Yugito's body stiffened as she froze in place.
You've got to be kidding me…
Yet the icy blade pressed against her throat forced her to accept the cruel reality.
Her battle with "Flame Demon" Yusuke—
she had truly lost.
After consecutively countering multiple miniature Tailed Beast Bombs, even Uchiha Yusuke was breathing slightly heavier now.
Though he had defeated the Two-Tails' jinchūriki, this fight had not been an easy one for him either.
Yugito looked dazed, almost empty, as if she had forgotten about the lethal sword hovering at her neck.
The Kumogakure allied forces were surrounded, and she herself had been defeated by the enemy's commander.
The Fourth Raikage had entrusted the frontline to her—
and she had been utterly crushed, completely betraying the Raikage's trust!
At that thought, a flicker of madness suddenly rose in Yugito's eyes.
Even if I die, I'll die in a blaze of glory! I am Yugito—Kumogakure's famous Two-Tails jinchūriki!
Suddenly—
Blue-black chakra markings flared across Yugito's body once more—
the clear sign that she was about to enter tailed-beast transformation again.
Uchiha Yusuke did not hesitate.
He slashed his sword straight toward Yugito's throat.
Though Yusuke had wanted to capture the Two-Tails alive, once the opponent chose to fight to the death, he could only respond with lethal force.
War was cruel like that.
If Kumogakure had a chance to kill Uchiha Yusuke, they would never show mercy either.
Slash—
Yusuke's blade cut across, leaving a bloody gash on Yugito's neck.
But under the influence of the tailed-beast chakra, the strike deviated slightly—it failed to be instantly fatal.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
Yugito clutched her wounded throat, gasping violently, overwhelmed by the feeling of having narrowly escaped death.
If Yusuke's sword had been just a fraction faster, she would already have been decapitated.
Yugito cursed inwardly.
Damn you, "Flame Demon" Yusuke!
Today's humiliation—I, Yugito, will personally wash it away someday!
Yusuke lightly shook the sword in his hand, feeling a twinge of regret.
He had been very close to eliminating Kumogakure's Two-Tails jinchūriki.
Unfortunately, he had fallen just one move short.
Kumogakure's jinchūriki grew stronger through training at the Waterfall of Truth.
Failing to finish Yugito here meant that the next time they met on the battlefield, she would likely be even more troublesome.
Yusuke swung his sword again.
"One-Sword Style: Cross Slash."
Faced with Yusuke's pursuit, Yugito did not counterattack.
She chose to flee.
Boom!
Yusuke's attack slammed into the Two-Tails' body, making Yugito cry out in pain—
yet she didn't even look back, sprinting away at full speed.
Yusuke clicked his tongue.
"Tailed beasts really are absurdly tough."
Looking at the tailed-beast cloak covering Yugito, he felt a slight headache.
He could injure the Two-Tails, but its regenerative ability allowed it to recover rapidly.
Once Yugito was determined to escape, there truly wasn't a perfect way to stop her.
The war with Kumogakure had only just begun, and Yusuke had no intention of exposing his Mangekyō Sharingan so early.
The objective of the opening battle had already been achieved.
If Yugito wanted to flee, then so be it.
With Yugito's defeat and retreat, the Kumogakure allied forces collapsed completely.
Konoha seized the momentum, ruthlessly pursuing the fleeing enemy and wiping out over two thousand Kumogakure shinobi.
With their commander defeated and two-thirds of their elite forces lost, the remaining thousand Kumogakure survivors retreated back into their camp and shut themselves in.
After this battle, the Kumogakure forces were demoralized, having lost all courage to confront Konoha head-on.
They could only remain entrenched, waiting for reinforcements from the Raikage.
Konoha Camp
Smiles were everywhere among the shinobi.
The first battle's victory gave them a clear glimpse of ultimate triumph.
When they eventually returned in glory, perhaps they too would earn the title of "hero who protected the village."
What an honor that would be!
Central Command Tent
Uchiha Yusuke gathered once more with Konoha's core leadership.
"Defeating the Two-Tails jinchūriki head-on—Lord Yusuke's swordsmanship is truly awe-inspiring!"
"Lord Yusuke is not only powerful but also farsighted and masterful in strategy. In defeating Kumogakure this time, Lord Yusuke deserves the greatest credit!"
"That's right! In my opinion, the next Hokage candidate should be none other than Lord Yusuke!"
Praise poured in endlessly.
Yet Uchiha Yusuke maintained a calm, detached expression, showing not a trace of pride despite the flattery.
Kumogakure had lost a battle—but the war was far from over.
Rejoicing now would be premature.
Yusuke spoke in a deep voice.
"Although we've driven back the Two-Tails jinchūriki, Kumogakure will not let this go."
"Everyone must stay alert. The enemy could counterattack at any time."
Hyuga Hiashi nodded in firm agreement.
Even after such a victory, Yusuke had not relaxed his guard.
It proved that despite his young age, he already possessed the qualities of a true commander.
Nara Shikaku smiled and stepped forward.
"Should we send news back to the village to report the victory?"
Yusuke nodded.
"Leave the message to you."
Even if Yusuke didn't report it, Konoha's higher-ups had their own ways of receiving the news.
But failing to send a report himself could easily arouse their suspicion.
Now that Yusuke was operating away from the village, it was best to avoid unnecessary doubts from Konoha's leadership.
Otherwise, if something strange happened, he might end up paying a heavy price.
So far, the shinobi planted by the village elders within the allied forces had behaved themselves.
But given their nature, Yusuke found it hard to believe they would remain quiet forever.
Scheming behind the scenes was a chronic habit of those old men in Konoha's upper ranks.
If they didn't stir up trouble, it would be more surprising than the sun rising in the west.
Of course—
Yusuke wasn't afraid of their little tricks.
He was the kind of person who held grudges.
If those elders dared to make a move, sooner or later he would drag everything into the open and settle the accounts with them—one by one, in full.
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