"Kakuzu's team has succeeded. Unfortunately, Hidan was vaporized by the enemy's Tailed Beast Ball—nothing left behind. I really liked his personality too—he truly was a shame to lose!"
White Zetsu grinned as he spoke toward Uchiha Saitama, who sat cross-legged on a stone inside the cave. As he briefed Saitama on the current situation, White Zetsu casually leaned against the wall, looking completely relaxed—showing neither joy over the mission's success nor sorrow for losing a teammate.
"I see. What about Nagato?"
Saitama slowly opened his eyes. His sharp black-and-white gaze revealed no surprise—only calmness, as if he had foreseen everything.
Among Kakuzu and his group, both Kakuzu and Sasori possessed strengths firmly within Kage-level ranks. But due to their unique Earth Grudge Fear techniques and Human Puppets, they were even more difficult to deal with than regular Kage-level experts.
Not to mention the countless surprises Kakuzu's unique five-heart system could unleash on his foes—just considering the powerful human puppets currently controlled by Sasori, such as the Third Kazekage, Roshi, and Terumi Mei, it would take several high-level adversaries working together to stand a chance of defeating them in the Shinobi World.
As for Hidan, although he was the weakest among the three, he was actually the one Saitama placed highest hopes upon.
Not necessarily because his power after bursts surpassed others, but rather for his eerie, unpredictable abilities.
Thanks to the immortality granted by Jashin—a deity Hidan worshipped—and his corresponding cursed attack techniques, nine out of ten people who underestimated him in their first encounter usually paid dearly for their arrogance.
Without prior intelligence on Hidan, it'd be extremely difficult to counter such an arrogant and aggressive close-combat expert.
Last time, Han managed to successfully eliminate his target precisely due to Hidan's strange ability.
So this time around, capturing Killer B must also have been significantly affected by Hidan. At least the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki wouldn't be easy to defeat without someone capable of seriously injuring him—and that someone undoubtedly would've been Hidan.
But now the biggest regret came from: Hidan actually 'died' during this operation—an outcome Saitama hadn't predicted.
Although Hidan often acted impulsive and conceited, his immortality trait gave him massive room for error. Even when Shikamaru blew him into minced flesh in his previous life, Hidan still stubbornly survived for a long time until his physical energy ran out and he essentially starved to death.
This time though, he encountered something that clearly countered his "immortality"—the Tailed Beast Ball!
Vaporized instantly into dust, there was naturally no way to save him. Though Saitama felt some pity over losing Hidan's talents, he couldn't help the situation now.
In his original plans, Hidan's abilities still had further uses—they were one of his backup strategies.
Now that all the Tailed Beasts had been captured except the Nine-Tails, it was nearly time to begin his original plan.
It was time to break free from Madara Uchiha's dominion, dismantle Black Zetsu's schemes, and set the next phase into motion!
Actually, Hidan's powers represented a kind of trial for Saitama—for example, would his Cursed Attack technique work effectively against Kaguya's incarnated will?
After all, the so-called Jashin—a deity Hidan worshipped—didn't seem to be part of the Shinobi World itself, perhaps just like Kaguya, originally coming from another realm. Therefore, maybe the Cursed Attack might have at least some effect.
However, since Hidan is now 'dead', this step has been temporarily put on hold.
Although Saitama currently possesses Hidan's flesh and blood, according to memories from his past life, Hidan seemingly cannot be brought back through the Impure World Reincarnation.
Hidan's 'death' is completely different from that of an ordinary person.
In Saitama's recollection, Kabuto Yakushi had indeed summoned a ninja resembling Hidan during the Great Ninja World War using the Impure World Reincarnation.
But in reality, that was merely a replica created from Hidan's DNA, "Huo'er" water from Toniaka Village, and a small black serpent linked to Orochimaru.
The real Hidan hasn't actually died; he has remained all along within the forest of the Nara clan, with his corpse fragments having been consumed by nature.
Although due to continual lack of energy replenishment, he appeared to have starved to death from an outsider's perspective and had completely vanished on the material level, on the spiritual level, he has essentially achieved 'immortality.'
It's hard to explain, but the meaning is that although Hidan is 'dead,' he cannot be revived through the Impure World Reincarnation. One might say his soul has already undergone something similar to the Dead Demon Consuming Seal performed by his Lord Jashin.
Therefore, if one wishes to utilize Hidan's abilities again in the future, they'll need to seek help from Orochimaru. It was just better safe than sorry since Saitama regarded Hidan merely as an experiment rather than his ultimate plan.
As for dealing with the likes of Black Zetsu, he had other, more reliable plans in place.
"We don't know much about Konoha right now, but it seems like Nagato has something big planned this time, rather than simply capturing the Nine-Tails."
White Zetsu grinned, his pale body somehow sending chills down one's spine.
He found the most admirable quality of Saitama's to be his extreme calmness in any situation, as if everything were under complete control—just like Madara Uchiha back then.
Yet the more composed Saitama appeared at this moment, the stronger his inner sense of mischief became, because in his opinion, no matter how formidable Saitama was, he couldn't escape the fate of being a mere 'tool.'
Madara Uchiha had already boxed him neatly into place.
"Hmph."
Saitama got to his feet. He had rested here long enough—the recovery was nearly complete—so it was time for a bit of light exercise outdoors, especially since things seemed pretty chaotic outside now.
He had a rough idea of Nagato's intentions, backed up by memories from his past life. Based on Nagato's current status, there naturally wasn't any need to worry about safety concerns.
"What about Eight-Tails?"
"Black Zetsu has taken him back to the secret base first. As for Kakuzu and others, they're nearly out of the Land of Lightning now, heading toward Takigakure, traveling along several borders back to Amegakure. The pursuers have already been shaken off; there's absolutely nothing to worry about."
Thinking Saitama was worried about the situation, White Zetsu offered an explanation.
"Alright then."
Saitama nodded, though his mind wasn't really focusing on these matters.
"You must've found the Five Kage Summit interesting this time. Too bad I couldn't make it because I was after Eight-Tails."
After informing Saitama of his own side's situation, White Zetsu started showing curiosity about what happened in the Land of Iron.
"This time around, we don't have much time left. The Five Great Shinobi Villages have decided to act together. After what happened last time, they've already figured out that Amegakure is our base..."
Saitama didn't hide anything either and recounted everything that had occurred in the Land of Iron.
"Hehe, it's about time too. With so many Tailed Beasts under our control, it's more than enough for the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to create a massive number of 'Workers.' Once we finish off the Eight-Tails, this will be the final push."
White Zetsu seemed very happy, his eyes shining brightly.
The task of using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to produce these 'Workers' naturally fell upon Saitama.
Although lacking the Rinnegan, Saitama could still handle this thanks to the back door left by Madara Uchiha and his barely adequate ocular power. Manufacturing White Zetsu Workers was fairly straightforward.
"It's simple enough. The number of clones should be sufficient as well. Last time we were nearly at fifty thousand. After this round, we can really go all out."
Saitama took the production of White Zetsu Workers seriously. Facing resistance from the entire shinobi world, lacking subordinates and relying solely on Nagato's Amegakure followers wouldn't be enough. In this regard, Saitama shared some similarities with Obito from his memories.
"Oh right, I saw Onoki on my way here."
White Zetsu continued speaking, seemingly testing something. His eyes flickered as he stared intently at Saitama.
He was quite curious about why Onoki would head toward Kumogakure. Although according to Saitama's account, the Five Great Villages had temporarily formed an alliance, the relationship between Iwagakure and Kumogakure had always been far from friendly.
Surely just a verbal agreement wouldn't be enough to convince the cunning old fox, the Tsuchikage, to travel alone to Kumogakure?
"Hmm, even though I confronted the Five Kages in the Land of Iron and bought us some time, since we still haven't received confirmation whether Kakuzu and the others succeeded in their mission, I stayed here attempting to intercept the Raikage instead—and Onoki showed up as well."
Saitama locked eyes with White Zetsu, gave a faint smile first, then spoke casually.
He didn't mention the outcome—only narrated the sequence of events.
"Oh? You intercepted the Raikage. Obviously, they're worried about the Eight-Tails. They didn't wait for matters in the Land of Iron to conclude before rushing straight back."
White Zetsu nodded slightly, his tone somewhat amused.
Of course, he knew the current Eight-Tails Jinchuriki was the Raikage's sworn brother. The two had deep bonds, so worrying about him was entirely natural.
"So you retreated when the Tsuchikage arrived? If the Tsuchikage and the Raikage joined forces, they could indeed be troublesome opponents. Retreating temporarily would be a wise choice."
White Zetsu listened to Saitama while mulling it over, nodding as he went.
"No, before the Tsuchikage arrived, I had already severely wounded the Raikage. Finally, under the very nose of the Tsuchikage, I killed the Raikage..."
"Severely wounded the Raikage, huh? Not bad at all. Hmm?"
White Zetsu couldn't stop nodding as he listened to the first half, continuing the sentence naturally with an almost imperceptible smile on his face, only visible through the slight upward curling of his lips.
But soon, he noticed something was off.
It seemed Saitama didn't merely wound the Raikage—he actually killed him?
White Zetsu stood frozen, eyes locked on Saitama as if trying to confirm he had heard correctly.
"If it weren't for Onoki's unbeatable flight ability, I might have tried taking him down myself."
Saitama gazed at White Zetsu and continued with a faint smile.
"So, you really killed the Raikage?"
Though phrased as a question, White Zetsu was already almost certain of the answer. After all, there was no reason for Saitama to lie about something like this—no need at all.
But could Saitama have truly soloed the Raikage so soon?
Had that once broken young man grown this powerful already?
It seemed his earlier estimation of Saitama's strength had been too low!
"Hmm."
Saitama passed White Zetsu, stepping a few paces toward the cave entrance before stopping outside.
Light spilled onto him, casting a long shadow into the cave behind and making his backlit figure appear especially striking.
"Well then, this makes our future plans much easier. The Raikage was Cloud's top expert after all. Now without the Eight-Tails and their leader dead in battle, there's practically no one left standing in Kumogakure. And within the Ninja Alliance, few fighters remain."
Following Saitama's movement, White Zetsu turned his body to face Saitama's back, squinting slightly through the glare.
"Hmm."
Saitama didn't continue in that direction but shifted topics instead. Tilting his head slightly, he said, "It's getting late. I'm thinking about checking out Konoha. How about you?"
His gaze stretched far away, seemingly seeing past distance and obstacles to view Konoha right now.
"If you're interested, I can tag along to observe. Watching Nagato fight still has some strategic value, doesn't it?"
White Zetsu grinned, revealing sharp teeth.
After all, Nagato was also considered a potential enemy, so gathering more intelligence beforehand would naturally be better.
...
Boom!
Suddenly, debris exploded outward as a figure shot upward from beneath, landing atop a rooftop that remained somewhat intact.
Well, actually, that roof was literally just a roof—the house underneath entirely obliterated.
"What exactly happened here?"
Guy had several bruises on his face, but thanks to his quick reflexes during the earlier jutsu attack combined with his incredible physical conditioning, he appeared unbothered now, looking almost perfectly fine.
However, when he saw the outer village wall immediately visible after glancing around, Guy froze.
Could this really still be called the village where he'd lived for over ten years?
Calling it ruins wouldn't provoke any argument.
Guy's mind momentarily short-circuited as he struggled to comprehend what had occurred.
But soon, his eyes locked onto a specific figure.
Further away in an area even more thoroughly destroyed, someone was slowly descending, wearing the signature black cloak bearing red clouds—the robe of Akatsuki.
"This is unforgivable! Look what they've done to the village!"
Fire burned in Guy's eyes as his face reddened with rage, his thick brows twitching furiously.
Whoosh!
Guy dashed straight toward that direction.
His foot pushed off the rooftop. As his figure vanished, the roof shattered into pieces scattered on the ground.
Might Guy was furious. Konoha wasn't just any place—it was his home. When your home gets destroyed, everything falls apart!
...
"Let me go first. We should get out now. The commotion outside has quieted down."
Tsunade shot Jiraiya a sideways glare and tried to pull her arm free—only then realizing he was still gripping her tight.
"Hehe."
Jiraiya slowly loosened his grip. As his arm moved, the wound stretched, sending a sharp pain through him.
But his expression didn't change.
Boom!
With brutal force, Tsunade threw a punch upward. The debris and junk pressing down from above instantly exploded outward in all directions.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the next instant, the two shot straight up through the newly opened hole.
After landing, both fell silent.
They exchanged glances—shock reflected in each other's eyes.
Was this the power of the Rinnegan?
Is this real Sage power?
"Nagato!"
Jiraiya roared toward the descending figure high above.
His voice echoed across the ruined wasteland like thunder rolling endlessly.
"Tsunade, I need time. Be careful!"
Spotting the figure in the sky turn its attention their way, Jiraiya whispered again to Tsunade.
He needed backup while he took time to enter Sage Mode.
From his previous battle against Pain, he had finally worked out a strategy—hit hard and show no mercy whatsoever!
"Got it!"
Tsunade stepped forward ahead of Jiraiya, her face burning with fury.
This village is part of her family's legacy. It means everything to her.
But now… everything has changed.
[Summoning Jutsu!]
Jiraiya swiftly formed the seals. Two figures emerged from puffs of white smoke appearing atop his shoulders.
"Jiraiya!"
Fukasaku greeted first before preparing to speak further, but suddenly sensing a familiar aura, he quickly looked up at the sky.
"This is... Pain! Where exactly are we? Weren't you still recovering in the hospital? How did you end up fighting enemies again?"
Shima identified the figure above first, then turned serious, immediately discarding the spatula she used for cooking.
She was cooking for the kids when she got Jiraiya's summoning call, so she dropped everything and came right over.
"We're in Konohagakure..."
Fukasaku's long white eyebrows twitched continuously. Seeing the familiar Hokage Rock in the distance, he could not help but accept that the ruins around us were actually Konohagakure, the greatest hidden village in the Shinobi World.
"Eh?"
Shima's mouth slightly parted, eyes flashing with shock.
"Trouble for two old folks—I'll make it brief. Akatsuki has invaded Konoha."
Jiraiya said grimly, then lightly wiped his fingertip across the corner of his eye, sealing the downward marking—an initiation technique completed.
"Hmm!"
The two Sages naturally understood the situation and immediately got into battle stance without uttering another word.
"It begins!"
They shouted in unison, their chakra linking tightly with Jiraiya's as natural energy began to gather in the air.
Whoosh!
A flash of yellow light streaked through the air, and Minato Namikaze appeared in front of Jiraiya.
"Master Tsunade! Master Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya's eyes lit up when he saw Minato returning just as he entered his charging state, making victory feel more assured now.
Previously, having only Tsunade at his side felt somewhat risky, but with Minato here, there was no problem at all.
"Minato!"
He and Tsunade exchanged a knowing nod before all three stood together on the same frontline, facing the approaching figure who was about to land.
Everything was conveyed without words.
Whoosh!
The three slightly shifted their stances when another figure landed nearby, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
It was Guy, half-kneeling on the ground, head bowed as he slammed his left fist into the earth before slowly standing back up.
"Hokage-sama! Lady Tsunade! Master Jiraiya!"
Upon lifting his head, he immediately noticed the trio beside him.
"Guy!"
Minato acknowledged him with a nod but quickly frowned.
Guy had practiced the Eight Gates Release technique. Though this forbidden technique was powerful, Guy was still young—how far could he have possibly mastered it?
Even ordinary Kage-level experts would struggle to interfere in this battle. Therefore, seeing Guy appear here made Minato genuinely worried.
"Hokage-sama, please allow me to stay and fight this enemy who recklessly destroys everything—I can no longer suppress my inner fury!"
Before Minato could speak, Guy spoke first, his eyes burning intensely like twin lamps.
"This enemy is very strong… Do you think you can handle it?"
Minato hesitated slightly.
"I'll stake my Ninja Way and hard work on this."
Guy answered firmly.
"Then remain for now, but if anything feels wrong, leave immediately."
Minato nodded, effectively approving Guy's request to stay and fight.
"Understood!"
Guy reached into his pants leg and pulled out two packages.
Boom!
The objects strapped to his legs slammed heavily into the ground.
At that moment, Guy's gaze became deadly serious.
"He's coming!"
Minato called out, simultaneously spinning his hand around to draw a kunai, twirling it by its ring with his index finger before tightening his grip.
In that instant, everyone dropped into their battle stances.
Thud!
Deva Path landed amidst the ruins, looking down coldly from above at the four united on the battlefield ahead.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, Hokage Minato Namikaze, and that previous Taijutsu ninja Guy—the frogs, he chose to ignore.
Puff! Puff! Puff! Boom! Boom!
Five bursts of white smoke rose beside him as Nagato, hidden in the shadows, used Rinnegan's power to deploy additional puppets alongside Deva Path.
Opposing Konoha's impressive might, he naturally couldn't afford any carelessness, deploying his full formation directly.
Now, all Six Paths Puppets were assembled!
Six pairs of indifferent ringed eyes stared forward at the four prepared warriors.
The air became heavy with tension and fell silent.
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