The Five Kage Summit had concluded.
But the real trouble was only just beginning.
When Tsunade returned to Konoha, she was greeted by a bolt from the blue—Jiraiya had returned with Uzumaki Naruto from Mount Myōboku.
During the time they had been away, the entire shinobi world had undergone drastic changes. Naruto, hidden away at Mount Myōboku, had finally completed his training in Sage Mode. Once he succeeded, he could no longer sit still and insisted on returning to Konoha to take part in the upcoming war.
However…
When Naruto arrived back, he was met with the sight of a ruined Konoha, currently under reconstruction. The surprise on his face said everything—he had not yet received word of what had happened.
"It was Shigen,"
Haruno Sakura said as she escorted her old teammates.
She didn't know all the details, only the outcome.
"The jōnin took us out on a mission, and when we came back, the village was a wasteland. That's when we learned Shigen had led Akatsuki to attack Konoha that day…"
Naruto clenched his fists instinctively.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, already knew.
He had known the reason behind Shigen and Akatsuki's attack on Konoha, which was why he had taken Naruto into hiding at Mount Myōboku.
But it wasn't all in vain.
Because Naruto had also obtained the key to the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze's seal during his stay at Mount Myōboku. He not only mastered Sage Jutsu but also gained the ability to freely seal and release the Nine Tails' chakra. His strength had improved severalfold.
That was why…
Jiraiya believed there was nothing more he could teach Naruto.
He brought him back to Konoha, believing it was time for his student to face his destiny.
"I'll stop Shigen's plan."
Naruto stared at the shattered Konoha and declared with resolve:
"No matter what he's trying to do, I'll stop him!"
Jiraiya silently hoped Naruto could really do it.
But he remembered what the Great Toad Sage had said at Mount Myōboku. Even that ancient being had little hope of defeating Shigen.
In fact…
Before they left, the Great Toad Sage had shared Shigen's history, hoping Naruto could one day be like the legendary ninja Asura—the man who once persuaded Shigen to abandon his genocidal path.
Frankly…
It sounded utterly ridiculous.
"You're back just in time."
Tsunade was buried in work when she saw Jiraiya and Naruto at the Hokage Tower. She immediately assigned them missions.
"Jiraiya, you'll help lead Konoha's forces to rendezvous with the other villages."
"As for Naruto…"
"Even though your situation isn't as dangerous as before, you're still likely to attract attention. Try not to appear before the other villages just yet."
After all…
The other villages had already lost their Tailed Beasts.
Only Konoha still retained both Naruto and the Nine Tails.
Even though the Five Kage had agreed to unite, if Naruto kept appearing everywhere, it might be taken the wrong way…
Like Konoha flaunting their edge.
If other villages believed Konoha planned to use that to their advantage, it would hinder unity.
Tsunade's reasoning was sound.
But what she hadn't expected was this:
Naruto wasn't the only Jinchūriki still alive.
Killer Bee, the Eight Tails' host from Kumogakure, had also survived!
The Fourth Raikage, without hesitation, brought his adoptive brother Killer Bee to the alliance, unconcerned with how the other villages might perceive it.
Of course…
The question came up.
But the Raikage and Killer Bee didn't hide it.
Though Bee was still alive, the Eight Tails had already been extracted.
Before being taken, Gyūki had left behind one of its tails to prevent Bee from dying.
That…
Sparked the other Kage's curiosity.
After all, Tailed Beasts usually loathed Jinchūriki. They saw them as jailers or tools to harvest chakra—rarely was there mutual trust.
Yet here was Gyūki…
Leaving behind a tail so Bee could live?
"Konoha's Nine Tails Jinchūriki is still alive, right?"
The Raikage turned to Tsunade with a proposal:
"We have a special training ground and method for raising Jinchūriki in the Cloud. Let your Nine Tails Jinchūriki try it. He could become a powerful asset."
That…
Was a genuine gesture of alliance.
The Raikage was willing to share a closely-guarded secret that allowed them to fully utilize their Tailed Beast—an enormous sacrifice.
But…
The reason was clear:
The Raikage knew how likely it was they could lose this war.
If they wanted to win, every bit of power counted.
"Besides…"
"We can't let a Tailed Beast go berserk in battle."
"I don't know how powerful the Nine Tails is…"
"But I've heard that Uchiha Madara once used it to battle the First Hokage to a standstill. If your Nine Tails host loses control, Madara could turn it into a weapon against us."
"That man is strong enough as it is…"
"Thank you."
Tsunade felt a wave of relief.
The Shinobi Alliance's leadership was united in purpose.
Though some shinobi from different villages might still have grudges, the big picture was clear to everyone.
"Let's start assigning roles, then."
"We'll have strategists handle army division and structure."
Though each Kage had experience in battle, they needed expert support for full-scale war.
"Before we divide units…"
"We must form a Sensor Unit."
"To gather intel on enemy movements, we need a team that can monitor chakra across the entire ninja world."
"Only then…"
"Can we avoid being completely outmaneuvered in this war."
Yes.
They could only hope…
The Sensor Unit would help them keep pace.
Akatsuki and Obito's side had moved with astonishing speed.
Until now, the great villages hadn't even been able to track Akatsuki's movements. They only reacted after the attacks.
Now, the Five Great Nations had created a massive Sensor Unit, incorporating techniques from all their villages and building a headquarters with an enormous barrier network.
On that barrier…
Every chakra fluctuation across the world became visible.
"Akatsuki's chakra signatures have appeared…"
Yamanaka Inoichi, the Sensor Unit's commander, immediately delivered results, proving the benefit of the alliance.
"Where are they?!"
The Raikage barked furiously.
"Here…"
Inoichi uneasily marked a spot on the map.
"They're still in the Land of Rain. It seems… they're not moving at all…"
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Powerstones?
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