Chapter 197: The Closer You Get, The Further It Seems...

Ye Zi's figure flickered in and out of view within the vast wind and rain, the droplets splashing up and wetting the hem of his robe.

White Zetsu had gone to search for the person who killed the Third Kazekage, so he couldn't travel with Ye Zi, leaving Ye Zi without a constant source of intel. Despite this, Ye Zi had already gathered enough information from White Zetsu beforehand, so he had a good grasp of the current situation.

His next destination was the Land of Lightning…

As he walked on the muddy roads, even his wide-brimmed straw hat couldn't fully shield him from the increasing downpour. The path ahead, blurred by the rain, lay somewhere between clear and obscured, like an uncertain and treacherous journey.

Ye Zi had once told Nagato that he could guide him on how to use the Rinnegan properly. While that was only a pretext, it also reflected Ye Zi's hope. Unfortunately, things hadn't gone as planned. Both of them shared the goal of collecting the tailed beasts and sealing them within the Gedo Statue, but Nagato sought to use the Gedo Statue as a weapon to suppress war and conquer the world—he wanted the world to be forced into peace by fearing the statue's power.

Ye Zi could vaguely see through Nagato's ideals. It seemed that the further Nagato walked down this path, the farther he strayed from his original goal...

The Outer Path—Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique was crucial to reviving Madara. He needed Madara to be brought back to life if he wanted to return. However, given Nagato's current convictions, it seemed impossible that Nagato would sacrifice his own life to revive Madara.

How could he make Nagato willingly revive Madara? It was a problem that seemed unsolvable.

Unable to influence or control Nagato's will, he found no solution. At least, not yet. His only option was to continue collecting the tailed beasts and hope to figure something out along the way. If worse came to worst, he would have to take the Rinnegan by force. Perhaps by obtaining the Rinnegan, he could uncover the truth of the world and find a way to return home!

The path he thought he was getting closer to was actually becoming longer and more distant. How long and uncertain it seemed.

His pace quickened, reflecting his shift in mindset. He didn't want to wait any longer—he wanted to return to Earth as soon as possible, even if it meant that by the time he returned, everything had changed. He needed to confirm the outcome for himself.

As Ye Zi hurried through the rain toward the Land of Lightning, the war was ongoing, and the situation remained in constant flux.

The Hidden Cloud Village, the Cloud ninja, were incredibly strong.

The strength of the Ay-Bee duo and the Third Raikage stood like an unbreakable wall before Konoha.

For the first time since gaining the title of one of the Sannin, Orochimaru was under immense pressure. Although Konoha did not have the advantage in numbers, the primary issue was that their enemies were simply too strong.

During the first wave of the offensive, Orochimaru cautiously distributed his forces, mainly to test the enemy. But once the Third Raikage joined the battle, all strategies and formations became meaningless. Even Konoha's teams specializing in different elemental techniques, including those meant to counter lightning-style jutsu, couldn't stop the Third Raikage.

The terrifying sight of him cutting through the battlefield as though no one could stop him became deeply ingrained in the minds of Konoha's ninja. It was Orochimaru's most crushing defeat. To minimize casualties, he faced the Raikage alone, but he was eventually wounded in the process.

Konoha suffered heavy losses in that first wave, while the Raikage's side only expended chakra, remaining otherwise unscathed.

After that, Konoha was constantly on the defensive. Orochimaru did his best to avoid direct confrontations with the Cloud ninja, opting instead to stall for time and feign threats to their rear lines.

But the Cloud ninja weren't phased. They knew Konoha's forces were stretched thin, so they pushed forward without restraint. The Ay-Bee duo was like a sword cutting through Konoha, causing immense damage, and the Cloud Village pushed their offensive further into the Land of Fire.

Despite Orochimaru's requests for reinforcements, all he received were a handful of soldiers and Kushina Uzumaki.

"Even as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, you can't change anything," Orochimaru said, his cold, snake-like eyes reflecting indifference to the casualties.

Kushina, however, responded with determination, "I believe I can."

Orochimaru saw the fearless glint in her eyes, and his previous declaration was overturned.

After the Suna, the Hidden Sand Village, requested a truce, Iwa, the Hidden Stone Village, soon followed suit.

The times were changing. The older generation of powerful figures would soon make way for the younger generation.

The decisive factor that led to Iwa agreeing to a truce was the battle between Onoki and Minato.

In the blood-soaked battlefield littered with bodies, the stage was set for these two individuals. As the remaining soldiers of both sides watched, Onoki and Minato engaged in a fierce fight.

In the end, Onoki's age worked against him. His powerful Dust Release techniques and his weight-increasing jutsu, along with his many other skills, were all rendered useless against Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique.

Time had eroded Onoki's strength, leaving him with a worn body despite his vast experience. His wisdom and experience were the only advantages he had over Minato, but Minato's brilliance and quick reactions negated even those.

Eventually, Onoki, depleted of chakra and stamina, was defeated and captured by Minato.

Being captured by a younger generation was a humiliation for the Tsuchikage, but Onoki, having lived for so long, realized that Minato had chosen not to kill him to prevent further bloodshed and end the war.

Iwa had lost the war. The moment Onoki was captured, their defeat was sealed.

After more than ten days of battle, both sides had suffered tremendous losses, with countless lives lost on this battlefield.

But in the end, they were unable to shake Konoha's position… that prosperous and powerful village.

"The younger generation is truly frightening. The Ay-Bee duo from the Cloud Village, the late Little White Fang, and now you..." Onoki's eyes drooped, fatigue etched on his face from years of conflict.

"Our generation must step aside for yours."

Minato's special kunai was pressed against Onoki's neck, forcing the remaining Iwa ninja to stay back.

Hearing Onoki's words, Minato's expression softened. He looked at the elderly Tsuchikage and said, "You're getting old."

Onoki smiled bitterly and sighed, "Konoha has won. You've won."

With that, Minato pulled back his kunai and returned to the Konoha forces.

Onoki, watching him retreat, couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration despite his defeat.

"What a terrifying young man."

Thus, Iwa retreated, and soon after, they signed a peace treaty.

....

At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water, the battlefield stretched into what was once the Land of Whirlpool.

A 5-year-old Itachi Uchiha, the youngest participant in the entire war, had arrived on the battlefield.

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