Ryou's kindness toward Might Duy made it impossible for Duy to resolve to treat Ryou as an enemy!
Sakumo patted Duy on the shoulder: "Don't worry..."
Duy thought this would be words of comfort.
"Orochimaru won't give you such worries; when the time comes, he will naturally turn you into a mindless battle puppet."
Duy sighed: "I'm just a Genin, and a dead man at that. Why must I be dragged into war again?"
In life, Duy had opened the Eight Gates Formation to protect his only family.
Fighting against powerful shinobi like the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist, youth had given him a perfect curtain call.
Duy had burned out completely and died without any regrets.
Youth had already reached its finale, so he should have exited the stage.
Moreover, this cold shell lacked even a trace of youthful vitality, yet it was far too powerful.
Edo Tensei allowed Duy to open the seventh of the Eight Gates without any side effects.
Power came too easily, and Duy wasn't used to it.
He felt that the Way of Youth he had always upheld should not be defiled in such a way.
Youth should be like his life—never smooth sailing, but rather bruised and battered while still sprinting forward.
But the youth of this Edo Tensei body—
When the music starts, youth takes the stage; when the ultimate is unleashed, the outcome is anyone's guess!
Three ultimates in one match, a youthful explosion!
Is nerfing useful? My youth never fades!
This was simply too youthful!
Duy suspected he might start laughing in the middle of a fight.
With the Eight Gates providing infinite stamina, who wouldn't laugh while fighting?
Suddenly, three figures appeared at the training ground where Obito and Kakashi were—it was Guy's team.
Duy saw Guy, and his attention immediately focused entirely on him.
Seeing the Wooden Training Posts smashed by Obito, Guy's youth was instantly stirred to a fervor.
"Who did this? Who has insulted my youth?"
These Wooden Training Posts were what Guy used for his taijutsu training.
Shiranui Genma crouched down to inspect one of the posts and analyzed: "This is piercing damage from Lightning Attribute chakra. It's most likely Kakashi's Chidori."
Obito quickly pointed at Kakashi: "That's right, Guy! It was Kakashi. He's the only one here who knows Chidori."
After saying that, Obito ducked behind Kakashi and pushed him forward.
Kakashi: "(#`皿 ´)."
Guy shouted at Kakashi: "Kakashi! You destroyed my Wooden Training Posts. You must accept my challenge today!"
Being ensnared by Guy was like a deathly entanglement or the bite of a mad dog; no matter how much energy a person had, they would be worn down until they were weak all over.
Kakashi quickly raised his hand to explain: "Guy, it wasn't me—"
"What are you ravings about? Take this, Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"
Guy didn't care about the details; he just wanted an excuse to challenge Kakashi.
Kakashi had no choice but to engage in the fight.
Watching the battle between Kakashi and Guy, the fire in Duy's eyes seemed to ignite.
"That's it, Guy! Attack his lower path! Attack his lower path!"
Seeing Duy looking like he wanted to jump in and take Guy's place, Sakumo couldn't help but laugh.
How could youth ever reach its final curtain call?
The true essence of youth is to stand up again and again after falling, and to forever challenge oneself!
Even a youth in death is still youth.
At the Hokage Building.
The Third Hokage, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado took turns engaging in a verbal battle with Kakuzu.
Kakuzu wasn't even out of breath yet, but the three old-timers already had dry throats and heavy chests.
This old fellow Kakuzu, who was about twenty years older than them, was quite stubborn and insisted on his market value.
The three elders were wasting so much breath because they wanted to haggle down the price of hiring Kakuzu.
The Land of Fire was wealthy, but the money was in the hands of the Daimyo. It was true that the Feudal Lords was fully supporting Konoha in forming the Shinobi Allied Forces.
But they couldn't just spend money recklessly.
Kakuzu casually asked for one hundred million Ryo. That much money could buy a vast number of Exploding Tags and weapons...
As the top rogue Shinobi in the underworld, Kakuzu definitely needed to be hired, but they couldn't hire him regardless of the cost!
Finally, just as the Third Hokage was so exhausted he didn't want to say another word, he finally settled on a price with Kakuzu.
Seventy million Ryo—equivalent to hiring Kakuzu for the price of two of Asuma's heads.
Kakuzu was dissatisfied; he felt that with his status, even one hundred million Ryo was giving face to Konoha, the greatest hidden Village in the Shinobi World.
The Third Hokage was very satisfied. He had quietly tripped Kakuzu up by having Jiraiya tamper with the hiring contract.
The term of the contract was... one hundred years!
Kakuzu thought the term would end once Madara was defeated, but in reality, he had been hired by Konoha for a century.
Of course, if Kakuzu didn't keep his word, he could leave Konoha as soon as the war ended.
The contract was signed and sealed. All who break their word shall suffer the Wrath of the Rock!
Kakuzu's expression was very grim, but there was nothing he could do.
Just as Utatane Koharu had said, the Shinobi Allied Forces was the only side he could join.
Going over to Madara's side would be like jumping into a fire pit.
Kusagakure had boarded a pirate ship they couldn't get off of.
The Third Hokage looked at Kakuzu's Takigakure rogue Shinobi headband and suggested: "Senior Kakuzu, I can contact the leader of Takigakure and have them revoke your rogue Shinobi status."
"No need. I am no longer a Shinobi of Takigakure. This headband is merely a memento of a bygone era."
Kakuzu shook his head.
It had been nearly fifty years; Kakuzu and Takigakure had long since ceased to have any connection.
Presumably, Takigakure had forgotten someone like Kakuzu a long time ago.
If Kakuzu still held a grudge, no one in Takigakure could stop him if he went to seek revenge now.
Kakuzu then reminded the Third Hokage: "Hokage, I must warn you. The Seven-Tails is in Takigakure, and with their strength, they cannot protect the Tailed Beast."
"If Uchiha Madara goes to seize it, that weak Village will be unable to stop him."
As if we could stop him ourselves?
The Third Hokage and the others present thought to themselves.
It wasn't that the Third Hokage was standing by and doing nothing, but rather that such a matter was simply impossible to manage.
The fact that they could even take their time here to form the Shinobi Allied Forces was a gift from Madara.
The Third Hokage had already made Madara's Eye of the Moon Plan public to the Shinobi World.
He believed that any Shinobi Village with a Tailed Beast, knowing the Eye of the Moon Plan, would be on guard against Madara's seizure.
But how do you even prepare for that?
If Madara personally takes the field, you try and stop him!
The Third Hokage could only hope that those Villages with Tailed Beasts would be more careful and hide their Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki well.
He had once proposed that the various Shinobi Villages gather all their Jinchuriki in Konoha, letting Konoha help them protect the Tailed Beasts.
But no one responded, as they all feared Konoha would simply take the Tailed Beasts back.
After all, their Tailed Beasts had originally been bestowed upon them by Konoha.
Since Kakuzu had said as much, it was impossible for the Third Hokage to show no concern at all.
"Jiraiya, take a trip to Takigakure and protect their Tailed Beast."
Jiraiya was somewhat reluctant to go. Holding his pen, he said: "I still have to write my erotica! Sending me on a mission at a time like this, isn't that just causing trouble?"
"Jiraiya!"
The Third Hokage picked up his pipe, ready to crack it against Jiraiya's lecherous head.
This good-for-nothing! A dignified Konoha Shinobi actually writing such disgraceful things!
Jiraiya quickly stood up, gathered his manuscripts, and said helplessly: "Alright, alright! I'll go to Takigakure, okay?"
Kakuzu said: "I will return to the Village as well. Come to think of it, I haven't been back for nearly fifty years."
Jiraiya nodded, and shortly after, he led Kakuzu out of the Hokage Building.
The Third Hokage felt it wasn't secure enough and called for several powerful Anbu to follow Jiraiya and Kakuzu.
Then, he wrote letters to each of the Kage of the other four great Shinobi Villages, warning them to be cautious of Madara seizing the Tailed Beasts.
If Madara's people appeared to seize a Tailed Beast, they were told not to try and handle it alone and to seek support from Konoha.
"Someone, deliver these letters to the four great Shinobi Villages and inform the Four Kage to move their Jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts as quickly as possible to prevent Uchiha Madara from seizing them."
"Yes!"