"Lord Raikage! An unidentified Uchiha powerhouse has appeared on C Peak! Captain Ichiban's unit can't hold and is requesting reinforcements!"
In the rear of the Three-Village Alliance formation, the injured A had been left to oversee overall command. The report from the Iwagakure shinobi in front of him made his expression darken instantly.
"What do you mean 'unidentified Uchiha powerhouse'?" A snapped. "Fifteen hundred against a thousand and they're asking for help? What is Ichiban doing? Does he even know how to fight a war?!"
In A's view, every notable Konoha powerhouse had already been accounted for and countered. Even if some capable shinobi remained, none should be strong enough to shift the outcome of an entire battlefield.
Before the full assault, the alliance had conducted probing attacks. Their intelligence was clear:
A Peak: Minato Namikaze.B Peak: Uchiha Jin.C Peak: Uchiha clan elites.D Peak: The Hyūga clan head and his elites.
A and B were the hardest targets.
D was difficult, but manageable.
C was supposed to be the weakest link.
They had deliberately chosen D Peak as the breakthrough point, avoiding the proximity of A and B Peaks.
Everything had gone smoothly.
The three-thousand-man strike force had already smashed through D Peak and was advancing toward Kikyo Mountain Fortress.
One more push—
Break the five hundred defenders at the fortress—
And they would be racing straight for Konoha.
And now—
C Peak, supposedly the weakest—
Was collapsing?
The Iwa shinobi spoke urgently.
"It's an Uchiha hidden among their ranks! He ignored our attacks and slaughtered our forces freely! Then he used an unknown technique—he summoned a chakra giant dozens of meters tall and charged through our formation! No one could stop him!"
"In less than a few minutes, he killed hundreds and has already driven our forces to the foot of the mountain! If we don't stop him now, he may flank D or B Peak and cut off our rear!"
"A chakra giant…" A's pupils contracted. "Susanoo? Mangekyō Sharingan?"
He immediately understood.
A chakra construct.
An Uchiha.
There was only one answer.
"Dispatch five hundred from the remaining thousand reserves to C Peak immediately! They must stall him at all costs!"
As the Fourth Raikage, A knew certain truths others didn't.
When "Uchiha" and "chakra giant" were mentioned together—
The technique could only be Susanoo.
And Susanoo required the Mangekyō Sharingan.
An Uchiha who mastered that power was unquestionably Kage-class.
Without an equivalent opponent—
Of course C Peak would crumble.
The messenger rushed off with five hundred reserves.
A watched them go, jaw tight.
"Damn it… Konoha. The Uchiha."
"They never run out of monsters."
Part of him burned with frustration.
Another part—
With impatience.
If not for his injuries, he would have already charged onto the battlefield himself.
But before he could steady his breathing—
Another shinobi stumbled toward him, body scorched and blackened.
"Lord Raikage! Lord Kitsuchi and the Four-Tails' jinchūriki have been defeated! B Peak is in critical condition! Immediate reinforcements requested!"
"B Peak… Uchiha Jin."
A's face twisted.
"I told you! I said from the beginning we had to prioritize Uchiha Jin!"
This time, there was no surprise in his voice.
He had expected this.
He knew Jin's strength firsthand.
But in this alliance—
Kumogakure did not hold command authority.
His warnings had not carried enough weight.
"Send all remaining forces to B Peak!" A ordered without hesitation. "Do not engage Jin head-on—just stall him!"
In truth, at this stage—
The battles on A, B, C, and D Peaks were secondary.
As long as the three thousand strike force reached Konoha—
Victory remained within reach.
Now B and C Peaks were collapsing.
All A could do—
Was buy time with lives.
He stared toward B Peak in the distance.
A faint, unwelcome feeling crept into his chest.
He had anticipated that Kitsuchi and Rōshi would struggle against Jin.
But their combination had real synergy—earth and lava, suppression and area control. They should have at least delayed him.
Yet—
From the moment Jin was confirmed at B Peak…
To Kitsuchi and Rōshi's defeat—
Had been less than thirty minutes.
Subtract travel time—
And their direct clash might not have even lasted ten.
Both were Kage-class veterans of the Third Great Ninja War.
Even A himself wouldn't confidently claim he could defeat either of them within ten minutes.
How did Jin do it?
Had he—
Held back when fighting A earlier?
The thought made A's frown deepen further.
If Jin had concealed strength then—
How strong was he truly?
And could the reinforcements really stall him—
Or were they just walking to their deaths?
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