"Are we really going to war with the Ōtsutsuki Clan?"
Inside a brightly lit room, Tsunade spoke slowly.
Compared to ten years ago, her appearance had not changed at all. If anything, the passage of time had only added to her mature charm.
With the continuous advancement and optimization of the Chakra Refinement Technique, the lifespan of the shinobi world's powerhouses had increased dramatically.
They had already reached a stage where chakra nourished the body. After becoming Kage-level shinobi, they also began absorbing natural energy from the outside world. The fusion of external energy with their own chakra not only greatly enhanced their strength but also made their bodies far more vigorous.
However, none of that was the most important issue right now.
What truly mattered was the impending invasion by the Ōtsutsuki army.
"According to intelligence from the Shinigami Clan, the enemy force this time will likely number no fewer than one million,"
Uchiha Shisui, seated beside Naruto, spoke slowly. His expression was unusually serious.
"And every single soldier possesses strength no lower than jōnin level."
"Hiss—!"
Everyone present inhaled sharply.
A million-strong army was already terrifying enough.
But the most shocking part was that every single one of them was at least jōnin-level.
Ten years ago, the shinobi world's total combat strength had probably only been around one hundred thousand. And the vast majority of them had been genin.
Now things were very different.
Today, the shinobi world could also mobilize an army of one million, although the overall strength would naturally vary. Still, assembling several hundred thousand elite shinobi was certainly possible.
With weapons, formations, and coordinated tactics, the enemy might actually be underestimating the current strength of the shinobi world.
If this invasion had happened ten years ago, the shinobi world would have been utterly defeated.
But now?
Now the shinobi world also possessed a million-man army.
Of course, shinobi below jōnin level would not participate in this battle.
This war was merely the fuse that would ignite the larger conflict with the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
The current Ōtsutsuki still did not fully understand how much the shinobi world had changed.
"A million-strong army…" Tsunade muttered softly.
"It's hard to imagine. But thinking about it now… it's not impossible."
"Hahaha!"
The Raikage burst into hearty laughter.
"This time we'll give those bastards a proper beating and show them that the shinobi world isn't something they can bully!"
Over the past decade, the Northern War Theater had undergone extremely intense training.
Without the old mission system constantly sending shinobi on assignments, they now had far more time to cultivate.
As a result, Kage-level shinobi had begun emerging one after another.
A million White Zetsu might sound terrifying, but to the current shinobi world, it was no longer an overwhelming threat.
The real problem was something else.
The gap in high-end combat power.
That difference between the shinobi world and the Ōtsutsuki Clan could not be erased in just ten years.
"Shisui," Naruto said calmly.
"How much combat strength can we mobilize right now?"
This was the most crucial question.
Shisui answered immediately.
"At the jōnin level, we can deploy roughly three hundred thousand shinobi."
"Kage-level combatants number around one hundred thousand."
"As for Super Kage-level, there are only a few thousand."
"And Six Paths-level powerhouses…"
He paused briefly.
"There are only about a dozen."
"If we include chūnin, assembling a million troops would not be difficult."
"And if we count genin, we could gather several million."
For a moment, the room fell silent.
Everyone looked surprised.
Just moments ago, they had been shocked by the million-strong White Zetsu army. Yet now, the shinobi world's own strength sounded equally astonishing.
Of course, it made sense when one thought about it.
The shinobi world was now unified.
Talent selection was conducted globally. Powerful ninjutsu were no longer hidden within individual clans. The Chakra Refinement Technique had been upgraded countless times.
Given all that, such growth was only natural.
"Most chūnin are either Ninja Academy instructors, students, or retired shinobi," Naruto said.
"They won't participate in this war."
"For this battle, we will mobilize only jōnin-level personnel and above."
"Notify the Weapons Department to prepare equipment and ammunition support."
Naruto's gaze swept across the room.
"But the most important factor in this battle isn't these soldiers."
"It's the stronger enemies we will face afterward."
"What we must truly guard against are the demigod-level powerhouses sent by the Ōtsutsuki Clan."
"At present, only Sasuke and I can directly resist demigod-level opponents."
"As for additional demigod enemies, the Shinigami Clan will help intercept them."
"But the Six Paths-level warriors of the Ōtsutsuki Clan…"
Naruto's voice grew colder.
"We will have to deal with them ourselves."
His presence had grown increasingly imposing over the years.
Looking at everyone in the room, Naruto spoke with calm confidence.
"If no demigod appears…"
A faint smile formed on his lips.
"I want to fight ten Six Paths-level opponents by myself."
Uchiha Madara, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, suddenly snorted.
"In that case, I'll take on two."
Over the past two years, Madara's strength had advanced rapidly.
Ever since he accepted an important position within the Underworld, his power had increased many times over. Meanwhile, Sasuke—the Son of Heaven—had taken an even greater leap, stepping directly into the demigod realm, gaining control over a portion of the power of laws.
Madara had also benefited from this arrangement. His strength had now reached the peak of the Six Paths level.
Among the Five Great Emperors of the Underworld, two positions were granted to the Shinigami Clan, while the remaining three were held by representatives of the shinobi world.
Two of them were Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
The last one was Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
The current Kaguya was very different from the past. After years of battle and experience, she had accumulated far greater combat knowledge. Her strength now ranked only below Naruto and Sasuke.
After all, she had once been the progenitor of chakra.
Her foundation was extraordinary, and her bloodline power was terrifyingly strong.
If Madara and Hashirama fought together, they could barely contend with a demigod-level opponent.
"My mecha can handle one Six Paths-level enemy."
At that moment, Sasori spoke.
As the head of a major department, Sasori's status had long since risen to the highest ranks of the shinobi world, granting him the right to attend these top-level strategic meetings.
After years of research and development, the mecha units he created had already surpassed the Super Kage level. Their destructive power was sufficient to threaten Six Paths-level opponents.
More importantly, these mechas could greatly amplify a shinobi's combat power.
The currently assembled mecha corps consisted of over three thousand units, each capable of exerting several times the combat strength of a Super Kage.
Aside from Sasori himself, Jiraiya's mecha had also reached the Six Paths level.
Three thousand Kage-level shinobi piloting mechas could unleash combat power equivalent to three thousand Super Kage.
It was an astonishing force.
It could be said that the current shinobi world no longer feared large-scale warfare.
Anyone who underestimated today's shinobi world would pay a heavy price.
"Six Paths-level enemies can still be cut down."
Shisui spoke briefly and decisively.
A sharp killing intent emanated from him.
"The shinobi world is no longer what it used to be."
"It's time for those self-proclaimed gods to take a good look at our strength."
Naruto slowly stood up.
"The decision is made."
His voice was calm, yet carried absolute authority.
This battle would shake the entire universe.
A new force rising from the frontier would announce its existence to all.
At the same time, the Ōtsutsuki army, led by Ōtsutsuki Bushiki, was slowly approaching the shinobi world.
Meanwhile, the elders of the Shinigami Clan continued to observe both sides from the shadows.
In a silent void, Yakumo's voice suddenly sounded.
"Elder… are we really not going to help the shinobi world?"
Another voice answered slowly.
"If they cannot even overcome this obstacle…"
"Then it only proves they are nothing special."
"I truly don't understand why the Ancestor valued this small shinobi world so highly, even making such a major concession."
Yakumo was startled.
"Did this matter alarm the Ancestor?"
But the Shinigami Elder did not answer.
His figure had already faded into the void, disappearing without a trace.
(End of Chapter)
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