"That's right! Trust the leader!" a chūnin shouted. "That jutsu just looks scary!"
"We trust the leader!"
With Rheindal backing it up, the others quickly steadied themselves. Their panic faded, replaced by forced confidence.
"Come on, kid! We're not afraid of you!" Rheindal yelled.
He sounded bold—but his body was tense.
Isamu didn't even bother hiding his disdain.
"Ignorant."
"You really think you can survive this?"
"Then try."
Lightning Release: Kirin!
The sky roared.
Drawn down by Isamu's Chidori, the massive lightning beast crashed toward the ground.
BOOM!!!
The explosion swallowed everything.
When the light finally faded, the battlefield was gone.
Within two kilometers—nothing remained.
Except one man.
Rheindal lay in a crater, his body scorched and broken, barely breathing.
Isamu stepped forward, stopping in front of him.
"Well?" he said calmly. "Who's behind this?"
Rheindal coughed, blood spilling from his mouth.
"…Does it matter?" he rasped. "I'm dead either way."
Isamu's eyes narrowed slightly.
Still bargaining.
"Then die."
A flash of steel—
And silence.
Isamu flicked the blood from his blade.
"You thought I'd need you to tell me?"
He glanced toward the distance.
"Land of Earth… this close to the border…"
"Must be that old man, Ōnoki."
He let out a quiet scoff.
"The war just ended, and he's already stirring things up again."
"If he wants to play…"
A faint, dangerous smile crossed his face.
"I'll remind him what the Uchiha are."
---
Ōnoki hadn't always been Tsuchikage.
Once, he was just another ninja.
But he had talent—and more importantly, persistence. Enough that both the First and Second Tsuchikage marked him as a successor.
When he was young, he followed the Second Tsuchikage to Konoha to discuss an alliance.
They never made it.
They ran into Uchiha Madara.
Madara didn't talk about alliances.
He didn't believe in them.
Konoha didn't need equals.
It needed obedience.
And he had the strength to say it.
Even the Second Tsuchikage was gravely injured in that encounter.
Ōnoki was only thirteen.
From that day on, the shadow of Madara stayed with him.
For decades.
---
"Still scared of ghosts, I bet," Isamu muttered.
"Now that Madara's gone, you think you can act freely?"
"Expand your territory?"
He turned, already moving.
"Then I'll deal with you properly."
With a thought, his blade vanished into the Kamui space.
Then he disappeared toward the remaining enemies.
---
Elsewhere—
The moment Kirin appeared, the battlefield fell into chaos.
Jiraiya didn't hesitate.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The flames surged, fed by the wind, tearing through the enemy ranks.
Several ninja dropped instantly.
But it wasn't enough.
"Huff… damn it…" Jiraiya panted. "Where the hell is Isamu…?"
"He'll come," Orochimaru said, breathing heavily. "We just need to last."
Even he was reaching his limit.
Tsunade looked between them.
"You two can't keep this up. I'll step in."
"No," Orochimaru said immediately. "Stay with Tōwa."
"If he dies, the mission fails."
"Forget the mission!" Tsunade snapped. "You're about to die!"
"I… I can go for help," Tōwa said suddenly. "There's a hidden path—I can find the Hot Springs villagers they captured—"
"No," Jiraiya cut him off.
"You won't make it."
Then he looked at Orochimaru.
"How much chakra?"
"…One jutsu," Orochimaru said.
Jiraiya nodded.
"Same."
He looked at the enemies ahead.
"Then this is it."
"One last attack."
"Yeah," Orochimaru said. "Let's do it."
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The combined attack roared forward—
BOOM!
—but this time, the enemy was ready.
Only one fell.
Jiraiya let out a breath.
"…That's it."
Both of them collapsed.
Their chakra was completely drained. They couldn't move anymore.
"Tch…"
Then—
A shadow moved.
A ninja burst out from behind Tsunade, kunai stabbing straight for her back.
"Tsunade!!"
She reacted just in time.
Puchi!
The blade missed her vitals—but sank into her arm.
"Damn it—!"
She staggered back, clutching the wound.
"I didn't see him…"
"Heh…" the man grinned. "Been waiting there a while."
"Didn't think you'd dodge."
His eyes roamed over her, shameless.
"One arm's useless. Your friends are finished."
"You've got no chance."
He stepped closer.
"Come with me, and I might let you live."
Tsunade spat at him.
"In your dreams."
His smile twisted.
"Then die."
He licked the blood from his kunai—and lunged.
"Tsunade!!" Jiraiya shouted.
Is this it…?
The blade closed in.
I haven't even…
Grandfather… Tobirama-sama…
Isamu…
Her chest tightened.
Will I… see you again?
She closed her eyes.
Gave up resisting.
…
…
Nothing came.
No pain.
No impact.
"…?"
Tsunade slowly opened her eyes.
"…What?"
Her voice was faint.
"Why… doesn't it hurt…?"
Did I… already die?
Is this… death?
...
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