As the Second Mizukage conversed with Terumi Mei, his offensive did not cease for a second. The continuous attacks forced Itachi to move nimbly, dodging from one side to the other.
There was no denying that the Kage who had lived during that era possessed overwhelming strength.
"Alas!" The Second Hokage let out a sigh and said, "Fifth Generation, I leave the village to you. We dead people are already doing enough by not causing any more trouble."
"Of course. As Mizukage, I will never be like the Third and Fourth." Mei's voice sounded firm and determined.
Not far behind her, Funan looked at her with a strange expression.
Sister, are you qualified to say that?
I'm afraid you don't even know that you've also been affected by my Mangekyo technique!
It was a subtle influence and impossible to counteract.
Not even a Mangekyō Sharingan could stop that silent infiltration.
If there was resentment or enmity, over time these feelings would fade, transforming into loyalty.
[Clang! Clang!]
As Fūnan was daydreaming, the sound of chains broke through the air.
Yako!
She has come to kill.
With her Adamantine Sealing Chains, even the Nine-Tails had been no match for her, much less these reincarnated shinobi.
Not to mention, there are many strong men on Konoha's side.
Moreover, they had been prepared from the start. Knowing the characteristics of the Impure World Reincarnation well, sealing these reincarnators was not exactly a difficult task.
As the revived shinobi fell one after another under the seal, Orochimaru's expression grew darker and darker.
The Reincarnation of the Impure World was not having the expected impact.
Onoki closed his eyes in frustration. "What do we do now?"
"Shall we take action?" Darui asked, uneasy.
"It won't do any good!" Onoki replied in a deep voice. "Haven't you noticed? Uchiha Fūnan hasn't lifted a finger either! He's just waiting for us to make a move."
"You, me, Orochimaru, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo… If the five of us make a move, he'll step in to stop us."
"So what do you suggest?" Darui asked angrily. "Look at our people! The reincarnated shinobi aren't resisting."
Onoki let out a sigh and said the words everyone was afraid to hear: "We must prepare to flee."
"Flee?!" Darui, who had barely managed to escape from Kumo, was stunned.
I just arrived, I haven't even had a sip of water, and now you're asking me to run again?!
"Exactly," Onoki stated with determination. "We take our best shinobi and retreat. As long as we have life, there will always be another chance to fight."
"That's unacceptable!" Hiruzen and Danzo immediately objected.
Their bloodshot eyes reflected a mixture of rage and despair.
They were cornered.
"Unacceptable?" Onoki gave a cold laugh. "Can we even win if we stay?"
"…We can't."
"So, you'd rather die here?"
Hiruzen and Danzo looked at each other for a moment and then turned their gaze to Orochimaru.
He, noticing their gazes, shrugged indifferently. "Why are you staring at me? You don't expect me to summon Uchiha Madara, do you?"
Orochimaru remained calm. After all, he had never invested much in battle. He could leave at any time without losing much.
Even if he had to abandon all of Oto's shinobi, he wouldn't mind at all.
He had built Otogakure from scratch. Given enough time, he could rebuild everything he had.
Hiruzen frowned and spoke in a deep voice, "Let's be blunt. We still have some trump cards, and so do you, right? At this point, running away is no longer an option. We might as well fight with all our might. We don't aim for a grand victory, we just want to force the Uchiha to retreat."
Those presents exchanged glances and, after a few seconds of reflection, nodded.
Orochimaru smiled disinterestedly. "Since you have made your decision, I will not hold back. I will provide you with another group of reincarnated shinobi."
The plan was set.
This time, they were going to give it their all.
Deep down, everyone knew that Onoki never really intended to run away. He just wanted to pressure them into revealing their best cards.
But just as they were preparing to launch the final assault, something changed on the horizon.
"Summoning Technique!"
A shuddering roar shook the air.
The chakra in the air vibrated intensely as huge silhouettes emerged from nowhere, fixing their icy gaze on Iwagakure.
Seeing those figures, Onoki's body shuddered.
[Clang!]
Several shinobi dropped their weapons to the ground.
A chill ran through their bodies as they stared in utter disbelief at the enormous creatures that had just appeared.
"No... it can't be!"
"This isn't real!"
"I must be dreaming!"
Murmurs filled the air.
No one could believe their eyes.
In front of them stood the enormous figures of the Tailed Beasts.
It wasn't just one or two...
It was practically everyone!
Including the Eight Tails.
In the end, he too had fallen into Fūnan's hands.
Naruto also released the Nine-Tails, taking the form of a tailed beast.
All of this was a result of the deal between Fūnan and the Nine-Tails.
The impact of the presence of eight tailed beasts was overwhelming.
After the tailed beasts appeared, victory was practically decided.
"Onoki, you brat!" Fūnan's voice echoed throughout the battlefield. "I'll give you a chance! Surrender! Otherwise, I'll wipe Iwagakure off the map!"
Onoki's face was pale, and his body was shaky!
If before he still had the intention of pressuring others to show their hidden cards, now he only wanted to run away.
The battlefield fell into a deathly silence.
Suddenly...
"Hahaha! How interesting!"
"This is too much fun!"
A cocky laugh broke the stillness.
Everyone was stunned and looked up.
The sound came from the Iwagakure wall, right next to Onoki.
When Onoki heard that voice, his body, which was already trembling, suddenly tensed up.
Stiffly, he turned his head towards the figure that had suddenly appeared beside him. Immediately, his body began to tremble even more uncontrollably.
The newcomer was moving calmly, as if he had just woken up.
He wore a tight-fitting black combat suit, with red armor layered over it.
His hair was long and black.
His eyes...
Were the Sharingan.
The three-tomoe Sharingan.
Even Fūnan frowned seriously at the sight.
But at the same time, a spark of excitement ignited within him.
It was as if the blood in his veins began to burn.
Because the man in front of him...
He was the strongest Uchiha in history.
Uchiha Madara!
From his elevated position, Madara surveyed the battlefield. As if guided by the instinct between warriors, his eyes locked on Fūnan.
A spark of surprise crossed his gaze.
"Not bad, brat. Getting to this level... it's impressive."
Fūnan took a few steps forward. Sand began to gather beneath his feet, then the sand lifted him up, raising him to the Three-Tails' head, level with Madara.
"Uchiha Madara, a pleasure. My name is Uchiha Fūnan."
"Hehe, hahaha!" Uchiha Madara laughed again. "Uchiha, haha, Uchiha!"
But his laughter wasn't just joy. There was something else in it. A complex and deep emotion.
"Meeting you in a situation like this... It's interesting. And the timing couldn't be better."
Madara's smile faded. His eyes immediately changed. The pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan appeared in them.
"The right time?" His voice became serious. "That doesn't matter. All I want to know is… how strong are you?"
Fūnan activated his own Mangekyō. "You'll have to find out for yourself."
The clash of his ocular power from them caused the air to become thick.
"Mangekyō… eternal…" Madara muttered, his voice heavy with memories and nostalgia, then his eyes narrowed. "Brat…"
"You should address me as leader," Fūnan interrupted calmly. "I am now the king of all Uchiha. I am the Hokage of Konoha. And when I defeat all of you, I will be the king of the entire shinobi world."
"The new God of Shinobi."
Silence fell over the place.
Even Madara was speechless.
Hokage.
That word echoed in his mind. The title he had never managed to obtain.
For a moment, as he watched the young Uchiha full of ambition and determination, a bitter feeling washed over him.
Although he had plans to revive in his prime, he still felt old in his heart. Was his era really over?
"Interesting…" Madara smiled coldly. "Very well, young Uchiha. Then, come and prove to me that you can defeat me."
"If you succeed in defeating me, the world will be yours. If you fail… only death awaits you."
Fūnan smiled slightly. "Tell me something, Madara. With the Impure World Reincarnation… how much of your original power do you still have?"
Madara frowned.
Fūnan smiled in amusement. "Oh, Madara-dono…" his tone turned mocking. "And by the way, I won't be your opponent."
Madara looked at him in surprise. His attention shifted to the rest of those present.
For a moment, his gaze stopped on three Uchihas.
"You're not my opponent? Then… who will be?"
He had barely finished speaking when his eyes snapped open. His lips curved into an involuntary smile.
"Smiled, you smiled!" Funan said with a smile: "How is it? Are you happy to meet him soon?"
Madara looked at Funan coldly, with a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.
"No need to endure!" Funan shook his head gently and said seriously: "As for the feelings between you, I... don't understand at all, and I am too lazy to understand. Okay, now, you can negotiate on your own!"
[Swish!]
Two figures suddenly moved in front of them.
Senju Tobirama and Senju Hashirama!
As soon as they approached, Hashirama's eyes fixed on Madara.
"Madara!"
"Hashirama!"
After the affectionate call of a good friend, silence followed.
"I will stop you, Madara!"
"You are still the same, Hashirama!"
"Well, gentlemen…" Fūnan raised his hands indifferently. "Regarding the grudge between you two… I think there's no reason for others to intervene. Why don't you find a place to have a good exchange?"
"Oh, Fūnan-kun…" a mocking voice interrupted. "I think this battlefield is the perfect place for their fight."
Orochimaru smiled, looking at him maliciously.
Do you think I'll let you drive them away? After all the effort I put into summoning Madara...
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