551-555

Chapter 551: Declaration of War!  

Land of Iron, Snow Fortress – Five Kage Summit Hall  

At this moment, beneath the five banners of Fire, Wind, Lightning, Water, and Earth hanging from the ceiling, the five Kage of the respective villages sat around a circular table, each having placed their Kage hats in front of them.  

Those attending the summit were:  

• Land of Fire: 

• Acting Hokage, Minato Namikaze, accompanied by two members of his personal guard—the new "White Fang," Kakashi Hatake, and the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, Rin Nohara.  

• Land of Wind: 

Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, accompanied by his aides, Baki and Yura.  

• Land of Lightning: 

Fourth Raikage, A, accompanied by Darui and his assistant, Mabui.  

• Land of Water: 

Fourth Mizukage, Mei Terumi (in her younger form), accompanied by Mangetsu Hōzuki and Sasori of the Red Sand. Behind Sasori stood Mifune, now turned into a human puppet.  

• Land of Earth: 

Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki of Both Scales, accompanied by Akatsuchi and another unidentified ninja. 

Additionally, representing the neutral Land of Iron was Shōsuke, the current Samurai General. He was the former deputy of Mifune, a one-eyed man with two scars across his face.  

As the host, Shōsuke had no interest in presiding over the meeting. Instead, his eyes burned with hatred as he glared at Sasori standing behind the Mizukage, his hand trembling on the hilt of his sword.  

From the very beginning, the summit had devolved into a one-sided confrontation, with the four great nations collectively accusing the Hidden Leaf.  

At this moment—  

"Hokage, do you have nothing to say in defense of your village’s rogue ninja, Orochimaru?"  

"Stealing the tailed beasts from four villages at such a crucial time—what exactly is your goal?!"  

"I understand, I understand. Everyone, please calm down." Minato forced a smile, raising his hands in an attempt to ease the Kage’s anger.  

"Orochimaru’s defection was an unexpected incident, even for the Hidden Leaf."  

"That's just an excuse!"  

"This is nothing more than Konoha using the tailed beasts as weapons to start another war!"  

"We have no such intention."  

The Fourth Raikage abruptly stood up, slamming his only hand against the table. His furious gaze bore into Minato as he roared, "Then how do you explain Orochimaru's actions!? Hokage, your naïve words might fool children, but don’t deceive yourself!"  

On the side, Mei Terumi, who had been listening to the chaotic argument, suddenly chuckled and spoke in a teasing tone, "Raikage, didn't you just send a letter of surrender to the Uchiha? If Konoha really does unify the shinobi world, they won’t even have to fight you. Why are you so worked up?"  

The Fourth Raikage snapped his head toward her and sneered, "Uchiha Tsukasa is dead. Mizukage, stop pretending. Right now, the place with the highest concentration of rogue ninja in the world—the one that inherited most of Uchiha Tsukasa's legacy—is none other than your Hidden Mist. Who’s to say that Orochimaru, Tsukasa’s former teacher, won’t join you next?"  

"This is nothing but a conspiracy between you and the Hokage!"  

"Heh, and so what? You all act so righteous, but when the real fight starts, you'll be the first to kneel at the Uchiha's doorstep. Uchiha Tsukasa should have wiped you all out long ago. Since he didn’t finish the job, I will!"  

"Are you declaring war now, Raikage?"  

"You—!"  

On the other side of the table, Rasa, the Kazekage, clenched his fists. Mei's words had struck a nerve, reminding him of a humiliation he wished to forget. Unlike the Raikage, he wasn’t afraid of being caught between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire—after all, the Hidden Sand was on the other side of the continent.  

Gritting his teeth, Rasa turned toward Mei with a sinister glare. "Mizukage, what are you implying?"  

Minato let out a long sigh, watching the summit descend into little more than a marketplace brawl. If this continued, Mei might actually spark the next Great Ninja War right here.  

Suddenly, he stood up and commanded in an icy tone—  

"Enough!"  

"Everyone!"  

"Right now, we should not be arguing over past grudges. Instead, we must focus on the real issue—Orochimaru’s defection, his theft of seven resurrected tailed beasts, and most importantly, the fact that he has revealed possession of the Rinnegan!"  

"As far as I know, the previous possessors of the Rinnegan—Yahiko and Nagato, the leaders of the Akatsuki—intended to collect the tailed beasts to create a weapon that could end all wars."  

"Now that Orochimaru has obtained the Rinnegan, what is his goal? What will he do next? And how do we respond? These are the questions we should be discussing!"  

Minato's piercing gaze swept over the room.  

The moment he got serious, the aura of the Yellow Flash filled the hall, suppressing all hostility.  

A heavy silence fell. Even the Fourth Raikage sat back down with a grim expression.  

There were only three people in the world who had ever beaten him—his father, the Third Raikage; Uchiha Tsukasa; and the man standing before him, Minato Namikaze.  

Exhaling slowly, Minato continued,  

"Orochimaru's goal is the tailed beasts."  

"And right now, the last two remaining tailed beasts and their respective Jinchūriki are in Konoha. That is why I ask all of you to temporarily put aside our disputes—"  

He paused for a moment, clenching his fists.  

The other Kage instinctively turned their gaze toward the girl standing behind Minato, smiling softly.  

The Three-Tails Jinchūriki, Rin Nohara.  

However—  

Before Minato could even finish his proposal—  

Bang! 

Bang! 

Bang!  

Suddenly, deep, muffled sounds erupted from beneath the conference hall’s floor, as if someone was pounding against it from below!  

Every shinobi in the room tensed.  

Then—  

With a deafening crash, a coffin burst through the stone floor, landing at the center of the room!  

An eerie voice, thick with mockery, echoed from within—  

"No need for all that trouble."  

"Because from this moment—"  

Boom!  

The coffin lid exploded outward with immense force, barely missing Rin’s face before embedding itself in the wall behind her.  

Crack! Crack!  

Jagged cracks spread across the wall like a spiderweb.  

Every shinobi in the room felt a chill crawl down their spine as they stared in horror at the figure emerging from the dissipating smoke.  

A man clad in a black combat bodysuit, layered with deep red armor plates. His eyes were shut, his face marked with ominous cracks. Long, wild black hair cascaded down his back. Though he looked no older than twenty, his presence was overwhelming.  

The moment the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, laid eyes on the man, his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.  

"You… You’re—"  

"Uchiha Madara!"  

Whoooosh!  

Madara exhaled slowly, standing at the center of the shattered floor.  

Then, he snapped his eyes open—  

"BOOM!!!"  

A colossal, towering, blazing blue entity erupted into existence, its terrifying form piercing the sky!  

It shattered the fortress, looming high above.  

As countless horrified shinobi stared in terror—  

Madara, like a god descending upon mortals, sneered at the Kage below and declared—  

"The Fourth Great Ninja War… begins now!"  

Chapter 552: Revival 

At this moment, outside the Snow Fortress in the Land of Iron, 

figures hidden within the heavy snowfall were abruptly swept out by a flash of brilliant blue sword energy! 

Uchiha Obito stared blankly at the Snow Fortress, which had suddenly been reduced to ruins. His eyes turned blood-red in an instant, with three pitch-black tomoe spinning uncontrollably within them. 

“—Rin!!!” 

His body trembled, his eyes widened in shock, and his face twisted with a ferocious expression. 

Ignoring the giant wooden spikes raining down from the aftermath of the sword energy, Obito scrambled to his feet, ready to dash towards the Snow Fortress—towards the towering figure of the mighty Susano'o standing proudly amidst the destruction! 

However, 

just then, a pale hand suddenly pressed down on Obito's shoulder. 

“Obito, don't go!” 

The familiar voice echoing by his ear made Obito freeze. He turned his head in astonishment and saw the red-haired woman standing behind him, draped in a cloak with her face hidden beneath the hood. 

“Kushina-sensei?!” 

“And... everyone else?” 

It wasn’t just Uzumaki Kushina, who should’ve been in Konoha, that had appeared behind the trio. There were also several Anbu members in their uniforms, as well as the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, Shibi Aburame, and other powerful jonin. 

“Obito, calm down. Minato will protect Rin,” Kushina said with a frown, standing amidst the flaming ruins of the snow-covered forest, her gaze fixed on the direction of the Snow Fortress with deep concern. 

“For now, you... all of you... have a more important mission!” 

Behind her, Nara Shikaku, his expression just as serious, reported his analysis to Kushina: 

“The information was accurate. The one who attacked the Five Kage Summit is likely Uchiha Madara, resurrected by Orochimaru’s Edo Tensei. Orochimaru is probably nearby.” 

“The sensory team is already spread out, and Shibi’s insects are scattered in every corner of the area, but we haven’t received any reports yet. Our only remaining options are to try our luck with the Curse Mark or use your unique malevolence-sensing ability.” 

“Are you ready for this, Kushina?” 

Kushina nodded, and streams of crimson chakra began to seep from her body, forming a Tailed Beast Cloak around her. 

She closed her eyes slightly and began a large-scale sensory sweep of the surroundings. 

“What’s going on?” Obito stood there dumbfounded, watching the scene unfold. Seeing the sudden appearance of so many adults, his heart was filled with anxiety, but he didn’t know what to do. He looked pleadingly at Nara Shikaku, who was leading the group. 

“Lord Shikaku... Kushina-sensei... Why are you here? 

And Rin... Rin, Kakashi, and Minato-sensei are all over there... I...” 

Nara Shikaku patted his shoulder and said in a low voice, 

“Uchiha Obito, what you should be doing right now is to calm down and focus on the Heaven’s Curse Mark on your neck. According to our investigation of Anko Mitarashi, those who possess the Curse Mark experience a unique sensation when they get close to one another.” 

“This might be our key to finding Orochimaru.” 

Seeing Obito’s anxious expression, Nara Shikaku paused. Knowing that the boy wouldn’t cooperate without a clear explanation, he continued, 

“Since things have come to this, there’s no point in keeping secrets. I’ll tell you everything.  

“This time, Konoha’s participation in the Five Kage Summit is officially to deal with the other four nations. But in reality, we’ve mobilized a large number of elite shinobi, led by Acting Hokage Minato Namikaze and Nine-Tails Jinchuriki Kushina Uzumaki.  

“We even brought along Rin Nohara, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, specifically to use her as bait to capture Orochimaru, who defected from the village.” 

“But we never expected that the one to show up would be Uchiha Madara instead of Orochimaru!” 

“And now...  

“To break the Edo Tensei, we must find the caster and force them to undo the technique!” 

Nara Shikaku let out a heavy sigh. “Do you understand now? 

Rushing to that battlefield won’t change anything. Uchiha Madara is fighting the Five Kage, and you’re not strong enough to join a battle of that level.  

“What you need to do now is clear. If you still want to go, I won’t stop you.” 

“I... I...” Obito looked at the enormous Susano'o in the distance, clenching his fists tightly. 

He understood that without the Mangekyou Sharingan, he had no place on that battlefield.  

The only thing he could rely on was the Heaven’s Curse Mark given to him by Uchiha Shinji, which was more suitable for the current situation. 

Nara Shikaku’s instructions were indeed the best course of action. 

But... 

Obito lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and took a deep breath. 

“I understand.” 

He closed his eyes tightly and focused his entire being on the Heaven’s Curse Mark on the back of his neck.  

However, 

before Kushina, who was already concentrating on her sensory scan, or the nearby Yamato and Anko Mitarashi could sense anything,  

Obito’s eyes suddenly flew open with surprise. 

“Huh? I can feel it!” 

“What?!” 

Everyone was stunned by his sudden outburst and turned to look at him. Kushina even opened her eyes in shock. 

“Obito, did you sense Orochimaru’s location?” 

“Uh...” Obito hesitated, thinking to himself, This Curse Mark was given to me by Uchiha Shinji, so how could it possibly detect Orochimaru? 

“This chakra... it feels familiar. But the location... it’s both far away and really close. How strange...” 

He scratched his head, feeling the Curse Mark on the back of his neck heat up. 

Then...  

It grew hotter and hotter, almost like it was burning through his skin! 

“Hiss!” Obito winced, bending over and instinctively reaching to touch the scorching Curse Mark. 

But, 

Snap! 

A pale hand suddenly shot out and grabbed Obito’s wrist, stopping him from touching the Curse Mark.  

Everyone stared in shock at the scene before them, 

watching as—  

A ghastly white hand emerged from the Curse Mark on Obito’s neck!  

Then, 

its owner pulled themselves out of the mark, inch by inch—from the arm, to the shoulder, to the head, to the torso, and finally... 

He stood atop Obito’s head, who collapsed to the ground as if the energy had been drained from him, and casually flipped his long black hair. 

“Hah...” 

Everyone present was left speechless, 

staring in shock at the figure that had just crawled out of Obito’s Curse Mark. 

Even though his body had matured since they last saw him, the moment they saw his face, they were all stunned. 

“You’re...” 

“Uchiha Shinji... No... Hokage-sama!”  

“It’s the Fourth Hokage!”  

“Wait...” Kushina’s face changed as she looked at the boy who had grown taller, now standing at least six feet. 

She extended her arm to block the others behind her, her gaze cautious as she watched the boy who stood eerily still, his expression vacant like a puppet, his movements stiff and unnatural.  

“This chakra... something’s wrong!”  

“You’re not Shinji! Who are you?!”  

Chapter 553: Interrogation  

In the Beginning Sphere Space, 

Shinji, who had been sitting cross-legged on the ground, slowly opened his eyes.  

He calculated with his fingers, but as expected, he couldn't determine how much time had passed. Lowering his head, he looked at the vertical tally marks he had etched into the ground to track time.  

"Has it been three months already?"  

"It must be winter in the Shinobi World by now."  

After calculating the time spent fusing the Kekkei Tōta, Shinji raised his palm and gazed at the white cube floating above it.  

[You have mastered: Kekkei Tōta – Dust Release!]  

[You have mastered: Dust Release: Limitless Detachment of the Primitive World Technique, Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique, Dust Release: Splitting Detachment of the Primitive World, and various sub-ninjutsu under the Dust Release lineage.]  

Even with Indra's guidance, mastering this unheard-of Kekkei Tōta proved difficult. In the end, he only managed to learn two techniques.  

Trying to understand the fundamental forces of the universe through theoretical analysis was too abstract. No matter how much he racked his brain, all he could do was crudely imitate that immense power.  

Indra had been right before parting ways.  

Kekkei Tōta was merely an imitation—an attempt to replicate naturally occurring universal phenomena through jutsu. By extension, even Kekkei Mōra was nothing more than a different form of expressing these phenomena.  

However, for Shinji at this moment, this was more than enough!  

Compared to the true Ōtsutsuki God in the vast cosmos, the enemies he now faced were merely defective products who had inherited a fragment of divine power through bloodline.  

They did not understand the essence of these "techniques" or the complexity behind them. They merely squandered their inherited abilities, much like wealthy fools who upheld a hollow sense of "dignity" while living off their ancestors' riches.  

Shinji stood up.  

After three months, his chakra and ocular power had recovered to nearly half of their original state, allowing him to use the Bloodline Net—Yomi-no-Kagura—once more.  

However, the moment he returned to the Shinobi World, the Sage of Six Paths would never let him go!  

Until the cycle of reincarnation in the Shinobi World reached its final outcome—the result the Sage sought—he would descend the moment he sensed Shinji revival, capture him, and interrogate him about Indra’s whereabouts.  

Shinji was confident he could temporarily repel the Sage of Six Paths, but to truly confront him head-on, he needed time—time to conduct a grand ritual under the Sage’s very nose, integrating all his jutsu and refining his intricate system to its peak!  

To truly step into the realm of the Six Paths!  

For that—  

He needed allies!  

With that thought, Shinji did not hesitate. His eyes snapped wide open!  

"Dōjutsu: Yomi-no-Kagura!"  

First, he created a small space-time portal, no larger than his palm. Then, through it, he activated Kagura Mind's Eye, instantly casting his gaze toward the Shinobi World. His faint but imperceptible ocular power, wrapped in chakra, darted across the Shinobi World at nearly the speed of light!  

In an instant—  

He found a foothold for his temporary resurrection.  

It was the Heavenly Curse Seal he had once bestowed upon Uchiha Obito!  

"You're not Shinji ! Who are you really?!"  

A familiar voice echoed in his ears.  

Shinji stiffly turned his head and saw the people of Konoha standing among the fiery ruins in the snow, led by Uzumaki Kushina.  

After activating the chakra in Obito’s Heavenly Curse Seal, the Senjutsu chakra stored within it should have revived Shinji in the same state as when he had planted the seal—before the coup d'état at Ryokuchi Reef.  

Since the real Shinji had already "died" in the Shinobi World, this revived version of him should have only retained the memories from before placing the seal.  

However, in the Beginning Sphere Space, Shinji had remotely rewritten the chakra within the Heavenly Curse Seal across a vast distance. As a result, the "clone" resurrected through it now possessed his full memories.  

But due to the extreme distance, the chakra transmission was somewhat laggy.  

Moreover, Shinji original chakra had already undergone Kekkei Tōta evolution, making its fluctuations entirely different from before.  

At this moment—  

Looking at Kushina, who wanted to believe yet hesitated, her expression filled with doubt and inner turmoil, Shinji gradually understood everything.  

He tilted his head back, gazing at the overcast sky.  

With the resurrection of this "clone" and the descent of his true chakra, the already gloomy sky was undergoing a visible transformation!  

Above his head, endless dark clouds began to swirl and converge.  

The clouds churned and rolled, as if some preordained mechanism had been triggered. It felt as though a terrifying presence would soon pierce through the sky, casting its gaze upon this world from the heavens above!  

Shinji instantly realized—  

The time available for this "clone" was limited.  

However—  

Looking at the familiar faces before him, he couldn’t help but smile.  

"Kushina Big Sis... it's been a long time!"  

"You...?"  

Hearing the term "Big Sis," Kushina froze for a moment. However, she still remained on guard, her stance ready for action at any time.  

Although Kushina had not awakened the Kagura Mind’s Eye, her heightened perception—enhanced by the Nine-Tails Cloak—allowed her to sense both chakra and malicious intent.  

The abnormal fluctuations in Shinji chakra were precisely why she was being so cautious.  

Just then—  

The chakra overwrite was finally completed.  

Shinji exhaled deeply, dispersing the fusion chakra from his true self. Instantly, his chakra fluctuations returned to their pre-death state.  

"Huh? His chakra just changed again?"  

Kushina looked surprised, hesitating before cautiously asking,  

"Are you... really Shinji?!"  

Shinji grinned sheepishly, scratching his head.  

"Well... you could say that. But don't worry, I won't be gone for long! Once I win the resurrection match, I'll be back for good!"  

"Resurrection match? What’s that?"  

Kushina was momentarily confused. But then, remembering that Shinji , like Minato, had a habit of using strange terminology, she let it slide.  

"Whatever. There's a mess of problems right now, but first—"  

Kushina stepped forward, letting out a long breath before wrapping Shinji in a tight embrace, her voice choked with emotion.  

"Welcome back, Shinji!"  

Shinji smiled and was about to pat her on the back when he suddenly felt something struggling beneath his feet.  

"Look, I get that this is touching and all, but hey!"  

"Fourth Hokage-sama, could you please move your foot off my head?!"  

Shinji and Kushina awkwardly separated. Looking down, Shinji saw Obito sprawled on the ground. Shinji grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up—when he suddenly noticed something amusing.  

"Wait, what did you just call me?"  

Shinji eyes gleamed with interest.  

"Come on, say it again. I wanna hear it!"  

Obito’s face turned red with anger, his fists clenched.  

"You bastard! You're still the same as always!"  

Just as Obito lunged at him, a firm hand yanked him back.  

Nara Shikaku stepped forward, his face grave.  

"Fourth Hokage, I apologize for interrupting, but we have an urgent matter to report. The Fourth Great Ninja War could break out at any moment!"  

"There are decisions that only you can make!"  

Shinji coughed awkwardly at being called "Fourth Hokage" and waved dismissively.  

"Man, this title should really be left to Minato."  

Looking around at the battlefield, Shinji raised an eyebrow.  

"Hold up... what the hell is going on here?" 

He gazed at the ruins around him, a scene of utter devastation, as snowflakes danced in the air like feathers. In the distance, a towering Susanoo, over a hundred meters tall, stood amidst the destruction, engaged in a fierce battle with several figures among the wreckage.  

Wait, hold on.  

What the hell is going on here? Did Uchiha Madara just steal Sasuke’s storyline and crash the Five Kage Summit?  

As he thought about the report he was about to deliver, Nara Shikaku hesitated for a moment. But soon, his expression turned serious, and he stepped forward.  

“We are searching for Orochimaru’s whereabouts! Lord Hokage, this matter is of great importance. I know he was your teacher, but right now, Orochimaru—”  

“You’re looking for Orochimaru?”  

Shinji, of course, knew exactly what Orochimaru would do after obtaining the Rinnegan. He waved his hand to cut Shikaku off and then, recalling what he had recently seen through the Kagura Mind’s Eye, shook his head.  

“He’s not here.”  

“Forget it. If you have questions, you might as well ask Orochimaru himself.”  

Shinji turned slightly and glanced toward Mitarashi Anko, who was hiding behind the crowd with a nervous expression. A smile appeared on his face.  

“Perfect timing—I have a few questions for him myself!”  

Chapter 554: Master and Disciple, The Final Warning! 

Snowflakes, as delicate as goose feathers, slowly drifted down, settling on the barren branches of the snow-covered forest.  

Amidst the flickering flames, they sizzled and vanished into wisps of white smoke.  

In the distance, the rumbling grew louder. Yet, within this desolate, ruined forest, the gathered crowd fell silent, exchanging confused glances, their faces etched with bewilderment.  

"Seek out Orochimaru... and ask him directly?"  

Nara Shikaku repeated the words, his voice tinged with hesitation, as he looked at Shinji, utterly perplexed.  

Shinji nodded, then gestured toward Mitarashi Anko, who stood silently behind the group, her head bowed.  

Invisible ocular power transformed into a radiant, white-hot giant hand. It didn't strike but gently nudged the disheveled, exhausted girl forward, bringing her before Shinji.  

Without a word of comfort for this ‘junior disciple’ he had never met before, Shinji simply informed her: 

"I will help you sever all ties with Orochimaru. Konoha will no longer investigate you, and I believe you are innocent."  

"However, in exchange, you must bear this power you cannot control."  

After a brief pause, Shinji added solemnly, 

"Also... you might gain weight! Remember, lay off the dango!"  

Without tremendous willpower to overcome the side effects of the Heavenly Curse Mark, even someone compatible with it would struggle to wield its power.  

To Mitarashi Anko, this power wasn’t a gift but a burden.  

At that moment, hearing the legendary Fourth Hokage say such baffling things, Anko looked up blankly, her face a mask of confusion.  

"Lord Hokage... what are you talking about?"  

Power, severed bonds, and gaining weight—how did these things connect? 

Was this the unique way the legendary Fourth Hokage spoke? 

"I... I also want to ask Orochimaru—"  

Before she could finish, Shinji swiftly placed a palm on her neck and formed the "Ram" seal with his other hand!  

He instantly activated the Curse Mark Possession Technique, forcibly triggering the Heavenly Curse Mark on Anko's neck, extracting Orochimaru's hidden soul from within it.  

In the next moment, 

Mitarashi Anko, overwhelmed by the surge of chakra, collapsed softly into Shinji's arms.  

Meanwhile, another figure rapidly emerged from the curse mark, landing on the ground and taking human form.  

Witnessing this, everyone instinctively took a step back, their faces tense with shock as they stared at the figure: 

Long black hair, pale skin, vertically slitted pupils—one white, one purple—framed by violet eyeshadow and blue-green magatama earrings, dressed in white robes.  

"Orochimaru!"  

"So he was hiding within Anko's curse mark all along! No wonder we couldn't find the caster!"  

"Perfect! And with Lord Hokage here, he won't escape this time!"  

"Don’t celebrate just yet," Shinji interrupted their excitement, shaking his head. 

"This isn’t Orochimaru's true form. When his real body is still alive, any version of him emerging from a curse mark is merely a snake clone. Moreover, it only possesses the memories from when the curse mark was implanted."  

Hearing this, Nara Shikaku thought for a moment and was the first to understand Shinji's meaning. 

"So... this is the Curse Mark Possession Technique."  

However, he frowned and asked, 

"But if this Orochimaru only has past memories, how could he possibly know the current location of the real Orochimaru?"  

Shinji didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to face Orochimaru and smiled. 

"I think, Orochimaru-sensei, you must have planned this all along."  

He pointed to the distance, where Uchiha Madara was fiercely battling the Five Kage, 

"Three years ago, after obtaining the Rinnegan, you were already preparing... including this very moment."  

At this reunion of master and disciple, 

Orochimaru smirked, tilting his head to look at Shinji. He didn’t seem surprised to see him alive. His voice hoarse, he remarked, 

"I knew it... Shinji, you’re not that easy to kill."  

Then, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he added, 

"However, I didn't account for someone activating the Heavenly Curse Mark ahead of schedule..."  

"Enough!"  

Kushina Uzumaki suddenly stepped forward, the Nine-Tails Chakra Cloak reappearing around her. Her voice cold and firm as she interrupted their conversation. 

"Orochimaru, I'll still address you as ‘senpai’ out of respect. What exactly are you planning?"  

"Why did you orchestrate the capture of the Tailed Beasts, attack the Five Kage Summit, and even use Edo Tensei to summon Uchiha Madara?"  

Then, her tone turned grave: 

"If you stop now, we can still negotiate! Stop doing these dangerous things!"  

"Stop...?"  

Orochimaru chuckled, as if hearing a joke. He ignored Kushina entirely, turning to Shinji and asking, 

"My dear disciple, tell me... can I really stop now?"  

Shinji was silent for a moment before shaking his head.  

Uchiha Madara would never allow Orochimaru to take the Rinnegan so easily, especially knowing he could change bodies and defy the divine. 

And it wasn’t just about Madara’s potential contingencies.  

After learning about the Divine Tree Fruit that could fulfill one’s ultimate dream, Orochimaru never intended to stop!  

Orochimaru let out a hoarse chuckle, his eyes gleaming with madness as he stared at the distant Susanoo, whose every move shattered mountains and shook the earth. 

"Shinji... this time, I hold all the cards!"  

"The fruit of truth, the origin of all ninjutsu... it shall all be mine!"  

But Shinji remained calm, 

"However, there is something beyond your control... something that may very well end your life."  

"And what might that be?" Orochimaru asked, frowning slightly.  

Shinji didn’t answer. He merely looked up at the sky.  

High above, the sky was changing. 

Ominous clouds spiraled over the Land of Iron, rotating counterclockwise. 

Amidst the swirling clouds, blue lightning flickered, and at the eye of the storm, something terrifying seemed ready to emerge.  

After a brief silence, Shinji exhaled and asked Orochimaru, 

"Where are you now?"  

Orochimaru's expression darkened as he replied hoarsely, 

"Konoha."  

"What are you planning?"  

"To lure away Minato Namikaze, break into the Uchiha Clan, take your body... and begin the final step."  

"To become the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki." 

"Directly becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki."  

Shinji was momentarily speechless. So, your plans are perfectly in sync with Uchiha Madara's, huh? 

He shook his head, let out a heavy sigh, and calmly spoke to Orochimaru in front of him:  

"This is the final warning, Orochimaru-sensei—"  

"Leave that place now!"  

"Run as far away as you can!"  

Orochimaru looked up at the sky, furrowing his brows in deep thought for a moment. 

Then, he let out a raspy chuckle, as if he had figured something out.  

Turning around, Orochimaru locked eyes with Shinji, his Byakugan and Rinnegan gleaming ominously. 

His gaze was sly, and a cold, eerie smile appeared on his face.  

"It seems, Shinji, that you've managed to get ahead of me once again?"  

"In that case, I'll ask you one last time—"  

Orochimaru stared at him intently and asked solemnly:  

"Are you ready?"  

"Give me the Ryūchi Cave Summoning Contract!"  

Shinji's expression remained unchanged as he directly demanded from Orochimaru, 

"My Kusanagi Sword, the Ame-no-Murakumo, and your Kusanagi Sword—are they all repaired?"  

The fierce winds in the sky grew even more violent, 

And the eye of the storm above became increasingly massive! 

The rushing blue lightning in the clouds transformed into purple, then twisted into pitch-black in an instant! 

Under the sudden change in the heavens, everyone around felt an inexplicable dread. Even their rapid breaths seemed like a series of rapid drumbeats.  

They couldn't understand what Shinji and Orochimaru were discussing, 

Nor could they comprehend the hidden meaning behind their words. 

They just had an inexplicable feeling that—  

These two men, standing before them like outlaws, were conspiring some earth-shattering, terrifying act!  

Without the slightest hesitation,  

Orochimaru immediately regurgitated a scroll, still wet with saliva, and tossed it straight to Shinji. 

Shinji didn't hesitate either—he caught the scroll without even glancing at it, bit his finger, and signed his name on the contract.  

He then pushed Mitarashi Anko toward Kushina and leaped alone to an open, isolated spot, distancing himself from the Konoha crowd behind him.  

Seeing this, the Konoha shinobi looked at him in confusion, 

Shinji turned his head sharply and shouted to stop them from following, 

"Stay back!"  

As if guided by some unspoken understanding, 

The master and disciple, both resurrected through the Cursed Seal of Heaven, simultaneously severed the life force in their bodies! 

Boom! 

Boom! 

Shinji and Orochimaru collapsed to the ground simultaneously.  

The next moment, 

At the center of the swirling storm clouds, 

A pitch-black lightning bolt suddenly split the sky, engulfing everything in darkness.  

The jet-black divine light crashed down like a massive hammer! 

A colossal pillar of black lightning, spanning at least a hundred-meter radius, struck Shinji's lifeless body! 

"—Crack!!!"  

Chapter 555: Orochimaru’s Resolution!  

On the other side, 

The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and the entire Hidden Leaf Village seemed peaceful and serene.  

However, within the Uchiha Clan's territory, 

at this very moment—  

something that sent the entire clan into a frenzy was happening!  

Three years ago, the body of Shinji, retrieved from the Land of Water by the clan's specially appointed guardian ninja, Kakuzu, was refused burial by the Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna. Instead, he defied all opposition and had the body sent to a hospital acquired by the Uchiha Clan for cultivation and restoration.  

During this period, the Uchiha Clan invited renowned medical ninjas from across the ninja world, including Shennong and Tsunade. They spent billions annually to construct a specialized laboratory designed to preserve the body’s vitality. Various advanced instruments were used to monitor what was, without a doubt, a completely lifeless corpse.  

To everyone's surprise, after peeling away the outer layer of charred tissue, the laboratory managed to fully restore Shinji’s body using nothing more than a palm-sized piece of remaining flesh.  

A true miracle in the ninja world!  

However, even though the body was restored, it was still just a corpse. 

The outside world was abuzz with debates over the Uchiha Clan pouring more than half of their annual earnings into preserving a body for unknown reasons.  

Yet, within the Uchiha Clan, no one opposed it. In fact, several waves of voluntary fundraising even emerged among the clan members. Still, the constant ridicule and mockery from outsiders became an increasing source of frustration for the Uchiha.  

During this period, a certain Uchiha Clan Head, who wished to remain anonymous, had taken his blade to the Root Division multiple times in an attempt to silence the rumors at their source. However, each time, the mastermind behind the slander managed to escape just in time.  

But today— 

everything changed!  

At exactly 8:23 AM, while the Five Kage Summit was ongoing in the Land of Iron, the laboratory detected a brief heartbeat from Shinji’s body. At the same time, the nutrient fluid in the cultivation chamber was rapidly depleting.  

In just an instant, all sixteen reserve tanks of vital nutrients in the hospital laboratory were completely drained!  

Acting hospital director and leader of the Sky Ninja Village, Shennong, immediately reported this to the Uchiha Clan. Along with his message, he sent a massive procurement order, stating that the laboratory had run out of nutrients and urgently needed more!  

The moment the news spread, the entire Uchiha Clan erupted into chaos!  

Under the swift command of the newly assembled Uchiha Clan Council, thousands of Uchiha stormed into the Konoha Hospital— 

cough, no—purchased—every single drop of nutrient solution available in the village.  

(Emphasis: purchased! The Uchiha Clan paid for everything!)  

The sight of a thousand Sharingan users moving in unison was so terrifying that Konoha’s ANBU and elite jonin squads were dispatched to maintain order.  

Meanwhile, the Root Division immediately relocated its headquarters, and a certain elder with the surname "Shimura" hastily summoned all his subordinates, ordering them to escort him straight to the Sarutobi residence.  

With the Hokage absent— 

cough, no—this was clearly an action taken to save the Hokage! 

The Uchiha Clan now held the moral high ground, and anyone attempting to interfere would be invited by the ANBU or the Uchiha to have a serious discussion.  

Before long, the Konoha Hospital was completely emptied— 

not even a single bottle of glucose syrup remained.  

Following the council’s command, thousands of Uchiha swarmed toward the village’s nutrient production factories, sealed off the Nara Clan’s medical herb gardens and deer farms, while others rushed out of the village to secure supplies from surrounding cities.  

At this moment—  

Standing in a dark alley, hidden under a hood, Orochimaru was utterly stunned.  

He had taken advantage of Minato and Kushina’s distraction, using the Five Kage Summit as a smokescreen to lure them away. Sneaking back into Konoha alone, his goal was to steal Shinji’s body.  

But now… 

What the hell was going on?!  

Trying to steal Shinji’s body at this moment would be tantamount to declaring war on Konoha! The difficulty of his mission had just skyrocketed to an insane level!  

And unlike in those storybook legends, Orochimaru knew that simply eliminating all witnesses wouldn’t make this a perfect crime.  

Right now, Konoha still had at least two Uchiha with Mangekyō Sharingan. There was also the "strongest Hokage" (questionable) Hiruzen Sarutobi, as well as his secret ally Danzo Shimura, who had already reached near-Kage-level strength. Add to that the heads of various noble clans, an elite ANBU force, and squads of jonin— 

Attempting to seize Shinji’s body now would force Orochimaru to fully unleash Edo Tensei and expose his secrets about the Byakugan and Rinnegan.  

But revealing so much intel at this stage would be a massive loss. 

However, if he didn’t act now, it would be a wasted opportunity.  

If Minato Namikaze were to discover that Shinji could function similarly to a tailed beast— 

allowing Minato to teleport across the battlefield with two jinchūriki and Shinji body— 

then achieving his objectives in the future would become nearly impossible.  

Orochimaru hesitated.  

And then—  

BOOM!  

As if sensing the distant death of one of his clones, a flood of memories and chakra feedback surged into Orochimaru’s mind.  

He froze on the spot. His gaze toward the laboratory filled with complex emotions.  

“Is this child… truly about to return?”  

Standing in the shadows of the alley, Orochimaru watched as waves of Uchiha rushed past, their faces filled with frenzied excitement.  

For the first time, 

he fell into complete silence.  

At that moment, 

Orochimaru’s mind was racing, calculating all possible outcomes.  

Finally— 

as if he had just overturned his entire original plan— 

he made a monumental decision.  

He did three things.  

First— 

he regurgitated the legendary Kusanagi Sword from his throat—an artifact of immense value— 

and casually tossed it into an inconspicuous corner of the Uchiha district.  

Second— 

he formed a series of hand seals in the order: Rat → Ox → Monkey → Tiger → Dragon → Boar!  

“Edo Tensei—Release!”  

A blinding white light burst from the alley, piercing the sky!  

And finally— 

Orochimaru took a deep breath and did the third thing.  

He turned around. 

Didn’t look back.  

And sprinted in the opposite direction—away from the Uchiha Clan— 

at full speed!  

With everything he had, he unleashed Shinra Tensei, using its repulsive force to propel himself forward!  

Without a single care for the houses collapsing in his wake— 

without any concern for exposing his identity—  

Orochimaru transformed into an enormous eight-headed white serpent, 

launching himself like a white arrow— 

straight out of Konoha— 

faster than he had ever moved in his entire life!  

“——RUMBLE!!!”  

And at that moment— 

the sky turned dark.  

(End of Chapter)