Ministry of Trial.
Naruto, who had been quickly healed by Medical Ninjutsu, watched Orochimaru holding a Shinigami Mask and was very confused. "Orochimaru-san, what is this?"
Orochimaru replied, "Hehehe, sealed inside is your father's soul, as well as the other half of Nine-Tails."
"My father's soul?"
"The point is the other half of Nine-Tails." Orochimaru emphasized to Naruto, who had no strong desire to increase his power.
But Naruto still said very excitedly, "When it's over, can my father come back too?"
Orochimaru was somewhat surprised. He didn't expect Naruto to know even this.
But he still shook his head slightly and said, "I don't know, but releasing the seal will give your father the eligibility to be resurrected."
Naruto came to a sudden realization and said excitedly, "Then hurry up and release the seal!"
"..."
Orochimaru slightly regretted saying he would help Naruto become stronger.
He coughed and said, "Next, I will seal the other half of Nine-Tails into your body. If you can successfully become a perfect Jinchuriki of Nine-Tails, you will have the strength to defeat Sasuke."
"Then let's start quickly! I must bring Sasuke back!" Naruto clenched his fists and said resolutely.
"Then you'd better work hard." Orochimaru put on the mask and began the release of the Reaper Death Seal.
—
Hall of Contemplation.
"To release the Reaper Death Seal, one needs to let the Shinigami of the Reaper Death Seal possess their own body and draw it out. As long as the Shinigami's abdomen is sliced open, the seal can be released."
Hiromi looked at Itachi and smiled. "However, this person needs to become a sacrifice."
"A sacrifice? Will Orochimaru die?" Itachi's brows furrowed.
This did not fit Orochimaru's personality.
Hiromi shook his head. "He won't die. Given the nature of his soul, rather than seeing him as a person, it's better to think of him as a snake living inside a human body. He can continue to survive by changing bodies."
Itachi asked, "Then we just let him do as he pleases?"
Hiromi narrowed his eyes, revealing a dangerous smile. "I'm also quite interested in the guy behind them. He keeps saying it's for the sake of the Ninja World, yet the Ninja World breaks out into a great war every few years. I don't know what he's been doing for a thousand years."
"..."
Itachi said uneasily, "So we're just letting him be?"
Hiromi said, "You are very cautious, which is a good thing, Itachi. It's just that I know about everything this time, so it's not that your choice was wrong."
"Is everything really under your control?" Itachi was still not at ease.
Now, it seemed he didn't trust anyone.
Hiromi wasn't annoyed. He smiled slightly and said, "Then do as you think. You can even go directly to stop Orochimaru, Naruto, and Sasuke. After all, something that can be easily stopped has too weak a foundation. No matter how strong it becomes, it won't amount to much."
Itachi looked at Hiromi's confident appearance in his own strength, feeling somewhat moved.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke, "My Scorch Release was successful."
"Congratulations," Hiromi laughed.
After a few seconds of silence, Itachi spoke again, "I have also learned Scorch Release Chakra Mode."
He stared at Hiromi, seemingly wanting to see even a slight change in his expression.
Hiromi just nodded approvingly like a kind elder and smiled. "That's very good. Scorch Release has the characteristics of high temperature, high explosiveness, and high penetration, but it doesn't seem to match your abilities very well."
Itachi said, "Ice Release... I can't learn it."
Hiromi nodded.
For Itachi, who possessed Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, the control of Ice Release would be more suitable than Scorch Release. But everything depends on talent, just like his Eight Inner Gates.
"What about Fugaku and Shisui? Were they successful?" Itachi asked.
"They didn't tell me." Hiromi looked at Itachi with interest, seemingly wanting to see what he intended to do.
"Is that so..." Itachi was somewhat surprised.
"As a trump card, it should be something no one knows. Itachi, you are too extreme. Whether it's testing or doubting, you shouldn't throw out all your trump cards at once." Hiromi said.
"What if I said my Boil Release was successful?" Itachi asked.
"In a situation where you already have Scorch Release Chakra Mode, Boil Release or Boil Release Chakra Mode are no longer considered trump cards. Only Dust Release Chakra Mode counts."
"..."
Itachi didn't know what to say for a moment.
It's already amazing for anyone to research Dust Release, and it has to be Dust Release Chakra Mode?
"Do as you think. Since you have doubts, then use your own way to eliminate them."
Hiromi said. "This is the personality you've chosen, so follow through with your choice until the end."
Itachi nodded.
However, it was a good thing that Orochimaru was releasing the Reaper Death Seal and freeing Minato's soul, so he didn't plan to stop it.
The other half of Nine-Tails was sealed within Minato. As Naruto's father, he would make the right choice. Therefore, Itachi prepared to go and capture Sasuke first.
However, time waits for no one.
—
While Naruto was communicating with the Edo Tensei version of Minato to get Nine-Tails and Itachi was leaving the city to chase Sasuke, Sasuke arrived at the front lines of the war.
Tens of thousands of the Allied Shinobi Forces were fighting a difficult battle against the Third Raikage, the Second Mizukage, and others, as if they were fighting a raid boss.
The sounds of clashing metal and Ninjutsu explosions were incessant.
Ninjas screamed and struggled. Occasionally, they would be thrilled because they successfully sealed one.
Sasuke stood atop a tall tree, looking down disdainfully at the scene.
"Don't you two brothers, Hiromi and Shisui, want to prolong the war? I will end this laughable Fifth Great Ninja War right now."
He looked disdainful and was about to act when he noticed something was wrong.
The Allied Shinobi Forces also noticed something was off, and the Edo Tensei summons, whose purpose was to prolong the war, also stopped immediately.
They all looked at the ground uneasily. One by one, white humanoid figures emerged from the ground.
The Allied Shinobi Forces panicked.
"What is this!"
"What kind of monster!"
"Kill them!"
Amidst the clamor, the Allied Shinobi Forces attacked but they were killed easily.
"What? I thought they'd be more powerful."
"They're just at this level."
"Hahahaha!"
But in the next second, some of those white humanoid figures turned into the likeness of their comrades. In the chaos, no one knew who was real and who was fake.
The Allied Shinobi Forces were instantly thrown into a panic.
"Where are the Sensory Ninjas!"
"Hurry up and sense them!"
The Sensory Ninjas were breaking out in a cold sweat, their lips turning pale. "I can't sense them!"
Instantly, the Allied Shinobi Forces panicked.
Although no one was attacking, no one dared to move.
While the situation was in total chaos, the Edo Tensei summons quietly retreated. This scene fell into Mabui's eyes.
Her expression turned fierce, and she immediately shouted, "Follow me!"
Over the course of several months, Kumogakure had been subtly sidelined by the Allied Shinobi Forces, and Mabui's position within the alliance had become very low. As a result, only those from Kumogakure moved with her. But even among those from Kumogakure, only a third of them listened to her.
Of course, part of the reason was that the direction she pointed to was the Uchiha Imperial City.
Mabui looked at the other two-thirds of Kumogakure and gritted her teeth fiercely.
"Let's go!"
Baki's expression flickered obscurely, and he immediately ordered his men to make arrangements.
Soon, Sunagakure followed Kumogakure towards the Uchiha Imperial City.
Seeing this, the Allied Shinobi Forces followed as well. While on the move, members of the Allied Shinobi Forces were ambushed one after another, leaving everyone in a state of panic.
No one knew if the person walking beside them at this moment was an enemy.
—
The Mangekyo Clan Members gathered together. Intelligence reports were brought in one by one.
"Our Edo Tensei summons have retreated. A new enemy, White Zetsu, has appeared. Kumogakure is heading this way, followed by Sunagakure and the Allied Shinobi Forces. Casualties are continuing to rise."
"Ten kilometers behind the Allied Shinobi Forces, Edo Tensei summons have appeared, including but not limited to Tailed Beast Jinchuriki and powerful ninjas from Iwagakure."
"At the border of the Land of Fire, Tsunade's trio has begun to move and is approaching this location."
"Twenty kilometers due east of the Imperial City, we've discovered... Madara!"
At this final piece of intelligence, all the Mangekyo users were shocked.
Madara... the strongest of the Uchiha clan!
'Is this the surprise you were talking about?' Shisui thought of Hiromi's words and wore a bitter smile.
According to the descriptions, their Sharingan abilities were far from reaching Madara's level. Only by transplanting the Mangekyo of a sibling was it possible to reach that height. But sacrificing a sibling to become stronger was something the Uchiha clan simply could not bring themselves to do. Thus, they had always tacitly avoided the subject.
Now, Madara had appeared...