Naruto: Fire-Release system

Chapter 135: The Leader of Akatsuki Is Uchiha Madara!

"What do you mean?"

Jiraiya furrowed his brows as he picked up on the shift in Itachi Uchiha's tone. He couldn't quite understand what the man was trying to convey.

"The leader of Akatsuki is Uchiha Madara," Itachi said. "He has gained the Rinnegan—the power of the Sage of Six Paths."

"If he obtains all nine Tailed Beasts..."

"...The shinobi world as we know it will cease to exist."

Itachi's voice grew quieter but carried a sense of foreboding. "Only the legendary God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, might have been able to stop him. But now..."

Itachi glanced at Jiraiya, his Sharingan glowing faintly. "Please, take care of Sasuke."

Without waiting for a response, Itachi severed the connection to the Tsukuyomi world, and Jiraiya's mind was returned to reality.

In truth, Itachi's main purpose in pulling Jiraiya into Tsukuyomi was to convey this critical piece of intelligence. Whether or not Jiraiya and his allies could stop Madara, Itachi could not be certain. But he knew that their collective strength was the world's best hope.

Itachi's consciousness returned to his body, and he immediately clutched his eyes, blood streaming from them as though he were grievously wounded.

"I'm not strong enough to fight Jiraiya," he announced, voice hoarse, feigning exhaustion. "We've secured the Tailed Beasts. Let's retreat."

He turned to leave, but before he could disappear, a cry pierced the chaos of battle:

"Let go of Sasuke!"

It was Sakura, her voice shaking with desperation.

The shout caused Itachi to freeze. He turned his gaze toward the source and saw Sasuke being carried away by a figure he didn't recognize.

His expression changed instantly. Without waiting for his teammates' input, Itachi abandoned the fight and sprinted toward the direction of Sasuke's abductor.

"Uh... What now?"

Kisame Hoshigaki and Zabuza Momochi exchanged bewildered glances.

"What's going on with Itachi?" Kisame muttered, scratching his head with the hilt of Samehada. "We didn't even get to fight, and now he's running off?"

"I don't know," Zabuza replied, his voice laced with annoyance. "But whatever's happening, it's not our problem."

The two swordsmen decided to follow Itachi without further questioning his actions. After all, if anyone were to blame them for failing their mission, they would simply say they were following orders.

Elsewhere in the ruins of Konoha, chaos had begun to settle. Orochimaru's Edo Tensei summoning brought reinforcements that turned the tide of the battle.

Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Minato Namikaze now stood alongside Jiraiya, their mere presence striking fear into the hearts of the enemy.

But Orochimaru hadn't stopped there. In addition to the previous Hokage, he had also summoned Mito Uzumaki, Hashirama's wife; Kushina Uzumaki, Minato's wife; and Sakumo Hatake, Kakashi's father.

The battlefield was suddenly filled with Konoha's most legendary figures, their combined power bringing the chaos to a grinding halt.

"What happened here?"

Hashirama's voice carried both sadness and anger as he surveyed the destruction around him. Konoha, the village he had built with his own hands, lay in ruins.

Tobirama frowned deeply. "The situation is dire. What's going on, Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya, finally free from the Akatsuki's interference, stepped forward. "Allow me to explain," he said.

He recounted the events leading up to the attack: Akatsuki's incursion, the kidnapping of the Jinchūriki, and finally, the critical information Itachi had shared.

At the mention of Uchiha Madara's name, the Hokage grew tense.

"Madara is alive?" Mito Uzumaki asked in disbelief, her voice trembling.

"No," Tobirama interjected, shaking his head. "This must be an imposter. The real Madara would never hide behind a mask."

"Moreover," he continued, "the real Madara had far too much pride to work in the shadows. If he were still alive, we'd know it by now."

"You're wrong," Hashirama said, his tone unusually serious.

The room fell silent as Hashirama continued. "This has all the hallmarks of Madara's handiwork. The Moon's Eye Plan... the Rinnegan... it all aligns with what he told me during our last battle."

Tobirama frowned but said nothing, sensing his brother's conviction.

"What about Minato?" Kushina asked, her eyes darting around the ruined battlefield. "Where is he?"

Jiraiya quickly answered, "Minato is pursuing Naruto. He's making sure our son is safe."

"Naruto?" Kushina's expression softened with maternal concern. "How has he been? Has he... suffered?"

"Naruto has endured a great deal," Jiraiya admitted, his voice heavy with guilt. "But he's grown strong—just like you and Minato would have wanted."

Kushina's lips trembled. She yearned to see her son, to make up for the years she had been absent.

As the tension in the room grew, Hashirama spoke up once more. "For now, we must focus on rebuilding Konoha and preparing for the battles ahead. Madara—or whoever is behind this—will not stop until they achieve their goal."

Tobirama nodded. "Jiraiya, organize the remaining forces. Prioritize recovery and intelligence gathering."

"Understood!" Jiraiya bowed and quickly left to oversee the recovery efforts.

Despite the reinforcements and the retreat of the Akatsuki, Konoha was left in shambles. The once-thriving village was now a wasteland, littered with debris and marked by the cries of its citizens.

The losses were devastating. Countless lives had been lost, and Konoha's defenses had been proven woefully inadequate.

Rebuilding would take time—and time was something they could not afford.

In the distance, the shadows of Akatsuki continued to loom large. The battle was far from over.

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