Chapter 163 - Chapter 162: Gedo Statue! Morkel Takes Action!

Inside the secret base of the Akatsuki organization..."The Gold and Silver Brothers are sealed within the treasured Amber Bottle. The residual Nine-Tails Chakra in their bodies must not go to waste."After saying this, the masked man picked up the large palm-leaf fan and departed on his next mission.---At the Cloud Shinobi Village – Headquarters of the Allied Shinobi ForcesNara Shikaku, acting as the alliance's chief strategist, asked calmly, "What's the current situation on the battlefield near the Land of Lightning's border?"Yamanaka Inoichi replied, "The White Zetsu forces have been entirely wiped out. Kinkaku and Ginkaku have been successfully sealed inside the Amber Bottle. While some of the reanimated shinobi remain unsealed, their movements have been heavily restricted."Shikaku nodded with relief. "Excellent. Then pass on my orders—apart from the guards watching over the reanimated shinobi, the rest of the First Combat Unit's elite troops should move out and reinforce the Iron Country.""At the same time, dispatch the Fourth Combat Unit to assist the Third and Fifth Units."Hearing this, Mabui's face tightened with concern. "But Mr. Shikaku, won't headquarters be left completely vulnerable with such a deployment?"Shikaku waved it off calmly. "Don't worry. Even if the Fourth Combat Unit is moved, we still have reserve forces on standby.""Moreover, your Cloud Village has constructed adequate fortifications. Even if the Akatsuki mounts a surprise attack, we can hold them off for a while.""The frontlines are in critical need. We must act decisively."But before he could finish, Yamanaka Inoichi shouted, alarmed, "Bad news! A report just came in from the First Combat Unit—a massive golem has appeared on the battlefield!"---A Few Minutes Earlier – Border Battlefield of the Land of LightningAfter a hard-fought victory against the White Zetsu Army, the First Combat Unit was finally getting a moment to rest. The battlefield lay strewn with the bodies of fallen shinobi and White Zetsu clones alike.Among the wounded was Tenten, lying unconscious in the medical ward. During the battle, she had picked up a mysterious fan with astonishing power—just a single wave could unleash powerful elemental jutsus. Unfortunately, the chakra cost was immense, and after several uses, Tenten collapsed from total exhaustion.Ino, now helping tend to the wounded, walked over and asked gently, "How are you feeling?"Tenten, groggy and disoriented, murmured, "Still dizzy… my stomach's churning."Ino nodded with concern. "That fan's chakra demand is beyond what your body can handle. Don't use it again unless absolutely necessary."Tenten slowly nodded. "Yeah, I understand… Wait! My fan! Where's my fan?!"Suddenly jolting upright, she looked around in panic. "Ino, have you seen my fan? That's my treasure!"Ino chuckled. "Nope, just rest up. It'll turn up."But Tenten wasn't convinced. "You hid it, didn't you?! Give it back! I need it!"Suddenly—BOOM!The ground shook violently beneath their feet!"What the—?!"The two girls exchanged alarmed glances, rushing out of the tent. In the distance, towering over the horizon, stood a bizarre and monstrous wooden golem—tens of meters tall!---Back on the BattlefieldAlthough the battle had ended, Darui remained vigilant, standing guard beside the Amber Bottle.Fatigue began to creep in, and just as his eyelids started to droop, a strange ripple in space shimmered before him.In the next instant, a man wearing a white mask—the masked "Uchiha Madara"—stepped onto the battlefield.Darui tensed immediately and raised his blade. "Madara?! What are you doing here?!"The masked man gave no reply. His gaze locked onto the Amber Bottle behind Darui. "Hand over that treasure."Darui firmly shook his head. "Not a chance. We worked hard to seal the Gold and Silver Brothers. I won't let you take it!"Without another word, the masked man performed a series of hand seals, then slammed his hands on the ground."Summoning Jutsu: Gedo Statue!"A deafening rumble echoed across the land as a grotesque colossus with nine glaring eyes and a body like petrified wood rose from the earth.Darui gritted his teeth, planting his feet. "I'll protect this bottle with my life!"---Meanwhile – On Turtle IslandDing… ding… dong… dong…In a remote corner of the island, a small blacksmith's hut stood, filled with a wide array of forging tools.Inside, Morkel was hard at work, sweat dripping from his brow as he pounded glowing steel on the anvil.Over the past few days, he had scrapped countless billets, yet still hadn't crafted a blade that met his expectations.Naruto sat nearby, snacking on melon seeds while watching Morkel hammer away with relentless focus."You know," Naruto said, crunching, "don't you ever get bored hammering all day?"Morkel, not pausing in his work, replied, "Island life is dull. Forging helps pass the time. Physical fatigue I can handle—but the mental strain from failure, that's the hard part."He stopped for a moment, examining the half-formed blade. "Maybe the issue's with the material. These mainland steels just aren't cutting it anymore."Naruto shrugged. "You're already using the best metals on the continent. What next? Gonna go mining in the sky?"Morkel's eyes lit up."…That's it!"In old martial arts novels from his past life, many legendary weapons were said to be made from meteorite iron.Surely, metals from outer space must be purer and stronger than anything found on earth!"But how do I get ore from space?" he muttered. "Could I… fly up there?"He shook his head. "No good. The Super Light and Heavy Rock Technique can help me float, but there's no oxygen in space."Naruto blinked. "Uh… you okay?"Morkel grinned. "You don't get it."Thinking aloud, he continued, "If I can't fly up… maybe I can pull a meteorite down instead.""I've mastered Earth Style techniques—maybe I can use them to summon a meteorite!"Naruto frowned. "Huh? What's Earth Style got to do with meteorites?""How do you know it won't work if I don't try it?" Morkel replied, eyes gleaming with anticipation.Without hesitation, he grabbed Naruto, and with the Flying Thunder God Technique, they instantly teleported to the Land of Wind."If a meteorite fell into the ocean," Morkel explained, "the resulting tsunami would devastate the coastline. But here in the desert… no one will get hurt."---Elsewhere – In the Land of WindAs Gaara marched toward the frontlines with his troops, a shiver ran down his spine.Temari noticed and asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"Gaara frowned. "No. Just a strange premonition."---In a Dark Prison SomewhereSasuke's team sat slumped in despair, locked away in the shadows.Karin grumbled, "Have we been forgotten?"Suigetsu sighed. "Wouldn't be the first time. I'd just like to know what's happening out there."Jugo muttered, "That masked guy's probably too busy to bring us food.""I'm starving…" Suigetsu groaned.Sasuke clenched his fists in rage. "One day, I'll escape from here and kill that masked man myself!"---Back in the Land of Wind – Desert Testing GroundsNaruto stood to the side, eyes wide with curiosity, watching Morkel prepare for the test.The scorching wind swept through the arid land, but Morkel remained focused."Is this really going to work?" Naruto asked."I don't know," Morkel replied honestly. "But I have to try."He raised his hands skyward, fingers forming seals with intense concentration."Earth Style—Meteorite Pulling Technique!!"---To be continued…