Danzo's words were reasonable. As Hinata's father, it was only natural for Hiashi to miss his daughter after such a long time.
Coupled with the current ceasefire in the war, wanting to bring his daughter back was an utterly normal request.
"Clan Head Hiashi's longing for his daughter is only natural. I have no objections," Yuki Kiri replied calmly. She gave a slight nod. "I'll inform Lady Hinata later. If needed, we can even assign an escort to accompany her back to Konoha."
"Then I'll trouble you for that."
Danzo's tone and manner were nothing but considerate of his own villagers. And notably, aside from Hinata, he made no demands for Kirigakure to hand over the son of the former Hokage, Uchiha Sasuke, nor for them to surrender the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
His composed, almost too-peaceful demeanor left the others faintly disappointed.
After a brief silence, Elder Chiyo of Sunagakure turned to Yuki Kiri.
"No matter who's behind these clones, beings that desecrate the dead cannot be allowed to run rampant."
"Lady Kiri, please have the Mizukage take the lead—let us eradicate these clones!"
The acting Raikage, Dodai, nodded sternly.
"She's right. The shinobi world cannot allow these people to act unchecked any longer!"
In the past, Kumogakure might have welcomed a bit of chaos, hoping to fish for advantage in troubled waters.
But now, their village's power was at a historic low.
If disorder spread again, it would bring them no benefit—only danger. Kumogakure might even end up as a sacrifice in the next great conflict.
The Fourth Raikage, A, was already dead. Until a Fifth could be chosen, as acting Raikage, Dodai had no choice but to stabilize the village and see them through this fragile period.
"The appearance of these clones is indeed an unstable factor for the shinobi world. Since everyone agrees this issue must be handled quickly, Kirigakure will not object."
Yuki Kiri swept her gaze around the room, then nodded.
"Starting tomorrow, I'll have our sensory units track the clones' movements. Once located, we'll dispatch the allied forces to eliminate them."
Danzo gave a slight nod, face unreadable.
"Good. That will suffice."
"If Iwagakure's assistance is needed, we will not refuse."
Ōnoki's gaze darkened, his tone heavy. "At the very least, it will serve as some small atonement for the mistakes I made while under genjutsu."
"Sunagakure as well," Chiyo added.
"The safety of the shinobi world is a responsibility we all share. There's no need for apologies."
"That's right—we are allies now, after all."
Though the clones' emergence was troubling, since no large-scale war had yet erupted, the pressure wasn't as overwhelming as it could have been.
With Yuki Kiri taking the lead, the atmosphere gradually softened. And so, the Kage Summit came to a close on a note of harmony.
"Something's off about that old fox Danzo," Uzumaki Kushina muttered. She had lingered outside the room, ready to report on Naruto's condition, and happened to overhear the entire meeting. Her brows knitted tightly. "That man wasn't like this before… but now? I can't put it into words, it just feels wrong."
"I know," Yuki Kiri replied, her expression calm.
She already had a grasp of what had transpired in Konoha. The only mystery was this: how exactly had Danzo managed to control Hyūga Hiashi and topple Uchiha Fugaku?
The strength of these two was not weak.
Fugaku not only wielded the Mangekyō Sharingan, but he had also transplanted Hashirama's cells. Although he couldn't use Wood Release, the flaws in his dōjutsu were compensated for.
Coupled with unlocking spiritual power and becoming a Quincy, Fugaku's strength was solidly at Kage-level, and among the best at that level.
Hiashi's power needed even less explanation.
Although the Hyūga Clan head did not possess the same combat power as Fugaku—his strength only barely reaching the level of a Kage—he still carried a crystal bestowed upon him by Yoru
Yet even under such circumstances, with Hiashi being controlled and Fugaku crushed, if you were to claim that this was Danzō's doing, no one would believe it.
"Is Naruto's condition stable?" Yuki Kiri turned her gaze toward Uzumaki Kushina, already able to guess from her expression what the boy's state was.
"Yes." Kushina gave a slight nod. "The extraction of Asura's chakra went smoothly.I didn't even feel much change in Naruto; it seems there's no impact."
"That's for sure, but there's still an impact," Akira said.
"The existence of Asura and Indra would have allowed Naruto to smoothly step into the Six Paths level. Now that he doesn't have these powers, if they want to reach that realm in the future, it will probably take a lot of effort."
"What's the point of power if you have to sacrifice your freedom, or even your heart and everything for it?" Kushina Uzumaki shook her head.
As a mother, she had no demands on her child's power. Her greatest hope was that her child could live a stable and happy life.
And now Naruto, after getting rid of Asura's chakra, was heading toward this future, which made Kushina Uzumaki very happy.
However, there was still one problem that made Kushina feel quite depressed.
"Kiri…"
Kushina hesitated for a long while, then finally could not hold back. "I… I want… I want to…"
"I understand, Kushina." Yuki Kiri's smile was gentle, her voice soft. "So many years of silence is an unbearable trial for any mother. But I hope you can wait just a little longer."
"But…"
Kushina opened her mouth, wanting to insist further.
Yet suddenly, as if something dawned on her, her eyes lit up with dazzling brilliance. "Could it be—!"
"Yes. His Shinigami transformation is nearly complete," Yuki Kiri said softly. "And Naruto's birthday is approaching, isn't it? I can think of no greater gift… no warmer blessing than this."
Kushina drew in a deep breath, nodding firmly. "I understand!"
"Good. But you also heard the meeting earlier—Naruto is still the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. If the mastermind behind those clones truly is Uchiha Obito, then his safety is something you must always keep in mind."
"Of course, I—"
Buzz…
Before Kushina could respond, a strange sound suddenly echoed throughout Kirigakure. Yuki Kiri and Uzumaki Kushina's expressions changed at once.
The next moment, chaotic intelligence was transmitted through the power of Tenteikūra (Heavenly Communication).
"I am Fourth Division Captain Senju Tsunade. Hueco Mundo has been invaded." Tsunade's voice was urgent, filled with shock and suppressed disbelief. "The enemy's target is the Tailed Beasts. Please pay attention to the situation of the other tailed beasts immediately!"
"And also… I request immediate reinforcements!"
Reinforcements?!
The voice within Tenteikūra stunned every Shinigami who received the message. Each one showed a look of disbelief.
For this was Tsunade speaking—captain of the Fourth Division, one of the legendary Sannin.
Though she commanded the medical division, Tsunade's strength was without doubt among the top three of all captains.
And yet such a woman had spoken the words "request reinforcements."
Those who truly knew her personality were shaken to their core. They knew this princess's temper well—unless the situation was absolutely dire, she would never ask for help.
What kind of enemy had Tsunade encountered?!
"Lady Tsunade actually…" Uzumaki Kushina froze in shock, but quickly snapped back to her senses and relayed the report to Yuki Kiri, who, unlike herself, was not a Shinigami.
Kiri's brows knitted tightly at the news. Even she could not imagine what sort of foe could drive Tsunade to the point of asking for help. Could it be… Uchiha Obito?
But this was no time for speculation. Her expression grew stern as she looked to Kushina.
"If the enemy's target is the tailed beasts, then Naruto could very well be in danger. Go back to him at once!"
"But… I understand!" Kushina nodded. Since their target was the tailed beasts, then both logically and emotionally, she should be by Naruto's side.
Kushina's figure instantly disappeared from the Mizukage's office, and Mizunotsuki Jin quickly flipped through the current list of top combat power.
Kirigakure's number of top-tier combatants was extremely high, but because their territory was spread so wide, not all of that strength could be casually mobilized. Many posts required top combatants to be stationed.
And of the five Tailed Beasts currently in Kirigakure's possession, each had a top-tier fighter guarding it. Adding to that all sorts of messy things that needed to be managed, the number of spare combatants left was truly not many.
"Orochimaru, you are in the Land of Waves, closest to Tsunade. I'll open a Garganta for you. Go support Tsunade!" Yuki Kiri immediately issued the order through a special spiritual communication device. However, moments later, Orochimaru's voice came through, sounding unusually grave.
"Though I would very much like to see for myself what kind of enemy could drive Tsunade to request aid… I seem to have run into quite the troublesome situation myself."
Within the Land of Waves, Orochimaru's slit-pupiled eyes showed a complex expression as he looked at the three figures before him.
"Clones, huh. I had long wanted to fight against you, but I didn't expect it would actually be you three."
—The Demigod of the Shinobi World, Hanzō of the Salamander!
—The White-haired Toad Sage, one of the Sannin, Jiraiya!
—The Hokage's son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke!
Looking at the three familiar faces revealed as they lowered their hoods, Orochimaru's long tongue licked the corner of his mouth.
"Even though they're just clones, seeing these familiar faces really does give me a fleeting moment of dazed emotion."
"Earth Style: Earth Spear!"
"Earth Style: Rock Pillar Prison!"
The ground beneath Orochimaru roared, surging upward as countless stone pillars formed a cage that locked him in. At the same time, jagged spears of rock shot toward him with lethal force.
With a burst of spiritual power, Orochimaru shattered the incoming spears and broke through the earthen walls. But in that instant, an enormous Rasengan had already appeared above his head, blazing with dazzling light.
"Giant Rasengan!"
BOOM!!
The Rasengan slammed mercilessly into Orochimaru's back, crushing him into the ground. The violent chakra contorted Orochimaru's face grotesquely.
As the dust settled, a large crater was left on the ground. Orochimaru lay sprawled like a puddle of mud.
Yet, faced with this situation, the three showed no hesitation. They formed hand seals in quick succession, and the surge of chakra made Orochimaru—lying on the ground and playing dead—suddenly shudder. From his mouth, he spat out a completely unharmed version of himself.
"It seems you're here specifically for me."
The ground trembled, poisonous mist rising around them. And when Orochimaru's eyes caught sight of Jiraiya—whose face now bore Sage markings despite the absence of the Toad Sages—a laugh slipped past his lips.
His hand slowly reached for the zanpakutō at his waist.
"Foolish Jiraiya. Even a clone is stronger than you now."
"How utterly tiresome. A bunch of broken windmills that stopped turning long ago, forced to spin by some unknown wind…" Orochimaru slowly drew the Zanpakutō at his waist, its blade reflecting a cold light.
Accompanied by a shrill, rasping hiss, the blade in his hand seemed to lengthen and narrow, his aura turning unnervingly cold and saturated with killing intent.
"Hiss and scream—White Serpent!"
...
Inside Hueco Mundo.
Tsunade, who had already released her Zanpakutō, was panting heavily. Her massive breasts rose and fell, and her fair forehead was covered in sweat.
Not far from her, several figures had already fallen. Their limbs were twisted, or their chests were caved in. They looked extremely miserable, but if someone were to see their faces, they would be greatly shocked.
These guys were all people who had once made a name for themselves in the shinobi world!
But at this moment, Tsunade's eyes were fixed on the enemy in front of her.
"Why… why are you doing this, sensei?!"
Tsunade cried out in disbelief. "Just because you lost the Hokage's seat—why have you become like this?!"
"The Hokage's title has long since lost its meaning to me, Tsunade." Sarutobi Hiruzen looked calmly at his former disciple, his voice low and steady. "I've found a higher pursuit."
"Trampling the dignity of the dead? Defiling the peace of the fallen—is that your so-called aspirations?!" Tsunade shouted angrily.
"You should say that to Yuki Yoru," Hiruzen shook his head. He had no intention of reminiscing with his disciple. After all, this was Kirigakure's territory—linger too long, and complications would surely arise. "Just hand over the Seven-Tails, and I will let you leave."
"Don't make me laugh!"
Tsunade's expression turned fierce. She used Shunpo and instantly appeared in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi. Her jade-like hand clenched into a fist, aiming a powerful blow at Hiruzen's head.
"Since you've lost your mind, you old man, then let me punch some sense back into you!"
Smack!
The sight of Hiruzen being sent flying never came. Tsunade stared in astonishment at the hand that had blocked her heavy punch, her pretty face filled with disbelief.
But what shocked her even more was Hiruzen's current state!
The figure before her overlapped with the image of her teacher from long ago. At some point, without her noticing, Hiruzen Sarutobi's old face had vanished—replaced by the youthful appearance Tsunade remembered.
"H-how can this be…?"
"I told you, Tsunade, I have a higher pursuit now," Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had regained his youthful appearance, looked at his disciple: "Can you hand over the Seven-Tails to me now?"