A Sage's Pursuit of Power

Gaara was a textbook ninjutsu-type shinobi. With Shukaku's chakra replenishing his reserves, he could wield large-scale jutsu with ease. This was the key to his ability to hold off Hiruko for so long. The vast amount of sand he controlled constantly restricted Hiruko's movements, allowing the other Sand ninja to launch attacks and preventing Hiruko from breaking through their defenses.

Even so, Hiruko's Storm Release had already caused massive casualties among the Sand forces.

The fusion of lightning and water chakra created a kekkei genkai that offered near-perfect manipulation of lightning. Hiruko's Storm Release techniques, akin to lasers, easily pierced through conventional defensive jutsu.

The Sand puppets were no exception and they were shredded like paper, torn apart into pieces.

"This isn't working. Shukaku, I need your power," Gaara said grimly.

"I can lend you enough power to kill that guy, but can you handle it?" Shukaku retorted.

The tailed beast's words left Gaara momentarily speechless. It wasn't a question of power but location, this was the Sand Village.

Using a massive-scale jutsu to kill Hiruko would inevitably cause immense damage to the village itself. If Gaara ended up causing more destruction than Hiruko, it would be nothing short of a farce.

"I need to lure him out of the village before I can go all out," Gaara decided.

"Easier said than done. You don't have anyone fast enough to match his speed. Anyone who tries to bait him out will be heading straight to their death. You need a different strategy," Shukaku replied.

Gaara was well aware that he needed another plan, but the problem was that he couldn't devise one that would work.

This situation underscored the stark difference in resources and capabilities between the Sand and the Leaf.

In the Leaf, even without Aoba, they had Kakashi, who could go toe-to-toe with almost anyone, and Might Guy, whose sheer physical prowess was terrifying. Then there were the Ino-Shika-Chō teams, who could deliver game-changing results when working together, and the Aburame Clan, whose secret techniques could kill silently and without warning.

Not to mention the "retired" ninjas from the great clans, like the Hyūga Clan, with its deep heritage and the Leaf's sealing team, which, thanks to the Uzumaki Clan's legacy, was in a league of its own.

If the Akatsuki launched a full-scale assault on the Leaf, even with their combined forces, they would suffer devastating losses. Unless Nagato himself led the charge, the Leaf would be nearly impossible to take.

The Sand, however, was a different story. The Magnet Release of the previous Kazekage, Rasa, and the Scorch Release of Pakura had no successors. Their strongest puppet master, Sasori, had defected and become a rogue ninja.

The older generation's "trump cards" were reduced to two aging elders barely holding the line. Gaara had potential, but he was too young.

Given Gaara's talent and growth rate, three to five more years would have seen him reach the peak of Kage-level strength. He wouldn't have struggled this much against someone like Hiruko. But reality gave him no such time, he had only been Kazekage for less than a year, and now the enemy was at his gates.

The Akatsuki's attitude made it clear they didn't take the Sand seriously.

Chiyo had deployed her Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu, but in just a few minutes of combat, three of the ten puppets were destroyed by Hiruko's Storm Release.

Not far away, hidden in the shadows, Aoba observed the battle. Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he had transported Team 7 and the other Leaf reinforcements directly to the outskirts of the Land of Wind.

The massive chakra consumption and subsequent dizziness from the teleportation left him temporarily unable to join the fray. Instead, he remained in hiding, observing the situation.

Hiruko was far stronger than in the original timeline. This was largely due to Shin sharing all his research progress on the Chimera Technique with Aoba.

Through his own experiments, Aoba had indirectly provided Hiruko with numerous insights and improvements. As a result, Hiruko's technique was far more refined, making him significantly more powerful.

His only real weakness was his lack of Sharingan, which hindered his ability to fully adapt to the extreme speeds granted by Swift Release.

However, Hiruko had learned to control his speed, keeping it within limits he could handle and gradually adjusting to his new powers.

At present, Hiruko was unquestionably Kage-level in strength, and on the higher end of that spectrum.

Even so, Aoba didn't consider Hiruko a major threat. His focus was on the overall balance of power on the battlefield.

The Akatsuki's present lineup included Konan, Kakuzu, Deidara, Sasori, Itachi, Kisame, Tobi, Black Zetsu, and Shin.

Among them, Shin and Itachi were Aoba's allies. If a full-scale confrontation broke out, they would fight for his side.

Konan and Kakuzu had a complicated relationship with Aoba. While neither was outright hostile, any fight involving them would likely avoid lethal intent.

That left Sasori, Deidara, Kisame, Tobi, and Black Zetsu as the real problems.

Kisame, in particular, was pure in his loyalty. He was wholly devoted to Nagato, driven by his support for the Eye of the Moon Plan.

Moreover, this diligent ninja, who preferred traditional hand seals, was far stronger than one might expect. In many ways, Kisame represented the pinnacle of what a conventional shinobi could achieve.

In the original storyline, Kisame's solo battle against the Eight-Tails was a testament to his incredible power, a feat that left Aoba estimating his strength as comparable to that of the Third Hokage in his prime.

Sasori and Deidara had both reached the threshold of Kage-level strength. However, in battles against top-tier opponents, they both fell slightly short. The key issue with these two was that they were massacre specialists.

While they might not shine in battles against equals, they were terrifyingly effective against those a level below. Their capabilities made them nearly untouchable by weaker foes, and their resistance to being overwhelmed made them particularly troublesome.

Lastly, the two most dangerous figures: Tobi (Obito) and Black Zetsu.

Aoba had been preparing his left eye's Kotoamatsukami for Obito for a long time. If a confrontation occurred, he wouldn't hesitate to use it.

However, Black Zetsu remained a source of deep concern for Aoba. This ultimate schemer was an enigmatic figure.

In the original storyline, Black Zetsu wasn't even killed by the end, it was simply resealed. Based on its origins, Black Zetsu was on par with the Sage of Six Paths in terms of significance. Although its combat strength didn't match the Sage due to its rushed creation, its status was unparalleled.

The way Black Zetsu instantly killed Six Paths Madara was proof enough. Aoba had long suspected that Black Zetsu's lack of visible combat prowess wasn't due to inability, but because it deliberately avoided fighting to focus on reviving Kaguya.

With near-immortal longevity, Black Zetsu didn't need to fight to achieve its goals. It could simply bide its time and wait for enemies to age and die naturally.

As Aoba pondered these dynamics, he felt his chakra recovery nearing completion. He gave the signal to prepare for action, but at that moment, Karin suddenly alerted the group.

Team 7, having trained extensively with Karin, immediately understood her warning.

"Beneath us!" Aoba shouted, and in the next instant, the ground began to shift. A massive Earth Release jutsu erupted, engulfing all the Leaf shinobi.

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