320.Nagato Declares War

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It had arrived. 

A and Mifune exchanged a glance. After a light cough, Mifune took over the conversation. 

"From all considerations, I propose that the position of Allied Forces Commander should be entrusted to Lord Raikage." 

"Heh." Ōnoki chuckled twice. "In terms of experience, I believe I am the more suitable candidate." 

A refused to back down. "Among those present, I am the only one who has no ties whatsoever to the Akatsuki!" 

"Lord Hokage, Lord Kazekage, Lord Mizukage, what do you think?" Ōnoki attempted to shift the discussion toward the others. 

In his mind, no matter who was seated here, they would surely want to seize the position of commander for themselves. Even if A had colluded with Mifune, it would be futile. 

However, the other three remained silent, seemingly content to watch as A and Ōnoki clashed. 

Yet A clearly had no intention of letting them remain on the sidelines. He pressed them to voice their opinions. 

"The three of you, it would be best to speak your minds." 

"Indeed," Mifune chimed in again. "Everyone, it would be wise to settle the matter of the Allied Forces Commander during this meeting so that we can proceed with planning our next steps." 

"Is that so?" 

An unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed through the conference room. A swirling spatial distortion abruptly appeared in midair. 

"So, you still haven't chosen a commander?" 

"Who's there?!" 

The Five Kage looked up sharply. 

Simultaneously, the guards stationed on the second floor leaped down, landing on the conference table in defensive stances, shielding their respective Kage. 

A blurred figure emerged from the spatial vortex, gradually becoming clearer. 

"Hello," greeted a strange man wearing an orange-yellow spiral mask as he landed in the center of the room, waving his hand in an almost comical manner. 

"Obito!" Kakashi instinctively called out. 

The masked man turned his head slightly to glance at Kakashi standing on the table but did not respond. 

"You bastard!!!" 

A flash of lightning erupted as A's fist suddenly pierced through "Obito's" body. 

"You dare show your face before me again?!" 

"Ah, Lord Raikage." 

"Obito" remained unfazed, looking down at the fist embedded in his chest, his voice growing colder. 

"There's nothing I wouldn't dare to do. After all, I successfully took the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki right under your nose, didn't I?" 

"Bee!" 

A's eyes widened in fury, his emotions erupting to their peak. Bolts of lightning crackled from his body, shattering the conference table and forcing the others to swiftly retreat. 

"Enough." "Obito" twisted his body and phased away. "Today's main attraction isn't me." 

By now, due to the unexpected disturbance in the conference room, Kaito had already assumed a guarded stance and rushed in alongside the other samurai guards from the corridor outside, watching the blood puppet's performance. 

This guy… 

Kaito was slightly surprised. Was the blood puppet always this lively? 

It must be influenced by Obito's body! 

He remembered—Obito had been exactly this "lively" in the past. 

Ah, and that White Zetsu, who was turned into a consciousness vessel, was the same way. 

In any case, Kaito refused to acknowledge that the blood puppet's personality was shaped by his own spiritual energy. 

Meanwhile, the standoff on the field continued. 

The enraged A redirected his fury toward Konoha, glaring at Kakashi and Tsunade. "You know him? This bastard who kidnapped Bee really is a ninja from your village!!" 

"Keh keh keh, that's right. I was indeed once a shinobi of Konoha." 

"Obito" seized the opportunity to activate his dōjutsu once more, and another figure emerged from the spatial vortex. 

"But that's all irrelevant now." 

He now stood behind Nagato, his hoarse voice dripping with cold amusement. "From here on, let the leader speak to you!" 

"Everyone." Nagato's icy, indifferent gaze swept across the room. "I am Nagato, leader of the Akatsuki." 

"You're the leader of the Akatsuki?!" A charged forward. "Where is my brother?!" 

"The Eight-Tails?" 

Nagato extended his hand calmly, releasing a localized burst of repulsive force that blocked A's sudden assault. 

"He's already dead." 

A's eyes bulged with rage as he was sent flying. 

"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World!" 

Ōnoki, floating in midair, thrust his hands forward, unleashing a beam of white light. 

"Preta Path." 

Nagato fearlessly reached toward the beam, instantly absorbing all the chakra composing the technique. 

"Impossible?!" Ōnoki froze in shock. 

Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi, standing behind Ōnoki, stared in disbelief. 

"He actually caught the Tsuchikage's Dust Release with his bare hands?!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed. 

"That's the power of the Rinnegan," Tsunade interjected. "He can freely absorb chakra." 

"Then we'll use taijutsu!" 

A lunged forward again with a punch, while Darui followed closely with a slash of his sword. 

"Enough." Nagato's body suddenly levitated, hovering above them as he looked down. "Fighting now is meaningless. I am merely a shadow clone." 

"Indeed," the blood puppet chimed in from his perch on the windowsill, grinning. "The leader means to say it's not yet time for battle." 

"Nagato, leader of the Akatsuki," Gaara, who had remained composed throughout, spoke up. "What is your purpose here?" 

"My purpose? There is one." 

Nagato's voice remained devoid of emotion, as if he were a god gazing down upon mortals. 

"The Akatsuki has gathered the chakra of all the Tailed Beasts and will soon awaken the invincible ultimate weapon—the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path." 

"What? When?" Gaara stiffened, turning to Tsunade. "Naruto—?" 

Tsunade shook her head. "Don't worry. Naruto is safe." 

"Though we didn't obtain the Nine-Tails," "Obito" sighed in mock disappointment before immediately brightening, "we did acquire the Nine-Tails' chakra from the Gold and Silver Brothers!" 

Darui frowned. "How? Those two have been dead for years!" 

"There are always ways," "Obito" replied cheerfully. 

"Orochimaru?" Kakashi immediately pieced it together. 

A looked confused. "What do you mean?" 

"Edo Tensei," Kakashi said grimly. 

"Do not speak of unnecessary things, Obito!" 

Nagato reprimanded him before addressing the group again. 

"The Demonic Statue possesses the power to destroy the world. From this moment onward, the Akatsuki will dictate the rules of the shinobi world." 

"What is your goal?" Ōnoki demanded. 

"The Akatsuki's long-held desire," Nagato declared, spreading his arms. "World peace." 

"..." 

The room fell into stunned silence as everyone stared at the floating figure, wondering if they had misheard. 

"You don't believe me?" Nagato's cold eyes swept over them. "For years, you great nations have waged war for your own gains, while the smaller nations caught in your conflicts have suffered endlessly. From today onward, your era is over." 

"So, you mean…" Gaara, still skeptical, looked up at him. "You intend to use this ultimate weapon to intimidate the great nations into achieving peace?" 

"Correct." Nagato nodded. "So, resist me. Only by experiencing pain will you understand the value of peace. I await you all in Amegakure." 

Poof! 

His body dissolved into white smoke. 

"I hereby declare—the Fourth Shinobi World War begins now!"