Just as Yusuke Uchiha predicted, as he set off to confront Madara Uchiha in a decisive battle, Madara Uchiha had already unleashed the power of Edo Tensei upon the battlefields where the White Zetsu were clashing with the forces of the five great ninja villages.
The resurrected elite ninjas were primarily drawn from the ranks of the five great ninja villages, and Madara Uchiha had deliberately dispatched the resurrected strongmen of each village to attack their own respective villages.
Those dispatched to the Land of Earth were Mu, the Second Earth Tsuchikage and former teacher of Ōnoki, along with several other powerful former ninjas from Iwagakure, including Gari, renowned for his mastery of the Exploding Style.
On the Land of Water front, the forces were led by Gengetsu Hōzuki, the Second Mizukage, accompanied by the previous generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Kumogakure faced a more dire situation, with both the Third and Fourth Raikage appearing simultaneously, nearly crushing the morale of Kumogakure's ninjas on the spot.
Given that Sunagakure was already under Konoha's control, and Zetsu had not managed to acquire the corpses of any high-ranking Sunagakure ninjas, no additional Edo Tensei ninjas were deployed to that front.
Instead, the remaining forces were concentrated on Konoha! This formidable force included the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju; the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju; the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi; Fugaku Uchiha, the former head of the Uchiha clan; and Shisui Uchiha, the rogue Uchiha ninja.
Beyond these former Konoha powerhouses, the formidable Nagato, leader of the Akatsuki organization, was also included in this elite force.
The lineup that Madara Uchiha had assembled to target Konohagakure was nothing short of extravagant!
Upon witnessing the arrival of these legendary ninjas before the Konoha central army under Itachi's command, Itachi immediately recognized that his forces would be utterly incapable of prevailing against such a formidable adversary.
Without hesitation, he transmitted the urgent intelligence to Minato Namikaze, who was stationed in Konoha, via a specialized communication ninjutsu.
Minato Namikaze, upon receiving the critical intelligence from Itachi, had little time to deliberate. He immediately commenced the rapid deployment of his Flying Raijin technique, swiftly gathering Konoha's elite ninjas, who were scattered across various fronts, and concentrating them at Itachi's location. Jiraiya and Tsunade were also brought to the scene.
Standing before the formidable White Zetsu army, the resurrected Hokage, Fugaku Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, and Nagato, along with the other resurrected ninjas, wore expressions of grave concern.
Their apprehension, however, was not directed towards their own forces, but rather towards the approaching Konoha army.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, let out a heavy sigh, "It is truly unfathomable that we, who once served as Hokage, should now find ourselves compelled to participate in the destruction of our own village!"
Tobirama Senju responded with a cold snort, "The Uchiha clan has always been the greatest menace to the ninja world."
Fugaku Uchiha, standing beside them, offered a sarcastic retort, "Perhaps you should first consider the reasons behind our current predicament, where we find ourselves engaged in a fratricidal conflict against Konoha. The Edo Tensei technique is indeed a remarkable jutsu!"
Tobirama Senju was about to launch into a counter-argument, but Hashirama Senju intervened, preventing further escalation.
Hashirama Senju addressed the assembled group, "Let us cease this pointless bickering. Further discussion will prove fruitless at this juncture. The only course of action available to us is to place our faith in the younger generation of our village and trust in their ability to overcome the obstacles that lie before them!"
At this moment, a contingent of Konoha's elite ninjas, led by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, arrived on the scene. Among those present, in addition to Minato Namikaze himself, were Itachi Uchiha, Kabuto Yakushi, Izumi, Kakashi Hatake, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Konan.
The two forces stood facing each other, a palpable tension hanging in the air. Even if they possessed a multitude of words to express their thoughts and feelings, they were at a loss for where to begin.
Hashirama Senju, positioned at the very center of the White Zetsu army, cast his gaze upon the assembled Konoha ninjas. A hearty burst of laughter erupted from his lips. "Hiruzen," he exclaimed, "the Konoha you have nurtured has truly proven to be exceptional. I am confident that they will emerge victorious over us and successfully safeguard Konoha!"
Upon hearing Hashirama Senju's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression shifted to one of mild embarrassment.
According to the original plan devised by himself and Danzō Shimura to annihilate the Uchiha clan, the three disciples of Yusuke Uchiha should have been deceased, and Konan was an individual entirely unknown to him.
However, Hashirama Senju's brow furrowed as he posed a question, "Among your ranks, who is the most powerful individual? It seems that Madara Uchiha harbors a considerable degree of apprehension towards him. However, Madara Uchiha is a far different adversary now than he once was. I have a few matters that I wish to discuss with him."
Before Minato Namikaze could formulate a response, Nagato, standing at the periphery of the Konoha forces, interjected calmly, "The individual you refer to is known as Yusuke Uchiha. He is not present among our ranks at this time. He has likely proceeded to confront Madara Uchiha directly."
Upon hearing Nagato's words, Fugaku Uchiha's eyes lit up with sudden excitement. "As I suspected! I knew that he would inevitably rise to lead the Uchiha clan towards a new era of glory. At this critical juncture, it is only the Uchiha clan who possess the capacity to save the ninja world!"
Following Fugaku Uchiha's declaration, a range of diverse expressions washed over the faces of those standing beside him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a heavy sigh, as if lamenting the weight of past regrets. Shisui Uchiha's expression was one of yearning, reflecting his past aspiration to serve as a pillar of strength for Konoha, an ambition tragically thwarted by his youthful naiveté, leading to his exploitation and ultimately his suicide in remorse.
Tobirama Senju, meanwhile, furrowed his brow, expressing his astonishment that the fate of the ninja world now rested upon the very clan he had sought to eradicate.
In truth, Tobirama Senju's desire to eliminate the Uchiha clan stemmed not from the long-standing feud between the Senju and Uchiha clans, but rather from his profound understanding of the potential for the Uchiha clan's volatile emotions to unleash an equally volatile and potentially catastrophic level of power, a force that would prove highly unstable and pose a significant threat to the stability of the ninja world.
Shaking his head, Tobirama Senju declared in a resolute tone, "Although I harbor no affection for the Uchiha clan, I can only hope and pray that the Yusuke Uchiha you speak of will succeed in defeating Madara Uchiha."
Hashirama Senju responded by placing a reassuring hand upon Tobirama Senju's shoulder before turning his attention towards Minato Namikaze, who was attired in the Hokage's ceremonial robes. He declared in a booming voice, "Young Fourth Hokage, allow us, the deceased, to witness the prowess of the Konoha forces under your command! I have unwavering faith that you have far surpassed our generation!"
Minato Namikaze responded with a solemn expression, "Rest assured, First Hokage-sama, we shall defend Konoha and safeguard the peace of the ninja world!"
As the ninjas of the five great ninja villages found themselves confronting the Edo Tensei forces dispatched by Madara Uchiha, each drawn from their respective villages, Yusuke Uchiha arrived at Madara Uchiha's location.
The area was a desolate plain, devoid of vegetation, and covered in rocks and gravel.
Madara Uchiha was seated upon a massive rock, while Orochimaru, his eyes bearing the unmistakable pattern of the Rinnegan, stood behind him in a state of apparent stupor.
Upon perceiving Yusuke Uchiha's approach, Madara Uchiha slowly rose to his feet, his imposing figure silhouetted against the backdrop of a colossal blood-red moon, its surface adorned with the intricate patterns of the Rinnegan.
Locking his piercing gaze upon Yusuke Uchiha's eyes, Madara Uchiha posed a direct question, "Yusuke Uchiha, what is your decision?"
Yusuke Uchiha responded with a subtle smile, "And what is your assessment of the situation?"
Madara Uchiha erupted into a resounding burst of laughter. "As I suspected! We are indeed kindred spirits, and it is precisely this shared characteristic that renders this conflict all the more captivating! In truth, you are the only individual since Hashirama Senju whom I have truly deemed worthy of my respect!"
"Let us witness, upon this grand stage of the ninja world, which of us shall ultimately prevail!"
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