Chapter 374: The Worried Leaders of Various Nations
"How is it?"
In a desert far from the battlefield, Hyuga Shizuka emerged from her meditative state and looked at Hyuga Miyuki, who had just spoken. She nodded silently.
"No problem."
"That's good."
Hyuga Miyuki let out a sigh of relief, then took out a blue Spirit Orb and handed it to Hyuga Shizuka. "This will be your last task. Once you complete it, you're free to act as you wish… unless we need your assistance with research and experiments. Otherwise, we won't bother you again."
"..."
Hyuga Shizuka took the Spirit Orb and began absorbing it while secretly observing Hyuga Miyuki. "If he wins… what will happen to the shinobi world? Where will he lead it? He won't use that technique for evil, will he?"
Hyuga Miyuki glanced at her younger clanmate, thought for a moment, and replied:
"In Kaguya's era, the world operated according to her will—until the Sage of Six Paths and his brother rebelled. In the Sage's time, the world followed his will—until he grew old and his sons turned against each other. The same was true in the era of the First Hokage."
"The shinobi world has always been governed by the will of the strong. If you fear he will lead it astray and you have a different vision, then grow stronger. Stand against him and deny his path. You have that potential now."
"Eh?" Hyuga Shizuka was taken aback. "No, that's not what I meant. I was asking—"
Hyuga Miyuki softly interrupted her, "I understand. But would you even believe me? If you seek reassurance, at least ask someone you trust. I am his subordinate. Turning to me for comfort will only make you more uneasy."
"But you're the only one around me right now, and at least we're from the same clan…"
Hyuga Shizuka muttered inwardly but didn't say it aloud. However, from her expression, Hyuga Miyuki could more or less guess her thoughts.
"I can only ask you one thing—do you want Kaguya to win?"
Hyuga Miyuki pointed to a nearby village engulfed by Infinite Tsukuyomi. The villagers were lost in their dreamlike illusions, completely unaware of the outside world. The village's former vibrancy had been stripped away, replaced by a lifeless stillness.
Hyuga Shizuka looked at the village, then sighed and shook her head. "I understand."
She had never really had a choice from the start.
Whether for herself or for the greater good, fully supporting Hyuga Fuji was her only path forward.
Even if it meant helping him use divine techniques to achieve his plan.
"When the time comes, I will assist him in activating the divine technique."
---
While the two Hyuga women conversed, elsewhere, the Allied Shinobi Forces' high command returned to the main headquarters.
By now, the Land of Snow's army had also fallen under Infinite Tsukuyomi's influence, with only a few personnel unaffected.
Thus, upon their return, the Snow forces—led by Tobirama—had no choice but to withdraw, leaving behind a battlefield in ruins.
As for the Akatsuki and Kara forces, upon hearing that Nagato had been taken over by Kaguya, they hastily retreated as well. The Allied Forces paid them no mind.
Upon arriving at headquarters, Tsunade, Kitsuchi, and the other top commanders immediately headed for the Sensory Division.
When the Fourth Great Shinobi War broke out, the Allied Forces had set up a massive Sensory Water Sphere within the command center—capable of monitoring nearly the entire shinobi world.
This water sphere was extremely sensitive. As long as something happened within the shinobi world, it could more or less capture some information. Now, it was being used to observe the earth-shattering battle unfolding.
Yet, even though they had been prepared, when Tsunade and the others saw the cone-shaped distortion in the sensory sphere, they couldn't remain calm.
The originally smooth spherical surface now had a massive protrusion—starkly visible.
"Their chakra is so immense that the sensory sphere can only display their presence like this?" Kitsuchi muttered in disbelief. "Such terrifying power… are we really their opponents?"
His question left everyone in the room silent.
"Opponents?"
Any ninja who had seen that battle would hesitate to call themselves that.
Those two were walking natural disasters—gods capable of destroying the world!
How could mere mortals hope to challenge them?
Tsunade glanced at Kitsuchi but didn't stop him from sinking into despair. Instead, she turned to Shikaku Nara.
"Shikaku, are they constantly moving? Are they clashing with space-time ninjutsu? Who has the upper hand?"
The protrusion on the sensory sphere representing their chakra strength had changed positions four times since they arrived.
At that speed, it could only be due to space-time techniques.
"Correct."
Shikaku had been observing for some time and had reached a conclusion. He immediately answered:
"Although the battlefield's intense chakra fluctuations make direct observation impossible, from the details we can see—Hyuga Fuji seems to have the advantage."
"Why? Is Hyuga Fuji stronger than Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra?"
Kitsuchi snapped out of his daze, confused. "From what I've seen, Kaguya's attacks are clearly more powerful."
That was why he had felt so hopeless. If Kaguya was the stronger one, and she won, they wouldn't even have a chance to negotiate—the Land of Earth would soon follow the Land of Wind into oblivion.
Shikaku explained, "Because of the chakra fluctuations—Kaguya's chakra readings are constantly increasing, meaning she's continuously exerting more power. Meanwhile, Hyuga Fuji's chakra remains stable within a certain range."
"Hyuga Fuji is keeping calm and measured in battle. He isn't being overwhelmed by Kaguya's sheer power but is instead adapting and fine-tuning his rhythm. In a shinobi battle, that means only one thing—you two should understand."
He paused before continuing:
"Kaguya is undoubtedly powerful, but based on all available intel, her fighting style focuses on raw power while ignoring strategy and technique. That is a fatal flaw in shinobi combat."
Even legendary ninjas like Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju possessed exceptional analytical abilities in battle.
Once they gathered enough information about their opponent, they could formulate countermeasures—turning the tide of battle with strategy.
But Kaguya was not a shinobi. She lacked that habit.
As the battle continued, her patterns and weaknesses were being steadily exposed to Hyuga Fuji. Eventually, she would pay the price for it.
Just as Shikaku finished explaining, a sensory ninja suddenly shouted:
"Report! The chakra readings on the sensory sphere are fluctuating dramatically!"
Everyone immediately turned toward the Sensory Water Sphere, watching as the protrusion began violently pulsating—as if an intense battle was unfolding within.
"They've reached the critical phase of their battle," Shikaku stated. "We must prepare for the worst."
His words sent the entire room into heavy silence.
If Hyuga Fuji won, this war would be over—they would have no choice but to surrender. Many among them dreaded that outcome.
But if Kaguya won, the consequences would be just as disastrous.
As the progenitor of chakra, she had once been sealed by the Sage of Six Paths. The very technique that resurrected her—Infinite Tsukuyomi—was an apocalyptic threat.
From their perspective, she seemed even more dangerous than Hyuga Fuji.
Neither outcome boded well.
Was there a better option?
Some among the Allied Forces' leadership quietly worried.
(End of Chapter)