Orochimaru wasn't sure how many more trump cards Obito had up his sleeve.
He definitely had some.
But not too many!
If he had more, he wouldn't have just stood by and let White Zetsu lose more than 10,000 soldiers in one go.
If any of the Edo Tensei (Reanimation) ninjas got sealed, Obito would have personally intervened.
Although the two of them were only maintaining a superficial harmony, the Edo Tensei was still helping Obito's cause.
If Orochimaru hadn't helped, it would have only meant one thing—he was powerless to do anything!
Orochimaru silently calculated the strength of the group led by Fugaku.
They were indeed strong!
With Mangekyō Sharingan Fugaku, along with many Uchiha jōnin and other jōnin from different villages, their combined strength could've crippled Konoha in the past.
But now, this was as far as it went.
If...
If even this power made Obito feel wary...
Orochimaru suddenly wondered if he had overestimated Uchiha Obito.
This Uchiha, who had merged with the Rinnegan, might not be as powerful as he appeared.
"Crack, crack!"
Black Zetsu's figure slowly emerged from the ground.
"Orochimaru!"
"Black Zetsu!"
Orochimaru grinned at Black Zetsu, excitement flickering in his eyes.
Black Zetsu felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively sank deeper into the ground, leaving only his head visible as he spoke, "Obito wants you to send these two out as well."
"Oh!"
Orochimaru's grin widened. "Send these two out too? What about my safety?"
"Obito will naturally take care of your safety here."
"Obito will take care of it?"
Hearing this, Orochimaru's smile grew even wider.
"What? Don't you trust him?"
There was now a hint of threat in Black Zetsu's tone.
Orochimaru didn't respond immediately but instead fell into deep thought.
Obito was clearly getting anxious.
If he didn't send these two out, who knew what Obito might do next?
No, now was not the time to clash with Obito.
Let others test the Rinnegan's power first.
Ever since suffering multiple setbacks at the hands of Uchiha Itsuki, Orochimaru had become much more cautious.
At one point, he had even considered giving up on making any further moves.
The Edo Tensei ninjas could still carry out his will.
Like the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, who was roaming around—he carried a bit of Orochimaru's power as well, trying to break the seals.
Unfortunately...
It wasn't as easy to break as he had hoped.
If he could wander the world in other forms, why risk his own safety?
He wasn't a fool, after all.
"Alright!"
Having thought it through, Orochimaru didn't care much about these two anymore.
If they had to be sent out, so be it!
Even if they were lost, it didn't matter.
As long as he was safe.
From now on, Orochimaru would disappear from everyone's sight. Even if the sky fell, what did it have to do with him?
With that in mind, Orochimaru readily sent the two out.
Black Zetsu was somewhat surprised by Orochimaru's swift decision.
He knew how strong those two were.
Even though Orochimaru could only control people with power similar to his own, those two, with their chakra at the same level as him, could still cause quite a stir.
And yet, he was so willing to let them go?
This Orochimaru was more audacious than he'd imagined.
Perhaps Uchiha Madara had made a mistake in choosing the Uchiha clan after all.
Other ninja villages, or even civilian ninjas, could have been just as capable!
With mixed feelings, Black Zetsu slowly sank back into the ground.
...
"General-in-Chief!"
Yamanaka Inoichi, who had been monitoring the entire ninja world with his eyes closed, suddenly spoke. "Lord Tsuchikage has dealt with several Kage-level ninjas and over 10,000 White Zetsu."
"A great victory!" Itsuki nodded. "They deserve a reward!"
"..."
A reward?
You're not a daimyo, and they're not your subordinates.
The Ninja Alliance was just a temporary coalition. Once they dealt with Obito and reclaimed the tailed beasts, the alliance would dissolve naturally.
You better not get too full of yourself, or you might end up falling hard.
Many people looked at Itsuki with cold eyes.
"Inoichi!"
Itsuki suddenly asked, "Can we figure out how many Edo Tensei ninjas are still out there?"
"No, we can't!" Yamanaka Inoichi shook his head decisively. "The chakra of Edo Tensei ninjas is the same as when they were alive. Many top-notch ninjas were skilled in concealment, and some powerful ones don't have very active chakra, so I can't tell which ones are Edo Tensei."
"Oh!"
"What's wrong?" The Raikage turned to Itsuki. "What are you worried about?"
"There are some people who should have appeared but haven't."
Itsuki rubbed his temples.
"Who?"
"Danzo Shimura and Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"..."
"That's true!" Kakashi also spoke up. "I've been keeping an eye on them too. They haven't been sealed, and there's no way Orochimaru wouldn't have summoned them."
Both were Kage-level ninjas.
Plus, it wouldn't be difficult for Orochimaru to get their bodies.
As for any moral hesitation...
That certainly wasn't an issue. If Orochimaru heard he could reincarnate his former teacher and make him his subordinate, he'd probably be laughing maniacally.
The Raikage and others felt a headache coming on.
What kind of grudge was this?
Even now, you're still thinking about Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo Shimura?
"These two won't change the overall situation, right?" The Raikage said helplessly.
He admitted that the Third Hokage and Danzo were both strong, especially with Edo Tensei boosting their power.
But no matter how strong they were, they were still just Kage-level.
Kage-level ninjas were nothing compared to this large-scale war.
Think about it.
Several Second-generation Kage, including his father, the Third Raikage, and the Fourth Kazekage...
All these powerful figures were sealed easily, right?
So what could Sarutobi and Danzo do?
"It's not just them!"
Itsuki was still scanning the huge water sphere, hoping to detect any chakra anomalies.
"People like Tobirama Senju were prominent!"
Itsuki turned to the group and said, "The Second Hokage, Second Mizukage, Second Tsuchikage, Third Raikage, and Fourth Kazekage—all of them were from the five great ninja villages. When they appeared, many assumed that these were the only strong fighters left. But that allowed some lesser-known, though still powerful, figures to hide in their shadows, carrying out secret missions."
Pakura frowned. "But aside from them, what other powerful figures are there?"
"The bodies of the First and Second Kazekage are nowhere to be found, even by Orochimaru."
"That's right!" Mei Terumi added. "The body of the First Mizukage was completely destroyed by us."
The First Mizukage had been a huge threat in the past, close to being a taboo figure among the five great ninja villages.
The Raikage nodded. "We also lost track of the First and Second Raikage's bodies."
The wars in those days were even more brutal than the current one.
Many died without leaving a trace, and no one even knew about it.
In many cases, their deaths were only confirmed after a long period without their return.
Unlike today, where there are jutsu to track down and confirm a person's life or death.
"There are many!"
Itsuki said calmly, "Besides Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo Shimura, where are the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist? And…"
He turned toward Mifune, the samurai commander, and said, "Hanzo of the Salamander!"
Whoosh!
Mifune stood at attention immediately, reacting instinctively.
"General-in-Chief, are you saying Hanzo of the Salamander might have been reincarnated?"
"It's highly likely!"
Itsuki then turned to Mei Terumi. "Where are the Seven Ninja Swords? Where are they now?"
Mei Terumi smiled bitterly. "Kirigakure only has the Fanged Sword left."
"Be grateful that you haven't been kicked out of the Six Great Ninja Villages yet," Itsuki said dryly.
The entire group fell silent.
"Are you joking?"
"Ninjas, how many of you are left in the Hidden Mist?"
"Young geniuses, do you have any left to show?"
"Top-tier ninjas, you don't have many of those either."
"Now even the seven legendary swords passed down through your village are down to just one. Can you even defeat the Land of Iron? I'd say that's a huge question."
Mei Terumi blushed slightly and said helplessly, "You can't blame us for that. It's all Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Madara's doing."
Those two bastards manipulated two generations of Mizukage, allowing the village's forces to be recklessly depleted.
Luckily, there was an accident midway, and with Mei Terumi stepping up to lead, the Hidden Mist Village wasn't wiped out completely.
Itsuki paced back and forth a few more times and said, "You guys get ready; be prepared to make a move at any moment."
"Us?"
The Raikage was stunned.
"You think it's me?"
Itsuki sneered.
Mei Terumi frowned and stood up, asking, "Where are we going? How do we get there?"
"I'll use the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport you there!"
Itsuki turned to look at Mabui and said, "If we can combine your ability, I think we'll be even faster!"
Mabui was startled and said instinctively, "Supreme Commander, my Heavenly Transfer Technique can't transport living people. It can only send objects. If it's a person, they'll be torn apart by the extreme speed."
"That's why I said you need to work with me."
Itsuki smiled, waved his hand, and said, "Alright, just cooperate with me later. The rest you don't need to worry about."
He stared again at the enormous water sphere and said, "Now, the general situation is clear. It's all about what cards each side has left. I'm really curious—how many trump cards do you guys have left?"
Itsuki muttered to himself.
Seeing this, Raikage and the others stopped speaking.
From the start of the battle until now, Itsuki had been carefree, but his orders had been on point.
While not exactly extraordinary, they were solid and acceptable. If it were any of them, they'd probably make similar decisions.
Even though they were the leaders of their respective villages, strength was still the most important factor.
In other aspects, they might not be better than others.
Take Shikaku Nara, for instance. If the villages only judged on intellect and not strength, who in Konoha could compete with him?
"My lord, something's appeared!"
Yamanaka Inoichi suddenly exclaimed, "Such strong chakra, and it feels so familiar. This… how is this possible..."
Seeing Inoichi's shocked expression, Itsuki sighed softly.
Why are you acting so surprised?
You've seen that guy before. Is it really worth getting this worked up?
If you keep squawking, I swear, I'll smack you.
…
At that moment!
Onoki and the others had just finished clearing the battlefield.
In this battle, they took down five Kage-level enemies and over ten thousand White Zetsu. Their own losses were under two thousand. It was a decisive victory.
Though there were still bound to be some White Zetsu hiding among the remaining forces, their numbers weren't many and didn't pose a big problem.
Everyone couldn't help but feel elated!
"After a quick rest, we'll set off immediately!"
Uchiha Itachi gave the latest command.
Their team had gathered too many elites.
Their mission was to deal with the enemy in the shortest time possible, then return to the village and eliminate everyone attacking it.
Finally, they would gather all their strength and make a final push toward where the Ten-Tails was located.
Time was tight for them!
"My lord, enemy spotted!"
Suddenly!
A sensor ninja shouted.
Everyone followed his guidance and looked toward a nearby hillside.
There, a figure was walking toward them.
As he gradually emerged, everyone was stunned.
"No way!"
"That's..."
"Just as I thought!"
"The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, has appeared! I was wondering why he hadn't shown up."
"Is he the trump card?"
"The God of Shinobi!"
The person standing before them was none other than Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage of Konoha!
He stood there with his arms crossed, coldly gazing at the Allied Shinobi Forces.
"Whew!"
Uchiha Itachi exhaled deeply and said, "Everyone, don't be afraid. According to our intel, the strength of the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, and the Shinobi World's Asura, Uchiha Madara, is not complete. They're not much stronger than us."
This statement eased the tension among the crowd.
That's right!
So what if he's the God of Shinobi?
Didn't we just deal with five Kage-level opponents?
We took care of them just fine.
Now, it's just another god to deal with.
Maybe after this war, we'll have something to brag about for the rest of our lives!
The crowd gradually regained their morale.
Hashirama chuckled softly, looking at Uchiha Itachi with interest. "You're Uchiha Itachi, right? I've heard about you. Not bad, really not bad!"
Uchiha Itachi sneered, "What did the First Hokage hear about me? That I had the mind of a Hokage at age seven?"
Hashirama nearly choked.
Monkey, you've really gone too far with this!
Even if this kid is excellent, you didn't have to say it out loud so soon! You should've nurtured him quietly until he fully mastered his powers and had the ability to protect others. Then, maybe you could say something!
Saying it too early isn't good for the kid!
If you didn't want to train him, did you have to say something just because he's an Uchiha?
Hashirama sighed helplessly in his heart.
"Hahaha!"
Suddenly, a loud and maniacal laugh echoed.
Another figure walked over and stood beside Hashirama.
He stared at Uchiha Itachi, laughing as he said, "My descendant, huh? Not bad. I can sense the power in those eyes. So, what do you say? Want to join me?"
(End of the Chapter)