"What is this?!"
"Mangekyo Sharingan?!"
The Third Mizukage stared at the Susanoo that had suddenly appeared, completely stunned.
In his youth, he had accompanied the First Mizukage to the first Five Kage Summit and had seen the legendary Madara Uchiha. He also had some understanding of Konoha's situation. Although the intelligence on Madara Uchiha in the Ninja World wasn't exhaustive, it recorded his formidable Sharingan power and his ability to summon a giant skeletal monster. And now, surrounding Uchiha Fugaku was this exact same skeletal creature.
The Third Mizukage's heart shook violently. Who could have imagined he would encounter a powerhouse of this level again? Wasn't the Mangekyo Sharingan a power that only existed in legends within the Uchiha Clan? Why was someone able to master it now, and why had it appeared on Kirigakure's battlefield?
Filled with resentment, the Third Mizukage didn't hesitate. He immediately performed a ninjutsu: "Water Release: Water Gun Technique!" His hands formed seals rapidly, his arms aimed like gun barrels at Uchiha Fugaku, and a water cannon shot forth. But with a deafening roar, the water cannon was easily blocked by the Susanoo's defense, not even leaving a single scratch on the skeletal frame.
Seeing that his first attack had no effect, the Third Mizukage panicked completely and immediately unleashed more powerful Water Release ninjutsu: Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique and Water Release: Water Pillar Technique, one after another.
Powerful Water Release techniques poured down toward Uchiha Fugaku. The advantage of fighting near the sea amplified the power of these water techniques, yet they still couldn't shake the Susanoo in the slightest. No matter how strong the Water Release attacks were, when they struck the indestructible Susanoo, they were like water droplets hitting stone—utterly ineffective.
"How is this possible?!"
"Is this thing truly invincible?!"
Looking at the completely unscathed Susanoo, the Third Mizukage was utterly bewildered. And at that very moment, Uchiha Fugaku finally made his move—after blocking countless attacks with the Susanoo, it was time to counterattack.
The Mangekyo Sharingan in Fugaku's eyes slowly rotated, and the towering Susanoo moved accordingly. The originally skeletal body suddenly condensed with muscular texture, and then, a suit of giant armor covered its entire form. The entire Susanoo radiated an intimidating aura.
Under Fugaku's control, the Susanoo reached toward its waist, and two sharp blades suddenly materialized, transforming into pure Chakra-condensed light swords.
"Slash!"
At Fugaku's command, he controlled the Susanoo to swing its swords, cleaving toward the Third Mizukage.
Boom!
Two fierce sword slashes landed where the Third Mizukage had been standing moments before. Accompanied by an ear-splitting roar, the sea surface was directly split in two by these two sword strikes.
But Fugaku frowned. There was no trace of the Third Mizukage at the spot the sword strikes had hit.
"Huff—"
"This guy is simply a monster!"
"I'm no match for him at all!"
By now, the Third Mizukage had already retreated to a safe distance using a Secret Technique. Gazing at the Susanoo summoned by Uchiha Fugaku, he knew his attacks couldn't harm the opponent at all. Kirigakure's only hope now lay in the village's secret treasure.
"Yagura! Release the Three-Tails!"
"We can only rely on the Three-Tails to deal with him!"
Before the Third Mizukage's words had fully faded, Yagura immediately ordered the sealing squad into action. Their only hope now was that the ferocious Three-Tails could turn the tide of battle with the power of a Tailed Beast.
As the Three-Tails was successfully released, the Third Mizukage's confidence was rekindled. He hastily retreated, leaving the battlefield to the newly emerged Three-Tails.
As the smoke cleared, a massive gray tortoise appeared before everyone's eyes, its shell trailing three crab-claw-like tails. This was the Tailed Beast sealed by Kirigakure—the Three-Tails.
The Three-Tails' temperament had always been unpredictable. The moment it was released, it launched an attack on the surrounding Kirigakure ninja. Fortunately, everyone had already withdrawn to a safe distance with the Third Mizukage, narrowly avoiding disaster.
Unable to find a target to attack, the Three-Tails' crimson eyes finally settled on Uchiha Fugaku.
"Damn humans!"
"Perish!"
"Roar!"
The Three-Tails let out a roar that shook the heavens and earth, lunging fiercely toward Fugaku. One of its tail whips lashed viciously at his body.
Facing the charging Three-Tails, Fugaku manipulated his Susanoo, dodging the attack in a flash. The next moment, he appeared directly above the Three-Tails.
"Now, behave!"
It was truly baffling that Kirigakure would release a Tailed Beast in the presence of a Mangekyo Sharingan wielder. Their intelligence was truly questionable.
The Mangekyo Sharingan in Fugaku's eyes instantly activated its Eye Power. Both his hands rapidly formed hand seals as he cast a Genjutsu.
The Three-Tails, which had been fixated on Fugaku, suddenly grew unfocused the moment it made eye contact with his Mangekyo Sharingan. Its vision gradually blurred, and soon, the image in its single eye transformed into the unique pattern of the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan.
Seeing the Genjutsu succeed, Uchiha Fugaku breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't anticipated that controlling a Tailed Beast would consume such an enormous amount of Eye Power.
"Attack!"
"Three-Tails, strike!"
At Fugaku's command, the Genjutsu-controlled Three-Tails abruptly turned around. Its crimson gaze fixed on the distant Kirigakure ninja, their faces filled with shock, as the tip of its tail aimed directly at them.
Countless Yin-Yang Chakra gathered before the Three-Tails, forming a terrifying sphere of energy.
Witnessing this scene, the Third Mizukage's eyes widened in horror. His pupils contracted sharply as he stared at the Three-Tails, shouting hoarsely:
"Hurry! Sealing squad, move!"
"It's too late! That's a Tailed Beast Ball!"
"Deploy the Sealing Barrier immediately!"
Hearing the Third Mizukage's urgent cries, the ninja of the sealing squad sprang into action, swiftly performing a Sealing Technique to set up a Barrier. But before their preparations were complete, the Three-Tails had already fired the fully condensed Tailed Beast Ball directly toward the Third Mizukage's position.
The Tailed Beast Ball, carrying terrifying force, shot toward the Third Mizukage in an instant. Wherever it passed, the seawater was instantly vaporized, leaving a vacuum in its wake.
Faced with this sudden, lethal attack, the Third Mizukage knew there was no avoiding it. The Tailed Beast Ball's attack range was too vast, and the fate of Kirigakure now rested on his shoulders alone.
Without hesitation, his hands flew through a series of hand seals:
"Water Release: Water Wall Technique!"
A massive wall of water rose from the ground, forming a solid barrier in an attempt to block the oncoming Tailed Beast Ball. But the Third Mizukage quickly realized that his defense was far too flimsy.
The Tailed Beast Ball collided with the water wall, and the seemingly indestructible water curtain was easily pierced by the Tailed Beast Ball's formidable power, offering no resistance.
Before the Third Mizukage could react, the Tailed Beast Ball struck his body with devastating force.
Boom—
A massive explosion swept across the entire sea. The Third Mizukage vanished in the blast, while Yagura and others were caught in the shockwave, sustaining severe injuries.
"Cough, cough... Retreat!"
"Fall back to the village!"
At this point, Kirigakure had lost all will to fight. Everyone retreated in disarray.
Watching the fleeing Kirigakure forces, Fugaku had no choice but to release the Three-Tails back into the wild. Without the assistance of a sealing team, they currently had no means to control the Three-Tails, and he was unwilling to waste his precious Mangekyo Sharingan Eye Power.
Konoha still had more important matters to attend to. Fugaku kept the Hokage's suppression order firmly in mind, understanding that certain actions would only backfire.
With the Third Mizukage dead and the Kirigakure forces in full retreat, the war on the Kirigakure front came to an end. News of Kirigakure's defeat quickly spread throughout the Ninja World.
Upon learning of this, Onoki of Iwagakure and the Third Raikage of Kumogakure, who had intended to form an alliance with Kirigakure, were left speechless. Their alliance plans had been aborted before they even began. The attitudes of the various Daimyo remained unclear, and Kirigakure's crushing defeat made the situation in the Ninja World increasingly delicate.
The Ninja World once again entered a brief period of peace. Iwagakure and Kumogakure intensified their military training while remaining vigilant against any potential new offensives from Konoha.
However, Aoki currently had no spare energy to attack the Land of Earth or the Land of Lightning. The mess in the Land of Wind was already giving him a headache. Countless urgent problems lay before him: he had to handle the integration of the Land of Wind with Konoha and also begin improving the Land of Wind's harsh natural environment. Time was of the essence; every moment of delay further weakened the Land of Wind's foundation.
Time passed slowly. Nearly half a year had gone by since the last Hokage Gathering, and a new round of the Hokage Gathering was about to begin.
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