For an instant, Shikaku's mind went completely blank.
He stood frozen in place, unable to react.
He had never expected things to end like this.
Hokage-sama…
Hokage-sama…
The Hokage had actually been killed—right here—by the Mizukage!
Not only Shikaku, but even Kuji and Ringo were utterly stunned.
They all knew that Lord Mizukage was powerful, but to openly kill the Hokage like this meant only one thing—
The Fourth Ninja World War had begun.
"Lord Shigure…"
Ringo murmured his name unconsciously.
Gaara, Kankurō, and Sasori—who had replaced his puppet—were equally shocked beyond words.
What was supposed to be a so-called Three Kage Summit had completely spiraled out of control.
At this moment, Gaara's heart was in turmoil.
How dare he?
How can he dare?
To start a Ninja World War so brazenly—had the strength of the Hidden Mist Village really grown to such an absurd degree?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
No matter how powerful Shigure was, he could never guarantee the safety of the entire Hidden Mist Village.
This was a Ninja World War. One wrong move, and even an entire country could be wiped off the map.
And yet Shigure had still done something so earth-shattering.
Worse still, Sunagakure had been dragged into this mess for no reason at all.
Gaara felt speechless.
If he had known this would happen, he would never have attended this summit. Let the Hokage and Mizukage fight it out themselves—at least then Sunagakure wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.
"Hokage… sama…"
A furious roar suddenly echoed.
Shikaku snapped out of his daze, shouting as he rapidly formed hand seals.
A massive shadow surged out from the island, shooting straight toward the ice platform. At the same time, Hiashi—who had been entangled—was hurled toward the arena without hesitation.
And within the white mist, Shigure let out a soft chuckle.
Just as Hiashi, executing Gentle Fist, was about to land in the arena—
Space–Time Ninjutsu!
In the blink of an eye, Hiashi vanished.
The next instant, he reappeared back on the island.
The entire process was seamless—without the slightest pause—so natural that it felt unreal.
Hiashi staggered slightly after landing, his expression blank.
…Was he dreaming just now?
Hadn't he clearly leapt toward the arena?
Then how had he… once again… returned here?
Hiashi raised his head, activated his Byakugan, and stared toward the arena in disbelief.
At that moment, a stern and furious voice rang out.
"Shikaku! Don't lose your composure!"
It was Tsunade's voice.
Once again, everyone present was stunned.
The white mist dispersed.
Shigure was standing there, holding Tsunade's head in his hand as he calmly looked around at everyone present.
"I'm not dead," Tsunade said hoarsely. "It's just that… this brat's ability really is… terrifying."
Her face was deathly pale.
Her head had clearly been severed.
And yet—she was still alive.
She could feel her heartbeat.
She could feel her Chakra circulating.
She could even sense her own body.
Everything was intact.
The only problem was that her head and body were undeniably separated.
Tsunade stared at Shigure, her voice low and dangerous.
"Brat… what did you do to me?"
Shigure loosened his grip. Tsunade's head floated calmly in midair in front of him.
"Isn't it obvious?" he replied casually. "I made you lose."
"You can't fight like this, can you?"
He smiled as he spoke, but that smile now looked unsettling.
Tsunade shifted her gaze toward her body.
It was still standing perfectly upright where it had been, unmoving—as if nothing had happened.
"Do you surrender?" Shigure asked.
Then he added with a grin, "If you surrender, I'll put you back."
Tsunade's lips twitched. Clearly, she had no intention of giving in.
Shigure chuckled.
"Even if you don't surrender, you still can't fight. What—are you planning to just glare at me like that?"
He was right.
She had no way to continue.
Damn it…
"…Fine," Tsunade said through clenched teeth. "I surrender."
Shigure raised his hand and snapped his fingers lightly.
Immediately, Tsunade's body lifted off the ground and drifted toward her head. In the next instant, the two reconnected perfectly.
There were no seams.
No scars.
No abnormalities whatsoever.
Tsunade instinctively reached up and touched her neck.
It was as if the wound had never existed.
Her expression darkened.
What in the world was that?
Even Tsunade—who had seen countless bizarre techniques—had never encountered a Ninjutsu like this.
Not even the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, who created countless forbidden techniques, had developed anything this unnatural.
Shigure smiled, clearly pleased.
"My newly developed Ninjutsu—how was it?" he asked. "Pretty effective, right?"
"It doesn't injure the opponent, but it instantly strips them of their fighting ability."
He spoke as if he were proudly showing off a new toy.
On the island, Shikaku and Hiashi were completely stunned.
"Hiashi," Shikaku asked in disbelief, "Lady Tsunade… she's really alive?"
Hiashi activated his Byakugan and observed carefully before nodding.
"Yes. Her Chakra circulation is normal, and her vitality hasn't weakened at all. She's definitely alive."
Alive… even after something like that?
What kind of monstrous Ninjutsu had the Mizukage used?
The next moment—
Shigure placed a hand on Tsunade's shoulder.
In a flash of distorted space, the two vanished.
They instantly reappeared on the island platform.
Behind them, as soon as they left the ice arena, the frozen surface began to melt rapidly, collapsing back into the sea.
Shigure returned to his seat and sat down calmly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
"…What's wrong?" he asked lightly. "Surprised?"
No one answered.
But every gaze fixed on Shigure was filled with fear.
At this moment, it was impossible for them to remain calm.
This man's danger far exceeded anything they had imagined.
Shigure glanced at Tsunade and noticed the resentment still burning in her eyes.
He shrugged.
"Don't look at me like that. I didn't actually cut off your head."
"To be precise, I created a spatial entry and exit point inside your body, allowing different parts of you to exist in separate locations."
"I never truly severed you."
Tsunade's heart shook.
Even hearing such a simple explanation made the technique feel even more terrifying.
This… had completely surpassed the limits of what a shinobi should be capable of.
Could a Ninjutsu like this really be created?
Just how did Shigure's mind work?
And then Shigure added casually,
"If you're interested, I can even attach your head to something else."
"An object… or even an animal."
"You'd be able to control it as if it were your own body. Sounds fun, doesn't it?"
Tsunade's face darkened instantly.
Even if she died, she would never want to experience something like that.
However—
As Shigure spoke, one person's eyes suddenly lit up.
Sasori of the Red Sand.
He stared at Shigure with barely concealed excitement.
If what Shigure said was true…
Then could he obtain a new body?
One that would allow him to finally break free from the limitations of being a puppet master…
(End of Chapter)
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