"Lord Madara, Hidden Mist Village's strongest fighters are all on the move-the Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, Hyuga Tianyi, Kushina Uzumaki, Chojuro, and the rest have gathered. They're heading our way."
White Zetsu emerged halfway from the ground of Turtle Island, his voice carrying its usual cheerfulness.
Uchiha Madara stood at Turtle Island's highest point. The sea wind howled past him, whipping his long black hair and the hem of his dark red armor.
He gazed at the black dots gradually gathering on the horizon. His eyes were indifferent, but the corner of his mouth curved slightly:
"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the Three-Tails jinchuriki together. That saves me quite a bit of time."
He paused, a cold glint flashing through his eyes.
"And Hyuga Tianyi is there too. I'll capture him while I'm at it and find out where he hid the Seven-Tails."
Several dozen minutes later, on a vast island at the border of the Land of Water, the afternoon sunlight gilded the dense forest and rocky slopes with a pale golden sheen.
Thousands of Kirigakure Ninja were scattered across the island, taking their assigned positions according to the deployment plan. The air hung heavy with the tension before a great battle.
Tianyi stood high above the island. A faint light flickered inside his goggles, and a translucent satellite map appeared in his field of vision.
A red dot moved slowly through the northeastern part of the map, drawing closer and closer.
When Tianyi descended onto the island's tidal flats, Mizukage Karatachi Yagura immediately stepped forward. "Tianyi, how does it look?"
Tianyi raised a hand and pointed toward the distant sea. His answer was brief. "They're here."
Everyone turned toward that stretch of water at once. On the distant horizon, a tiny black dot steadily grew larger, like a dark cloud