Naruto: Drop System

"Leader, isn't it too rushed to seal four Tailed Beasts all at once?"

"Yeah, sealing one Tailed Beast takes five days and five nights—my chakra can't last twenty days and twenty nights."

"Also, with us making such a commotion, all five Great Shinobi Villages definitely know. Word has it they held a Five Kage Summit at the Land of Iron, likely to plan how to deal with us."

"In the meantime, they might unite and search the world for us, then team up for a massive assault."

"..."

In a dark chamber, seven thought-forms were conversing.

Given the unusual circumstances, Nagato had not immediately started the sealing. Instead, he summoned all members for a meeting. Once Deidara and the others finished speaking, the Tendo Pain thought-form turned to Black and White Zetsu and asked:

"Zetsu, what's the situation now?"

"The Five Kage Summit is over. A White Zetsu clone successfully infiltrated the Land of Iron. The Hokage and Mizukage have already left; the other three Kage are also returning," White Zetsu replied. "From what our clone heard, the Five Great Nations plus the Land of Iron have decided to join forces, just like the multi-nation assault on the Uzumaki clan's Uzushiogakure decades ago. They plan to surround the Land of Rain and root us out."

"All Five Great Nations together? Heh, that's the first time I've seen such a thing."

Kisame Hoshigaki sounded mildly surprised, then chuckled.

"They say it's a coalition, but really they just want the leader's Rinnegan," Black Zetsu rasped. "They haven't even organized a unified headband or uniform—just a scattered group."

"True. Among the Five Great Nations, only Ōnoki with his Dust Release and that Wood-Release ninja from Konoha are worth noting."

"But still, the Five Great Nations are the top powers of the shinobi world. If they deploy all their active ninja, that's at least over fifty thousand. Even we might get worn down by sheer numbers."

"Leader, should we fight?"

All eyes focused on Tendo Pain's thought-form.

Before Pain could speak, Hiruko (Hundred Faces) suddenly smiled:

"If we must fight, I can use Edo Tensei to summon at least a hundred or more undead soldiers with infinite chakra and immortality."

Upon hearing that, Nagato felt slightly stirred, yet he did not decide. His hesitation indicated he'd prefer not to fight head-on. After all, the Akatsuki members needed to seal Tailed Beasts, and fully sealing the Four-Tails through the Seven-Tails would take at least half a month.

Even if Hiruko could Edo Tensei a hundred-man immortal army, they couldn't hold off the Five Great Nations for twenty days. Moreover, it was impossible to continuously seal Tailed Beasts around the clock for twenty days and twenty nights. Nagato might endure with his vast chakra, but the likes of Deidara and Konan couldn't manage so long. So sealing four Tailed Beasts would minimally require twenty days, maybe close to a month.

Trying to clash with all five Great Nations for a full month? Amegakure simply lacked the strength. Even if Hiruko's undead army was strong, Nagato also knew the Edo Tensei's weaknesses. Yes, they were immortal, but if their bodies were heavily damaged, they needed time to regenerate—time during which enemy sealing arts could neutralize them. The four Great Villages that once raided Uzushio—and Konoha, home to the spouses of the First and Fourth Hokage—possessed sealing techniques. An all-out clash in which the Akatsuki members themselves couldn't join would be certain defeat for Amegakure.

Hence, Nagato had ordered Konan to evacuate civilians and have Amegakure's shinobi remove their headbands, posing as ordinary people. He did not want a direct war but rather a game of hide-and-seek with the Five Great Nations. Once they finished sealing the Four-Tails through the Seven-Tails, then they would counterattack, capturing the last Two Tails: the Eight-Tails and the Nine-Tails.

Having sealed three Tailed Beasts already, Nagato faintly sensed the Gedo Statue's true power. Just a few more Tailed Beasts, and the Gedo Statue would begin its revival. Once it awakened, it would be an ultimate weapon surpassing even the strongest Tailed Beast. Combined with the Rinnegan, Nagato was confident he could enforce "peace" via universal fear of pain, ending conflict between great and small nations alike.

Sensing Nagato's reluctance to fight, Black Zetsu also spoke up:

"If we do fight, we can also deploy a hundred thousand White Zetsu for our army."

"What the—?!"

"One hundred… a hundred thousand White Zetsu?!"

Aside from Hiruko, even Nagato and Uchiha Obito were stunned.

Clearly, Obito himself had not known about the hundred thousand White Zetsu.

"White Zetsu, you can split into a hundred thousand of those clones?" Deidara asked in disbelief. "You—what kind of monster are you?"

"Heh heh, I've always had plenty of clones. A hundred thousand is my limit," White Zetsu laughed.

"Zetsu, is this true?" Tendo Pain was just as skeptical.

"Yes."

Black and White Zetsu's thought-form nodded resolutely.

"So all one hundred thousand White Zetsu have the same power as your typical clones?" Pain pressed.

"Precisely the same," Black Zetsu confirmed, while White Zetsu added with a grin, "Whatever abilities I have, each clone also has. All can share information with me at any time."

"Unbelievable! I never imagined such a clone technique could exist," Kisame marveled, unable to keep his cool. "Even the Wood Release's Wood Clones can't match that, I bet."

"It might be the greatest clone technique in the ninja world," Deidara agreed, nodding. "Regarding clones, I admit you're the pinnacle of art, Zetsu."

"Heehee…"

White Zetsu let out his distinctive giggle, his thought-form as mischievous as ever—unclear whether he was enjoying the praise or mocking everyone's ignorance. Indeed, as the "original body" among those hundred thousand White Zetsu, he and Black Zetsu alone knew the truth. Those White Zetsu weren't clones but humans transformed by the Infinite Tsukuyomi in the past. If that technique repeated, these people, if alive, would all be turned into creatures like White Zetsu eventually.

"In that case, let's fight!"

Nagato, of course, did not know this backstory. Hearing White Zetsu's news, he abandoned his plan of hiding from the Great Nations. With a hundred thousand White Zetsu, even sealing four Tailed Beasts was "safe." They could hold off the nations for around a month, letting them complete the sealing. Even if they lost, it should be no problem to stall a month. So no need to keep hiding, afraid of discovery during the sealing, or risking letting Jinchūriki be rescued mid-process.

And if they finished sealing the Four-Tails to Seven-Tails in about twenty days, then only the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails would remain. With so many Tailed Beasts, the Gedo Statue's revival was near.

Decision made, Tendo Pain spoke:

"Everyone, come to Amegakure. We'll begin the sealing at once."

Finishing that, he addressed Obito's thought-form:

"Tobi, go pick up Kisame and the others."

"Got it."

Obito nodded and disappeared first. Hearing about the hundred thousand White Zetsu likewise thrilled him—he felt more confident about sealing the Four- and Seven-Tails.

Within half a day, Obito had ferried Kisame and the rest to Amegakure. Nagato led them to a large underground storehouse, summoned the Gedo Statue, and started placing protective barriers. Konan blanketed the perimeter with literally hundreds of millions of paper bombs.

By now, Amegakure was deserted—Nagato had let the villagers and shinobi take everything of value and leave. He was ready for the possibility of Amegakure's destruction; Konan, too, had no regrets. Once everything was set, for a rare moment all seven present Akatsuki members stood in person on the Gedo Statue's fingers—besides Nagato, whose real body did not appear. They formed seals together and shouted:

"Sealing Technique: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals!"

With seven chakra dragons unleashed, swallowing the fallen Four-Tails Jinchūriki Rōshi, the Akatsuki's long sealing process began.

Meanwhile, the ninja world braced for an impending storm.

...

Every minor country and small village in the ninja continent sensed something amiss. Konoha began recalling its border units and city guardians. Except for the Twelve Guardian Ninja who served the Daimyō, all Konoha shinobi received the highest directive to abandon their tasks and hurry back.

Any faction that kept watch on the Land of Fire realized this meant Konoha was mobilizing. Soon, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure issued similar top-level commands, recalling all their deployed ninja. Startled, the smaller nations grew fearful—especially those sandwiched between Fire and Wind, or Lightning and Earth. Were the Great Nations about to start another ninja world war?

They soon learned that even the Land of Iron—neutral since the Warring States era—had abandoned neutrality and was joining the fray. The panic only deepened. Four major powers plus the near-major Land of Iron meant an operation reminiscent of the First Great Ninja War in scale.

They had no idea that even the Land of Water was sending a fleet toward the mainland. Realizing the Fourth Great Ninja War loomed, smaller nations in active wars abruptly halted their fights, evacuating or abandoning cities likely to become battlegrounds—just as Amegakure had once suffered.

Three days later, the four major Hidden Villages' external forces had all returned. Kirigakure's ninja had landed on the mainland. The Five Great Nations' Daimyō were relocated to secure shelters. The Land of Iron's samurai stood ready.

"All units, move out in order!"

On the fourth day, using chakra-based "television" for remote communication, the Five Kage and Mifune issued commands. In a flash, under the lead of various elite jōnin, units such as sensor troops, combat troops, communications, logistics, etc., set forth. They formed six vast black masses that converged on the Land of Rain from different directions. Each force consisted of only about ten thousand shinobi, but they were enough to wipe out a small village in mere moments.

Wherever they passed, minor nations trembled, worried they'd be pillaged by these "big bullies." After just one day, the sensor troops at the forefront arrived at the Land of Rain.

"Everyone stay alert—there's something underground!"

The more adept sensor shinobi noticed something off at once. In their perception, a massive presence lay below, making no effort to hide.

"Retreat!"

Realizing they lacked heavy combat ability, the sensor troops immediately turned back to inform the main force. Swish, swish, swish… But before they could, a horde of identical pale figures emerged from the earth like mad dogs, pouncing upon them.

In that instant, battle ignited on the Land of Rain's borders, declaring the start of the Fourth Great Ninja War!

...

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