Perhaps it was because Yuki Yoru had been "hands-off" for so long that the entire Kirigakure had grown used to it.
Thanks to the deft maneuvering of the women managing affairs, Yoru's sudden disappearance hadn't caused the village the slightest disruption—the situation was fully contained.
...
Land of Hot Water.
Having returned from the moon with exactly what he sought, Uchiha Obito looked on in mild surprise at Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others before him.
At the moment, Hiruzen and his group were in rough shape: clothes torn, dust-covered, the clone of Kakuzu had even lost four hearts, nearly dying on the spot.
"So… you only managed to break off the battle by forcing the Second Tsuchikage's clone to unleash a near-suicidal Dust Release?"
Listening to White Zetsu's report, Obito pieced together the situation. His gaze lingered on Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Like Obito, Hiruzen had completed the Chimera Technique Ritual. Though he had yet to step into the level of the Sage of Six Paths, his strength was formidable—more than enough to clash head-on with Nagato.
That meant… while Hiruzen stalled Nagato, the rest of Akatsuki had still fought them to such an extent?
Could that truly be the work of just Hiruko?
"Don't underestimate Akatsuki's members," Hiruzen said gravely. "Besides Hiruko, the others have also undergone spiritual power conversion. Their strength has grown significantly. And then there are the Rinnegan… Akatsuki's leader is exceedingly strong. I could gain no advantage over him. If the fight had continued, our defeat would've been almost certain."
"…Nagato, that bastard…"
Obito's expression darkened beneath the mask.
Nagato—who was supposed to be his sharpest blade—and Uchiha Madara's Rinnegan, had instead turned away to follow Yuki Yoru, becoming one of Yoru's foremost generals.
The irony was bitter.
"So in other words, your existence is now completely exposed. Kirigakure, and likely the other great villages, all know about you now? Heh… Clones—to the world, that's no less taboo than Edo Tensei itself."
"Spare me your pointless words. I know that better than you."
Hiruzen glanced coldly at the slightly smug Obito, his mind turning to the recent failures of the White Zetsu army. A suspicion began to form.
"Judging by that look, you've found new allies against Yuki Yoru?"
"…Something like that. But I'll still need your cooperation for the plan ahead."
Obito didn't elaborate. To most, the Ōtsutsuki of the moon were but myth. And Toneri Ōtsutsuki had been clear: until certain preconditions were met, they couldn't be considered true allies.
Still, as a gesture of good faith—or perhaps his impatience regarding the "Byakugan Princess"—Toneri had already handed Obito the method to track the Tailed Beasts.
"What exactly are you planning?" Hiruzen frowned.
"Just a little noise… enough to draw attention."
Obito paused, then continued:
"But before that, I'll need you to be honest with me. Exactly how many clone-level Kage-tier fighters do you have in your hand?"
"…"
"Tell him."
A voice in his mind brushed away Hiruzen's hesitation. After a brief silence, he looked up at Obito, speaking in a low, steady tone:
"Follow me."
The two walked deeper into the base, weaving through passage after passage, until they arrived before a tightly sealed door.
Forming a series of special barrier hand signs, Hiruzen unlocked it and pushed it open.
In that instant—
Obito's eyes widened in shock!
"This—!"
Obito's eyes were filled with shock. Not just him—anyone in the shinobi world who saw this scene would have their eyes fly wide open, their very soul trembling.
What unfolded before him wasn't as vast as the White Zetsu army in his own hands, but still—there were dozens of them. Many of the clones were repeated, yet every single one of them was a legendary figure, names etched into history and printed in shinobi textbooks.
The Great Toad Sage… one of the Sannin, Jiraiya… Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake!
The Second Tsuchikage, Mū, wielder of the fearsome Dust Release… the indomitable Third Raikage, A!
The "Demi-God of the Shinobi World," Hanzō of the Salamander… the puppet master Monzaemon!
And most crucially—Obito's eyes caught several figures whose very appearance was unique…
"So, you even went as far as to clone them."
His gaze fixed on a few standing at the head and rear of the formation, his tone strangely heavy:
"They were your teachers, weren't they… Third Hokage?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes flickered. If it were up to him, he would never have cloned those two. But the authority to decide was not his.
Indeed—at the very front of this army of clones stood his former teachers: the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and the man known as the God of Shinobi himself, the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama!
Before the ritual, Obito would never have believed Hiruzen could gather such a force. Even now, seeing it with his own eyes, he was shaken by the sheer power arrayed here.
Yes, they were only clones. Yes, they had no memories, and could never fully display one hundred percent of their originals' might. But if used properly, this army was still a razor-sharp blade, capable of tearing everything apart!
"You really know how to endure, Third Hokage…" Obito said quietly, his eyes boring into Hiruzen.
"This time, if our plan succeeds, we'll drag Yuki Yoru down from his throne of godhood. You must give me your full support."
"…What exactly are you planning?"
"Seizing the Tailed Beasts." Obito's tone was firm, though he paused before adding:
"But before that, I need a favor from you."
"What favor?"
"Do you know… Hyūga Hinata?"
...
The Fourth Shinobi World War, with the genjutsu broken, was nearing its end. Yet the sudden emergence of clones had once again thrown the shinobi world into turmoil.
Chiyo, acting as Kazekage, and Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, had returned to their villages, repented of past mistakes, and formally declared their allegiance to the Shinobi Alliance in the fight against Obito.
Obito's absence from the battlefield had lulled the world into the illusion that the war was already won. But the intelligence Nagato delivered regarding the clone army reignited fear in every heart that had only just begun to settle.
"What in the world is going on? How are those long dead walking again? Don't tell me someone else in this world has mastered the same power as the Mizukage?!"
The Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki asked gravely, his expression lined with worry.
Inside Kirigakure's offices, the assembled leaders held a remote conference through specialized instruments. Faced with the Tsuchikage's pressing question, silence filled the room.
Yuki Yoru's identity was far too unique—he was already the uncrowned king of the shinobi world. Any matter that touched him instantly became sensitive, dangerous, and volatile.
And so, even at this Kage summit, Yuki Yoru himself was absent.
Yes, it was an emergency meeting of the Five Kage. The participants were: Ōnoki, Third Tsuchikage; Chiyo, acting Kazekage; Dodai, acting Raikage; Shimura Danzō, acting Hokage; and Yuki Kiri, secretary to the Mizukage.
Aside from the Tsuchikage, who was the only official Kage present, the rest were all acting leaders.
The Fourth Shinobi World War had ended abruptly and anticlimactically, yet the losses to the shinobi world were undeniable. The Fourth Raikage had perished in battle; the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails had both been captured by Uchiha Obito. With no Raikage left, Kumogakure had no choice but to appoint Dodai, an experienced veteran jōnin, as temporary Raikage.
As for Konoha's acting Hokage…
The situation there was nothing short of strange and suspicious. Everyone knew Uchiha Fugaku served under Yuki Yoru. And yet, Konoha's elders had publicly branded Fugaku a traitor to the village and the nation, unanimously voting to oust him. In his place, Shimura Danzō had ascended to the Hokage's seat.
Even Hyūga Hiashi had supported the motion.
Anyone with eyes could see there was something wrong with this picture. But no one in the outside world dared comment. Everyone was waiting to see how Kirigakure would respond—hence why this Kage Summit had been convened in the first place.
"The Fourth's power cannot be duplicated. And those figures are not truly resurrected."
Yuki Kiri spoke calmly:
"According to the intelligence we've gathered, the enemy is creating clones using cloning technology. They may resemble the fallen heroes, their abilities may be similar, but at the core—they are entirely new beings. Or rather… 'puppets.'"
"Damn it! To think they would dare defile the corpses of the dead!"
Dodai, the acting Raikage, roared in fury, his face twisted with rage.
"Have you identified who's behind this? Is it that bastard Uchiha Obito?!"
With the Raikage's fate sealed, and the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails both gone, Kumogakure had been struck a devastating blow. To lose not only their leader but also their two perfect jinchūriki—this was nothing short of a catastrophe!
"It's possible. That man has been lurking in the shadows since the war began. Considering the unique properties of White Zetsu, there's a very real chance these clones were created by Obito."
"Agreed. White Zetsu's special physiology can replicate human bodies with near-perfect accuracy. The possibility that Obito is behind this is extremely high!"
"The identity of the mastermind isn't the real issue," Chiyo, the acting Kazekage, cut in with a grim voice.
"What matters is understanding why they've created so many clones, and what their next move will be. We cannot keep letting Uchiha Obito drag us around by the nose."
"If Obito truly is behind the clones, then his motive shouldn't be hard to guess."
Shimura Danzō, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up:
"Don't forget why he started the Fourth Shinobi World War in the first place."
"The Tailed Beasts?!"
Everyone present reached the same conclusion at once.
The loss of the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails made the truth glaringly obvious: Obito's true goal had always been the Tailed Beasts. If he was indeed behind the clones, then that goal had not changed.
Chiyo's face turned ugly.
"Our One-Tail was taken at the very start of the war. With Kumogakure's Two-Tails and Eight-Tails also gone, Obito already holds at least three Tailed Beasts."
"In my village, the Four-Tails and Five-Tails were lost long ago."
The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, spoke as his eyes slid toward Yuki Kiri.
The Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Seven-Tails had vanished years before, yet rumors had long circulated throughout the shinobi world—that Kirigakure secretly controlled them.
But because of Yuki Yoru's overwhelming dominance, no one dared to speak out. Yet if Obito's true aim really was the Tailed Beasts, then those beasts suddenly became more critical than ever.
"As for the Tailed Beasts, Kirigakure doesn't have much intelligence to share. But the Three-Tails and Six-Tails are indeed still within our village."
Yuki Kiri spoke calmly, deliberately withholding any mention of the Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Seven-Tails.
The truth was that Yuki Yoru had already planned out the matter of the Tailed Beasts long ago. At first, he had considered using their chakra to assist with the chakra of Asura and Indra. But because Tailed Beast chakra was too violent and unstable—and because he already possessed abundant chakra sources of his own—he had instead chosen alternatives like the Dragon Vein and the fallen star.
Thus, once the Dragon Vein and the star had been tapped, the Tailed Beasts were repurposed into Kirigakure's new "batteries," powering not only the village itself but also other critical zones like Hueco Mundo and Shadow Island.
For that reason, Kiri had no intention of revealing anything further.
The Three-Tails and Six-Tails were in Kirigakure. The Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Seven-Tails were unaccounted for. Which left only the most important of them all—the Nine-Tails.
Ōnoki, Chiyo, and the others all turned their eyes toward Danzō. But instead of answering, Danzō looked to Kiri.
"For the Nine-Tails' safety, the Fifth Hokage placed its jinchūriki in Kirigakure at the very start of the war," Kiri said evenly.
"Within Kirigakure, the Nine-Tails jinchūriki will not face any danger. You may rest assured of that."
The others nodded.
If there was any place in the world that could truly be called impregnable, it was Kirigakure as it stood today.
The Fourth Shinobi World War had already proven that. The arrival of the Shinigami Captains had shown the world just how terrifying Kirigakure's hidden strength really was. And with the Quincies added into the mix, the village was an unassailable fortress. To place the Nine-Tails there was, without question, the wisest decision possible.
However…
"Leaving the Nine-Tails in Kirigakure is indeed one of the Fifth Hokage's few wise decisions," Danzō suddenly spoke up. "But, Secretary-dono, I have a small request. Clan Head Hyūga Hiashi asked me before this meeting to convey his words: it has been a long time since he last saw Lady Hinata, and he misses her dearly. Might you allow her to return to Konoha for a visit?"
"Oh?"
Yuki Kiri's eyes narrowed slightly in surprise at Danzō.
The events in Konoha involving Hyūga Hiashi and Uchiha Fugaku had unfolded with such speed that even Kirigakure hadn't had time to respond before the matter was settled. There was no doubt some kind of trickery behind it. After all, Hiashi and Fugaku had long since been aligned with Yuki Yoru—there was no reason they would not support one another.
And yet, before Kirigakure had even moved to address the issue, it was Danzō who had made the first move.