Chapitre 98: Come

"I'm not trying to deceive you," Ōnoki stated with unwavering confidence.

Intrigued by the conviction in his gaze, Hanzō couldn't contain his curiosity. "Who could be capable of containing that Hyuga?"

"Now that Hashirama and Madara, the Gods of the shinobi world, are no longer among us, I can't conceive of anyone who could face the current Chen Hyuga," Ōnoki explained gravely.

"So you're not as naive as you appear," Hanzō replied, rolling his eyes. Why the hell was Ōnoki stating the obvious?

Ōnoki frowned, visibly irritated. "What don't you understand? I said no human can contain Chen Hyuga, but we're not limited to human beings!"

"Ah, now I see where you're going... You're referring to the tailed beasts," Hanzō exclaimed, understanding dawning on his face.

"Exactly. I have the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails, and Sunagakure possesses the One-Tail. If we add them together, how could they not contain a single Chen Hyuga?" Ōnoki's proposal revealed a fierce determination.

"Under those circumstances, it's not a far-fetched idea," Hanzō nodded.

In reality, he was resistant to the idea of withdrawing without having gained any benefit. The losses had been devastating, and the prospect of leaving empty-handed was unbearable for someone of his ambition.

"What's the opinion of the Third Kazekage?" he inquired, turning his attention to the leader of Sunagakure.

"The Hidden Sand Village, of course, will send its Jinchūriki. After so much preparation, it's natural that it participates in the battlefield," declared the Third Kazekage, recognized as the most powerful Kazekage in history, and his ambition was obvious.

His goal was clear: Defeat Konoha and cement his name as the strongest, worthy of his reputation.

Seeing the Kazekage's willingness to deploy his Jinchūriki, Hanzō definitively abandoned the idea of withdrawing.

With three tailed beasts in play, the possibilities of victory multiplied. Hanzō envisioned the opportunity to elevate Amegakure to the status of a great village.

While Ōnoki and the others debated about deploying the tailed beasts, they ignored that all this was part of Chen's plan.

He had revealed his Susanoo with a specific purpose: to pressure his enemies to send their Jinchūriki to the battlefield. Otherwise, Chen would go to their villages and capture them one by one.

Although this tactic wasn't impossible, it was too daring and ran the risk of attracting unwanted attention, like that of Black Zetsu and others.

While he didn't fear anyone, he preferred to avoid drawing their attention for the moment.

Thus, to ensure the success of his strategy, Chen opted for patience, allowing his enemies to bring the tailed beasts directly to his door.

After the last battle, Konoha experienced a change, shifting from a defensive stance to an aggressive offensive. However, Ōnoki and his allies, aware of their vulnerability, chose to avoid direct confrontation.

Their immediate priority was the recovery and healing of their forces, followed by waiting for reinforcements. This time, the mobilization was massive: not only were the Jinchūriki of Iwagakure and Sunagakure deployed, but 3000 additional ninjas were sent to strengthen their battle lines.

Amegakure, not wanting to be left behind, contributed two thousand more ninjas, reinforcing the conviction that this time victory against the Land of Fire was assured.

The investment in this war effort was unprecedented. Ōnoki, going further, extended diplomatic invitations to Kirigakure and Kumogakure, urging them to join the assault against Konoha.

After ten days of regrouping and preparation, Ōnoki and his reinforcements converged on the battlefield, infusing renewed optimism in the ranks of the alliance.

At dawn on the second day, in an unusual turn of events, Ōnoki and his forces launched a bold attack against Konoha, abandoning all previous caution.

Hiruzen, observing from the walls of Konoha, frowned at the sea of enemies approaching. The horizon was tinged with the colors of the headbands and armor of the allied villages.

Nevertheless, he remained calm. His confidence was based on two fundamental pillars: first, the presence of Chen Hyuga. Although he represented an unpredictable element, his loyalty to Konoha was undeniable. (Or so he believes)

The second pillar was Danzō's recovery, whose return to the battlefield significantly increased the offensive potential.

Danzō was next to Hiruzen, his right eye hidden behind a bandage, his countenance grim and threatening. As he laid his gaze on Chen, a flash of hatred and fear was reflected in his single eye.

Perceiving this tense look, Chen ignored it with disdain. For him, Danzō was nothing more than a pawn, whose presence, though annoying, added an element of intrigue to the future that was approaching.

The decision to let him live was not based on mercy, but on the events that his existence could trigger. Although Danzō was considered a secondary character in the grand scheme of things, his influence on the future tragedies of the world was undeniable.

However, at this critical moment, his attention was completely focused on the alliance of the three villages looming over Konoha. A smile played on his lips as he contemplated the battlefield.

Everything had unfolded exactly according to his calculations. He knew that after the demonstration of power of the Susanoo, the alliance, refusing to withdraw or surrender, would have no choice but to deploy their most powerful weapons: the Jinchūriki.

And as he had anticipated, the Jinchūriki were advancing to the front.

With an enigmatic smile, he gestured to the Jinchūriki. "You three, come with me," he ordered, moving away from the bulk of Konoha's troops.

These words that seemed like an order provoked varied reactions. Rōshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Han, bearer of the Five-Tails, and the One-Tail Jinchūriki exchanged looks of bewilderment. Ōnoki, the Third Kazekage, Chiyo, and Hanzō frowned.

Despite the visible apprehension on their faces, the three Jinchūriki followed Chen, moving away from the main battlefield.

Their decision was motivated by caution; deploying the power of the tailed beasts in the midst of the troops could prove catastrophic for both sides.

Hiruzen watched with concern as the four figures moved away. However, the enemy gave him no time to reflect. Led by Ōnoki and other Kage-level ninjas, the allied forces launched their attack against Konoha.

The Hokage rushed to lead the defense. The situation was precarious; although the death of Shiten, a Kage-level power, and Danzō's recovery had slightly balanced the forces, Konoha was still at a numerical disadvantage.

The Konoha ninjas fought bravely, but the enemy's numerical superiority was overwhelming.

The enemy reinforcement forces outnumbered Konoha's almost three to one, a disparity that became evident with each passing minute.

The scene transformed into a dense forest.

Chen stopped surrounded by the thickness of the forest. His cold gaze fell upon the three Jinchūriki who had followed him.

"Release your beast forms," he ordered coldly. "Otherwise, you won't even be worthy of facing me."

"Do you really understand who you're up against?" Han asked in disbelief.

Rōshi clenched his fists, his anger palpable in the air. "Your arrogance is insulting. Do you think that without the power of our beasts we're no match for you?"

"What foolishness!" exclaimed the One-Tail Jinchūriki indignantly.

Chen smiled. "Speed is power... Have you ever experienced a kick at the speed of light?"

In a blink, he appeared in front of Rōshi. His leg lit up with a golden glow, transforming into a beam of photons, and connected with Rōshi at an unimaginable speed.

Boom!

The impact was immediate.

Rōshi was sent flying, his body carving a furrow in the forest floor, knocking down trees and crushing rocks in its path. The force of the blow was such that it immediately forced the manifestation of the Four-Tails.

That kick had brought Rōshi to the brink of death. If it weren't for the intervention of the Four-Tails, which enveloped its Jinchūriki in a cloak of chakra, Rōshi would have perished on the spot.

The Four-Tails' action wasn't born out of affection, but out of the need for survival. The death of its Jinchūriki would mean its own disappearance.

Although the tailed beasts, being chakra entities, cannot die permanently, the prospect of years or decades of non-existence was terrifying.

Moreover, the Four-Tails faced an existential uncertainty.

Would it still be the same after its eventual resurrection?

Would it retain its memories, its identity?

These doubts drove it to protect Rōshi, acting out of pure self-preservation instinct.

________

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