As he strode toward that widening white light, Ye Zi whispered the words in his heart.
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