Boom boom—
When the Dust Release techniques collided, a blinding white sphere of light formed in mid-air. Everything within its radius—trees, rubble, the very ground itself—vanished in an instant.
Whoosh—
The next moment, the light faded. In its place was a vast, circular crater gouged deep into the earth.
"The previous generation's Dust Release... still as terrifying as ever."
Having retreated slightly, Ōnoki floated back to Gaara's side.
This time, the Hokage didn't attend. Tsunade had initially prepared to come, but ultimately chose not to. The conflict was left to the Kage of the other four villages to handle.
"Sunako's strength has grown... How long has it even been? Why is she so much stronger?"
Rasa patted away the sand hand restraining him—it crumbled into grains instantly.
Off in the distance, Temari watched her father coldly. She grabbed Kankuro, who was ready to intervene.
"Don't go. After everything… this is Gaara's fight now."
"Tch! Just seeing him pisses me off."
Still, at Temari's urging, Kankuro backed down and silently dismissed the new puppet standing behind him.
Elsewhere...
Hōzuki Gengetsu and Mei Terumi had withdrawn from the frontline, but the power of Dust Release still dominated the battlefield.
"Dust Release, huh?"
"That old man—wait, that brat—is that Mū's apprentice? Ōnoki?"
"Hey, little lady, is Ōnoki still the Tsuchikage?"
Mei Terumi gave a slight nod.
Gengetsu immediately burst out laughing, overjoyed.
She didn't dare comment—he was the former Mizukage, after all.
"Hyaah!"
On the other front, a scene of violent father-son bonding played out—Raikage A and Killer Bee had teamed up to battle the resurrected Third Raikage.
Fists flew. Every punch was raw power meeting unbreakable defense.
"Gaara!" Rasa called, his brow furrowed. "Where's Shukaku?"
"Aaaah—!!!"
"Why is this guy still so arrogant?!"
"Kid! Let me out! I'll crush that guy!"
Shukaku was already roaring in Gaara's mind, but Gaara remained calm.
"Sukin seals you. Letting you out now would leave us open."
"I can use Wind Release!"
"Gold Dust restrains you."
"I still have the Tailed Beast Bomb!"
"Gold Dust restrains that, too."
"I—you—just beat him up already!"
Gaara turned back to face Rasa, his voice flat and emotionless:
"I'm no longer a Jinchūriki under your control."
"...What do you mean?" Rasa's expression twisted in disbelief.
"I am the Fifth Kazekage. You're the dead Fourth. That's what I mean."
"My sister and I are doing just fine without you. And we have... friends now."
Kankuro (off to the side): "What about me?"
"You dare talk to me like this?! And—friends?!"
Rasa gritted his teeth. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
His eyes flicked to the gourd strapped to Gaara's back—the familiar word "愛" ("love") etched into its surface.
"You… made friends?"
Even Hōzuki Gengetsu, half-fighting Mei Terumi, couldn't bear the awkward tension.
"Sheesh. What's this? He never had friends?"
"That kid must've been lonely growing up."
"Isn't it normal to have some friends at that age?"
He turned to Mei.
"You got friends too, right, little girl?"
Mei hesitated. "Well... A girl gets married eventually, right? And after marriage, you get busy. You'll need to supervise the new Mizukage picked by the Marshal and the others..."
Snap—
"...Urging marriage again?"
Her fists trembled.
"Lava Release: Acidic Mist Jutsu!"
Splurt—
Mei spat a stream of corrosive acid toward Gengetsu.
Hōzuki Gengetsu: "???"
"I've nearly died to you six times already."
"My fear and hatred toward you grow every time we meet."
"This time... you're paying for that."
Clearly, this Gaara was no longer the same as the one from the original story.
He wasn't the broken boy moved by a teary 'I love you but didn't know how to show it' speech.
"...Poor eyebrow-less kid." Gengetsu muttered, dodging another acid blast. "He even said he did it all for the village..."
Pause.
"...Wait—I don't have eyebrows either."
Back in the melee:
"Humph! Old man, you're still dumb as ever."
"Tch! Little girl, quit fighting me—go take out the bandaged guy already!"
Meanwhile, the Third Raikage's voice rumbled with pride as he faced his son.
"He's a fine shinobi. The Sand Village might just change under his leadership. Keep an eye on them."
"Hey—"
Bam!
"Shut up!" (x2)
Bang—
Father and son launched back into fierce, no-holds-barred combat.
"I'm telling you, Dad! Konoha's the head now. We've all signed the Five Great Nations Peace Accord..."
"Oh? Really now?"
"The First Hokage's even been resurrected. If that's the peace they're building now… then maybe it's not all just talk."
"...That's good. Ai, go ahead. You know my weakness. Use it."
Nearby, Rasa closed his eyes, recalling the day Gaara was born.
Then, his eyes snapped open.
"This Impure World Reincarnation... perhaps it has some merit after all."
"Let me test your growth with my own hands."
"Come, Gaara. Surpass me."
On another battlefield...
Mu looked to Ōnoki, his voice grave.
"Ōnoki. You must stop me."
"Dust Release doesn't care how many there are. I'm enough to bring this world down."
"And you're the only one who can stop me."
And just then…
A colossal wooden Buddha erupted beyond the Konoha walls, a thousand wooden arms fanning out behind it like divine wings.
Seated atop it: Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju.
Between them, a young boy with golden hair—Nawaki—served tea.
"Relax. Fight with everything you've got," Hashirama said, smiling. "Don't hold back."
After saying that, Hashirama Senju scratched his head again.
"Something's off… Dust Release still packs a punch."
Tobirama calmly sipped his tea, then tossed a few kunai with pinpoint accuracy.
"They took way too long to cast it. If it were me, I'd have already sliced off their arms."
To regular visitors of Konoha, this sight wasn't unusual. But for the other Kage, their eyes widened in disbelief.
Was this really the level of a fellow shinobi?
Of course, Dust Release was still terrifying—but its biggest flaw was its casting time.
Mu inhaled deeply, turning to Ōnoki.
"I see… So you haven't become a completely stubborn old man after all."
Boom Boom—
In another part of the battlefield, the fight between Gaara and Rasa erupted—gold dust vs sand.
The moment Karura's protective Sand Shield formed around Gaara, her spirit fell silent.
Without hesitation, Gaara raised his hand.
"My mother's love… can never be compared to yours."
Rasa's eyes widened. He was speechless.
He knows everything…?
"Haha… I failed."
"Everything I did was a failure. I burdened you, labeled you worthless, forced the burden of a Jinchūriki on you. I took your mother… your life…"
"Shut up."
Gaara's face remained cold as he clenched his fist.
BOOM—!!!
Rasa's reanimated body shattered into golden particles.
Elsewhere—
The Fourth Raikage, A, had activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode at full strength. His hair stood on end, crackling with energy.
Killer Bee unleashed all eight of the Hachibi's tentacles, wrapping them around the Third Raikage, temporarily locking him in place.
"Thunderclap Arrow—Chidōkaku no Mai!"
Whoosh—
In a flash, A drove his hand through the scar on his father's chest—the only known wound that had ever pierced the invincible armor of the Third.
Gaara's sand shot forward, binding the Third Raikage completely.
Elsewhere, under Gengetsu Hōzuki's direction, Mei Terumi dealt the final blow to her opponent.
Once again, Gaara acted as the sealing specialist.
In an abandoned base once used by Orochimaru, Kabuto Yakushi chuckled.
"Seems like I can't allow you to keep your free will…"
He pushed his glasses up with a cold glint in his eyes.
"Well then… let the real fun begin. The God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, huh? Time to release… that one."
Meanwhile, deep underground—Obito stood in silence.
He reached for his prepared Sharingan mask and placed it on.
"Pein… use the Jinchūriki now."
Without another word, he phased through the wall and picked up Uchiha Madara's old gear.
"Afei, report."
White Zetsu appeared instantly, hopping and bouncing like a fool.
Under Black Zetsu's instructions, he summarized the current situation.
"Immortality?"
"Kabuto already made a move against Konoha… Hah, to think the ninja world still had someone like that."
Obito narrowed his eyes, a dark premonition forming—but he dismissed it with a shake of his head.
"No... Impossible."
"Let's start with the Two-Tails."
"Akatsuki can't be trusted anymore. The ninja world is shifting too fast—I'll take matters into my own hands."
"Before they know what's happening, I'll collect them one by one."
He looked at White Zetsu.
"Tell Black Zetsu—this world isn't chaotic enough."
"I'll declare war myself."
"And as for Uzumaki Naruto… he may have swayed one or two White Zetsu, but what about a thousand? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand?!"
As he spoke, a swirling Kamui vortex appeared in front of him.
Back on the battlefield—
After yet another Dust Release clash, Ōnoki was drenched in sweat.
Mu's face twisted. He had lost full control of his body.
Then—he vanished in a blur, seemingly slipping through space itself.
"Ōnoki! Hurry and find a sensor! If not, you're finished!"
The same thing was happening to Hōzuki Gengetsu. The oil-soaked sand that bound him began to distort.
"Summoning Technique: Giant Clam!"
Bang!
A massive clam materialized with a crash, releasing a thick mist across the battlefield.
Mei Terumi narrowed her eyes slightly, her expression calm. She wasn't panicked—after all, she was familiar with the Mizukages of the past.
And just now, Naruto's voice had echoed in her mind through Ino's mind-link technique:
"Unite the shinobi from the Five Great Nations. Let them fight together under your command."
One of the fastest ways to dissolve hatred… is to face a common enemy.
For now, the "mustache" hadn't lost control. He could serve as a good test—a whetstone.
Of course, unnecessary casualties had to be avoided.
Compared to him, the real threat… was someone else entirely.
Kabuto Yakushi had his strings wrapped around the battlefield—and his current target: Konoha.
Just as Mu reappeared above the Hidden Leaf, Dust Release had already begun forming in his palms.
Whoosh—
A tri-pronged kunai flew straight at him, but Mu tilted his head slightly to dodge it.
Fwip—
"Rasengan!"
Boom—!
A flash of gold streaked through the air. Naruto's glowing figure collided with Mu mid-air, the Rasengan landing squarely.
Mu was sent flying like a cannonball, smashing into the earth and carving a deep trench.
"I've got this," said a voice from behind him.
"Tea," answered another casually.
"…Yeah. Okay."
Bang—
Mu's momentum suddenly stopped.
Ōnoki had appeared behind him, his hand pressed firmly against Mu's back.
"Earth Style: Weighted Boulder Jutsu!"
BOOM!
"He's so heavy now, he can't even lift his arms."
Straightening up with a rare smile, Ōnoki added:
"Longevity has its perks… you get to watch how things change."
Crack—!
"My back—! Argh, dammit…"
Ōnoki crumpled to the ground, gripping his waist.
But none of them noticed—Mu had already completed the Body Splitting Technique.
Elsewhere, shinobi from all the major villages, along with the latest generation of Konoha ninja, had gathered in the village.
"Temari-neechan, are we going to fight too?"
"Huh? Can we even do that?"
Temari bonked them both on the head with her fan.
"You two aren't even full-fledged shinobi yet. If you keep messing around like this, don't bother applying to Konoha."
She turned to Maki with a sigh.
"Maki, keep an eye on these two brats."
Then she and Kankurō took off toward the battlefield.
Crack—
Far in the distance, Mu squatted down. One hand formed a seal while the other pressed against the ground.
"Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!"
Boom boom—
A coffin began rising from the soil, creaking and groaning as it emerged.
Snap—
A sharp sound echoed as a thin crack split the center of the coffin lid.
Nearby, a sensor-type ninja's eyes widened in horror. His pupils shrank.
That chakra…
It was overwhelming.
Whoosh—
Without a second thought, he leapt back.
BOOM—!!!
Just as he escaped, terrifying power exploded from the coffin. Thick white smoke burst out violently, engulfing the surroundings.
BOOM—
A gloved hand gripped the edge of the coffin, and from the haze… a figure slowly stepped out.
"At last… I've waited for this day."
His eyes opened—deep, knowing, and heavy with experience.
"Nagato… you've grown."
...
T.N:
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