Dan arrived alone at the village entrance.
Behind him, the village was completely empty.
Ahead, from the mountaintop, a vast primordial forest stretched out, with the occasional howl of wild beasts in the distance and a few eagles circling in the sky.
Swish.
In Dan’s eyes, the pattern of the Taijitu (yin-yang fish) suddenly appeared. Using his Mangekyō Sharingan, he gazed far into the distance.
He was observing the aura.
There are many things in this world that ordinary people cannot see or perceive, such as the presence of natural energy.
The same applies to “aura.”
Since training in Senjutsu, through prolonged spiritual practice, Dan had unexpectedly gained a powerful sensing ability that allowed him to observe the aura of all things in heaven and earth.
At this moment, in his vision.
At the horizon, several columns of murderous aura rose into the sky, like burning pillars of flame standing between heaven and earth.
It was the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Most of the sky was dyed blood-red by their fiery military aura, making it intimidating to behold.
They certainly come with formidable momentum.
In contrast to the overwhelming aura of the enemy forces, Dan’s own aura was completely restrained, appearing as ordinary as a regular person, seemingly insignificant.
Yet he remained calm and composed, a picture of serenity.
There was a large bluestone at the village entrance.
Dan walked over and sat cross-legged on it, placing his hands on his knees, back straight.
Then, he closed his eyes, adjusting his own breath to harmonize with the Earth’s magnetic field, gradually entering a state of universal perception.
His aura connected to the vast land below and the endless sky above, making him seem as one with the world.
Dan transformed into a massive vortex.
Shhh.
Inexhaustible natural energy from the heavens and earth was drawn to him, continuously flowing from all directions into his body.
At this moment, Dan entered a state of “sitting and forgetting.”
He forgot the existence of his physical form, his spirit returning to silence and void, making it seem as though he had disappeared from the world entirely.
Forgetting both self and things.
In this state of sitting and forgetting.
Dan’s body was no longer just flesh and blood but the entire natural world—
The majestic, endless mountains were his muscles and bones, the vast, boundless forests his hair, the ever-flowing rivers his blood.
His mind, too, was one with the trajectory of the planet, akin to the creator himself, able to command wind, frost, rain, snow, and thunder with a single thought.
Dan was ascending to become a sage.
Half an hour later.
The hundred thousand-strong Allied Shinobi Forces arrived at the outskirts of the Mountain Graveyard.
From the sky, the dense mass of troops looked like countless ants surrounding the forest.
The Mountain Graveyard was a forbidden zone for ordinary people due to the numerous large beasts inhabiting it. But no matter how formidable the beasts, they couldn’t stop the hundred thousand strong forces of the four great ninja villages.
Swish, swish, swish.
Thousands of figures rushed into the forest, exterminating the beasts, dismantling the traps set by the Uchiha clan, and using Fire Release and Wind Release techniques to devastate large swathes of the forest directly.
In less than half an hour.
The obstacles before the Allied Shinobi Forces were swept away.
Looking around, there were no longer any forests or beasts, only a vast open space scorched by fire, filled with charred, bare tree stumps.
And at the mountaintop opposite was the village of the Uchiha clan.
The open space between them would be the battlefield for the coming clash.
In addition to the hundred thousand-strong Allied Shinobi Forces, many “spectators” also arrived at the Mountain Graveyard simultaneously.
After all, who would want to miss such an earth-shattering battle destined to be recorded in the annals of ninja history?
On a distant hilltop.
“You…”
A Kumogakure ANBU member looked in horror at the man before him, or rather, the monster. He struggled desperately to break free from the other’s grip but to no avail.
He and his companion were following the orders of the Fourth Raikage to scout the battlefield surroundings to ensure that the Uchiha clan had not set any other ambushes.
Unexpectedly, they hadn’t encountered any Uchiha but were ambushed by a monster instead.
“I just happen to need a Lightning Release heart, and you delivered yourself to me. My luck is really good today.”
Kakuzu said as he manipulated the black threads within his body to bind the Kumogakure ANBU, rendering him immobile tightly.
Then, his eyes gleamed, and his hand shot out like lightning, piercing through his opponent’s chest with a squelching sound.
A still-beating heart, dripping with blood, was extracted by Kakuzu and sewn into his own body using black threads.
Bang!
The heartless Kumogakure ANBU fell limply to the ground, dying with eyes wide open.
After disposing of the body, Kakuzu moved to the road, waiting quietly.
Before long.
A blue-haired woman with flowers in her hair and a blond boy emerged from the forest.
“Leader-sama, Angel-sama. The area is clear of extraneous personnel.”
Kakuzu knelt on one knee, respectfully greeting Naruto and Konan.
This hill offered a panoramic view of the battlefield, making it an excellent spot for observation.
Naruto gazed at the distant mass of people, visibly awestruck. He then looked up and couldn’t help but ask:
“Konan-sensei, can the Uchiha clan really resist an army of a hundred thousand ninja?”
Konan shook her head, her expression unchanged, and said:
“The fools from the four great ninja villages still don’t know that Uchiha Dan is not dead. Mere numbers are useless against that man. Even Nagato… fell by his hand.”
Her tone paused briefly when mentioning Nagato, revealing a hint of resentment towards Dan.
“Uchiha Dan.”
Naruto muttered, repeating the name, conjuring an image of a towering, imposing man with a cold visage in his mind.
However.
Despite Dan’s intimidating appearance, Naruto always thought of him as a good person.
Because Dan had treated him to BBQ and didn’t dislike or discriminate against him like the others in Konoha.
Until Dan became an obstacle to Akatsuki and killed Nagato.
Nagato, once the most important person in Konan’s life, was also the previous wielder of the Rinnegan now in Naruto’s eyes.
Whether to avenge Konan-sensei or realize Akatsuki’s ideals, Naruto had to defeat Uchiha Dan, maybe even kill him.
Understanding these things.
Naruto focused entirely, widening his Rinnegan, watching the battlefield with a serious expression, waiting for Uchiha Dan to appear.
According to Konan-sensei, he was still far from being Dan’s match.
So Naruto wanted to see with his own eyes the gap between his strength and Uchiha Dan’s.
That was why he came here today.
Naruto and his group were not the only spectators.
On the other side of the battlefield, Black Zetsu emerged from the ground, muttering to itself:
“Seems like it hasn’t started yet. Just in time.”
Along with it, Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Kisame also appeared one after another.
“The show is about to begin. How exciting.”
Orochimaru smiled, licking his lips.
He had been persecuted by the Uchiha clan repeatedly, even having his home base, the Hidden Sound Village, destroyed by them. His hatred for the Uchiha was immense.
“No matter what the Uchiha’s trump card is, facing the hundred thousand-strong Allied Shinobi Forces, this battle will undoubtedly be incredibly fierce.”
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, his eyes glinting behind the lenses.
Kisame remained silent, knowing that the Uchiha clan’s greatest trump card was the man named Uchiha Dan.
When facing that man, Kisame felt no fighting spirit, only thoughts of fear and fleeing filled his mind.
The Allied Shinobi Forces would soon experience the same fear.
However.
Orochimaru and his group weren’t just here as spectators; they were ready to intervene at any moment.
They also had a trump card — Uchiha Madara.
When the Allied Shinobi Forces and the Uchiha clan were both severely weakened, Orochimaru planned to use Edo Tensei to revive Madara.
According to Black Zetsu, Madara was the true owner of the Rinnegan. His strength exceeded that of the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju. He stood at the pinnacle of the ninja world.
Once Uchiha Madara descended onto the battlefield, he could single-handedly alter the outcome and suppress everything.
Until then, Orochimaru and his group would simply enjoy the show.
The last person to arrive near the Mountain Graveyard was a tall, white-haired man.
The Toad Sage Jiraiya.
At this time, the Konoha exile government had launched a secret operation, with Hiruzen Sarutobi and his group infiltrating near Konoha Village.
Jiraiya’s mission was to observe the frontline battlefield and relay the information back immediately.
When the time was right, Hiruzen Sarutobi would use Edo Tensei to revive Konoha’s past Hokage and launch an assault on Konoha, destroying the four great villages’ military bases and eliminating Danzo’s forces.
Thus liberating Konoha.
But, unlike the others, Jiraiya soon realized something was amiss upon arriving here.
“That is…”
He looked towards the distant mountaintop, his pupils shrinking in shock.
In Jiraiya’s perception, immense natural energy was converging toward the mountaintop at an alarming rate, like rivers merging into a vast ocean.
Even in the natural energy-rich Mount Myōboku, he had never witnessed such a phenomenon.
This is Sage Art.
Jiraiya’s expression turned extremely grave.
The Uchiha clan mastering Sage Art was something he had never anticipated.
Who could it be?
…
On the front lines of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
“Is that the Uchiha clan’s village?” Fourth Raikage A inquired, his voice a deep rumble, looking toward the village at the mountaintop.
Since arriving at the Mountain Graveyard, the Allied Shinobi Forces had caused a significant commotion, yet the Uchiha clan had shown no reaction. This was highly unusual.
Where was the Uchiha?
Such an eerie phenomenon made everyone uneasy.
Swish.
Unable to suppress his curiosity, Onoki flew into the air, pulling out a pair of binoculars to get a closer look at the village atop the mountain several kilometers away.
A tranquil village came into his view.
Completely empty.
No, wait, it wasn’t completely empty.
Onoki quickly noticed a figure sitting motionless on a large rock outside the village, blending seamlessly with the surroundings.
When he saw the person’s appearance, Onoki was taken aback, muttering:
“No, it’s impossible. I clearly killed him with my Dust Release…”
At that moment.
As if sensing Onoki’s gaze, the man slowly opened his eyes, his Mangekyō Sharingan locking onto Onoki’s sight.
Then, he smiled.
“!”
Onoki’s heart trembled, and he hurriedly descended to the ground, his face pale.
“What did you see, Tsuchikage?” Kazekage Chiyo asked, frowning.
“It’s Uchiha Dan! It’s Uchiha Dan!” Onoki’s voice shook as he repeated the name twice.
“What?!”
Hearing the name, Kazekage Chiyo and Fourth Raikage A’s eyes widened in shock. Danzo, nearby, also trembled, gripping his cane tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
After a moment of stunned silence.
Danzo let out a deep sigh, speaking in a low voice:
“I always knew Uchiha Dan wouldn’t be so easily killed. Our repeated failures against the Uchiha must have been due to Dan orchestrating everything from behind the scenes.”
“So the Uchiha clan’s confidence in declaring war on the entire shinobi world stems from Uchiha Dan still being alive?” Fourth Raikage realized, feeling a growing regret for getting involved in this conflict against the Uchiha.
“What do we do now? Do we launch an attack or…”
Kazekage Chiyo asked, her brow furrowing deeper.
The four Kage exchanged looks, none speaking, sinking into silence once more.
At that moment, Dan began to move.
“It’s time.”
Standing on the large rock, Dan muttered to himself. Using his toes for leverage, he stood up straight.
He glanced at the sky above.
Unbeknownst to the others, thick clouds had rolled in, blocking out the sun and casting the world into darkness.
Boom, boom.
Thunder rumbled within the clouds, lightning flashing like silver snakes slithering through the sky.
“What’s going on?”
“Why did the weather change so suddenly? Is it going to rain?”
The ten thousand strong Allied Shinobi Forces looked up, staring at the cloud-filled sky.
To them, it seemed like a normal weather change, expecting a thunderstorm.
But outside the battlefield, Jiraiya’s face changed drastically, as he sensed the raging natural energy filling the air.
The entire battlefield felt like a powder keg, about to explode.
Jiraiya quickly retreated some distance, sensing impending danger.
Swish.
Dan leaped forward, moving rapidly from the mountaintop to its base.
Then, he pushed off the ground with his foot, leaving a deep crater. Using the recoil force, he shot forward like a cannonball.
Heading straight for the hundred thousand Allied Shinobi Forces.
“He’s coming!”
The Four Kage’s eyes sharpened, their bodies tensing to the limit, immediately ordering their forces to prepare for battle.
“The enemy is coming? Is it the Uchiha clan?”
“Where? I don’t see anyone.”
“I sense it! There’s a powerful chakra approaching fast…”
The Allied Shinobi Forces murmured among themselves, countless eyes turning toward the battlefield, finally spotting the approaching enemy.
Their enemy was just one man.
Five kilometers, four kilometers, three kilometers.
Dan was getting closer.
Danzo’s eyes flickered, silently moving back, letting the other three Kage take the front.
However, Dan’s target was neither Danzo nor the three Kage.
When he was only one kilometer away.
His eyes narrowed, focusing on the densest part of the hundred thousand strong army.
In the next instant, he activated his Heavenly Commandment.
Swish.
Dan’s figure disappeared from his original spot, reappearing in the midst of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
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