READ WEBNOVEL Chapter 63-Ancient Darkness!
Chapter 63
TSUNADE SENJU
Tsunade Senju had returned to the village many times, though her visits had always been brief, as she collected all the necessary information about the war and vanished once more into the summoning realm to treat Akihito.
The last two years had been a flurry of activity, but finally, the long and arduous times had come to an end.
"It is good to see you, lady Tsunade," Minato greeted her as she found herself once more in the Hokage office, yet this time with none of the stress of the previous times.
"It is good to be back as well," she replied as she sat down.
"Is it finally over?" he asked, immediately asking about Akihito's treatment and availability. This had been a major headache for Konoha and Fire country in general. Akihito's ability to fight the war from behind the curtain could not be underestimated, she had watched him plan and plot the whole conflict while being on his deathbed yet his absence had not inspired much confidence.
After much struggle, she was able to stabilize him enough that he could return to his castle for some time, around six months ago. And with the rumors of a rebellion growing, she had thought that he would do it, yet he had refused and had stayed back to regain full health while training with the bijuu chakra that he now had running through his body.
"Yes, it is," she replied and saw Minato sigh in relief.
"That is welcome news," he added, and she nodded.
"That it is. He should be taking care of the rebellion that rose against him as we speak," she told him, and Minato nodded.
"Yes, many in the Council were worried that a force as large as that had been allowed to lay siege to the capital. I did assure them of lord daimyo's handling of the matter, but still, this will be a great boon for the morale," and it would be, for this war was not one between the Hidden Villages primarily.
This was a war between the provinces and the five so-called Nations. It was one reason Akihito had tried to keep shinobi casualties to a minimum, so as not to force the shinobi into a back corner but rather do so to the daimyos and the political elites of the two aggressor nations.
"Those damn geezers. They are still running their mouths," she scoffed, angry that the Council of Clan elders hadn't really learned that their time was over and that the era was shifting.
"Well, you know how they are," he said with a smile, and she indeed did. After all, she had had to shut those geezers up herself a number of times.
"Regardless, I bring word from our dear daimyo as well," she said as she took out the missive scroll she had been handed and gave it to Minato, who took it and began to skim over it immediately.
She saw him raise a brow as he turned towards her.
"Do you know what is written here?" he asked, and she nodded.
"I do," he had written it infront of her.
"He plans to end the war within months," Minato asked, and she nodded.
Immediately after the war had begun, Akihito was decisive in his decision-making to not let this evolve into a traditional war and had focused his attention on the political centers rather than the military ones.
And so, through careful and patient maneuvering, agents, had been mobilized to infiltrate the nobles of Iwa and Kumo to steer the masses and the nobles towards a surrender. The embargo on trade and the ruination of their respective economies had lit the spark which his agents later stoked, and now in Earth country, there was open rebellion against their daimyo, and Lighting country was now ruled by a council of reagents most of whom blamed Earth country for their demise, and sought peace as well.
"Both Iwa and Kumo are exhausted. The time of peace before the war was not enough to shake off the weariness of the last conflict, and they were thrust into this one so quickly. Both are looking at one another. As soon as one of the nations falls, the other will follow suit as well," she added, and Minato nodded.
"That is good. Our forces are all ready to lay siege to the villages at a moment's notice. I will alert them to be prepared to take action at a moment's notice."
"You should," and with that, she leaned back.
"So, tell me, how does it feel being a father?" and she saw his smile falter as he rubbed his chin.
"Honestly, quite exhausting," he replied, and she smiled.
"With a kid so loud, I would imagine so as well," she replied, for she had met the little Naruto, and that boy was a hellion.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't trade it for the world," and his smile and optimism were what made him a great Kage.
"Whe...."
"Lord HOKAGE!" an ANBU appeared in the room with a blur, and she saw his expression shift from a gentle and caring father to the deadly and cutthroat leader of a ninja village.
"What is it, Peacock?"
"It's Kumo, sir. They are attacking again. They are saying Killer Bee is leading the attack again."
"Well, it seems like the war is not quite over yet," he said to her, and she nodded.
"Kushina-sama and her team have moved to intercept. She has denied any request for backup."
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AKIHITO SHIRAHOSHI
Akihito stared at the massive schism infront of him, his chakra networks strained by the sheer volume of chakra he had just channeled as his body adopted to the massive volume of chakra he now possessed.
The blade of the sword in his hand turned into a charred husk, and the remains of it were taken by the air, leaving behind only a hilt, which he pushed back into the sheath as he stepped forward and stopped at the edge of the schism.
There was little to see except a gaping hole, the screams, and cries of the army now long dead and buried, and he shook his head, despondent at the loss of life, yet he knew that it was necessary.
After a small prayer, he turned back and jumped towards the massive fortress once more. He reached the platform easily and rejoined Gin and Miyuki, who were looking at the devastation in front of them with startled expressions.
"Clear out the remains and have their lands seized. They will be redistributed in the next week after I hold a full court," he ordered, and his command broke Jin out of his trance.
"As you say, daimyo-sama," his aide replied as he knelt down.
"And open the gates. Make it known that the siege is over. We have won," and with that, he turned towards Miyuki and saw her look at him with a resolute expression.
He had truly no desire for bloodshed, and so when he had heard initial reports of a front forming against him, he had sent missives to the lords asking for their grievances and had received nothing but rebuttal from them.
Even when they had laid siege, he had sent one of his men to negotiate with them and had only received a single thing in response.
'We will kill you and end your line.' And so the last draw had been made, and their fates sealed.
"Come, let us return to the castle," he said as he offered her his hand. She nodded as she took his hand, and they began to descend down the massive wall.
By now, the massive gates were being opened up, and the people of the city were all gathered together as they watched him and Miyuki descend from the tower and reach for their carriage. They cleared out a path for them as he made his way through the massive cheer with Miyuki beside him.
"The capital has not changed much in my absence," he remarked as he turned towards Miyuki, who nodded.
"It has not. Your measures were able to preserve the people's way of life. I have never seen such prosperity, even during peacetimes, yet now, even while being at war, none o hungry for the day with your measures," she remarked with a smile.
"Well, they are not quite cheering for me now. Are they?" he said as he pulled back the curtain and lowered the window. The cheers and chants reached them, most of them directed at Miyuki herself, who blushed at the praise.
"I did only as you ordered," she replied.
"And yet they love you for it," and then they reached the castle, and Akihito took to the platform, as a throng of people gathered infront of him.
He stepped forward and used chakra to amplify his voice.
"People of my country...."
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OROCHIMARU-The Snake Sanin
The last two years had been quite an experience for Orochimaru as he tore through the fabric of science and reached as close as one could to figuring out the truth of life, chakra, and their world.
And the revelations had been truly shocking, the power they had always thought to be of their own creation, the very power they used to wage wars and make jutsus was far more complex than he had thought.
And then there was the task he had been assigned, an impossible task of bringing back the dead. And not just any dead. He was to bring back the most powerful shinobi of his time.
The implications became clearer to him with every passing day, yet he could do little but carry out the task assigned to him, as he found himself at the mercy of the darkness that covered half his body.
A darkness which claimed itself to be Madara's will, but Orochimaru was not fooled. This was not a cahkra construct, this was a being, one much more ancient than Madara himself, one that might even be manipulating the legendary Uchiha clan leader.
But he needed time to figure it all out, time for all his actions were scrutinised by this darkness, giving him respite only in his own mind as he tried to escape out of his predicament.
And as he stared at the two bodies floating in chemical pods infront of him, both near lifeless and identical copies of one another at first glance. Yet, in truth, they were anything but.
Age was but one aspect. Their cells and composition were entirely different, and he once more examined the massive and intricate sealing formula spread all around it.
"So be it then." With that, he bit his thumb and placed it on the sealing formula, despite knowing that, in some ways, his action was dooming the world.
"Kai!" and with that, the sealing formula glew.
BOOOOM!
The whole cave collapsed in a massive explosion, sending shockwaves that rocked Rice country. Through the rubble, a whisper came.
"Finally. It has been quite some time."
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