(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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Konoha.
With 20,000 ninjas deployed to the Land of Thunder, the village now felt deserted.
Colt didn't appear before the others; instead, he went directly to the Memorial Monument without a word, still holding his sword, Kaminari.
On the site, Kisame was there.
This was why he had returned.
"Sorry, Colt-san, for keeping you waiting," He apologized, his voice hesitant.
Colt had called for him a while back, but he had just appeared.
That was why Colt returned hurriedly.
He had a certain plan for Kisame…
Colt didn't turn his head, his gaze still fixed on the names etched into the stone tablet.
Kisame didn't mind the lack of response and walked up beside him, also looking at the monument.
"Is this the condolence tablet of Konoha's legends? It's impressive, being the first hidden village comes with advantages that others lack," Kisame remarked, his expression tinged with sadness.
In Kirigakure, fallen ninjas were often remembered with little more than a dismissive snort from their superiors.
The pension was meager, and recognition was rare.
Konoha, at least, offered its fallen heroes a semblance of respect, providing comfort to those who followed in their footsteps and motivating them to give their all for the village.
Colt chuckled.
"When it comes to brainwashing, our village excels the best."
His eyes lingered on a name, and he pointed it out to Kisame.
"Might Dai—does that name sound familiar?"
"Might Dai..." Kisame muttered, his face changing as he recalled the name's significance.
Seeing Kisame's reaction, Colt smiled.
"That's right, the man who single-handedly took down most of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
Kisame remained silent, realizing that Colt's conversational style was both blunt and somewhat jarring.
"What mission do you have for me this time?" Kisame wisely changed the subject to avoid further discomfort.
Colt didn't prolong the teasing and got straight to business.
"Obito gave you orders, correct? What were they? and do you know where Sasuke is?"
"He tasked me with gathering intelligence on the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki and capturing him if the opportunity arose. Sasuke received the same orders. As for Sasuke's current whereabouts, I'm not sure," Kisame replied.
Colt wasn't surprised by the answer.
He spread out his palm, tracing his fingers over two names on the memorial tablet.
"Fifth Mizukage Terumi Mei is currently roaming the ninja world with some ninjas and the daimyos from various countries to avoid being captured by Obito and used against the ninja coalition," Colt explained.
"However, I think this presents an opportunity."
Colt's voice was calm, but it carried a chilling undertone.
"Kisame, don't you think that in the ninja world, there shouldn't be so many useless people with too much power? They eat and wait to die while holding too much influence."
"This world doesn't need them!"
Kisame was momentarily stunned by Colt's bluntness.
The idea was radical, even in the brutal world of ninjas.
Traditionally, ninjas served the daimyos, who controlled the wealth and justice of their lands.
Yet Colt was suggesting something entirely different.
After the initial shock, Kisame's face lit up with an excited smile.
"I understand what you mean, Colt-san. Civilians don't deserve to hold such power, especially when there's someone like you, who can rule this world."
Colt gave him a sidelong glance. "It seems you've gotten good at bootlicking."
"I'm speaking from the heart," Kisame replied earnestly.
Colt was beginning to appreciate Kisame's unique perspective.
"Alright, here's the roadmap for the Mizukage's movements. You don't need to act now. When the situation on the front lines worsens, she will be forced to move."
Colt waved his hand, signaling Kisame to leave.
Kisame obediently departed, his heart racing with anticipation for the task ahead.
The thought of replicating Senju Hashirama's legendary feat of shaking the four nations alone filled him with zeal.
Now, Kisame would be the one to cut down all the daimyos.
Colt remained at the monument, his fingers tracing over the names on the stone.
"Don't blame me..." he murmured.
As Colt orchestrated his plans, the ninja alliance encountered the enemy on the front lines, finally understanding what the masked man had meant by 'an enemy you never imagined.'
Boom!
Back at the combat command room, the situation was dire.
Both the Raikage and Tsunade had just slammed their fists onto the table, cracking it in frustration.
"Orochimaru! You've desecrated the souls of the dead again!" Tsunade seethed, realizing that Orochimaru had allied himself with the masked man.
The front lines had reported that Darui's first unit and Kakashi's third unit had encountered former comrades, relatives, and seniors brought back through the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
For most of the allied shinobi, this was their first encounter with such a terrifying and seemingly invincible enemy.
"Hokage-sama, now is not the time for anger. We need to adjust our strategy immediately," Shikaku Nara urged, his face stern.
The original plans had become irrelevant; the priority now was to deal with the reanimated ninjas.
Tsunade waved her hand in frustration.
"Think it over and have Inoichi relay the information to the front lines."
She was furious that Orochimaru had sided with the enemy, feeling ashamed in the presence of the Raikage and Tsuchikage.
Shikaku moved quickly to Inoichi's side, placing a hand on the device on his forehead.
"Gaara-sama, please lead the Fourth Unit to support the Third Unit. Mifune will lead the Fifth unit to the First, and the Second Unit should move to reinforce the First Unit as well. We must defend the most critical coastline. All ninjas capable of performing sealing techniques must form teams and ensure they are adequately protected."
Shikaku understood that against the Impure World Reincarnation, the Sealing ninjas were vital.
The other critical task was to locate the caster controlling the reanimated army.
"Tsunade-sama, we should send out the intelligence team immediately. The sooner we find Orochimaru, the less damage we'll suffer," Shikaku suggested, his expression urgent.
Tsunade didn't hesitate and ordered a special investigation team led by Anko to be dispatched.
Ōnoki, who had remained silent until now, watched as Shikaku made all the arrangements, but his expression remained troubled.
"You've already made the necessary arrangements, so why do you still look so worried?" Ōnoki asked, puzzled.
Shikaku shook his head, a bitter smile forming on his lips.
"Haven't you noticed? Among all the reanimated ninjas we've encountered, none of them are Kages from the past. Considering what Orochimaru did during his invasion of Konoha three years ago, that just doesn't make sense."
Tsunade, Ōnoki, and Ay, exchanged concerned looks.
The implications were troubling indeed.