The colossal Susanoo appeared before the Allied Shinobi Forces like a god of destruction from legend.
Each step it took made the earth quake beneath its weight.
The shinobi froze in place, their minds blank.
"The Third Power… Susanoo? Is this really something a ninja can control?"
"It feels even more oppressive than the Eight-Tails' presence! Uchiha Yuzuru was hiding something like this?!"
"Heh… that has to be a joke."
"I don't believe it! It's just some kind of illusion meant to scare us off! Don't fall for it!"
"Don't give up! Attack together—victory will be ours!"
"That's right! Prepare to strike! Kill!!!"
Recovering from their initial shock, the Allied Shinobi Forces let out a chorus of wild cries.
No matter how strong Uchiha Yuzuru appeared, he was still just one man.
If they attacked all at once, he couldn't possibly withstand it!
Every ninja began to draw out their chakra, unleashing ninjutsu with all their strength.
Wind, lightning, water, fire, earth—
dozens of techniques combined into a raging torrent that crashed against Susanoo's massive body.
A deafening roar tore through the battlefield as the ground shuddered like a waking dragon.
In an instant, thick smoke and dust enveloped everything.
Everyone stared into the haze, eyes wide, hearts pounding.
With that much power, there was no way Uchiha Yuzuru could have survived!
But then—a wave of invisible force exploded outward, scattering the dust in all directions.
Susanoo stood untouched, emerging once more from the smoke.
"H-how is that possible? Our attack didn't even scratch him!"
"Damn it… what the hell is this monster?!"
"This is hopeless. How are we supposed to win against that? Can a human even be that strong?"
Above them, Yuzuru looked down upon the shinobi like ants, arms crossed and expression cold.
"Having the courage to challenge me is impressive," he said softly. "But that's the only thing I can praise you for. Because… challenging a god is nothing short of—folly."
As his voice fell silent, Susanoo's massive hand grasped the blade at its waist.
"Kamui Realm-Severing Slash!"
The blade left its sheath, releasing a streak of pitch-black energy.
Where the blade passed, space itself split like a mirror being shattered in two.
In the wake of the dark slash, thousands of ninja were erased—reduced to dust in an instant.
For a heartbeat, time itself seemed to stop.
The world fell silent.
Cloud shinobi and Allied shinobi alike stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had happened.
Then, a trembling voice broke the stillness.
"No… no, we can't beat him! Run—everyone, run!!!"
Panic spread like wildfire.
The remnants of the Allied Forces turned and fled in terror, running as though death itself were at their heels.
Each man sprinted for his life, knowing that even a moment's hesitation could mean annihilation.
And thus, the Allied Shinobi Forces—collapsed completely.
——
——
"Whew… that took a bit more out of me than I expected."
Returning to where the Third Raikage and the others stood, Uchiha Yuzuru let out a quiet sigh.
Even with the power of the Yotsuki clan and the Chinoike clan's bloodlines coursing through him, that last strike had gone a little overboard.
An attack capable of killing thousands of shinobi in a single swing—the chakra and Dōjutsu Power it consumed was beyond measure.
'Until I find a way to restore my Mangekyō Sharingan's power, I'd better conserve it,' he thought grimly.
'Otherwise, no matter how much I have, it'll run dry eventually.'
The hoarder in him hated that thought—it made him feel dangerously insecure.
After a moment of reflection, Yuzuru turned toward Orochimaru, who was standing nearby in a daze.
"Orochimaru, you should return for now," Yuzuru said calmly. "I hope that next time we meet, you'll have accepted the fate I've given you."
He knew Orochimaru's nature well. The man would never submit easily.
But that was fine. With his power, it was only a matter of time before he brought Orochimaru fully under control.
Unless, of course, the snake decided to disgust him again.
In that case, killing him outright and using Edo Tensei later wasn't off the table.
Orochimaru finally snapped out of his shock.
His lips were dry; instinctively, he tried to lick them with his tongue—but even that failed.
After staring deeply into Yuzuru's eyes, he vanished in a flash.
'So this is the power Uchiha Madara once used to conquer the world… terrifying, and yet beautiful.'
Compared to that, all his former achievements suddenly felt meaningless.
Perhaps Yuzuru was right—human life really was too fragile.
He… no longer wanted to be human.
Once Orochimaru was gone, the Third Raikage, A, Fugaku Uchiha, and Sakumo Hatake also recovered from their stupor.
The Third Raikage clapped Yuzuru on the shoulder, laughing heartily.
"Yuzuru, I didn't think you had power like that! Even I couldn't take you down now!"
His instincts told him that Yuzuru's technique could have easily torn through his Lightning Release Armor—and with that massive range, even his speed wouldn't have saved him.
A and Sakumo could only sigh in awe.
They'd both been training hard, hoping to surpass Yuzuru someday.
But now it was obvious—there was no chance.
Uchiha Yuzuru was a monster.
Every time he fought, he shattered their understanding of strength.
Fugaku, on the other hand, was beaming with pride—his nose nearly pointed to the heavens.
That magnificent display just now was the true power of their clan.
Remembering Yuzuru's elegant, devastating strike, Fugaku couldn't stop himself from trembling.
Stylish, powerful, and unmatched…
That was the true charm of pure-blooded Uchiha!
If only he could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan himself one day…
Yuzuru ignored their gazes and turned to the Third Raikage.
"Third Raikage, are you satisfied with today's battle?"
The Raikage grinned ear to ear, digging a finger into his ear.
"Satisfied? I'm thrilled! I've never had this much fun in my life!"
They had crushed their enemies and witnessed the godlike power of the Uchiha clan.
Best of all, despite facing an army of ten thousand, not a single Cloud shinobi had died.
It felt almost unreal.
He looked down at his men and bellowed, "Tell me! Did you enjoy today's battle?!"
"YES!" they roared back in unison.
"And whose credit is that?!"
"Lord Yuzuru's!"
"Then I hereby declare—within the Land of Lightning, Yuzuru's orders are equal to mine! By the authority of the Raikage, I grant him the same power as myself!"
Thunderous applause erupted below.
"Long live Lord Raikage! Long live Lord Yuzuru!"
Listening to the cheers, the Third Raikage nodded in satisfaction.
Ever since Uchiha Yuzuru had brought his clan to the Cloud Village, their strength had skyrocketed as if blessed by the heavens.
After witnessing Yuzuru's terrifying might firsthand, the Raikage's conviction only grew stronger.
So what if he shared some authority?
With Yuzuru and the Uchiha on their side, Cloud Village could only prosper.
And if it came to it, giving up his title as Raikage didn't sound so bad.
People called him thick-headed, but to him, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the real fool.
If Hiruzen hadn't driven away geniuses like Uchiha Yuzuru and Sakumo Hatake,
the Hidden Leaf would never have fallen so far behind.