Naruto: Starting with Snatching the Mangekyō Sharingan

After Fugaku and Shisui transplanted Hashirama's cells, their strength soared. Although they couldn't yet wield the Full-Body Susano'o, reaching the humanoid fourth stage was no longer an issue.

With their combined power, along with the assistance of a few elite jonin, handling Iwagakure's forces was well within their capabilities—assuming Akatsuki didn't intervene on Iwagakure's behalf.

Exiting the Kamui dimension, Akira used the Spirit Transformation Technique to briefly probe the battlefield ahead. Sensing no immediate danger, he felt reassured.

He had previously encountered both Ōnoki and Iwagakure's two Jinchūriki and had memorized their chakra signatures. Thus, his Spirit Transformation Technique could accurately locate them.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, the real fight had yet to begin.

Based on his estimations, it would take at least another hour for the two forces to clash. That gave him ample time to recover his chakra.

Elsewhere, several dozen kilometers away from the earlier battle…

Nagato, standing with the Gedo Statue looming behind him, had already altered his chakra signature through White Zetsu's abilities to avoid being tracked by Akira's Spirit Transformation Technique.

White Zetsu's origin lay in the statue itself, and naturally, the Gedo Statue had the ability to mask its chakra.

Nagato frowned as he glanced at the scarred and battered Gedo Statue. The left arm, along with a large portion of its shoulder, was gone, leaving it looking pitifully damaged.

He turned to Black Zetsu beside him and asked, "Zetsu, the statue seems severely damaged. Will it affect my becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki?"

"Rest assured," Black Zetsu replied confidently. "For the Gedo Statue, these injuries are nothing more than superficial scratches. It has already absorbed the chakra of the Two-Tails, Six-Tails, and Eight-Tails. Such wounds can heal entirely on their own."

"In fact, the more tailed beasts you seal into it, the faster its recovery. Once all nine tailed beasts are sealed within, the Gedo Statue will transform into an immortal, indestructible entity!" Black Zetsu's voice brimmed with temptation as he gazed at Nagato.

"That's good to hear." Nagato exhaled in relief. The Gedo Statue was the key to his plan to become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, a crucial step toward realizing his dream.

If something happened to the statue, everything would collapse like a house of cards.

"Still, Nagato, you must be cautious," Black Zetsu warned, his tone shifting. "Try not to let the statue sustain more injuries. The more severe its wounds, the greater the chakra it will consume to heal."

"I understand. From now on, I won't deploy the Gedo Statue recklessly on the battlefield." Nagato nodded solemnly.

Then, he turned to Zetsu. "What's the situation on Iwagakure's side?"

"They'll begin their attack in about an hour," Black Zetsu replied.

"An hour…" Nagato murmured, nodding slowly. "That gives Uchiha Akira enough time to recover his chakra. Once he's back at full strength, he'll likely use his space-time jutsu to intervene in the Iwagakure battle. That would put Hikaru in danger… If only she would bring the tailed beasts back directly."

"However, given Hikaru's personality, she's unlikely to follow orders. She's determined to eliminate the Uchiha clan," he thought with a furrowed brow.

At this point, direct orders were futile. Hikaru's defiance wasn't a matter of circumstance but of character. She had never truly submitted to Nagato as her leader. Rather than a subordinate, she was more of a collaborator.

Akatsuki used Uchiha Hikaru to capture the tailed beasts, while Hikaru used Akatsuki to exact revenge on Konoha and the Uchiha clan.

After a moment of contemplation, Nagato issued his orders.

"Zetsu, have White Zetsu relay information about the situation here to Hikaru. Let her assess the battlefield herself. With luck, she'll take the initiative to capture Iwagakure's tailed beasts."

"I understand." Black Zetsu nodded. Through the plants and water coursing beneath the earth, a chakra-infused message was swiftly transmitted to Hikaru's location.

In the dense forest, Hikaru's expression shifted as the message reached her.

"Full-Body Susano'o… space-time jutsu… unusual clones…" Hikaru's delicate brows knitted together in concentration, her face dark with seriousness.

"So, the Uchiha clan still has someone like this? I've underestimated them." Her narrowed eyes gleamed with killing intent.

Glancing at the 3,000 Iwagakure shinobi surrounding her, Hikaru smirked with cold determination.

"He may be powerful, but I, Uchiha Hikaru, am not one to retreat before a fight. I'll weigh his strength myself."

These thousands of shinobi were her ace. Most bore her markers, making them her backup chakra reserves when the battle began.

"Perhaps I can push Iwagakure into action," Hikaru mused. "If the battle starts sooner, by the time Akira arrives, everything will already be over. I'd love to see the look on his face then." Her lips curled into a chilling smile.

It didn't take long for Hikaru to locate Ōnoki.

"What? You're saying Kumogakure has already defeated Konoha's forces and is now heading toward the village?" Ōnoki stared at Hikaru in shock.

"Precisely. With our leader involved, the battle ended quickly," Hikaru replied evenly.

"Kumogakure's battlefield is over a thousand kilometers away. How could you have received this information so quickly?" Ōnoki's eyes narrowed in suspicion, clearly unconvinced.

"We of Akatsuki have methods far beyond the ninja villages when it comes to intelligence," Hikaru said confidently.

Her gaze lingered on Ōnoki as she added meaningfully, "Old man, falling behind at the start will only lead to more setbacks. If Kumogakure invades Konoha before you reach it, all the spoils of war will belong to them."

Her words made Ōnoki's expression darken.

If Kumogakure had truly defeated Konoha's forces, their swift pace could allow them to seize Konoha before Iwagakure arrived. Ōnoki had no illusions about Raikage Ay waiting for him.

If that happened, Konoha's secret techniques and Kekkei Genkai users would fall into Kumogakure's hands. Their strength would skyrocket, leaving them the unrivaled power among the villages.

"This can't happen!" Ōnoki clenched his fists. "Even if the information is false, speeding up won't hurt. Konoha only has Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Shisui. No matter what, they'll fall to Iwagakure!"

With his mind made up, Ōnoki issued orders to accelerate the march toward Konoha's forces.

Watching him from beneath her hat, Uchiha Hikaru's lips curved into a triumphant smile.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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