Inside the Akatsuki base in the Land of Rice Fields.
The colossal Demonic Statue of the Outer Path loomed over the devastated land. The original members of Akatsuki who had been stationed here had all disappeared. In their place stood four figures: Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Obito, Ōtsutsuki Toneri, and Zetsu.
The Supreme Akatsuki!
"One-Tail, Two-Tails, Seven-Tails, Eight-Tails… and part of the Nine-Tails' chakra," Standing atop the thumb of the Demonic Statue, Uchiha Madara crossed his arms. His Rinnegan gleamed with an eerie light.
"In other words, there are still five beasts left to capture."
"Yeah. And the locations of the remaining five tailed beasts have already been pinpointed. They're all inside Kirigakure," Obito said in a low voice. "But with the village's defenses, and with Yuki Yoru present, if we want to seize all the tailed beasts, we'll need to strike them all at the same time."
"And once Yuki Yoru makes a move…"
"If Yuki Yoru steps in, leave him to me."
Ōtsutsuki Toneri spoke calmly, volunteering to shoulder the most difficult task.
Though he looked young and untested, his eyes shone with dazzling brilliance. This man of the moon radiated boundless confidence. He knew Obito's true objective—and he knew Yuki Yoru was the greatest obstacle to it.
It wasn't that he wanted to help Obito with all his might. It was because Yuki Yoru was also his greatest obstacle, the one opponent his beliefs demanded he overcome. Since they would have to face each other sooner or later, why not take this chance to eliminate him in his prime, with his full and invincible strength?
"Good!"
Seeing Toneri volunteer, Obito couldn't have been more pleased.
He still carried a deep-rooted fear of Yoru. In truth, his power wasn't stronger than Toneri's. If Toneri was willing to take on the most troublesome foe, then all the better.
"If we're attacking all at once, then we'll need five people for the five beasts, right?"
White Zetsu raised his hand, then shrank back under everyone's gaze, speaking timidly:
"I mean… if each of us captures one, even if you count me, we're still one person short, aren't we?"
"Don't worry. I've already contacted them."
Obito gave a faint smile and glanced at a darkened corner.
"If my timing's right, they should be here any moment now."
As his words fell, the space beneath the Demonic Statue rippled, and several figures appeared.
"Hashirama?!"
Everyone's eyes widened. Madara, perched on the statue's finger, froze in shock. His Rinnegan flared as his gaze locked on the newcomer.
At first glance, the man looked almost identical to Senju Hashirama—nearly indistinguishable.
But in the next instant, Madara noticed the difference. The chakra was weaker, and the eyes lacked the same spirit.
"No… that's not right… a clone?"
While Madara scrutinized the Hashirama clone, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō had already fixed their eyes on Madara.
One glance was enough. They recognized him instantly—the man who once shook the shinobi world, whose stone likeness stood at the Valley of the End.
"Uchiha Madara… So you really did bring him back to life." Hiruzen's face darkened as he addressed Obito grimly: "So it's true. You really do intend to strike Kirigakure."
"Otherwise, why would I have called you here?"
Obito's tone was casual, almost dismissive. "You already know this one—Uchiha Madara, the Shura of the Shinobi World. As for the other, he's our ally as well—the man from the moon, Ōtsutsuki Toneri."
"These two are the absolute core of the plan going forward. And here—Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Sixth Hokage, Shimura Danzō. You should know them well."
"Heh… Tobirama's disciples have actually become my allies now." Uchiha Madara sneered, but said no more.
He could clearly sense the immense power radiating from Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō—comparable to the former Hiruko, solidly at the super-Kage peak level, even half a step into the Six Paths realm. With their aid, capturing the tailed beasts would indeed be much easier.
Obito glanced at Madara, suppressing his irritation, and spoke in a deep voice:
"According to the intelligence provided by Lord Toneri, within Kirigakure there are currently: Captain of the 4th Division, Senju Tsunade; Captain of the 7th Division, Uzumaki Kushina; and Captain of the 13th Division, Yagura Karatachi."
"The 12th Division's Captain, Orochimaru, is presently in the Land of Waves, so he can be excluded for now. But the 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Division Captains have yet to appear—meaning they may be hidden in the shadows."
"In addition, we must pay special attention to the Sternritter under Yuki Yoru's command."
For shinobi, battle was always a war of intelligence. Since they intended to strike Kirigakure, Obito had already begun meticulous planning, preparing for every possibility.
"The Sternritter are composed of twenty to thirty top-level Quincy. Unlike Shinigami, they are living humans who wield spiritual power—and Yuki Yoru has granted them extremely powerful rule-based authorities."
"These abilities are unique, rivaling even a Bankai. In fact, on the level of fundamental laws, they may be even more troublesome than a Shinigami's Bankai!"
Obito swept his gaze across the group and spoke gravely:
"One figure in particular we must watch carefully—the clan head of the Kaguya, Kimimaro. The authority granted to him by Yuki Yoru is called [The Miracle]. It allows him to invert any negative state inflicted upon him into a positive one."
"Even death itself can be reversed—turning into greater strength."
"Such power exists?!"
Even Uchiha Madara frowned with suspicion. Such ability was beyond belief—even the Sage of Six Paths himself might not be able to achieve this.
"Yes. The Schrifts Yuki Yoru bestows upon these Quincy are absurdly overpowered. Which is why our next operation must be swift. Even if our strength surpasses theirs, once the objective is achieved we must retreat immediately. No lingering battles."
Obito outlined in detail the forces within Kirigakure. For those Shinigami captains already exposed—like Tsunade's Bankai and Kimimaro's Miracle—he provided thorough explanations.
Madara's expression grew more complex the longer he listened. Black Zetsu had already fed him plenty of intelligence, but never this detailed.
The more he heard, the more Madara doubted.
Was this still the same Shinobi World?
From his death to his resurrection, barely more than a decade had passed. And yet in that short time, under Yuki Yoru's influence, the shinobi world had undergone a cataclysmic transformation.
And this granting of divine authorities—was Yuki Yoru even still human?
Perhaps only the Sage of Six Paths himself, who once spread chakra to humanity, could compare…
Even before battle began, doubt gnawed at Madara. Nagato's earlier blow to his pride, followed now by Obito's barrage of intelligence, stirred waves in his heart.
"No. Even if he is the master of souls—once I seize all the tailed beasts, once I become the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki—none of it will matter!"
Madara's eyes turned cold once more.
This plan could only end in victory. Failure was not an option.
…
"Naruto!!"
"Sasuke!!"
Inside Kirigakure, watching the two boys wearing special devices as they fought a spiritual duel atop the Duel Tower, Uzumaki Kushina leaned toward Tsunade and said softly:
"Lady Tsunade, Konoha is in complete chaos."
"Mei Terumi just sent word—a strange barrier has enveloped the entire village. All communication in and out has been cut off. Even that guy's disciple, and even Hōzuki Gengetsu, have lost contact."
"Ah, I already suspected as much."
Tsunade shook her head. Ever since her battle against her teacher within Hueco Mundo, she had begun to understand. If her teacher had changed into such a being, then Danzō could not be ordinary either. With that man's twisted obsession with controlling Konoha, there was no way he would allow the village to continue being a pawn of Kirigakure.
But what truly shocked her was the disappearance of Hōzuki Gengetsu and Hyūga Hinata.
Hōzuki Gengetsu's strength was undeniable. As one of the very first captains to join under Yuki Yoru, Tsunade knew full well just how terrifying the Second Mizukage truly was.
Even if Danzō had power equal to Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tsunade did not believe Gengetsu would fall.
And yet, the fact remained.
Coupling this with Hiruzen and those endless clones… Tsunade could not help but suspect that there was something even more horrifying hidden within Konoha.
"Don't worry, Lady Tsunade," Kushina said softly. "With that man around, nothing will go wrong."
"You, of course, have nothing to worry about. Your son's here, and your husband's come back too. What problem could you possibly have?" Tsunade said irritably, making Kushina let out a sheepish laugh.
Tsunade shook her head helplessly and dropped the subject. Instead, she changed her tone:
"Of course, I understand. As long as Yuki Yoru is here, nothing will happen. After all, both of us sensed that overwhelming spiritual pressure that day."
"That kind of power… strong enough to suppress any monster, no matter how terrible. But what worries me is… is Yoru really still here?"
"Wh-what do you mean by that, Lady Tsunade…?" Kushina froze, her pretty face stiffening.
"Since that day when that colossal spiritual pressure shook the world, I haven't felt Yuki Yoru's power at all. Not once. Even though Kiri and Mei Terumi say he's merely in seclusion, is that truly the case?"
"Of course, you might think I'm just being paranoid, but sometimes the worst-case scenario must be considered. If Yuki Yoru really has met with some accident… with the strength Kirigakure has now, can we really hold the world together?"
"This…"
For a moment, Kushina had no answer.
Tsunade's suspicion wasn't baseless. Ever since that day of terrifying spiritual pressure, Yuki Yoru had vanished without a trace—neither his presence nor his aura had surfaced again.
But with Yuki Yoru's overwhelming, unrivaled strength in the shinobi world, how could anything possibly have happened to him?
"Lady Tsunade, I think your worries are a little—"
"BOOOOM!!!"
Kushina's words were cut off as a deafening roar tore through Kirigakure!
The ground trembled violently as a brilliant golden light tore through the heavens, drawing the shocked and panicked gazes of countless people.
So vast.
So dazzling!
This golden light was incredibly dazzling. It was even more dazzling and brilliant than the sun in the sky. Even the Shinigami and Quincy had never seen such an extremely dazzling golden light.
But behind this beauty, there was endless killing intent hidden!
Along with the appearance of this golden light, a crisp sound rang out in everyone's ears. The deafening roar and trembling of the ground made everyone in the Kirigakure react a moment later.
The village's barrier had been broken!
And not only that—at the very moment it was destroyed, the golden sword's momentum had diminished by only a third. Its remaining might continued forward, bearing down upon the Mizukage's Building. In an instant, more than a dozen figures appeared outside the building to intercept.
"Bakudō #81: Dankū!"
"Bakudō #81: Dankū!"
"Bakudō #81: Dankū!"
One after another, invisible barriers were raised without incantations. But to that golden sword, they were no more than thin sheets of paper.
Fueled by the full, unrestrained power of the Giant Tenseigan, this strike from Ōtsutsuki Toneri carried the might of the Six Paths' peak itself. How could a handful of vice-captain–level incantation-less barriers possibly withstand such force?
The Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion tore through every last Dankū and smashed into the Mizukage Building, driving it deep into the earth and leaving behind a bottomless chasm.
"Tengai Shinsei!!"
And that was not all.
Before the defenders could recover from the barrier's collapse and the golden sword's devastating impact, several tiny sparks appeared high above, growing larger and brighter under countless disbelieving eyes, hurtling down from the heavens.
This was—
"Meteors—it's meteors!!"
"Are you kidding me?! How can there be meteors?!"
"I'm sensing chakra… It's an enemy attack! We're under attack!!"
Panic-stricken cries erupted from every corner of Kirigakure. Shadows streaked through the skies as countless figures rose, their faces grim as they looked upon the meteors descending from the heavens.
Rumble…
The meteors drew closer, burning against the atmosphere, igniting into blazing fireballs that lit the sky like a second sun. Even before striking the ground, they radiated unbearable heat.
Bathed in the fiery glow, the sky turned crimson, like an ocean of flames. Shinigami chanted Kidō, Quincy nocked and loosed their arrows—spiritual pressure surged wildly as they desperately tried to intercept the falling stars.
Powerful incantations reverberated, spiritual power flooded the air, and dazzling light transformed Kirigakure into a sea of spiritual particles.
"BOOM!!!"
Under the combined might of so many Shinigami and Quincy, several meteors were finally shattered.
But before relief could settle in, hundreds of figures burst forth from the swirling smoke and debris of the destroyed meteors, storming into the battlefield and tearing open the curtain on all-out war.
And among them, five who had already prepared their roles stepped into Kirigakure itself—each one moving toward their chosen target…