Start with a Zanpakuto and build the strongest Mist Village.

On an unnamed island outside Kirigakure, Yumi Uzumaki felt a vast spiritual pressure rising straight into the sky from an unknown distance, as if it wanted to make the entire ninja world submit. She was in a daze.

After so many years of planning, we've finally achieved more than half of our goal today.

By utilizing the chakra of Ashura and Indra, and fusing it with the chakra bodies of the Dragon Vein, the Star, and many other sources to break through... once you reach that level, even if your enemies are those celestial beings who are like gods, you should be able to put up a fight.

Miroku and Hikaru also felt the immense spiritual pressure. They exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief.

The two women were exhausted from converting such a massive amount of chakra into spiritual power and transmitting it to Minazuki Yoru, but thankfully it was all worth it.

"Wait, that's not right!"

Suddenly, the smile on Maitreya's face froze, her pretty face lifting in disbelief as she stared intently at the direction from which the immense spiritual pressure had emanated, muttering to herself, "Impossible, how could it suddenly..."

"What's wrong?"

Seeing the expression on Miroku's face and the increasingly serious look in Hikaru's eyes, Uzumaki Yumi keenly sensed that something was amiss.

"I can't sense his presence anymore." Miroku said in disbelief, his voice trembling. "His presence, the spiritual connection between us, was severed in an instant?"

"what?!"

Yumi Uzumaki's beautiful eyes narrowed, and she suddenly stood up, staring intently at Miroku: "What did you say!"

"I don't know either, I just can't sense his presence anymore..." Miroku was also somewhat at a loss, but his words struck Yumi Uzumaki like a thunderbolt.

Although she was not a Quincy, she was very familiar with the situation between the Quincy and the Night.

Because of the source of their power, all Quincy have a mysterious connection with Mizuki Yoru, and this connection is especially strong among Quincy like Miroku who possess the sacred script.

This is the connection between 'God' and 'believers', and even more so, the connection between 'the source of power' and 'the branches of power'!

Gods can sense the beliefs of believers, and as the source of spiritual power, Minazuki Yoru is the god of all Quincy!

But at this moment, the believers could no longer sense the presence of the gods...

"No, it's not that the connection has been severed, but rather that it has become weaker." Hikari suddenly spoke, and the light rekindled in the eyes of Yumi Uzumaki, who had been somewhat dazed and almost lost her senses as if struck by a heavy blow.

"What exactly is going on?"

Yumi gazed at the light with hopeful anticipation, while Miroku also cast his gaze upon her, looking somewhat nervous and puzzled.

Guang slowly closed his eyes and re-entered the one-eyed state of the Perfected Body, seemingly sensing something.

"The reason you can't sense his presence is because he is currently very far away from us, and there may even be barriers or other obstacles between us." After a long while, the light in its perfect holy state slowly spoke, "But my eight thousand spears can still sense his presence."

Upon hearing this, both Miroku and Yumi Uzumaki breathed a sigh of relief.

The Eight Thousand Spears can transmit power regardless of distance. Although it is unknown why Miroku and the others, who are Quincy, could not sense Yoru's presence, the fact that the Eight Thousand Spears could still contact Yoru Minazuki indicates that Yoru was not in trouble.

As long as nothing bad happens...

Yumi breathed a sigh of relief, but then said with a serious expression, "Although Lord Yoru is alright, since Miroku and Hikaru cannot sense Lord Yoru's presence, it is very likely that the other Quincy will also be unable to sense him."

"Use the Sky Piercing Sky Piercing Arrow to transmit the intelligence back... No, we must get back to the village as soon as possible to stabilize morale and the overall situation!"

"Ok!"

There are too many Quincy, so many that 80% of the members of the ninja world today can be considered Quincy.

If so many Quincy discover that something has happened to Mizuki Yoru... Kirigakure is in big trouble!

Yumi, Hikaru, and Miroku rushed back to the village using the Black Hole. Fortunately, the anticipated riot did not occur. However, the group that had been given sacred characters by Mizuki Yoru gathered nervously in the Mizukage's office.

Seeing this, Yu Mei understood.

Although the Quincy's power all comes from Minazuki Yoru, only the Sternritter members who have been given holy symbols can truly sense Minazuki Yoru's existence.

This saves a lot of trouble.

"That's how it is. With our help, Lord Ye's power has made a certain breakthrough. I think you all felt that oppressive aura earlier."

With a calm and confident smile on her face, Yumi Uzumaki looked around at everyone and said in a nonchalant tone, "Besides, do you really think there's anyone in the ninja world who can threaten Lord Yoru?"

Upon hearing this, the people present, who had been quite worried, exchanged awkward glances.

Yes, nowadays, who in the ninja world can threaten Mizuki Yoru? Nagato, who called himself a god, has been subdued, and Obito Uchiha, who started the Fourth Shinobi World War, is nothing but a clown. The entire situation in the ninja world is firmly controlled by Kirigakure.

Coupled with the terrifying pressure that had previously seemed to command the entire ninja world to submit, the mood of the group, who had been worried about losing contact with Minazuki Yoru, instantly shifted from 'worry' to 'relaxation'.

"Alright, I understand your concerns, and I know that such a sudden and unexpected situation will cause some problems, but I hope you can use your brains and think logically before doing things." Behind the Mizukage's desk, Mei Terumi said expressionlessly, "Now, you should go back to your posts."

Everyone present felt a chill run down their spines, and they repeatedly agreed, fleeing the Mizukage's office as if their lives depended on it.

"I knew the Fourth Hokage wouldn't get into trouble."

"Of course, you all know how strong the Fourth Hokage is, not to mention that he has received this level of power enhancement this time."

"Damn it, that level of spiritual pressure... I feel like the sky is about to fall!"

"After all, he's Yongdai's girl..."

Before long, everyone in the Mizukage's office dispersed. After the chattering and exclamations subsided, Mei Terumi and Akira Mizuki, who had remained silent, looked at Yumi with serious expressions.

"What on earth happened?!"

"……I have no idea."

Yumi was silent for a moment, then shook her head: "We completed the pre-planned scheme and successfully integrated the chakra of Indra and Ashura into Lord Yoru's body. This is why Lord Yoru's spiritual pressure was so strong before."

"But the spiritual energy connection was later severed... However, Hikaru has already confirmed with the Eight Thousand Spears that Lord Night is safe and sound."

"Lord Yoru's mission this time was to Mount Myōboku." Mizuki Akira slowly said, "The White Serpent Sage went missing, and Lord Yoru found traces left by the toads of Mount Myōboku in Ryūchi Cave, which is why he went to Mount Myōboku."

"Yes, Mount Myōboku. If something really happens to Ye, it will definitely be related to those toads on Mount Myōboku!"

"I've led men to surround Mount Myoboku!"

"Stop messing around. Since Guang said Lord Ye is alright, then he should be fine. Besides, don't you know Lord Ye's character? He wouldn't do something he's not sure of."

"What if?!"

"Unless something goes wrong, don't do anything unnecessary to disrupt the original plan. We just need to stabilize the situation!"

"...Damn it!"

The women discussed the matter and decided that although they didn't know what had happened to Minazuki Yoru, the best course of action for now was to remain unchanged and deal with any eventuality.

Stabilize the situation, and deal with whatever comes your way!

But problems always seem to arise one after another, unless they don't occur at all.

The following day, Nagato, who had been wandering the ninja world trying to spread the new 'Will of Akatsuki', sent news that he had clashed with an unknown force.

The other party possessed the exact same power as the deceased, and even their appearance was completely different.

"A ninja who possesses the Takigakure's secret treasure, the Grudge Fear, and who looks remarkably like Kakuzu, and who looks exactly like Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin who died at the hands of Lord Yoru..."

Mizuki Akira rubbed her eyes, feeling a bit of a headache, and handed the intelligence scroll in her hand to Terumi Mei, who was standing next to her.

Mei Terumi, who had initially been nonchalant and trying to slack off, suddenly frowned after reading the intelligence.

“Their souls should have dissipated long ago, so how could this happen?” Mei Terumi said in a deep voice, “They have no memories, but they have combat experience that is in no way inferior to that of their former selves… Are they puppets?”

"It would be more appropriate to describe them as clones."

The door to Minazuki's office was pushed open, and Yekura, who hadn't been back to the village for a long time, placed an intelligence scroll on the table and said in a deep voice, "This is the list of members of that force that has already been exposed. If we don't deal with it carefully, the consequences could be quite serious."

As Mizuki Akira opened the scroll, her expression grew increasingly serious.

Mei Terumi cast a curious glance at him, but with just one look, her pretty face became extremely serious.

"Konoha's White Fang, the Second Tsuchikage, the Third Raikage..."

"Are these guys trying to start the Fifth Shinobi World War?!"

Chapter 288 Hiruzen Sarutobi's clone army!

Perhaps because Minazuki Yoru had been a hands-off manager for so long, everyone in Kirigakure had gotten used to it.

In addition, due to the various events that occurred in the ninja world, and thanks to the actions of the women, Mizuki Yoru's disappearance did not have the slightest impact on Kirigakure and was completely suppressed.

"I never expected that you would actually end up fighting Nagato."

Within the borders of Tang country.

Having returned from the moon and obtained what he wanted, Obito looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others in front of him with some surprise.

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others looked somewhat disheveled, their clothes torn, covered in dust, like clones of Kakuzu, and they had even lost four hearts and nearly died.

"So, the battle was only forcibly stopped by the almost suicidal Dust Release technique used by the Second Tsuchikage clone?"

Listening to the report from White Zetsu, Obito gained some understanding of the battle situation at the time, and his gaze focused on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Like him, Hiruzen Sarutobi completed the Oni-Garra Ritual. Although he did not reach the Six Paths level, his strength was still not to be underestimated, and he could easily go toe-to-toe with Nagato.

In other words, while Hiruzen Sarutobi was holding off Nagato, the remaining Akatsuki members were still able to fight them to this extent.

With just one Beirut?

“The members of Akatsuki are not to be underestimated. Apart from Hiruko, the rest of the members have also undergone spiritual transformation, which has greatly improved their combat strength.” Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice, “And the Rinnegan… The leader of Akatsuki is quite strong. I can’t gain the upper hand against him. If this battle continues, we are more likely to lose.”

"That Nagato guy..."

Upon hearing this, Obito's expression behind his mask darkened.

Nagato, who should have been a sharp weapon in his hands, and Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan, have now turned around and joined Mizuki Yoru, becoming his generals. It's truly ironic.

"In other words, you have been completely exposed. Kirigakure and other ninja villages in the ninja world should be aware of your existence, right? Hehehe, clones... This is a taboo for the world, no less than the Impure World Reincarnation."

"Stop talking nonsense. I know more about these things than you do." Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Obito Uchiha, who was looking rather smug, and thinking about the White Zetsu army's recent defeats, he had some guesses in his mind.

"Judging from your appearance, you've found an ally to fight against Minazuki Yoru?"

"Ah, I think I've found it, but I'll need your help with the next steps."

Obito didn't say much. The existence of the Otsutsuki on the moon was more like a 'myth or legend' to the world. Moreover, Otsutsuki Toneri had already made it clear that they couldn't be considered true allies until the preconditions were met.

However, perhaps out of sincerity as an ally, or perhaps out of impatience for the 'Byakugan Princess', Otsutsuki Toneri has already handed over the role of the Tailed Beast to Obito.

Upon hearing Obito's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned: "What do you want to do?"

“Make a commotion to attract some attention,” Obito said after a moment’s thought. “But I need you to give me a breakdown of the specifics of the plan first… Just how many Kage-level clones do you have under your command?”

"..."

"tell him."

The voice in his mind dispelled Hiruzen Sarutobi's concerns. After a moment of contemplation, Hiruzen looked up at Obito and said in a deep voice, "Come with me."

The two ventured deep into the base, and after wandering around for a while, they arrived at a tightly closed door.

After opening the barrier using a special hand seal, Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed the door open and entered. In an instant, Obito's eyes widened in surprise!

"this!"

Obito's eyes were filled with shock. Not only Obito, but anyone in the ninja world who saw the scene before them would be shocked and their hearts would tremble.

The scene that came into view was not as vast as the White Zetsu army under Obito's command, but there were still dozens of people. Although many of them were clones of the same person, each of them was a figure who would be remembered for a thousand years and could be found in the textbooks of the ninja world!

The Toad Sage, Jiraiya (one of the Legendary Sannin), and Hatake Sakumo (the White Fang of Konoha)!

The Second Tsuchikage Mu, who possesses the Kekkei Tota, and the Third Raikage A, who can fight against thousands single-handedly!

The demigods of the ninja world, Hanzo the Salamander and the puppet master Monzaemon!

Most importantly, Obito also noticed several individuals with unusual appearances...

"I didn't expect you to have even cloned them all."

Obito's gaze lingered on the group at the beginning and end of the line, his tone enigmatic: "They are your teachers, the Third Hokage."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze flickered. If he wanted to, he wouldn't want to clone the two of them, but the control wasn't in his hands.

Indeed, at the very forefront of all the clones at this moment are Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi's former teacher and the Second Hokage, and Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, who is hailed as the God of Shinobi!

Before the ceremony began, Obito could never have imagined that Hiruzen Sarutobi could gather such power in his hands. Even now, he was still shocked by the strength of this power.

Even if it's a clone, even if it has no memories and can't fully unleash the original's full combat power, if this power is used well, it can still be a sharp knife that can tear everything apart!

"You really know how to hold back, Third Hokage..."

Obito spoke slowly, his eyes fixed on Hiruzen Sarutobi: "If this plan succeeds, we can bring Mizuki Yoru down from his pedestal. Third Hokage, you must do everything in your power to help me!"

"…What do you want to do?"

"Seize the Tailed Beast!" Obito said decisively, but then paused, "But before that, I have a favor to ask of you."