NOVEL NEXT Chapter 189: Chapter 189: Five Kage, You’ll Regret This.
The Five Kage all gulped in unison. The implications behind what they had just heard were beyond obvious.
The legendary Ten Tails that Pain spoke of—could reappear at any moment. That was a being even the Sage of Six Paths had feared. Could they really hope to defeat such a thing?
If the list of names earlier had merely made things feel tricky, now it was real danger they felt pressing down on them.
None of them had ever seen the Ten Tails with their own eyes, but just imagining the power of all nine tailed beasts combined was enough. That alone painted a terrifying picture.
Mei Terumī licked her dry lips and asked,
"… does your Akatsuki organization know anything more about the Ten Tails? Perhaps there's a way to restrain it?"
Hyuga Gakuya shook his head.
"No. What we know about the Ten Tails exists only in myth. It's said to be able to destroy a nation with a single strike."
"Of course, we suspect that's an exaggeration—but destroying a hidden village or leveling a mountain in one attack? That sounds entirely plausible."
"And only the wielder of the Rinnegan can control it."
The Raikage, A, suddenly looked grim. Of all the things they could have brought up—why that? His village had just been wiped off the map. The words "hidden village" and "mountain" felt like sharp reminders, twisting the knife in his wound.
And yet, Hyuga Gakuya was just calmly explaining the situation. A couldn't even lash out—he had to swallow his anger and bury it deep.
As Gakuya finished speaking, the entire meeting hall fell into dead silence.
After a long pause, Ōnoki finally broke it.
"Given the circumstances, we're in a dire situation indeed. But we cannot afford to sit around and wait. We must come up with a plan."
Mei furrowed her brow, then said thoughtfully,
"Perhaps we should start by breaking the Edo Tensei. If we can stop the reanimated shinobi from joining the fight, that would ease the pressure on us."
Tsunade's eyes lit up—finally, a bit of good news. She even smiled a little.
"There might actually be someone who can do that. He's currently in Konoha. We could meet with him."
Hyuga Gakuya smiled as well.
"You mean Orochimaru? Yes… he might really have a solution."
Everyone exchanged looks, then nodded in agreement. No one brought up Orochimaru's status as a rogue ninja—after all, there was already the leader of Akatsuki sitting among them.
Before long, Jiraiya personally escorted Orochimaru into the meeting hall.
The moment Hyuga Gakuya saw him, Orochimaru was covered head to toe in sealing talismans.
As soon as Orochimaru stepped into the hall, he stopped in his tracks, a flicker of terror flashing across his face. He instinctively took a step back.
Then he turned, glaring at Jiraiya and Tsunade with rising fury.
"Are you both insane?! That's Hyuga Gakuya! You're seriously sitting down with him to talk about the future of the shinobi world?"
Orochimaru had been imprisoned by Gakuya for nearly ten years. He'd barely managed to escape with his life, and now here Gakuya was again, standing before him like a nightmare come back to life.
He had no idea what had happened in the outside world. In his mind, Gakuya was still the great threat—yet now, Gakuya was considered an ally of justice, and he was the one being called on to atone.
Jiraiya placed a hand on Orochimaru's shoulder to calm him.
"Relax, Orochimaru. We're all fighting for the shinobi world now. Gakuya is one of us."
Orochimaru blinked. He looked like he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
This mastermind—the greatest enemy of the shinobi world—is now a comrade of justice?
Had the world gone mad? Or had he lost his mind?
Orochimaru's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Comrade?! Are you kidding me? That's Hyuga Gakuya! The head of Akatsuki! Do you have any idea how much suffering he's caused?! And you're telling me he's your ally now?!"
He practically roared, "Jiraiya, Tsunade—have you forgotten everything he's done?! His hands are soaked in blood! And now you expect me to fight by his side?!"
But no one answered him.
Gradually, his resistance faded. His eyes clouded over with a mix of despair and confusion. He simply couldn't process what was happening.
He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. His gaze swept over the room, cold and wary.
"Even if he claims to be on our side now, how do you know it's not another trick? I will never trust him so easily."
His words were meant to stir up doubt among the Five Kage again.
At last, Hyuga Gakuya spoke. His voice was calm, but carried an unmistakable weight.
"Orochimaru, I can't erase the past. But the threat before us is real, and immediate. We need to set aside old grudges."
Orochimaru snorted. "Set aside old grudges? Easy for you to say. You think a few nice words are enough to convince me you've changed?"
Tsunade stepped forward, her expression firm.
"Orochimaru, this is not the time for debate. Gakuya is our comrade now."
Orochimaru's mouth twitched in anger.
"Tsunade, don't tell me you've been fooled too!"
Was she serious? Was her brain even working anymore? Could she really believe something so absurd?
Tsunade's voice was heavy.
"Orochimaru, the shinobi world is facing a catastrophe. Uchiha Obito and Kabuto are trying to resurrect the Ten Tails. They've already gained incredible power and reanimated dozens of powerful shinobi."
Orochimaru gave a sharp scoff.
"Hmph. Tsunade, no matter how dire the situation, trusting someone like him is like making a deal with the devil!"
Hyuga Gakuya met his gaze without flinching.
"I know you distrust me. And I don't expect you to change your mind overnight. But the threat we face is one we can't survive unless we unite."
Orochimaru sneered.
"Unite? With you? I'd probably die faster working with you."
Mei couldn't hold back anymore. "Orochimaru, stop being so stubborn. This isn't the time for personal grudges."
He shot her a look of disdain.
"What do you know? You've all been deceived!"
Gaara spoke quietly. "Orochimaru. If we allow internal strife to distract us, we'll lose our only chance to fight back."
Orochimaru suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha! You're all fools! Just wait—you'll all be betrayed by Hyuga Gakuya!"
Finally, Ōnoki, who had remained silent until now, said in a grave voice,
"Orochimaru. If you continue to spread discord, don't blame me for being harsh."
Orochimaru's expression shifted, but his stance didn't waver. He growled one last warning:
"Five Kage... you'll regret this!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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