The Masked Man's hideout…
Sasuke sat in the primary seat, his eyes tightly bound in bandages.
"Is it still not ready?"
"Not yet. Stay still," Zetsu replied.
"The day you regain your sight, the world will be a completely different place."
"Sounds interesting," Zetsu added flatly.
Sasuke let out a cold snort. "I have zero interest in your war. The one to crush Konoha won't be Kanon, it will be me!"
"Then you should at least know who it was that transplanted those eyes for you."
"I know. That's why I'm grateful to her. But at the same time, I won't let Itachi's will have been in vain." As Sasuke spoke, he stood up, the faint, purple aura of Susanoo flickering around him.
Meanwhile, in another hall.
Kanon sat in place with her eyes closed. Deep within her inner world, she was studying the principles of the Flying Raijin Technique. This jutsu was incredibly difficult; she had been meticulously researching it ever since she mastered the Reanimation Jutsu.
"Remember, the defining characteristic of the Flying Raijin—"
"I know, I know!" Kanon scratched her head. Watching Konin's emotionless prodding, she didn't have much room to complain. After all, she had been educated this way since childhood and had long since grown accustomed to it.
Observing Kanon as if she were merely asleep, Kisame, resting on a nearby cot, nodded helplessly.
"Sigh, with injuries like this, I don't even know if I'll be able to participate in this war..."
Looking at Kanon now, Kisame was reminded of his former partner, Itachi. Though they were biological siblings, their personalities were worlds apart. Kanon was undoubtedly kind to everyone in the Akatsuki. She possessed both rationality and empathy, a stark contrast to Itachi's cold detachment. It was truly an unexpected twist of fate.
…
Kumogakure.
Tsunade watched in silence as Onoki carried the massive Island Turtle back through the sky.
"It's finally back," Gaara said softly.
The Raikage gave a slight nod. "It looks like the old man Onoki managed to bring them back safely. With this, Killer B and the Nine-Tails will be hidden behind Headquarters along with the Island Turtle."
"Any objections, Tsunade?" the Raikage asked.
"No, I agree."
"In that case, I will go to greet the Tsuchikage..." Mei Terumi stood up and went to meet Onoki.
When Mei reached him, Onoki was clutching his back with a pained expression. "Ouch... my back..."
"It's your own fault for overdoing it," Kurotsuchi muttered.
"Thank you for your hard work, Tsuchikage-sama." After offering her concerns, Mei began to inquire about the situation.
"The Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails are safe. However, the Wood Release user responsible for guarding the Nine-Tails was abducted, and two others were killed. Now, only Konoha's Might Guy remains with the Nine-Tails."
"Abducted? Not killed?!" Mei was shocked. As the Mizukage, she immediately grasped the gravity of the situation. "This means the enemy will obtain even more of our intel!"
"Anyway, let's go inside to discuss the details," Onoki said with a wave of his hand.
…
The Masked Man's hideout.
Kabuto and the masked man walked in from outside. At that moment, Yamato's hands were paralyzed by toxins, making it impossible for him to even bite his tongue to commit suicide.
Kanon woke up as well. Learning the Flying Raijin Technique was not something that happened overnight. Currently, her need for it wasn't urgent; she just wanted to master the basics first. She opened her eyes, stood up, and stretched.
"Are we starting to bolster Zetsu's power?"
"Yes," the masked man nodded.
Kabuto spoke up: "Before that, we need to extract the intel we want from Yamato. I hope you won't kill him, though, at least not if you want Zetsu to become even stronger."
The masked man nodded slightly. For someone possessing the Rinnegan, obtaining information was child's play. By using the Human Path technique, he could easily rip the intel out, but Yamato would die in the process.
"Are you saying that if we want Zetsu to get stronger, it's better to keep him alive?"
"Yes."
The masked man glanced at Yamato's hands. To have suppressed the Wood Release's power with toxins, the Kabuto before him was a troublesome character. He had clearly researched Hashirama Senju's cells quite thoroughly.
"This is a drug I formulated to suppress Hashirama's power. Don't worry, I won't use it on the Zetsus."
The masked man frowned. As Kabuto said, the Zetsus he cultivated all originated from Hashirama's cells. If the same toxin were used against them, everything would be over. At that moment, the masked man thought of Orochimaru; that man's research into the Akatsuki was truly exhaustive.
Seeing the masked man's frown, Kabuto gave a soft chuckle.
"Even without using the Rinnegan, the double insurance of my truth serum and Kanon's Sharingan will be enough to get the intel. Once we know the enemy's deployment, we can dispatch the people they are least equipped to handle. There's no need to waste your chakra."
"In that case, let me do it." Kanon walked over to Yamato. She crouched down slightly, her delicate face forming a striking contrast with her maturing silhouette. Truly the most beautiful girl of the Uchiha; even Kabuto and the masked man found their gazes momentarily drawn to her as she crouched there, watching Yamato.
Within Kanon's obsidian pupils, the three tomoe began to spin. In terms of developing the Sharingan, even the masked man felt inferior to Kanon. She had pushed the Sharingan to its absolute limit, especially regarding genjutsu.
Three tomoe gradually appeared in Yamato's eyes as well. He had already fallen under Kanon's genjutsu.
…
Kumogakure Five Kage Office.
The Five Kage and Mifune sat together, discussing the battle plan. Markers had already been placed on the map on the table.
"The X marks confirm the enemy's lair. It is known as the Mountains' Graveyard."
"The land route leads to Yugakure and Shimogakure. Since Otogakure was wiped out by Konoha, it has become a wasteland."
Listening to Shikaku Nara's analysis, Gaara offered a suggestion: "We should send evacuation notices to the two nations where Yugakure and Shimogakure are located."
"Yes. According to intel from the infiltration scout Anko Mitarashi, the enemy's numbers are approximately one hundred thousand. Considering how a large army moves, we expect only a few to travel by sea. Our main concern is being surrounded."
Mifune nodded at Shikaku's analysis. "In that case, it depends on which side strikes first."
As the Supreme Commander, the Raikage began making decisions. He said to Samui, "First, convene the Surprise Attack Division. Order the assembled Battle Divisions to form up. Confirm each of their formations!"
"Yes!" Samui nodded and departed.
Tsunade also turned to Shikaku. "Issue the same orders to the Logistical Support and Medical Division. Ensure they are carrying all necessary medical equipment. Shikaku, go coordinate with the Intel Division to confirm communication routes."
Mei Terumi gave orders to Chojuro: "Contact Ao in the Sensor Division. Tell them to hurry as well."
Gaara watched as the Kages' subordinates left to execute their tasks, then looked at the Tsuchikage. "We finished this while you were away, Tsuchikage-sama."
"Oh? It's done already?"
"Please, take it." Gaara picked up a headband engraved with the character for 'Shinobi' (忍).
"So this is the Allied Shinobi Forces headband. Quite impressive," Onoki said with a light chuckle.
Mifune stood up, speaking with pride. "I designed this myself. All of you, who once clashed with one another, are now united as a single 'Shinobi.' Not only that, but the shinobi and samurai have finally joined hands. This moment has finally arrived."
…
Not far from the Allied Shinobi Forces, a rose-shaped spatial vortex appeared. A young girl stepped out, wearing a crimson Uchiha coat. Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, strands dancing in the wind.
Upon her exquisite face, she once again wore a fox mask. Kanon had come to scout the scale of the Allied Forces.
Looking at the eighty thousand people below, appearing like ants, Kanon gave a slight nod and found a place to sit. She was a sensory-type ninja, and her anti-detection capabilities were long since perfected. For the current Kanon, blending into a crowd of eighty thousand was child's play.
However, her mission this time was simply to observe the Allied Forces' adjustments. Since Yamato had leaked the intel, it was impossible for the Alliance not to make new arrangements.
Kanon found a random rock and plopped down. Within the Alliance, infighting had already begun to break out. To Kanon, the scene was like a movie, one she found quite amusing.