War on the Brink

The Shinobi Alliance meeting room.

The Third Hokage Tsuchikage Onoki, despite his short stature, became the supreme commander of the 100,000- Ninja Alliance, but no one dared to underestimate this old man.

"Gentlemen, the future of the Shinobi World rests entirely in our hands. I need not elaborate on the consequences of failure; Uchiha Yoru unifies the Shinobi World, our ninja village will cease to exist."

At this moment, Ōnoki looked around at everyone and said in a hoarse voice, "But don't worry, everyone. Although Uchiha Yoru's strength is comparable to the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi World, we are not without a chance of winning."

One of them frowned upon hearing this and stated his opinion in a deep voice.

"Lord Tsuchikage, I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but Uchiha Yoru only made two moves, yet he has already shocked the Shinobi World. His strength far surpasses that of the former God of Shinobi World."

"That's right, we're not afraid of the Shinobi World War, but someone has to be able to withstand Uchiha Yoru's strength alone."

"Exactly, could it be that all seven Tailed Beasts joined forces?"

The crowd below was buzzing with discussion, but the Tsuchikage Onoki remained completely calm, raising his hand to stop them.

"Gentlemen, we all know that our ally, Uchiha Obito, possesses the Forbidden Technique of Impure World Reincarnation. However, I can attest to one thing: the previous Impure World Reincarnation did not allow the resurrected individuals to unleash their full power."

"Our ally, Obito Uchiha, is currently researching this ninjutsu, which will take some time. At that time, we will use Edo Tensei to summon the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, and Madara Uchiha, the Asura of the Shinobi World, at their peak."

At this point, the Third Hokage Tsuchikage Onoki, paused, his eyes sweeping over everyone before revealing a confident smile.

"Therefore, our enemy is the Ninja legion under Uchiha Yoru's command, so you can all rest assured."

Upon hearing this assurance, everyone in the Meeting Room secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After all, Uchiha Yoru's pressure was too strong, and they would not have chosen to join forces if they had not been forced to.

"However, I must explain this!"

At this moment, the Fourth Raikage, Ay, with his dark skin, became a striking sight in the Meeting Room, though he was somewhat rude and uncouth.

"I'm sure you all understand what the Daimyo means. In this great battle, everyone else can be forgiven except Konoha! Annihilate all of Konoha's Kekkei Genkai families."

As the Fourth Raikage, Ay finished speaking, the leaders in the Meeting Room, dressed differently from ordinary ninjas, all stood up.

"The Daimyo have joined forces and made a decision: anyone who dares to plunder Konoha's Kekkei Genkai ninjas during the war will be executed without mercy!"

These menacing ninja leaders were all subordinates of various Daimyo's Mansion) in the Shinobi World.

There are Samurai and ninjas, and their attire is also very distinctive. Some are dressed like nobles, some are masked and look like cold-blooded assassins, some are dressed as wandering monks, or in clothing similar to that of the monks of the Fire Temple.

This force comprised nearly half of the personnel in the Meeting Room. While they might not be as numerous, their elite troops were certainly no less formidable than those of the Five Great Nations.

After all, the Daimyo's Mansion had existed for over a thousand years, and with the accumulation of countless riches, the forces serving the Daming Daimyo's Mansion were all elites.

This is also the source of the Daimyo's Mansion's confidence in being able to restrain the ninja villages.

It was precisely because all the daimyo of the Shinobi World joined forces and dispatched their elite troops that a Ninja Alliance of 100,000 was formed.

"Indeed, I am the first to agree with the Daimyo's Mansion's opinion."

Ōnoki was the first to step forward and nodded frankly, but inwardly he was sneering. He was not like the group below; after so many years in politics, his heart had changed.

"That's right, those who break the rules of the Shinobi World will be severely punished."

"Victory is assured!"

As each ninja leader clamored, perhaps they were ambitious, or perhaps they wanted to gamble on a future, but most of them had already limited their vision to a single circle.

The image of a daimyo is deeply ingrained in their minds as a high and mighty noble. How could anyone overthrow a daimyo's rule? That would be utterly outrageous.

Beneath the seemingly resolute face of the Third Hokage Tsuchikage Onoki, Onoki, lay a deep contemplation.

He never had such thoughts before. In fact, when Uchiha Yoru first did this, he was furious, believing that it was a provocation against the entire Shinobi World.

However, these ideas have changed over time.

Since the Chunin Ninja Exams, Uchiha Yoru has brazenly placed the Daimyo under house arrest, essentially using the Daimyo to command the world.

Later, Uchiha Yoru's various methods and plans were revealed, showing that he had already begun cultivating a group of government officials to replace the Daimyo's Mansion's administration.

Then, it seemed he realized that even a great name wasn't something unattainable, and that it could be overthrown.

Uchiha Yoru's status not only surpassed that of the daimyo, but he also plunged the daimyo into the abyss.

The idea that they are on equal footing with the Kage is utter nonsense. The daimyo of the three countries of Fire, Wind, and Water have long been imprisoned in Konoha and have no power whatsoever. Even the former Daimyo's Mansion's forces have been infiltrated and replaced.

Uchiha Yoru completely ushered in a new era, an era that pushed the Daimyo off the stage of history.

All of this made Ōnoki squint and gradually realize that it seemed there were no Daimyo in this world, and that they, as ninjas, could live better lives as leaders.

If it weren't for the fact that Uchiha Yoru was an enemy this time, and that they needed to rely on the power of the Daimyo's Mansion's forces, Ōnoki might have secretly been cultivating a group of people to replace the Daimyo's Mansion's forces for the next Tsuchikage.

Unfortunately, he doesn't have that much time left, and if Uchiha Yoru fails this time, the Daimyo's next target will definitely be them, the ninjas.

At the very least, they would never allow ninjas to possess such immense power.

It's likely that there will be even more ninja villages by then, and the daimyo will strengthen their power.

"Now there is reliable intelligence indicating that although Uchiha Yoru awakened the Rinnegan using Wood Style Cells, his body is also suffering from the backlash of those Wood Style Cells."

The Fourth Raikage, Ay, had no time to care about the status of a Daimyo; all he wanted was to kill Uchiha Yoru and shatter his arrogant ambition to unify the Shinobi World.

The Fourth Raikage, Ay, directly revealed information about Uchiha Yoru to the crowd. To everyone's shock, he coldly sneered, "I'm sure many of you already know about the Rinnegan, but I'll tell you about the relationship between the Sharingan and the Rinnegan later."

"But right now, Uchiha Yoru is forced to stay in Konoha to recover from the backlash of his Wood Style Cells. This is a perfect opportunity for us to launch an attack. If we miss it, we'll be facing an even stronger Uchiha Yoru on the battlefield."

"What!"

Many people were shocked, but as the ninjas from the Kumogakure placed intelligence reports in front of everyone, countless people were even more astonished.

Sharingan, Mangekyo, Eternal Mangekyo, and now Rinnegan? This is just too outrageous!

This is practically an overpowered Kekkei Genkai!

They had already made a name for themselves as one of the three great Dōjutsu in the Shinobi World by relying on the Tomoe state of the ordinary Sharingan. Now they were being told that the legendary Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths was actually the ultimate evolution of the Dōjutsu Sharingan.

Countless people were envious, and feelings of jealousy and greed welled up in their hearts, eventually turning into deep-seated fear. The Shinobi World would not allow such a powerful person to appear.

Everyone wants to obtain the Rinnegan, but just as no one wants Kekkei Genkai like the Uchiha.

It's conceivable that after this battle, the daimyo will likely orchestrate a wave of Kekkei Genkai destruction from the shadows.

Land of Rivers.

The Ninja Alliance are currently stationed in the desert rocky areas of Yugakure and Frost Village, right next to the sea.

At the Konoha Ninja camp, Hatake Kakashi commander on the front lines, calmly summoned all the ninja.

This time, even Jiraiya personally went to the front line, but he did not assume the so-called supreme commander position; instead, he was the operations commander.

It wasn't that Jiraiya lacked ability, but Jiraiya considered that he hadn't been in the village for many years and wasn't very familiar with the newly joined Sand Ninja and Mist Ninja.

In this way, he wouldn't be able to utilize his strengths when giving orders; if it were only Konoha's territory, he could handle it.

Kakashi Hatake Kakashi, on the other hand, has played a crucial role in integrating Mist Ninja Yoru's right-hand man into the ninja communities of Uchiha Yoru and Sand Ninja over the years, thanks to his wisdom and wit.

Therefore, after Hatake Kakashi was entrusted with important responsibilities by the three Fifth Generation Hokage, Kazekage, and Mizukage, almost none of the ninjas from the Three Great Shinobi Villages were dissatisfied.

"Gentlemen, this is the latest intelligence we've received: the Shinobi Alliance Army is preparing to launch the first attack."

After passing on the intelligence reports, Hatake Kakashi, as the commander, calmly addressed the group, his usual lazy demeanor completely gone.

"Captain Kakashi, since the Ninja Alliance are preparing to launch the first attack, what are we waiting for?"

"That's right, the Ninja Alliance may be numerous, but we're not pushovers either."

"Haha, with our Three Great Shinobi Villages joining forces, what are we afraid of?"

Inside the tent, the ninjas all showed expressions of excitement.

This Shinobi World War was the largest in the history of the Shinobi World, and as beings who were about to establish a new era, they were all eager to make their mark on history.

Ninjas are human too, and they have their own goals to strive for. Compared to the previous Shinobi World War, which was largely meaningless, this one is far more exciting.

This is also related to Uchiha Yoru's policies. In recent years, the Kage who founded the Three Great Shinobi Villages have appeared in the history books of the Ninja Academy, which is the first time in the Shinobi World.

This distorted ninja world values power above all else. Despite possessing immense strength, in less than a century, the entire Shinobi World has almost forgotten the glory of the Five Great Ninja Villages and the achievements of the God of Shinobi in ending the Warring States period.

This reveals the abnormality of this Shinobi World.

Those elected by Uchiha Yoru who made significant contributions to the new era would have their names recorded in history books, and even a thousand years later, people would still remember these heroes.

The sudden appearance of something that had never been pursued before immediately made countless ninjas envious. This was not just about immediate fame and fortune; even a thousand years after their deaths, their stories would be passed down.

This kind of fame and fortune is too tempting.

Now that the Three Great Shinobi Villages have merged, those who made significant contributions have already appeared in history books. Uchiha Yoru showed everyone with his actions that he wasn't just talking, but actually putting his words into action.

Leaving aside the three Fifth Generation, there were those who made significant contributions to the fusion of the Three Great Shinobi Villages.

The group included Baki and Gaara from Sunagakure, Kisame Hoshigaki and Zabuza Momochi from Kirigakure, and Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, and Shisui from Konoha.

"Captain Kakashi, so should we proceed with defense or offense?"

Even the usually calm Hizashi Hyuga was a little fiery, wanting to leave his mark in creating a new era, so naturally he had to show off.

Seeing the Hizashi Hyuga's and the others' eyes, Hatake Kakashi calmly nodded.

"Everyone, the Ninja Alliance are all saying that Lord Yoru was attacked by Wood Style Cells, and I can tell you that it's true!"

As Hatake Kakashi's voice faded, countless Jōnin in the Meeting Room frowned, after all, Uchiha Yoru was the strongest fighter.

However, there wasn't much of a problem, after all, Konoha still has three Fifth Generation, especially Hokage Tsunade, whose Wood Release is terrifying and in no way inferior to the former First Hokage.

Seeing that everyone remained quite calm, Kakashi nodded approvingly.

"It's also true that Lord Yoru has awakened the Rinnegan. Now we just need to stabilize the battle at the front and buy Lord Yoru some time. At that time, we will have no rivals in the entire Shinobi World."

"Of course, if the First Hokage or Madara Uchiha using the Impure World Reincarnation technique within the Allied Forces, we also have a solution."

As Kakashi finished speaking, three Elite Jonin— Shiranui Genma, Tatami Iwashi, Namiashi Raidō Iwashi—stepped forward.

The three men looked at the crowd, with Shiranui Genma chewing on a Senbon and laughing, "Although we're preparing to return to the village, if there's any emergency, the three Hokage-samas behind us can join the battle at any time."

The three of them exchanged glances, and under the suspicious gazes of the others, they formed a triangle.

Flying Thunder God Technique

In an instant, the three figures disappeared from the tent, and Hyuga Hiashi exclaimed in shock, "This! Could this be the Flying Thunder God Technique!"

"Flying Thunder God!"

The Space-Time Ninjutsu echoed within the tent, immediately causing a great stir, with many people showing expressions of excitement.

The most powerful aspect of this Ninjutsu right now isn't its ability to kill enemies, nor its unpredictability, but rather its capacity to bring reinforcements from the rear to the battlefield at any time.

Especially for top-tier combatants, this is practically cheating.

Seeing the morale of the group restored, Hatake Kakashi laughed confidently and said, "These are the recent intelligence reports from the village: detailed information on the battle between Impure World Reincarnation Uchiha Obito) Madara Uchiha (the First Hokage) within the village."

"I can tell you all that Lord Yoru is indeed suppressing the backlash from the Wood Style Cells, but once he succeeds, his strength will increase dramatically again. Please rest assured."

"The Wood Style Cells were suppressed by the combined efforts of Lady Tsunade and Lord Orochimaru. Even though the battle on the front lines is intense, Lord Yoru can still use the Flying Thunder God to get to the front lines. A temporary burst of power won't cause any problems."

"Therefore! We will make First Shinobi War battleground here!"

At that moment, under Hatake Kakashi's wise gaze, he directly slammed his large hand onto the desert rocky area around Yugakure and Frost Village.

"Most Konoha Ninjas are skilled in Fire Style, while Sand Ninjas are skilled in Wind Release, so this is also our most advantageous battlefield. Also, this place is far from human habitation, which can avoid too much damage from Ninjutsu, although almost all the people in these two places have been relocated before this."

"Also, this place is not far from the coast, making it a paradise for those skilled in Water Release, especially the Mist Ninja."

Kakashi calmly gazed at the map, while everyone in the tent grew even more serious.

Ahem, that's one update for today, updates will resume tomorrow. The rest has been prepared.

The main question I've been pondering is whether to include the time-travel storyline involving the Dragon Vein in the Lost Tower Dragon Vein. If I do, I feel like you'll all say it's filler, so I've decided to Jinli over it. What do you think?