Chapter 475 - 475: Before the Decisive Battle

Inside the Technology Development Bureau.

In the laboratory—

A figure bound by a sealing jutsu suddenly opened her eyes.

"My brother... is dead..."

EIDA's eyes contained a mixture of profound grief and absolute helplessness.

Even though she carried the power of Omnipotence, she found herself completely unable to break free from the sealing jutsu restraining her.

"Save your breath. This seal was custom-engineered specifically around your cellular makeup. Breaking free is an absolute impossibility," Orochimaru remarked cold-heartedly from her side, continuing his meticulous biological analysis of her body.

To manufacture this seal, they had invested an immense amount of effort.

EIDA spoke, her voice resolute as tears streamed down her cheeks, "I'm willing to cooperate with your experiments—under one condition. You must kill that person."

"Oh? It seems something significant transpired out there that we aren't aware of," Orochimaru murmured with keen interest.

...

Inside Konoha.

Tonbo Tobitake appeared before the interrogation room, staring at Kashin Koji through the barrier.

He really is Jiraiya's clone. The resemblance is striking, Tonbo thought to himself.

"Speak. Who is the enemy, what are his capabilities, and what did you see in the future?" Tonbo conducted the interrogation personally.

"His name is Shibai Otsutsuki—a god among the Otsutsuki Clan. He was once an interstellar pest that drained the life force of countless worlds. However, when he arrived in the Shinobi World, he was killed through a joint effort by the ancient forces of this realm. Now, he has resurrected... and it happened because of you."

Kashin Koji took a deep, searching look at Tonbo Tobitake.

In every single timeline of the future he had observed, this man already died.

Across all possible futures—none of them contained his presence.

It was as if this individual did not participate in the final war of the Shinobi World, or didn't even belong to this reality at all.

Yet that was clearly impossible, for the man stood right before his eyes.

"Because of us?" Tonbo asked.

"Yes. A sense of crisis. Perhaps because your Konoha—and the Shinobi Alliance as a whole—developed far too rapidly, he realized that if he didn't resurrect immediately, he would lose the opportunity forever," Kashin Koji answered honestly.

Tonbo Tobitake nodded thoughtfully. "And what else did you see?"

"Nothing. I can see nothing at all. Shibai Otsutsuki's future is blocked from my sight, and your future is equally blank—it's as if something is completely masking both of you," Kashin Koji admitted with a trace of confusion.

It made sense for Shibai Otsutsuki, considering Kashin Koji's own foresight originated from him.

But why was Tonbo Tobitake completely unobservable as well?

Could this man already be even more powerful than Shibai Otsutsuki?

"However, there is one thing I am absolutely certain of," Kashin Koji continued. "Within the coming year, the Shinobi World will suffer catastrophic devastation, with casualties beyond count."

"Very well. Thank you for your cooperation. Still, I will need you to participate in experimental procedures for our final preparations. You have no objections, right? As Jiraiya's clone, I assume you wouldn't stand by and watch people die."

Thinking back to one of Orochimaru's specialized research projects, Tonbo looked at Kashin Koji.

Perhaps Kashin Koji would prove to be a crucial key component as well.

...

"Tonbo-san, how did it go? Any results?" Naruto asked as Tonbo stepped out.

"Yes. Get everyone fully prepared. Next year will be the final, decisive battle. We cannot afford the slightest lapse in vigilance—not now, not ever."

Tonbo Tobitake stated firmly.

It was finally arriving. Once this threat was eliminated, he could finally settle into a peaceful life. He truly hoped he could pull it off.

Naruto nodded solemnly in agreement.

...

At the Tobitake Residence.

Tonbo Tobitake's four sons, his daughters-in-law, his son-in-law, and his two sons with their girlfriends were all gathered together.

"To summarize: you two will not be participating in the coming battle. Everyone else, devote yourselves entirely to mastering your jutsu," Tonbo announced, glancing toward his heavily pregnant daughter Maki and his daughter-in-law Hinoko.

Both women lowered their heads, their expressions dimming.

They wanted to train and fight alongside the family, but the timing of their pregnancies made it impossible...

"Don't dwell on it. If the rest of us can't resolve this, having you two on the battlefield wouldn't change the outcome anyway. You're far too weak," Tonbo stated bluntly.

Regardless, a heavy, quiet atmosphere blanketed the household.

Ever since Tonbo had laid out the truth about the future, every single one of them had prepared themselves mentally.

It was victory or death.

"Dad, I'll protect my brothers!" Saitama declared with firm resolve.

Beside him, Mirai Sarutobi held tightly onto his arm, her eyes shining with admiration.

Tonbo Tobitake nodded approvingly.

...

The Shinobi Alliance mobilized.

The World Shinobi Association mobilized.

Under the absolute command of Shibai Otsutsuki, Kara mobilized as well—their members even granted Karma power, turning them into quasi-Otsutsuki powerhouses.

...

One year passed in a flash amidst world-spanning tension.

Dark clouds pressed heavily against the sky.

The firmament shifted color dramatically.

An aurora borealis, normally confined to the polar regions, now blanketed the sky above the center of the Shinobi World.

At the Graveyard of the Mountains—the former base of the Akatsuki—a terrifying army of undead materialized.

A colossal shadow towered over the landscape: the ancient fiend Moryo.

Beside it stood a winged, black monster.

Countless legendary monsters from the lore of the Shinobi World formed a dense, endless host.

"Hahaha! Finally! A real battle at last! This is amazing—truly amazing!" Deepa laughed maniacally, taking in the massive army around him.

Boro, his entire body covered in glowing Karma patterns, grinned widely. "The Otsutsuki Faith is about to achieve its ultimate purpose! With this army, we will be unstoppable—we will crush the Shinobi Alliance, that bloated tyrant controlling the world!"

The rest of Kara's members shared his enthusiasm, especially Victor, who felt he was on the cusp of obtaining true immortality.

Beside him stood Tsunade, outfitted in high-tech mechanical armor. Yet her eyes were completely devoid of life, as if she were under absolute mental mind control.

The peripheral members of Kara smirked proudly as they surveyed the army around them.

Kara really is the greatest organization in the world.

The vast abundance of corpses left behind from the Fourth Shinobi World War allowed Moryo's capabilities to be unleashed to their maximum, raising an endless tide of undead spirits across the land.

Floating high in the sky, Shibai Otsutsuki looked down at the gathering forces.

Beside him stood Kawaki, a complex, twisted smile playing on his lips.

"Excellent... Time to wipe out these stubborn resistance elements of the Shinobi World and complete my revenge," Shibai Otsutsuki declared, his eyes filled with cold hatred.

He should have already ascended beyond the mortal plane of existence, yet here he was, forced to recollect Divine Tree Fruits piece by piece.

He would not accept such a humiliation; he would destroy the Shinobi World first.

...

On the Shinobi Alliance's side—

Tonbo Tobitake, Naruto, Sasuke, Orochimaru, Kabuto, Neji Hyuga...

Every top-tier combat asset was fully prepared.

Tonbo had initially considered a surprise launch, but considering Shibai Otsutsuki's divine capabilities, a direct, all-out joint assault was the only viable path.

"Move out! For the future of our world!"

If they failed here, the Shinobi World would be completely doomed. Tonbo could not afford a single mistake.

"Hehehe... How fascinating. I certainly hope all our years of preparation won't go to waste, and that our countermeasures prove effective," Orochimaru chuckled, musing on how decades of scientific research had ultimately converged toward taking down this single entity.

Still, on the path to unveiling ultimate truth, a few bumps along the road were to be expected.

Now, everything depended on their execution.

All around them, the veteran shinobi and the new generation were caught up in the surging atmosphere of impending war, their chakra boiling within their bodies.

Each led their designated divisions toward the enemy's main stronghold.

...

"This is the Third Division, Kiba Inuzuka's unit! All troops hear my command—move out!"

Standing in a leadership position, Kiba Inuzuka—as a key and capable member of Konoha—had taken on the responsibility of commanding an entire division.

WOOF!

"Haha! You said it, Akamaru! It's finally time for us to shine again! As long as we achieve massive merits in this war, the Hokage position will be mine!" Kiba laughed heartily at Akamaru's bark.

Dammit, after all these years, my lifelong dream is finally going to be fulfilled through military glory!

WOOF! WOOF!

"What are you talking about?! Forget being Hokage, focus on finding you a few female dogs instead?! Hey, Akamaru, since when did you become so vulgar?!" Kiba asked in total confusion.

WOOF! WOOF!

"What?! You're saying siring a bunch of puppies will make you a 'Dog King' faster than me becoming Hokage and establishing a Dog Festival?!"

...

BUZZ! BUZZ!

A colossal swarm of insects blotted out the dark clouds, leading its division forward at high speed.

Shino Aburame spearheaded the advance with his bug swarm, his troops following closely behind.

Good. In this battle, I should finally be able to get more people to notice me, Shino thought to himself.

Even after all these years, he still hadn't managed to find a wife—despite having completely solved the Aburame clan's issue of lacking presence.

...

"To think that within our lifetimes, we'd serve as supreme commanders once again—and with three generations standing side by side," Shikaku remarked, puffing on a cigarette as he looked at his son and grandson beside him, a hearty smile on his face.

Shikamaru smirked, "Don't laugh too early. When this war is over and you go back home, you'll remember how scary Mom can be."

"Exactly! We'll make sure you remember how scary Grandma is!" Shikadai chimed in with a grin.

Inside the central command headquarters, the Nara clan and the Yamanaka clan jointly coordinated the tactical movements of the entire Allied Forces.

Meanwhile, Naruto and the core powerhouses headed straight toward the front lines to deal with the enemy's primary high-value targets.

...

"Kaguya Clan, charge!"

"Yoyuki Clan, don't you dare fall behind them!"

"Hagoromo Clan, the time has come to show our absolute might!"

"Sarutobi Clan, wipe out every last enemy!"

"Shimura Clan, we are proud shinobi of Konoha as well!"

"Ryutenchi Clan, don't lose to those Konoha folks!"

"Hozuki Clan, time to make our name echo across the world once more!"

"Konoha..."

"Iwagakure..."

"Kumogakure..."

"Kirigakure..."

"Sunagakure..."

"...Technology Development Bureau, unleash full power!"

"Spatiotemporal Cannon!"

"Apollo System!"

"Long-Range Missile Network!"

"Cyborg Corps!"

"Tsunami System!"

...

Meanwhile, ordinary civilians without shinobi capabilities stepped out of their homes, gazing up at the sky in the direction of the distant battlefield, their eyes filled with quiet hope.

They prayed for their return.

"Dad... Do you think Tonbo will come back?" Ayame asked nervously.

Teuchi forced a reassuring smile. "Of course! What else could happen?"

Dongqing Tobitake declared boldly, "There's nothing to be afraid of! My son isn't... wait, neither my son nor my grandsons are cowards!"

Yet behind his bold words, Dongqing Tobitake's hair had turned stark white.

He was terrified for them.

And this deep anxiety...

Was shared not just by their family, but by every single household across the realm. A powerful force known as unity flowed from their hearts, reaching straight toward the distant battlefield.

Carrying their brightest hopes and wishes for the future.

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