Five Kage's Iron-Blooded Alliance! Objective: Face Madara Uchiha!
Karin's exclamation still echoed in the air. The dull tremor coming from the distant border of the Land of Fire made the wind on the ruins freeze for a moment.
In mid-air, with Obito's body still partially submerged in the Kamui Uzumaki, his single eye narrowed, a mocking smile playing on his lips, "It seems the ghosts of the old era are even more volatile than I anticipated."
Naruto's eyes sharpened, and he suddenly formed a hand seal with his right hand.
"Burst!"
Obito's right wrist suddenly shone with a blinding golden light. The Flying Thunder God Mark was not only a spatial Coordinates, but also carried the violent erosion of Yang Release Chakra.
"Sizzle!" The stench of burning flesh exploded instantly.
Obito's expression changed drastically. This brat actually injected the technique directly into the deep meridians of Hashirama Cells! Without the slightest hesitation, he joined his left fingers like a knife, condensed black Yang Release Chakra, and brought the knife down with a swift motion.
"Thud."
Half of a pale wrist, mixed with golden light, slammed onto the frozen ground, instantly turning into a puddle of smoking ash.
Obito's face was so dark it could drip water. If he hadn't reacted quickly enough, Naruto's real body would have teleported over along the Coordinates and smashed the Rasengan into his skull in that instant.
"Like a gecko? You're pretty good at shedding your tail to survive." Naruto sneered, shaking his slightly numb right hand.
Obito Naruto a deep look, no longer dwelling on the severed arm. His voice, amplified by Chakra, boomed like thunder over the Land of Iron Fortress City.
"Since you've decided to stick together for warmth, then let's go to hell together, clinging to our laughable trust."
Obito spread his remaining left arm, as if embracing the sky. "I, Madara Uchiha, hereby formally declare war on the Five Great Nations — the Fourth Shinobi World War has begun."
The Raikage, with his explosive temper, roared once more as his Lightning Release Armor blazed, "You charlatan, I'll rip your head off right now!"
As he spoke, Raikage slightly bent his knees, the frozen ground beneath his feet cracked, and he was about to launch a sudden attack.
"Boom!" A thick wall of sand rose from the ground, blocking the way for Raikage.
"Calm down, Raikage." Gaara crossed his arms, staring blankly into the air. "His spatial Dōjutsu has no wind-up. If you rush in now, you'll just be giving him an excuse to break free of the encirclement. The more the enemy tries to throw us into chaos, the more we need to remain calm."
Raikage slammed his fist into the sand wall, creating several cracks, but ultimately stopped.
Ōnoki hovered in mid-air, his old face tense. "You want to wage a full-scale war? Just you alone, plus those brainless White Zetsu underground?"
"No, it's to create true peace." Obito's voice was seductive, tinged with a morbid fanaticism. "I will collect all the Tailed Beast and activate the 'Eye of the Moon Plan.' I will project my eye power onto the moon and unleash the Infinite Tsukuyomi upon all of humanity. In this Genjutsu world, there will be no war, no hunger, and everyone will be able to reunite with those they long to see."
Obito's gaze swept downwards, lingering for a second on Kakashi and Sasuke in particular. "That was a peace without regrets, the ultimate peace."
The entire room fell silent for a moment.
"Pfft."
A sudden, mocking laugh broke the silence. Naruto picked at his ear, looking at Obito like he was a lunatic. "All that high-sounding talk boils down to this—you're a useless good-for-nothing in reality, so you want to drag the whole world into your daydreams?"
Those words were incredibly venomous. The killing intent in Obito's single eye almost materialized.
"A dream without pain?" Naruto pointed at the ruins beneath his feet, his voice suddenly rising to a deafening crescendo. "The blood I'm shedding right now, the wounds on my brothers' bodies, even this very ground you've trampled underfoot—all of it is real pain! Cowards who can't even face pain dare to talk about saving the world?"
Sasuke tightened his grip on the Kusanagi Sword, letting out a cold snort, "The Uchiha don't need to hide in Genjutsu like stray dogs."
Kakashi took a deep breath, and the Sharingan in his left eye slowly stopped spinning, his gaze clearer than ever before. "Obito, your dream must end today."
Obito one last deep look at them, and then his Kamui Uzumaki suddenly contracted.
"Enjoy your last moments of reality. The next time we meet, I'll crush you."
Space distorted, Obito vanished completely.
As the oppressive feeling dissipated, the purple-gold patterns in Naruto's eye sockets vanished instantly, like the receding tide.
"Buzz--"
As if struck by a heavy hammer, a wave of intense dizziness washed over him. Even the Perfect Sage Body's energy couldn't suppress the mental exhaustion brought on by the "Six Paths Observation State," and Naruto's body swayed violently as he fell forward.
A pair of soft yet incredibly resilient arms steadily supported his armpits.
A faint scent of herbs mingled with the unique fragrance of a young girl wafted towards him. Hinata pressed herself tightly against him, her palms against Naruto's back, Chakra gentle, Gentle Fist flowing continuously into his meridians, calming his turbulent aura.
"Don't force yourself." Hinata's voice was soft, yet it carried an unyielding stubbornness. "I'm here."
Naruto grinned, leaning against Hinata's shoulder, his mouth still taunting, "It's nothing, it's just that these eyes are too delicate, they go on strike on time."
Despite his inner grumbling, he knew very well that those three minutes had already pushed his body to its limit. One more second and his optic nerve would have snapped.
Snowflakes began to fall again over the ruins.
The once magnificent Five Kage Summit Hall was now completely empty, not a single tile remained. Strangely, not a single Kage left, nor did any delegation draw their swords in the chaos. Everyone was staring at the empty space in the center.
Obito, and the deafening roar at the border of the Land of Fire that heralded Madara's resurgence, were like two guillotines hanging over everyone's necks.
In silence, Mifune emerged from the rubble, dragging a long sword that was half broken.
This general from the Land of Iron had his clothes torn in more than a dozen places by Wood Release, but his back remained ramrod straight. He walked to where the round table had originally been, bent down, and picked up a piece of the tabletop that had been split in two.
Clang.
Another piece of the tabletop was kicked over by Kurotsuchi, and they fit together perfectly.
Mifune dusted off the table, turned to the Five Kage, and said in a loud, booming voice, "Gentlemen, although the teacups are broken, this table is still usable."
Tsunade was the first to speak. She strode forward, slamming the Hidden Leaf seal onto the table, her eyes sharp as knives. "Obito wants the Tailed Beast, and both the Nine-Tails and the Eight-Tails are on our side. This is no longer a private matter between any two villages; it's a battle for survival."
Terumi Mei brushed a strand of red hair from her forehead, walked over, and tapped her slender finger on the table. "Although Hidden Mist has just quelled the rebellion, we have no choice but to wade into these muddy waters."
Gaara untied the gourd from his back and placed it heavily on the corner of the table. "Hidden Sand, I second that."
The Raikage took a deep breath, swung his arm, and slammed his hand on the table, sending splinters of wood flying. "I will not let that charlatan even touch a hair on my head! Hidden Cloud, engage in battle!"
Finally, everyone's eyes fell on Ōnoki.
The old man floated in mid-air, glancing down at the Hidden Leaf members being protected by Naruto, and then at his granddaughter Kurotsuchi, who had unhesitatingly supported the alliance.
He rubbed his aching lower back, slowly descended, and sighed, "I've lived most of my life, and I never imagined that I'd be going crazy with you kids on my way to my coffin."
He extended his short, stubby fingers and tapped them heavily on the table.
"Iwagakure agrees to establish the Allied Shinobi Forces!"
Five seals, representing the highest authority in the Shinobi World, landed steadily on the tattered treaty amidst the ruins. The Iron-Blooded Alliance was formed.
"Well done." Naruto straightened up slightly and let out a long breath.
As long as the Five Great Nations, this meat grinder, start turning in the same direction, Obito's 100,000 White Zetsu won't be able to easily break through the defenses. But he knew that the real trouble was just beginning.
Karin ran over, her face pale from excessive Chakra depletion, but her eyes were filled with anxiety.
"Naruto! That Chakra at the border of the Land of Fire... it's moving!"
"Hidden?" Kakashi frowned.
"None of those!" Karin swallowed hard, pointing towards the Land of Lightning. "That Chakra, like a meteor, is hurtling towards Lightning Cloud Gorge at an terrifying speed! It has absolutely no intention of concealing its movements; it's a pure, overwhelming advance!"
Raikage's expression changed drastically. "Lightning Cloud Gorge?! It's still there!"
Sasuke's left eye instantly emitted a crimson light, and the six-pointed star spun wildly.
"That's the place Itachi and I agreed on." Sasuke gripped his Kusanagi Sword tightly, his voice as cold as ice. "If he wants to go there, he'll have to ask my sword first."
Naruto straightened up and pushed away Hinata's support.
"Looks like our 'ancestor' who crawled out of his coffin is in a hurry to find someone to practice on." Naruto cracked his neck, his knuckles popping.
He glanced at Kakashi and Sasuke, a savage smile curving his lips.
"Let's go, Team 7. Let's go meet that legendary Madara Uchiha!"