"What did you say!?"
The Third Hokage instantly stood up from his chair, looking at Orochimaru with a face full of shock.
The First and Second Hokage also felt the seriousness of the matter, their expressions turning serious.
Impure World Reincarnation is a technique that summons and controls the dead. The technique's binding force on powerful individuals at Hashirama's level being insufficient… such an important matter couldn't possibly be omitted from a research report.
Unless it was deliberate.
But why would Zetsu do this deliberately?
Did he want the Impure World Reincarnation army to run out of control?
However, Impure World Reincarnation's binding force on Shinobi below Hashirama's level was genuine.
Moreover, this battle was for the Allied Shinobi Forces. They would only summon the powerful individuals from each village. Even if they couldn't control them, loss of control wouldn't occur.
Suddenly, Tobirama thought of something and asked, "Was it Zetsu who suggested you summon Uchiha Madara?"
"No." Orochimaru shook his head slightly. "After perfecting the Impure World Reincarnation technique, I naturally thought of using this technique to help the Allied Forces win this war. When selecting candidates to summon, I naturally thought of the First Hokage-sama and Uchiha Madara. After all, your two's deeds are simply too unbelievable. However, considering Uchiha Madara's hatred for Konoha, I planned to summon and control him only after the war started. I never expected..."
"It wasn't him…"
Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest, lowered his head in thought.
Hiruzen also lit his pipe and puffed away, smoke rising, illuminating his turbid eyes in thought.
"Maybe it's just a coincidence!" Hashirama laughed. "This battle is for the Allied Shinobi Forces. Perhaps Zetsu never thought Orochimaru would consider summoning Madara to fight. Usually, don't people summon their own people?"
"Moreover, someone who could produce the Sky Castle blueprints to unite the Shinobi World against Sunagakure, intending to restore the Shinobi World's balance, achieve long-term peace… such a person couldn't possibly have any malicious intent."
"Brother, it's not that simple."
Tobirama, being suspicious by nature, didn't give up his suspicion of Zetsu.
But Hashirama admired Zetsu's actions.
Distributing the Sky Castle's blueprints to each village, uniting them to deal with Sunagakure, which broke the Shinobi World's balance… this behavior was so similar to his own past action of distributing the Tailed Beasts to achieve strength balance and achieve peace.
How could such a person be a bad person?
Even if he really was deliberate, it must have been for the sake of Shinobi World's peace.
Therefore, he immediately retorted, "Then tell me, what is he doing this deliberately for?"
Tobirama was left speechless.
If he knew Zetsu's motive, he wouldn't be so puzzled.
He didn't respond to Hashirama but turned to Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, tell me how you and Zetsu met and how you together perfected the Impure World Reincarnation?"
"Hmm." Orochimaru nodded and began narrating the process of how he and Black Zetsu met and perfected the technique together…
In fact, Orochimaru was interested in the Impure World Reincarnation only because it involved the soul level. He wanted to master soul transfer through its research to achieve the goal of reincarnation.
But the research process hadn't been smooth.
Until he met Zetsu.
His encounter with Black Zetsu was accidental.
At that time, Black Zetsu came to Konoha to discuss the Allied Shinobi Forces matter with the Third Hokage.
After finishing the official business, Orochimaru was ordered to see him out of the village.
Then, a gust of wind blew, scattering some documents from Zetsu's hand.
Orochimaru acted swiftly, using Hidden Shadow Snake Hands to snatch back the scrolls flying in the air.
But due to the strong wind, the scroll had already unfurled in mid-air, allowing Orochimaru to see the contents.
It was research material on the soul.
According to Zetsu, it was secret knowledge handed down from the time when the Ninshu founded by the Sage of Six Paths still existed.
Orochimaru glanced at it briefly and felt this material could make up for Impure World Reincarnation's defects. So he asked Zetsu for the technique.
Black Zetsu said he could give it to him, even help him perfect the Impure World Reincarnation technique, but after completion, Orochimaru needed to teach him the perfected technique.
Orochimaru agreed.
"That's how it was." Orochimaru said. "At the time, considering the difficulty of mastering Impure World Reincarnation, he couldn't possibly learn it, so I agreed."
"Foolish! Such a dangerous technique, how could you teach it to an outsider?" Hiruzen admonished.
"How could I possibly teach it to him?" Orochimaru smiled lightly. "Although we researched and perfected it together, my research was the core. The technique I gave him was naturally fake. He couldn't possibly learn it."
Hashirama said, "Even so, it still results in an outcome of broken faith!"
Orochimaru shrugged, said nothing.
Seeing this, Hashirama didn't say more and looked at Tobirama.
Tobirama shook his head slightly. "Can't discern anything."
"I told you you're being too suspicious."
Tobirama snorted and turned away.
"Better to be safe." Hiruzen's face was full of gravity. "He possesses the Land of Sky and Ninshu Era handed-down materials. His origins must be extraordinary. But Konoha's intelligence agency has investigated for five years and found nothing."
"So, do we still summon Uchiha Madara?"
"Prepare first. We'll decide depending on the situation then!"
"Okay."
…
Land of Wind.
Over four thousand meters high in the sky, clouds drifted in clumps.
A hawk parted the clouds, about to spread its wings and soar, when suddenly a black object came towards it, scaring it into swerving abruptly, narrowly brushing past.
It looked back, wanting to see clearly what it had almost collided with.
A massive steel metropolis came into view.
Overall black, enveloped by massive bronze walls, atop which countless devices gleaming with cold light were placed.
Inside the walls were row upon row of towers and round buildings, from outside inward, each taller than the last, connected by sky bridges, iron plates, gears, bearings, finally forming a whole that protected the nearly kilometer-high central tower.
On the complex yet not narrow streets, people came and went.
The black object that had almost collided with the hawk was the spire of the central tower.
Seeing this, the hawk opened its eyes wide in a very human-like manner, as if saying: Are you kidding me? Why is there such a huge city four thousand meters high?
However, out of fear of humans, the hawk had no desire to investigate further and quickly spread its wings and flew away quickly.
…
New Sunagakure.
Kazekage Building… no, it should be called the Central Administration Building.
A total of one hundred and fifty floors, nine hundred and eighty meters tall.
Such a massive building… even though Sunagakure had expanded greatly over the years, was sufficient to house all military, political, and civilian administrative offices, becoming the true to its name central administration.
The Round Table Conference… as Sunagakure's highest authority, was naturally placed on the top floor.
At this moment, all members of the expanded Round Table Conference were present.
"Everyone, voice your opinions." The Third Kazekage sat in the middle position, leaning slightly forward, hands clasped in front of him. His increasingly steady eyes swept over everyone.
All the Shinobi from the various villages boarding the Sky Castles and flying away… such a large-scale action naturally couldn't be hidden from Sunagakure.
Over these five years, everything Ryuji had deduced from the abnormal ceasefire between Iwagakure and Konoha, except for the joint attack on Sunagakure, had already been proven.
And now, with the military forces of the great villages all mobilizing, they had to be cautious and tense.
"This goes without saying?" Mukai stated. "Over these years, the other villages have constantly excluded and made petty moves against our Sunagakure. Their hostility is clear. Now the military strength of all villages simultaneously goes out. One doesn't need to think to guess it's a long-planned move against us!"
"Our Sunagakure's development speed was too fast. They felt threatened and are preparing for a life-or-death struggle!"
"Rather than discussing this fact obvious at a glance, we should discuss the situation when the enemy attacks."
Everyone spoke one after another.
The conference room soon became noisy.
"Silence!"
The Third Kazekage rapped the table. Seeing it quiet down, he looked at the red-haired youth sitting silently in the corner.
"Ryuji, what is your opinion?"
Ryuji spread his hands, pouted. "My view is the same as everyone else's."
"Okay. I think so too." The Third Kazekage took a deep breath and continued asking, "Then do you have any countermeasures?"
"Countermeasures?" Ryuji was momentarily stunned, asked, "Why would we need countermeasures?"
"?"
Everyone looked at Ryuji dumbfounded, not understanding what he meant.
"The ones who should consider countermeasures are them, not us." Ryuji looked at them with incredulity. "Do you really think they united are stronger than us?"
"…"
Everyone remained silent.
They felt Ryuji was too arrogant.
Even though Sunagakure now truly had the strength to oppose the entire Shinobi World alone, who was stronger or weaker could only be known after fighting.
However,
The person saying this was Ryuji, so they also found it natural.
Because, the miracle-like phenomenon of Sunagakure was precisely his creation.
"Even if those who need to think of countermeasures are them, we can't just eat and drink as usual, right? After all, it's war. That's too frivolous."
"How could that be?"
Ryuji's words made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
"Of course, it's to strike before they attack us, we strike first!"