Chapter 397: Complete Annihilation
With the fierce battle in the Rain Village concluded, the entire ninja world fell into a heavy silence. The legendary powers of the "God of Shinobi" and the "Shura of the Ninja World," who could level mountains with a single motion, had faded into myth over the decades. Now, with such power reappearing, all who remembered the past couldn't help but tremble with fear.
After the Warring States period, the ensuing peace had not arisen from a yearning to cease warfare but from two unstoppable forces securing the most fertile lands. The death of Hashirama Senju and the beginning of the First Great Ninja War were proof enough. Now, with Konoha showing its deadly fangs and preparing to wage war against the entire ninja world, no second "Shura" was rising to balance out the "God of Shinobi."
And so, war erupted.
As the second strongest village, the militaristic Hidden Cloud, known for its brash and fierce character, chose to fight head on.
"All these years...and this is all the strength you have?" Madara Uchiha stood proudly atop the Gedo Statue, staring down with disdain at the battered Fourth Raikage A and his partner, Killer B, both wounded and exhausted. The Raikage's left arm was missing, and blood covered him.
"Give up, Fourth Raikage," Madara declared coldly. "My next attack will wipe out your ten thousand soldiers."
But the Raikage, too proud to submit, struggled to his feet, fixing Madara with a furious glare.
"Ah, I see," Madara sneered. "You wish to die with honor, then? Very well. I shall grant your lowly wish for a warrior's death and take possession of the Land of Lightning." Just as he prepared to crush the Raikage underfoot, Izuna interrupted him.
"Brother," Izuna's voice called out gently, stopping Madara in his tracks.
"What is it, Izuna?" Madara asked, puzzled.
Izuna closed the book he had been reading on the history of the ninja world, speaking with calm authority. "Though these two lives may be insignificant, the Divine One's command was to achieve peaceful unification wherever possible. Killing the leader of the Hidden Cloud will make it much harder to bring the rest of the village to our side."
Madara, who hadn't bothered paying attention to these finer details, blinked in realization. With an annoyed scratch of his head, he muttered, "Fine, but what do you suggest, Izuna?"
Scanning the devastated Cloud forces below, Izuna replied, "Capture the Raikage. Let me speak to them afterward."
Madara, trusting his brother's judgment, nodded and raised the Fourth Raikage like a ragdoll, holding him aloft in his massive Gedo Statue's hand. Izuna, meanwhile, took a deep breath and infused his chakra into his voice to carry his words across the battlefield.
"Listen, all of you from the Hidden Cloud! Your leader has been defeated. If you want to keep fighting, we'll gladly oblige. But know this: we'll start by crushing your Raikage, then hunt down every one of you and your families until no one remains.
"You may say you fight for resources, but remember, no one ever feels they have enough. If you truly wish to die for this cause, we'll take the land you leave behind! However," he paused, "by the Divine One's orders, we've been instructed to unify without needless slaughter. But if you persist in resisting, we will not hesitate to exterminate every one of you.
"Now, choose: fight to the death, or live on!"
After his speech, Izuna released a surge of purple Susanoo around the Gedo Statue, adding a terrifying aura of invincibility. With his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, gifted by divine power, Izuna's Susanoo was flawless, embodying his mastery.
The Hidden Cloud's morale shattered. Their strongest leader lay broken and defeated, while they faced an overwhelming force. No matter how fierce they were, many dropped their weapons, collapsing in defeat and terror.
The Fourth Raikage, though humiliated and seething with anger, remained silent. Deep down, he knew this war had been a hopeless endeavor from the beginning.
"What a disappointment," Izuna scoffed, casting a disdainful look at the Raikage. He had hoped the Raikage might rally his troops in a last stand, giving them an excuse to eliminate the Hidden Cloud entirely.
The Land of Lightning was, after all, once the territory of the Uchiha. Had it not been for that man's influence in convincing his brother to establish a "village," the Uchiha clan's homeland might have remained their own.
A look of irritation flashed across Izuna's face at the memory of the one who had torn his brother's attention from him. But the knowledge that this old enemy now languished in the Underworld brought a smile to Izuna's lips.
Madara, unaware of Izuna's inner turmoil, felt only pride in his brother's prowess and the swift victory he'd secured. But suddenly, both brothers sensed a presence behind them.
A figure in ceremonial robes, with blond hair and a calm demeanor, appeared atop the Gedo Statue. Despite his distaste for the Flying Thunder God Technique, Madara greeted him without hostility.
"What brings you here, Fourth Hokage?" he asked coolly.
The figure was none other than Minato Namikaze. When Kakashi had informed Minato's son Naruto that he might have the chance to revive his father, the boy had been overjoyed, practically begging Kakashi to make it happen.
Facing the legendary Madara Uchiha, Minato scratched his head sheepishly. "Lord Madara, the battles on the other fronts are already over. I came to let you know that it's time for the meeting."
Madara couldn't hide his irritation. The last thing he expected was to be the last Konoha shinobi to finish his battle. "Tch," he scoffed, annoyed.
Yet it made sense unlike the Hidden Cloud, the other villages had surrendered immediately upon Konoha's arrival. Though Madara was incredibly powerful, his bout with the Raikage had wasted valuable time.
(End of Chapter)
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