Chapter 616: Uchiha Madara's Social Death
"I've met Lord Hashirama, you know. You think we're 'nearly on par'? I'm pretty sure I'm stronger." Ino replied, casually chatting with Madara while simultaneously molding senjutsu chakra to keep the Ten-Tails suppressed.
Her main goal was to stall until Izuna, who was still crossing the bridge, fully regained his consciousness. The process wasn't long, but he wasn't combat-ready just yet.
Madara watched the spirit solidify. Only when the blurred features resolved into Izuna's face did he speak again. "Hashirama wouldn't use such despicable tactics. He would not disturb the dead."
Ino snorted. "You use dirty tricks against dirty people. What else should I do? Sneak attack you from behind?"
Madara: "...?"
Why mention 'from behind' specifically? Don't tell me Hashirama told her something?
Ino: Blame Credit +1.
Izuna, now fully conscious, chuckled. He decided to spare his brother some dignity. "When we used to spar in the clan, I did manage to strike his back twice."
Ino decided to add more fuel. "I also heard that if anyone stands behind your brother, he gets... stage fright. Can't even take a piss. Is that true, I wonder?"
Izuna's face was a mask of horror. So that was it? He had always assumed his brother had some old back injury, or perhaps a blind spot in his Sharingan. He never, ever imagined the truth was... that.
He glanced at the Ten-Tails. To expose this now, in this setting... His brother's entire "final boss" aura had just completely evaporated, hadn't it?
"BWAHAHAHA! What a moron! That's the funniest thing I've ever heard! HAHAHA, it's killing me!" The Fourth Raikage's voice boomed, his laughter echoing relentlessly off the surrounding mountains.
In the distance, the Kumo ninja organizing the evacuation froze for a second, then they too erupted in hysterical laughter.
Uchiha Madara's face turned purple with rage. But mostly, it was the sheer humiliation of "social death."
Hashirama must have told her! Besides him, no one knew about that! His own brother didn't even know!
Ino: Blame Credit +1.
Madara realized that engaging in banter with Ino had been a grave mistake. He snatched up his scythe, his expression murderous, and charged.
"Brother, I must stop you today. I apologize." Izuna drew his blade and lunged.
Even though he was prepared for it, seeing his own brother draw a blade against him left Madara with complex feelings.
He knew his skills were superior to his brother's. He knew this was just an enemy ploy. And yet, he found it difficult to strike the fatal blow.
Just to be able to see him one more time... it was worth it.
Seeing Ino occupied maintaining the hand seals to suppress the Ten-Tails, Madara's Rinnegan activated. His Limbo shadow slipped out again, moving silently toward her.
He knew her Rinnegan could see his Limbo clone, but this was a blatant move, not a subtle one. The goal was simply to divide her attention. The moment her focus wavered, the Ten-Tails would be free.
Now that it had absorbed the full chakra of the Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, and Eight-Tails, the Ten-Tails was significantly stronger. Suppressing it with the power of one person alone was an incredibly difficult task.
The Limbo shadow, created by Border Jail, advanced on her with arrogant confidence.
Ino's Rinnegan spun once more. A greater surge of Six Paths power flowed into her eyes, and her Rinnegan evolved from one tomoe to two.
Her ocular power surged. The Bridge of Helplessness widened. While maintaining the Gracious Deity Gates with a one-handed seal, she used her free right hand to scatter another handful of ashes.
If only she could summon Hashirama Senju. Unfortunately, his soul was still in the Shinigami's belly, and that "old bro" charged too high a price. Besides, as a Konoha ninja, openly summoning the First Hokage wasn't exactly... appropriate.
The same applied to Mito Uzumaki. Although Ino suspected that woman definitely had some history with Madara, the dead should rest. No need to drag the old woman into this.
She scattered another handful of ashes. The former Akatsuki member, Sasori of the Red Sand, slowly emerged from the other side.
Sasori had turned his own body into a human puppet, and Ino had ended up with all the shattered pieces. She had studied them; when burned, the fragments turned to ash, proving that even as a puppet, the body's essence remained human.
Sasori's death was recent, so his consciousness returned quickly.
"What a chaotic battlefield. Kumogakure? Why have I been brought here?" Sasori glanced around.
Ino replied, "I've shared my Rinnegan's vision with you. You see that dark shadow over there? Take it out. Then wait for my next order."
Sasori's previous masterpiece, the Third Kazekage puppet, had already been destroyed.
Ino had secretly summoned Sasori once before in Konoha. To maximize the genius puppeteer's combat strength, she had given him the corpse of the Fourth Kazekage. Make do with it, she'd told him. He's a Kazekage, he uses Magnet Release. If anyone asks, just say you found the body.
"Wait for instructions? I hate waiting more than anything." Despite his complaint, Sasori immediately maneuvered the Fourth Kazekage puppet to intercept Madara's Limbo shadow.
Ino scoffed internally. Hate waiting? Then why didn't you shack up with Kakashi, the King of Lateness? Son of your father's killer, ninja from an enemy village... the shipping potential is off the charts. The fact you two didn't get together just proves you don't hate waiting that much.
Maintaining her one-handed seal, she swung her right arm and cast the line of her Rainbow Light Fishing Rod. The hook flew true, embedding itself deep in the Ten-Tails' massive body, and she began to yank its chakra out.
"Ngh!" This time, it wouldn't budge.
It was the first time this had happened since she acquired the rod. It felt less like she had hooked chakra and more like she'd snagged a mountain.
Pinned by the Gracious Deity Gates and now being insidiously drained of its chakra, the Ten-Tails became enraged. It roared, its struggles intensifying violently.
Madara, his Limbo shadow, and the Ten-Tails were pitted against Izuna, Sasori, and Ino.
A full third of Kumogakure had become their battlefield.
And this was only because the Ten-Tails was pinned down. If it were free, Kumogakure would have already ceased to exist.
"Retreat! Move, now! I'll cover the rear! Get the children out first!" The Fourth Raikage had no time to mourn his fallen sworn brother. Even with only one arm, he fought fiercely on the front line, buying time for the evacuation.
Konoha had only sent one person. This was understandable; only two people in their village could use the Flying Thunder God Technique, and he couldn't expect the Hokage himself to come. Ino's arrival was within his expectations, and she had arrived quickly. The problem was, Kumo hadn't been able to hold out.
The ninety-year-old Jōnin, Rashi, collapsed in a pool of his own blood, his body nearly severed at the waist, bled dry.
Nurui, Yurui, Kayui—young shinobi he had held such high hopes for—had survived the Great War only to die here, in their own home.
Samui, the fair-skinned and beautiful Jōnin with her... impressive assets, and the eternally pessimistic Omoi, were both gravely wounded. His right and left-hand men, Darui and C, were still fighting desperately, but their chakra was nearing exhaustion.
During the war, Kumo had mobilized ten thousand shinobi. At their absolute limit, they could field another five thousand. Now, all of that strength was gone.
A bone-deep anguish filled the Fourth Raikage's eyes. After today, would Kumo even have five thousand shinobi left?
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