The Fourth Raikage's arm had been severed, and the Eight-Tails had been sliced in half, forcing the beast to retreat directly into its sealing space. It absolutely would not be recovering anytime soon.
As for the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii, her mind had been completely shattered by the light of Kotoamatsukami. In all likelihood, she was permanently reduced to a vegetative state.
In a single battle, Kumogakure's top three combatants had been whittled down to less than one.
For all intents and purposes, Konoha had already won this war.
Defeating the Fourth Raikage and crippling both the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails Jinchuriki were undeniable, staggering achievements. To Jie Uchiha, using a guaranteed victory as a grinding stone to temper his clan members was entirely harmless; in fact, it would provide him with valuable assets in the future.
His only real concern was whether the Fourth Raikage would immediately order a full retreat once he escaped.
After all, Jie had deliberately let the Raikage go for one simple reason: he didn't want this war to end so easily.
He needed the Uchiha clansmen who had followed him here to experience a real, blood-soaked battlefield. Given the unique traits of the Uchiha, witnessing genuine carnage and the raw stimulation of war would catalyze many of them to awaken their three-tomoe Sharingan. If that happened, the clan would suddenly boast a surge of new Jonin—elite Jonin, at that.
But hypotheticals aside, the ultimate outcome still hinged on the Fourth Raikage's next decision.
In the brief second Jie had spent deliberating whether or not to force the Raikage to stay, the man had already bypassed Jie's Susanoo. Snatching up Killer B and Yugito, the Raikage bolted hundreds of meters away in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Jie realized the Raikage's previous attack had been a desperate feint. His true objective all along was to rescue his Jinchuriki.
"Even though I already decided to let you escape, being played for a fool still leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Jie said lightly, his gaze fixed on the direction the Raikage was fleeing. "So, take this strike as a parting gift. Whether you can survive it... that depends entirely on your own skill, Raikage."
"Susanoo: Cleave!"
Controlling the colossal avatar, Jie swung his blade toward the Raikage's retreating path.
A devastating arc of sword qi erupted from the forty-meter golden chakra blade, gouging a massive, deep trench into the earth along the Raikage's escape route.
"Ah!" A distant, muffled scream echoed through the clearing. A faint, satisfied smile touched Jie's lips.
Dispelling his Susanoo, Jie slowly descended from the sky. The moment his boots touched the ground, he pitched forward, nearly falling flat on his face.
The instant he deactivated his physical buffs, an overwhelming wave of weakness flooded his mind.
'This Lightning Release Nintaijutsu yields incredible results, but this damn backlash is infuriating,' Jie thought, annoyed with himself for nearly making a fool of his landing.
What Jie didn't realize, however, was that this near-stumble actually skyrocketed his prestige among the onlookers.
Every ninja clan in Konoha had heard rumors of Jie Uchiha's strength. But until today, they couldn't fully comprehend how strong he was. Their only real impression had been the terrifying, towering golden giant he commanded. Watching him fight a bloody, grueling battle, push himself to his limits to cripple the Eight-Tails, and ultimately defeat the Fourth Raikage had left an indelible mark on their souls.
Before this, they had looked at the young heir of the Uchiha clan as if he were an untouchable god, completely alienated from their own mediocrity.
But seeing his momentary weakness made them realize that even gods grew tired. He wasn't some inhuman monster; he was simply a shinobi who had pushed himself vastly beyond his limits. This sudden display of vulnerability shattered his untouchable image, bridging the gap between him and the rest of the Konoha forces, and earning him a profound, genuine respect.
Jie, of course, was oblivious to their shifting perspectives.
Though the exhaustion washed over him like a tidal wave, his Mid-Tier Sage Body quickly began to do its work. Within half a minute, the paralyzing weakness had already faded significantly.
He glanced to the side and spotted Fugaku Uchiha standing nearby, his face etched with heavy guilt. Jie's mind turned quickly, and he immediately understood.
Fugaku was blaming himself for failing to intercept the Fourth Raikage. He was undoubtedly thinking that if he had just fought harder to stall the man, Jie might have been able to wipe out the entire Kumogakure leadership in one fell swoop, rather than watching them slip through his fingers.
Jie walked over to him, offering a reassuring smile. "Father, there's no need to blame yourself. I let the Fourth Raikage go on purpose."
"Jie, you don't have to comfort me." Fugaku smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Defeating and capturing a rival village's Kage alive was an unprecedented military achievement. Fugaku couldn't fathom why anyone would intentionally let a Kage go, and he knew his son well enough to know Jie wouldn't joke around with his comrades' lives.
Seeing Fugaku's unconvinced expression, Jie leaned in close. Dropping his voice to a whisper only the two of them could hear, he said, "Father, I want this war to drag on."
"What?" Fugaku gasped, hardly believing his own ears.
"The Eight-Tails has been crippled and won't recover anytime soon. The Two-Tails Jinchuriki's mind is destroyed; she won't be seeing a battlefield ever again," Jie explained calmly. "Kumogakure is currently being led by a one-armed Kage. They pose no real threat anymore. For all practical purposes, Konoha has already won."
Fugaku nodded slowly. That much was true. If Kumogakure had no countermeasure against Jie, who had already defeated their Raikage, then Konoha could absolutely declare victory right now.
But Fugaku still didn't understand how this justified letting the Raikage escape.
"Father, I need this war to continue because the Uchiha clan needs the baptism of the battlefield," Jie murmured, a cold sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Besides... there are certain parasites in our village. Crushing them with our own hands would just get us dirty. Having Kumogakure do our dirty work for us is the perfect solution."
Hearing this, clarity washed over Fugaku.
"I see..." Fugaku nodded, letting out a long, heavy sigh. "To think you calculated all of this in the span of a single heartbeat... Jie, sometimes I truly doubt you're only ten years old."
A soft, proud look entered Fugaku's eyes. "Regardless, you, Itachi, and Sasuke are the greatest gifts Mikoto ever gave me."
Jie's smile instantly froze. He hadn't expected to be force-fed his parents' romance right in the middle of a literal war zone.
Just as he opened his mouth to redirect the conversation, Fugaku spoke again, a profound sense of relief settling onto his features. "When this is all over, I want to finally give your mother the peaceful life she deserves. In the future, you three brothers will be the impenetrable shield of the Uchiha. I leave the clan in your hands."
Jie stared at him....'Wait a minute. Are you handing the entire clan over to us just so you and Mother can run off and travel the world on a romantic getaway?'
For a brief, absurd moment, Jie genuinely questioned if he was biologically related to this man. We are still in the middle of a war! Is this really the time to be planning your retirement?!
...
A short while later, the sharp-eyed guards stationed at the perimeter of the Kumogakure main camp spotted a massive cloud of dust hurtling frantically toward them.
"Lord Raikage is back!"
"Lord Raikage, what happened to you?!"
"Medics! Get the medic ninjas out here right now!"
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