Meanwhile, on the battlefield of the Fourth Great Ninja War, the situation had already collapsed to the extreme.
The Allied Shinobi Forces' defensive lines broke apart one after another. Countless chunin and jonin fell in succession.
The alliance formation, once united as one, completely fell into chaos, retreating step by step throughout the battle, utterly unable to withstand the oncoming assault.
The Edo Tensei army under Uchiha Hikaru's control had become an unsolvable nightmare on the battlefield.
This undead army, made up of the greatest powerhouses from every era, advanced with unstoppable force, sweeping away everything in its path.
The successive defensive lines painstakingly established by the Allied Forces were like paper before them, torn apart and trampled down in an instant.
This time, Edo Tensei had not only revived the strongest figures of every era.
It had also revived the elite shinobi from the previous Great Ninja Wars.
It was even possible to see the Konoha army led by Sarutobi Sasuke from the First Great Ninja War fighting against the Allied Shinobi Forces.
The battlefield was covered with broken ninja tools, scattered bloodstains, and endless screams and cries. The Alliance's decline was visible to the naked eye. Ordinary shinobi had no strength to fight back at all.
The top experts of the ninja world all rushed to the front lines to stop them, but the result was so grim that it inspired despair.
Jiraiya, Kushina, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Fugaku, Shisui, and Kakashi.
Might Guy even opened the Eight Gates and fought Indra head-on, but was still defeated in the end.
These supreme fighters, who normally possessed enough strength to shake the ninja world, were nothing more than speed bumps before the Edo Tensei army, especially the ancient powerhouses.
They exhausted every ounce of their strength just to slow the enemy's advance a little. They couldn't even hold them off for a moment.
They were already struggling to the limit against the powerful figures revived from recent eras, constantly finding themselves in danger. Let alone someone like Indra, a supreme monster who had lived since ancient times, whose foundation and strength surpassed every shinobi of later generations.
On the battlefield, no one could stand against him.
As for Uzumaki Naruto, he was still at Mount Myoboku.
———
[Mount Myoboku]
Uzumaki Naruto sat cross-legged in the mountains, training diligently.
Hyuga Hinata silently watched Naruto in the distance, her face flushed.
Hyuga Neji and Otsutsuki Toneri stood nearby, looking at Hinata helplessly.
"My little sister has been staring at that country bumpkin Uzumaki Naruto ever since he arrived. Is this normal?", Neji asked helplessly.
Toneri smiled.
"Maybe it's love at first sight..."
———
[Inside the Allied Shinobi Forces' Supreme Command Conference Room]
Everyone wore solemn expressions.
After a long silence, Danzo was the first to speak, breaking the oppressive atmosphere.
"I propose that the entire Allied Forces immediately gather the remaining troops and relocate headquarters to an island!"
"Looking across the entire ninja world, only the terrain of the Hidden Mist's island is dangerous and easy to defend. It's the only safe place we have right now!"
"With the vast sea between us and the enemy, we can establish a long defensive line.", Danzo proposed.
Everyone knew that the current war had already deteriorated beyond saving.
Danzo, who had always been ruthless, stubborn, never willing to retreat, and accustomed to scheming and seizing power, had completely accepted reality in the face of overwhelming strength.
A direct fight meant certain death. At this moment, he had let go of every obsession. His only thought was to retreat to the island and preserve the last spark.
"That's right! Everyone, immediately lead the Allied Forces to retreat to our Hidden Mist island!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the representative from Kirigakure immediately voiced his agreement, his tone filled with urgency.
"But do we still have time? At this rate, I'm afraid we'll be killed before we even manage to retreat...", Mabui said.
"The enemy's strength is simply too terrifying. No one can stop their advance. We absolutely cannot fight head-on or launch a reckless attack right now! Only by avoiding their edge can we have a chance to survive!", Nara Shikaku said with a frown.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat beside the main seat, silently smoking his pipe.
The Fifth Hokage, who had lived through several Great Ninja Wars and seen countless storms, now had his brows tightly furrowed, his eyes filled with exhaustion and helplessness.
After remaining silent for a long time, Hiruzen looked at the sand table, where the entire front line had turned red and the battle situation had completely collapsed. In his heart, he had already accepted the choice to retreat.
At present, aside from retreating to an island, the Allied Forces seemed to have no other way to turn the situation around.
"Everyone, don't rush to a conclusion."
"The situation is still uncertain. Relocating headquarters now carries enormous risks. I suggest we wait until Arisu returns before making the final decision."
Tsunade said, folding her arms.
The elderly Lady Chiyo nodded slightly. Her aged eyes were filled with agreement as she softly added, "Mm, that makes sense."
Sunagakure was far too far from Kirigakure. Relocating there would require practically circling the globe.
The high-ranking officials present all silently agreed.
Not long afterward, a steady figure strode into the room, carrying a faint trace of dust from the road.
It was Arisu, who had hurried back.
The moment everyone saw him, their eyes lit up. Every gaze immediately focused on him.
The leaders from every village stood up one after another and quickly stepped forward, asking urgent questions in succession, pouring out all of their doubts and anxiety as they desperately sought a way to break the deadlock.
Faced with the crowd's overlapping questions and panicked expressions, Arisu remained calm without the slightest trace of fluster.
"Everyone, there's no need to panic."
"From this moment on, abandon both retreat and attack. Pass the order to the entire army. Gather all remaining forces and concentrate every bit of strength at the core of the current front line."
"Hold your ground. Do not attack. Do not retreat."
With a few simple sentences, he completely overturned the retreat plan everyone had spent so long discussing.
All of the high-ranking officials present looked confused, their hearts filled with questions.
The enemy army was advancing unstoppably, and the defensive line was on the verge of collapse. Holding their position was no different from waiting to die. There was no chance of victory at all.
Yet as they looked at Arisu's calm expression and unwavering presence, despite all their doubts, not one of them dared object.
First, in the current desperate situation, no one had a better solution. Whether they advanced or retreated, both paths led to death.
Second, Arisu's countless past achievements of turning hopeless situations around had long since earned everyone's complete trust.
The officials exchanged glances. In the end, they all suppressed the doubts in their hearts, nodded solemnly, and accepted this seemingly unbelievable order.
Arisu closed his eyes.
Dealing with Kaguya and Hikaru was not difficult for him. It could be done in the blink of an eye.
However, Arisu did not want the ninja world to fall into chaos, nor did he want to reveal his true identity.
His current plan was to let everyone fall under the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Once the world had quieted down, he would then deal with Hikaru and Kaguya.
"Sigh... Since the world will be reborn anyway, let everyone spend their final moments peacefully within the Infinite Tsukuyomi..."
Arisu clasped his hands behind his back and let out a soft sigh.