That was right.
Mukade had been erased before his plans could even begin.
What puzzled him most—right up until death—was how the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Ren, had learned of a scheme he hadn't even carried out yet.
Unfortunately for him, there were no second chances in the shinobi world.
With his death, the entire course of events surrounding Ancient Loran had been completely rewritten.
"Instantly killed… the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Ren, is terrifyingly strong…"
"He took down a jōnin without even lifting a finger…"
Watching the scene unfold—
both Chiyo and Ebizō felt a chill run down their spines.
They had known Ren was powerful.
But casually killing a jōnin without even moving—
that kind of overwhelming dominance sent a chill through their hearts.
The only comforting thought was this—
Sunagakure had already submitted to Konoha.
They had already chosen the right side.
"Alright. Mukade is dead. I should get going."
Ren didn't even spare Mukade's corpse a second glance. Stretching lazily, he said,
"Make some time and send Gaara to Konoha."
"Someone there will… straighten him out."
"Understood."
"Yes, Fifth Hokage-sama."
Chiyo and Ebizō both nodded respectfully.
"I'm leaving."
Whoosh!
With a sharp burst of wind, Ren vanished from the office in an instant.
Killing Mukade had only been a passing whim.
Now—
it was time to focus on the real objective.
Using the Gedo Statue he had just obtained through the system, he would locate the Dragon Vein—
and revive the legendary Ten-Tails.
This time—
he would give the Sage of Six Paths, Black Zetsu, and Uchiha Madara a shock unlike anything they had ever seen.
"Whew…"
Watching Ren's departing figure, Ebizō let out a long sigh.
"How strong is the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Ren… really?"
"…He's probably already reached the level of the Sage of Six Paths."
Chiyo's eyes flickered as she spoke in a low, steady voice.
"What?!"
Ebizō's expression changed drastically, his heart surging with shock.
At that level—
didn't it mean the Fifth Hokage could suppress everything in the shinobi world at will?
Unify the world whenever he pleased?
Terrifying.
Truly terrifying.
Only now did Ebizō feel a lingering sense of fear.
If Ren had truly reached that level—
then the outcome of the shinobi world was already decided.
Sunagakure.
Kirigakure.
Iwagakure.
Kumogakure.
None of them would stand any chance of resisting.
"…Sigh."
Chiyo let out a quiet breath, her wise eyes flickering with unreadable thoughts.
Perhaps—
the shinobi world was truly about to enter a new era.
At the same time—
Within the shinobi world.
Inside an underground laboratory in Otogakure—
"Madara-sama, the Edo Tensei technique has nearly been fully optimized."
Orochimaru licked his lips, a sinister gleam in his eyes as he said,
"The reanimated shinobi can now retain over ninety-five percent of their original strength."
"I am currently transplanting the First Hokage Hashirama Senju's cells into the experimental vessels."
"Once the transplantation succeeds, we can begin the Edo Tensei."
"Good."
At those words, Uchiha Madara—who had remained expressionless until now—finally showed a faint smile.
"As expected of you, Orochimaru."
"To think you would use Hashirama's cells as the sacrifice vessels… impressive."
"Of course."
Orochimaru's voice carried a hint of implication.
"The best sacrifice is naturally something that possesses a Sage Body—like Hashirama's cells."
"…Though, if we could use the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Ren's cells instead, that would be ideal."
He didn't finish the sentence.
But everyone present—
Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Obito, and Kabuto—
understood what he meant.
Unfortunately—
it was meaningless.
The current Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Ren, stood at the very peak of power.
Obtaining his cells was easier said than done.
Even Madara himself did not dare act rashly.
"When can we begin the Edo Tensei?"
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Obito changed the topic and asked in a low voice,
"The situation in the shinobi world is evolving rapidly. We need to accelerate our plans."
"We can begin at any time."
Orochimaru stuck out his tongue slightly and said with a sinister smile,
"The Edo Tensei has already been perfected."
"As long as we have a sufficient amount of the deceased's physical remains, we can bring them back."
"Excellent."
Obito smiled in satisfaction.
"I will deliver the remains of Kinkaku and Ginkaku, the First, Second, and Third Raikage, as well as the First and Second Tsuchikage."
"Such a lineup of powerful shinobi…"
A glint of excitement flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, though a hint of concern followed.
"Reviving so many at once… I'm not sure I can handle it alone."
After all—
the strength of the revived depended not only on the quality of the sacrifice, but also on the skill and power of the caster.
The stronger the caster, the closer the revived shinobi would be to their original peak.
"I will perform the Edo Tensei personally."
Madara's Rinnegan gleamed coldly as he spoke with absolute confidence.
"This time…"
"I will return as a king—and sweep across the entire shinobi world."
Of course—
there was something Madara didn't say.
Uchiha Ren's recent actions had already pushed him into a corner.
Now—
there was no choice but to accelerate their plan.
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