Land of Wind
In the boundless desert, the crimson sun slowly set, casting a deep red glow over the endless yellow sand.
On the horizon, five figures moved slowly, heading towards a distant ruin.
"Is that the ancient city of Roran?" a masked man stopped, looking at the desolate and barren remnants of walls and pillars in the distance, his heart filled with suspicion. "Are you telling the truth?"
"Are you questioning the words of a god?" a burly, strong man said coldly.
"Hmph! I hope you haven't lied to me." Obito glanced coldly at the two beside him and continued towards the ruins.
Guided by the burly man, everyone quickly arrived at the center of Roran's central tower.
This was a vast space with a stone path leading to a huge crater in the center. Around the crater, four faceless giant statues stared intently at the center of the pit. There, a kunai was stuck in the ground, surrounded by complex runes.
"This seal is... the Eight Trigrams Seal? It was done by the Fourth Hokage," a person in a red robe said, looking at Obito with a strange smile.
"When this sealing jutsu was set up, you hadn't yet broken free..."
"Shut up!" Obito glared at him coldly.
"Follow the method I've given you, and you can return to the past," a pale white-haired man beside the burly man said grimly. His disheveled hair made him look incredibly eerie.
"Remember, you absolutely cannot take too much chakra, and you must never meet your past self, just in case. It's safest to change your clothes and wear a mask."
"Aren't you coming down with us?" the person in the red robe asked.
"Heh heh, don't compare us to you little things. Our life stages don't allow us to travel through time and space," the burly man sneered.
Given their status, returning to the past would have world-ending consequences. But what they feared most was that they might die if they did.
"Is that so? Then please guard this place for us for a while," the red-robed man said, though he was angry, his face was full of smiles.
"Okay."
After that, Obito formed a few seals with his hands and directly pulled the kunai from the center point.
Boom!
Suddenly, a pillar of purple light shot up into the sky, connecting the heavens and the earth. This purple light contained immense power and generated a huge suction force, causing space itself to distort. In the blink of an eye, Obito and the other two were swallowed into it.
However, the remaining two stood their ground, completely unaffected by this power, which was chilling.
"Resurrecting the Ten-Tails? These little things are getting bolder and bolder," the burly man muttered, his eyes showing disdain. "They're just pawns being manipulated."
"Why are you cooperating with them? You should be able to feel the aura of Kaguya on that black guy," the pale white man asked, turning his head.
"Just an arrogant tree spirit. Speaking of which, there's one guy who really concerns me. He gives me the same dangerous feeling as Kaguya," the burly man mused.
"Coincidentally, I met someone not long ago who was very similar to that person, but their strength was far too different."
"That person? Who is it?"
"You haven't met him. You had already been banished then. That guy, I will never forget him," the pale white man cracked his knuckles, clearly recalling some unpleasant experiences.
"Is that so?" The burly man saw this and said no more. After all, everyone has things they find hard to talk about.
...
Konoha
After Tsunade returned to the village, she immediately convened a high-level meeting and informed everyone about the Fourth Great Ninja War. Under the orderly arrangements of Tsunade and the many elders, Konoha's forging and medical departments began working tirelessly to prepare all the weapons and medicines needed for the war.
In just a few days, all ninja missions were halted, and the entire village entered a state of fervent preparation for war. The Five Great Nations, as well as some smaller, willing neighboring countries, had already taken action to form a ninja alliance as quickly as possible.
Since Tsunade was in charge, Konoha naturally became the meeting place for the Five Kage.
Raikage Ay, Tsuchikage Two-Headed Onoki, Mizukage Terumi Mei, Kazekage Gaara, Hokage Tsunade, and Admiral Mifune of the Land of Iron – a total of six people – sat around a round table.
"Let's start the meeting. First, regarding intelligence on the Akatsuki."
"On this matter, Konoha has dispatched a reconnaissance team. Although we found a location that is suspected to be an Akatsuki base, it seems to have been abandoned," Tsunade said first.
"Indeed. Rather than that, we need to establish an intelligence unit as soon as possible. The analysis and summarization of intelligence, as well as its rapid sharing, must be handled by this unit," Onoki proposed.
"Let's entrust this to Konoha's Yamanaka Inoichi. I believe you've all heard of his Mind Transfer Jutsu. This way, intelligence can be transmitted to everyone in real-time."
"Alright, the intelligence unit will be led by Yamanaka Inoichi. Then, the next discussion will be about the division of other units."
"We don't even know the enemy's situation yet. Isn't it too hasty to divide the units like this?"
"The Allied Ninja Forces are formed by various villages, and the ninja structures of each village will be disrupted. By the time we investigate and then divide them, it will be too late," Onoki said. "Let's divide the units first and then make adjustments based on the situation."
"That makes sense. Then, according to your Excellency the Tsuchikage's opinion, how should we divide them?" Mifune asked.
"First, there are the surprise attack units, followed by logistics and medical support units," Onoki analyzed carefully. "The surprise attack units are the most crucial aspect of a war, and they are very likely to determine the victory of this war."
"As for the medical units, this old man suggests that they be commanded by your Excellency the Hokage's disciples."
"I agree with that. When I was captured by the Akatsuki organization, Sakura Haruno showed exceptional medical skills. Your Excellency the Hokage's other disciple has studied for many years, and her medical skills are absolutely trustworthy," Gaara said.
"Yes, indeed. I heard that Sakura Haruno has learned Super Strength and can protect the medical troops to a certain extent. Coupled with the assistance of the Slug Sage, all ninja can receive treatment in a timely manner."
"Alright, then the medical units will be handled by Sakura Haruno and Shizune," Tsunade said. "Next is..."
"Sorry to interrupt."