Chapter 152: The End of a Legend and a Shifting War
Kagenori stood within the skeletal embrace of his nascent Susanoo, a faint, weary smile on his lips as he observed the Third Raikage's battered form. "I concede. You are stronger than I am. I cannot defeat you as I am now. But this is temporary. The true outcome of our duel will be decided in the future."
The Third Raikage fixed his one good eye on Kagenori. "What? You plan to flee? Weren't you the one boasting about taking my head?"
"I am," Kagenori admitted without shame. "And can you stop me? There is no shame in retreating from a Kage. And by the look of you, one might even say I have the upper hand." He gestured at the Raikage's missing arm and bloody torso. "You have a village to protect, a duty to hold this Iwa army here. I have no such chains. I came to fight you, not to die pointlessly. My future is still unwritten."
He paused, his tone shifting slightly. "I had hoped to claim your head myself. It seemed a waste for a legend to fall to these treacherous Rock-nin. I even refrained from using my full regenerative abilities to heal and continue our fight, as it felt… unsporting. But since I cannot achieve that today, I will withdraw."
He met the Raikage's gaze squarely. "And as I said, if I wish to leave, you cannot hold me."
A grim, blood-stained smile twisted the Raikage's lips. "Is that so? If you believe I am destined to die here, why speak of a future rematch?"
"That," Kagenori said, his voice dropping, "is my secret to keep. Just remember this: when we meet again, I will be in my prime. And I will find you for our final battle."
The Raikage was silent for a long moment, the sounds of the surrounding Iwa army a dull roar around them. "Very well," he said finally. "Then go."
Kagenori was taken aback. "You're not going to try and stop me?"
The Third Raikage turned his back, presenting a broken but unyielding figure to the enemy horde. "As you said, I cannot. What comes next is a matter between me and these faithless dogs." He glanced back over his shoulder, a flicker of respect in his pained eyes. "I will await that decisive battle."
With that, the Third Raikage let out a thunderous roar and hurled himself back into the fray, a one-armed storm of vengeance against the Iwa forces.
Kagenori took one last, long look at the Raikage's back—a portrait of defiant, tragic valor. He then used a Body Flicker to vanish from the battlefield, reappearing on a rocky outcrop at its edge. His injuries were severe. He spent a portion of his Witness Points to accelerate his body's natural healing, the deep puncture in his chest and the shattered bones in his arm knitting together at an impossible rate. Then, he sat and watched. He would witness the legend's end.
Kitsuchi commanded his forces with cold efficiency, ordering a defensive, attrition-based counterattack. Though the Raikage had lost an arm, his power was still immense, but he could no longer slaughter them with the same effortless ease. The battle stretched into a second day. The Raikage's speed had noticeably slowed, his movements growing heavy with exhaustion. Yet, apart from the wound Kagenori had inflicted, not a single Iwa attack had managed to mark him.
After another five hours, Kagenori stood from his perch. The end was near.
"It's over…" he murmured.
His Observation Haki told the true story. The Raikage's once-solar flare of a life force was now a guttering candle flame, flickering and weak.
The Raikage killed two more Rock-nin with a final, powerful punch, then suddenly stumbled, dropping to one knee. His breathing was ragged, a desperate struggle for air.
"This… is as far as I go…"
Images of his village, his son A, and finally, the fierce visage of Kagenori flashed through his mind.
'Perhaps… to fall by his blade would not have been so bad… A pity… such a shinobi was not born in my village…'
His vision blurred. The mighty head of the Third Raikage, which had never bowed to any enemy, slowly lowered for the final time.
Kagenori released a long, slow breath. The Third Raikage had fought with peerless strength, showing no weakness until his very last ounce of stamina was spent. The Iwa army hadn't defeated him; they had simply waited for him to exhaust himself to death. Had Kagenori not possessed intimate knowledge of the Raikage's techniques, he would have been gravely injured far sooner. And had the Raikage known of Kagenori's Mangekyō abilities, he might have emerged unscathed. Their battle had never been a fight between equals.
Looking at the still, proud form on the distant battlefield, Kagenori made a quiet vow. "I will wait for the day you are reborn in legend. Then, we will fight again."
He turned and left, speeding back towards the Land of Hot Springs. With Iwagakure's betrayal and the Raikage's death, the gears of the war were turning. Konoha's counter-offensive was imminent.
Upon his return, the news was everywhere. A was to inherit his father's will and title as the Fourth Raikage. Kumogakure had publicly and vehemently condemned Iwagakure for its treachery, announcing their immediate and total withdrawal from the Third Great Shinobi World War. The proclamation carried a stark warning: any village that attacked Kumo now would face the full, unrestrained retaliation of the entire Hidden Cloud, a counterattack with the sole objective of mutual annihilation.
No one doubted their sincerity. While other villages might bluff, the shinobi of Kumo were known for their ferocious commitment.
Simultaneously, Kagenori's own fame skyrocketed once more. The story spread: Ten thousand Rock-nin could not injure the Third Raikage, but the Blood-Eyed Shura, Kagenori, had not only wounded him but had severed his arm.
It was then that Kagenori understood. The number "ten thousand" wasn't an Iwa exaggeration—it was a narrative crafted by Kumo itself. It was a final tribute to their fallen leader's unimaginable power.
...
Back at the Konoha base, he found Orochimaru already mobilizing forces.
"You were right, Kagenori," Orochimaru said, a glint of approval in his serpentine eyes. "The Tsuchikage made his move."
"Are we mobilizing to strike the Rock-nin?" Kagenori asked.
Orochimaru nodded. "Precisely. With Kumo's withdrawal, we can reallocate our forces from the Hot Springs front. We will reinforce the Land of Grass and crush the Iwa contingent there before their main army can return from the Moon Country." He then looked Kagenori over appraisingly. "The rumors say you and the Raikage gravely injured each other. That your arm was shattered. Yet you seem… intact."
Kagenori's expression remained neutral. "The tales are inflated. I did not engage him in a prolonged, direct duel. I ambushed him and took his arm. I suspect Iwagakure is happy to let that version spread—it shifts the focus onto me and helps cover their own failure to land a single blow on him. As for my injuries," he shrugged his perfectly functional arm, "they were minor. I healed on the return journey."
Orochimaru didn't press further. "Can you fight?"
"Without any issue," Kagenori confirmed.
"Good. Then you will accompany us to the Land of Grass. With the Cloud gone, this war should be concluded swiftly."
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