The Naruto World has many bug-like skills or items, but Sage Mode is among the top tier of these bug skills. Learning Sage Mode, depending on the mastery level, greatly enhances an individual's overall combat power.
In the original work, Naruto, whose level barely reached that of a Jonin, could fight the Six Paths of Pain after learning Sage Mode, achieving results surpassing Jiraiya's.
Although factors like Pain having just destroyed Konoha and the Deva Path's abilities being unusable played a part, if his own level weren't sufficient, such results wouldn't have been possible.
This was later demonstrated during the Fourth Shinobi World War.
When fighting the Third Raikage... Naruto in Nine-Tails Chakra Mode couldn't hit the Raikage even from a sneak attack from behind. But using Sage Mode, he could strike the Raikage's hand and knee in a frontal confrontation, causing the Raikage to attack himself. The difference in strength between the two modes was considerable.
The Sage Cloth developed by Ryuji helps people enter a Perfect Sage Mode comparable to Naruto's.
Furthermore, the Ninjutsu seals on the cloth automatically absorb Natural Energy from the surroundings to replenish the wearer's consumption, allowing the wearer's Sage Mode to be maintained indefinitely.
Sunagakure's elites wearing such items achieving these results is only natural.
Additionally, the reason Ryuji didn't mass-produce the Sage Cloth wasn't due to material limitations as Gin said... although that was initially true, as the technology matured further, the required materials were improved, eliminating that limitation.
But Sage Mode has high requirements for the user, with possessing large amounts of Chakra being just the most basic condition.
The Sage Cloth merely helps those who cannot master Sage Mode to control it. If someone doesn't even meet the requirements to use Sage Mode, forcibly putting them into it would only cause them to be overwhelmed and destroyed by the immense power.
For example, someone like Chiyo, who is very strong but has scarce Chakra, couldn't be equipped with a Sage Cloth.
However, having people like Gin, Kuro, Chino, Pakura, Kana, and the Third Kazekage was enough.
With the boost of the Sage Cloth, they were absolute Kage-level peak experts. Among them, Gin and Chino even barely stepped into the realm of Super Kage-level combat power.
With this level of strength, they definitely wouldn't be inferior to the Allied Shinobi Forces… excluding the First Hokage.
As the battles of the Allied Forces' experts showed signs of defeat, their morale plummeted. Sunagakure, on the contrary, saw their morale surge, reversing the situation in one move, suppressing the Allied Forces' advance instead.
But...
Rumble...
Accompanied by violent tremors, a giant Wood Human swiped its hand across the wall. The puppets and Sunagakure's Shinobi about to charge up and kill the enemy all became its victims.
Immediately after, several Bijudama raising mushroom clouds struck in succession, instantly blowing away entire clusters of puppets and Sunagakure's Shinobi... Although there were accidental casualties among the Allied Shinobi Forces, most were Sunagakure's forces.
The sudden change caused everyone on the battlefield to stop, all looking towards the source of the incident.
On the head of the Wood Human grasping the wall and peering over, the First Hokage stood against the wind.
In the distance farther away, the Eight-Tails and Three-Tails crouched, surrounded by several Jinchuriki in Semi-Tailed Beast Transformation... They were the First Hokage, Second Hokage, Minato, and the other Jinchuriki who had been fighting the Twelve Golden Figures on the open battlefield.
...Although each Golden Figure possessed power comparable to the Wood Human Technique, it was only comparable to the Wood Human Technique itself, not to the First Hokage... Although the strongest technique the current First Hokage could use was the Wood Human Technique, he could still use other techniques simultaneously while using it. His combat power was not on the same level as the Wood Human alone.
In a one-on-one duel, a Golden Figure was far from the First Hokage's match.
With teammates helping to restrain the other Golden Figures, the First Hokage defeated and sealed the one he was fighting, then helped seal the others one by one.
Although this process consumed great effort, even causing his body to be scattered many times, he and the Second Hokage were Impure World Reincarnations with infinite Chakra and regenerative abilities.
And the others were Jinchuriki, whose recovery abilities were also beyond ordinary.
Except for Minato, who had coordinated with the Second Hokage earlier using Flying Thunder God to take away four Golden Figures and directly collapsed until the battle ended before recovering enough Chakra to reappear, the others were still handling things with ease.
By the time they all arrived on the wall, they had recovered 70-80%.
"Let it end here!"
The First Hokage looked down at the people on the wall as if surveying them. "If you lack power capable of matching me and the seven Jinchuriki, then surrender without resistance. I make this promise here: only the chief culprit of this war, 'Senki Ryuji', will be sealed and imprisoned. Everyone else will be not held accountable for past actions."
The Sunagakure's forces looked at each other, faces full of bewilderment.
...
"Established in the name of the Daimyo's courts?"
On the ground, Nagato looked at Ryuji in shock.
"Are you sure they would accept?"
Although it seemed the various countries' Daimyo held higher status than the Shinobi Village's leaders, in reality, their relationship was one of equal employment and cooperation. The villages only adopted a lower posture because the Daimyo were their financial backers.
But now Ryuji proposed establishing an organization supervising the Shinobi Villages in the name of the Daimyo courts to achieve peace... Setting aside whether this would achieve peace, it would definitely break the equal employment relationship between the nations and their villages, causing one side to overwhelm the other in status.
Doing this, the Shinobi Villages would certainly not agree.
"No, it would only be supervision on certain matters. The organization wouldn't have the power to interfere in the villages' internal affairs."
"Like the relationship between Shinobi Clans and villages?"
"...Something like that." Ryuji seemed not to have expected Nagato to use this example. After a moment's thought, he said, "The supervisory organization would only be responsible for overseeing the villages regarding things like military threats, war, and other unfair competition. It couldn't directly interfere in the villages' internal affairs and wouldn't have a stake in their interests."
"Of course, even so, there would certainly be opposition. So I need to beat down all those who won't listen, make them obey obediently. Finally, use weapons capable of instantly leveling any village as deterrence to maintain the relationship between the organization and the villages."
"..."
Nagato fell silent.
Ryuji's plan was simple and easy to understand. Nagato instantly grasped its operating principle and had to admit it was a feasible plan.
But there were also many problems.
Minor details aside for now, but who would supervise the power of this supervisory organization itself?
After all, war is caused by human desires, which stem from various entanglements of interest... The people establishing the supervisory organization are also human, also have desires, interests, and positions. Who could guarantee they would be fair and impartial?
Although the organization wouldn't interfere in village internal affairs, only having the power to supervise unfair competition between villages... but what is the standard for unfair competition?
And who gets to decide?
These are vague matters.
If members of the supervisory organization took a dislike to a certain village or had good relations with another, thus favoring one side in adjudicating matters, how would the rights and interests of the other side be guaranteed?
If a member of the supervisory organization appeared who was both capable and ambitious, possessing weapons that could instantly destroy any force, wouldn't they potentially use the organization's power and weapons to unify the Shinobi World?
If such an organization capable of supervising villages truly emerged, the above scenarios were all possible.
Hearing Nagato's worries, Ryuji chuckled. "I've considered all these situations. Although I can suppress them to some extent, I cannot eradicate them, so I can't give you guarantees. However, people progress. If the Shinobi World becomes as I described, the organization would also reform according to the times."
"If you have no way to eradicate these drawbacks, then I'm afraid I cannot agree with your plan!" Nagato replied calmly.
If the Shinobi World truly reached a state supervised by such an organization and the situations he feared occurred, the victimized side would be unable to resist. This would be a situation more severe in nature than war.
After all, one can only fight for one's rights when power is in one's own hands.
Compared to unifying power and handing it over to an organization for supervision, Nagato's method was to distribute equally power to every nation, letting them fight for their own rights.
Hearing Nagato's response, Ryuji wasn't surprised. He smiled and said, "Then only the third option remains."
"Let's hear it!"
After hearing Ryuji's first two plans, Nagato internally acknowledged him as a like-minded individual with the same goal. Even if their methods differed, they were both advancing towards the same objective.
At least, these plans of his were answers derived from thorough research and consideration.
Perhaps his answer would be better than his own.
However, Ryuji's next answer shattered Nagato's such thoughts...
"The third plan is mutual destruction!"
"M-Mutual destruction?"
Nagato stared blankly at Ryuji, momentarily not reacting.
'Wasn't it supposed to be for Shinobi World's peace?'
'Why did it suddenly change direction to mutual destruction?'
"Believe it or not, I have a way to bring all life on this planet to mutual destruction. If you plan to wait for Sunagakure and the Allied Shinobi Forces to weaken each other and then come to pick up the pieces, I will have you, and all life on this planet, accompany me to the grave." Ryuji said with a smile, uttering words like a demon. "In other words, if I lose, I'll make everyone a loser."
Hearing this, Nagato fell silent.
After a long while, he raised his head, staring intently at Ryuji. "...You really haven't changed at all, stopping at nothing for victory."
"Well, I've always been a pragmatic person."
"Aren't you worried about angering me, making me directly side with the Allied Forces, completely crush Sunagakure, leaving you no chance for mutual destruction?"
"In that case, your ideal would also be unable to be realized."
"You..."
"Don't rush to give me an answer. Think it over carefully. At least, before Sunagakure and the Allied Shinobi Forces determine victory, you have time to consider slowly."
After speaking, without waiting for Nagato's reply, Ryuji's consciousness left Konan, returning to his own body.
...
Opening his eyes, looking at the battlefield that had eerily stilled and everyone's gaze towards the target... the First Hokage atop the Wood Human's head, a slight smile played on Ryuji's lips.
"Let's clean up the situation here before Nagato reacts!"
The battle had developed as imagined, both sides suffering great losses.
Moreover, with the ensuing battles, casualties would increase further, making the act seem more convincing then.
"I hope Black Zetsu puts in some effort. Without your help, I'd have to expend great effort to release Kaguya-hime from her seal!"
...
Inside the Mechanical City.
All ordinary civilians had been evacuated to shelters by the Genin. The entire city was empty and desolate, utterly silent.
Suddenly, the air in a certain spot twisted.
From the twisting spatial vortex, a figure was released.
He instinctively hid behind the nearest building, cautiously peeking out to survey the outside... there was no one.
"Hah..."
He let out a deep sigh of relief, then stuck his head out again from behind the wall... Steel towers of varying heights stood in a dense forest, constructed according to some pattern. Various overpasses, roads, and alleyways interconnected, forming a complex terrain.
"Which path leads to the control system?"
He scratched his head, brows furrowed in thought.
Suddenly, he clapped a fist into his palm, having an idea. "I can ask Kakashi!"
As he spoke, his pupils turned crimson, with shuriken-like pattern inside. A tremendous suction force released from his eyes, and four figures of varying builds were released.
They were Kakashi and the others.
When the Allied Shinobi Forces scaled the wall and engaged Sunagakure's defenders in frontal attack and defense, they had also begun their action.
...
"Just as I predicted, the civilians have already evacuated..." After emerging and checking the outside, Kakashi said thoughtfully. "Now, the battle on the wall concerns whether the Mechanical City falls. The Shinobi should all be defending there. Aside from vital areas still having guards, the rest of the place should be empty."
"But we still need to be wary of Genin Teams out searching for lost children." Shisui added from the side.
Although the Mechanical City initiated the attack, civilians were surely evacuated to shelters in advance.
But accidents can happen anytime.
If some mischievous child couldn't sit still, snuck out of the shelter to run around, and the guarding Genin noticed someone missing and came out to search... such accidents were rare but not impossible.
"That's true. We really need to be mindful of that."
Kakashi nodded slightly, then looked at the large, stout man beside him. "Chukichi, can you sense anything now?"
"Yes." Chukichi nodded. "Aside from some areas being blocked, I can basically sense everything, but I can't sense the situation outside the Mechanical City anymore."
"The Mind Communication Technique is also cut off. It seems there's a barrier isolating perception and communication between inside and outside the city."
"It should be blocking outsiders' perception and communication." Shisui added again. "If they themselves also couldn't perceive or contact the outside, how could the Allied Forces have been attacked by the defense system while still outside?"