Konoha.
In the underground rest area of the giant arena.
The Five Kage, along with many high-ranking officials and elite shinobi from the villages—including Jiraiya, Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer B, and Kisame Hoshigaki—all sat cross-legged on the floor in silence.
Without a doubt.
After deciding to wage a decisive battle against the Akatsuki Organization, the Five Kage used the last bit of time before each village's mobilization to experience Shinji's Takamagahara.
To improve their odds in the final battle as much as possible!
Inside Takamagahara.
There was no time to marvel at the wonder of Shinji's Mangekyō Dojutsu. The Five Kage and the strong shinobi from the various villages immediately began their simulated battles.
The Five Kage's target was Nagato, so they chose him as their "hypothetical enemy."
Shinji naturally couldn't perfectly simulate Nagato's strength, or he would reveal that he was overly familiar with the Rinnegan.
Besides, he truly didn't know Nagato's current condition, so the simulation's accuracy was quite limited.
Even so, getting to fight Nagato ahead of time was a rare opportunity for experienced fighters like the Five Kage.
As for the elites from each village, they also chose different Akatsuki members as their targets. Hiruko was by far the most frequently selected.
First, compared with some other Akatsuki members whose strength fell between elite Jonin and Kage Level, Hiruko—who possessed several Kekkei Genkai—was firmly a Kage Level fighter, and even ranked among the strongest at that level. He was an exceptionally challenging opponent.
Second, defeating Hiruko might let them obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan and such valuable spoils as the Chimera Technique. That made Hiruko a target for nearly every village, including Konoha.
As for other Akatsuki members, such as the mysterious masked man, the demon Moryo, and Ranmaru, who possessed several Kekkei Genkai just like Hiruko, they