Chapter 63: The Birth of the New Five Kage
"Dust Release: Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
A brilliant, three-dimensional pillar of energy, long-charged and humming with destructive power, erupted from the Tsuchikage's palms. It blasted forward, striking Stelle's form dead-on. Unfortunately for him, the figure it vaporized was merely a Shadow Clone; it dissolved into a harmless puff of smoke upon contact.
On the other side of the confined space, the real Stelle had already appeared, materializing in the air directly above Doga's head. In her hands, she held a swirling, incandescent orb of fire—a Flame Bomb.
"Wind Release: Sandstorm!" the Kazekage roared.
A torrent of densely packed Iron Sand surged upward, enveloping the Tsuchikage's head in a protective black dome. The Flame Bomb smashed into the makeshift shield. While the hastily formed defense was nowhere near strong enough to block a Super S-rank Ninjutsu, the split second of obstruction it provided was a lifeline. It was just enough time for Doga to throw himself clear of the blast zone.
The two surviving Kage felt a flicker of hope. Perhaps, through their combined efforts, they could actually defend against her.
They were both deeply wrong.
The reason Stelle had erected this barrier domain was twofold. While she was indeed curious to test her own experimental techniques against the abilities of the world's strongest, her primary purpose was far more sinister.
As long as she had them trapped inside, she could unleash her true strength without ever exposing her public persona.
Before she killed them, no one outside would have any idea what was truly happening within these purple walls. The techniques she was employing weren't limited to simple spatial leaps; when she had dispatched the Raikage earlier, she had also been quietly experimenting with jutsu that manipulated time itself.
Once the fight was over and the barrier fell, all four Kage would be dead. The story of how they died would be entirely hers to write.
Besides, it was a major taboo in the shinobi world to pry into the secret techniques of others. No one would dare to question her account.
"We must break the barrier!" Retsudo, the Kazekage, bellowed, his voice sharp with urgency. "I'll stall her! You attack the wall!"
He immediately began weaving hand seals, his fingers a blur of motion. "Wind Release: Heaven and Earth Net!"
Retsudo knew he couldn't possibly hit a foe who possessed what amounted to absolute speed within this domain. Instead, he unleashed a massive, indiscriminate gale that scoured the entire area, a desperate attempt to saturate the space and block Stelle's approach from any direction.
Stelle, however, simply abandoned him as a target. She turned her focus elsewhere, manipulating the dense, superheated flames that filled the air. The fire coalesced into one searing projectile after another, raining down on Doga. The Tsuchikage, who was using the Light-Weight Rock Technique to hover in mid-air, was forced to descend under the relentless barrage.
The moment his feet touched the ground, three Shadow Clones flickered into existence, surrounding him in a perfect triangle. It was clear to all that attacking the barrier was their only path to survival, but Stelle would never grant them that opportunity.
Seeing his ally pinned, Retsudo grit his teeth and spun around, preparing to assault the barrier wall himself.
A sudden, sharp agony erupted in his chest. He looked down in disbelief. A chakra blade, keen and cold, had already pierced clean through his heart from behind.
He opened his mouth, but only a strange, wet rasp escaped his lips. His body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, a puppet with its strings cut.
"I only used three Shadow Clones because three is the optimal number for fine control, not because it's my limit," Stelle's voice was calm, almost conversational. "Why do you look so surprised?"
She flicked the blood from her chakra blade, a thoughtful expression on her face. 'No wonder Minato Namikaze could sweep through the Third Great Ninja War with just the Flying Thunder God and a Rasengan,'she mused.'This kind of space-time ninjutsu is practically cheating.'
Her gaze shifted to Doga, who was still frantically attacking the barrier.
"Lord Tsuchikage, you wish to break the barrier?" she called out, her tone laced with mock helpfulness. "Why don't I give you a hand?"
Within the churning lava that now coated the floor, the ambient purple flames began to converge, swirling frantically. The energy condensed, the violet hue deepening, darkening, until it became an even hotter, more ominous black...
Outside the barrier, the guard units from each of the great nations remained locked in a tense standoff. No one had made a move. Without knowing the situation inside, no one dared to act rashly.
Just then, the vast purple dome suddenly began to distort. It warped and buckled, as if being struck from within by some impossibly violent force, looking as though it might shatter at any moment.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others exchanged grim glances and quickly retreated, putting even more distance between themselves and the volatile structure.
When they had discussed the plan earlier, the group had asked Stelle what else they should do besides providing assistance later.
Stelle's reply had been simple: "Stay far away. Be careful not to get caught in the crossfire."
Now, with the barrier on the verge of bursting, the aura leaking from it felt terrifyingly similar to her ultimate move, the Spiral Flame Explosion. It was clearly dangerous; if they didn't fall back, they might very well be caught in the blast.
In the blink of an eye, countless beams of pure purple light shot out from the barrier's surface. A deafening roar tore through the air as the dome shattered completely, and a blinding white light swept over everything.
Dust billowed into the sky, waves of searing heat rolled outwards, and the sound of explosions echoed without end. The white light was so dazzling that it forced everyone to squeeze their eyes shut, rendering them completely blind to what was happening at the epicenter.
Hiruzen and his team, having already retreated to a safe distance, were still struck by the concussive shockwave. They had to channel chakra to their feet, anchoring themselves firmly to the ground just to keep their footing.
The guards from the other villages, who had been positioned closer to the barrier, were not so lucky. They were thrown about like dolls, left covered in dust and grime. Many were injured by the sheer energy of the explosion, and a few unlucky souls were even badly burned. The scene was one of complete chaos.
As the white light finally dissipated and the thick dust began to settle, the landscape was revealed. The entire building where the meeting room had once stood was gone, erased without a trace. In its place was a massive, smoking crater, gouged out of the earth by ninjutsu.
At the very edge of this giant crater, a lone figure slowly came into focus. When a gentle breeze finally cleared the last of the dust, everyone saw who was standing there.
Long hair, dark eyes, and a familiar purple combat uniform. Who else could it be but Konoha's Stelle?
"How can it be her?"
The shinobi from the other nations couldn't believe their eyes. If Konoha's Purple Flame Princess was the only one left standing, then where were their Kage?
Whoosh!
A flurry of figures used the Body Flicker Technique, scrambling toward the edge of the crater. Hiruzen Sarutobi and his group of six were the first to appear by Stelle's side.
Remembering that Stelle had warned she would lose her combat effectiveness after using her ultimate technique, Uchiha Kagami instinctively reached out to support her back.
"Stelle, how do you feel?"
"I can't move..." Stelle's voice was weak, her body swaying as she panted for breath. "Koharu, let me lean on you. I still need to put on a show for them in a moment."
She allowed herself to follow Kagami's supportive gesture, sliding down to sit on the scorched earth.
Utatane Koharu quickly moved to her side, letting Stelle lean against her shoulder while simultaneously activating her Medical Ninjutsu, her glowing green hands beginning to treat the wounds on Stelle's arms.
Stelle caught her breath and glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Swap places with Kagami. Let him stand next to me."
"Why?" Hiruzen asked, confused.
"He's easier on the eyes," she replied. "It helps me recover."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was speechless. A collective sigh of relief went through the Konoha team. If she still had the energy to joke, it meant her injuries weren't too severe.
At that moment, the guards from the Four Great Nations who had jumped down into the crater made a horrifying discovery. Their respective Kage had no heartbeats, no breath. All of them had been killed by Stelle.
"How is this possible?"
"Lord Kazekage is... dead?"
"Lord Raikage..."
The guards stared blankly at the corpses on the ground, their minds refusing to process the scene. They felt as if they were trapped in a waking nightmare.
Stelle, a woman of their own generation, a fellow disciple of a Kage, had single-handedly slaughtered the leaders of the Four Great Nations.
How could this be possible!
Was she a monster?
It wasn't just them. Even Hiruzen and the others found it utterly inconceivable.
Before, Stelle had clearly stated her goal was to showcase Konoha's high-end combat power. She had said that in a one-versus-four, she could at least defeat two of them. Once the remaining two were intimidated, they wouldn't dare to act recklessly.
Was this what she meant by 'defeat'? Was this what she meant by 'intimidate'?
The Konoha guards collectively turned their gazes toward the woman sitting amongst them, their pupils wide with shock.
Even the Second Hokage, in situations where he could have easily killed his rivals, had often chosen to simply drive them back without taking their lives.
Who could possibly match this level of ruthlessness and decisiveness?
"The 'defeat' you spoke of..." Hiruzen finally managed to ask, his voice strained. "Was this... this kind of defeat?"
"Yeah!" Stelle tilted her head slightly, her voice weary but edged with steel. "This is the 'defeat' I was talking about. I didn't let you down, did I?"
It was far more than just a defeat. She had sent them all away for good. Barring a miracle, they would never be seen again—an absolute, obvious erasure. Especially the Tsuchikage; that final, devastating move was likely meant for him. While the other Kage were at least identifiable, he had been completely carbonized.
The gazes of the six-person team now fixed on Stelle, their expressions transformed. What was once respect was now something akin to fanatical reverence.
They had respected her before because she was the strongest of their generation, an unbeatable peer.
But now, that respect had morphed into the awe one feels when looking up at a supreme, untouchable powerhouse.
After all, this was the person who had single-handedly turned the tide, forcibly pulling Konoha back from the brink of diplomatic disaster.
From this day forward, Konoha would never again be in a position of weakness at the negotiating table.
Give up resources? Pay reparations?
Hah! What a joke. They weren't the defeated nation.
If you have the guts, keep fighting. Who's afraid of whom? Go ahead and elect four new Kage so we can have another round.
Konoha had Stelle, the Purple Flame Princess and the future Third Hokage, a woman who could single-handedly send their Four Nations from the era of the First Kage straight to the era of the Third in one fell swoop.
Then, they heard Stelle's faint voice again. "That ultimate move... it was originally prepared for Hiruzen and Danzo. I just didn't expect others to get to use it first."
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, standing on her left and right, reacted instantly. They both grabbed Uchiha Kagami and Homura Mitokado, yanking them in front to serve as human shields.
Danzo Shimura, feeling that still wasn't enough, reached out and pulled Akimichi Torifu over as well before he finally felt a sliver of security.
Stelle pushed herself up, standing tall above the giant crater. She looked down at the stunned crowd below, her voice carrying over the silent battlefield as she spoke, word by deliberate word:
"The explanation those Kage wanted—I have already let them 'explain' themselves right here. Now, the Five Nations Armistice Conference will continue. Who is in favor... and who is opposed?"
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