Thinking that the attention of various countries would soon be focused on the Land of Birds to crush the Evil God Cult with all their might, Yagami Light's expression darkened.
The Evil God Cult in the Land of Birds was crucial to his main body's grand plan and could not be allowed to fail.
He now had some clues regarding the nature of this 'Evil God'; all he lacked was time.
As his consciousness sank slightly into the void, he could clearly "hear" the voices of the believers—desperate, fanatical, pained, devout...
Countless emotions entwined with his soul along the threads of faith, making him truly feel for the first time that he was being worshipped in the unseen under the name of the Evil God.
Everything was developing in the direction predicted by his main body; he couldn't let them ruin it.
"Your Genjutsu level should be quite high, right?"
Uchiha Hikari looked at him in confusion. "It's decent. What do you want to do?"
The next steps were simple. Yagami Light used his outstanding sensory abilities to find all the spies and the Ninjas sent by the two great nations, hypnotizing them into believing they had already wiped out the Evil God Cult.
Then, he controlled the Daimyo and nobles in the capital to prevent them from seeking reinforcements. Proceeding steadily, he slowly took control of the entire Land of Birds.
...
After a long while, Aoki Yoru opened his eyes, an excited expression on his face.
It wasn't because his clone had occupied the Land of Birds and recruited a great general like Uchiha Hikari, but because he had gained a preliminary understanding of the Evil God.
Over these past two or three years, the clone had used the massive energy of the gelel stone to directly wear down and digest the Evil God's energy and physical fragments.
The current clone could even perceive the operating rules of the Heavenly Dao in the unseen and the reason for the Evil God's birth.
The next step was to calculate whether he would have a chance to strike that Evil God when he stepped into the peak of the Super Kage Level, to avenge the grudge from that day.
Three days later.
At this time, the personnel going to the Land of Birds had gathered at the entrance of Konoha Village.
For Naruto, this was his first mission in two years, and he was chattering away non-stop.
Especially since his companions were all friends he knew, he was beyond excited.
He chatted warmly with everyone, sharing his experiences from this period.
He even held Hinata's hand, causing the young girl's face to flush instantly and steam to rise; she almost fainted.
Finally, after being introduced to the new team member, Sai, he said with a look of disappointment, "If only Sasuke were here."
Then, as if thinking of something, he looked at Sakura and placed his right fist over his chest: "Sakura, don't worry, I will definitely bring Sasuke back. I, Uzumaki Naruto, am a man of my word."
Beside him, Sakura's eyes dimmed upon hearing Sasuke's name, but she then forced herself to smile and said, "Don't worry, I'm very strong now too. I won't hide behind you guys anymore."
At that moment, Tsunade walked over, hands on her hips, and said, "This mission is extremely dangerous. You must prioritize your safety. If things become impossible, retreat; don't worry about the mission."
Then she turned to look at Aoki Yoru: "Kid, make sure you bring them back safely."
"Don't worry, Lady Tsunade. I guarantee not a single one will be missing."
"Good, then set out now."
Then, under the leadership of Aoki Yoru, they all dashed forward.
At this time, Jiraiya walked up to Tsunade and said with a playful smile, "I didn't expect you to let Naruto go. This Evil God Cult is not simple; there should be more than one Kage-level expert inside."
Pausing, Jiraiya's expression turned serious: "Moreover, I suspect it's related to the Akatsuki Organization. There used to be someone in the Akatsuki who claimed to be from the Evil God Cult."
Tsunade's face darkened upon hearing this, but she then showed a determined look: "We have to believe in Naruto. This is his destiny. We can't keep him protected in Konoha forever; it wouldn't be fair to him."
Next, she gave a relaxed smile: "Besides, isn't Aoki Yoru there? Even Kakashi couldn't test that guy's full strength. With him there, it will definitely be fine."
Arranging the fight between Kakashi and Aoki Yoru was something she had carefully considered; she wanted to see the kid's full power.
However, judging from the final result, he was still acting with ease, definitely holding back his strength.
Jiraiya smiled at her words: "True, with that kid there, things should be fine. He has already surpassed us old-timers."
Land of Wind.
Due to the Daimyo's forceful demand, they sent a squad led by three Jonin: Baki, Kankuro, and Temari.
The Kazekage Gaara was instructing the squad about to depart: "I have already corresponded with the Hokage. When the time comes, our two Villages will share information."
"They are led by Aoki Yoru. If a joint operation is required, Aoki Yoru will be the captain."
The squad leader Baki's expression froze, and he subconsciously touched the massive scar on his chest.
Aoki Yoru had nearly killed him; that feeling of impending death was still fresh in his memory.
He then looked at Gaara, knowing that Gaara said this for his benefit, fearing he might still hold a grudge since he had almost died at Aoki Yoru's hands.
"Don't worry, Gaara. I will prioritize the big picture. That guy's strength is indeed greater than any of us here; I am fully convinced by his leadership."
Gaara nodded. Baki was a veteran Jonin and would consider the overall situation.
"Be careful. From all the intelligence, the opponent is not simple."
Land of Earth.
Like the Land of Wind, they knew the situation in the Land of Birds was deep. That old fox Ōnoki didn't want to send personnel at all, wanting other Ninja Villages to charge ahead.
Unfortunately, the Daimyo strongly demanded that he must send elites, or else next year's funding would be halved.
Ōnoki had no choice but to send the Elite Jonin Iwato, accompanied by some mediocre Chunin.
Iwato was his confidant; as long as he could return alive, it would be enough.
The Evil God Cult was simply too mysterious, able to play the Daimyo like a fiddle; their strength was extraordinary.
One must know that among the forces sent by the Daimyo, there were Jonin present, yet they were ultimately controlled by Genjutsu.
The opponent might be a Kage-level powerhouse, and Iwagakure only had three Kage-level figures: himself, Roshi, and Han.
He wouldn't let his own strength be wasted for nothing; a token gesture was enough to satisfy the Daimyo.
Land of Lightning.
"Hmph! The Daimyo is truly tiresome, making such a grand demand for the Five Great Ninja Villages to take action and suppress some Bird Evil God Cult."
The muscular brute, the Fourth Raikage, threw the scroll directly onto the ground.
"Just call some random people to deal with it."
Wearing a pencil skirt, the secretary Mabui leaned over to pick up the scroll. "The opponent is not simple and may have a Kage-level powerhouse. We still need to send a capable expert."
The Raikage pondered for a moment. "Then just send Killer Bee and Darui over."
He wasn't like the Tsuchikage, someone who would casually sacrifice the Village's Ninjas. Knowing the enemy wasn't simple, he wouldn't just send cannon fodder to their deaths.
Hidden Mist Village.
They also sent a team led by Chōjūrō and Ao.
At this time, Mei Terumī was seeing them off: "This is our Hidden Mist Village once again participating in the affairs of the Ninja World mainland. You must let them see our style."
Then Chōjūrō said nervously and loudly, "Don't worry, Lady Mizukage! I will definitely not lose face for the Hidden Mist Village!"
"Hahaha! Be more confident, Chōjūrō. You are very strong."
Mei Terumī patted Chōjūrō's shoulder.
Then she said seriously, "Make sure you come back alive."
"Yes!!!"