Powerful Lineup

Six in the morning.

There were still three hours until the Allied Forces set out.

In the square before the Raikage Building, vast numbers of shinobi were gradually gathering. Not only were there shinobi from the villages of the Five Great Nations, but samurai from the Land of Iron as well, densely filling the entire square.

When their numbers exceeded ten thousand, they stretched as far as the eye could see.

And once they reached eighty thousand, every direction was filled with dark figures, with no boundary in sight.

The shinobi and samurai gathered in Kumogakure had already surpassed eighty thousand. Shinobi from smaller villages, such as Takigakure and Kusagakure, had joined them as well.

Some of the shinobi quickly slung scrolls across their backs, while others counted weapons such as shuriken and kunai.

In an instant, the entire square was gripped by a tense atmosphere.

Gulp. Ebisu swallowed hard as he stared at the endless army of shinobi, saying nervously, "I've never seen anything like this before."

"Be careful. This time is different from before. One wrong move, and you might die without even knowing how," Morino Ibiki said solemnly, a senbon clenched between his teeth.

Ebisu touched the adult magazine he had yet to finish reading inside his clothes and suddenly regretted it. He should have stayed up last night and finished it. He had a feeling he might not live long enough to read it later.

"I still haven't gotten Lord Jiraiya's autograph!" Thinking of that, he immediately turned toward Ibiki and the others beside him, pressed his palms together, and said with a mournful expression.

"After I die, make sure you burn a few copies of the latest Make-Out Paradise for me. Please."

"What a loser!!"

A voice sounded beside them. Asuka came walking over with