Chapter 248: Four Edo Tensei Legions
The coffin doors swung open. The resurrected shinobi stepped forward, taking their positions in formation.
Good heavens! The First, Second, and Third Hokage stood at the front, with Hatake Kakashi, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuhi Kurenai, Morino Ibiki, and countless others—every one of them former Konoha jonin.
However, the lineup excluded taijutsu specialists like Might Guy, Tsunade, and Hatake Sakumo. Edo Tensei bodies lacked sufficient physical durability to unleash taijutsu's true power.
The Ino-Shika-Cho combination was similarly rendered useless.
None of that mattered. The First Hokage and his companions alone could crush minor shinobi villages. At least, that's what Kazuma and his forces believed.
Facing the Tailed Beast Ball screaming through the air toward them, Kazuma altered his hand seal. Senju Hashirama at the front line slammed both palms to the ground.
"Five-Layer Rashomon!"
The earth immediately trembled violently. Five colossal demon-faced gates suddenly rose from beneath the ground, blocking the Tailed Beast Ball's trajectory.
The Tailed Beast Ball crashed heavily into the first Rashomon gate. After a brief deadlock, it shattered through.
Black-purple energy currents coiled around the dark crimson sphere like venomous serpents, tearing at each other with tooth-aching shrieks.
Though the Tailed Beast Ball's volume had diminished somewhat, its momentum remained unstoppable, roaring forward while dragging massive quantities of earth and stone fragments.
The second and third gates lasted mere moments before exploding violently. The demonic faces carved into them screamed like tormented spirits as their fragments disintegrated to ash in midair.
The Tailed Beast Ball struck the fourth Rashomon gate with devastating force before finally detonating.
The final explosion shattered the fourth gate into countless burning fragments. Blinding white light flooded the entire battlefield in an instant, making every eye ache.
The massive shockwave expanded outward. Where it passed, the forest toppled like wheat before a typhoon, trees falling in all directions.
Century-old trees were torn from the earth, disintegrating into splinters while still airborne.
The shockwave swept across a lake. The entire surface instantly collapsed, exposing the muddy lakebed beneath. Only after several seconds did water rush back to refill the void.
When the smoke finally cleared, a fan-shaped wasteland a thousand meters in diameter had appeared on the battlefield.
Of the Five-Layer Rashomon, only the final gate remained—tilted backward at an angle. Behind it, Senju Hashirama's Edo Tensei body stood woodenly unchanged while Kazuma began laughing triumphantly.
"Hahaha! I told you—forbidden techniques exist to be used, not wasted!"
"Without the First Hokage's Edo Tensei body, how many comrades would we have lost in that bombardment?"
Mizuki beside him wore an obsequious smile, heaping on praise:
"It's all thanks to Lord Kazuma's brilliant wisdom, liberated thinking, bold innovation, and courageous pioneering that we all remain safe and unharmed!"
The other shinobi exchanged glances, wiping cold sweat from their brows before adding their own flattery, making Kazuma increasingly proud.
"Never expected this tiny Takumi Village to possess a Tailed Beast. That Uchiha Yasushi must be here as well."
"Perfect. Today we'll accomplish everything in one stroke and eliminate that bastard while we're at it."
He waved his hand, ordering: "Send in the Edo Tensei legions. Leave Uchiha Yasushi to the First Hokage."
"Yes." Everyone acknowledged the command, mobilizing their controlled ninja legions to charge toward Takumi Village.
Yasushi's side had prepared equally well. With a wave of his hand, Shinyo's trio also formed seals and slammed their palms to the ground.
Dozens of coffins rose from beneath the earth.
The coffin lids flew open, revealing three separate Edo Tensei legions.
The first was naturally the Uchiha legion.
"Haha! Time for battle again?"
"Who's the enemy this time?"
Yasushi smiled, pointing toward the First and Second Hokage. "The enemies are also Edo Tensei bodies—specifically the extinct Senju clan."
"The Senju?" Yashiro and the others startled, hastily turning to look. "Is that Lord First and Lord Second?"
"Excellent!"
"They finally get what's coming to them!"
Uchiha Yashiro and his companions laughed wildly as they charged back onto the battlefield.
The second Edo Tensei force consisted of the Hyuga legion that had launched the rebellion within Konoha Village that day.
The flesh and tissue samples Neji had obtained naturally meant Yasushi possessed them as well.
However, this group proved less obedient.
"Tch, we've been resurrected with Edo Tensei again!"
"Did the clan have another internal conflict?"
"Doesn't look like the village."
"Good, good. As long as we're not fighting village comrades."
"Wait? It looks like the enemies are the Hokage!"
"They won't even spare the Hokage? How detestable!"
"Huh? Wait, the people controlling the three Hokage are from our village!"
"Impossible! How could the village use such forbidden techniques?"
Yasushi had no patience for their chatter. With a wave of his hand, Haku controlled the Hyuga legion, sending them charging toward the Third Hokage and the Konoha shinobi forces.
The third Edo Tensei legion consisted of unfamiliar warriors—all red-haired.
However, their village markings immediately identified them as belonging to the already-destroyed Uzushiogakure.
"What? Weren't we killed in battle? How are we... Ah, this must be Lord Tobirama's technique!"
The moment these shinobi emerged, they spotted Shinyo and Karin standing before them, along with their crimson three-tomoe Sharingan. Immediately, they misunderstood the situation.
"The Uzumaki descendants must have integrated into Konoha's upper ranks!"
"That's actually good! Lord Third is quite trustworthy!"
"Though he didn't arrive in time to reinforce us, at least he accepted our Uzumaki clan's survivors!"
But their relief was quickly shattered by Shinyo's words.
"No. Konoha Village didn't accept any Uzumaki survivors."
"They only accepted Uzumaki Kushina—a single person. All other Uzumaki clansmen scattered throughout the shinobi world with no one offering shelter."
"Worse still, the Uzumaki possess naturally abundant chakra."
Shinyo pulled up her sleeve, revealing the dense bite marks covering her arm.
"Just one bite, absorbing Uzumaki chakra, can heal most injuries."
"For villages lacking medical resources, this was equivalent to a miracle cure."
"I was used by multiple villages as medical supplies."
"Even those without talents as strong as mine made excellent test subjects. Using them for experiments or selling them in trades was considered perfectly normal."
"What?" The Uzumaki shinobi were utterly shocked. "How could Konoha Village do this?"
"We were family allies!"
"What about Lady Mito?"
"Did Lady Mito just sit by and ignore this?"
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