Danzō contemplated deeply, his thoughts eventually settling on Minato Namikaze. A plan began forming in his mind.
"Go. Call Jiasan, Cingyi, and Dingyi over."
---
Land of Earth
"What an immense chakra presence… Earth, did you sense it?"
The ninja beside him asked, his voice trembling.
"I did," Tuishi replied calmly.
Watching the other's exaggerated reaction, Tuishi inwardly sighed. You're a Special Jōnin, aren't you? Sure, it's normal to be cautious, but acting this terrified in front of tens of thousands of allied ninja? That's overkill. A Kage-level showing up shouldn't have you quaking in your sandals.
Tuishi's "companion" wasn't some average genin either.
Though Tuishi had established a thorough fake identity, one major flaw remained: a fabricated life lacked real social connections.
An identity with no friends or known associates raised eyebrows. To avoid appearing too suspicious, Tuishi made sure to befriend someone. And who better than someone eager to accept a sudden "old friend"? Likely a spy or someone hiding a secret of their own.
"I say I'm your friend—go ahead, deny it. I dare you. I'll report that you forgot your own best pal," Tuishi mused internally.
As he'd suspected, the man accompanying him was likely a Konoha operative—more specifically, a Root member under Danzō. Tuishi didn't expose or eliminate him. Instead, he intended to use him.
This spy held a leadership position among Konoha's embedded agents in Iwagakure. From him, Tuishi could leak misinformation to Danzō. Although the spy believed he was undetected, Tuishi had already sensed everything with his enhanced spiritual perception.
But Tuishi wasn't just out to mislead Danzō. If he wanted to cripple Root, he could've raided it head-on.
No. He wanted to lure Danzō out—and kill him.
Even though Uchiha Kiyo and his clones had slain Danzō in a possible future, the hatred hadn't subsided. In fact, that success only eliminated hesitation. They had no qualms about killing Danzō directly now.
Unfortunately, timing was no longer in their favor. After multiple strikes against Root and the exposure of Tuishi's Gundam Mode, Danzō had fortified his base to the extreme. Killing him now before Konoha reacted would be exceedingly difficult.
Unless the true body took action—which risked exposing itself. That would alert the Sage of Six Paths, who might begin tracking it.
Now was the Millennium Era—a delicate time. Uchiha Kiyo didn't believe for a second that the Sage wasn't watching closely.
So, drawing Danzō out remained the best method.
"Tu, he's headed our way," the spy muttered.
Snapping back to attention, Tuishi turned toward the Third Raikage's position.
"Tch. Stay back. I want to see what a true '1 vs 10,000' looks like."
Indeed, the legend of one man facing 10,000 was awe-inspiring. Even if the Raikage only felled a few thousand, the tale had been glorified into myth.
The Third Raikage had not fled. To give Iwa's elite forces a chance to escape, he fought Iwagakure's army for three days and nights. Had he not stalled them, Iwa might have captured or killed him.
One man holding off an army for three days—killing thousands—then dying? That story left an impression.
Whether it was for his son, or because of past overexertion suppressing the Eight-Tails, the Raikage had already burned his life force. Knowing death was near, he sought eternal glory.
Restraint after suppressing Gyūki? Impossible.
Gyūki—the Eight-Tails—was second only to Kurama in power. This wasn't some boast; it was fact. Gyūki could hold his own against multiple tailed beasts.
The Third Raikage not only suppressed him but sealed him into Killer Bee. That Killer Bee would later harmonize with Gyūki and become a perfect Jinchūriki, proving Gyūki held no grudge.
Still, the Raikage was mortal. Even mastering Lightning Release Armor, suppressing the Eight-Tails had clearly drained him.
Hashirama died from chakra overuse—so it wasn't far-fetched that the Raikage would, too.
"Don't panic! We have tens of thousands of ninja—he's just one man!" the Iwagakure commander shouted.
"Hell Stab – Four-Fingered Thrust!"
The Third Raikage charged in. Lightning crackled around four extended fingers. No one could block the strike. Dozens of Iwa shinobi were instantly skewered and died on the spot.
"Shhh…!"
The Raikage didn't respond. He just kept advancing.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"
Electricity surged across his body. Blue light illuminated the battlefield.
Tuishi and the spy quietly slipped toward the rear of the formation. Amidst the chaos, no one noticed.
Occasionally, they flung basic jutsu and shuriken—nothing beyond what average ninja would do. They had to blend in.
The Raikage's Thunder Jutsu were devastating. With minimal hand signs, he released bolts of lightning that radiated outward. Iwa shinobi were paralyzed by the shockwaves, unable to dodge his attacks.
Realizing the situation, the Iwa commander ordered high-level forces to surround the Raikage.
They couldn't afford this kind of attrition.
Three elite Jōnin—veterans—moved to engage. Two specialized in Wind Release. Clearly, Iwagakure had come prepared.
Though not on par with the Raikage in sheer power, their teamwork and elemental advantage gave them a chance.
Their job wasn't to win—it was to stall.
"Tens of thousands of ninja. We'll wear him down!" the commander thought.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Jade!"
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
A wall of earth shot up, cutting off the Raikage's path. Dozens of wind bullets followed, compressed air blasts trailing close behind, combining for maximum impact.
While not as refined as the Third Hokage's combo techniques, the synergy was strong. Even a Kage would be wary.
Unfortunately, they faced the strongest shield in history.
Lightning surged, blue plasma engulfing his body. The Raikage took the full force of the attacks and merely stumbled back—unscathed.
"As expected from the strongest shield…"
The Hell Stab and similar techniques drained massive chakra. The Third Raikage couldn't spam them endlessly. A "Kage-level" chakra pool only meant you could handle big fights—not a literal war. In a prolonged battle like this, even he couldn't keep it up for long.
If he used the Four-Fingered Thrust too often, he'd burn out fast.
So now, he relied on Lightning Release Chakra Mode and sheer physical prowess. He became a storm of fists and fury, punching through the Iwa lines one shinobi at a time.
"Tch. Took them long enough to adjust," Tuishi murmured, blending in with the crowd and watching the legend unfold.