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On the other side, over at the Mizukage's location, Genma and his two companions were also preparing to use the Flying Thunder God to transport the Mizukage to the battlefield, following Shikaku's remote instructions.
Incidentally, Tsunade had a Flying Thunder God mark on her body.
"Eh? Shikamaru, you're leaving?"
Naruto looked at Shikamaru in confusion, not understanding why he was leaving. Right now, the Fourth Division was facing a powerful enemy like Madara and needed a commanding figure like Shikamaru.
Shikamaru scratched his head.
"Naruto, you were listening to what I said to the Tsuchikage and the others just now, right? Even if you didn't understand anything else, you at least understood one thing—I was taken by that guy called Uchiha Kagaya. Strictly speaking, I'm something like his hostage right now. So I have to go back and keep following him."
Naruto furrowed his brow and spoke.
"But didn't you already escape from that guy? Now that you have us by your side, there's nothing to worry about!"
Shikamaru smiled. Naruto's desire to protect his comrades was quite heartwarming.
"Naruto, I believe in you, and I believe in everyone here. But I didn't escape—I was sent here by that man. I just agreed to some things with him, and he helped us block two meteorites. If I just turned around and ran off, I'm afraid I would immediately anger him. And you've seen his strength. He can summon two meteorites to help us, so he can naturally summon two meteorites to destroy us."
"But—"
"Naruto! If those two meteorites came down, you're just a shadow clone. If you die, you die. But look at the huge crowd of shinobi around you. Tell me—how many of them could survive?! Are you going to kill all these people for your own selfish desires? If you keep me here, you're effectively massacring the comrades around you! I'm asking you—can you block two meteorites? As just a shadow clone, can you?!"
Shikamaru raised his voice, interrogating Naruto.
Naruto wanting to protect Shikamaru wasn't wrong. But Naruto wasn't rational—Shikamaru couldn't afford to be irrational. Kagaya had let him come here alone. Did Kagaya not consider that he might run? Of course he had! So why had Kagaya still let Shikamaru come alone?
Because Shikamaru was a smart man—a man whose rationality outweighed his emotions at critical moments. Such a person, after recognizing Kagaya's strength, could not possibly fail to return!
If he didn't return, then what would that mean for the massive crowd of Allied Shinobi Forces around him?
Just as Shikamaru had said—whoever stopped him from returning was effectively massacring the comrades around them.
Naruto opened his mouth wide, but couldn't utter a single word.
Could he abandon all the shinobi around him for the sake of one Shikamaru?
Could he block those two meteorites?
Could he?
If his real body were here, perhaps there was a sliver of hope. But as just a shadow clone—with his chakra even dried up to the point of needing the Nine-Tails to supply him—such a Naruto couldn't do it.
"Is it dangerous?"
In the end, Naruto asked his final question with a dejected expression.
Shikamaru smiled faintly and brushed past Naruto.
"Don't worry. At least for now, it isn't."
Then, Shikamaru left.
Kagaya's strength deterred the Allied Shinobi Forces. No one dared stop Shikamaru from leaving.
They already had one Madara who was incredibly difficult to deal with. If another enemy of the same level appeared—
It would be a catastrophe.
"Lord Madara, allow me to take my leave for a moment. I'll leave this battlefield to you."
The Second Tsuchikage suddenly spoke to Madara.
"Where are you going?" Madara gazed straight ahead. His Wood Release from earlier had been blocked by a blond brat. But it didn't matter. From his resurrection until now, Madara had never fought seriously. He had been enjoying the thrill of battle the entire time.
"To where my other trump card is. After all, he's gotten so close to me. Regarding whether he's defected, I'd like to confirm it for myself."
The Second Tsuchikage gradually rose into the air, preparing to leave.
Madara smiled with interest.
"Want me to come along? I'm quite interested in the other pair of Rinnegan. Although I believe my only opponent will always be Hashirama... if it really is another pair of Rinnegan, then perhaps—mm, perhaps he could be my second opponent."
The Second Tsuchikage refused Madara cleanly and decisively.
"No, Lord Madara. You and my other trump card are both Impure World Reincarnation subjects—you're on the same side. If you two fought, it would benefit us in no way."
Madara spoke with disdain.
"What's this? The other side has already blocked my meteorites. With such an obvious act of betrayal, you still hold expectations for him? He's no longer on our side."
The Second Tsuchikage shook his head.
"He's different. A combat force that powerful is worth forgiving. Even if that combat force cannot be used by us, it absolutely must not be used by the Allied Shinobi Forces."
Madara scoffed.
"Forget it. Go, then. You're just a sneaky fellow who only dares hide in the shadows, after all."
The Second Tsuchikage didn't mind at all. He silently left Madara's side and departed the battlefield, following Shikamaru.
Running through the desert, Shikamaru keenly noticed the Second Tsuchikage following him. But there was nothing he could do. He could only let the other party follow.
Very quickly, Shikamaru returned to the stone pillar where Kagaya was cooling off in the shade.
Kagaya glanced at Shikamaru and sighed.
"I sent you to negotiate with the Allied Shinobi Forces. I didn't tell you to bring back a tail."
Shikamaru refused to accept it.
"No. That tail isn't from our Allied Shinobi Forces. He's from the Impure World Reincarnation side. You know my strength. I have no way to deal with him."
Kagaya stared at Shikamaru. Shikamaru's strength might not be enough to deal with a pursuer, but if he was willing to think of something, shaking off a pursuer shouldn't be impossible. However—
"Mm, forget it. He's followed you here already. Aren't you going to show yourself?"
As his words fell, the Second Tsuchikage silently appeared beside Kagaya.
"My lord, this should be our first meeting since your resurrection."
Kagaya paused. At first glance, he had thought the visitor was the Second Tsuchikage himself. But unexpectedly, the voice was Kabuto's. It seemed the Second Tsuchikage's self-awareness had been completely suppressed. The one controlling this shell called the "Second Tsuchikage" was Kabuto.
"The caster?"
Although Kagaya had instantly guessed Kabuto's identity, he decided to feign a little ignorance to avoid exposing his "prophet"-like abilities.
The Second Tsuchikage nodded.
"It is indeed I, Lord Kagaya. This time, I've come to find you in hopes that you will lend us your strength to deal with the Allied Shinobi Forces—for example, the group up ahead."
The moment those words fell, before Kagaya could even react, Shikamaru's expression changed drastically. He instinctively declared.
"Impossible!"
The Second Tsuchikage looked at Shikamaru. The trace of respect he had shown Kagaya instantly vanished, replaced by contempt.
"I... was not speaking to you!"
Shikamaru didn't retort. He had indeed been impulsive just now. The one making the decision was Kagaya, not him.
Kagaya didn't mind Shikamaru's words. He continued looking at the Second Tsuchikage and spoke with a smile full of meaning.
"First, let's make one thing clear. Although I was resurrected by your Impure World Reincarnation, and I am somewhat grateful to you for that, I don't intend to repay you for anything. After all, stealing another person's eyes is hardly good behavior. Consider the debt of you resurrecting me and the matter of you stealing my Rinnegan as even. So, we owe each other nothing. Only on the premise of understanding this can we have a discussion. How about it?"
The Second Tsuchikage was silent for several seconds, then answered.
"That's acceptable, Lord Kagaya. I accept what you've said. Then, may I ask—what would it take for you to help us?"
Kagaya extended his hand and spoke flatly.
"My Rinnegan."
The Second Tsuchikage spoke.
"With that, my lord would be willing to help us deal with the Allied Shinobi Forces?"
"No. You return my Rinnegan to me immediately, and then I can agree to lend my aid once."
"Isn't this trade somewhat unreasonable? Those are the Rinnegan, my lord."
"They were originally mine!"
"But you also said that the matter of me stealing your Rinnegan and the matter of me resurrecting you through the Impure World Reincarnation are even. So, those Rinnegan should currently count as mine."
"Are you provoking me?"
"I wouldn't dare."
Kagaya and Kabuto were locked in a standoff.
At the cost of returning the Rinnegan, Kagaya was only willing to lend his aid once. But Kabuto clearly wanted more.
After much deliberation, Kagaya finally spoke slowly.
"What do you want?"
Helping the Impure World Reincarnation army against the Allied Shinobi Forces held no psychological burden for Kagaya. After all, from beginning to end, he had no emotional attachment to the Allied Shinobi Forces. He had merely made a single trade with Shikamaru.
But once Kagaya helped the Impure World Reincarnation army, his deal with the Allied Shinobi Forces would clearly be voided. And since Kagaya himself would be the one to renege first, he couldn't exactly complain.
So, for Kagaya to help the Impure World Reincarnation army, Kabuto needed to offer more. After all, what Kagaya was sacrificing wasn't just the cost of helping them fight—it was also the loss of the Allied Shinobi Forces' intelligence capabilities.
The Second Tsuchikage answered.
"Help us... win this Great Ninja War!"
Kagaya gave a cold snort and refused without courtesy.
"That's asking for too much, I have nothing to do with this war. Just for a pair of Rinnegan that originally belonged to me, you want me to help you win an entire Great Ninja War? Even if you don't give them to me, do you think I can't take them back myself? Or do you think you can beat me?!"
The Second Tsuchikage spoke with pointed implication.
"But there's still a Madara. That one is not easy to deal with."
Kagaya was unconcerned.
"That's on the premise that he would abandon this war to protect you!"
How could Madara possibly abandon the war he had prepared for years to protect an irrelevant person?
The Second Tsuchikage fell silent for a moment. He discovered that this trump card before him seemed to know certain things.
"The Rinnegan for one instance of aid—this trade is truly too unfair."
Kagaya snorted coldly.
"I've also paid a price you don't know about. If you're unwilling, then forget it."
"I need to think about it."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
As his words fell, the Second Tsuchikage slowly departed.
Kagaya narrowed his eyes.
To Kabuto, although he couldn't use the Rinnegan, they were still the Rinnegan. How could he give them away so easily? Moreover, giving them away would only buy a single instance of someone else's aid?
Kabuto truly found it hard to agree. Even if he were to agree, he would need to think it over carefully.
"Come here!"
Kagaya spoke to Shikamaru.
Shikamaru's expression had been poor ever since earlier. If Kagaya had agreed to the Second Tsuchikage's proposal, then for the Allied Shinobi Forces—especially the Fourth Division—it would have been an utter catastrophe.
Fortunately, the negotiation between Kagaya and the Second Tsuchikage hadn't gone smoothly. Hearing Kagaya's words now, Shikamaru obediently walked to his side.
Kagaya grabbed Shikamaru's hand, placed his own hand over the back of Shikamaru's hand, then removed it, leaving behind a small black sword mark.
Shikamaru looked at the black sword mark on the back of his hand and asked.
"What is this?"
Kagaya didn't hide it.
"A Flying Thunder God mark. You go back to the Allied Shinobi Forces' Fourth Division for now. Once I get the Rinnegan, I'll come find you again."
Kagaya didn't want to wait any longer. His negotiation with Kabuto had failed. Kagaya was afraid that Kabuto would use the remaining time to deliberately hide the Rinnegan. That would cost Kagaya a great deal of time, and might even force him to negotiate with Kabuto—or worse, become an unpaid laborer.
So, to avoid unnecessary trouble and accidents, Kagaya decided to rush at full speed to where Kabuto's real body was.
And at full speed, he naturally couldn't bring along a burden like Shikamaru.
Shikamaru's eyes flew wide open.
"The Flying Thunder God?! You know the Flying Thunder God?! Wasn't the Flying Thunder God created by the Second Hokage? You're an Uchiha clansman—you shouldn't have had the chance to learn it!"
Kagaya couldn't be bothered to explain.
"Don't worry about that. In any case, you go back to your Allied Shinobi Forces first. I'm about to travel at full speed. You won't be able to keep up. I'll come find you later."
Shikamaru was very smart. He quickly guessed Kagaya's intent and didn't dare say another word. He immediately nodded, then turned and ran toward the Fourth Division.
After watching Shikamaru reach a safe distance, Kagaya instantly vanished from the spot.
Kabuto could wait, but Kagaya could not!
The Rinnegan was in Kabuto's hands. Kabuto always held the initiative. To prevent accidents, the moment Kabuto left, Kagaya abandoned the path of negotiation. He intended to rush straight to where Kabuto's real body was with lightning speed and seize the Rinnegan back!
BOOM!!! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
His entire being was like a cannonball launched into flight. Kagaya's movement speed was incredibly fast, kicking up massive gales of wind. No—it couldn't even be called gales anymore. It was a storm!
Because he had an Impure World Reincarnation body, Kagaya didn't need to worry about whether his body could withstand it.
During the run, Kagaya's body continuously shattered. From time to time, he'd lose a hand, lose his head, get cut in half at the waist. But because it was an Impure World Reincarnation body, no matter how severe, he only needed to stop for a brief moment and recover.
Running like this, Kagaya was truly like the embodiment of a storm. Passing by a forest, vast swaths of trees were uprooted. In an instant, the forest became a wasteland.
He... was a calamity!