Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 413 The Storm Is Coming (6k chapters combined)

"First, let's analyze the intelligence regarding 'Akatsuki'."

Seeing the serious expressions on the four people's faces, Hinata Kumokawa did not open the documents in his hand, but said directly: "There are ten core members who have appeared."

"Miyajo En died under the energy cannon of the Sky Ninja Village when he invaded Konoha. His body was never recovered, so we cannot obtain any more information from his mind."

"Juzo Biwa, who participated in the tailed beast plundering operation, did not appear in the battle on the second floor of the underground palace. It is speculated that he may have escaped or even died for some reason."

It is currently unknown whether these two vacancies have been filled.

Hinata Kumokawa placed two files marked "dead/missing" on the table: "So, currently, there are eight core members of the Akatsuki whose identities and abilities have been confirmed."

"The first person is Wuwei, who was once a Jonin of Kusagakure and the lord of Hozuki Castle." Hyuga Kumokawa placed a file with a photo on the table.

"He is skilled in sealing techniques, can summon and control monsters that resemble 'Hollows,' can use 'Cero,' and possesses flight and immense destructive power."

"However, Wuwei's true form is relatively fragile. Once that monster is killed, his threat will be greatly reduced."

"The second person is Shennong, the former leader of Kongren Village."

Hyuga Kumokawa placed Shennong's file on the table and said, "According to the information we obtained from the Sky Ninja prisoners, he created the 'Zero-Tails,' which is similar to a Tailed Beast."

"Now, he has become the Jinchūriki of the 'Zero-Tails,' mastering forbidden medical techniques that strengthen the body and regenerate injuries at the cost of overdrawing life force. His fighting style is heavily focused on taijutsu."

"However, considering that the Zero-Tail feeds on negative spiritual energy, Shennong may have transformed into a Hollow after his death, and a powerful one at that."

"When dealing with him, the primary goal must be sealing him to prevent any mutations after his death that could cause even greater trouble."

"The third person, Xiao Nan, is skilled in paper magic and has the ability to fly, scout, create and control explosive tags, and turn her body into paper. She is responsible for intelligence gathering and combat coordination."

"However, their weaknesses are obvious. They are afraid of fire-style and oil-based ninjutsu. They are highly mobile support units and usually operate in close cooperation with their leader, Nagato."

At this point, Hinata Kumokawa's tone turned slightly somber as he emphasized, "We need to pay extra attention to the next five members; their strength and threat level are no longer what they used to be."

"The fourth person is Hiruko, an S-rank rogue ninja from Konoha, who has mastered the forbidden technique 'Oni-Garra Technique'."

"He can forcibly fuse the flesh and organs of different creatures to create stitched monsters with multiple abilities."

He emphasized slightly: "More importantly, this technique can also be used to fuse with the bloodline limit holder, thereby plundering their bloodline ability and making it one's own."

"Back then, after Yuya Joen died, Konoha searched for his remaining assets, but unfortunately they were too late. The bloodline limit holders he had collected over the years had already been transferred by the Akatsuki organization."

"There is ample reason to speculate that Hiruko has now integrated multiple bloodline limits, including but not limited to Swift Release, Steel Release, Dark Release, Ice Release, Hurricane Release, and Blood Dragon Eye."

This conclusion weighed heavily on the hearts of Mei Terumi, Onoki, and the Fourth Raikage.

Swift Release and Steel Release are used to enhance the user's speed, strength, and defense, while Dark Release can absorb ninjutsu. Ice Release, Hurricane Release, and Blood Dragon Eye give it the advantages of both ninjutsu and genjutsu.

This is an enemy with virtually no weaknesses.

However, it's alright. After all, it's a bloodline limit that was stolen, so it still needs time to develop and can't be completely mastered in a short period of time.

"Speaking of this."

Mei Terumi frowned slightly, a cold glint in her eyes: "The disappearance of a Crystal Release ninja from Kirigakure, neither alive nor dead, is also the work of Akatsuki, isn't it?"

The Fourth Raikage also looked up at Hyuga Kumokawa; a Storm Release ninja from Kumogakure had also gone missing.

Hinata Kumokawa glanced at the ever-silent "Rasa" behind him.

The figure was seen with his head slightly lowered, as if deep in thought, the shadow of his straw hat obscuring most of his face.

"It may not all be the work of the Akatsuki."

Hyuga Kumokawa withdrew his gaze and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Don't forget, everyone, there are more than just Hanzo who has mastered space-time ninjutsu and can move freely in and out of the ninja world."

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru, disguised as Rasa, couldn't help but twitch his lips slightly.

“You mean…” Mei Terumi’s eyes flashed, “Obito Uchiha?”

“Not bad.” Hyuga Kumokawa nodded, his smile deepening. “Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Itachi, Shimura Danzo, and… Orochimaru.”

He called out names one by one, his tone sarcastic, as if he were listing a bunch of filthy things that couldn't be brought to light.

"These four stray dogs, rats in the gutter, who knows where they're hiding? Maybe they've gotten along well and teamed up again?"

Hinata Unkawa laughed and said, "These guys are best at hiding in the shadows, coveting other people's possessions, and waiting for their chance to strike."

"They might be hiding in some filthy underground lair right now, plotting when they'll jump out and take another bite out of us."

"..."

Orochimaru's hands, hidden beneath his robe sleeves, clenched involuntarily. He felt a surge of evil fire rushing to the top of his head, and the muscles on his lowered face twitched in waves.

The phrases "a stray dog," "a rat in the ditch," and "hiding its head and showing its tail" were like cold needles piercing his sore spots.

Unfortunately, for the sake of the plan, he can't afford to turn against them, nor can he reveal his identity...

"Lord Fengying, don't you agree?"

Hinata Kumokawa tilted his head slightly, looked at "Rasa" behind him, and joked, "Just like the second time we explored the dungeon, didn't Uchiha Obito sneakily hide next to you?"

"If it weren't for Lord Kazekage's decisive action, we might have suspected that Sunagakure was colluding with such scoundrels."

Orochimaru forcibly suppressed the rage and frustration that was about to burst out of his chest, slowly raised his head, his expression somewhat stiff, and a forced smile appeared on his lips.

"Hehe, Lord Hokage, you are absolutely right." A hoarse voice squeezed out from his throat as he said, word by word, "These cowardly villains are indeed something we must guard against."

He practically gritted his teeth as he finished saying this, his anger gnawing at him like a venomous snake, yet he could only suppress it and force a mocking smile.

Damn it! Hinata Kumokawa!
I've noted this down!

"Let's not talk about those guys anymore. No matter how much trouble they cause, they're still rats that can't be brought into the light."

Hyuga Kumokawa shook his head, and the topic was dropped. He took out the next file and said, "The fifth person is Kakuzu, a rogue ninja from Takigakure."

"He already possessed immense strength thanks to the secret technique 'Earth Grudge Fear,' and was once severely injured and nearly killed by Lord Raikage."

As he spoke, Hyuga Kumokawa looked at the Fourth Raikage, who coldly snorted, "That guy was severely injured by me in Kumokage back then, so there should be no chance of him surviving."

“But he’s still alive,” Onoki said in a deep voice, hovering in the air. “In fact, he’s become stronger.”

“Not bad.” Hinata Kumokawa nodded and said, “In the battle in the underground palace, Kakuzu demonstrated a level of Earth Release skill that was no less than that of Iwagakure Jonin Kyoto.”

"This doesn't fit his previous situation where he was good at using compound ninjutsu, but his proficiency in single-attribute ninjutsu was mediocre."

"During the Akatsuki's subsequent pursuit of Jiraiya and the others, a bird-like form appeared that looked exactly like Kakuzu but had wings. It was skilled in Wind Release and possessed the ability to fly."

"According to the Byakugan of our Hyuga clan, only the heart and brain remain in Kakuzu's body; the rest of his organs have been replaced by the black lines of his secret technique, 'Earth Grudge Fear.'"

"And inside that bird-shaped horn, there was only one heart."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disgust flashed across Mei Terumi's face as she said, "Can this still be considered alive? This is beyond what a human being could do!"

“That’s true.” Hyuga Kumokawa continued, “This is something that Kakuzu couldn’t have done, especially considering the timeline of the ‘Kage’s’ break with Akatsuki.”

"We speculate that Kakuzu most likely split himself into five independent individuals with the help of a member of the Otsutsuki clan."

"Besides the confirmed Earth Release main body and Wind Release clone, there should be three other clones, corresponding to the Fire Release, Water Release, and Lightning Release techniques respectively."

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Raikage, Onoki, and Mei Terumi frowned deeply, while Orochimaru's eyes flickered slightly, instantly realizing what this meant.

It should be noted that in the past, Kakuzu was limited by his chakra reserves and control, and when he used composite ninjutsu, the power of a single attribute could only reach a maximum of B-rank.

Even someone as powerful as Hiruzen Sarutobi is subject to this limitation.

Even so, Kakuzu previously used a composite ninjutsu that combined two B-rank ninjutsu techniques, and it already possessed the power of an A-rank technique.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's "Five Elements: Great Combo Technique," which combines five B-rank ninjutsu, is powerful enough to reach the level of an S-rank ninjutsu.

This is basically the limit that a normal human can achieve using composite ninjutsu.

However, Kakuzu is no longer human.

That guy is a monster right now...

With the main body and four independent clones, if they are used in conjunction with the Five Elements Ninjutsu, they are theoretically capable of performing a composite ninjutsu that combines five A-rank ninjutsu.

That terrifying destructive power will be unprecedented and unheard of; even Onoki and the Fourth Raikage present could not have imagined what the scene would be like.

dong dong!

“Let’s continue.” Hinata Kumokawa tapped the table, drawing everyone’s attention back, and said calmly, “The sixth person, Hanzo, former leader of Amegakure.”

"He is skilled in the Kusarigama sword technique and poison, and when used in conjunction with the summoning beast Salamander, its toxicity can corrode a person into blood within three seconds. After obtaining the 'Karma', he has the ability to absorb ninjutsu."

"He also possesses a certain space-time ninjutsu, which allows him to open teleportation channels to reach his target location, although it is speculated that he can only reach areas within his perception range."

"The seventh person is Sasori, an S-rank rogue ninja from Sunagakure, a genius puppeteer who transformed the Third Kazekage, who possessed the bloodline limit Magnet Release, into a human puppet."

"In addition, during the battle in the underground palace, Scorpion did not show his true form, but instead remotely controlled various types of puppets to fight."

"The puppet created by Sasori has extremely strong chakra conductivity. It is suspected that the material is the same as Nagato's black rod. It has increased resistance to physical and ninjutsu and can also use ninjutsu."

"Finally, there is Nagato, the leader," Hyuga Kumokawa said slowly. "He possesses the legendary Sage's Eye—the Rinnegan."

The moment the words "Rinnegan" were uttered, the air seemed to grow heavier. The weight of this name was enough to make anyone who knew its legend feel a chill. "I'm sure you all remember that when the Akatsuki hunted the Tailed Beasts, Nagato didn't appear in his true form. Instead, he manipulated puppets made from corpses to participate in the battle, calling himself Pain."

"Through the two puppet remains we seized, we discovered that they contained a large number of black rods with extremely strong chakra conductivity."

"Based on this, it can be inferred that Nagato most likely used these black rods as a central hub for remote chakra reception and manipulation to drive these puppets."

"Besides the two puppets that appeared during the invasion of Konoha," he said, his gaze sweeping over Mei Terumi and Onoki, "they also appeared when we were taking the Six-Tails and the Four-Tails."

"According to intelligence analysis, the two puppets that stole the Six-Tails have the following abilities: they can extract the soul upon contact and they can transform body parts into physical weapons."

Although Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, was a rogue ninja from Kirigakure, Mei Terumi clearly did look into it after that incident, nodding slightly.

"As for the two puppets that attacked Konoha," Hinata Kumokawa continued, "one of them should be the strongest puppet, as it demonstrated the ability to manipulate gravity and repulsion."

"The other one has the ability to repair or revive other puppets."

At this point, he didn't mention the puppets that invaded Iwagakure, but instead changed the subject: "According to our speculation, Nagato's limit for manipulating gravity is 'Planetary Devastation'."

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Raikage, who had been listening intently, frowned, realizing the meaning behind Hyuga Kumokawa's words.

"what do you mean……"

He said with a serious expression, "Besides 'Planetary Devastation,' which is related to gravity, Nagato may also possess a ninjutsu of the same level related to 'repulsion'?"

"Could it be that every ability displayed by those puppets might conceal a 'Celestial Explosion' level killing move?"

Upon hearing this, Onoki and Mei Terumi's expressions changed drastically, and Orochimaru, disguised as Rasa, also showed a hint of surprise and greed in his eyes.

If the limit of every Rinnegan ability is a terrifying ninjutsu like "Chibaku Tensei," then the threat and destructive power hidden by Nagato will far exceed previous estimates.

"It's very possible."

Meeting the gazes of the four, Hyuga Kumokawa nodded, then changed the subject, saying, "However, no matter what other killer moves he may be hiding, he can only use one at a time."

"Hmm?" the Fourth Raikage asked, "Why are you so sure?"

Hinata Kumokawa didn't answer, but looked at Onoki. Onoki narrowed his eyes, realizing something as well.

"Now that you've reminded me, Hokage, I do remember."

He slowly began to speak: "When the Akatsuki attacked our Iwagakure, there was indeed another man besides Hanzo and Sasori. At the time, we didn't know he was a puppet."

"The ability it displays is the art of summoning spirits, which allows it to summon various powerful giant spirit beasts to fight."

"They are a multi-headed dog that splits and multiplies when attacked, a strange bird that can throw explosives, a chameleon with the ability to turn invisible, and a large number of fast-moving centipedes."

"However, before I arrived back, the man suddenly stopped moving and collapsed to the ground. When we retrieved him, we found that he was just a corpse."

He recalled, his eyes gleaming: "Now that I think about it, the time when it lost control coincided exactly with the time when Pain used 'Planetary Devastation' in Konoha."

“That’s right.” Hinata Kumokawa nodded, confirming Onoki’s guess.

"Because when Nagato uses a ninjutsu of such scale and consumption as 'Planetary Devastation,' he must concentrate all his energy and chakra, which causes the control of the other puppets to be interrupted."

Upon hearing this conclusion, the expressions of the Fourth Raikage, Mei Terumi, and others eased slightly.

Although Nagato may have other terrifyingly powerful killing moves hidden, at least, he could only use this level of ninjutsu once in a short period of time, and could not use it continuously.

This is undoubtedly a key weakness that must be firmly grasped and exploited when formulating tactics.

"Furthermore, during the battle on the second floor of the dungeon, Nagato himself displayed the ability to absorb ninjutsu. It is currently uncertain whether this was due to the Rinnegan itself or because he also had a 'Karma'."

"One of the weapons used by Nagato was a black rod. Because of its excellent chakra conductivity, once a black rod pierces the body, it will cause chakra disruption."

"In addition, there is a katana obtained from the first level of the underground palace, called 'Reincarnation Karma'."

Hinata Kumokawa's tone turned serious: "That weapon possesses the bizarre ability of 'equivalent exchange'."

"Nagato traded the ability of that katana for a brief period of sealing off the special ability of the 'Sloth' sword in Jiraiya's hands, in exchange for exposing the sword's power."

"In conclusion, it can be confirmed that Nagato possesses at least the following abilities..."

"Summoning techniques, soul extraction, physical weaponization, gravity manipulation, repulsion manipulation, object repair, ninjutsu absorption, and rule-based exchanges achieved through ninja tools."

After saying that, Hyuga Kumokawa raised his head and looked at the four people with gloomy expressions, saying, "The above is the information we currently have on all the core members of the Akatsuki organization."

A brief silence fell over the tent, broken only by the pattering rain outside, which kept the tension in their nerves.

Eight people, eight monsters, almost all of whom possess the ability to alter the course of a local battlefield.

The power of the Rinnegan, the unpredictable "Karma" seal, the stitching together of bloodline plunder, the immortal puppet, the split five elemental bodies, the combination of space-time and deadly poison...

The Akatsuki organization has now become a powerful force capable of overturning the existing ninja world order.

"It is obvious that the enemy we are facing this time, whether in terms of the tightness of the organization and its purpose, or the strangeness and strength of the individuals, far surpasses any enemy we have faced before."

Hinata Kumokawa said calmly, "Without a doubt, they are not opponents that can be defeated by compromise."

Mei Terumi and the other three had their brows furrowed, their eyes revealing an undisguised seriousness.

"However, gentlemen, while the enemy is indeed terrifying, we are not without a chance of victory."

Hinata Kumokawa abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming calm as he said, "On the contrary, we possess a decisive advantage that the enemy does not have."

“First, it’s an overwhelming force in terms of both quantity and system.” He held up one finger. “Even if you include the remnants of Amegakure, Sora-nin, and Kagerou, plus the puppets that Sasori could create.”

"The total strength of the Akatsuki is still worlds apart from the ninja alliance that we are about to assemble, which includes the five great nations and many smaller countries."

"The core members of Akatsuki may be very strong, but what we have is the ninjutsu reserves, command system, logistical support and tactical coordination accumulated by the entire ninja world over hundreds of years."

“We are not going to fight him one-on-one, but to use a powerful army and a system to wear down, besiege and break the abilities of each of his ‘monsters’.”

"Secondly, it's the gap in fighting will and belief." He raised his second finger. "What does the Akatsuki fight for?"

"To collect the Tailed Beasts? For some vague and unrealistic plan? Or for the selfish desires of some Otsutsuki?"

"Their core members are either rogue ninjas, madmen bewitched by power, or 'weapons' who are not in control of their own destiny."

"Their cohesion is built on terror, self-interest, or some kind of twisted belief, while we..."

He looked at the four people in front of him and said calmly, "We did it for the country and our loved ones. We know why we took up arms and why we shed blood and sacrificed our lives."

"This is a war that concerns the survival of the five great nations and even the entire ninja world. There is no room for retreat or surrender. This belief will be the backbone that supports us."

“Third,” Hinata Kumokawa held up his third finger, “which is also our strongest advantage at present—our almost unlimited potential for replenishing troops.”

He pointed again to the two scrolls on the table, one containing meditation techniques and the other hand seal techniques.

"Those two methods are not only tools to enhance the power of existing ninjas, but also keys to ushering in an era of ninjutsu for all."

"The Akatsuki has a limited number of members, but we, the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Water... have hundreds of millions of people!"

"Previously, most of them were kept out of the ninja world due to their limited talent."

"But now, with these two keys, given time and resources, many of them will have the opportunity to refine chakra, master ninjutsu, and become genin or chunin!"

"The Akatsuki can create eight, ten, or even a hundred 'monsters,' but we can train hundreds of thousands, even millions of ninjas!"

"Perhaps their individual strength is far inferior to that of the Akatsuki members, but when quantity leads to a qualitative change, even ants can kill an elephant!"

The Fourth Raikage and the others' eyes flickered, and their initial unease gradually dissipated.

Yes, no matter how strong the Akatsuki organization is, it is like a tree without roots or water without a source.

They cannot possess the vast territories, populations, resources, and a complete system for training, selection, and promotion that the five major powers have.

Once the war begins and the reserve forces start to play a decisive role, the war potential possessed by the five great nations will be unmatched by the Akatsuki.

Hinata Kumokawa placed his hands on the edge of the table, leaned forward slightly, and said in a cold voice, "The structure of the Allied Shinobi Forces and the tactics for dealing with the enemy require a detailed plan."

"However, before that..."

He glanced at the intelligence report on the 'Espada' beside him and smiled knowingly, "We still need to learn about another 'weaker' enemy."

Inside the tent, only his steady voice echoed, along with the sound of wind and rain outside, which seemed to foreshadow an impending storm.

While the Five Kage were discussing how to deal with the Akatsuki, at that moment, all the Akatsuki members were gathered in an underground meeting room in Amegakure.

However, they were not facing the five major powers.

"Have you gathered enough information about the 'Virtual Realm'?"

Otsutsuki Isshiki sat in the main seat and looked at Nagato in front of him, asking a question.

That's right.

He never took the five great powers seriously from the beginning.

His true hypothetical enemy, from beginning to end, has always been the 'Virtual Realm' and the Otsutsuki Kumoshiki behind it.

(Seriously, I couldn't finish writing the pre-war intelligence analysis. Please don't think it's too weak.)

(The bloodshed is about to begin, but many people still don't know who the Espada are or what information both sides have, so I have to write this. I'm already trying my best to speed it up.)

(End of this chapter)