Kakuzu and Hidan kept walking toward a seaside. After falling under Kotoamatsukami's influence, Hidan remained unusually quiet throughout the journey, barely uttering a word. This pleased Kakuzu while slightly unsettling him, prompting him to initiate some conversation.
Eventually, the two arrived at a beach, where Kakuzu started giving Hidan instructions, "Stay right here and don't move."
With one powerful leap, Kakuzu rushed toward his beloved treasury. He hadn't returned since he first built this private treasury of his.
Fueled by excitement, Kakuzu reached the familiar unnamed island. After applying a special Release mark onto the ground, the treasury door opened. Without a second thought, he rushed inside.
A minute later, Kakuzu stumbled out, dazed and shaken, his eyes filled with disbelief. "It's empty... How could it be empty? Maybe I mixed up the island after my death. Yeah, that must be it."
His five multicolored hearts materialized into five grotesque black creatures that scattered across neighboring islands.
Half a day passed before Kakuzu, having found nothing, finally accepted the cruel reality—his treasury had been robbed completely clean. Not even a single strand of hair or trace was left behind.
In fact, the complete lack of clues was itself the clearest evidence. Entire islands worth of treasure gone without a trace could only mean the involvement of an incredibly powerful force. Most crucially, it happened precisely at the moment of his supposed death. There was an obvious conclusion.
Without further delay, Kakuzu quickly returned to the beach and told Hidan, "Let's go. Head to Konoha."
At the Five Kage Summit venue, Raikage, having missed his initial attack, bellowed at Obito, "Declare war? I'll crush you first!"
"Please calm down, Raikage," Onoki floated beside Raikage and said, "Since he declared war against us, we should at least hear what he has to say as part of his pre-war declaration. No harm in listening anyway."
Seeing Raikage calm slightly, Obito directly sat on a roof beam and spoke out, "Since you're willing to listen, I'll start by introducing myself—I am Madara Uchiha."
"What? Impossible!" Tsunade interrupted with shock, "My grandfather personally said that he had already killed you back during the Battle at the Valley of the End. My great-grandfather even kept your body at the Back Mountains of Konoha."
"Heheh, young lady, you still don't understand enough about the ocular powers of the Uchiha Clan," Obito smirked sarcastically before continuing casually, "However, I sustained serious injuries in my battle with Hashirama. Right now, I possess no power; I'm merely a Kara."
Raikage snorted disdainfully, "A mere Kara dares to declare war against all Five Kages?"
Obito raised his index finger vertically, forming a gesture representing the number one, and said confidently, "Soon, everything will unite with me—complete unification."
Obito's firm tone startled everyone present. Even Onoki urgently asked, "What exactly does that mean?"
"The Uchiha Clan possesses a stone tablet passed down through generations, inscribed with ancient writings left by the Sage of Six Paths. Without Sharingan power, it's impossible to interpret. The amount of text that can be read depends on the level of one's Sharingan power."
"You're off-topic. What does your declaration of war have to do with the Sage of Six Paths?" Raikage showed signs of impatience, eager to return to his village. Clearly, he was worried about Killer Bee's situation.
"Why did he become a legend worshipped as a god by ninja? Do you know?" Obito kindly explained: "Because he once saved this world from a monster—the Gatai of all Tailed Beasts, an existence possessing the strongest chakra, the Ten-Tails."
"To control the terrifying power of the Ten-Tails, the Sage of Six Paths became its first Jinchuriki. The nine current Tailed Beasts are fragments split from the Ten-Tails."
Tsunade finally got it—[that] was why Akatsuki had been hunting the Tailed Beasts all along. She gravely asked, "So, you want to become the second Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and obtain power equal to that of the Sage of Six Paths."
"That's right. However, few can achieve this. Not everyone can control the Ten-Tails." Obito gave a gloomy laugh and continued: "As everyone knows, we once captured all nine Tailed Beasts together with Hashirama. Therefore, only those from the Senju Clan who possess Wood Release or members of the Uchiha Clan bearing the Mangekyō Sharingan could potentially succeed because these two clans are direct bloodlines descended from the Sage of Six Paths, inheriting respectively his 'Sage's Physical Power' and 'Sage's Eyesight.'"
Onoki asked, "What do you plan to do after acquiring the Sage of Six Paths' power?"
"Just like I said earlier, enhancing ocular power and projecting genjutsu onto the Moon to initiate [Infinite Tsukuyomi]. At that time, everyone will merge with me..."
Tsunade interrupted directly: "Forget it. You won't succeed."
Other Kage chimed in, clearly not convinced: "What kind of world would that even be anyway?"
Obito had anticipated their reactions and said calmly: "In that case, I officially declare the beginning of the Fourth Great Ninja War. Our next meeting shall be on the battlefield."
As Obito vanished into twisted space-time, the Five Kage stood in stunned silence, trying to wrap their heads around everything he'd said.
Onoki was the first to regain composure and spoke: "Hokage, if what he said is true, I recall there is still one member of the Uchiha Clan in Konoha currently. May I ask whether he has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Tsunade frowned instinctively and reflexively asked, "What exactly do you mean by that?"
Raikage chimed in: "Isn't it obvious? People from the Uchiha Clan have always been..."
"Be careful with your words," Terumi Mei interrupted Raikage. "Don't let Obito's words divide us. What we should be doing now is uniting together against the upcoming war."
"Hmph." Raikage waved his large hand dismissively: "Foolish dreams. I don't trust any of you. Don't think I don't know—Akatsuki is composed entirely of rogue ninja, and each of your four great ninja villages also harbors renegades."
Current intelligence report: Akasuna no Sasori of Sunagakure, Deidara of Iwagakure, Itachi Uchiha of Konoha, Orochimaru, and Madara Uchiha. Kisame Hoshigaki of Kirigakure, and even within Hot Springs Country, the venue of this Summit, there is a Hidan.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
The Raikage had completely lost his will to negotiate. He turned his back with a snort of disdain and said, "Hmph, just a bunch of riffraff." Then, accompanied by his two bodyguards, he immediately left the Summit venue and headed back to his village.
Seeing this, Tsunade silently exited the hall as well. Konoha desperately needed her return at this moment.
"Lady Hokage, please wait," Mabui suddenly called out to her.
Tsunade turned back in confusion. "What is it?"
Mabui quickly used Shunshin to appear beside her and whispered into her ear, "Someone told me that if you insist on leaving, he'd like to give you a send-off."
"Someone? Who?" Tsunade asked, now even more puzzled.
"Well... I'm Mabui. The only person who can give me orders is naturally my boss."
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