The critical intelligence about the First Tsuchikage, the Second Raikage, Hanzo, and the Second Mizukage engaging the First and Third Divisions respectively was transmitted back to the Allied Forces Headquarters with urgent priority through their chakra communication networks. The reports painted a grim picture of legendary opponents whose power exceeded even the most pessimistic estimates.
At this moment in the rapidly evolving battle, the remaining combat units had not yet made contact with enemy forces, but the pattern emerging from the initial engagements suggested a carefully orchestrated strategy designed to test the coalition's capabilities against historically significant opponents.
After absorbing and analyzing this troubling intelligence, Minato immediately turned his attention to Tsunade, his strategic mind already working through the tactical implications and necessary countermeasures.
"Tsunade-sama, it appears that you must go to assist Jiraiya immediately," he said with the kind of decisive authority that had made him legendary as both a fighter and a commander.
Setting aside the question of pure combat prowess, Hanzo's reputation was built not just on his physical abilities but on his mastery of deadly poison techniques that could incapacitate or kill entire armies. Among all the assembled coalition forces, the only person who possessed both the medical knowledge and antidote preparation skills necessary to counter his toxic arsenal was Tsunade herself.
"Yoruki, proceed to support Sakumo-senpai and the First Division," Minato continued, looking at Uchiha Yoruki who stood ready beside him with the composed alertness that characterized elite ANBU operatives.
The deployment of his most trusted lieutenants to critical battlefields represented a calculated risk, but the alternative – allowing legendary opponents to overwhelm their forces through superior individual power – was unacceptable.
Both Tsunade and Yoruki nodded their understanding and acceptance of their respective missions, their expressions reflecting the gravity of what they were being asked to accomplish.
"Bang! Bang!"
Without wasting precious seconds on unnecessary words, Minato created two shadow clones with the fluid precision that had made his techniques legendary throughout the ninja world. The duplicates immediately appeared behind Tsunade and Uchiha Yoruki, their chakra signatures identical to his own but focused entirely on transportation duty.
Swish!
Both pairs of figures suddenly vanished from the coalition headquarters in a brilliant flash of yellow light, leaving behind only the faintest trace of displaced air. The Flying Thunder God technique had once again demonstrated why Minato was considered the fastest ninja who had ever lived.
On the southeastern coast of the Iron Kingdom, where the sounds of battle had begun to merge into a continuous roar of conflict, Tsunade's figure suddenly materialized above Gamabunta's massive head with the characteristic displacement of space-time ninjutsu.
Jiraiya's weathered features shifted slightly as he sensed her arrival, and he felt a measure of relief flow through him despite the desperate circumstances they faced. The presence of his longtime teammate and fellow Sannin would significantly alter the tactical balance of the engagement.
At this moment, the coalition forces of the Third Division had already begun their direct confrontation with the advancing White Zetsu army. The pale creatures moved with unnatural coordination, their identical faces showing no emotion as they engaged the allied ninja in brutal close-quarters combat across the coastal terrain.
"Are you confident you can handle that particular opponent?" Jiraiya asked, gesturing toward the Second Mizukage whose position was partially obscured by the supernatural mists that seemed to follow him wherever he moved.
"I should be the one asking you that question," Tsunade replied with characteristic directness, her amber eyes narrowing as she studied the legendary figure mounted on the giant salamander.
She frowned as she continued, "With your Sage Mode requiring such an extensive preparation time, don't be so stubborn about trying to handle everything yourself..."
Although Jiraiya had grown significantly stronger over the years since their last encounter with Hanzo, developing new techniques and refining his mastery of natural energy, his opponent was no ordinary ninja. If his adversary truly was Hanzo at full power, enhanced by the immortal resurrection of Edo Tensei, the outcome of single combat remained highly unpredictable.
All three of the Legendary Sannin had experienced firsthand just how overwhelmingly powerful Hanzo could be when he chose to fight seriously. The memory of their previous encounter, where they had barely survived through teamwork and luck, remained vivid in their minds despite the passage of decades.
Jiraiya understood Tsunade's concerns completely, recognizing the wisdom behind her tactical assessment. However, he also understood that sometimes strategic considerations had to give way to deeper principles.
He laughed with the kind of confidence that could only come from a lifetime of facing impossible odds, "Sometimes, a man simply has to do what needs to be done, regardless of the probability of success."
As the two legendary ninja discussed their battle strategy, two figures suddenly appeared on the coastline that was already filled with the chaotic sounds of warfare. Their arrival went completely unnoticed by the combatants who were focused on their immediate survival.
One of the newcomers appeared extremely weak and frail, his body showing signs of severe deterioration and imminent collapse. His pale skin had an almost translucent quality, and his movements suggested that he was operating on borrowed time.
The other figure moved with fluid grace and predatory speed, appearing beside one of the White Zetsu clones before it had any opportunity to react or defend itself. The capture was completed with surgical precision, and the figure immediately returned to his friend's position carrying the subdued enemy.
"A suitable host has been located. What are your instructions for the next phase?" Minato's shadow clone asked as he looked at the deteriorating form of Orochimaru with a mixture of professional concern and strategic calculation.
Orochimaru stared at the restrained White Zetsu with the intense focus of a scientist examining a particularly interesting specimen. His pale lips curved into a faint smile that carried both satisfaction and anticipation before he suddenly opened his mouth impossibly wide.
"Hiss!"
From the depths of his throat emerged a strange creature covered entirely with pristine white scales that seemed to absorb and reflect light in unnatural ways. The being moved with serpentine grace, its very existence defying conventional understanding of biology and chakra manipulation.
Looking at this manifestation, Minato's clone frowned slightly as he processed the implications of what he was witnessing. In order to achieve his goal of functional immortality, Orochimaru had transformed his essential being into the form of this white phosphorus snake, abandoning his original human limitations in favor of something far more adaptable.
After separating from Kimimaro's failing body, which had served as his host for an extended period, Orochimaru's true form rushed directly toward the White Zetsu that Minato held captive. The process was both fascinating and disturbing to observe.
The decision to allow Orochimaru to use White Zetsu as a host was strategically sound from Minato's perspective. Orochimaru's transfer technique required a living host body, and Minato would never permit him to take possession of an innocent person's form. However, using the artificial White Zetsu clones that could be found throughout the battlefield avoided any moral complications while providing tactical advantages.
The White Phosphorus Snake completed its possession of the White Zetsu body, gradually transforming and assimilating the pale flesh until it resumed Orochimaru's familiar human appearance. The process was seamless and disturbing, demonstrating mastery of biological manipulation that exceeded anything most ninja could comprehend.
Meanwhile, Kimimaro's abandoned body showed the effects of its former occupant's departure, developing cracks and fissures like skin that had been subjected to extreme desiccation. His vitality, which had been artificially sustained for far longer than should have been possible, finally reached its natural conclusion.
As Orochimaru gradually recovered his full strength and vitality in his new host body, his golden eyes surveyed the battlefield that stretched out before them. His gaze eventually focused on the massive salamander and its legendary rider, and recognition sparked in his serpentine features.
"So our opponent turns out to be him..." Orochimaru observed with the kind of anticipation that most people reserved for pleasant surprises.
He licked his lips with characteristic habit, and an excited smile spread across his pale, androgynous features. The prospect of facing such a legendary opponent seemed to energize him in ways that ordinary combat never could.
"I trust you won't reconsider our agreement," Minato's clone said, studying Orochimaru with the wariness of someone who understood exactly how dangerous and unpredictable the Sannin could be.
Now that the Fourth Great Ninja War had erupted in full fury, Konoha no longer possessed the luxury of maintaining constant surveillance over every potential threat. The village's resources were stretched to their absolute limits, and pragmatic alliances had become a necessity for survival.
But Orochimaru represented a fundamentally different category of risk compared to ordinary missing-nin or rebel ninja. His defection from Konoha hadn't been motivated by hatred for the village or its people, but rather by his growing dissatisfaction with the limitations and moral constraints that defined traditional ninja life.
What Orochimaru sought – true immortality, perfect understanding of all jutsu, ultimate freedom from human limitations – was something that even Minato couldn't fully comprehend or evaluate. The Sannin's motivations operated on a level that transcended normal human desires for power or revenge.
"Do you honestly believe that your coalition forces can achieve victory in this war?" Orochimaru asked, his gaze shifting back to Minato with genuine curiosity rather than mockery.
He had personally witnessed and analyzed the enemy's Edo Tensei technique, and his scientific mind had immediately recognized that their version was far more sophisticated and powerful than his own experimental applications. The level of control and the preservation of the subjects' original abilities suggested access to knowledge and resources that exceeded his own considerable research.
Although Kabuto had been merely one of his experimental subjects rather than a true partner, the young man's natural talent for medical ninjutsu and forbidden techniques had been genuinely remarkable. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to achieve such advanced mastery of the resurrection technique in the time available, even with the recently revived Madara's guidance.
From a purely rational and analytical perspective, Orochimaru found himself unable to maintain optimism about the coalition's chances for success. The enemy possessed overwhelming advantages in both individual power and strategic resources.
"It's not a matter of what I think will happen," Minato replied with the quiet certainty that had characterized his leadership throughout his career. "It's that the people of this world have been left with no alternative options."
"Moreover, no matter how overwhelming one's personal strength might become, all that ultimately remains in one's heart is endless emptiness without meaningful connections to others."
"Therefore, we cannot and will not lose this war!"
Orochimaru shrugged his shoulders with characteristic nonchalance, but there was something thoughtful in his expression as he processed Minato's words.
"If that's truly how you see the situation, then perhaps I should quietly recall and honor the bonds of friendship we once shared," he said with something approaching genuine warmth in his voice.
As soon as he finished speaking, Orochimaru suddenly extended his right arm, and the limb began to elongate and transform in defiance of normal anatomy. His entire arm shifted into a writhing mass of small snakes that moved with coordinated purpose, each serpent functioning as part of a larger tactical weapon.
The snake-transformed appendage twisted through the air and locked onto a White Zetsu that had been attempting to attack one of the allied ninja from behind. The creature was immobilized before it could complete its assault, potentially saving the life of an unsuspecting coalition fighter.
"Thank you for the assistance!" the ninja called out gratefully as he turned to identify his unexpected savior.
The coalition forces were composed of ninja from various villages who had never worked together before, making it impossible for most members to recognize their temporary allies by sight. So even though this particular fighter might have heard Orochimaru's name in intelligence reports, he couldn't identify the person who had just saved his life.
After successfully rescuing the coalition ninja from immediate danger, Orochimaru glanced meaningfully at Minato's clone before rushing directly into the heart of the battlefield. His movements carried the predatory grace that had made him feared throughout the ninja world.
Following Orochimaru's departure to join the active combat, Minato's shadow clone immediately dispersed in a puff of chakra smoke. The memories and experiences of the duplicate would return to the original, providing him with real-time intelligence about the developing situation.
With Minato's current level of power and chakra control, when he chose to invest a significant portion of his energy into a shadow clone, that duplicate became equivalent to a top-tier fighter in its own right. However, he had to carefully conserve his personal strength because the most dangerous enemy had not yet made his appearance.
Uchiha Madara represented the most terrifying threat the ninja coalition had ever faced, and among all the assembled forces of the five great nations, only Minato possessed the speed, skill, and tactical genius necessary to engage him in direct combat with any hope of success.
"Bang!"
On the active battlefield, Tsunade directly summoned Katsuyu using the reverse summoning technique, and at the same moment, a massive summoned creature resembling an enormous shell materialized behind the Second Mizukage's position.
The creature was the legendary Giant Clam that had served as the Second Mizukage's primary summon during his original lifetime. Its presence immediately altered the tactical balance of the engagement, introducing new variables that would complicate any direct assault.
Katsuyu immediately began the process of division, splitting her massive form into hundreds of smaller slugs that spread across a designated area of the battlefield. This distribution would allow Tsunade to provide medical support and communication relay services to a much larger number of coalition fighters simultaneously.
However, the presence of the Giant Clam created significant tactical challenges for the allied forces. Because of the creature's supernatural abilities, the Second Mizukage could deploy uniquely powerful illusion techniques that made it nearly impossible to locate his true position among the various mirages and false images he could project.
Even someone of Tsunade's considerable skill and experience found herself unable to identify the Second Mizukage's concealed true form within the maze of deceptions he had created.
On the other side of the battlefield, Jiraiya had consumed one of Tsunade's specially prepared antidotes as a precautionary measure against Hanzo's poison techniques. He and Gamabunta were now engaged in direct combat with Hanzo and his Giant Salamander, their massive summons serving as mobile battle platforms.
The two enormous psychic beasts moved with surprising agility despite their size, their figures constantly crossing paths as their riders engaged in high-speed melee combat that tested the limits of both skill and endurance.
"Boom!"
Jiraiya employed his signature Rasengan technique to block and deflect Hanzo's scythe attack, the spiraling chakra sphere meeting the curved blade in a shower of sparks and energy. However, Hanzo immediately drew the samurai sword at his waist with his free hand and executed a lightning-fast slashing attack.
A blade of compressed wind chakra formed by his wind release technique cut through the air toward Jiraiya's position. But the veteran Sannin remained calm under pressure, immediately condensing another Rasengan in his opposite hand and moving to intercept the incoming attack.
The figures of both legendary fighters crossed paths once again in their deadly dance, and as they separated, Jiraiya noted with professional interest that the clothing on his left shoulder had been torn by the wind blade despite his successful defense.
Both combatants turned to face each other again, preparing to continue their confrontation in what promised to be an extended battle between masters of their respective arts.
"Bang!"
At that critical moment, heavy smoke appeared once more in the space between the Giant Salamander and Gamabunta, and the ground beneath the battlefield shook slightly with the impact of another massive summoning technique.
All the ninja engaged in combat throughout the area turned their attention toward this new development, recognizing that something significant was about to change the nature of their engagement.
Both Jiraiya and Tsunade looked on with expressions of slight shock and growing recognition as the smoke began to clear, revealing the identity of the newcomer.
"Haha, well, well... the old trio reunited. I never expected we would find ourselves together again under such extraordinary circumstances..."
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