"Is it over… who won the battle? "
In the distance, the seven who had been rescued exchanged uneasy looks.
Just moments ago, the Tailed Beast Bomb that Uchiha Fugaku had dodged tore through the forest, carving a path that stretched for hundreds of meters.
Everything in its trajectory—stone, trees, the very earth itself—was obliterated. A deep, straight scar now marred the ground, like a dried river carved by sheer force.
For those who had never witnessed it before, the overwhelming destruction of a Tailed Beast Bomb and the terrifying might of a Jinchūriki were now burned into their minds.
But the battlefield had fallen silent. The clash was over. The outcome is decided. Fear gnawed at their hearts.
"Who won? Lord Hokage… or the enemy? "
"Come on, we need to see for ourselves," the middle-aged Uchiha woman urged after a moment of hesitation.
There was no escaping, no matter who the victor was. All they could do was find out.
When they reached the battleground, they saw a vast, barren stretch of land. The trees hadn't naturally vanished—they had been blown away, erased by the battle's shockwaves.
From this cleared vantage point, they spotted two figures.
One lay motionless on the ground a hundred meters away, his fate uncertain.
The other stood tall beside him. And at a glance, it was clear who had won.
"The flame-trimmed robe… it's Lord Hokage! Lord Hokage is victorious! "
"Our clan head has won! "
The sight of the white cloak with flames at its hem filled the seven with relief and joy. The dread of the Jinchūriki's power melted away. Despite the enemy's terrifying strength—even wielding the catastrophic Tailed Beast Bomb—it was Fugaku who stood unbroken.
They rushed forward, reaching the fallen figure.
The man's chest was pierced clean through, a gaping hole leaving no doubt. He was dead.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage, for saving us! "
"Clan Head, thank you for coming to our aid! "
They bowed deeply, voices filled with gratitude.
Fugaku gave a small nod. He drew out a sealing scroll, formed a seal, and stored the corpse of the Five-Tails' Jinchūriki within it.
Then his gaze turned back toward the group.
"The enemy has been completely eliminated. There should be no further danger. Return to Konoha."
The Uchiha woman hesitated. "Clan Head… you won't return with us? "
Fugaku's eyes flashed cold. "Iwagakure's shinobi dared to infiltrate the Land of Fire and attempt to capture Konoha's ninja. This cannot simply be overlooked."
For Iwagakure, the mission had been a disaster: three elite jōnin and even a Jinchūriki lost. A crippling blow.
But to Fugaku, it was still not enough. They needed to be taught a harsher lesson.
He parted ways with the seven and strode toward the Land of Earth.
Hours later, rolling highlands came into view.
Perched atop the ridges was a fortress of rough stone houses. Iwagakure shinobi in standard uniforms patrolled constantly, their eyes fixed warily toward the Land of Fire.
This was the forward base on the border of Iwagakure.
"Susanoo!"
Fugaku unleashed his power without restraint.
A half-body, black Susanoo clad in armor erupted around him, shield in its left hand, spear in its right.
Boom!
The massive black spear flew from Susanoo's hand, breaking the sound barrier as it hurtled straight into the densest cluster of enemy shinobi.
The distance of several hundred meters vanished in an instant.
The spear struck the center of the camp and detonated, releasing a wave of destruction.
"Pffft—"
The closest shinobi were torn apart before they could even scream.
"Ahhhh!"
Those slightly farther away managed only a cry before being caught in the shockwave, their bodies twisting, flung like ragdolls, and left lifeless.
"Ghkk—!"
Only those on the outskirts survived, bloodied and broken, coughing up blood as they collapsed.
In a single strike, dozens were killed or maimed.
Fugaku blurred forward with Shunshin, his figure leaving afterimages as he descended into the chaos of the Iwagakure border post.
Slaughtering the invading squad hadn't cooled his fury. To truly drive the lesson home, he would crush the border camp itself.
Within breaths, he was among them.
Crash!
Susanoo surged forward, shield first, plowing through groups of shinobi. Blood sprayed as men were hurled through the air—some dead instantly, others vomiting blood in agony. A dozen fell from just that one charge.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! "
Alarm bells rose in panic through the camp.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet! "
"Earth Release: Stone Dragon! "
A barrage of earth-style jutsu crashed toward Susanoo.
Some shattered harmlessly against its armored form. Others were reflected back by the great shield, tearing into their own ranks and cutting down more Iwa shinobi.
"Earth Release: Earth Spire Spears! "
One shinobi finally aimed for Susanoo's weak point—beneath its feet. Stone lances erupted from the ground, thrusting toward Fugaku inside.
"Lava Release: Rubber Armor."
Fugaku summoned the kekkei genkai he had seized from the Tsuchidai of Kumogakure.
A sheath of hardened rubber coated his body from the neck down.
The stone spears slammed into the armor, denting it slightly but failing to pierce through. Ordinary earth techniques could not overcome it.
"Khk—!"
Fugaku's gaze snapped toward the shinobi who had launched the attack.
Susanoo's right arm elongated suddenly, stretching tens of meters, sweeping across the battlefield in a devastating arc.
Screams erupted as dozens of Iwa shinobi were crushed, blood spraying from their mouths as they were hurled aside—among them, the one who had cast the Earth Spire Spears.
With their chakra cut off, the lances that had pierced toward Fugaku crumbled to dust.