The sudden sound made Darui and the others freeze in place.
A cold, creeping chill swept across the battlefield.
At that moment, Kimimaro also sensed Lord Raikage's momentary distraction. The bone spike in his hand thrust sharply toward the Raikage's exposed neck.
But in the next instant, the Raikage's eyes sharpened.
The moment the bone spike touched his skin, it snapped apart with a harsh crackle—shattered by the overwhelming Lightning Release Chakra Mode surging across his body.
Kimimaro's eyes widened slightly.
What an absurd defense.
So this was the true Lightning Release Chakra Mode of the Hidden Cloud. Its reputation was no exaggeration.
Crack! Boom!
The Raikage's fist slammed into Kimimaro's torso like a thunderbolt, sending him flying backward with brutal force.
At the same time, the Raikage turned sharply toward Darui's direction.
"Watch out!"
A dark blur cut between Darui and Samui at blistering speed.
Rip—!
Both of them staggered back, blood trickling from fresh gashes.
Samui clutched her arm, her expression tense and disbelieving as she stared at the man who had dashed past them.
"Who the hell is that? How despicable—he was hiding in the shadows this whole time!"
"Hehehe…"
The figure slowly turned his head, his voice hoarse and mocking.
"You people from the Hidden Cloud… don't even recognize me? Your great lord?"
The moment his face became visible, the Fourth Raikage's eyes narrowed in shock.
"You are—"
Before he could finish, Cee's face darkened.
"This man… he's Hanzō, the former leader of the Hidden Rain Village. The Demigod Hanzō!"
"He's still alive?"
Darui was stunned. Judging by age alone, Hanzō should be ancient by now.
It was already unreal that he could move—yet he still possessed power enough to injure elite shinobi?
Before Darui could process the thought, the Raikage vanished in a streak of lightning.
He reappeared behind Samui's squad instantly—crushing several black tendrils that shot toward them from the darkness.
Everyone froze.
The Raikage raised his head, staring into the pitch-black depths ahead.
"Stay sharp. There aren't just two enemies."
A faint chuckle echoed back.
"As expected of the Fourth Raikage. You sensed me as well."
A third figure stepped out from the shadows.
It was Kakuzu.
Once crushed into pulp ten thousand meters beneath the sea by Shigure, Kakuzu's original body had been retrieved by Zetsu—who quickly realized there was nothing left to save. What remained was discarded.
But Orochimaru had preserved Kakuzu's cells.
Now his reconstructed body stood before them—cold, twisted, and alive again.
Facing the three resurrected foes, Darui and the others felt their morale plummet.
A shinobi of the Kaguya clan with Shikotsumyaku, strong enough to trade blows with Lord Raikage…
The Demigod Hanzō…
And Kakuzu, a monster who refused to die…
These are the enemies of the Akatsuki?
Weren't only a few members supposed to remain?
Their breaths grew heavy.
A slaughter ground, once belonging to a Demigod…
…was now opening again before them.
Darui was already drenched in sweat; the situation was turning worse by the second.
The Raikage stepped forward, lightning crackling faintly across his body.
"I'll finish one of them as fast as possible. You three hold off the other two!"
With that, the Raikage charged forward like a thunderbolt.
Darui exhaled helplessly.
"That's the only option."
There truly was no other choice.
Deep within the Akatsuki base, Nagato and the others remained motionless.
It still wasn't time to intervene.
They simply listened to the thunderous echoes of battle outside.
But as the fight intensified, Nagato—and especially Obito—seemed increasingly satisfied.
Three resurrected bodies, yet they were stalling the Fourth Raikage and an elite Kumo squad.
Even if those three weren't individually stronger than the Raikage, their Edo Tensei bodies allowed them to fight endlessly, wearing down their opponents little by little.
Obito nodded, pleased with the results.
"It seems this plan is perfectly viable. With Edo Tensei backing us, invading the Hidden Mist Village will be simple. Even that man from the Mist won't be able to stop us."
A faintly triumphant smile crossed Obito's face.
Orochimaru stood beside him, silent.
He had originally come to reclaim Sasuke.
But if he could obtain Shigure, that would be even better.
To Orochimaru, Shigure's body was the ideal vessel—a shinobi of impossible talent and monstrous growth. In all of shinobi history, perhaps only one or two people had ever reached such potential.
If he could take Shigure as his new vessel, Orochimaru felt he might achieve a breakthrough even he had never imagined.
That thought alone made him restless.
Meanwhile, the ones being discussed—Shigure, Sasuke, and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—had just arrived at the border of the Land of Rain.
The moment they crossed the border, the drizzle began.
Shigure lifted his head, gazing toward the mist-shrouded horizon.
No wonder this small nation had witnessed so much bloodshed.
Positioned between three great powers—the Lands of Wind, Fire, and Earth—its value was unmatched.
Despite its endless rain and harsh environment, its strategic importance made it a perpetual battlefield.
Combined with the presence of Hanzō, the so-called Demigod, the Hidden Rain Village held a reputation far beyond its size.
Its shinobi, forged through constant conflict, were far from weak.
"Lord Mizukage!"
Kuji stepped forward, forming an umbrella of bone to shield Shigure from the rain.
"Shall we continue?"
"Do we need to move faster?"
Shigure chuckled softly.
"No need. Maintain our normal pace."
By now, the Raikage and the Cloud team should have engaged the Edo Tensei trio.
Let them gauge the Akatsuki's strength first.
Shigure wasn't in a rush. He still hadn't sensed any chakra fluctuation from Nagato or the others.
Meaning—they weren't participating in the battle yet.
Which raised a question:
If Nagato and the others weren't fighting…
then who exactly were the Cloud shinobi facing?
Yet Shigure sensed something else—an unmistakable, snake-like chakra signature.
Orochimaru.
So he was with the Akatsuki again.
Why?
A moment later, Shigure understood.
His eyes shifted toward Sasuke beside him.
Of course.
Sasuke and Itachi's confrontation had happened earlier than expected.
Itachi had sealed away Orochimaru's remnants inside Sasuke, resolving that looming danger.
Without Sasuke, Orochimaru lacked a suitable vessel.
So he came here—to use the Akatsuki's power to act against Sasuke once more.
Yes. That was the most likely scenario.
Shigure laughed lightly to himself.
If Orochimaru was here, then Kabuto's role in this worldline was probably gone.
And that meant…
The Fourth Great Ninja War might not happen at all.
"Let's move," Shigure said.
He resumed walking, the Seven Swordsmen silently following behind him.
Sasuke glanced forward, expression unreadable.
So this was where the Akatsuki base was located…
Did Itachi once walk these very paths as well?
By the time dawn approached, the sky dim and heavy with the lingering rain, Shigure and his group finally reached the Akatsuki's hidden base.
At the same moment, the Raikage's squad—who had been fighting through the night—were exhausted and battered.
As they neared the edge of the industrial complex, they saw chaotic flashes of lightning rage within.
Bolts of light flickered violently across the interior.
"Someone's fighting," Kuji murmured.
Shigure smiled.
"Of course. We're not the only ones here to cause trouble for the Akatsuki."