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Chapter 208: Acquaintances? You Do Not Represent Akatsuki!
Spiky hair, clad in red Warring States period armor. It was unmistakably Madara Uchiha!
Obito Uchiha stared intently at the exceptionally familiar face in the coffin. Although it was a reanimated body in its prime, and he had only ever seen the elderly Madara, there was no doubt. The person before him was the very Madara Uchiha who had saved him during the Third War and ended his own life in front of him!
But how was this possible?!
Obito's mind trembled. He had disposed of the corpse cleanly with his own hands. Where did Kabuto get the biological sample?!
Madara Uchiha had been reanimated...
Obito looked gloomily at Kabuto standing nearby. His glasses reflected the light, and that fake smile remained, making him look repulsive. The reanimated bodies were controlled by the summoner. That meant this guy had full control over Edo Madara—he was absolutely a presence that could not be underestimated.
"Well then~" Kabuto smiled. "Are you satisfied with these ninja I've reanimated? Especially..." He pointed playfully at Madara's coffin. "This particular body... This is the Asura of the Ninja World from the Warring States period. I don't need to say much about his strength, do I?"
Hmph! I know Madara Uchiha's strength far better than you do!
Obito snorted inwardly and calmed down. He didn't dwell on the issue of Madara and his own identity. Instead, he said, "Very well. You are highly qualified to cooperate with me. The Allied Shinobi Forces of the Five Great Villages have rushed to the battlefield. Your reanimated troops can be deployed as well."
Kabuto chuckled. "As you wish."
With a poof, he disappeared from the spot. The one here was merely a Shadow Clone! Simultaneously, all the coffins sank back into the ground.
In a cave over a hundred kilometers away, Kabuto sat cross-legged on the ground, wearing a hood. Before him lay white chess pieces, one after another, representing the reanimated bodies.
"Go," he smiled falsely. "Go and display your power..."
For a time, aside from Madara Uchiha who remained inactive, all other reanimated bodies rushed to different battlefields under Kabuto's control. He wanted to declare his existence to the whole world! He was no longer just a mediocre medical ninja under Orochimaru, but Kabuto Yakushi, master of supreme power!
He craved recognition, attention, and affirmation! He wanted to prove to the Five Great Ninja Villages and the entire ninja world that he had surpassed everyone! Especially Orochimaru! The world ought to acknowledge his existence!
Throughout his years of espionage, Kabuto had long lost himself in one role after another. He couldn't find his true position or identity. The mask on his face could not be taken off. He had a pathological thirst for "recognition." This so-called cooperation with Obito Uchiha was merely to better display his power and existence to the ninja world. Manipulating the Great Ninja War and becoming the key figure swaying the battle would give him a sense of presence and importance he had never felt before.
.....
Somewhere in the Land of Fire.
Konan's figure suddenly appeared, teleporting via Flying Thunder God to a location nearest the battlefield. The final decisive battle of the Fourth Great Ninja War was located on the endless wasteland bordering the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.
She looked in the direction of Konoha. "Naruto isn't in Konoha..."
With her current power, the Mind's Eye of the Kagura could cover almost the entire Land of Fire. The sensory range was terrifying. The entire village of Konoha was within her perception, yet she didn't sense Naruto's massive Nine-Tails chakra. There wasn't even any Jonin-level chakra slightly stronger than average.
"It seems Konoha has truly sent out all its elites for this war." Konan withdrew her gaze. "This Konoha doesn't even have a decent ninja garrisoned."
Alex nestled against her chest, soft and comfortable. It was the ultimate enjoyment he would never tire of.
"Since Naruto isn't in Konoha..." She thought for a moment. "He should be training on Turtle Island in the Land of Lightning, attempting to master the Nine-Tails' power and become a perfect Jinchuriki."
The Fourth Great Ninja War had only just begun; Naruto and Killer B would join the fight midway.
"Hehehe." Alex suddenly laughed. "There's an acquaintance here... I didn't expect this guy to run to the Land of Fire. And..."
Konan looked to the east, also sensing the familiar chakra. She knew what Alex meant by "and." Underground nearby, there was another weak chakra. Equally familiar.
"Let's go take a look. There's still some time before the final battle; there's no rush."
Konan nodded, spread her wings, and flew rapidly toward the "acquaintance."
.....
On the other side of the Land of Fire, adjacent to Konoha.
Verdant trees stretched endlessly. Occasionally, a majestic elk would weave through the forest, full of vitality. This was the Nara Clan's exclusive forest, used for raising elk herds and cultivating special medicinal herbs. It was an important asset of the Nara Clan.
However, the usually peaceful forest was currently hosting an uninvited guest. The air was filled with the bloody scent of slaughter.
Splurt!
Another Nara clansman guarding the area had his throat slit, dying instantly. Blood sprayed onto the vegetation, adding a splash of crimson. The surrounding elk scattered in fright, fleeing far from this dangerous place.
The killer flicked the strange blade in his hand, shedding the blood, and continued walking deeper into the forest. Shark face, blue skin, hair spiking up like steel needles. It was Kisame Hoshigaki!
He wasn't following the original plot of infiltrating Kumogakure to seize the Eight-Tails. Instead, he had been sent out by Obito Uchiha to find another Akatsuki comrade who might not be dead yet—Hidan!
Possessing an immortal body, there was a high probability he was still alive. After suffering successive defeats at Konan's hands, Obito finally remembered the status-unknown Hidan. That unique instant-death ritual was incredibly powerful. If used well, it would surely be a trump card against Konan!
After a period of investigation, Kisame had finally clarified the details of the battle between Hidan, Kakuzu, and the Konoha ninja months ago. He pinpointed that Hidan's blown-apart body parts were sealed and guarded by the Nara Clan in this forest. The other parts weren't important; Hidan's head was key.
Kisame had just interrogated a Nara guardian and learned the burial site of the head. A touch of pity rose on his cold face. If Hidan really wasn't dead but was buried in the dark underground... the torture and suffering involved were unimaginable. It would be better to be truly dead.
Kisame arrived at the destination and looked down at the unremarkable grass. Hidan's head was meters below. The cave used for the burial had been completely sealed and filled in. Grass had regrown on the surface; everything looked normal.
"Hidan..." Kisame began to dig, smiling cruelly. "I hope you're still alive... The Akatsuki Organization still needs your power, and—"
His words were cut off by a cold voice from the sky: "You do not represent Akatsuki!"
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