"Eight Gates Formation—Gate of Wonder, Open!"
After transitioning through the previous two gates, blue vapor erupted from Duy's body like burning sweat.
His chakra surged like crashing ocean waves, the pressure whipping the air into a howl.
In an instant, everyone's attention on the battlefield shifted toward Might Duy.
...
"Oh?"
"The Eight Gates Formation..."
"I haven't seen this technique in a long time. Not red steam? Well, I suppose that's only fitting. Mere Sky Ninja aren't worthy of the magnificent Gate of Death."
"If I ever get the chance, I'd like to experience its power myself."
Madara's eyes lit up.
Ever since he had resumed moving openly throughout the shinobi world, his condition had only continued to improve.
Perhaps it was because he'd returned to battle.
Or perhaps because he'd summoned Hōzuki Gengetsu, Mū, and the others...
In any case, having people besides White Zetsu to talk to—and no longer spending every waking moment obsessing over his chosen proxy—had gradually restored a trace of the legendary Shura of the Shinobi World he once was.
"I won't let you have your way so easily!"
"All Sky Ninja, retreat immediately! Don't let the enemy get their hands on your ninja tools!"
Madara waved his hand and issued a new command.
The flying fortress immediately climbed higher, accelerating rapidly toward the upper sky.
"You're not getting away!"
Grabbing Tobirama's and Minato's Flying Thunder God kunai, Might Duy slammed both feet into the ground.
Empowered by his overwhelming strength, he launched himself high into the air.
Squinting his eyes, Duy performed an incredibly difficult midair spin, rotating his shoulders, driving his hips, and twisting his waist before hurling the Flying Thunder God kunai like artillery shells.
The kunai embedded themselves directly into the underside of the flying fortress.
Joy flashed across Tobirama's and Minato's eyes.
Using Might Duy as an intermediate teleportation point, the two instantly arrived in midair.
Then, without pause, they teleported both themselves and Duy directly onto the fortress.
Watching the scene unfold, Orochimaru couldn't help clicking his tongue in admiration.
The Eight Gates were the pinnacle of Konoha's taijutsu.
The Flying Thunder God was likewise among the village's most extraordinary ninjutsu.
When the two were combined...
Many impossibilities became possible.
A completely one-sided battle erupted atop the flying fortress.
The combination of Minato, Tobirama, and Might Duy was simply unfair.
…
"Attention, all squads! Their supply platform has been secured. The Sky Ninja's flying equipment won't remain operational for much longer. Split up and pursue them. Once they're forced to land, capture both the pilots and their equipment intact."
"Units that have already reached the coastline—have the Aburame Clan take the lead. Use their kikaichū or nanoscopic venom insects to eliminate the operators. Preserve the mothership as much as possible!"
Holding a communication device in one hand, Orochimaru used Hidden Shadow Snake Hands with the other to shoot down Sky Ninja who hadn't yet managed to take off.
Madara shook his head.
"The Sky Ninja are useless fools."
"They still haven't mastered the tools they're so dependent on."
"And Flying Thunder God users are just as troublesome as ever."
"But Hiruzen... trusting Seisui to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
"I never expected the Uchiha Clan to produce a Flying Thunder God user."
Madara had originally intended to loudly curse Tobirama and his technique.
But then he remembered that one of his own clansmen had mastered it.
The words reached his lips...
Then he swallowed them back down.
Look what you've done, Hiruzen...
"But I won't let you take this so easily!"
Madara's eyes narrowed as he remotely activated the flying fortress's self-destruct sequence.
Its most powerful weapon.
Immediately—
The flying fortress came to a complete stop high in the sky.
The entire fortress slowly rotated until its underside faced the earth.
Many Sky Ninja who failed to react in time cried out in horror as they tumbled from the sky.
"Move! Something's wrong!"
Minato and Tobirama exchanged a glance.
Simultaneously placing a hand on Might Duy's shoulder, the two instantly teleported all three of them safely back to the ground.
At that moment, the flying fortress itself became a gigantic missile.
Flames roared from its stern as it dumped every last reserve of energy into its engines, hurtling straight toward Konohagakure.
With its enormous mass combined with its kinetic and potential energy, the consequences would be unimaginable if it struck the center of the village.
The barrier, designed to maximize coverage rather than absolute durability, might not be able to withstand the impact.
Even if it did, the shockwave and the countless fragments blasted outward by the crash would still bring catastrophic destruction.
As the colossal shadow blotted out the sky and descended, the very air over Konoha seemed to tighten into a taut steel wire.
Its shattered levitation arrays and crackling chakra conduits plummeted straight through the clouds.
The shrill scream of tearing air and the violent winds generated by its descent left both villagers and shinobi staring in stunned silence at what looked like a natural disaster.
None of them could understand it.
Why would the Sky Ninja go this far?
Were they willing to sacrifice even their own home?
Even Mito hesitated.
Even if she blasted the fortress apart with a Tailed Beast Bomb, she wouldn't be able to stop the countless fragments from scattering everywhere.
The flying fortress was nearly half the size of the Ninja Academy.
Orochimaru and Hiruko were equally shocked.
Neither of them had expected the Sky Ninja to have a contingency like this.
Even more alarming was how decisively they had acted.
There wasn't the slightest hesitation.
The moment things turned against them, they chose mutual destruction without a second thought.
At that moment, both of them deeply regretted their decision.
They had gotten greedy.
It had been Orochimaru and Hiruko who persuaded Hiruzen to allow the Sky Ninja to approach this closely.
On one hand, the Sky Ninja's overwhelming mobility meant that engaging them farther away would only stretch the battle line. Konoha lacked the aerial forces needed to counter them effectively and wipe them out in one decisive battle.
The only practical option had been to let them come close before engaging.
On the other hand...
Both Orochimaru and Hiruko had coveted the Sky Ninja's technology.
The idea had been sound.
The outcome, however, had become a disaster.
Hiruzen's roar exploded through the sky like thunder.
"Don't panic!"
"Danzō! Support me with Wind Release!"
Before anyone had noticed, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already appeared outside the barrier, staring intently at the flying fortress as it fell like a meteor.
His Hokage robes snapped violently in the torrent of chakra erupting from his body.
Danzō froze for a split second before biting his thumb and slamming his palm onto the ground.
Summoning Technique—Baku!
The Baku was Danzō's summoned beast—a bizarre creature resembling an elephant fused with features of a rhinoceros, lion, and tiger.
Its specialty was unleashing incredibly powerful Wind Release.
"Understood, Hiruzen!"
Danzō released every ounce of his chakra.
His Wind Release Chakra Mode surged to its absolute limit.
Together with the Baku's assistance, a colossal tornado formed around Hiruzen.
The fortress's descending pressure compressed the surrounding air until it trembled violently.
"Come!"
Before the last word had even left his mouth, white steam exploded from Hiruzen's body.
With Danzō's Wind Release amplifying his speed, Hiruzen transformed into a streak of white light—
And intercepted the flying fortress a full hundred meters above the ground.
He stood motionless in midair.
At the point where his palms met the fortress, high-density ice radiating an icy chill instantly condensed into an enormous load-bearing platform that fit perfectly against its underside.
With a thunderous shout, Hiruzen poured vast amounts of chakra from his palms.
In an instant, Ice Release froze the entire flying fortress solid.
More than a dozen ice pillars as thick as tree trunks extended downward from the platform, merging into massive support columns that connected vertically to the earth.
Their lower ends anchored themselves deep into the bedrock.
Beneath Hiruzen's feet, they formed the foundation from which he could exert his strength.
There were no flashy techniques.
Only absolute power.
And flawless precision.
Hiruzen carefully regulated the chakra flowing through the ice pillars, allowing them to melt gradually under precise control before freezing again in perfect synchronization.
Together, they functioned like a series of gigantic hydraulic shock absorbers.
Hiruzen lowered himself slightly.
Steam erupted from his body once again as his strength surged to new heights.
Both hands braced firmly against the flying fortress.
Its terrifying momentum was steadily stripped away, while the ice pillars compressed in a perfectly controlled sequence.
The descending steel behemoth suddenly slowed.
A deafening shriek of twisting metal echoed through the sky.
Like a colossal beast with its throat seized shut, it writhed violently in midair as steel plates, pipes, and machinery burst away in every direction.
"Danzō!"
Hiruzen roared.
"I know, Hiruzen!"
Danzō shot into the air.
He understood that this was, in truth, Hiruzen's stage alone.
But as someone whose past was stained by retreating from battle at the critical moment...
He needed a chance to prove himself.
An endless storm of wind blades spread around him.
Every piece of debris launched from the fortress was shredded into dust before it could fall toward the village.
"Nicely done, old friend!"
Hiruzen grinned.
He slightly released the Strength of a Hundred Seal, sending his chakra into a complete boil.
Boil Release—
The Kekkei Genkai born from Fire and Water Release.
In Hiruzen's hands...
It became the most violent source of power imaginable.
His arms bulged as knotted muscles tore through the sleeves of his Hokage robes.
Veins swelled across his neck and forehead, like a slumbering beast finally baring its fangs.
With both hands supporting the massive ice platform above him, every ounce of strength in his body flowed flawlessly through his muscles and bones.
The earth, through the ice pillars, supplied him with an inexhaustible reaction force.
By sheer strength alone...
He raised the entire falling steel fortress overhead.
Hiruzen even shifted the fortress slightly, adjusting his footing and angle of leverage with the sort of motion one might use when moving a heavy piece of furniture.
Its furious, storm-like descent slowed...
Then became a steady, controlled drop...
Until, at last, the entire fortress rested in Hiruzen's hands.
The clouds of dust gradually settled.
The roar of boiling steam and the howl of Wind Release slowly faded away.
Only the faint creaking of the overloaded ice supports remained...
Along with the deathly silence that had fallen over all of Konoha.
Every villager and shinobi staring into the sky held their breath.
They watched their Hokage single-handedly stop a catastrophe that had descended from the heavens.
Standing high above them, his figure resembled an insurmountable mountain.
He radiated both terrifying might...
And absolute security.
Hiruzen gave a slight nod.
His arms remained perfectly steady, not wavering in the slightest.
The steam generated by Boil Release gradually adjusted its output, while Ice Release extended into a massive conveyor-like structure.
Like a giant carrying a mountain upon his shoulders, Hiruzen walked step by step toward an open field in the distance, carrying the entire fortress overhead before gently setting it down.
Meeting the burning, reverent gazes of every shinobi in Konoha...
He smiled.
"Orochimaru. Hiruko."
"I've already immobilized the fortress with Ice Release, but just in case, the two of you are to inspect it immediately for any self-destruct mechanisms and begin bomb disposal procedures at once."
"The Sky Ninja's technology is impressive."
"But safety always comes first."
Hiruzen quickly began assigning tasks.
Orochimaru and Hiruko hurriedly nodded.
"We're sorry, Sensei..."
"We're sorry, Hokage-sama..."
The two apologized quietly in unison.
Their desire to obtain the Sky Ninja's technology had nearly caused a disaster.
"What are you apologizing for?"
Hiruzen waved a hand and said sternly, "I made the decision. It's not your job to take the blame."
"The village's lack of aerial capabilities is an objective reality. If we wanted to wipe the Sky Ninja out completely, we had no choice but to let them come close before engaging."
"If anyone is responsible when something goes wrong..."
"I am."
"I'm the Hokage."
"As for the two of you, your job now is to eliminate any remaining risk of explosion, dismantle any dangerous devices the Sky Ninja may have left behind, and begin making use of what we've gained from this battle."
"The flying wings."
"The flying fortress."
"And those carriers..."
He paused before adding, "And if you need anything, come to me. I know how much pressure the Scientific Research Department is under."
At that moment, reports from the various squads began coming in through the communication devices.
Once deprived of aerial resupply, the Sky Ninja had been forced to land.
Their flying equipment had naturally been captured along with them.
Along the coastline of the Land of Fire, all three of the Sky Ninja's aerial carriers had likewise been secured.
The Aburame Clan's venomous insects and kikaichū had effortlessly broken through the Sky Ninja's defenses, preserving the captured vessels almost completely intact.
Hearing Hiruzen's words, Orochimaru and Hiruko both flushed with excitement.
Now that's what you call a leader who shoulders responsibility.
This was exactly what that meant.
...
"What an interesting kind of strength..."
Madara watched with unmistakable admiration in his eyes.
Only strength like this was worthy of someone who had inherited the ideals of his younger self.
To Madara, conviction without the power to put it into practice was nothing more than a magnificent castle built in the air.
It wasn't worth mentioning.
"Ah... if only I were still in my prime."
Madara couldn't help feeling his fists itch.
If his body, which possessed the power that gave rise to all things, could return to its peak condition, he was confident he could shatter even Hashirama's greatest trump card through sheer brute force.
As for those tailed beasts...
There was hardly any need to mention them.
Aside from the Eight-Tails and the Nine-Tails, which possessed a measure of real strength...
The rest could be beaten down with a single punch each.
"I'll count this round as a barely acceptable pass."
"But..."
"What are you going to do about Kirigakure?"
Madara wasn't angered by the Sky Ninja's defeat.
On the contrary...
He felt the game had only just begun.
This had merely been the opening act of his trial.
"Kirigakure may be weak."
"But once they make their move, the other great hidden villages will inevitably follow."
"That's simply how the shinobi world works."
"Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure will all bring their own armies and subordinate forces to take the first bite out of Konoha."
"If you can successfully absorb everything you've gained from the Sky Ninja, then perhaps you'll manage."
"But if you can't..."
"Amegakure, unable to withstand the northern offensive, may very well change sides as well."
"By then, everything Konoha has built up until now..."
"Will instead become the catalyst that binds the other hidden villages together."
"They'll unite more firmly than ever before..."
"To tear into this fat piece of meat called Konoha."
Madara quietly analyzed the state of the shinobi world and muttered to himself,
"Hiruzen... I'm a fair man."
"So I won't keep Kirigakure completely in the dark and have them attack you immediately."
"But I won't give you much time, either."
...
Mū and Gengetsu watched everything unfold in stunned silence.
"If Sarutobi Hiruzen punched you, you'd die instantly," Gengetsu couldn't help saying.
"You'd die just as easily."
Mū narrowed his eyes as he stared at Hiruzen, his Hokage robes billowing in the wind. An instinctive sense of wariness rose within him.
This man was an enormous threat to Iwagakure.
Although Madara hadn't granted him permission to enter combat, preventing Mū from acting freely...
His thoughts remained his own.
Besides, judging from the physical abilities Hiruzen had displayed, even if his sensory perception couldn't keep up, Mū still wouldn't be able to land a Dust Release attack.
Dust Release required far too much preparation.
All it would accomplish was exposing his own existence and causing a Konoha this powerful to designate Iwagakure as a priority enemy ahead of schedule.
"That's different. Theoretically speaking, we're immortal right now."
Gengetsu replied casually, "I do wonder what it feels like when an Impure World Reincarnation body gets blown apart and then pulls itself back together. I'd actually like to experience it."
After witnessing Konoha's overwhelming strength, Gengetsu felt completely at peace.
Good.
There was no longer any need for him to personally take the Third Mizukage Kiritori's head.
The moment Kirigakure launched its war against Konoha...
The countdown to the Third Mizukage's death would begin.
Of course...
He might not even get the chance to commit suicide.
As for what would happen after Kirigakure's inevitable defeat...
Gengetsu could only say that only the Sage of Six Paths knew the answer.
After all, what could he—a reanimated Second Mizukage being controlled by Senju Tobirama—possibly do?
"I just hope Sarutobi Hiruzen inherited First Hokage Hashirama-sama's ideals and shows Kirigakure a little mercy."
Gengetsu clasped his hands together as he muttered the words like a prayer.
"You're already thinking about defeat?"
Mū had been about to scold him.
But then he remembered that he himself was nothing more than a puppet under Senju Tobirama's control.
He let out a sigh.
At that very moment—
From the Senju clan compound, countless tiny, densely packed chakra spheres roared through the sky like a torrential downpour, blanketing the area where Mū and Gengetsu were hiding.
Mito narrowed her eyes.
The Nine-Tails resting on her shoulder wore an equally solemn expression.
Both woman and fox had sensed it.
High in the sky, within a certain area, chakra flickered faintly into existence.
They could detect it...
But they couldn't lock onto it completely.
Even after the Sky Ninja had been wiped out, a trace of malicious intent still lingered.
That alone was enough to put Mito on high alert.
Given her sensory abilities, anyone capable of partially evading her perception and concealing themselves—even from such a great distance—could only be an extraordinary opponent.
In the past, there hadn't been much she could do in situations like this.
The only option was to warn her allies and have them probe the area with large-scale ninjutsu.
Things had become much simpler after Hashirama.
Whenever they weren't sure where the enemy was...
He could simply blanket the area with Nativity of a World of Trees.
Now, however...
The Nine-Tails had taken over the battlefield role Hashirama once filled, providing Mito with overwhelming area-of-effect firepower.
"Something's wrong!"
Mū and Gengetsu desperately dodged the countless tiny blasts of Tailed Beast chakra.
As former Kage, both their reflexes and sensory abilities were exceptional.
Even so...
As they twisted and weaved through the relentless barrage, the Nine-Tails' completely unreasonable saturation bombardment finally tore off Mū's left arm.
"Retreat!"
Madara's expression sharpened as he immediately issued the order.
Pushing his Dustless Bewildering Cover to its absolute limit, Mū fled through the sky together with Gengetsu.
Neither of them revealed their true positions.
But at the very instant Mū was hit—
His severed left arm exploded into countless fragments of Impure World dust before rapidly reforming in midair.
That entire process...
Was witnessed clearly by both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Mito.
The two of them froze.
Impure World Reincarnation?!
At that same moment—
Inside the flying fortress, Orochimaru frowned in confusion.
Why had the Sky Ninja left an entire set of their technological research inside the fortress during an invasion?
Just what...
Was going on here?
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