Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 500 The War Begins

After a brief encounter with Akatsuki, the advance forces began their respective operations.

The Allied Shinobi Forces initially assumed the enemy didn't have such a significant numerical advantage, so they deployed several lines of defense to block Madara Uchiha's advance. However, when the advance sensory units arrived, they discovered something amiss: a vast amount of chakra was rapidly moving underground, and an astonishingly large number of chakra units were also moving in small groups on the surface.

Kakashi's main force, at the forefront of the battle, ran headlong into the incomplete Edo Tensei Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Although Zabuza, the most crucial member, hadn't been found, a single ninja capable of using the Hidden Mist Technique could create an environment conducive to assassination for the team. To this end, Kabuto painstakingly dug up several graves of the Hozuki clan, regardless of their fame, as long as they could be used. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, renowned for their assassination skills, indeed caused the forces considerable trouble. The battlefield, shrouded in mist, was brimming with killing intent, desperately awaiting someone to break the deadlock.

The second front was led by Huang Tu, a master of Earth Release. He and several other Earth Release ninjas forcibly intercepted a portion of the White Zetsu. The sight of white, humanoid figures gushing forth from the ground was truly eerie. Individually, these creatures didn't seem particularly strong; with good coordination, they could wipe out a large number. However, their numbers were astonishing, and they seemed tireless. A war of attrition would be extremely disadvantageous for the Allied Forces. Therefore, Huang Tu ordered his troops to attack and defend in shifts, rotating them to maximize the preservation of their manpower.

The third front was located on the northern coastline where the Land of Lightning and the Land of Mist meet, guarded by Darui's forces. This was the original landing point for the White Zetsu. Since Akatsuki hadn't located the Jinchuriki by the start of the war, they had to deploy the White Zetsu using conventional warfare tactics. The principle of "capture the leader first" remains unchanged throughout history. The Allied Forces headquarters was established near the eastern coastline of the Land of Lightning; this location was deliberately chosen, as Turtle Island would ultimately also stop there.

This White Zetsu force was unlike the Yellow Earth Army's interception; it consisted almost entirely of White Zetsu clones. The brightly colored Edo Tensei (Reanimation Jutsu) figures stood out starkly against the white backdrop. From what we've observed so far, all the Edo Tensei were renowned ninjas. Such a massive White Zetsu force was already formidable; adding these ninjas made it clear that a fierce battle was in store.

Gaara's Fourth Division, originally intended to cooperate with the First Division in the encirclement and suppression of Akatsuki, encountered four extremely formidable opponents during their detour. Upon seeing them, Gaara immediately ordered a halt, intending to observe first and adopt a "wait and see" approach. There was no other way; the four were all former Kage from their respective villages, each possessing the strength to hold off thousands. Leading a large force into direct combat would be tantamount to suicide.

The moment the four front-line units encountered the enemy at the same time, headquarters finally understood the confidence behind Madara Uchiha's decision to start the war. None of them expected that the Allied Forces would suffer a bitter battle on all fronts right from the start of the war. If left unchecked, the third front, which was under the greatest pressure, would likely face serious problems.

Originally sitting comfortably, Onoki immediately volunteered to go to the battlefield upon hearing that the Fourth Division had encountered the Second Tsuchikage, Mu. He knew better than anyone just how powerful his mentor was; only a ninja who also possessed "Dust Release" could counter the Tsuchikage's unique technique.

No one would refuse the Tsuchikage's volunteering, and their reliable Konoha strategist quickly devised a plan, immediately deciding to send the Fourth Division, which had not yet engaged in combat, to support the Third Front. Of course, only half of their forces were being sent, and even with only half, they still had to worry that Akatsuki would discover the reduction in numbers and immediately control the reanimated Kage to fight them.

The news that the Fourth Shinobi World War had officially begun reached Sasuke's mind almost immediately. The Allied Shinobi Forces' intelligence network couldn't keep up with that speed, because all the Jinchuriki had already passed through the Waterfall of Truth and were now in the Seishun Room at the second checkpoint.

As agreed upon previously, when all the Jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts reached a consensus and resolved to unite in the war, the Allied Forces could not prevent him from leading everyone into battle. So, while he appeared calm on the surface, he was actually quite anxious inside. But bridging the gap between humans and Tailed Beasts wasn't something that could be done so quickly. The group discussed the matter for a while, staring at each other, and finally came up with a simple and crude solution.

By linking everyone's chakra together, both humans and tailed beasts can be in the same mental space. This way, they can even have the tailed beasts persuade each other, saving them a lot of trouble.

However, this method is very unfriendly to Sasuke because... he can't maintain his disguise in the mental space yet. Wouldn't he be exposed immediately if he went in?

“Theoretically, that would work, but it would also mean that there has to be a main body to bear the chakra, right?” Yugito quickly discovered the only flaw in the plan. The group stared at each other for a while, and finally everyone’s eyes were focused on Sasuke.

There's nothing we can do; he's the official captain, the one who makes the final decisions.

"How about you sneak away when they come in? Or you can gather Kurama's and my chakra in the hand that makes contact with them?" Naruto knew Sasuke's concerns, but taking a gamble was necessary.

In this war, every extra second means countless casualties, and Naruto is quite anxious. According to the original plan, the battle should have started a week later, but this time the Allied Forces found the enemy's stronghold too quickly, causing the war to begin ahead of schedule. Now, the method of slowly resolving inner conflicts is no longer suitable; a swift, decisive approach is much faster.

After only a brief pause, Sasuke agreed to use him as the main body of his chakra and proactively extended his fist. The others immediately understood, and the first stage of their Tailed Beast Cloak instantly appeared, their fists forming a perfect circle, tightly connected to each other.

Sasuke felt the world suddenly brighten before his eyes, and then he was wrapped up by an orange-red tail, unable to see the outside world at all, only able to hear sounds.

"Has this been a success?"

"Wow, where is this place? There are patterns on the ground!"

“It’s unbelievable that only Jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts who completely trust each other can reach this space.”

"Huh?! Doesn't that mean we've actually been comrades for a long time?!"

"...Is that so, Sun?"

"Shut up! Don't call me that!"

"I've been rejecting you all along..."

"It's alright, Yu Gao. I know why you're rejecting me. Let's be friends today. My name is Saiken, so don't get it wrong from now on."

"..."

"Aren't you going to say something, Han?"

"...Please guide me in the future, King Mu."

"It seems everyone is getting along well, which puts my mind at ease."