"Excuse me, Hokage-sama! Isn't the Nine Tails Jinchūriki Naruto? Why has he been replaced?"
Gaara's voice was sharp as he stepped forward, Temari and Kankurō following close behind. His face was clouded with doubt as he confronted Tsunade directly.
Tsunade, recognizing the weight of his concern, quickly explained,
"The Nine Tails Jinchūriki of Konoha was originally Kushina. Later, A man used a sealing technique to divide the Nine Tails' chakra into Yin and Yang. Naruto carries the Yang half, Kushina holds the Yin half."
Her words eased Gaara's expression slightly. His eyes softened, and a heavy breath escaped him.
"As long as Naruto is safe…"
Before any more could be said, a furious voice erupted from outside, shaking the hall.
"I said! You've all underestimated me!"
The roar came from Uchiha Sasuke. In an instant, he appeared in front of Tsunade, his eyes blazing with madness. His tone was ice-cold.
"You are the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. I have only one question for you."
Kushina's rage, already boiling since Obito's escape, overflowed at the sight of Sasuke standing there. The memory of him arriving alongside the masked man twisted her judgment. To her, the two were one and the same.
Without hesitation, golden Nine Tails chakra erupted from her body. A massive fist formed from the cloak and surged forward, slamming toward Sasuke with devastating power.
Sasuke's eyes spun wildly. His Sharingan morphed into the Mangekyō, and with a burst of dark light, a skeletal figure wrapped around him—half-formed but solid enough to block the attack.
BOOM!
The impact shook the entire hall. Sasuke was blasted backward, blood spraying from his lips as the Susanoo's dark blue ribs strained against the crushing power.
Staggering to his feet, he wiped the blood from his mouth and snarled,
"In front of these eyes, no attack can harm me!"
His left eye locked onto Kushina, a deadly glint flashing.
"Amaterasu!"
Black flames erupted, slashing through space and igniting around her. The fire clung like a curse, spreading with lethal hunger.
Kushina's eyes narrowed. Her hand turned into a sharp blade of chakra, slicing through the flames as if cutting through silk. The golden Nine Tails cloak split apart, strands of chakra burning, but she had broken free of the deadly fire.
Sasuke's pupils shrank in disbelief.
"Impossible…"
Kushina's voice was low and filled with pain.
"I knew your mother, Mikoto. She was my friend when we were young. And now, her son has chosen this path of hatred… Sasuke, let me be the one to end this, for her sake!"
The anger that Obito had left unresolved now burned hotter, and she refused to let Sasuke walk away.
Before the battle could escalate further, Ōnoki floated forward, his eyes sharp.
"Heh, why should the Hokage have all the fun? As the Tsuchikage, this old man will join in!"
His hands flew together, forming a cube of blinding white energy.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
The barrier enveloped Sasuke instantly. In a flash, his body seemed to crumble away into nothing, vanishing like dust in the wind.
The room froze in stunned silence.
At that moment, Raikage stormed back into the hall. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the scene before him.
"Ōnoki, you old fool!" he roared in fury.
But before anyone could react, Sasuke's figure materialized behind the Tsuchikage, his sword crackling with lightning as he slashed down.
"You're already dead," he hissed.
The blade barely missed its mark as Raikage blurred into motion. His body became a thunderbolt as his fist crashed into Sasuke's chest.
BOOM!
The impact sent Sasuke flying once again, blood spilling from his mouth. His Susanoo ribs cracked and shattered under the combined assault.
Still, he rose shakily, eyes burning with madness.
"Raikage…" he spat, his voice steady despite his wounds. His Mangekyō twisted again.
"Amaterasu!"
The cursed flames leapt onto Raikage's arm.
Tsunade's warning rang out instantly.
"Be careful! That's Amaterasu, It never stops until it devours everything!"
Raikage did not hesitate. With a single brutal motion, he severed his own burning arm, cutting away the curse. His face remained resolute as his guards rushed to heal the wound.
At that moment, three figures appeared beside Sasuke—Karin, Suigetsu, and Jugo.
Ōnoki's gaze was cold. "Good. Now that you've all gathered, we'll end this properly. If word spreads that the Five Kage Summit was disrupted and you escaped unpunished, the dignity of our nations will be lost. Attack!"
The other Kage nodded, and the hall erupted into battle.
Against one Kage, Sasuke had struggled. Against all five, he was overwhelmed. Susanoo flickered and cracked under their combined might. He staggered, barely able to hold his ground, as the overwhelming pressure bore down on him.
At the brink of defeat, a spiraling space distorted behind him. Obito appeared, his calm voice cutting through the chaos.
"That's enough."
In an instant, Sasuke and his team were pulled into Kamui, vanishing before the final blow could land.
The room fell silent once again, though the air was heavy with tension.
Mifune ordered the hall repaired, and the summit resumed. Yet the peace was short-lived.
Obito returned, stepping from the void once more. This time, his voice carried only cold certainty.
"I am not here to fight. Raikage, the Eight Tails your brother lost was nothing more than a severed tentacle. He still lives."
The words silenced Raikage's fury instantly.
Obito continued, his gaze sweeping over the Kage.
"I am here to declare the Moon's Eye Plan. Accept it, or resist. But know this—the Fourth Great Ninja War begins now."
Before anyone could respond, he vanished into his vortex, leaving only silence behind.
The world had shifted. War was inevitable.