Rasa, who had never fought him before, now experienced firsthand what it meant to face a true professor of ninjutsu.
The Five Basic Nature Transformations were displayed like a performance in the hands of the old Hokage.
Especially the final combined Five Release technique—if Rasa hadn't fought with everything he had to defend against it, over half of the elite troops he'd brought with him would have died right here.
He had thought Konoha's White Fang was already unmatched in the world—but this man was even more fierce.
Overwhelmed by humiliation, Rasa didn't know whether it was from shame or from the pain of his wound being prodded by the medical ninja—he suddenly sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
Hearing this gasp, the medical ninja treating him was momentarily stunned, then resumed his work.
After a long while, the ninja finally pulled back his hands, looked at Rasa with an apologetic expression, and said,
"I'm very sorry, Kazekage-sama. Your injuries are too severe. You need to return to the village for treatment."
Return to the village?
Go back? That's impossible. Not in this lifetime!
As long as Hiruzen Sarutobi lived, Rasa would not go back!
Everyone from both Konoha and Sunagakure had witnessed the iconic scene of him being smacked into the air by Hiruzen with a single strike. If he didn't restore his dignity, how could he continue leading Sunagakure's forces?
Besides, who said he had lost?
Victory doesn't always lie on the board. Sometimes you win off the board.
As long as Kumogakure launched an offensive, everything would be fine.
"Just patch me up temporarily."
"But…"
"Enough. Let me handle it."
The medical ninja still wanted to persuade him further, but just then, Chiyo had just changed her clothes and was coming to discuss the next step with Rasa. Hearing his words, she immediately understood his intent and dismissed the medical ninja.
"What tremendous strength… That old bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi—after all these years, he's actually gotten stronger."
Seeing Rasa's grotesquely swollen shoulder, Chiyo instinctively furrowed her brow.
The enemy's strike had completely shattered Rasa's shoulder bone.
"Fourth, She is right. You really should return to the village for treatment."
After examining Rasa's injuries, Chiyo's face turned serious.
It wasn't that she cared about Rasa as a person—but if he became crippled, who would continue extracting gold dust to generate revenue for Sunagakure?
"Advisor Chiyo, give it a bit more time. If I retreat now, this war will lose all meaning."
Rasa's expression was even graver than Chiyo's.
Right now, he was counting on the Fourth Raikage to put up a good fight—preferably break into the Land of Fire itself. That way, Hatake Sakumo would be forced to leave and assist Hiruzen, leaving Kikyo Mountain unguarded.
If that happened, even becoming a cripple would be worth it.
However, things clearly weren't going according to Rasa's plan.
...
On the Kumogakure front, the Fourth Raikage once again encountered his fated nemesis—the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato.
"Damn it."
The Fourth Raikage prided himself on his speed, never having been bested—until now. Twice in this war with Konoha, he'd been defeated.
Once by that brat named Shimura Takeshi.
And now, again, by the man in front of him—Namikaze Minato.
"You didn't bring your little brother?"
Glancing at the few attendants behind the Raikage, Minato pulled out a Flying Thunder God kunai and hurled it onto the battlefield.
"Are you looking down on me? I can still defeat you without my brother!"
Hearing Minato mention Killer Bee, A immediately took it as an insult. The lightning cloak around him flared even brighter, and his hair stood on end from the surging Lightning chakra.
"Die!"
"Flash Gale: Super Spiraling Wind Dance Second Form!"
Minato dodged A's punch and instead targeted the surrounding Kumogakure shinobi.
In just a single instant, all the attendants behind the Raikage were down, struck by the flickering yellow light.
Having missed with his punch, A turned and charged at Minato again—only to hit air once more.
He couldn't land a hit. He simply couldn't.
Even if he memorized every location of the Flying Thunder God kunai, Minato would just appear from somewhere new and strike him.
Luckily, Minato's attacks weren't too vicious—even the specially made kunai couldn't penetrate the Lightning Armor...
Or so he thought.
"Rasengan!"
A crushing weight suddenly slammed into A's shoulder, followed by a deafening explosion. His entire body was sent flying, disbelief still etched across his face.
What kind of technique was this…? How could it—
"Minato got him! Everyone, attack!"
Watching from a distance, Hyūga Iroha immediately shouted the order when he saw Minato land a successful blow.
"Once this battle is over, I can finally prepare the wedding with Kushina."
Watching his side achieve victory after victory, Minato muttered silently to himself, thinking about the wedding that had been delayed by war.
...
"Hey, what's for dinner?"
Back in the Shikkotsu Forest, Pakura sat beside Katsuyu and shouted toward Takeshi, who had just finished his training.
"Why do I feel like I've become your nanny? You need to remember your identity—you're a prisoner of war, got it?"
Takeshi's face twitched. Why did it feel like his skin got mysteriously darker no matter where he went?
"Oh, so what's for dinner?"
"Sukiyaki." Though Takeshi believed in his heart that his skin was still as fair as always, the way his hands moved with practiced ease betrayed him.
Watching Takeshi's busy figure, Pakura gently sipped from her cup of sake. Life like this… didn't seem too bad.
Humming softly to himself, Takeshi noticed Pakura's gaze but didn't pay it much attention. He trusted in his curse seal.
After all, this seal was engraved personally by Danzo, Konoha's Master of Curse Seals, and it was done while the target was unconscious and utterly helpless.
Calling the woman and the slug over to sit around the campfire, Takeshi brought up her future arrangements for the first time.
"I'm planning to finish my training in the Shikkotsu Forest soon."
"Oh? Planning to take me back to Konoha?"
Pakura said indifferently.
After being abandoned by Sunagakure's higher-ups, she no longer had any attachment to the village. The only thing keeping her alive was revenge.
She wanted to kill—the higher-ups of Sunagakure, the damn Mist shinobi—drive them all out, leave no one behind.
As long as she could achieve that goal, she didn't care who she served.
"Not heading back to Konoha just yet. I have some things I need to take care of."
"Is that so? Suit yourself." Pakura shrugged, focused entirely on waiting for the ingredients in the pot to cook.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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