With Konoha's main gate reduced to rubble!
This meant the village's final defensive line had been utterly destroyed.
Konoha had fallen.
At the village gate, a massive pile of Stone, Mist, and Leaf shinobi corpses nearly filled the surroundings.
Every Stone and Mist shinobi wore an expression of elation.
"Charge!!"
"Charge!!"
Thunderous battle cries erupted over the Mist and Stone forces as hordes of shinobi surged into the Hidden Leaf Village.
The gate's destruction meant Konoha had lost its last organized means of resistance.
The remaining Leaf shinobi could only mount scattered counterattacks within the village – no longer able to influence the overall situation.
In other words, from this moment on…
One of the five great villages, Konoha, had been completely defeated!
Atop a distant hill.
"Is it over?"
Terumi Mei watched the battlefield where countless shinobi had already flooded into Konoha, a faint smile on her face.
Tsunade, standing at the forefront, pupils slightly dilated.
"Konoha has… really lost?"
Tsunade stood dazed. Even though she had witnessed it firsthand, deep down she still refused to believe.
"Didn't you see it yourself?"
"Now it depends on Senju Hashirama. If he defeats Uchiha Madara, perhaps your village has a sliver of hope."
"But I advise you not to expect too much. If the battle has dragged on this long without ending, Hashirama's chances of winning have dropped to their lowest."
Yuto glanced at Tsunade, his expression calm.
Tsunade's entire body trembled slightly. Her fists clenched tight.
"Why can't everyone just get along?!"
"Why!!"
Tsunade suddenly roared, then spun around and threw a punch at Yuto, who stood right before her.
Fierce power exploded from her fist. The air ahead compressed instantly, producing a sonic boom!
But just as Tsunade's fist was about to strike Yuto, a single finger lightly tapped it.
The terrifying force vanished instantly.
"This is the tide of history – one might also call it the grand flow!"
"No one can stop it. No one can resist it."
Yuto held Tsunade's full-force blow with one finger, his tone calm and detached.
"Rather than wasting energy attacking me in fury, why not consider what will happen to Konoha's civilians?"
"After all, you are the Hokage. Your duty is to protect more than just shinobi."
As Yuto spoke, he flickered and appeared behind Tsunade.
With the last word falling into her ears, he raised his hand into a knife shape and casually tapped the back of her neck.
Tsunade's pupils contracted sharply. Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the ground.
Yuto glanced at the unconscious Tsunade and waved his arm toward the rear.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two sounds of air splitting.
In a blink, two Mist shinobi appeared respectfully behind Yuto, kneeling on one knee.
"Take Tsunade somewhere quiet. Give her time to think."
Yuto stretched and spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Yes, Lord Yuto."
The two Mist shinobi responded respectfully, rose, and walked to the unconscious Tsunade. Supporting her arms, they vanished in an instant.
"Lord Yuto, aren't you being too lenient with Tsunade?"
Terumi Mei watched Tsunade disappear and pouted slightly, speaking softly.
She narrowed her eyes, a charming smile on her face:
"Lord Yuto, you haven't taken a fancy to Tsunade, have you?"
"Though come to think of it, Tsunade has a nice figure, and she has golden hair."
Yuto coughed lightly.
"Regardless, she is the Hokage. She deserves somewhat better treatment."
"And we're only destroying Konoha – that doesn't mean we kill everyone in it."
"With Tsunade as Hokage, we can avoid many unnecessary troubles."
"Let's go. I'll take a look at Konoha."
Terumi Mei's eyes lit up, and she nodded gently.
Yuto and Terumi Mei leapt from the hill. After a few moments of jumping, they appeared on the battlefield.
The air was thick with the stench of char and the metallic tang of blood.
Though many shinobi were already clearing the field, severed limbs still occasionally lay underfoot.
"The cruelty of war – anyone who has experienced it once will never forget."
Terumi Mei's face was calm, but she could not help letting out a soft sigh.
"War breeds suffering, and suffering breeds war. It is a closed loop."
"To end war, we must break that loop. We have already taken that step."
Soon, the two reached Konoha's gate.
Only fragments remained on either side, marking where the gate once stood.
On either side of the ruined entrance, a Mist shinobi and a Stone shinobi stood guard.
Yuto and Terumi Mei walked straight ahead. No one dared to stop them.
Past the gate stretched a straight Konoha boulevard.
Shops and residences lined both sides.
Yuto recalled his last visit, when these streets had been bustling.
Now, scanning the road, he saw only Stone and Mist shinobi – not a single Konoha civilian in sight.
But this was expected. Before the war began, Konoha's civilians had likely been evacuated to safety by the village's leadership.
After Yuto and Terumi Mei had taken only a few steps into Konoha, a sound of air splitting rang from the distance.
In the next moment, a figure appeared before them after several leaps.
"Lord Yuto, Lady Mizukage."
Haku bowed respectfully the moment he appeared.
Haku's clothes were stained with large patches of blood, and fatigue was evident on his face.
"How are your injuries?"
Terumi Mei's expression shifted at the sight of Haku's bloodied clothes.
"Oh, this isn't my blood. Most of it came from wounded shinobi I treated."
Haku spoke softly.
"What's the current situation?"
Yuto looked at Haku and asked quietly.
"Konoha's shinobi, under the command of Nara Shikaku, are still mounting scattered resistance."
"Ringo Yugiri, Kisame, Momochi Zabuza, Kimimaro, and others remain at the front lines, clashing with Leaf shinobi."
"But rest assured, Lord Yuto – with their final defensive line breached, they're only struggling in their death throes."
"Currently, we've secured one-third of Konoha."
After hearing Haku's report, Yuto shook his head gently. "Truly stubborn."
"It seems the people of Konoha still cling to hope, trying to stall for time."
Terumi Mei's lips curved into a cold smile, her tone icy.
On an empty street…
Yuto and Terumi Mei strolled along as if sightseeing.
Terumi Mei examined her surroundings, taking in Konoha's scenery, occasionally letting out a murmur of admiration.
Haku followed behind them with a respectful demeanor.
One had to admit…
Konoha's architecture and landscaping were quite impressive.
"A pity it's too empty. Stare at it long enough and it all looks the same."
Yuto stretched, hands in his pockets, speaking indifferently.
Terumi Mei was about to nod when she suddenly noticed movement in a shop not far away.
"Oh, interesting."
"So there are people after all."
Her eyes lit up, and she spoke softly.
The two followed her gaze and indeed saw figures moving inside a noodle shop.
When Yuto saw the name above the shop, he froze for a moment, then a look of amusement crossed his face.
"Ichiraku Ramen!"
[
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