For Kitagawa Gen, the Ten-Tails was still extremely useful.
At the very least, he could use this Ten-Tails to accelerate the planting of his God Tree.
'And the Ten-Tails isn't limited to just one. That fellow Isshiki still has a Ten-Tails in his hands—it's just unclear how much longer they'll need before it fully thaws.'
At times, Kitagawa Gen even felt some sympathy for Isshiki, after all, he had possessed Obito's body.
And that fellow Obito, when it came to combat, no matter how strong he became, seemed unable to fight without relying on Kamui.
This resulted in his tactical and technical combat skills receiving almost no real training; against nearly anyone, it was always an instant kill on first contact.
If he couldn't win, he could always look for a chance to retreat, and at worst, he could use Izanagi to preserve himself.
'That's just playing dirty.'
Kitagawa Gen rubbed his chin, but abusing such tricks over and over would be nothing short of a disaster for Isshiki.
'It seems I'll need to find an opportunity to strike proactively with full force; otherwise, that Obito fellow simply won't be able to gain sufficient improvement.'
"Hokage-sama!"
Just as Kitagawa Gen was thinking, Yamanaka Inoichi suddenly spoke up, his tone urgent.
"There's new information from the front lines!"
"Oh?"
Kitagawa Gen froze for a moment. Terumī Mei, Deidara, and the usually quiet Gaara all looked over with curiosity.
"What's happening on the front lines? Has the Akatsuki made some new move again?"
"Yes. The Akatsuki's core main forces have appeared."
Yamanaka Inoichi was wearing specialized equipment, sensing the intelligence being consolidated from the front lines, as he spoke with utmost seriousness.
"Not only them—powerful Impure World Reincarnation forces have also appeared across various battlefields, and they even include… the Kage of the villages!"
"Tch, that's not strange at all. Mm."
Deidara shrugged; he truly didn't find such developments surprising.
Terumī Mei nodded along as well. Ever since Orochimaru used Impure World Reincarnation, this kind of situation had been entirely foreseeable.
Gaara, however, frowned slightly and asked with some doubt.
"Can we determine which Kage are involved?"
"At present, we can confirm that aside from the Hokage, every village's Kage is there."
Yamanaka Inoichi spoke with some embarrassment, but this instead piqued Deidara's interest.
"They're all there, huh? Then that's great!"
"Indeed, that's not a bad thing."
Gaara could not help murmuring softly; even Terumī Mei could not help raising an eyebrow.
"It seems our response was a bit slow, but being able to meet these previous-generation Kage… doesn't really seem like a bad thing either."
"Gen, should we go to the front lines and take a look?"
Deidara suddenly straightened up and spoke in a low voice.
"Just like when we went to the Hidden Cloud back then—staying here is way too boring. Even the old man has gone up there; it's not really appropriate for us young people to be left here, is it?"
"I think we can give it a try."
Terumī Mei was extremely displeased with the Akatsuki—whether it was their control over Kirigakure back then, or their recent attack on Utakata.
Or the subsequent sneak attack on the Fourth Mizukage—none of that made her willing to keep staying here.
What's more, now even her village's previous-generation Kage had shown up; she could not sit still any longer!
"I also think we should take action. As Kage, we can't just leave everything to our subordinates."
Gaara also spoke seriously; clearly, he had little interest in continuing to stay here.
"Is that so?"
Kitagawa Gen rubbed his chin. After thinking it over a bit, he also nodded.
He had still been thinking about how to 'help' Obito and the others speed up their progress, and it just so happened he could also use this time to have Black Zetsu go 'take' something.
Since that was the case, there really wasn't much meaning in staying here. He might as well go out and get properly active!
"Since that's the case, let's move out as well."
"What?"
When Nara Shikaku heard this, his eyes could not help widening.
Not only him—everyone else was also full of shock. Why were these young "Kage" each and every one of them so unable to sit still?
"Isn't that too impulsive? This place still needs people—"
"In fact, having you all here is enough. Aren't we able to stay in contact at any time?"
Kitagawa Gen did not wait for Nara Shikaku to finish speaking; he smiled, shook his head, and interrupted.
"Besides, the Third Hokage is still in Konohagakure—just have him come over immediately to coordinate with you. What's more, they've even used Impure World Reincarnation on the Kage; we can't just watch."
"Is that so?"
Seeing this, Nara Shikaku could only nod helplessly. These Kage were truly not people he could command.
Moreover, the current situation was complex. Rather than waiting until the front lines required reinforcements and then dispatching these Kage, having them take the initiative to accelerate the progress of the war did not seem like a bad idea either.
Thinking of this, he did not continue to block them, and Kitagawa Gen and the others had already stood up.
"Then prepare to move—especially you few."
A faint smile appeared on Kitagawa Gen's face as he twisted his neck and spoke in a low voice.
"Don't embarrass yourselves in front of those old fellows—especially in front of your own troops."
"Tch, how could that be, hm!"
Deidara grinned broadly. Terumī Mei clenched her fist, while Gaara nodded solemnly.
They also wanted to properly see just what kind of performance those previous-generation Kage would show.
...
"There's a massive amount of chakra ahead. Looks like we've been sent straight to the battlefield."
Amid the clustered mountains, the Second Tsuchikage sensed the surroundings with chakra. After quite a while, he spoke with some irritation.
Back when he was alive, he had not only been the Second Tsuchikage—he had also been an extremely powerful sensory ninja.
His grasp of battlefield conditions had always been excellent.
"But this time, all the villages have actually joined forces together. That really is unexpected."
"Tch, that's not a bad thing. Were you expecting a single village to deal with those annoying fellows?"
The Second Mizukage shrugged his small mustache, but soon spoke again with a face full of resignation.
"Honestly, even though you're reliable, teaming up with you really is unpleasant."
"Hmph. The feeling's mutual."
The Second Tsuchikage snorted coldly, apparently unable to forget how they had perished together back then.
"You think I enjoy being with a guy like you, covered in oil and without eyebrows? When facing your juniors, I won't be holding back!"
"Tch, just be careful not to mess up, zombie."
The Second Mizukage shook his head indifferently, yet he also felt a bit sentimental.
"Honestly… having to face my own juniors. I wonder how much they've grown. It really doesn't make me feel very happy."
"Perhaps… there's been some growth."
Only then did the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, interject. In truth, he himself felt rather at a loss.
He had originally wanted to ask Chiyo who the current Fifth Kazekage was, but Chiyo seemed to have no intention of paying him any attention at all.
That situation left him feeling somewhat awkward, though he could still understand it—because he knew very well that if he had chosen wrongly back then, Sunagakure would truly have been finished.
"Sigh… back then, if I hadn't made that choice, how much better could things really have been?"
"Hm?"
Just as Rasa was feeling extremely dejected, the Second Tsuchikage's expression suddenly changed slightly.
Because he suddenly sensed an immense burst of chakra—so vast it filled him with despair—erupt in an instant!
That chakra felt astonishingly gentle, as if one were facing nature itself, yet at the same time incomparably violent, as though it sought to destroy everything.
"What in the world is that?"
The Second Tsuchikage instinctively felt uneasy, but before he could think further, that chakra vanished in a flash.
As if it had never existed at all, leaving him feeling somewhat dazed.
"Hey, zombie, what's with you?"
The Second Mizukage noticed the Second Tsuchikage's abnormality and could not help asking curiously.
But just as his words fell, a powerful surge of chakra suddenly erupted, and immediately afterward, the endless yellow sands underwent a drastic change!
Boundless sand and dust gathered frantically, surging toward them like gigantic waves.
"Whoa, such a well-shaped sand wave—nicely done! Which village's ninja pulled this off?"
The Second Mizukage was instantly delighted; after all, he had always been carefree by nature.
What's more, having been summoned by Impure World Reincarnation, he was in a 'slacking off' mindset to begin with, making it hard for him to take things seriously.
"This is—"
However, Rasa sensed that familiar chakra within the yellow sands, and his body instinctively began to move!
He pressed both hands against the ground, and in an instant the yellow sand surged upward as a massive sand wave rushed forward to meet it head-on.
"Oh? Looks like it's someone from your village."
The Second Mizukage laughed, though he could not help rubbing his chin.
"Magnet Release, huh? But if I remember correctly, aren't the people of Sunagakure more skilled in puppet techniques?"
"Times change with each passing day, Second Mizukage-sama!"
Just as he was pondering this, a voice suddenly rang out from the sky. In the next moment, fierce chakra erupted at once.
Along with it came highly corrosive strong acid, as well as mist that was likewise corrosive and carried intense heat, spreading and enveloping the area.
In an instant, the three of them were wrapped within it. The mustached Second Mizukage could not help raising an eyebrow.
"Oh my, that's Lava Release and Boil Release—both from a single person. Not bad at all!"
"You lunatic—how did I ever end up dying together with a guy like you back then?"
The Second Tsuchikage only felt a wave of embarrassment, but he did not dwell on those chaotic thoughts any further.
The chakra that had filled even him with despair had vanished, which made him feel much better, and that chakra was, without surprise, likely from the Allied Shinobi Forces.
"Looking at it this way, it's not a bad thing—and you've exposed your position as well."
Without hesitation, he immediately raised his hand, white chakra light gathering within his palm.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
However, to his surprise, an identical white pillar of light appeared in the sky as well.
The two massive blazing-white beams collided midair, and a world-shattering force erupted instantly!
As the light gradually faded, a gigantic deep crater appeared on the ground at once—this kind of power was truly beyond what ordinary techniques could achieve.
"Ōnoki? No—wait."
The Second Tsuchikage lifted his head to look toward the sky, only to see a young blond man sitting atop a flying bird.
This sight made the Second Tsuchikage frown slightly, while the Second Mizukage beside him broke into a playful grin.
"Dust Release, huh? Hey, zombie—is that your disciple Ōnoki showing up? After all these years, I wonder what that brat's turned into. Maybe he's even older than you now?"
"Can't you see for yourself?"
The Second Tsuchikage snorted coldly, then continued.
"The one who acted just now should be from Kirigakure, right? If that's the case, people from three villages have already gathered."
"Tch, I really hope that wasn't someone from Kirigakure."
The Second Mizukage pursed his lips. If it were someone from another village, killing them would be killing them—one could only say they were unlucky or lacked ability.
But if a genius from his own village died here, that would be bad news. And there was one thing he was most worried about now.
"Hey, tell me—do you think the ones who came this time are all the current Kage?"
"Even though it's annoying, you're absolutely right, mustache!"
Deidara had naturally heard what they were saying, and he shamelessly admitted it with a grin.
"I'm the Fourth Tsuchikage, you know—hm!"
"Looks like Iwagakure ended up with an idiot Tsuchikage."
Although the Second Tsuchikage was wrapped in bandages, the Second Mizukage could still sense his mood. But after glancing at Terumī Mei, the smile on his face vanished instantly.
"So, that means you're the current Mizukage?"
"Second Mizukage-sama, I am the Fifth Mizukage."
Terumī Mei nodded and spoke with utmost seriousness.
"I truly didn't expect to meet you. It was because we failed to properly protect you all that things have turned out like this."
"Then in that case…"
Rasa raised his head and looked toward the figure floating in the air whose face bore some resemblance to his own, speaking with a complicated expression.
"Gaara—are you now the Fifth Kazekage?"
"…Mm."
Unfortunately, Gaara merely nodded indifferently, clearly not wishing to say much to him, his father.
"Sigh… it seems the shinobi world truly has changed with the times. We old fellows really have been eliminated."
Seeing this, the Second Mizukage could only sigh helplessly, while the Second Tsuchikage also spoke up.
"Then, young Kage, you'd best be prepared. Although we don't want to make a move, unfortunately—"
"—things are no longer up to us!"
...
"Tch, to think we're actually together with a bunch of traitors."
In the direction of the Land of Hot Water, the Third Raikage and the Fourth Raikage father and son stood side by side, both wearing expressions of disgust as they looked at the two figures beside them.
Those two were tall, with horns growing from their heads, and in their hands they held items such as a gourd, a sword, and a rope.
Without a doubt, these two were the Gold and Silver Brothers—Kinkaku and Ginkaku—who had once assassinated the Second Raikage and also killed the Second Hokage!
"Traitors are only relative. The losers are traitors, but if we win, then we're restoring order and leading the greater cause."
Kinkaku and Ginkaku were equally disdainful toward the Third and Fourth Raikage.
"If you ask me, the real traitors and idiots are the two of you."
"One with something wrong in his head, covering the retreat of his subordinates, and the other actually trusting someone as scheming as Senju Tobirama. It's only natural that Kumogakure ended up like this."
"You—"
Upon hearing this, the fists of the Third and Fourth Raikage clenched tightly. Unfortunately, they seemed unable to act against their own side at the moment.
Otherwise, the father and son would have smashed these two brothers' dog brains to pieces first!
"Hm?"
However, just then, they seemed to sense something.
Suddenly looking up, they immediately noticed that at the very front of the White Zetsu army, a lone figure had quietly appeared.
And the moment they saw that figure, they instantly felt something was wrong—because that person's chakra was unexpectedly powerful.
"It's him…"
The Fourth Raikage's expression turned extremely ugly in that instant. At the same time, Orochimaru, who was controlling the Impure World Reincarnation, also reacted.
"So he's here… then."
As he pondered, he passed the information to White Zetsu. At the same moment, Black Zetsu, Obito, Nagato, and even Kimimaro all received the news.
"Kitagawa Gen has arrived!"
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