"What?! Konoha declared war on us?"
Upon hearing Master Ao's words, the faces of all the people present changed greatly. In recent times, due to the Fourth Mizukage being controlled, they were cut off from information about Kirigakure. It was only recently that Ao, Terumei Mei, and others started to doubt the leadership of Mizukage and discovered some clues.
During the Third Shinobi World War, Ao defeated a Hyūga clan member and took one of his Byakugan, which he implanted into his right eye socket. With it, he saw through the chakra pathways of Mizukage and foreign Chakra in it. A powerful genjutsu was placed on the Fourth Mizukage
Consequently, they all started monitoring Mizukage in passage to collect information about the person who could control a Jinchuriki and information about other shinobi villages. However, the information Ao gathered left everyone in stunned silence.
In just a few months, Konoha had directly conquered the Land of Thunder, forcing the Land of Earth to choose an unconditional merger. With the exception of their land and water, the entire ninja world was now under Konoha's control. Furthermore, not long ago, Konoha's Fourth Hokage, Ryan, declared a final war against the Land of Water.
"Now, what do all shinobi clans think about this invasion?" Master Ao addressed the group.
Everyone looked at each other, and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen remained silent. They were known for their expertise in wielding blades, but when it came to strategy, they were out of their depth.
Observing the situation, Mei Terumi at the side analyzed the current predicament in Kirigakure. "With the Three-Tails released from the Fourth Mizukage's body, I'm afraid he won't survive for long. In this case, we must contemplate how to face Konoha's army."
The others nodded in agreement. They signaled Terumi Mei to continue her assessment. Terumi Mei then turned her gaze towards Master Ao, her expression inquisitive as she spoke, "Master Ao, we must now decide whether to fight or surrender. The choice lies with you."
Mei Terumi was merely a Jonnin at this moment and didn't want to bear the sole responsibility. Recognizing that Master Ao, as an elder of Kirigakure from the third shinobi war, possessed greater prestige and power than anyone present, it was only fitting to grant him the decision-making authority.
After contemplating the issue for a moment, Ao's gaze suddenly turned to Kaguya, Hozuki, and other shinobi clans. However, all the Clan patriarchs at that moment seemed to turn a deaf ear to what was going on outside the window, ignoring Ao's gaze.
Seeing this, the Ao sighed helplessly. He found himself in a situation where he could only be considered Kirigakure's scapegoat.
"That's it; we must admit that our Hidden Mist Village can't stop Konoha's offensive now. The footsteps of Konoha's unification of the ninja world cannot be halted. Let's inform everyone!" he declared.
"Let the army gather, assess the situation, and then decide whether to surrender or not," the group agreed.
Soon, Mist Shinobi began to gather, ready to confront the enemy and decide their course of action based on the unfolding events.
Amidst the tensions rising in the ninja world due to the impending unification, two figures rushed into the mountain cemetery.
"Huh! I finally managed to escape! Damn it, you bastard! You left me and ran away alone!"
"Unacceptable!" retorted 'Uchiha Madara'.
He didn't care about the accusations; his ultimate goal was to resurrect his mother, Otsutsuki Kaguya. The life or death of pawns meant little to him; he was only concerned about his mother.
"Didn't you come back alive? What's the problem?" Black Zetsu questioned.
After hearing 'Uchiha Madara's words, Black Zetsu smiled mysteriously and led the brat to the depths of the cemetery. They reached the innermost part, where numerous coffins lay, containing the bodies of powerful individuals collected over the years. At the front was the recently deceased Uchiha Madara.
Following Madara's explanations of some Jutsus and future plans, the deadline for their resurrection had arrived. Black Zetsu summoned a White Zetsu for sacrifice.
"Reanimation Jutsu!!!" Accompanied by the final seal, a transparent soul returned from the pure land in an instant and entered White Zetsu's body. Countless paper-like substances quickly wrapped around White Zetsu, transforming it into Uchiha Madara at the peak of his power.
"A bit slow, definitely," Madara remarked as he observed his newly revived form, surprising the fake Uchiha Madara.
He had never anticipated Madara's resurrection. He soon realized that the old man before them was actually the patriarch of the Uchiha clan from the early Konoha period, known as Shura of the Shinobi world
"Now we can start our plan! It's truly interesting to see how Konoha will unify the ninja world!" Madara muttered with excitement. The three of them began putting their plan into action, and Madara focused on mastering the Reanimation Jutsu, created by the Second Hokage Tobirama.
Assessing his present body, Madara couldn't help but frown slightly. Although it wasn't his original body, it would suffice for their purpose.
Meanwhile, in the cemetery, the corpses, which had been controlled by the three, were gradually being resurrected one by one using the Reanimation Jutsu. However, the process was slow.
Time passed, and the Konoha army arrived by the sea outside the Water Country. This war was seen as the final step towards achieving peace in the ninja world, and everyone in the army had smiles on their faces, believing that peace was finally within reach.
"I never thought that after three ninja world wars, the ninja world would finally experience peace."
"Who said it wasn't? Thanks to Lord Fourth Hokage!"
"Konoha actually managed to unify the ninja world!"
"The land of water is the last one! Come on, everyone! Let's take the land of water in one fell swoop and welcome true peace in the ninja world!"
Amidst the current Konoha army, the ninjas were excitedly communicating with each other. The forces that were once Rock Shinobi, Cloud Shinobi, and Sand Shinobi were now united as one under the Konoha banner.
At that moment, Ryan and other high-level members of the army also arrived at the forefront.
"Hokage-sama!"
"The Land of Water seems to be preparing to resist!"
"They have assembled a large army and stationed it at the border of the country!"
"But there is no sign of the Mizukage among them!"
Upon hearing this, Ryan couldn't help but frown. It should have been Yagura who succeeded the Third Mizukage's position after his death. So, why was there no sign of Yagura?
Ryan considered the possibility that Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu, the two masterminds, might be hiding in the Land of Water, exerting control over Yagura. A dangerous light flashed in his eyes.
"The army continues to move forward!"
"I want to see that if Hidden Mist dares to stop us!"
With Ryan's order, the army continued to advance, capturing every territory they went to with little resistance. Entering the territory of the Land of Water was remarkably easy. As they progressed, they spotted the assembled Mist Shinobi army ahead.
Facing the mighty Konoha army, the sheer numbers alone overwhelmed the Kiri Shinobi of Kirigakure. Not to mention their strength; just look at the formidable players in the Konoha lineup individually, such as Onoki, Rasa, and the Sannin, all well-known in the ninja world.
Initially, Kirigakure had planned to wait and see, but witnessing the overwhelming force before them, Master Ao swiftly ordered everyone to lay down their weapons without hesitation. "Drop your weapons! No one is allowed to make a move! Accept Konoha's merger with peace of mind! From now on, we will all live in peace! NO MORE WAR!!!"
Following Master Ao's command, the Mist Shinobi army instantly gave up resistance. They put down their weapons and stayed where they were, accepting the inevitable.
While the Konoha army had initially prepared for a fierce battle, they felt powerless now that the Mist Shinobi had surrendered. Nonetheless, the world shall finally be under Konoha and take over the entire Land Water.
Master Ao, accompanied by Mei Terumi and others, approached Ryan. "Hokage-sama, please take care of us in the future! I didn't expect that Konoha would unify the ninja world! You are young and promising! I deeply admire you!" Master Ao offered constant compliments, and Ryan, feeling slightly embarrassed, did not refute the elder's praises.
After all, Master Ao was someone who had devoted himself to Kirigakure, and respect was due.
However, there was a pressing matter that Ryan wanted answers to. He inquired about the whereabouts of the Fourth Mizukage Yagura and why he wasn't present at the front.
Upon hearing this question, Master Ao was momentarily stunned but quickly understood. He hastened to share the news that someone had controlled Yagura and used him to release the three tails inside the village.
Confirming his suspicions, Ryan realized that Black Zetsu and Uchiha Madara were still hiding in the ninja world. Although it was uncertain whether Madara was still alive or seeking a replacement, the fact that they were being watched secretly by these two was uncomfortable.
"We must find a way to locate these two individuals!"
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