Konoha, the ruins of the Hokage's Office.
The medical team was providing emergency treatment to Jiraiya.
Tsunade took charge personally, her green medical chakra enveloping Jiraiya's wounds.
"This is absolute madness!"
Tsunade scolded him while she worked. "To push yourself that hard without the support of the two Great Sages! If it weren't for your Shadow Clone, you would have died from chakra exhaustion long ago!"
"Haha... cough, cough..."
Although Jiraiya grimaced in pain, he managed to force a smile. "Well... I'm not dead yet, am I?"
He turned his head, looking toward Minato and the Five Kage standing nearby.
At this moment, the Five Kage wore a variety of expressions.
But one thing was consistent among them.
It was awe.
An awe born not only from the earth-shattering battle that had just concluded but even more so for Kaguya Otsutsuki, who had stood atop the ruins and forced Pain to retreat with a single word.
They were constantly under the weight of her overwhelming presence.
"Everyone."
Minato turned around and looked at the silent crowd, his voice calm.
"You've all seen the strength of the Akatsuki."
"An Akatsuki possessing only a fraction of the Otsutsuki power could cause such terrifying consequences."
"If we don't join forces, what happened to the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth today will happen to the entire shinobi world tomorrow."
Onoki took a deep breath, glancing first at the Jiraiya receiving treatment and then at Kaguya.
He slowly stepped forward and extended his rough hand.
"The Hidden Stone... agrees to the alliance."
Once the first had stepped up, the second followed.
"The Hidden Cloud agrees," Raikage A said in a muffled voice.
"The Hidden Sand agrees."
"The Hidden Mist agrees."
Watching this, a smile of relief finally touched the corners of Minato's mouth.
He reached out and firmly grasped Onoki's hand.
"Welcome to... the Shinobi Alliance."
Outside Konoha, deep within the dense forest about three kilometers from the barrier's edge.
Space began to twist in an eerie spiral, as if a stone had been tossed into a calm pool of water.
However, this distortion lasted only a moment before it seemed to slam into an invisible iron wall, coming to a dead halt.
Obito Uchiha's figure stumbled out from the void.
One hand clutched the orange mask over his right eye as his chest heaved. The exposed Sharingan was bloodshot, its gaze a mixture of shock, wariness, and a subtle hint of humiliation.
Just moments ago, he had tried to use Kamui's intangibility to infiltrate Konoha to confirm the identity of the suddenly appeared Kaguya Otsutsuki.
But he had failed.
"Cough, cough..."
Obito leaned against the trunk of a towering ancient tree, a muffled cough escaping his throat.
He looked up, his gaze dark as he stared toward the distant Konoha.
In the seemingly calm air, his Mangekyo Sharingan keenly detected an extremely complex layer of chakra fluctuations.
It was a barrier specifically designed to counter space-time ninjutsu.
"Minato Namikaze..."
Obito spat the name through gritted teeth, his fingers digging deep into the tree bark.
The structural logic of this technique bore the distinct signature of the Flying Thunder God, yet it was laced with an obscure, difficult-to-grasp natural energy—the power of Sage Art.
It was clear that Konoha's barrier had undergone targeted modifications.
The original barrier was meant for early warning, but the current one was like filling space with thick glue.
The moment he activated Kamui to pass through, the free-floating natural energy would swarm in, binding his chakra flow like chains.
While it wasn't impossible to force his way through—he could certainly tear through this lockdown with Kamui—
It would inevitably cause a violent spatial tremor, which would be no different from ringing a loud alarm bell in the ears of Minato Namikaze and that terrifying Princess Kaguya.
'Is this your preparation? You even calculated for my abilities.'
Obito took a deep breath, forcing the surging chakra within him to settle.
He had obtained the answer he sought, though it sent a chill down his spine.
That woman... the white-clad woman surrounded by the Five Kage and Minato Namikaze emitted an aura identical to the Gedo Statue. No, it was even more ancient and powerful than the statue.
"Kaguya Otsutsuki..."
So this was the person Black Zetsu wanted to resurrect. How terrifying.
'It seems I need to prepare a backup plan for myself as well.'
Obito took one last deep look toward Konoha.
Through the layers of tree shadows, he seemed to see that silver-haired man.
That was the bond he once wanted to sever, yet could never bring himself to kill.
It was also the only 'reality' he could be certain of now.
The spatial vortex appeared once more. This time, Obito didn't try to penetrate the barrier; he chose to retreat.
As his body was gradually pulled into the Kamui dimension, a low murmur dissipated into the wind:
"Kakashi, you'd better take good care of that eye."
"Sensei... I can never go back..."
...
Konoha, the ruins of the Hokage's Office.
With the Akatsuki's retreat, although the haze hanging over everyone had cleared, the heavy feeling of having narrowly escaped death remained.
The Five Kage still stood atop the rubble, their expressions deeply complicated.
"Obito is gone."
Gamakon, who had been resting on Minato's shoulder with eyes closed in perception, suddenly opened them. A sharp light flickered in his toad eyes. "Just now, there were spatial fluctuations at the edge of the barrier, but he didn't dare enter."
Minato nodded; he had also sensed the Flying Thunder God formula on Obito.
He had specifically instructed the Barrier Team to integrate Sage Art runes from Mount Myoboku into the barrier to counter Obito's Kamui.
As long as Obito didn't dare enter and leave Konoha at will, much of the intelligence could be kept within a controllable range.
"Everyone."
Minato turned around to face the four Kage. His expression returned to the dignity and composure befitting a Hokage.
"Since everyone has agreed to the alliance, perhaps certain measures can now begin."
Minato gestured toward the ruins at their feet and then toward the wounded being treated in the distance. "Although this summit was fraught with difficulties, it has forced us to face reality. The Akatsuki is no ordinary mercenary organization. They possess the Tailed Beasts, and their leader wields the Rinnegan, possessing a portion of the Otsutsuki power."
"Therefore, this alliance can no longer be a mere verbal agreement of mutual aid; it requires a genuine integration of resources."
"Resource integration?"
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, had recovered from his shock by now. Though his back still throbbed, his instincts as a cunning old politician had returned.
He narrowed his eyes, sizing up Minato. "Hokage, by 'integration,' you don't mean you want us to hand over our secret techniques and Kekkei Genkai, do you?"
At those words, the gazes of Raikage A and Kazekage Rasa immediately turned wary.
If that were the case, how would this be any different from being annexed by Konoha?
"Naturally."
It wasn't Minato who replied, but Orochimaru, who stepped out from the shadows.
He licked his lips, a manic light gleaming in his golden slitted pupils as he held a scroll filled with recorded data.
"Your secret techniques and bloodlines certainly have their merits, but when it comes to the height of Kekkei Genkai and hidden arts, who among you would dare challenge us?"
"In this exchange program, we can offer you the opportunity to learn our technologies."
"The price is merely contributing a portion of your village's archives."
"Isn't that a wonderful deal?"
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