Danzo's covert operatives moved among the crowd. The Uchiha jōnin had already tagged their routes and habits—waiting only for Kaede's word.
Just moments ago, Kisame and a few others slipped out to probe the Land of Gods' barrier.
A big move was coming.
Kakashi's quiet exit felt like the last calm breath before the storm.
On the floor of the final round, every face hid a different scheme. A few small-nation shinobi were truly here to watch an exam and knew nothing. The other fifteen had already started calculating how to finish their missions.
The battle brewing in the Land of Gods would be a blood-soaked one—no less than the "century fight" when Kaede led the Uchiha out of the Leaf and clashed with the Third Hokage.
In the records of that world, there were four figures often praised all the way to the ceiling.
First was the Third Hokage. In early notes he was called the strongest Hokage—master of all five natures, summoner of the strongest ape spirit, teacher of the Sannin. If the Sannin were that strong, how could their teacher be weak? And yet that "strongest" came with quotation marks.
Second was the Third Kazekage, "strongest in history," but turned into a puppet by Sasori. Whether he truly was strongest no one could now prove; from Sasori's clash with Gaara, even a living Third Kazekage likely wouldn't beat the Gaara standing here today.
Third was Hanzō—once labeled "demi-god," said to be closest in might to the First Hokage. Rumor claimed he faced six bodies of Pain without a scratch. But he was long dead; the truth of that claim was lost. In Kaede's memory, the reincarnated Hanzō couldn't even overcome Mifune.
Fourth was Mangetsu. His first appearance in that other history was as a reincarnated corpse during the Fourth Great War—the only one said to wield all seven swords to perfection. A peerless prodigy, strongest of the Seven Swordsmen—stronger even than Kisame, some whispered—yet on the page he mostly water-formed and cut down fodder. Kaede had never seen his true ceiling.
Until now. Mangetsu had just met a Tailed Beast Ball with the Twin Flounder Blades' stored chakra and walked away unscathed. Gaara's eyes had changed; he had underestimated this opponent.
Suigetsu leapt out, voice already racing ahead of his blade. "Gaara, my brother's the strongest here. Today's your last day."
His worship of Mangetsu was written across his face.
"Demon Reborn," "the only one who can truly use all seven swords"—he rattled off every title between breaths.
Gaara listened in silence, expression unreadable.
In the original flow of events, Mangetsu would already have died—cornered by many in a Lightning ambush. But the Land of Gods had shifted the five-nation board. After the Third Great War, the Water–Lightning conflict that should have erupted never did.
And like the Leaf, the Land of Water had changed from within: several of its clans had migrated to the Land of Gods and made their homes here.
Now, with Root watchers, Cloud elites in disguise, and Akatsuki shadows settling into place, the arena felt like a powder keg—fuse lit, sparks inching forward.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]