Although he was asking questions, there was no doubt that Ōnoki was beginning to give in.
Using Dust Style in a place like this was too risky. Surrounded by guards from each nation and the leaders of the villages, he couldn't unleash his full strength.
Besides... even if they fought to the death and won, what would they gain?
This was merely a body summoned through Impure World Reincarnation.
Ōnoki had always been someone who excelled at weighing risks and benefits. He quickly concluded that a battle here would only lead to mutual damage—or even a one-sided slaughter.
To defeat Uchiha Madara, one must prepare sealing techniques in advance or locate the caster. Engaging him head-on now was meaningless.
"The reason is simple. Can't you figure it out?"
Uchiha Madara dispersed his Susanoo, crossed his arms, and stood calmly. "A new, qualified Wood Release user has appeared in the shinobi world. Naturally, I must test him... to see if he possesses the same strength as the Senju Hashirama of the past."
Madara smiled faintly. "In terms of village leadership, I must admit Shimura is the most capable. He managed to cultivate so many Mangekyō Sharingan users."
"Even excluding his own strength, the powerhouses of Konoha alone are enough to rival the combined strength of several major villages."
"I need you to restrain the Uchiha and Konoha shinobi. Keep them from interfering with my battle against Shimura. Isn't that reason enough?"
Ōnoki didn't respond. He just stared at Madara, trying to discern whether the man was lying.
"Then what's the Akatsuki's true goal in collecting the tailed beasts?" Ōnoki asked again.
"To fully resurrect me."
Uchiha Madara clenched his fist and calmly lied, "By gathering all nine tailed beasts and using their vast chakra, I can be fully revived. I'll gain a real body, not this fragile one."
A and Terumi Mei, who had just regained consciousness, heard those words and looked up in shock.
"No wonder…"
A man who had been dead for twenty years left behind such a terrifying contingency—an organization like the Akatsuki—just to return to life. And once resurrected, what would he do?
Most likely, his ambition wouldn't differ much from Shimura Yami's. He too would aim to rule the shinobi world.
Almost instinctively, the Kage accepted Madara's explanation. In their eyes, this was already the worst-case scenario. Even if he were lying, it wouldn't be more dangerous than his revival.
Ōnoki sighed deeply and made up his mind.
He clearly understood the danger of bargaining with a tiger, but also the wisdom of choosing the lesser evil.
From the current situation, Uchiha Madara clearly feared Konoha. Otherwise, with his pride, he would never choose to ally with the Four Kage.
In that case... it was only logical to deal with the greater threat first.
Moreover, the more they interacted, the greater the chance to expose Madara's weaknesses. They could investigate the truth behind his summoning and perhaps uncover Orochimaru's hiding place. If they could eliminate the caster, Impure World Reincarnation would be undone.
Ōnoki subtly exchanged glances with the other Kage.
Gaara remained silent. Terumi Mei and A were tempted, but they hesitated to openly declare it.
Working with a dead man—and a dangerous one like Uchiha Madara—was a massive risk. If anything went wrong, even a Kage couldn't bear that weight.
"Uchiha Madara, I accept your conditions. But that doesn't mean we are allies," Ōnoki finally said, as calm as ever. "We simply share the same enemy and temporary interests."
Madara shrugged, arms still crossed. "Ōnoki, you're the only one with any backbone. At least your words are realistic."
"If you had called us allies, I would've lost all respect for you."
"Relax. I won't act against you until I defeat Shimura. But after that... the fate of the shinobi world will depend on your own capabilities."
In truth, after the previous battle, Uchiha Madara no longer looked down on the Four Kage Alliance.
Aside from Ōnoki, the others were all clearly inferior to their predecessors.
He wasn't just targeting Konoha. Deep down, this was about fulfilling his original dream.
Back then, he had envisioned uniting the shinobi world alongside Hashirama. Together, their Susanoo and Wood Release would bring peace under Konoha's banner.
Now, Shimura Yami's actions mirrored that vision.
He wanted to see just how far Yami could go.
If Yami managed to defeat the Four Great Nations without even invoking Infinite Tsukuyomi, it would be proof that Hashirama had been wrong.
And if that day came, Madara would make Hashirama apologize to him personally.
A battle had broken out suddenly and ended just as quickly.
The two sides reached a temporary understanding, and with their interests aligned, the atmosphere eased.
Uchiha Madara had no interest in dealing with the details. He simply said to notify him when war began and turned to leave, leaving Obito behind.
Now, the Four Kage and Mifune all turned their eyes to the masked man who had been standing silently next to Madara since his arrival.
Even at the height of the fighting, he hadn't moved. No attack touched him. He stood like a phantom.
"So, I'm just a foot soldier now?"
This time it was Tobi's voice—goofy and lighthearted, almost inviting a slap. "As expected of Madara-sama. He only needed to lift a finger to shake you all."
The group of shinobi remained silent.
Gaara flexed his fingers and carefully observed the masked man. "Since we're allies now, why not reveal your identity?"
"You possess the Sharingan. Are you from the Uchiha clan, or did you receive an eye transplant like Hatake Kakashi?"
"Don't lump me in with trash like Hatake Kakashi."
Obito's voice suddenly turned cold. "My identity is irrelevant. You can regard me as Madara's will. During the years he was dead, I was the one who created the Akatsuki and laid the groundwork for his resurrection."
"Now, my decisions are his decisions."
"No more nonsense. Let's focus on how to deal with Konoha."
"My Lords."
Before the representatives of the four major nations could respond, a man with long, flowing hair stepped out from the delegation of smaller countries and smiled.
"I am Mui, the lord of Hōzuki Castle in the Hidden Grass Village. If you wish to fight Konoha, our Hōzuki Castle holds a treasure passed down through generations. It may prove useful."
While Obito infiltrated the Five Kage Summit on behalf of Madara, Kisame seized the moment.
With Kumo's top forces absent, he ambushed his "ally."
Last time, Killer Bee had been attacked by the masked man and Obito, losing one tentacle and suffering serious injuries. He had returned to Kumo for treatment.
Thanks to his Jinchūriki self-healing abilities and the efforts of medical-nin, Bee had almost fully recovered before A left the village.
Restless, Killer Bee had once again slipped out to seek inspiration for his rhymes, unconcerned with his own safety.
Last time he had been ambushed, and that bandaged guy's Dark Release had absorbed chakra, countering his tailed beast mode.
This time, he just needed to go all out from the start, transform fully, and avoid giving them any chance.
Even if he couldn't defeat them, he wouldn't go down so easily again.
But with such an overconfident mindset, Killer Bee fell into a trap once more.
White Zetsu had long been watching his movements. When the time was right, Kisame struck.
It was a sneak attack.
Samehada's chakra absorption was far stronger than Dark Release. And with intel from Obito, Kisame ensured Bee couldn't escape by faking his death again.
After a brutal battle that turned the forest into a sea, Killer Bee was exhausted, unconscious, and slung over Samehada's back.
"Phew… As expected of the strongest Eight-Tails Jinchūriki. Samehada nearly betrayed me."
Kisame glanced at his sword with dissatisfaction. If Samehada hadn't been tempted, the battle would've ended even faster.
"I'll have to discipline you more when we get back. Now…"
Kisame rubbed the ring on his finger, shifted the gem's position, and began injecting chakra.
Now that he'd captured the final tailed beast, he wanted to hear Yami's thoughts.
Should he send it to the Akatsuki… or deliver it to Konoha?
Soon, Yami's voice echoed through the mysterious space.
"What is it?"
Kisame was startled by the urgency in Yami's tone, but quickly answered, "I just caught the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki and wanted to report. Is now a bad time?"
"No, it's fine."
Yami's tone calmed. "Good work. But stay cautious. Don't let Kumo's shinobi surround you."
"Don't worry. I've already arranged my exit route."
Kisame grinned. "So, where should I deliver the Eight-Tails?"
Yami paused for a moment, then understood. "Tired of being a double agent?"
Kisame nodded. "The real Uchiha Madara has shown up. Obito admitted everything to me, but he no longer trusts me. I can't get any more information from him."
Yami rubbed his chin and replied, "Then come to Konoha. Kabuto is there, and… you're not a problem. Your old teammates are also here. The Akatsuki can rise again."
"I'll change routes. I can reach Konoha in two days at the earliest."
"Good. I'll send you chakra to handle the cleanup."
Kisame nodded, understanding what Yami meant.
Soon after, their communication ended, and a surge of chakra flowed from the ring into Kisame.
Several White Zetsu clones were expelled from his body. With a swing of Samehada, they were beheaded instantly.
Konoha.
Yami opened his eyes. Even while speaking with Kisame, his hands never left Kurotsuchi's legs.
Although two and a half years had passed, he still loved that smooth, plump sensation.
Temari rolled her eyes, cursing this bastard in her heart. A complete leg maniac.
No,this man liked everything—Tsunade and Samui's curves, Hikari's petite charm, Izumi's everything...
After being touched for two and a half years, Kurotsuchi had gotten used to it. She even shifted her legs occasionally to help him find new spots. "Don't just touch the same place, you'll polish it smooth."
Yami moved his hand to the other leg and spoke softly, "Kurotsuchi…"
"Wait, don't say anything yet, I…"
Yami placed a finger on her lips.
"You two came fully dressed up today—one in a backless cheongsam, the other in full-body fishnet—and showed up together…"
"I can't think of any reason for that level of effort unless it's related to Iwagakure and Sunagakure."
A flicker of panic appeared in Kurotsuchi and Temari's eyes.
They hadn't said a word, yet Yami already saw through everything. Was he reading their minds?
But even so…
Thinking of the carnage that would come with war, Kurotsuchi hugged Yami lightly and asked in a trembling voice, "Yami, is war inevitable?"
"Konoha is doing so well now. Why won't you let the other nations be?"
Temari also looked sorrowful.
Women were emotional creatures. After sleeping beside Yami for years, and with how kind he was to them in daily life, they had already accepted their situation in their hearts.
But now, the man they loved was going to war with their own villages. They didn't know what to do.
"I can't stop now."
Yami stroked Kurotsuchi's head with one hand and held Temari's firm waist with the other.
"Konoha's strength is too overwhelming to share the same table with others."
"Iwagakure, Sunagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure—they won't allow a behemoth like Konoha to dominate the shinobi world. This conflict is inevitable."
"You want me to give up on unifying the world, but can you make Ōnoki, Gaara, and the others give up resisting Konoha?"
Kurotsuchi didn't speak. She already had the answer in her heart.
Neither she nor Temari were fools. In fact, they understood better than most how dangerous conflict between great powers could be.
Especially now—taking a step back could mean falling into an abyss. No one dared be the first to retreat.
Coming to plead with Yami today was the only thing they could do.
As for Samui, her situation was completely different. Yami had promised to bring her family to Konoha. The lives of others… didn't matter to her.
"Temari, as for Gaara, I'll give him one last chance."
"If he turns back from this path, I'll offer him better treatment. Kurotsuchi, forget about your father and grandfather. They're both stubborn old men and can't be persuaded. But no matter what, I'll…"
"…spare their lives."
(To be continued.)
***
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