The Mizukage of the Mist Village had died before Chinya's eyes.
Chinya stared at the Third Mizukage's corpse, his expression blank.
He felt nothing. There would definitely be stronger people than the Third Mizukage in the future, so defeating him wasn't something worth getting excited over.
If he couldn't defeat the Third Mizukage, then Chinya himself should reflect on his abilities.
Looking across the gathered crowd, Chinya noticed a green-haired boy with purple eyes.
He recognized him—Yagura Karatachi, the future Fourth Mizukage.
After Yagura assumed leadership, within just a few years, Obito Uchiha would manipulate him into enforcing an even more brutal Blood Mist Policy than under the Third.
Chinya gave Yagura a cryptic smirk before turning and walking away.
Seeing Chinya smile directly at him, Yagura's face grew extremely serious.
He was certain—Chinya had smiled at *him*, but why?
They had never met before, not once on the battlefield.
At this point, Mist Village's upper echelons had already designated Yagura as their next jinchuriki, which was why village leaders had forbidden him from joining the recent battle.
Yet Chinya's powerful image was now deeply etched in Yagura's mind.
Approaching Kakashi, Chinya asked, "Ready to go?"
"Ready!"
Kakashi tried to push himself up, but halfway there, his legs gave out and he slumped back down.
"Forget it. Don't push yourself. I'll carry you out."
Chinya lifted Kakashi onto his back and walked into the distance.
...
Before Chinya could return to Konoha's base in Amegakure, news of the Third Mizukage's death at his hands had already spread quickly.
By the time Chinya returned, Kakashi had mostly recovered.
Orochimaru summoned Chinya and examined him from head to toe with a sigh: "It has been many years… your growth truly amazes me."
Smiling, Chinya replied, "No matter how much I grow, you will always remain my teacher. I carry your kindness close in my heart."
Regardless of what others said about Orochimaru, he had indeed done great things for Chinya—true acts of major kindness.
Over the past years, Orochimaru had diligently trained him.
That debt must be repaid.
Orochimaru smirked slightly. "Looks like it seems we're not done with each other just yet."
Then he turned serious. "Alright, Chinya. We don't have time to rest now. Intelligence from Konoha says Cloud Village and Sand Village, previously declared neutral, have formed an alliance. They appear ready to invade the Land of Fire and launch an attack against Konoha."
Chinya's eyes darkened.
So this was it—the final chapter of the Third Great Ninja War.
Orochimaru said coldly, "The newly appointed Fourth Raikage A is definitely no ordinary opponent. By using the Third Raikage's final order to withdraw from the war, he stayed out of the battle like a spectator watching two tigers fight. He let others exhaust themselves while he built up his strength, waiting patiently for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal blow to their chosen ninja village at the war's end."
Chinya already understood the situation clearly in his heart: "So their target ninja village must be Konoha then."
Orochimaru nodded: "Exactly. Let's face it—Kumo can't beat Iwa. Kiri is on an island with barely any resources, so there's no point attacking them. And Suna? They're dirt-poor anyway, so even less worth targeting.
Konoha has endured many years of war, but although things have improved somewhat, right now it's at its most vulnerable period. That makes Konoha the ideal target.
Just to be safe, Kumo also brought along Suna, which had long coveted Konoha.
I heard that Suna blamed Konoha for the disappearance of their Third Kazekage. But surely this is just Suna's excuse for waging war against Konoha."
Chinya asked, "Then Orochimaru-sensei, what exactly is my task? Should I act together with the main force or operate independently?"
Orochimaru replied, "With your current strength, joining the main force would be a waste. Therefore, you've been assigned to operate alone—to harass and strike behind Kumo or Suna lines. You'll have great freedom; just go all out and kill!"
Chinya nodded in agreement: "I understand."
Orochimaru stood up from his seat: "Now go prepare yourself. Abandon the Rain Country base—the upcoming battle should be our last."
After Chinya left Orochimaru's room, he found Kakashi, told him everything, and then packed his belongings with Kakashi before retreating with the main force back into the Land of Fire.
When Chinya and Kakashi returned to Konoha with the main force, Kumo and Suna had already invaded.
Kushina Uzumaki had already gone to the battlefield with the ninja forces, and they missed seeing each other.
Before going into battle, Chinya greeted Orochimaru and then headed toward Root to meet Danzo.
After all, Chinya was now under Danzo's command.
Upon arriving at the Root office, Chinya met Danzo.
Seeing Chinya taking the initiative to come instead of having a Root ninja summon him, Danzo felt very pleased.
Because now, Chinya was vastly different from before.
Killing a Kage changes everything—Chinya had truly entered the top tier of the shinobi world.
And yet Chinya still took the initiative to visit him. How could Danzo possibly not feel delighted?
Danzo expressed satisfaction: "You really surprised me—you even managed to kill the Third Mizukage of Kirigakure."
Chinya responded respectfully: "Perhaps the Third Mizukage of Kirigakure had neglected training in recent years, so I was lucky enough to defeat him."
Waving his hand, Danzo said, "Even if he'd been negligent, as a Kage, he was still the strongest person in the entire village. Your ability to kill him proves that your power has become truly formidable."
Danzo continued, "You handled the Uchiha Clan matter quite skillfully. With things going as they are, our operation against the Uchiha should proceed smoothly once the war ends. For the upcoming battles, will you be acting alone or with the main force?"
Chinya replied, "My teacher Orochimaru has assigned me to operate independently, disrupting enemy operations behind Kumo's and Sunagakure's lines."
Danzo nodded, "Right now, independent operations would suit you better than sticking with the main force."
After chatting with Danzo for a while, Chinya left the Root Base and made his way to the frontlines.
Two days later,
The main force of Konoha ninjas clashed with the combined forces of Kumo and Sunagakure, sparking an immediate battle.
With coordinated resistance from Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and others, the combat zone was successfully confined to the area around Mount Kanna.
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