Chapter 162 - Chapter 161: Uchiha Madara! Flying Thunder Technique!

The Second Combat Force was on high alert, their nerves stretched thin under the weight of pressure and anxiety.Suddenly, a ninja shouted, "Look at the sky!!"Everyone glanced upward—and froze.The sky had turned pitch black."Why is it so dark?!""No, it's not the sky… It's a meteorite! It's coming straight at us!""A meteorite that covers nearly the entire battlefield!"---Cloud Shinobi Village, Land of LightningAllied Shinobi Forces Headquarters"Bang!!"Tsunade slammed her hand on the table, her expression filled with dread. "What?! Uchiha Madara appeared on the battlefield?!"Yamanaka Inoichi, the shinobi responsible for communications, nodded gravely. "Yes. According to the latest report from the front lines, Uchiha Madara has been resurrected using the Impure World Reincarnation technique."The Mizukage blinked, confused. "Wait—resurrected? Didn't he already declare war at the Five Kage Summit?""Could it be," he continued hesitantly, "that the masked man we've been calling Madara isn't actually Madara?"The Hokage frowned. "That would make sense. But now's not the time to dwell on that. The priority is to stop the real Uchiha Madara."Raikage narrowed his eyes. "We both know how powerful he is. And now, he's become immortal…"Suddenly—BOOM!!The headquarters trembled violently!Inoichi's face turned pale, and he stammered, "N-news from the front lines… Uchiha Madara just summoned a meteorite with some kind of forbidden ninjutsu!""That tremor we just felt… was likely the impact of that meteorite!"Everyone in the room was stunned."The shockwave reached even the Land of Lightning?! Just how massive was that meteorite?!" the Mizukage exclaimed.Nara Shikaku's voice was grim. "If that's the case… then the Second Combat Force might have been completely wiped out."Tsunade clenched her fists and turned to the Raikage's secretary. "Prepare the Tensou no Jutsu. Send me to the Iron Country battlefield—immediately!"The secretary's expression became strained. "Hokage-sama… I've told you before. The Tensou Technique wasn't meant for transporting living beings. It was only ever used on the Third Raikage because his body could endure the strain..."Tsunade waved the concern away. "Don't worry. I'm just as resilient."Shikaku stepped forward. "How about letting Shiranui Genma and the others handle it? They know the Flying Thunder Formation technique."Tsunade shook her head. "That technique can only transport one person at a time. Use it to send the Mizukage. I'll endure the Tensou Technique's side effects. With Mitotic Regeneration, I can recover on my own."The secretary glanced at the Raikage, seeking his decision.Raikage growled, "Tsunade, don't act like I'm weak!"He turned toward Mabui, his secretary. "Get ready. We'll both go with the Tensou Technique.""For the Mizukage, use the Flying Thunder Technique—it's safer."Mabui looked troubled. "But if the three Kage leave the headquarters, only Gaara will be in command at the Fourth Division. Who will manage everything here?"Raikage gave a confident smile. "The Hokage already has a plan. Nara Shikaku from Konoha will lead from here. He's the best strategist among us."Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.---A few moments later, Shiranui Genma, Beizu Leidou, and Die Iwashi arrived.All three had once served as bodyguards for the Fourth Hokage and had been taught a simplified version of the Flying Thunder God Technique. While not as powerful as the original, the technique allowed teleportation through special seals—provided the three of them worked together.After marking both the Raikage and Tsunade with Flying Thunder seals, Mabui activated the Tensou Technique.In a burst of chakra, both Kage vanished from the room.Meanwhile, Genma's team formed a triangle around the Mizukage and initiated the Flying Thunder Formation.---Desert Battlefield, Iron CountryThe first meteorite struck the earth like divine judgment.Before it hit, Tsuchikage Ōnoki had jumped into action. He used the Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique to reduce the meteorite's weight and desperately tried to push it back into the sky.Below, the shinobi of the Second Combat Force refused to give up. Each one worked together to weaken the meteorite's impact—using every ounce of strength they had.They began to succeed.But just as hope was rising—A second meteorite fell!It smashed down onto the first meteorite with a thunderous crash, shattering both into fragments and crushing everything beneath.Ōnoki screamed as his body gave out. "My… my back!!"The shockwave that followed could be felt across hundreds of kilometers. The ground quaked, and a massive sandstorm erupted.The desert was now a wasteland. Gravel, debris, and shattered armor covered the ground. Many ninja had been pulverized into the sand—unrecognizable.Those who were shielded from the direct impact had survived, but all bore serious injuries.Only around a hundred shinobi from the Second Combat Force still drew breath.Even Ōnoki had almost died.As a medical ninja desperately worked on him, tears streamed down his face. "How are we supposed to win this…?""Meteorites… gods' judgment… how can we even fight something like that? At this rate, the whole world will be destroyed…"Ōnoki stirred, his voice hoarse. "Don't… cry…"He opened his eyes, face bloodied but determined."The Allied Forces… we will win this battle.""No matter what… the world will change for the better."---Amidst the ruins, a lone figure stood.Madara Uchiha.At some point, his eyes had shifted—now gleaming with the power of the Rinnegan. He looked down at his new body and smiled faintly, clearly pleased.Nearby, Kabuto watched everything unfold through the Edo Tensei link."My hypothesis was correct," he murmured. "The Rinnegan is indeed the evolved form of the Sharingan."Madara was pleased with the power coursing through him—but he wasn't about to let Kabuto understand everything about him.He turned around, his gaze sharp. "How much do you know about this body?"Kabuto was honest. "Not much. Our understanding of your abilities was mostly theoretical—based on Orochimaru-sama's prior experiments.""Still, it seems our research was on the right path."Madara nodded. "Orochimaru was… an exceptional talent."Then, he pulled open his robe and revealed the left side of his chest.A strange patch of skin was there—of a different color—and disturbingly, a human face was embedded into it."Hashirama's cells…"Madara's smile widened. "That means it's time to try something…"He clapped his hands."Wood Style: Tree World Birth!!"The ground trembled again—then cracked.Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!From the earth, thick tree roots and monstrous vines burst out, surging forward like waves in a storm!---The surviving shinobi of the Second Combat Unit looked up in despair."No way…!""Wood Style?! How can Uchiha Madara use Wood Style?! That's never been recorded before!""Forget the records—we just survived two meteorites. And now we're about to be crushed by a sea of trees?!"One ninja sobbed. "I just want to know what would happen if Morkel fought Madara…""Seriously? We're dying and you're still talking about hypotheticals?""I don't care anymore… I can't even run. Might as well accept my fate."---But just as the forest of death closed in—Flash!!Tsunade and Raikage appeared on the battlefield, sent by the Tensou Technique!Tsunade immediately activated her Strength of a Hundred Seal and unleashed Mitotic Regeneration, healing the internal damage from the teleportation.Then she turned toward the chaos."Wood Style?!"Her eyes narrowed. "Who the hell cast that?"Raikage clenched his fists. "There's only one person it could be…"Right then, Genma's team arrived with a flash—and Mizukage Terumi Mei appeared beside them.Her jaw dropped. "Again?! Wood Style?!"---To Be Continued...