Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 430

Chapter 454 A Brief Respite

Night fell like a thick, dark velvet cloth, slowly covering the battlefield of the Land of Lightning, which had been battling fiercely all day.

The daytime hustle and bustle and carnage temporarily receded, replaced by a tense silence.

The war is not over.

On the front lines, the Allied ninjas on night watch, despite their exhaustion and injuries, vigilantly watched for any movement in the darkness.

No one can guarantee that the enemy won't take advantage of the darkness to launch a new attack.

The campfire flickered around the campsite, illuminating the young faces that were filled with determination and worry.

Compared to the front lines, the area where the logistics troops were located was brightly lit and filled with voices... or rather, a cacophony of groans and cries.

Tens of thousands of wounded people poured in within a day, almost filling all the makeshift medical tents and open areas.

Medical ninjas moved among them, their chakra glow appearing and disappearing intermittently, doing their best to alleviate the warriors' pain.

On the outskirts of this logistics camp, a place of bustling activity and agonizing struggle, several figures staggered closer in the darkness.

They were wearing tattered Allied uniforms, their bodies stained with "blood".

His face showed the fear and weakness of someone who had survived a disaster, much like a wounded soldier retreating from the front.

"Stop! Who is it?"

The guard ninja at the camp entrance immediately raised his kunai on alert and shouted sharply.

Despite feeling sympathy for these "wounded soldiers," the calm at the top made them dare not be careless in the slightest.

The wounded soldiers opened their mouths, seemingly wanting to recount their "tragic" experiences and elicit sympathy—

However, they hadn't even had a chance to utter a single syllable.

"Om-!"

A sharp, piercing buzzing sound, like the simultaneous chirping of thousands of birds, suddenly rang out from overhead!

A gigantic chakra shuriken, gleaming with dazzling light, descended from the sky at incredible speed!

It hit the center of the group of "wounded soldiers" with perfect accuracy!

"Boom————!!!"

A deafening explosion rang out, and a violent wind-style chakra instantly swept out, engulfing everything in that area in a vortex of destruction!

The soil, gravel, and even the bodies of the "wounded soldiers" were completely torn apart and disintegrated the moment they came into contact with the Wind Release Shuriken.

It turned into the finest dust, leaving not a trace behind.

All that remained was a shockingly large, fan-shaped crater.

As the smoke and dust slowly dissipated, the guards stared in disbelief at the empty ground before them.

It took them a while to realize what was happening, and they all looked up at the makeshift watchtower at the entrance of the camp.

On the stage, a blond figure wearing a Konoha Jonin vest slowly lowered his arm; it was none other than Naruto Uzumaki's shadow clone, who was stationed there.

"Naruto... Naruto! Are you sure it's okay? What if... what if it's one of our own..."

A young guard ninja swallowed hard and asked hesitantly.

Although he witnessed it with his own eyes, the destructive power of that thunderous force still left him with lingering fear.

Naruto's shadow clone turned around with a reassuring smile: "It'll be fine! Trust me!"

"I can clearly sense the malice in their chakra! This means they are definitely the enemy in disguise!"

His tone was firm and full of confidence.

This perception of malice, derived from the Nine-Tails' chakra, has now become the most reliable system for identifying friend from foe.

Hearing his explanation, the guards breathed a sigh of relief and felt even more admiration for this young savior.

It was precisely because of Naruto's shadow clones that they patrolled and guarded key locations day and night.

Only a terrifying disguise and infiltration plan like the White Zetsu's can be completely crushed in its infancy.

This undoubtedly put a lot of reassurance on the already heavily burdened logistics troops.

Meanwhile, at Myoboku Mountain.

A rich natural energy enveloped Naruto's body like warm spring water as he worked to restore his chakra.

At the same time, they monitor the dynamics of various battlefields in real time through the information transmitted by the shadow clones.

"Naruto! Naruto!"

A tiny communication toad hopped over, its voice urgent: "Urgent message from Konoha!"

Naruto immediately opened his eyes, a hint of seriousness flashing in his azure eyes: "What happened? Has something happened in Konoha?"

The communication toad took a breath: "Just recently, a guy named Kabuto Yakushi infiltrated the Konoha Cemetery."

"They used a diversionary tactic to lure away the guards stationed there, and then sent the reanimated forms of Kinkaku and Ginkaku to... to steal the sealed remains of the First and Second Hokage!"

"what?!"

Naruto jumped to his feet, his face filled with shock and anger: "Hashirama and the Second Hokage... how could this be?!"

"But the only good news is," the communication toad quickly added, "Nagato repelled Kabuto, and there were no casualties in Konoha Village itself; the civilians are all safe and sound."

At least this news can make Naruto sigh.

Meanwhile, within the space of consciousness.

On that dark and empty surface of water, the nine-tailed fox lay prone.

Minato, Kushina's spirit form, and Madara sat around Kurama's head.

"Mom and Dad! Dad! The situation is probably bad!"

Naruto hurriedly repeated the message.

Upon hearing this, Minato's expression instantly turned extremely grim: "As expected... the thing I feared most has happened."

"The remains of the First and Second Hokage have fallen into Kabuto's hands. His next step will definitely be to break the seal and then attempt the Impure World Reincarnation!"

Kushina covered her mouth, her eyes filled with worry: "Oh no! If he really does resurrect the First and Second Hokage through Edo Tensei, then we're in big trouble!"

"The First Hokage is hailed as the 'God of Shinobi.' Last time, he was just a sparring partner, and without even using his full strength, he already overwhelmed Naruto and Sasuke..."

"If I really fight with all my might this time, close to my strength in life, wouldn't that be..."

She dared not continue speaking, as if she could already see the allied forces utterly routed by the Wood Release technique.

Madara Uchiha crossed his arms and let out a cold snort that was hard to decipher: "Let's see if Hashirama is willing to take action before we come out with the Edo Tensei."

Kurama raised its head, its golden beast eyes glancing at Madara: "Hey, old Madara, aren't you worried about what you're saying? That's Hashirama Senju!"

Madara's lips curled into a cold smile, tinged with arrogance and certainty: "Worried? Don't forget, most of Hashirama's soul is not in the Pure Land."

Upon hearing this, both Minato and Kushina were taken aback.

Naruto blinked, then suddenly realized, "That's right! Hashirama's soul is still with Sasuke!"

Although it's unclear why Hashirama's soul is inside Sasuke's body, this might prevent Kabuto from being resurrected.

Madara continued, "The Impure World Reincarnation requires guiding the soul of the deceased from the Pure Land back to the mortal world and binding it to the offering."

"But right now, Hashirama's soul isn't in the Pure Land at all; it's in Sasuke's hands. Whether Kabuto can summon it is still unknown."

Nine-Tails breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down: "That's true."

Kushina breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest: "Oh right! How could I forget about that! So, the First Hokage might not be able to be summoned?"

"Don't take it lightly."

Minato calmly reminded him, his brow still furrowed: "Anything can happen."

"We don't know the extent to which Kabuto improved the Impure World Reincarnation technique, nor do we know whether he was aware of the question of where the soul belongs."

"Moreover, the soul of the Second Hokage is still intact."

"Once the Second Hokage is successfully reincarnated, with his wisdom in developing forbidden techniques and his understanding of Konoha, he will be an extremely troublesome enemy."

Spot nodded, acknowledging Minato's assessment.

He looked at Naruto, a sharp glint flashing in his crimson Sharingan eyes: "Naruto, no matter what, be prepared!"

"On the battlefield, things can change in an instant, and any possibility exists."

"Even if we're facing Hashirama at his peak, we'll fight him seriously!"

"Even if the sky falls, we old folks will still hold it for you for now."

His words still carried Uchiha's characteristic arrogance, but they also exuded a reassuring and powerful confidence.

Naruto looked at his parents, Kurama, and Madara within his consciousness space.

Feeling their support, whether direct or subtle, in their words, my anxiety and unease were gradually replaced by a firm fighting spirit.

He nodded vigorously, his azure eyes burning with fire: "I understand! No matter who comes, I will stop them! I will protect everyone!"

Chapter 455 Kabuto: An Unexpected Joy

In a dark cave hidden deep within the earth's ley lines, somewhere in the ninja world, the air is damp and cold.

A few flickering oil lamps provided a dim light source, casting distorted and eerie shadows on the walls.

Kabuto stood before a hastily cleared stone platform, with two scroll containers sealed with heavy talismans in front of him.

His face was filled with an eager fervor as he pushed up his round-framed glasses.

"Finally... it's time... as long as we break this last shackle and let the legend reappear in the world."

He muttered to himself, his hands forming several complex hand seals like butterflies flitting among flowers, before pressing them onto the two scrolls.

"Block - Lifted!"

A dim light spread from his palm, crawling across the scroll's surface like a living thing.

The runes containing the sealing power flickered violently a few times, then broke apart and dissipated like ashes.

However, when the light from the seal completely dissipated, the true appearance of the "remains" inside the container was revealed.