"The God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju; the fastest man in history, Tobirama Senju; the Shura of the shinobi world, Madar Uchiha a; and Obito Uchiha, the man who single-handedly orchestrated the Nine-Tails' attack and caused the death of the Fourth Hokage and his wife. It seems everyone who matters has arrived..."
Watching those familiar silhouettes in the distance, Kabuto couldn't help but curl his lips into a playful, mocking smile.
To be precise, this three-way standoff was exactly what he had engineered by intentionally leaking information through spies planted within the Allied Shinobi Forces.
As a cautious man, Kabuto never did anything without certainty. Having felt Madara's near-invincible speed and aura at close range before, he still harbored no desire to face the legendary Shura head-on, even after obtaining the Rinnegan.
On the contrary, his years as a spy made him prefer using external forces to grind down powerful enemies.
However, just as he was preparing to hide in the shadows and enjoy the upcoming show, another figure slowly emerged from the darkness, accompanied by a bone-chilling laugh.
"Heh heh heh... You truly are full of surprises, Kabuto. I find it hard to believe that someone as habitually cautious as you would actually walk this far."
As the voice faded, the resurrected Orochimaru finally revealed his snake-like, pale face under the flickering firelight.
"It has been a long time, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto said, bowing proactively in a respectful salute.
If not for the light of ambition flickering in his eyes, anyone would have mistaken him for the same compliant assistant he once was.
Orochimaru naturally noticed this and nodded with a sense of profound irony. "Indeed, it has. Ever since my failure and subsequent 'death' at Sasuke's hands, the state of the shinobi world has been like a carriage out of control, hurtling down a path of no return. What I didn't expect was for you to have the courage and audacity to involve yourself in it."
"No, you're mistaken, Orochimaru-sama. What drives me isn't courage or audacity, it is desire, the boundless desire of humanity. Like you, I yearn to explore the truths of this world, and the legendary Ten-Tails is the key to the end of that pursuit. You were too obsessed with Kekkei Genkai, especially the Uchiha clan's Sharingan; that is why you suffered failure after failure. I am different. I have set my sights higher. In a sense, I have already surpassed you. I am about to become the second Sage of the Six Paths."
Kabuto's voice was thick with excitement and agitation as he spoke. He clearly wasn't surprised that Orochimaru had bypassed his Edo Tensei sentries. This had originally been one of Orochimaru's secret bases, and the snake sannin's understanding of the Reanimation Jutsu surpassed his own.
"The second Sage of the Six Paths?"
A mocking smile played on Orochimaru's lips. "Then let me congratulate you in advance on realizing your wish."
He had already learned the truth from Allen and knew perfectly well that Kabuto was merely a pitiable pawn being used; he wouldn't be the one laughing at the end.
Kabuto, unaware of this, remained on high alert. He cautiously prodded, "Did you appear just to say these things?"
"Yes. I have gracefully accepted my failure. For now, I only wish to use these eyes of mine to witness the battle that will decide the future of the world. So, there is no need for such defensiveness; I am not your enemy," Orochimaru stated his position directly.
His gaze, fixed on the nearby Rinnegan, lacked even a hint of his former legendary greed.
As they spoke, the distant figures of Madara, Obito, the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and the various reanimated elites finally broke their standoff and descended into a chaotic three-way free-for-all.
In an instant, various devastating Ninjutsu permanently altered the surrounding terrain.
The Second Tsuchikage's Dust Release blasted a massive crater into the earth, while the Second Mizukage's Water Release filled it, creating a sizeable artificial lake in the blink of an eye. Madara was even more terrifying; the destructive power of his Susanoo cleaved the peak right off a mountain.
Fortunately, both sides of the conflict were immortal Edo Tensei vessels; otherwise, the casualties would have been catastrophic within minutes.
Hashirama Senju, without a word, entered Sage Mode. He unleashed his Wood Release with reckless abandon, using his overwhelming power to pin more than thirty reanimated elites to the ground, rendering them unable to move.
When the tremors from the fierce battle reached the underground chambers, Allen, who was in the process of extracting the Nine-Tails' Chakra, finally opened his eyes. In a voice devoid of emotion, he asked, "Has it finally begun outside?"
"Yes. Although the main force of the Allied Shinobi Forces hasn't arrived yet, the First and Second Hokage are here," Karin replied without hesitation.
"Do you need me to intercept them?" Neji asked, his voice eager for combat.
Allen shook his head slightly. "No, not yet. Let them play for a while. More than that, I'm curious about where Sasuke and the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, have gone."
"If I had to guess, they went to find Naruto. For Sasuke, Naruto is both his destined rival and his most cherished friend. For Minato, that is the son he has only seen once since his birth," Karin analyzed, adjusting her glasses.
"Which means Naruto is about to face an agonizing choice," Allen said, his lips curling into a meaningful expression. "Will he return to Konoha with his father, or stand with us alongside Sasuke? I'm truly looking forward to seeing what choice he makes..."
"Does it really matter?" Neji asked, his tone heavy with doubt.
He couldn't see how Naruto, having lost the Nine-Tails, could influence the situation at this stage. Forget that unpredictable fool, even Sasuke would be little more than insignificant cannon fodder in this final war.
Allen chuckled in response. "Never underestimate him. As the reincarnation of Asura's Chakra, Naruto possesses unimaginable potential. And do you really think Hagoromo, the Sage of the Six Paths, is truly dead? No. Not only is he not dead, but his soul has been wandering this world for ages. We must prepare for the worst: having to face Kaguya, the Sage of the Six Paths, and the reincarnations of his two sons' Chakra all at once."
"You mean... the Sage of the Six Paths will try to stop us from killing Kaguya?" Neji was visibly shocked.
"It's hard to say. You have to understand, no matter what, Kaguya is his biological mother. Aside from a deranged and cold-blooded fool like Itachi Uchiha, have you ever seen anyone willing to kill their own mother? We are walking the hardest path, but it is also the only correct one, the path that can permanently resolve all hidden threats. No matter who I have to face in the end, I will never hesitate or retreat."
With that, Allen closed his eyes once more, concentrating entirely on extracting the Nine-Tails' Chakra to seal it within the Gedo Mazo.