The instant the cry of an enemy attack rang out in Iwagakure, that white light had already descended.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, no mountain-toppling roar. There was only annihilation-the annihilation of the ninja standing guard before Iwagakure's gates, and of the gates themselves!
"I-I..."
Floating in the distant sky, Ōnoki watched everything unfold before him, his reanimated eyes bloodshot.
Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that the first person to breach Iwagakure's gates would be himself!
"You bastard!"
"You damned bastard!"
Ōnoki wanted to throw back his head and howl, but he could not even do that. Yakushi Kabuto's Impure World Reincarnation was already highly refined. Once the formula had been implanted in him, his every movement had to obey Yakushi Kabuto's commands.
Only his mouth remained free to speak, but what good did that do?
"Enemy attack!"
With the annihilation of Iwagakure's gates, the village, already on alert, sprang into action.
Ninja began rushing toward Iwagakure's gates. Even Kitsuchi, who had already succeeded to the position of Tsuchikage, hurried in that direction. As they arrived one after another, they finally saw who their enemy was.
"F-Father?"
When Kitsuchi recognized Ōnoki floating not far away, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He distinctly remembered that his father, Ōnoki, had died.
So why had he suddenly appeared before him, seemingly alive and well-and even destroyed Iwagakure's gates?
"How is that possible?"
"Wasn't the Third Tsuchikage already dead?"
"I remember the Third Tsuchikage's coffin is still in the village..."
Beyond Kitsuchi, more and more ninja recognized Ōnoki hovering in the sky.
"No, that's not the Third Tsuchikage!"
Rōshi narrowed his eyes at Ōnoki floating overhead.
He could sense that the chakra in Ōnoki's body was extremely strange. At the very least, its signature differed from what it had been