231-235

Chapter 231: Slapping Everyone’s Faces Like Crazy  

“Tsunade, I suggest you start preparing a coffin for Kazama, because he’s about to get taken out by the Akatsuki members, haha!”  

Seeing Mito Men’en and Koharu blatantly undermining morale, Tsunade’s temper flared. She grabbed them both in a flash.  

“You two already lost your bet fair and square, and now you still dare to look down on Kazama? What’s your game here?”  

“What’s our game? We just don’t think Kazama’s worth a damn, that’s what! Got a problem with it?”  

“If you’re so confident, let Kazama take down Hei Zetsu and the Akatsuki he’s leading. If Kazama wipes out the entire Akatsuki this time, I, Mito Men’en, will live in a cesspool from now on!”  

“I’ll join him!” Koharu chimed in.  

“But if Kazama gets crushed by the enemy, you have to reinstate us as Konoha’s top advisors,” they added.  

Mito Men’en and Koharu, desperate to cling to their high ranks and squash Kazama to vent their grudges, seized every chance to use him as leverage against Tsunade.  

“Then you two better get comfy living in that cesspool forever!”  

“What?!”  

Mito Men’en and Koharu, mid-wager with Tsunade, froze as they heard Kazama’s cold chuckle from ahead.  

With his superhuman perception, Kazama had caught every snide remark they’d thrown his way, clear as day.  

“You little punk! Distracted during a major battle? You must be tired of living!”  

Hei Zetsu barked, ordering Obito and the others to attack Kazama again.  

But Obito and the rest didn’t budge an inch—they were waiting for Kazama’s signal.  

“Alright, everyone, time to put Hei Zetsu in his place!”  

“What?”  

Hei Zetsu blinked, thrown off by Kazama’s sudden words. Before he could process it, Obito and the others turned on him, launching a full-on assault.  

“Katon: Bōfū Ranbu!” (Fire Release: Storm Dance) 

“C4 Garura!” (C4 Garuda) 

“Aka Higi: Hyakki Sōen!” (Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets) 

“Suiton: Senshokukō!” (Water Release: Thousand Feeding Sharks)  

In a split second, Obito, Deidara, Sasori, and Kisame hammered Hei Zetsu, forcing him into a desperate retreat.  

The sudden betrayal stunned not just Hei Zetsu but also Tsunade, Mito Men’en, and the others watching from the rear. They’d never imagined Akatsuki members would follow Kazama’s orders.  

“You traitorous bastards! How dare you turn on me!” Hei Zetsu roared, practically jumping with rage.  

“I planted my cells in them! How the hell are you controlling them?!”  

Hei Zetsu knew Kazama wielded the ultimate genjutsu, Betsutenjin (Otherworldly God), which could control people without a trace. But he also knew Betsutenjin was useless against him and anyone with his cells. Seeing Obito and the others betray him left him floored.  

“Because Deidara, Sasori, and Kisame were already under my Betsutenjin. I had them stay in the Akatsuki to gather intel on you,” Kazama explained.  

“You—!”  

Realizing his Akatsuki members had been Kazama’s pawns all along, Hei Zetsu broke out in a cold sweat. He hadn’t just underestimated Kazama’s strength—he’d been completely outplayed by his cunning.  

“But what about Obito? I planted my cells in him long before he ever met you. Why’s he following your orders?!”  

Hei Zetsu couldn’t wrap his head around how even Obito had become Kazama’s ally. 

Chapter 232: Ready to Crush the Legendary Kage  

“Because my Beppyōjin (Otherworldly God) control has reached its absolute peak, even someone with your cells can be easily dominated by me!” 

At this point, Kazama wasn’t holding anything back anymore. 

With the Shinobi World War already underway, to force Hei Zetsu (Black Zetsu) to revive Ōtsutsuki Kaguya for him to absorb, Kazama was ready to lay all his cards on the table. 

Hearing Kazama’s words, Hei Zetsu felt utterly powerless before him, like a mere ant. In all his millennia of existence, he had never felt this way. 

Facing the relentless attacks from Obito and the others, Hei Zetsu dodged desperately but was still torn to pieces. Thanks to his unique body structure, though, he managed to pull himself back together in mere moments. 

“Hmph! Kazama, you think you can kill me with these traitors? Dream on!” 

“I never planned to kill you,” Kazama shot back. “I just want to toy with you!” 

“You bastard!” 

Hei Zetsu knew he couldn’t gain the upper hand against Kazama. With no other choice, he fled in a panic, leading his ragtag remnants of defeated soldiers. 

“Kazama, you little punk, don’t get too cocky! I may not be able to touch the Land of Fire where you are, but the other four nations won’t be so lucky, haha!” 

Hearing Hei Zetsu’s parting threat, Kazama didn’t get angry—he laughed. 

Kazama had deliberately let Hei Zetsu escape, planning to dismantle his schemes step by step. This would corner Hei Zetsu, forcing him to use half of the nine Tailed Beasts’ chakra to revive Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. 

“Deidara, Sasori, Kisame…” 

As Kazama spoke, he summoned Kakuzu and Hidan from his Kamui (Divine Authority) dimension. These two had previously been revived by Yakushi Kabuto’s Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation), but now they were under Kazama’s control. 

“We’re here!” they responded. 

“You guys head to the ninja villages of the Lands of Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water to provide support!” 

Though Kazama had let Hei Zetsu escape on purpose, he couldn’t let him slaughter innocents unchecked. Since Obito could move quickly with his space-time techniques, Kazama tasked him with monitoring the movements of Hei Zetsu’s army. 

“If you spot any Kage-level Edo Tensei shinobi, report back to me immediately!” 

Kazama knew Yakushi Kabuto held a trump card: an army of past Kage-level masters, including Uchiha Madara. Though Kabuto hadn’t summoned them yet, as the war progressed, it was only a matter of time before he did. When that happened, the current Five Kage wouldn’t stand a chance—Kazama would have to step in himself. 

Truth be told, Kazama had long wanted to test his skills against the legendary Kage of the various nations, especially Uchiha Madara. When the time came, he could absorb their abilities. 

As Obito and the others departed, Tsunade, watching from the rear, was left dumbfounded by Kazama’s maneuvers. She had always worried that Kazama wouldn’t be a match for Hei Zetsu and the Akatsuki members. Their power was so overwhelming that even she, as Hokage, struggled to compete. 

Yet Kazama had turned the tables without lifting a finger, making Akatsuki members defect mid-battle. He not only drove back Hei Zetsu’s army but also saved Konoha from crisis. 

Tsunade was completely awestruck by Kazama’s feats. 

Meanwhile, Koharu and Homura, seeing they’d lost their bet, tried to slip away. But before they could take more than a few steps, Tsunade blocked their path. 

Chapter 233: Crossing the Five Great Nations in a Second  

“Hey, you two, isn’t it time to keep your promise?”  

As soon as Tsunade spoke, the Anbu ninjas beside her promptly tossed Mito Men’en and Koharu into the cesspool.  

From now on, that stinking pit was their new home.  

“Whoa, nice new digs, you two!”  

Kazama arrived where Tsunade and the others were and immediately shot a mocking smirk at Mito Men’en and Koharu.  

The two, seeing Kazama show up, scrambled to their knees, begging for mercy. They knew that in Konoha these days, Kazama’s word carried more weight than even Tsunade’s.  

But what they didn’t know was that Kazama had long despised them.  

“Undermining morale is a crime punishable by death. If it weren’t for your age and past contributions to Konoha, I’d have torn you to pieces already. Spare you? In your dreams. Take them away!”  

At Kazama’s command, several Anbu ninjas swiftly dragged Mito Men’en and Koharu off.  

Though Kazama was technically just a Genin, in the hearts of Konoha’s people, his status towered far above even the Hokage, Tsunade.  

“Kazama, Konoha’s out of danger for now, but our allied ninja villages in the other four great nations are under attack by enemy forces. What do we do?”  

Tsunade was at a loss, pinning all her hopes on Kazama.  

“Pick four messengers right now and send them to the four great ninja villages. Have them relay the enemy’s identity and weaknesses so they can prepare.”  

“But the five great nations are so far apart! By the time the messengers get there, the other four nations might already be wiped out!”  

“Don’t worry. Just find the people. I’ve got a way to get them there in an instant.”  

“What?!”  

Tsunade couldn’t help but think Kazama was boasting. The five great nations were indeed separated by vast distances. Sure, Kazama could move a thousand miles in a flash, but others couldn’t match that ability.  

Still, Tsunade rounded up four ninjas, curious to see how Kazama would pull this off.  

“Kazama, I know you can cover a thousand miles in a second, but these guys don’t have your insane skills. Even if you tried teaching them now, they wouldn’t get it.”  

Kazama just gave a faint smile.  

In a flash, he unleashed Hakkō Hametsu En (Eight Desolations Annihilation Flame), conjuring fiery wings on the backs of all four ninjas.  

“What the—?!”  

Tsunade’s jaw dropped at the sight of the flaming wings sprouting from the four.  

She remembered Kazama using those same fiery wings to zip across distances with Shino when they went searching for Bikōchū.  

“Kazama, you never cease to amaze me! I had no idea you could bestow those fiery wings on others!”  

“Of course! They won’t be as fast as when I use them myself, but it’s more than enough to reach the four great ninja villages in a heartbeat!”  

Kazama briefed the four on the weaknesses of Haku Zetsu and Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation), then sent them soaring toward the four nations with a flick of his technique.  

“But we’re still short on manpower!” Tsunade sighed again.  

“The enemy has the advantage in numbers. We need to rally other forces in the shinobi world to help us. Oh, wait…”  

Tsunade’s eyes locked onto Kazama.  

“Didn’t you have a good relationship with Otogakure? They’ve got four Jinchūriki and some serious firepower. Could you convince Otogakure’s leader to bring their ninjas to aid the five great nations?”  

Tsunade had no idea that Kazama was, in fact, the true leader of Otogakure. 

Chapter 234: Tsunade’s Jaw-Dropping Shock  

“Well, about that…” 

Kazama broke into a grin when he heard Tsunade’s words. 

While defeating Hei Zetsu earlier, he had already sent a signal to Otogakure (the Hidden Sound Village), instructing Orochimaru to lead the village’s main forces to rendezvous at Konoha. 

“Report, Lady Hokage! A group claiming to be shinobi from Otogakure has arrived at Konoha!”  

“What?! I was just thinking about asking Otogakure for help, and they’re already here? Talk about perfect timing! Hurry, invite them in!” 

“It’s been a while, Tsunade!” 

“Orochimaru?!” 

Just as Tsunade was about to thank the Otogakure shinobi for coming to Konoha’s aid, she froze. Leading the group was none other than Orochimaru, and the sight sent a chill down her spine.  

Fearing Orochimaru had come to destroy Konoha, she immediately ordered her subordinates to prepare for an attack. 

“Tsunade, I’m here under orders from the leader of Otogakure to support Konoha. Is this how you treat guests?” Orochimaru said, unfazed. 

“You’re an Otogakure shinobi? And acting on your leader’s orders?”  

Tsunade was stunned by his words. She knew Orochimaru had always dreamed of crushing Konoha, yet here he was, offering help. Even more shocking, he wasn’t even the leader of Otogakure. 

Tsunade couldn’t fathom anyone in the world capable of keeping Orochimaru in check. 

“Who is the leader of Otogakure?” she demanded, her curiosity piqued. 

Orochimaru chuckled. “Tsunade, should I call you clever or clueless?” 

“Our leader has saved Konoha three times in a row, and you still don’t know who he is?” 

“Saved Konoha three times?”  

Tsunade staggered back a few steps, her eyes darting to Kazama, who was smiling at her from the side. The only person who had saved Konoha three times was Kazama. 

But Tsunade had never imagined that one of her own village’s shinobi could be the formidable leader of Otogakure. 

“Kazama, are you really…?” 

Tsunade was so shocked she could barely string a sentence together. 

“That’s right! I’m the leader of Otogakure. I had my reasons for not telling you before, so please don’t take offense, Lady Tsunade.” 

“Offense? How could I?” Tsunade replied, a bit exasperated by Kazama’s teasing tone. 

“I know there’s bad blood between you, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya. But that’s all in the past. Orochimaru is now a shinobi of Otogakure and here to help Konoha. I hope you can let bygones be bygones and work together.” 

“Fine,” Tsunade sighed. “If you put it that way, I’ve got no objections.” 

Even setting aside Kazama’s request, Orochimaru’s willingness to aid Konoha was reason enough for Tsunade to put old grudges aside. 

“Kazama, you’re really the leader of Otogakure?”  

Even after his confirmation, Tsunade still couldn’t quite believe it. 

“And how on earth did Otogakure manage to recruit four Jinchūriki? Weren’t they all from other villages before?”  

Tsunade was dying to know how Kazama had pulled off such a feat. 

“We’ll talk about that later,” Kazama said with a smirk. “And by the way, it’s not four Jinchūriki—it’s five. The Seven-Tails Jinchūriki joined Otogakure after the Budō Taikai (Martial Arts Tournament).” 

“What?!” 

The bombshell hit Tsunade so hard she momentarily entertained the wild idea of joining Otogakure herself. 

Chapter 235: Preparing to Seize Kinkaku and Ginkaku’s Ninja Tools  

Kazama’s Otogakure was just too damn impressive—way too powerful. 

“Enough chit-chat, let’s get to the point. Since Hei Zetsu dares to declare war on the entire shinobi world, Otogakure isn’t about to sit idly by!” 

With that, Kazama cast Hakkō Hametsu En (Eight Desolations Destruction Flame) on the Otogakure shinobi who had arrived, sending them to Kirigakure, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure to fend off Hei Zetsu’s invasion. 

Watching these formidable Otogakure shinobi in action, not just Tsunade but all of Konoha’s ninja were green with envy. The strength Otogakure was displaying far surpassed that of the Five Great Nations. 

“Lord Kazama!” 

At that moment, Obito appeared from a swirling space vortex, stepping before Kazama and the others. 

“He’s one of your subordinates too?!”  

Since Obito’s face was hidden behind a mask, Tsunade didn’t recognize him. She was simply amazed that he could use space-time ninjutsu. 

“That’s right,” Kazama confirmed, turning to Obito. “What’s up? Has a Kage-level Edo Tensei shinobi appeared?” 

“Kage-level Edo Tensei?!”  

Tsunade and the others gasped at Kazama’s words. They had assumed the enemy’s Edo Tensei shinobi were just ordinary ninja, but now it sounded like Kage-level masters were among them. If that was true, they’d be far harder to deal with. 

“Yes,” Obito reported. “Kinkaku and Ginkaku have been revived by Edo Tensei in Kumogakure. The moment they appeared, they smashed through multiple layers of the village’s defenses. Even the Raikage is being pushed back by them!” 

“Kinkaku and Ginkaku?!” 

The crowd let out a collective gasp. The Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers were infamous in shinobi history as two of the most notorious figures. It was they who launched a coup during the alliance ceremony between Konoha and Kumogakure, killing the Nidaime Raikage and the Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama. 

“Alright then, looks like I’ve got to pay them a visit!”  

Kazama prepared to use his Kamui (Divine Authority) space-time technique to head to Kumogakure, but Tsunade hurriedly stopped him. 

“Kazama, Kinkaku and Ginkaku are incredibly strong! Even the Nidaime Hokage fell to them. I’ve heard their ninja tools were left by the Rikudō Sennin (Sage of the Six Paths) and are ridiculously tough to handle. Are you sure you want to risk it?” 

Seeing Kazama about to head to Kumogakure, Tsunade felt reluctant and genuinely worried. 

“Kumogakure is our ally—I can’t just stand by and let them die. Besides, since Kinkaku and Ginkaku killed the Nidaime Hokage, they’re enemies of Konoha. I’m settling this score, no matter what!” 

“But…” 

Before Tsunade could say more, Kazama gave her a reassuring nod and a smile. 

“Don’t worry. There’s no one in this world who can take me down!” 

With that, Kazama and Obito headed to Kumogakure. 

Truth be told, Kazama wasn’t just going after Kinkaku and Ginkaku to avenge the Nidaime Hokage or thwart Hei Zetsu’s plans. His real goal was to seize their ninja tools: the Kōkinjō (Golden Canopy Rope), Shichiseiken (Seven Star Sword), Benihisago (Crimson Gourd), and Bashōsen (Banana Palm Fan). 

These four tools, left behind by the Rikudō Sennin, were insanely powerful. Kinkaku and Ginkaku had relied on them to kill the Nidaime Raikage and Nidaime Hokage back in the day. 

Though Kazama was already incredibly strong, his personal creed was that there’s no such thing as “strongest”—only “stronger.” 

“No wonder they’re called the Twin Lights of the Clouds—Kinkaku and Ginkaku!”