396-400

**Chapter 396: The Six Paths Sage: Please, Defeat My Father**

In a dark, damp, enclosed space.
No land could be seen—only darkness, broken by faint glimmers on the water's surface.

Naruto lay atop the water, ripples spreading as he slowly opened his eyes.

He stared blankly into the pitch-black void above, murmuring, "Am I... dead?"

A commanding, elderly voice responded beside him, "What do you think death is?"

The speaker was an old man with two horns sprouting from his head.

With a goatee and coffee-colored hair, he wore a white robe adorned with six black magatama markings on his chest and a red spiral symbol on his back. Below that symbol, there was a grid of nine magatama.

Strangely, the old man hovered mid-air, his back turned to Naruto.

Seated cross-legged, nine Truth-Seeking Orbs orbited beneath him, and in front of him floated the iconic staff of the Six Paths.

This was none other than the spirit of the Sage of Six Paths—Otsutsuki Hagoromo, long passed from the mortal world.

Naruto shot up, startled, only to hear the old man continue, “Your view of death seems quite different from the ethos of my era. How can you casually declare yourself dead?”

“Who are you?” Naruto asked, his face blank with confusion as he stared at the old man.

“I am Otsutsuki Hagoromo. In your era, people call me the Sage of Six Paths,” the old man introduced himself, launching into an elaborate explanation.

But Naruto, who had never excelled at understanding complexities or deciphering metaphors, remained utterly lost in the flood of words.

After several rounds of patient clarification from the sage, Naruto finally grasped the basics: he was the reincarnation of Hagoromo’s younger son, Asura, while Sasuke was the reincarnation of his elder son, Indra.

The chakras of Asura and Indra had been passed down to them.

Naruto also learned that he wasn’t dead and had acquired the missing chakras of the One-Tail and Eight-Tails.

Suddenly, the nine tailed beasts emerged from beneath the water, forming a circle around Naruto and the sage.

“So, I’ve got Asura’s reincarnated chakra inside me, Sasuke’s got Indra’s... Six Paths Grandpa, what’s the deal? Why did you bring me here?” Naruto scratched the back of his head, still clueless.

“It wasn’t I who brought you here. This place is your spiritual realm,” Hagoromo replied, his tone resigned, sighing deeply. “As expected, every reincarnation of Asura is a hopeless fool.”

The sage’s expression turned serious as he said, “I’ve already explained the feud between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama—or rather, Indra and Asura. Now, I will entrust my power to both you and Sasuke. But I have a request.”

With that, Hagoromo tapped his staff, sending ripples across the water’s surface. A scene appeared, showing Aizen reviving Uchiha Madara.

“Big brother Aizen... and Madara?” Naruto exclaimed in shock.

“I hope you can stop him,” Hagoromo said solemnly.

“Madara?” Naruto asked, still believing Aizen was being manipulated by Madara.

“It’s not just Madara,” Hagoromo shook his head. “Even Madara is nothing more than a pawn. The one you must stop is my father, Fujiwara Aizen.”

“Your father?! Fujiwara Aizen?!” Naruto’s forehead beaded with sweat. “What’s going on here?”

Hagoromo explained that after Sasuke and Orochimaru resurrected Hashirama, he confirmed his suspicion. He recounted that his mother, Kaguya, had once had a romantic relationship with a young man from another time.

To avoid altering history, the man departed after ensuring Kaguya’s safety. Shortly after, Kaguya used Yin-Yang Release to create Hagoromo and his brother, Hamura.

What followed was a long history of conflict between the brothers and their mother.

Hearing this, Naruto’s face lit up. “My mom was also saved by Big Brother Aizen, who traveled through time without altering history. Then she, like Sasuke’s mom, married him. Doesn’t that make me, Sasuke, and you, Six Paths Grandpa, all Aizen’s sons? That makes us brothers!”

The room fell into silence.

Hagoromo’s mouth twitched, and the Nine-Tails burst out laughing. “Hahaha! Old man Six Paths, I never imagined you’d become the brother of your son’s reincarnation!”

“Exactly! That Aizen guy—no wonder he’s absurdly strong without Six Paths powers. Turns out he’s the old man’s father!” Shukaku chimed in, for once not arguing with Kurama, and laughed as well.

The other tailed beasts exchanged amused glances, their expressions equally mocking.

“Shut up, Kurama! Shukaku!” Hagoromo roared, veins bulging in his forehead as he exploded with anger.

After a long moment, he calmed himself, raised his hands, and said seriously, “I leave this to you both.”

He spoke to both Naruto and Sasuke.

Compared to Naruto’s bizarre reasoning, Sasuke’s reaction was more composed. However, learning that Aizen had seduced his mother, Kaguya, and even Tsunade, Kushina, and others, his hatred for Aizen deepened.

“You can count on me, Six Paths Grandpa,” Sasuke said coldly. “I’ll kill that bastard for you.”

Naruto and Sasuke extended their hands, each striking Hagoromo’s palm, accepting his Yin-Yang power.

Meanwhile, back at the battlefield...

The Ninja Alliance was in chaos.

“Minato, how is Naruto doing now?” Jiraiya asked anxiously, looking at the unconscious Naruto.

The others wore equally worried expressions.

After all, the nine tailed beasts had been captured again, and now a foe far more powerful than Obito had emerged—Aizen.

If they couldn’t turn the tide, the Allied Shinobi Forces were doomed.

Minato was silent for a moment before replying, “I’ve sealed portions of the One-Tail and Eight-Tails’ chakra into Naruto. Combined with Kurama and the other chakras already in his body, Naruto should be fine. But...”

He paused, glancing toward where Aizen had disappeared. Could they really defeat him with just this?

At that moment, Might Guy stepped forward, clenching his fists. “If that’s the case, then it’s my time to shine. The Blue Beast of Konoha will burn red!”

(End of Chapter)
**Chapter 397: The Eight Gates, Naruto and Sasuke Awaken**

"The time has come for the Blue Beast of the Leaf to become the Red Beast," Might Guy declared.

His voice, deliberately not suppressed, drew the attention of everyone around him.

The Leaf ninja who knew of the Eight Gates immediately stiffened, their expressions turning grim.

Kakashi's voice trembled with shock, "Guy, don’t tell me you’re planning to—"

"Yes," Guy’s expression turned uncharacteristically serious, his eyes shining with rare wisdom. "From the earlier battles, it should be clear to you all—Aizen possesses an even more formidable ability than Obito."

"Not only can he nullify ninjutsu, but he also seems capable of absorbing chakra," he continued.

"This means that neither ninjutsu nor even sage techniques will work against him. That leaves only taijutsu—my taijutsu—as our last hope to defeat him."

"Before Naruto awakens, we can't afford to sit idly by. So, I will—"

As he spoke, Guy recalled the moment his father, Might Duy, had sacrificed himself by opening the Eight Gates to protect him. Inwardly, he thought, *Dad, it’s my turn now.*

"You fool! You'll die if you do this!" Kakashi, his voice cracking with emotion, shouted.

"No, Kakashi, you're wrong," Guy said, his voice firm and resolute. Turning his back to everyone, he gave a confident thumbs-up.

"This isn't recklessness. Long ago, my father opened the Eight Gates to save me, his son, a mere green leaf at the time. Now, it's my turn to protect the green leaves of the future—" He turned to his students. "You three—Lee, Neji, Tenten."

"Guy-sensei... has it really come to this?" Rock Lee’s tears streamed down his face.

Neji sighed deeply, his expression full of helplessness, as a wave of despair washed over him again—just as it had when he lost his father.

Even Tenten, who would usually tease Guy for his antics, began to cry. Her eyes red, she said, "Guy-sensei, you look ridiculous, but... I’ll never forget you... I..."

She burst into tears, throwing herself into Neji’s arms.

"In the Leaf Village, I once encountered Aizen," Guy said. "He said something I’ll never forget: ‘A death can be as insignificant as a feather or as heavy as a mountain.’ I don’t know where this mountain is, but it must be really heavy."

"So..." Guy crossed his arms in front of him. "The Eight Gates, Seventh Gate—open!"

A fierce blue steam erupted from his body, his stance shifting into a crouch as he prepared to leap.

"Wait, Guy-sensei!" Rock Lee tried to interject, suddenly recalling something.

But Guy, now burning with determination, waved him off. "No time for hesitation, Lee. If I survive, whatever you want to say can wait until this war is over."

With a powerful jump, the ground beneath him cracked like a spiderweb. He launched himself skyward, vanishing into the distance toward Aizen, a streak of light in the sky.

Lee froze in place.

Neji approached him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Lee, what were you going to say to Guy-sensei?"

Lee, his voice hollow, muttered, "I was going to say... Aizen knows about Guy-sensei’s Eight Gates. Every time he tries to use them, Aizen uses genjutsu to disorient him... and stabs him in the back... rendering him unable to fight."

"WHAT?!" The Allied Shinobi Forces collectively erupted in panic.

"What do we do now? If that happens, Guy-sensei will..." Tenten, on the verge of tears again, could barely finish her sentence.

"Calm down. That won’t happen," Kakashi interjected. Rising to his feet, his expression turned serious. "Guy and I have discussed this before. He knows the risk, which is why he opened the Seventh Gate for speed—to reach the battlefield before activating the Eighth."

"Still, we can’t let him fight alone." Kakashi stood tall. "Guy is right. A death can be as light as a feather or as heavy as a mountain. We must not let his sacrifice be in vain, nor let him bear this alone. If we want to protect our comrades and loved ones, we fight together!"

Kakashi’s words reignited the resolve of the Allied Forces. Their spirits ablaze, they followed him, racing toward Aizen’s location.

"Sensei, I’m leaving Naruto to you," Kakashi said, casting a meaningful look at the Fourth Hokage before joining the others. Jiraiya, Guy’s students, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Gaara, and others followed suit.

As they disappeared into the distance, the Fourth Hokage smiled with pride. "Kakashi, you’ve truly grown. I believe you’ll make a fine Hokage someday."

Not long after their departure, Naruto stirred awake, his eyes slowly opening.

At the same time, Sasuke, whose chest had been pierced by Aizen, also regained consciousness.

"Sasuke, how do you feel?" Suigetsu and Jūgo, guided by a small bird, rushed to his side.

Sasuke didn’t respond. Rising to his feet, he revealed one eye bearing six tomoe and the other glowing scarlet with the Sharingan.

Approaching Tobirama, he raised his left hand, now imbued with the power of Six Paths Yin, and reached for one of Aizen’s black rods.

As soon as he touched it, a powerful binding force coursed through him, causing his body to tremble violently before he released it.

"Tch." Sasuke clicked his tongue, frowning. "I didn’t expect that bastard to be so strong—not even half the Six Paths’ power can..." He muttered to himself, "It seems teaming up with Naruto is the only way."

Tobirama cautioned him, "It seems you experienced something profound in your near-death state, but don’t try to remove those rods again. You’ve felt it yourself—that enemy’s power is unfathomable."

Sasuke cut him off. "I don’t need your warning."

He touched his left eye, Aizen’s image flashing in his mind. "I know better than anyone how powerful that scum is. That’s why I have no choice but to cooperate with Naruto."

"Tobirama, you can’t teleport anymore, can you? Then stay here with the others. I’ll handle this." Forming quick seals, Sasuke summoned his hawk.

"Summoning Jutsu!" The bird appeared, and Sasuke leapt onto its back, soaring off in the direction of the battle.

*(To be continued...)*

**Chapter 398: Aizen vs. Eight Gates Guy**

"Um... Lord Orochimaru, just now with Sasuke—was that..." Suigetsu hesitated, glancing at Sasuke's receding figure before approaching Orochimaru.

"His spirit has returned to its former strength." Orochimaru's reply was evasive, but a faint smile crept across his stiff face. It looked more like a grimace than a smile, enough to make Suigetsu shiver in unease.

Orochimaru turned to Kabuto. "Speaking of which, why are you here, Kabuto?"

"It was Lord Aizen who instructed me to wait here to assist Sasuke," Kabuto replied with a sly grin, revealing an answer that caught Orochimaru completely off guard.

The revelation sent shockwaves through the group, including Nonō Yakushi. All eyes turned toward Kabuto in disbelief. Kabuto, with his head slightly lowered, allowed his glasses to obscure his gaze, his lips curling into a cryptic smile.

As the green glow faded, a surge of pure white energy emanated from Madara’s body, restoring his vitality completely.

But as his Rinnegan disintegrated into dust, only deep black voids remained in his eye sockets. Madara slowly closed his eyes.

"Is Madara... revived?" the Eight-Tails exclaimed. The other tailed beasts were equally shocked.

The Nine-Tails sighed. "It seems so."

Aizen’s gaze shifted toward the Allied Shinobi Forces’ direction. "Time to transplant the Rinnegan," he murmured. "But it looks like someone's on their way. Can you handle this alone?"

"Of course." Madara’s voice was calm as he weaved hand seals and vanished. In a flash, he appeared before Hashirama, just like in the original tale, absorbing his Sage Art chakra.

"So this is Sage power? It's hardly impressive," Madara sneered, then gestured toward Aizen. "Now, hand over the Rinnegan. It’s time for me to become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki."

Aizen flicked his fingers, and a green light shot toward Madara, who caught it effortlessly.

As he inserted the Rinnegan into his right eye, blood trickled down, but his vision returned, more powerful than ever.

With a maniacal laugh, Madara bit his elbow, letting his blood flow.

"Blood... I can feel it!" His laughter was unrestrained. "Finally! Finally, I’m fully revived! The thrill of battle awaits me!"

Feeling the immense power of his Rinnegan, Madara turned to Aizen, his tone authoritative. "Now give me the left eye."

"Madara," Aizen's smile was dangerous, his tone light. "You’ve just been revived, and you’re already thinking of betraying me?"

Madara hesitated, sensing numerous powerful chakras rapidly approaching, including that of Naruto and his own descendant. There was also an unfamiliar chakra nearby, closing in fast.

For now, he decided to bide his time. Adopting a more cooperative demeanor, he smiled disarmingly. "Of course not. Our goals align, after all. But you know we need both Rinnegan to cast Infinite Tsukuyomi, don’t you?"

"Then go ahead and become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki first. I’ve prepared the nine tailed beasts for you. If you can’t seal them, you might as well die," Aizen retorted, turning away. "Your guests are here, Madara. Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance. Seal the beasts quickly and ascend."

"Not a chance!"

A powerful voice roared from above.

"The Eight Gates: Gate of Death, open!"

A blue figure hurtled down, blazing red like a divine weapon descending from the heavens, landing between Aizen and Madara in a cloud of dust.

As the dust settled, Might Guy’s fiery red silhouette stood tall.

"Red vapor... this is the Eighth Gate of the Eight Gates Formation, the Gate of Death?" Madara’s eyes gleamed with interest. "How intriguing."

"Aizen. Madara. And the tailed beasts," Guy’s gaze swept across them, his expression more serious than ever.

The Nine-Tails, still restrained by the Wood Dragon, shouted, "Guy! Stop Madara and Aizen immediately! Madara’s revived, and if he becomes the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, it’s over!"

"I understand," Guy said firmly. His eyes locked onto Madara. "Madara is the key. Daytime Tiger alone won’t be enough to break through Aizen’s interference. In that case, I’ll use Evening Elephant."

In a flash, Guy appeared before Madara, delivering a punch so fast that even Madara, in his current state, couldn’t track it.

"So fast," Madara thought, alarmed. Just as he braced himself, preparing to use Limbo to block the attack, a slender black-gloved hand intercepted Guy’s fist.

Aizen had stepped in front of Madara.

Boom! The ground cracked open in front and on both sides of Aizen as the shockwave from Guy’s air cannon carved massive trenches into the earth, stretching endlessly into the horizon.

"The power behind that strike..." Madara broke into a cold sweat. "If Aizen hadn’t stopped it, I might’ve been killed just now."

"Madara, don’t underestimate the Eight Gates Formation," Aizen said with a faint smile. "Even I must tread carefully when it comes to his taijutsu. Now, stop standing around and seal the tailed beasts to become the jinchūriki."

"Don’t even think about it!" Guy roared, swinging another punch.

Aizen blocked it again, their bodies trembling slightly from the impact.

Madara smirked, his fingers forming seals. "Then I’ll leave this to you."

He leaped back onto the head of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, which he had summoned. The statue’s mouth opened, releasing nine chakra chains that ensnared the necks of the nine tailed beasts.

Already weakened from the Wood Dragon’s chakra absorption, the beasts groaned in pain as Madara began the sealing process.

"Start with the One-Tail and move up to the Nine-Tails," Black Zetsu suggested eagerly.

"I know," Madara replied smugly. "This will only take seconds."

As the tailed beasts were dragged toward the statue, Guy, now enraged, headbutted Aizen.

Aizen, ever conscious of his image, sidestepped and laughed. "Going all out, Guy? Aren’t you worried about dying?"

The clash raged on. (To be continued...)

**Chapter 399: Orochimaru's Choice**

"It seems that unless I defeat Aizen, there's no way to stop Madara," thought Guy, his mind racing with this realization. Without answering aloud, he stepped onto the void, appearing in midair above Aizen. Centered on him, Guy began to rotate, moving in circles.

In an instant, his figure became a blur, which quickly dissolved into an afterimage, forming a ring of shockwaves spinning at high speed.

Though Aizen didn’t look directly at him, he was fully aware of the Eight Gates unleashed by Might Guy. Cautious, Aizen slowly unsheathed his blade, its surface imbued with the pinnacle of Armament Haki. He stretched his Observation Haki to its utmost and activated future sight.

"First Step!"

"So fast!"

Their voices rang out almost simultaneously. As Guy launched an air cannon strike at Aizen, Aizen countered with a slash of energy extending tens of meters long.

The slash collided with the air cannon, and for a moment, they seemed evenly matched. Ultimately, Aizen’s slash overpowered the air cannon, splitting it in two. The force from the split attack carved out two massive, bottomless craters in the ground.

Meanwhile, Guy, who had launched the air cannon, instantly repositioned himself in another direction above Aizen, moving at near-teleportation speed.

The slash ripped through the spot Guy had just vacated.

**Boom!**
At that moment, it seemed as though the sky itself was cracking.

"Even Evening Elephant can be split apart? Aizen’s strength is truly unfathomable." Guy had no time to dwell on this realization. He knew his Eight Gates state was fleeting and unleashed three consecutive punches.

"Second Step!"
"Third Step!"
"Fourth Step!"

Three powerful air cannon strikes erupted, each stronger than the last, their power increasing exponentially.

At first, Aizen could still easily slice through the air cannons with his slashes. But by the fourth strike, his advantage was no longer as pronounced.

Though he barely managed to split the air cannon, his slash’s power was significantly diminished after the collision.

Still, Aizen was acutely aware that Evening Elephant only had five strikes.

This wasn’t enough to threaten him.

The next attack would be Guy's final move.

Madara, who was sealing the Tailed Beasts, observed the battle between Aizen and Guy. He found it incredible that mere taijutsu could reach such heights. At the same time, he was grateful he hadn’t directly clashed with Aizen before.

Otherwise, in his one-eyed state, facing either Eight Gates Guy or Aizen alone might have led to his demise.

"Two monsters," Madara thought. "The priority now is to become the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki." With a lingering sense of dread, he glanced at the ongoing battle before refocusing on the Tailed Beast sealing process.

---

"Did Aizen send you here? What is going on?" Suigetsu asked, a drop of sweat sliding down his forehead.

Before Kabuto could answer, Orochimaru interjected, "So, you haven’t betrayed Aizen, have you, Kabuto?"

"Correct, Lord Orochimaru. That’s the case." Kabuto stood and explained, "Lord Aizen foresaw this situation long ago."

"Lord Orochimaru’s resurrection was part of his design. To be precise, Lord Aizen began orchestrating events at the start of the war. From Suigetsu and Jūgo finding the scroll you left behind, to Sasuke encountering Itachi’s spirit, to meeting Anko—it was all part of Lord Aizen’s plan."

"Of course, even Sasuke and Naruto’s near-death experiences were part of it. Sasuke is the reincarnation of Indra, the Sage of Six Paths’ elder son, while Madara is the previous reincarnation of Indra. Sasuke likely awakened the Rinnegan after meeting the Sage during his unconscious state and receiving half of the Sage’s power."

"Similarly, Naruto is the reincarnation of Asura, the Sage’s younger son, with the First Hokage being the prior incarnation. Naruto has also likely inherited the Sage’s other half of power by now."

Kabuto’s explanation left everyone confused. Even Orochimaru, who prided himself on his vast knowledge of the ninja world’s secrets, frowned.

Jūgo stepped forward and stood beside Orochimaru, looking at Kabuto with a furrowed brow. He asked five consecutive questions:
"Why would Aizen do this? What’s his goal? Why would he help Sasuke and Naruto gain the Sage of Six Paths’ power? Isn’t his objective the same as Madara’s—to achieve the Infinite Tsukuyomi? And why did he go to such lengths to have us revive the Hokage?"

"Jūgo, you certainly ask a lot of questions." Kabuto looked up at the blood-red moon and replied, "Lord Aizen has traveled through the rivers of time and space in the ninja world. No one knows its secrets better than he does. In other words, all of us—even Madara—are pieces on his chessboard."

"The reason he had you revive the Hokage is that the Sage Chakra from the First Hokage and the Nine-Tails’ other half within the Fourth Hokage are essential components of his plan."

"Everything was to ensure Madara could release the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

Orochimaru pondered this for a moment and asked indirectly, "I’ve heard Aizen values his image and dislikes mutilating his eyes or becoming a monstrous figure like the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki. Is this true?"

"Then, is Aizen’s goal to control Madara and use the Infinite Tsukuyomi to dominate the world?"

"No, that’s not it. Lord Aizen would never seek to rule the world or trap it in a false peace," Kabuto replied, his tone resolute.

Kabuto fell silent for a moment, recalling Aizen’s mention of the Infinite Kotoamatsukami. Unlike Madara’s illusion of peace or Naruto’s fleeting peace built on mutual understanding, Aizen’s approach was one of permanence.

"When that time comes, he’ll be able to return to his old life at the orphanage with the headmistress," Kabuto thought.

"Then what is Aizen’s ultimate goal?" Orochimaru pressed further.

"If I had to say, it would be to eliminate traitors and bring about true peace," Kabuto answered vaguely. "That’s all I’ll say on the matter, Lord Orochimaru. From now on, I won’t share any more information with you—or with Jūgo and Suigetsu."

"If you intend to interfere with Lord Aizen’s plans, then I’ll be your opponent."

"And I imagine the Allied Forces trying to send reinforcements are also encountering obstacles right now."

Upon hearing this, Jūgo and Suigetsu clicked their tongues in annoyance, their expressions growing tense.

Orochimaru, however, appeared deep in thought.

Meanwhile, standing behind Kabuto, Nonō Yakushi looked worried. But out of trust for her beloved foster son, she resolutely chose to stand by his side.

"Thank you, headmistress," Kabuto said, casting her a grateful glance.

Clicking his tongue again, Suigetsu positioned himself beside Orochimaru and stared at Kabuto and Nonō. "It’s three against two now. We’ve got the upper hand. What do you say, Lord Orochimaru? Should we make a move?"

"No. Kabuto has already surpassed me with Sage Mode. I have no intention of fighting," Orochimaru replied, giving an answer that surprised everyone.

*(End of Chapter)*

Chapter 400: The Arrival of Akatsuki

"Ah?" Suigetsu thought he had misheard and wore an expression of astonishment.

Orochimaru, his face solemn, gazed at the blood-red full moon in the sky. His hoarse voice carried a hint of reflection. "The reason I chose to help Sasuke was that, unlike Kabuto, he didn’t aim to imitate me. I wanted to see what choices he would ultimately make and how his story with Naruto would conclude."

"Now, Kabuto seems to have changed. Compared to Sasuke, I’m more curious about the kind of world Aizen can create."

At the same time, the Allied Shinobi Forces, led by Kakashi, Gaara, and Jiraiya, encountered another obstacle.

It was none other than the vortex-shaped Zetsu known as Tobi, who still had Yamato enveloped within him.

Tobi summoned a miniature version of the True Several Thousand Hands—a colossal Buddha statue with countless giant arms.

"Sorry, this road is closed." Wearing a black robe, Tobi stood atop the Buddha statue, arms crossed, looking down arrogantly at the allied forces.

"Get out of my way!" Jiraiya didn’t hesitate. The war had pushed everyone in the allied forces to their limits. Only Jiraiya, in Sage Mode, remained unaffected by exhaustion.

With the Nine-Tails chakra from Naruto, Jiraiya formed an enormous Rasengan in his right hand, one that rivaled the massive Buddha in size. He leaped forward, slamming it toward Tobi.

"Sage Art: Super Giant Rasengan!"

"What is this?!" Zetsu’s expression shifted as he instinctively controlled the Buddha statue to raise its arms to block the attack. The two powers collided, unleashing a violent shockwave.

"Everyone, stop standing around! Use everything you’ve got to defeat the enemy in front of us and go support Guy! The safety of the ninja world is in our hands!"

While Jiraiya attacked, Gaara, as both the Kazekage and the commander of the allied forces, wasted no time. He rallied the shinobi to launch an assault against Tobi.

"Not good!" Seeing the allied forces charging at him, Zetsu could no longer remain composed. Dealing with Jiraiya alone was already a struggle, and now, with so many allied shinobi wielding Nine-Tails chakra, things were looking grim.

Just when Zetsu thought he was about to fail, an explosion suddenly erupted between the allied forces and the Buddha statue. The shockwave sent Jiraiya and many shinobi flying.

Those farther from the blast shielded their faces with their hands as they looked up.

Out of the dust, eight figures emerged.

"Looks like we made it just in time." A mocking voice broke the silence.

As the dust cleared, six men and two women came into view. All wore black cloaks adorned with red clouds and headbands marked with slashes—symbols of rogue shinobi.

"It’s Akatsuki!" Recognizing their attire and appearances, the allied shinobi erupted in shock. "What’s going on? How are the Akatsuki members here? Even the ones who were dead have been resurrected..."

Among them, Jiraiya was the most shaken.

His eyes locked on Nagato, his emotions surging uncontrollably. "Nagato! How are you here? You’re supposed to be dead! Is Aizen controlling you?!"

The newcomers were none other than the Akatsuki members who had long been considered dead: Konan, Nagato, Sasori, Kakuzu, Hidan, Kisame, Jūzō, and the story’s new female lead, Izumi.

Standing at the center, Izumi wore Aizen’s old Akatsuki cloak. Her crimson Sharingan, with its three tomoe, drew everyone’s attention.

"Aizen’s cloak is a bit oversized," she murmured playfully before smiling at the allied shinobi. "Sorry, but this road is closed."

Konan, standing to Izumi’s left, raised her right hand as her body began to disintegrate into paper.

"Forgive me, Jiraiya-sensei. Aizen has found a path to true, lasting peace," Nagato said, standing to Izumi’s right. He glanced deeply at Jiraiya, his tone calm.

Nagato bent slightly forward, releasing five golden chains from his back—similar to those of Karin. Though he had lost the Rinnegan, his body had been fully restored. As a member of the Uzumaki clan with strong bloodline traits, he had easily mastered the Adamantine Sealing Chains.

To the left stood Kakuzu and Hidan, the latter wielding his iconic triple-bladed scythe, staring at the Ino-Shika-Chō trio with a twisted grin. "You kids won’t get lucky like last time!"

The trio exchanged tense glances. Shikamaru forced a casual tone. "Funny, we were about to say the same to you."

Predictably, Kakuzu turned to mock his partner. "Hidan, don’t get yourself blown to pieces like last time. I won’t bother picking up your scraps."

As expected, the two began bickering.

"Hey, Kakuzu, whose side are you on?!" Hidan yelled.

Nearby, Jūzō, who had retrieved his Executioner’s Blade, sighed and cleaned his ears. Turning to Sasori and Kisame, he asked, "Do they always argue like this?"

"You get used to it," Sasori replied indifferently.

Kisame chuckled. "It does seem that way." His gaze fell on Darui, who now wielded Samehada.

Spotting the blade, Kisame’s grin widened. He extended his hand, and under the stunned and angry eyes of Darui and the Cloud shinobi, Samehada returned to its original master.

Clearly, without Killer B, Samehada preferred Kisame over the allied forces.

"It seems the enemy still has a few surprises," Darui said, stepping beside Gaara and joining Kakashi and Jiraiya. "These Akatsuki members won’t be easy to deal with, even though we know their abilities."

"Then we have no choice," Gaara responded. "If we want to assist Guy, we’ll have to break through this line."

The battle was about to begin when a piercing whistling sound echoed through the sky.

"Looks like I’m not too late. Hmm."

From the distant horizon, Deidara appeared on his explosive clay bird, descending to join the Akatsuki lineup.

"Deidara, is your training complete?" Konan asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Deidara replied confidently, his face glowing with pride. He glanced around, taking in the unfamiliar faces. "Looks like we’ve got some new additions to Akatsuki. Wait, Sasori, Kakuzu, and Hidan—you’re all supposed to be dead!"

*(To be continued...)*