With that thought, Yakushi Kabuto swiftly sent more pieces he had no use for onto the battlefield to hinder their search.
The ordinary ninja brought back by Impure World Reincarnation surged toward the allied ninja's positions from every direction, like pawns sacrificed on a chessboard.
They had no special abilities, but their numbers alone were enough to create chaos and buy time.
Kabuto reached an open stretch of sand and dropped to one knee. He formed a seal with one hand and slammed the other against the ground.
The next instant, a huge wooden coffin burst up from the sand, sending earth billowing to either side.
But the moment the coffin cleared the ground, countless cracks appeared across its surface, spreading in every direction like a dense spiderweb.
Boom!
The coffin lid was kicked off from within. Wood chips and splinters shot everywhere with such force that they whipped up a towering cloud of yellow sand, which rolled outward like a wave.
The Third Raikage, under Kabuto's control, darted aside at the commotion and avoided the flying debris.
Through the churning dust, a figure slowly emerged from the coffin.
He wore red armor, and his long black hair stirred in the wind. His Sharingan glowed crimson through the haze.
His steps were unhurried and steady, each one carrying an innate arrogance and authority.
He raised his head, thrilled by the chakra surging through his body.
"Looks like the plan succeeded. That boy Nagato grew up as expected."
But before the words had fully left his mouth, his gaze froze.
He sensed something wrong: a feeling of restraint rising from deep within his body.
He lifted his arms and studied his hands, then gently clenched his fists, feeling the vessel built from scraps of paper and chakra.
"Impure World Reincarnation?"
His