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"Bang!"
Kirigakure.
Mizukage's Tower.
The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, slammed his hands hard on the desk, his youthful face filled with raging anger.
"What did you say?"
"They're all dead!"
Before the desk, the returning shinobi's clothes were stained with fresh blood, his face exhausted, eyes still filled with deep fear.
"They're all dead!"
"The Fourth Kazekage used some unknown attack; in an instant, everyone was sliced into countless pieces, blood staining the earth."
"All the bases in the Land of Wind are gone, and the coastal island bases are being wiped out one by one."
"The Fourth Kazekage… he's just too strong!"
Even now, this man couldn't forget that noon—the sun blazing, the Fourth Kazekage suddenly appearing over the island, holding a woman in his arms, extending one hand toward them.
Then, in an instant,
his surroundings became a living hell, and he was the sole survivor.
He knew the enemy had deliberately spared him to report back.
Yagura fell silent and sat down.
At that moment, Elder Amashi stepped forward and asked, "Are you sure it was the Fourth Kazekage who did this?"
"I'm certain."
"Hmm, you should rest now." Amashi nodded.
After the man left, Amashi looked at Yagura and said, "That must be the Wind Release Slash developed by the Fourth Kazekage. It's said to be a terrifying jutsu capable of cutting through the Tailed Beast's chakra."
"My suggestion…" Amashi paused, glanced at Yagura, and seeing no reaction, continued, "Pause the invasion of the Land of Wind for now and focus on gathering intelligence on the Fourth Kazekage's abilities."
Information about Kenshi's Wind Release clone as the Fourth Kazekage was known throughout the villages, as he had been a renowned genius ninja since the Second Great Ninja War.
His Wind Release Slash was already well known.
However, details about Kenshi's original body's attack on Sunagakure and the battle between Kenshi's clone and Shukaku were scarce.
People didn't fully understand Kenshi's Wind Release Slash as a bloodline limit-level technique.
Now, hearing that Kenshi's clone single-handedly swept through Kirigakure's entire frontline invading the Land of Wind, nearly annihilating them,
Amashi thought it best to be cautious.
"I'll go take a look myself."
"Leave the village in the elders' hands for now."
Yagura stood, picked up a black staff decorated with green flowers hanging on the wall, and slung it behind his back.
"Be careful…" Amashi hesitated but didn't stop the Fourth Mizukage from leaving.
Since the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure had personally mobilized, only Yagura could stop him.
If the intelligence was true and Kirigakure's ninja along the entire Land of Wind frontline were killed by the Fourth Kazekage, the village would suffer devastating losses.
Kirigakure couldn't afford another such blow.
Someone had to stop the Fourth Kazekage.
And that someone was clearly the Fourth Mizukage.
Soon, the Fourth Mizukage led a team of ninja toward the Land of Wind.
Kenshi's Wind Release clone and Pakura waited at a small coastal oasis base for the Fourth Mizukage's arrival.
Only by defeating the Fourth Mizukage could Kirigakure show that continuing hostility against Sunagakure would come at an unbearable cost.
This would allow Sunagakure to concentrate more forces to attack the Land of Rivers, forcing Konoha to divide its troops.
…
Land of Grass.
An underground base near the border with the Land of Earth.
Uchiha Madara sat on a stone throne, his face gaunt, eyes dull and lifeless. His life was nearing its end.
In the past battle, his clone's consciousness was swallowed by Kenshi's black hole space node, greatly impacting Madara.
Afterwards, he was forced to flee and change location.
After all this turmoil, he could sense his body's lifespan would last at most three more years.
He had to guide Obito into darkness and make him his pawn within those three years.
"Has that guy appeared yet?"
"Not yet."
In a secret chamber, White Zetsu, controlled by Black Zetsu's consciousness, replied.
A year ago, Kenshi had stopped in the Land of Wind to study the dragon vein and was detected by White Zetsu, who had been watching him ever since.
After that battle, Black Zetsu kept an eye on Kenshi. Though Kenshi's words had dissuaded him from destroying the Rinnegan, Black Zetsu remained vigilant.
Compared to Uchiha Madara, Kenshi was too difficult to control. He wasn't confident.
So his plan was the same as Madara's—to find someone capable of gathering the Tailed Beasts and reviving Madara to initiate Infinite Tsukuyomi.
A year ago, White Zetsu found Kenshi because he stayed too long in one place.
Later, Kenshi was swallowed into a different space by the dragon vein, but White Zetsu continued to watch the original location.
Now, a year has passed, and Kenshi still hasn't appeared.
Madara was still uneasy and asked, "Have other parts of the ninja world found any trace of that guy?"
"No."
White Zetsu shook his head and continued, "We've searched nearly everywhere in the ninja world. No sign of Kenshi. The Uzumaki woman with him has stayed at the dragon vein's disappearance site, probably waiting for Kenshi."
"Hahaha… looks like that guy won't be coming back!"
Madara finally laughed heartily, feeling a huge weight lifted.
As the former Uchiha clan leader, Madara knew the power of the dragon vein well.
Long ago, when Loulan still existed, some people entered the other space due to the dragon vein's energy.
But without exception, no matter how long they spent inside, the time difference between entering and exiting was instantaneous. It was impossible to tell they had been in another space.
Therefore, most in the ninja world didn't believe those people truly entered another space and lived long; they thought they were trapped in genjutsu by the dragon vein's influence.
Only Uchiha clan members had entered and returned alive. After that, the clan began to believe the dragon vein could transport people to another space, not just trap them in genjutsu.
Because the Uchiha who entered the other space had the Mangekyō Sharingan, impossible to be affected by genjutsu.
No genjutsu in the ninja world could affect Uchiha with awakened Mangekyō Sharingan—this was the clan's confidence.
So now Madara was certain Kenshi probably wouldn't return.
Records showed people entering the other space via the dragon vein either returned instantly or never returned.
If Kenshi hadn't left a shadow clone behind that seemed able to return,
and hadn't mastered special time-space ninjutsu,
Madara would have declared Kenshi lost the moment he failed to return immediately.
Now a year had passed without Kenshi's return, making it nearly impossible.
Without Kenshi, no one else could stop Madara.
"How is Obito?" Madara asked.
"He has graduated. The one responsible for him is the ninja who mastered Flying Thunder God Technique—Minato Namikaze." White Zetsu replied.
Half a year ago, Obito graduated from the ninja academy and became teammates with Rin Nohara, whom he liked, and the early graduate Kakashi.
Minato had become famous, carving a name on the Land of Earth's battlefield. With his elusive Flying Thunder God Technique, he was known as the "Yellow Flash."
In the past six months, because the three great Hidden Villages were attacking Iwagakure, the war pressure was light.
Minato executed missions on the battlefield but often returned to the village to train Obito and others on small tasks.
So Obito and the newly graduated genin had yet to see the front lines.
"Start the plan—push the four great nations to attack the Land of Fire quickly, so Obito can enter the battlefield sooner." Madara said.
Only by applying enough war pressure on Konoha would Obito, a freshly graduated genin, enter the core battlefield.
Only then could Madara control everything and guide Obito's descent into darkness.
"Yes, Lord Madara."
White Zetsu received the order and began issuing commands, instructing White Zetsu agents infiltrated at the borders of the Five Great Nations to disguise as their ninja and attack them.
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