Kisame's predatory eyes gradually darkened with recognition and growing suspicion as he studied his former friend from the notorious Akatsuki organization. The sight of Kakuzu on the battlefield should have been reassuring, but something about the bounty hunter's positioning and demeanor suggested that their previous alliance had been fundamentally altered.
"The First Raikage," Kakuzu observed with careful tactical assessment as his gaze fell upon the legendary figure standing beside Kisame.
There was unmistakable fear visible in Kakuzu's ancient eyes as he contemplated the power radiating from the reanimated village founder. This reaction spoke to both his extensive experience and his intimate understanding of what true legendary strength could accomplish on a battlefield.
In fact, Kakuzu was from the same historical period as the original Five Kage, having lived through the era when these titans had shaped the very foundations of the modern ninja world. He had witnessed their rise to power and had survived the conflicts that had established the current political order.
However, while Kakuzu continued to exist in the world through his forbidden techniques and accumulated hearts, those who had once stood at the absolute pinnacle of ninja society had been reduced to mere puppets manipulated by others for their own purposes.
In this ironic reversal of fortune, Kakuzu felt a complex mixture of gratitude and melancholy. If he had died earlier during any of his numerous dangerous missions, he would probably now be standing among these legendary reincarnated fighters, his will subverted and his legacy corrupted.
After carefully observing Kakuzu's unexpected presence, Kisame's attention was drawn upward to spot Konan floating gracefully in the sky above the battlefield. Her distinctive paper wings and purple hair made her instantly recognizable despite the surprising context of her appearance.
The sight of two former Akatsuki members on the same battlefield, apparently working in coordination, began to clarify the tactical situation for Kisame. He was starting to understand exactly why Kakuzu would choose to assist the Allied Shinobi Forces despite their previous criminal activities.
Konan's role within the Akatsuki organization had always been to coordinate and manage the various members, utilizing her deep understanding of psychology and motivation to achieve organizational objectives. Her ability to read and manipulate the emotional drivers of her teammates had been one of her most valuable contributions to their success.
What's more, even the Akatsuki organization, which had been classified as a criminal group and actively hunted by all five major ninja nations, would not willingly allow the entire world to fall under the control of Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi technique.
"Thank you for the timely rescue!" Guy called out from his position in the air, his voice carrying genuine gratitude as he addressed Konan directly.
Having withdrawn from his intensive use of the Eight Gates technique, Guy's characteristic personality prevented him from holding grudges against those who had demonstrated honor through their actions. Even though the woman floating before him had once been an enemy who had participated in attacks against Konoha, she had just saved his life when he needed it most.
"What we did in the past is not worth dwelling upon or discussing further," Konan replied with a slight shake of her head, dismissing the historical conflict as irrelevant to their current circumstances.
She then lowered her gaze to focus on Nawaki and spoke with the authority of someone making an official declaration. "You are the captain of the Fourth Division of the Ninja Alliance, correct?"
"We have appeared on this battlefield to do our part in preventing the world from falling completely under Madara's delusional conspiracy and control."
The decision to deploy former Akatsuki members as reinforcements had actually been orchestrated by Minato, who had approached Konan to persuade various members of the disbanded organization to return and assist in the global crisis.
However, given Minato's current status as the leader of the Allied Forces, he could not publicly acknowledge or reveal the positions and activities of these internationally wanted criminals. Their assistance had to remain unofficial and deniable.
Therefore, their intervention could only appear in this apparently spontaneous form, without any direct connection to the coalition's official command structure.
Nawaki's eyes flickered slightly with understanding as he processed the implications of this development. He nodded with acceptance and replied, "In that case, please lend us your strength in this crucial battle!"
Konan smiled with genuine warmth at his straightforward acceptance, then waved her arm with fluid grace. Folded paper constructs immediately responded to her chakra manipulation and gently carried Guy away from the immediate danger zone.
"You should focus on recovering your strength and chakra reserves before re-entering active combat," she advised with tactical wisdom born from years of coordinating dangerous missions.
After ensuring Guy's safe extraction, Konan directed her attention toward Might Duy's reanimated form. She pointed her hand at the legendary taijutsu master, and immediately white origami began falling from the sky above his position, gradually condensing into restraining constructs designed to limit his mobility.
"It's quite unfortunate that I wasn't able to recruit that particular individual to our cause back in the day," Kakuzu observed with obvious regret as he watched Nawaki continuing his intense water-style battle with the First Mizukage.
His expression then shifted to assess the Fourth Raikage, who was clearly struggling against the overwhelming coordination between Kisame and the First Raikage. Although the current Raikage possessed a notoriously hot temper and aggressive personality, in their current desperate situation, achieving victory was obviously the most important consideration regardless of personal preferences.
"Crackle!"
Both Kakuzu's and the First Raikage's lightning-enhanced armor techniques suddenly flashed with renewed electrical energy, emitting violent light that illuminated the entire battlefield with their combined radiance.
"It appears that your precious Samehada sustained serious damage during your previous confrontation," Kakuzu observed with cold satisfaction as he studied Kisame's condition. "Prepare yourself for death!"
Kakuzu stared directly at Kisame and raised both arms in preparation for his signature technique, but this time there were no hands visible at the ends of his limbs. Instead, two distinctive masks representing different elemental attributes had emerged to take their place.
Meanwhile, in the desolate desert region where the Second Division of the Ninja Alliance had established their operational theater, the battlefield bore the distinctive scars of intense elemental combat.
The sandy ground was covered with fine particles that had been disturbed by the tremendous forces unleashed during the ongoing confrontations. Sharp scratches and scattered rock fragments dotted the landscape like evidence of a geological catastrophe, while numerous areas showed the distinctive signs of corrosion from powerful acid-based techniques.
The captain of the Second Division, Kitsuchi, was engaged in a spectacular elemental duel with the First Kazekage, their respective mastery of earth-style and wind-style ninjutsu creating a constantly shifting battlefield as terrain was reshaped with each technique exchange.
The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, had also become locked in fierce combat with the Second Kazekage, but her superior tactical coordination and diverse kekkei genkai abilities were gradually allowing her to gain the upper hand despite facing a legendary opponent.
On the section of battlefield where Gaara confronted his father, the Fourth Kazekage, the confrontation had become almost completely one-sided in favor of the current Sand Village leader. Gaara had clearly surpassed his father's abilities in every meaningful category, and the ultimate outcome of their battle was merely a matter of time and endurance.
However, the engagement between Granny Chiyo and the Third Kazekage presented a much less optimistic tactical picture for the Allied Forces.
Chiyo's advanced age was proving to be a decisive factor despite her legendary skill with puppet techniques. Even with her control over the powerful and sophisticated group of puppets known as the Chikamatsu Collection of Ten, she was no longer capable of matching the physical and chakra demands of sustained high-level combat.
What made the situation even more challenging was the fact that her opponent was the Third Kazekage, who had been recognized by later generations as the strongest Kazekage in the history of Sunagakure.
This designation of "strongest" had been bestowed by ninja historians and tactical analysts, and while there might be some scholarly debate about the precise rankings, it nonetheless provided strong evidence of his exceptional combat capabilities.
The only ninja who had ever successfully defeated the Third Kazekage in direct combat was Sasori, and that victory had been achieved through careful planning, deliberate poisoning, and the element of surprise rather than superior skill in open battle.
As for the broader military engagement between the coalition forces and the White Zetsu Army, the Allied ninja were facing overwhelming numerical disadvantages that tested their resolve and tactical coordination. Although the personnel of the Second Division fought with extraordinary bravery and skill, they were still suffering considerable casualties due to the sheer scale of the enemy forces.
The vast sea of White Zetsu creatures continued to replenish their fallen members through some unknown mechanism, creating the impression of fighting against an endless tide of identical opponents.
"Whoosh!"
The distinctive black iron sand manipulated by the Third Kazekage moved with liquid fluidity, constantly reshaping itself into various massive attack formations that launched coordinated assaults against Chiyo's defensive positions.
Chiyo's legendary Chikamatsu Collection was temporarily unable to inflict the kind of fatal damage necessary to create an opening for the Allied sealing teams to properly contain the Edo Tensei fighter. Without the ability to immobilize her opponent, all of their tactical efforts were proving frustratingly ineffective.
However, Chiyo's most serious problem was her gradually diminishing stamina and chakra reserves. Her advanced age was becoming an increasingly decisive factor as the prolonged engagement continued.
"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"
Multiple short arrows formed from concentrated iron sand cut through the air with deadly precision, their high-velocity flight creating distinctive whistling sounds as they sought gaps in Chiyo's puppet defense formation.
The projectiles moved with supernatural accuracy, systematically probing for weaknesses in the protective barrier created by her mechanical guardians.
Granny Chiyo suddenly glanced to one side as her enhanced senses detected an incoming threat, but by that critical moment it was already too late to coordinate an effective defensive response.
"Swoosh!"
At that instant, a large white bird was circling high above the battlefield, and a heavy object quickly detached from the aerial creature's body and began falling toward the combat zone below.
"Thud!"
The object possessed considerable mass and weight, and under the precise control of nearly invisible puppet strings, it rapidly positioned itself directly in front of the gap in Chiyo's defensive formation where the iron sand arrows were about to penetrate.
"Ting! Ting! Ting!"
Even the devastating short arrows formed from the Third Kazekage's legendary iron sand manipulation could only leave shallow surface marks when they struck the mysterious defensive object. The projectiles that should have been capable of piercing steel armor were completely ineffective against this new barrier.
Chiyo stared in amazement as she instantly recognized the distinctive material composition of the object that had just saved her life. It was crafted from the same incredibly rare and expensive steel that had been used to create the puppet Sunae used that she remembered from years past.
Someone had actually used this precious and difficult-to-obtain material to construct what appeared to be a specialized defensive shield. The craftsmanship suggested that this was no ordinary puppet, but rather a custom creation designed for specific tactical purposes.
She raised her head suddenly to search for the source of this unexpected assistance, but the large white bird had already disappeared from the sky above her position, leaving no immediate trace of its origin or destination.
"Haha, Grandma Chiyo, you really are showing your age after all these years," came a light, youthful laugh that seemed to echo with nostalgic familiarity. "You've become quite slow-witted compared to how I remember you."
At that moment, the voice of someone who sounded like a young boy resonated clearly in her ears. Chiyo turned toward the source of the sound and found herself looking at a handsome face that appeared no different from how she remembered it years ago.
"Sasori?!" Chiyo exclaimed in complete shock, her voice carrying a mixture of disbelief, joy, and profound confusion.
The person who had just protected her from potentially fatal injury was none other than her own grandson, who had betrayed and abandoned the Sand Village more than twenty years ago to pursue his own dark path.
Although Sasori maintained a casual smile on his youthful features, his beautiful eyes were filled with complex and conflicted emotions as he looked upon his grandmother. The reunion carried weight that went far beyond the immediate tactical situation.
In order to conceal and control his internal emotional turmoil, Sasori deliberately shifted his attention to focus on the enemy who had just attempted to kill Chiyo. As his gaze fell upon the Third Kazekage, murderous intent began flowing visibly in his eyes.
"The Third Kazekage," Sasori murmured with the satisfaction of someone contemplating long-awaited revenge.
The Third Kazekage had died by Sasori's hand, and now he found himself with the opportunity to destroy this legendary figure once again. The irony of the situation was not lost on him.
If he had arrived even a few minutes later, his grandmother – his only remaining meaningful connection to the world and to his past life – would have disappeared forever. The thought of such a loss filled him with a gratitude toward both Konan and the mysterious figure who had invited him to participate in this war.
"Why are you here?" Chiyo called out to Sasori with obvious excitement and emotional intensity, but her grandson ignored her question for the moment, instead glancing at her with an expression that carried years of complicated history.
High in the sky above the main battlefield where the ninja coalition and the White Zetsu Army were engaged in their massive confrontation, another large white bird was circling with predatory intent.
Deidara's eyes blazed with artistic excitement as he prepared to demonstrate his explosive mastery on a scale that would be worthy of his aesthetic vision. He threw a carefully crafted explosive device directly toward the rear positions of the White Zetsu Army, targeting the reserves that were unable to fully participate in the frontline battle due to their overwhelming numbers.
His face displayed the wild, ecstatic expression of an artist about to unveil his masterpiece as he shouted with passionate intensity:
"Art is explosion, yeah!"