24 hours was a short time.
If someone from the Ōtsutsuki clan came to interfere during this period, then Shigure would be in trouble. Of course, this "trouble" referred to the interruption of his devouring process, not any real danger to his life.
Stopping midway would mean losing the power he was absorbing, and that was something Shigure absolutely could not accept.
Hisashi led the others in setting up a barrier around him, quietly waiting for the devouring process to finish.
At the same time, outside Konohagakure, Kisame had brought Chōjūrō and Akira Mino Castle to deal with the remaining Ōtsutsuki forces and rescue Naruto and Tsunade.
Kakashi looked at Kisame in front of him.
Once, they had been enemies. Now, Kisame had become his savior. If Kisame had not appeared in time, Kakashi would already be dead, and even Tsunade-sama might not have survived.
"Thank you," Kakashi said quietly.
Kisame grinned. "The one you should thank is Lord Mizukage. If it weren't for his orders, we wouldn't have come to Konoha to save you."
Kakashi fell silent.
Once a shinobi of Konoha, one mistake had caused the village to lose someone with limitless potential. Thinking back on it now, Kakashi could not help but feel regret.
If only he had not left Konoha back then.
But at the time, Danzō had issued the mission. As a shinobi of Konoha, he had no choice but to obey.
Everything felt like fate, something that could not be changed.
While Kakashi waited for Shizune to finish treating Tsunade, a sudden commotion erupted in the distance.
Kisame's expression darkened.
"This is bad. More Ōtsutsuki are coming."
Chōjūrō tightened his grip on Hiramekarei. After the previous battle, he fully understood how terrifying the Ōtsutsuki clan was. The thought of facing them again made him instinctively tense.
But as the figures approached, everyone froze.
The incoming group of Ōtsutsuki were not attacking.
They were running.
Panicked. Disheveled. Screaming as if they had lost their minds.
"Run!"
"Don't stop!"
"Did that monster catch up?!"
"I don't see him, but keep running!"
A large group of Ōtsutsuki rushed past Kisame and the others' hiding spot, completely ignoring them.
They looked utterly terrified, as if they had just escaped death itself.
Kisame frowned for a moment, then slowly broke into a grin.
"It seems Lord Shigure has arrived in Konoha."
Kakashi looked at him in confusion. "How can you be sure?"
Kisame chuckled.
"Other than Lord Shigure, who else could scare the Ōtsutsuki into this state?"
"To us, they are overwhelming enemies. But to him, they are nothing."
Kakashi could not refute that.
Aside from Shigure, there was no one who could reduce the Ōtsutsuki clan to such a miserable state.
"Then what should we do now?" Kakashi asked.
Kisame turned toward the direction of Konoha.
"We return to Konoha."
"This is the closest safe location. If we go elsewhere, we might run into more Ōtsutsuki."
Kakashi nodded. That made sense. If those Ōtsutsuki were fleeing from Konoha, then it meant Konoha was now the safest place.
"Tsunade-sama!"
A familiar voice suddenly called out.
Kakashi froze for a moment, then his eyes widened.
"Minato-sensei!"
He rushed outside and saw Namikaze Minato standing there.
Minato looked at him with concern. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Kakashi replied quickly. "Tsunade-sama is injured and unconscious, but Shizune is treating her."
"Then we need to move immediately," Minato said. "Return to Konoha. It's safe now."
"The Fifth Mizukage has arrived with reinforcements from Kirigakure. They've already driven off the Ōtsutsuki."
Driven off?
Kakashi was stunned.
Just what kind of power had Shigure used to force the Ōtsutsuki to retreat?
That man was truly monstrous.
Konoha.
Naruto stood among the ruins, staring at what remained of the village.
Most of Konoha had been reduced to rubble.
The only thing still standing intact was the Hokage Rock.
Naruto looked up at the stone faces of the Hokage, his fists slowly clenching.
"I will surpass Shigure… and become Hokage."
"This kind of disaster… will never happen again."
Meanwhile, far away…
The Kazekage of Sunagakure was leading a large force of elite shinobi toward Kirigakure at full speed.
A new movement was already beginning.
The same order was issued to Ōnoki in Iwagakure.
Kumogakure received it as well.
All three great villages were given a single command:
Attack Kirigakure.
Using their most elite forces, the three major shinobi villages would join together to raid the Hidden Mist and reclaim the tailed beasts that originally belonged to them.
The decision left many shinobi confused.
Hadn't they previously agreed not to oppose Kirigakure?
Why had things suddenly changed?
And so abruptly, too. The order was issued immediately after the decision was made, and troops were mobilized without delay.
None of the shinobi noticed anything strange.
But their leaders did.
The Kage of each village showed no emotion in their eyes. There was no spirit, no presence, as if something had hollowed them out completely.
They looked like empty shells.
At the same time, the patriarch of the Ōtsutsuki clan, Shinji Ōtsutsuki, was completely unaware that his clan had already been driven into panic by Shigure and had begun fleeing.
He had arrived at another location.
Otogakure.
Under the guidance of Black Zetsu, he found Orochimaru.
But what Black Zetsu had not expected was that two others were also present.
Uchiha Obito.
And Uchiha Madara.
"Black Zetsu," Madara said, slightly surprised, "I thought you had already fled and gone into hiding, never to appear again."
"And yet, you've returned… and even brought reinforcements?"
Madara's tone carried both curiosity and amusement.
Black Zetsu, however, showed no sign of humor. His expression remained calm as he replied,
"This is my master."
Madara paused, momentarily stunned.
"Have you forgotten who created you?"
At that moment, Shinji Ōtsutsuki spoke.
"Watch your tone, boy. That thing belongs to me now. I am his master."
Madara slowly turned his gaze toward Shinji, his eyes narrowing.
"And who are you?"
"Shinji Ōtsutsuki, patriarch of the Ōtsutsuki clan."
Madara frowned, studying him carefully.
"And what exactly do you want here?"
Shinji glanced at Obito and Orochimaru, then smiled faintly.
"I originally came for those two."
"But since you're here as well… you can join us."
Join?
Join what?
Madara was about to question him further.
But before he could speak, a green light suddenly shot out from Shinji's hand.
It pierced directly into the foreheads of Obito and Orochimaru.
They had no time to react.
In the next instant, both of their eyes turned dull and lifeless.
As if their wills had been completely erased.
(End of Chapter)
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