Chapter 76: Why are you staring so wide-eyed? You want to hit me?
"Tch! To think they actually left!"
On Aoyama Riuun's side, he had originally thought that the people of Kumogakure would start the war directly after this, but he hadn't expected them to just leave. This left Aoyama Riuun feeling somewhat disappointed.
He took his mace and jumped down from the cliff.
"Boom!"
His figure crashed down with a superhero landing, undeniably cool!
He returned to the Konoha camp. At this moment, all the Konoha ninja in the camp looked at the returning Aoyama Riuun as if they were looking at a god.
"Alright! It's getting late. Everyone go back and get some good rest. Tomorrow, we'll beat those Kumogakure brutes all the way back home!"
Aoyama Riuun shouted loudly.
"Yes!"
The crowd, which had been somewhat fearful, became confident after witnessing Aoyama Riuun's strength. In their eyes, with a powerhouse like Aoyama Riuun leading the fight, how could they possibly fail?
This was the effect a powerful leader had. Morale was an intangible thing, but for a war to be won, it could not be low.
Afterward, the crowd began to disperse in an orderly fashion, each returning to their own tent. The necessary patrols, however, were still in place.
"Hiss!"
Only after everyone had left did Aoyama Riuun put his mace aside and flex his wrist slightly.
"What's wrong?"
"I'll go get a medical ninja!"
Seeing Aoyama Riuun like this, Hatake Sakumo and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio at his side instantly panicked. Aoyama Riuun was their pillar of support now; he couldn't have anything happen to him.
"Alright! Come back!"
Seeing them actually about to go find a medical ninja, Aoyama Riuun waved his hand and called them back. With his physique, even if he were truly injured, he would recover on his own in a short while. Why would he need a medical ninja?
"Are you really okay?"
Hatake Sakumo and the others asked with some concern.
"It's nothing serious, my wrist is just a little sore!"
But it was only a little sore.
Seeing that Aoyama Riuun didn't seem to be faking, Hatake Sakumo and the others gradually felt at ease.
While flexing his wrist, Aoyama Riuun couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"The Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb is much stronger than the One-Tail's. It made my wrist sore just hitting it!"
But that was because Aoyama Riuun hadn't fully transformed into a dragon. If he were in his full dragon form, with the power of his Dragon's Breath, he could have met the Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb head-on. It was just that the resulting shockwave would have affected the Konoha ninja on their side.
"..."
Aoyama Riuun's sigh left Hatake Sakumo and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio somewhat speechless.
"That's a Tailed Beast Bomb!"
"To be able to hit a Tailed Beast Bomb back is already..."
Hitting back the Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb only made his wrist sore. Listen to that, was he even speaking human?
That was a Tailed Beast Bomb, the symbol of a ninja village's ultimate weapon. Not only did he hit it back, but he only got a sore wrist from it. Was there anyone in the entire ninja world who could do this?
Even Hatake Sakumo, who had a good relationship with Aoyama Riuun, was frightened. He clearly hadn't expected Aoyama Riuun to have become so strong.
"This guy's strength is improving way too fast!"
Compared to the Second Great Ninja War, Aoyama Riuun's strength had improved too much. Hatake Sakumo was speechless. He didn't understand. They had all grown to this stage, so why was Aoyama Riuun's strength improving so drastically?
"Alright, instead of dwelling on this, you'd better go back and get some rest. The all-out war starts tomorrow!"
As he spoke, Aoyama Riuun picked up the mace at his side and shouldered it.
"Let's go, let's go!"
Waving his hand, Aoyama Riuun led the way.
Hatake Sakumo and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, following behind, first exchanged a glance, then all smiled. Having such a leader was truly reassuring. It seemed that no matter what kind of enemy they faced, the man before them could handle it.
"To think that I, Konoha's White Fang, would also have a day where I need to rely on someone else!"
Hatake Sakumo smiled. There was no other meaning to it; he just found it very interesting.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio didn't say anything. After smiling for a while, they left together.
It was clear that regardless of whether it was Konoha or Kumogakure, both sides were full of confidence for the coming war.
...
"Aoyama Riuun!"
At noon the next day, in the cliff-strewn territory of Kumogakure, the ninja forces of Konoha and Kumogakure were now only a thousand meters apart, facing each other from a distance.
It had to be said, compared to Kumogakure's five thousand ninja, Aoyama Riuun's two thousand looked truly pitiful.
With furious eyes, the Fourth Raikage, A, had his gaze locked tightly on Aoyama Riuun, who stood directly opposite him.
"Why are you staring so hard? Trying to scare someone?"
While smiling, Aoyama Riuun took the mace from his shoulder and planted it beside him.
"Trying to scare someone? You look so fierce, how about a one-on-one with me!"
"!"
When had he, the dignified Fourth Raikage, ever suffered such an insult? He was about to charge forward.
But Mabui and Samui, at his side, immediately stopped him.
"Don't fall for it, Lord Raikage!"
Last night, after witnessing Aoyama Riuun's strength, they all knew that in a one-on-one fight, even the Fourth Raikage was not necessarily Aoyama Riuun's match.
"Lord Raikage, that Aoyama Riuun is deliberately provoking you!"
"Don't fall for it!"
With Samui and Mabui's words, A gradually calmed down.
"That was close!"
A felt a bit fortunate. If it weren't for his two strategists, he might have really lost his cool. If he, the Raikage, were to be defeated by Aoyama Riuun in front of so many ninja, Kumogakure's morale would surely drop to an all-time low.
<><><><><><>
Read Advanced Chapters on: patreon.com/Amiii_
~Every 150 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]