Yugito's body stiffened, frozen in place.
This has to be a joke.
Yet the cold blade pressed against her throat forced her to accept the brutal truth.
In her battle against "Flame Demon" Akihito—
She had truly lost.
After consecutively countering multiple Mini Tailed Beast Balls, even Akihito was breathing slightly heavier now.
Though he had defeated the Two-Tails' jinchūriki, the fight had been far from easy.
Yugito's expression turned vacant, as though she had lost her soul—she even forgot about the blade at her neck.
The Kumogakure allied forces were trapped in a tight encirclement, and she herself had fallen to the enemy commander.
The Fourth Raikage had entrusted the front lines to her—
And she had been utterly defeated.
She had completely failed his trust.
A flash of madness suddenly rose in her eyes.
If I die, then I'll die in a blaze of glory!
I am Yugito—the renowned Two-Tails jinchūriki of Kumogakure!
Suddenly—
Blue and black chakra markings flared across her body once more—the precursor to another transformation.
Akihito did not hesitate.
His sword swept toward her throat.
Though he had wanted to capture the Two-Tails alive, if she insisted on risking everything, he would not show mercy.
War was cruel.
If Kumogakure had the chance to kill Uchiha Akihito, they would not hesitate either.
Slash—
His blade sliced across her neck, leaving a streak of blood.
But due to the interference of the Tailed Beast's chakra, the strike deviated slightly.
It was not a fatal blow.
"Hah… hah…"
Clutching her wounded neck, Yugito gasped heavily, a sense of narrow escape washing over her.
If Akihito had been even a fraction faster—
Her head might already have been separated from her body.
"Damn you, Flame Demon Akihito!"
"This humiliation—I, Yugito, will repay it with my own hands one day!"
Akihito flicked his sword lightly, clicking his tongue inwardly.
What a pity.
He had been so close to eliminating Kumogakure's Two-Tails jinchūriki.
Yet in the end, he had fallen just short.
Jinchūriki of Kumogakure trained at the True Waterfall—constantly growing stronger.
Failing to finish her now meant that the next time they met on the battlefield, Yugito might be even more troublesome.
Akihito swung his blade again.
"One-Sword Style: Cross Slash."
Facing his pursuit, Yugito did not counter.
She fled.
Boom!
The attack struck the Two-Tails' body squarely.
Yugito cried out in pain—
But did not look back, sprinting away at full speed.
Akihito clicked his tongue.
"Tailed beasts really are thick-skinned."
Watching the Tailed Beast cloak covering her body, he felt a slight headache.
He could wound the Two-Tails—
But its regenerative ability was formidable.
With Yugito determined to escape, he had no particularly good method to stop her.
This war had only just begun.
He had no intention of revealing the abilities of his Mangekyō Sharingan yet.
The objective of winning the opening battle had already been achieved.
If she wanted to flee—
Let her flee.
With Yugito's defeat, Kumogakure's allied forces collapsed like a crumbling mountain.
Konoha seized the momentum, striking mercilessly at the retreating enemy.
Two thousand Kumogakure shinobi were annihilated.
Their commander defeated and two-thirds of their elite forces wiped out, the remaining thousand survivors retreated into their camp and barricaded themselves inside.
After this battle, Kumogakure's morale plummeted.
They had lost the courage to confront Konoha head-on.
All they could do now was dig in and await reinforcements from the Raikage.
Konoha Camp
Smiles filled the faces of the shinobi.
A victorious first battle gave them hope.
When they returned in triumph, perhaps they too would be honored as heroes who defended the village.
What glory that would be.
Central Command Tent
Akihito and Konoha's core leaders gathered once more.
"Crushing Kumogakure's Two-Tails jinchūriki head-on—Lord Akihito's swordsmanship is truly awe-inspiring!"
"Not only is Lord Akihito immensely powerful, but he is also farsighted and masterful in strategy. In this victory, he deserves the greatest credit!"
"In my opinion, the position of next Hokage should rightfully belong to Lord Akihito as well!"
Praise poured in from all sides.
Akihito maintained his usual calm composure, showing not the slightest trace of pride.
Kumogakure had lost a battle—
But the war was far from over.
Celebrating now was premature.
He spoke in a steady voice.
"Though we defeated the Two-Tails jinchūriki, Kumogakure will not let this go."
"Do not lower your guard. The enemy may counterattack at any moment."
Hyūga Hiashi nodded in agreement.
Even in victory, Akihito remained vigilant.
Despite his youth, he already possessed the qualities of a true commander.
Nara Shikaku smiled faintly and stepped forward.
"Shall we send word back to the village and report the good news?"
Akihito nodded.
"I'll leave that to you."
Even if he did not report the victory, Konoha's higher-ups had their own channels for gathering intelligence.
But failing to send word personally might arouse suspicion.
Stationed far from the village, it was best not to provoke unnecessary distrust from Konoha's leadership.
Otherwise, complications could arise—costly ones.
For now, the shinobi the higher-ups had inserted into the allied forces were behaving themselves.
But given their nature, Akihito doubted they would remain quiet forever.
Petty scheming was practically a habit for those old men in Konoha's upper ranks.
Expecting them not to make moves?
That would require the sun to rise in the west.
Of course—
Akihito did not fear their schemes.
He was a man who held grudges.
If the higher-ups dared to act—
Sooner or later, he would bring everything into the open—
And settle the accounts with them, one by one.
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