Chapter 394: The Raikage and Tsuchikage Argue Incessantly
A high-frequency hum tore through the air, vibrating so violently it blurred the edges of reality.
The massive, hyper-dense Tailed Beast Ball—a sphere of pure destruction capable of leveling the entire canyon—simply ceased to exist. It did not explode; it dissolved.
Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu.
A Kekkei Tōta. A terrifying evolution of chakra nature transformation that completely surpassed the boundaries of a standard Bloodline Limit. It was an absolute, flawless killing stroke designed to break down all physical matter into a microscopic, atomic state.
"Roar!"
The beast's furious bellow warped into a heart-wrenching, agonizing shriek. The blinding white geometric beam of light surged forward, its momentum entirely unchecked by the erased Tailed Beast Ball. It slammed viciously into the colossal frame of the Four-Tails.
The pillar of light swept sideways.
Son Goku's massive right shoulder, along with its entire thick, muscular arm, instantly evaporated into thin air. No blood, no gore. Just pure erasure.
"Damn it... Dust Release..." the beast choked out, staggering back.
On the opposite ridge, Rasa stood calmly atop a surging, glittering wave. His hands blurred through a rapid sequence of seals, seizing the perfect opening created by the devastating strike.
"Magnet Release: Sand Gold Layered Grand Funeral!"
A terrifying, tidal wave of heavy, crushing gold dust crashed down from the heavens. The sheer weight of the metallic sand instantly swallowed Son Goku's towering figure completely.
A final, furious roar of absolute unwillingness echoed from beneath the golden sea.
Unable to bear the crushing pressure and the catastrophic damage dealt by the Dust Release, the Four-Tails could no longer maintain its physical manifestation. The colossal ape burst apart, dissipating into a massive cloud of boiling red chakra smoke.
Roshi was, ultimately, not a perfect Jinchuriki. Stripped of his Tailed Beast form and battered to the brink of death, the old monk's eyes rolled back. He completely lost consciousness before his body even hit the ground.
Within seconds, the shifting gold dust tightly bound Roshi's broken body, leaving only his head exposed to the cold air.
A few paces away, the very fabric of space began to ripple. A spiraling vortex twisted outward, slowly revealing the masked figure of Obito. He stepped out of the spatial distortion, his single visible eye glancing down at Roshi, who lay slumped in the dirt like a dead dog. Obito gave a slow, approving nod.
"As expected of former Kage. The capture efficiency is far higher than I imagined."
Hovering nearby, his body wrapped in bandages, Mū stared at Obito with a chilling, dead-eyed glare.
"Uchiha brat," the Second Tsuchikage rasped, his voice grating like grinding stones. "This feeling of being a puppet on strings... it is thoroughly unpleasant."
"Save your complaints." Obito completely ignored the suffocating killing intent radiating from the reanimated Kage. He walked straight past Mū, stopping right beside Roshi's unconscious form. "This is merely the opening act. Soon, there will be a much grander stage waiting for all of you."
His Mangekyo Sharingan spun.
Kamui.
Space warped and twisted around the defeated Jinchuriki. In a matter of seconds, Roshi's battered body was sucked entirely into the alternate dimension, vanishing without a trace.
Obito looked up at the darkening sky.
'Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Eight-Tails,'he thought, a dark satisfaction settling in his chest.'Successfully captured.'
Two days later. The Land of Iron.
Inside the heavily fortified conference hall, the atmosphere felt significantly colder than the raging blizzard howling outside the stone walls. A massive, U-shaped table dominated the center of the room.
Every seat was occupied. Aside from the neutral host, General Mifune of the samurai, the rest of the attendees were all prominent, heavy-hitting figures within the shinobi world. Representatives from Kusagakure, Takigakure, Yugakure...
The leader of Kusagakure rubbed his hands together, his knuckles purple from the chill, though the cold sweat beading on his forehead betrayed his true anxiety. He cursed silently in his heart. The pressure in this room was utterly suffocating.
Seated to his far left was the Fourth Raikage, Ay. The massive man sat with his arms crossed, his heavily muscled face twisted into a scowl that radiated raw, unadulterated murderous intent.
To the right sat the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. The old man's face was cast in deep shadows, his expression so grim and stern it looked carved from weathered stone.
The Kusagakure leader swallowed hard, trying to make himself as small as possible in his chair.
"Since everyone has gathered," Mifune said, clearing his throat to shatter the heavy, oppressive silence. As the leader of a strictly neutral nation, it fell upon him to preside over this volatile assembly and maintain order. "Let us begin the proceedings. We are here to discuss the 'Joint Resistance Against Konoha' proposal, formally initiated by Kumogakure and Iwagakure..."
Before Mifune could even finish his opening remarks, the heavy oak doors at the back of the hall were violently shoved open.
A bitter gust of wind, thick with swirling snowflakes, poured into the heated room. An Iwagakure Anbu operative stumbled through the threshold, his breathing ragged.
"Tsuchikage... Tsuchikage-sama!"
Every single pair of eyes in the room instantly snapped toward the intruder.
Ōnoki, seated at the head of the right flank, slammed his hand onto the armrest. His thick eyebrows knitted together, deep displeasure etching lines across his aged face.
"Such panic! What kind of disgraceful behavior is this?" he barked, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "Even if the sky itself collapses, I am here to hold it up. Catch your breath and speak clearly."
The Anbu dropped to one knee on the hard floor. He was trembling violently, though whether from the biting cold outside or the sheer terror of his report, no one could tell. He raised a sealed scroll with both hands, offering it forward.
"Urgent intelligence from the border... Roshi-sama... he was attacked."
Ōnoki's fingers twitched. The stern composure he had just demanded vanished, his weathered face darkening several shades in an instant.
"Attacked?" he repeated, his voice dropping to a dangerous, gravelly whisper. "What was the result?"
The Anbu buried his masked face even lower toward the floorboards.
"He was captured, Lord Tsuchikage. The tracking unit investigated the battlefield. At the scene, they found... massive deposits of Gold Dust. And unmistakable traces of Dust Release."
The ambient temperature inside the grand hall seemed to plummet straight past the freezing point. A terrifying, crushing pressure of earth-natured chakra erupted directly from Ōnoki's small frame, rattling the teacups on the table.
"Gold Dust?" he muttered, his eyes widening in horror. "Dust Release?"
Ōnoki paused, his jaw locking tight before he forced the words out through gritted teeth.
"Those are the signature abilities of the Fourth Kazekage... and my master, the Second Tsuchikage! Edo Tensei..."
Ōnoki's head snapped up, his gaze darting across the U-shaped table to lock onto the Fourth Raikage.
It was a terrifying coincidence. Ay was already staring right back at him, his eyes bloodshot and practically bulging with barely contained fury. In that single, silent exchange, the two most powerful men in the room reached a grim, unspoken consensus.
Bang!
Ay slammed his massive fist down, splintering the solid wood of the table.
"There is no need to guess!" the Raikage roared, his voice like a thunderclap. "It is Konoha!"
Ay shot to his feet. Violent, crackling blue Lightning Release chakra instantly erupted around his massive frame, scorching the air and making the hair on the minor village leaders' arms stand on end.
"Our Kumogakure's Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee, was also ambushed and captured!" Ay bellowed, his chest heaving. "And now, Iwagakure's Roshi has fallen as well! The Second Tsuchikage? The Fourth Kazekage? Who else but Konoha possesses the forbidden jutsu to play such disgusting tricks with the souls of the dead?!"
He glared around the room, daring anyone to contradict him.
"And more —who else would dare?!"
Ōnoki took a slow, rattling breath, forcibly suppressing the volcanic anger threatening to boil over in his chest. Yet, the sharp, piercing killing intent flashing in his eyes was impossible to conceal. using his Light-Weight Rock Technique, the old man floated slowly from his chair, drifting over the center of the table so he could look down upon the assembly.
"Everyone," Ōnoki began, his voice dangerously calm. "The reality of the situation is already perfectly clear. This is no longer an isolated skirmish. This is not a targeted strike against a single hidden village."
He paused, letting the weight of his next words settle over the room.
"This is a declaration of war! It is Konoha's absolute declaration of war against the entire shinobi world!"
"Konoha is clearly no longer satisfied with the current balance of power," Ōnoki continued, his tone turning venomous. "They have already subjugated Sunagakure and Kirigakure. Now, they are coming for the rest of us. Gentlemen, we stand at a critical juncture of life and death. There is absolutely no room left for hesitation."
The air in the room seemed to solidify into concrete. The leaders of the minor shinobi villages exchanged terrified, wide-eyed glances, cold sweat completely soaking through the backs of their thick winter robes.
Ay waved his thick arm violently, dismissing the fear of the minor nations, and slammed his palm onto the table once more.
"If we are going to fight, then we fight now!" the Raikage roared. "We cannot give Konoha a single second to catch its breath and consolidate its stolen power! I propose an immediate, massive offensive. We split our allied forces into two distinct routes!"
Ay slammed a finger onto the map carved into the table's surface.
"Kumogakure's main military force will assemble at the border of the Land of Lightning. We will march straight through the Land of Hot Springs and strike like a spear directly into the northeastern hinterland of the Land of Fire!"
"Simultaneously," Ay continued, his eyes burning with tactical fervor, "Iwagakure's army will mobilize south from the Land of Earth. You will march through the Land of Grass and launch a devastating surprise attack against the northwestern defense lines of the Land of Fire!"
Ay clenched both his fists, his gaze fierce and uncompromising.
"A massive pincer attack from both sides! We will force Konoha to divide its military strength, making them unable to protect both their head and their tail! As long as we tear open a single gap in their borders, our combined forces will drive straight into their heartland and flatten Konoha Village to the ground!"
As soon as the Raikage laid out his battle plan, several leaders of the smaller villages began to nod in tentative agreement. It was a brutally effective, classic pincer offensive. By using the geographical positioning of the two remaining Great Ninja Villages, they could stretch Konoha's defensive lines to their absolute breaking point.
However.
A sharp, grating sneer abruptly cut through the murmurs of agreement.
"Stupid."
Ōnoki remained hovering in mid-air, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as he looked down at the towering Raikage with merciless mockery.
"Raikage, is your thick skull filled with nothing but paste and muscle?"
"What did you just say?!" Ay exploded, instantly enraged. The Lightning Release Chakra Mode flared violently around him, the blue arcs crackling like whips as his pale blonde hair stood on end. "Do you want to die right here, old man?! I am laying out a flawless strategy to win this war!"
Ōnoki did not flinch an inch. He stared directly into the raging storm of the Raikage's chakra, his gaze as sharp and unyielding as a freshly honed kunai.
"Split our troops?" Ōnoki scoffed. "If we were facing an ordinary opponent, or a conventional military force, that would indeed be a sound tactical strategy. But have you forgotten who we are dealing with?!"
The old Tsuchikage leaned forward, his voice dropping to a deadly hiss.
"We are dealing with Uchiha Akira!"
Just speaking the name aloud caused a flicker of deep, deeply ingrained dread to pass through Ōnoki's eyes.
"According to our most reliable intelligence, Uchiha Akira possesses a Space-Time Ninjutsu on par with, or even surpassing, Namikaze Minato's! If we split our armies across two distant fronts, it is nothing short of mass suicide! You would be handing Uchiha Akira the perfect opportunity to teleport between battlefields and slaughter our forces one by one!"
", Konoha is not lacking in elite commanders! They now have Sannin like Jiraiya and Tsunade leading their ranks!"
Ōnoki descended, slamming his own palm against the table to match Ay's earlier aggression.
"We cannot divide our strength! We must combine our armies into a single, unstoppable juggernaut! Every single shinobi, every ounce of manpower, every weapon, and every resource must be concentrated on one singular point!"
Ōnoki glared at the Raikage, his chest heaving with exertion.
"Only by gathering the absolute peak power of every strong fighter in this room do we even stand a fraction of a chance at killing Uchiha Akira! That is our one and only path to victory!"
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