Chapter 236: The Spectators of the Decisive Battle

Dan stood alone at the entrance of the village.

Behind him, the village was deserted.

Ahead, looking down from the mountain top, lay a vast primeval forest. The distant roars of wild beasts echoed, and several hawks circled in the sky.

Whoosh.

The Taiji pattern of Yin and Yang appeared in Dan's eyes. Using his Mangekyō Sharingan, he gazed into the distance.

He was sensing chakra.

There are many things in this world that ordinary people cannot see or perceive, like natural energy.

And "chakra" is one of them.

Since practicing Sage Jutsu, after a long period of meditation, Dan unexpectedly gained a powerful sensory ability, allowing him to perceive the chakra of all things.

At this moment, in his vision,

From the horizon, several fierce and murderous chakras rose like pillars of burning flames, standing between heaven and earth.

It was the Shinobi Alliance.

The sky was painted a bloody red by the overwhelming chakra, intimidating to behold.

Quite an imposing force.

Compared to the overwhelming chakra of the enemy, Dan's chakra was completely concealed, making him seem insignificant.

Yet, he remained calm and composed.

There was a large boulder at the entrance of the village.

Dan walked over, sat cross-legged on it, and began to meditate.

Then, he closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and connected with the magnetic field of the earth, gradually entering a state of unity with nature.

His chakra connected with the earth below and the vast sky above, as if he had become one with the universe.

Dan became a massive vortex.

Hiss, hiss, hiss.

Endless natural energy was drawn to him from all directions, converging within him.

At this moment, Dan entered a state of Zen.

He not only forgot his physical existence but also his mind became empty and void. It was as if he had disappeared from the world.

In this state of Zen, Dan's body was no longer flesh and blood, but the entire natural world—

The majestic mountains were his muscles and bones, the vast forests his hair, and the flowing rivers his blood.

His soul seemed to merge with the trajectory of the planet, becoming an omnipotent being, capable of controlling the elements with a mere thought.

Dan was becoming a Sage.

Half an hour later, the 100,000-strong Shinobi Alliance arrived at the outskirts of the Mountain Graveyard.

From the sky, the vast army looked like countless ants surrounding the forest.

The Mountain Graveyard was home to many ferocious beasts, a forbidden place for ordinary people. But even the fiercest beasts couldn't stop the combined forces of the four major ninja villages.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Thousands of shinobi rushed into the forest, eliminating beasts, checking for traps set by the Uchiha clan, and even using Fire and Wind Release jutsus to destroy large sections of the forest.

In less than half an hour,

All obstacles in front of the Shinobi Alliance were cleared.

Looking ahead, there was no more forest or beasts, just an open space scorched by fire, filled with charred tree stumps.

And on the opposite mountain top was the Uchiha clan's village.

The open space between the two sides would be the upcoming battlefield.

In addition to the 100,000-strong Shinobi Alliance, many "spectators" also arrived at the Mountain Graveyard at the same time.

After all, who would want to miss such a historic battle that would undoubtedly be recorded in the annals of shinobi history?

On a distant mountain peak,

"You..."

A Cloud ninja looked in horror at the man in front of him, or rather, a monster. He desperately tried to break free from the monster's grasp but was powerless.

"I've been needing a Lightning Release heart, and you've conveniently delivered yourself to me. Today's my lucky day."

Kakuzu said as he used his black threads to bind the Cloud ninja, rendering him immobile.

Then, with a swift motion, he pierced the ninja's chest, extracting a still-beating heart and integrating it into his own body.

Thud!

The Cloud ninja, now heartless, collapsed lifelessly.

After disposing of the body, Kakuzu waited at the crossroads.

Soon after,

A blue-haired woman with a flower in her hair and a blonde young man emerged from the forest.

"Lord Leader, Lady Angel. The area has been cleared of any nuisances."

Kakuzu knelt respectfully, greeting Naruto and Konan.

From this vantage point, they had a clear view of the entire battlefield, making it an excellent spot to watch the battle. Naruto gazed at the dense crowd in the distance, his face showing surprise. He then looked up and couldn't help but ask, "Miss Konan, can the Uchiha clan really withstand an army of a hundred thousand ninjas?"

Konan shook her head, her face expressionless as she replied, "Those fools from the four major ninja villages don't even know that Uchiha Dan is still alive. Numbers alone won't do against that man. Even Pain... fell at his hands."

Mentioning Pain, a hint of hatred towards Dan flashed in Konan's voice.

"Uchiha Dan."

Naruto murmured the name, picturing a towering, stern-faced man in his mind.

However, to Naruto, Dan always seemed like a good person. Dan had treated him to barbecue and didn't despise or discriminate against him like many others in Konoha did. That was until Dan became an obstacle to Akatsuki and killed Pain.

Pain, once the most important person in Konan's life, was also the previous owner of the Rinnegan in Naruto's eyes.

Whether it was to avenge Konan or to realize Akatsuki's ideals, Naruto knew he had to confront and possibly even kill Uchiha Dan.

With these thoughts in mind, Naruto focused intently, his Rinnegan eyes watching the battlefield, waiting for Uchiha Dan's appearance. According to Konan, he was nowhere near a match for Dan. So, Naruto wanted to witness firsthand the gap in their strengths. That was his reason for being here today.

But Naruto and his group weren't the only spectators.

On the other side of the battlefield, Black Zetsu emerged from the ground, murmuring to himself, "Looks like the battle hasn't started yet. I made it in time."

Besides him, Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Kisame also appeared.

"The real show is about to begin. I'm looking forward to it," Orochimaru said with a smirk, licking his lips. His hatred for the Uchiha clan was well-known, especially since they had destroyed his home, the Sound Village.

"Regardless of what the Uchiha clan has up its sleeve, facing an army of a hundred thousand from the ninja alliance will be a brutal battle," Kabuto adjusted his glasses, a glint in his eyes.

Kisame remained silent, for he knew that the Uchiha clan's trump card was that man named Uchiha Dan. Just the thought of facing Dan filled Kisame with dread.

Perhaps the ninja alliance would soon feel the same fear.

However, Orochimaru and the others weren't here just as spectators. They were prepared to intervene when necessary. They had an ace up their sleeve: Uchiha Madara.

Once the Uchiha clan and the ninja alliance had worn each other down, Orochimaru planned to use the Reanimation Jutsu to resurrect Madara. According to Black Zetsu, Madara was the true owner of the Rinnegan, surpassing even Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi. With Madara on the battlefield, the tide would surely turn.

For now, they just needed to enjoy the show.

The last to arrive near the Mountain Graveyard was a tall, white-haired man: the Pervy Sage, Jiraiya.

At the moment, the exiled government of Konoha, led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, was secretly preparing to launch an operation. Jiraiya's task was to observe the frontline and relay information back. When the time was right, Hiruzen would use the Reanimation Jutsu to resurrect the previous Hokages and launch an attack on Konoha.

However, upon arriving, Jiraiya quickly sensed something amiss. "What is that...?" He looked towards the distant mountaintop, his pupils narrowing in shock. The immense natural energy converging there was unlike anything he'd ever seen, even in Mount Myoboku.

It was Sage Jutsu.

Jiraiya's face turned grave. He hadn't expected anyone from the Uchiha clan to master Sage Jutsu. Who could it be?

...

At the frontlines of the alliance army, the Fourth Raikage frowned, looking towards the Uchiha village on the distant mountaintop. "Is that the Uchiha clan's village?" he asked in his deep voice.

After the ninja alliance arrived at the Mountain Graveyard and caused such a commotion, there was no response from the Uchiha clan. It was eerily strange.

Where were the Uchihas?

This unsettling silence made everyone uneasy. Whoosh.

Ōnoki couldn't contain himself any longer. He soared into the sky, pulling out a telescope to gaze at the village atop the distant mountain.

A serene village appeared in his view.

Deserted.

No, not quite.

Ōnoki quickly noticed a figure seated on a large blue stone outside the village. The figure was motionless, seemingly blending into the surroundings.

Upon recognizing the man, Ōnoki murmured in disbelief, "No, it can't be... I thought I had taken him down with my Dust Release..."

Just then, as if sensing Ōnoki's gaze, the man slowly opened his eyes. His crimson Sharingan met Ōnoki's stare. The man's lips curled into a smile.

"!"

Ōnoki's heart raced as he descended in panic.

"Tsuchikage, what did you see?" A, the Raikage, asked with a furrowed brow.

"It's Uchiha Dan, it's Uchiha Dan!" Ōnoki's voice trembled as he repeated the name.

"What?!" The Raikage, A, and Killer B widened their eyes in shock. The Hokage, Danzo, clenched his staff, his veins bulging.

After a few moments of silence, Danzo sighed deeply, "I had a feeling Uchiha Dan wasn't so easily defeated. Our previous failures against the Uchiha clan now make sense. It was Dan pulling the strings."

"So, the Uchiha's confidence in declaring war against the entire shinobi world was because Uchiha Dan was still alive?" Ay realized, regretting his decision to oppose the Uchiha clan.

"What do we do now? Do we attack or..." A pondered.

The Kage exchanged glances, none speaking, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

Meanwhile, Dan made his move.

"It's about time."

Seated on the blue stone, Dan murmured to himself. He then stood up, gazing at the darkening sky above.

Thick clouds had gathered, casting a shadow over the battlefield. Thunder rumbled, and streaks of lightning danced like silver serpents.

"What's going on?"

"Is it going to rain?"

On the battlefield, the Allied Shinobi Forces looked up, seeing only a typical weather change, expecting a thunderstorm.

However, Jiraiya, observing from a distance, sensed the overwhelming surge of natural energy. The entire battlefield felt like a powder keg ready to explode.

Jiraiya quickly retreated, sensing impending danger.

Whoosh.

In a few leaps, Dan descended from the mountain's peak to its base. He stomped the ground, creating a crater, and propelled himself like a cannonball towards the Allied Shinobi Forces.

"He's coming!"

The Kage were on high alert, immediately ordering their forces to prepare for battle.

"Is it the Uchiha clan?"

"Where are they? I don't see anyone."

"I sense a powerful chakra approaching..."

The army was abuzz, and soon, they spotted their enemy.

There was only one.

Five kilometers, four kilometers, three kilometers.

Dan was closing in.

Danzo subtly retreated, leaving the other Kage at the forefront. But Dan's target wasn't Danzo or the other Kage.

When he was just a kilometer away from the army, his gaze fixed on the center, where the crowd was thickest.

In the next instant, he activated Kamui.

Swish.

Dan vanished from his spot, reappearing amidst the Allied Shinobi Forces.