"How pitiful. To think that even as the Hokage, in the final battle of your life, you don't even have a single jōnin at your side."
In the end, it was still Fūka Kotarō (OC) who took on the burden of carrying the Third Hokage, though the daimyō of the Grass Country was casually tossed back onto the battlefield — if the man was lucky enough not to die, he could still go back to being the Grass Country's daimyō.
"Even the ANBU, the Hokage's right-hand men, are just standing outside watching the show."
Mui gave him a speechless glance. But he had to admit, this time Fūka Kotarō wasn't wrong. He had personally seen that jōnin called Kakashi not only stop the bushy-browed one from trying to rescue the Third, but even lead several other capable jōnin elsewhere.
It was hard not to suspect that he was doing it on purpose.
Mui's eyes shifted again — to the two rampaging tailed beasts wreaking havoc inside the village.
Shukaku and Chōmei — just these two alone were enough to give Konoha's jōnin a real taste of hell.
One tailed beast fired Renkuudan air bullets; the other unleashed violent windstorms.
Under their combined assault, in just a short time Konoha had already been nearly one-third destroyed — and that was with Jiraiya desperately holding them at bay.
"Summoning Jutsu!" Jiraiya once again called upon his summoning. A massive toad wielding a great blade and biting down on a pipe appeared beneath him.
"Jiraiya, it's been a long—" Before Gamabunta could even finish speaking, a Renkuudan slammed toward him, cutting his words short.
When Gamabunta finally got a clear look at the scene ahead, a massive bead of sweat slid down the back of his head.
"Oi, Jiraiya… you're not telling me we're supposed to fight those two things, are you?" he said, pointing at Shukaku and Chōmei.
A boss summon like Gamabunta could still manage to go head-to-head with a single tailed beast — provided the beast didn't unleash a Tailed Beast Bomb and stuck to physical combat.
But two at once? Best to run as far as possible.
"There's no helping it. Gamaken's already injured." Jiraiya scratched his head in embarrassment from atop Bunta's head. After defeating Orochimaru's summoned three-headed snake, he and Gamaken had been attacked by the two beasts.
The result: Gamaken, caught off guard by a combined strike from Shukaku and Chōmei, was sent straight back to Mount Myōboku.
"What's wrong with you Konoha people? First it was the Nine-Tails, and now it's the One-Tail and the Seven-Tails."
Grumbling, Gamabunta nevertheless drew the long blade from his waist while dodging incoming attacks. "Did you declare war on tailed beasts or something?"
"In any case — stop them before they cause more damage to the village."
The tailed beasts weren't the only headache.
Scattered across Konoha were other powerful shinobi from the ninja world.
The middle-aged Ino–Shika–Chō trio had also run into what was probably their toughest opponent since becoming adults.
"Shadow Imitation Jutsu — success! You'd better calm down for a bit." Nara Shikaku sat on the ground, panting. His shadow stretched long and thin, connecting all the way to Shennong's.
The Nara clan's Yin Release secret technique — Shadow Imitation — restrained the target's movements by linking shadows together.
Once caught, Shennong was locked in place.
Just as he was about to call on the Zero-Tails for help—
"Expansion Jutsu!" Akimichi Chōza, wielding a steel staff, transformed into a giant and sent the Zero-Tails flying with a single blow.
As the "Chō" of the trio, once he activated his Expansion Jutsu, Chōza could temporarily fight even tailed beasts on equal footing.
In the original Fourth Great Ninja War, his son Chōji, after activating this same technique, was able to match a fully tailed beast–transformed Kinkaku without falling behind.
"Heh… how could you people possibly understand the ultimate power I've gained…" Shinno clearly wasn't willing to be restrained. "Dark Chakra — Body Revitalization!"
This chakra, born from the negative emotions of humans, could actually strengthen the body — its effect not unlike the black mud from a certain Holy Grail in Fuyuki City.
"What incredible brute strength!" Boosted by Dark Chakra, Shinno's power surged. Shikaku's strain multiplied as the Shadow Imitation began to buckle.
"Mind Body Disturbance Jutsu!"
A handsome middle-aged man in a red coat and with long blond hair stepped forward — Yamanaka Inoichi, Ino's father.
The jutsu disrupted Shinno's mind, loosening his control over his body.
"Who did Konoha offend?" Shikaku muttered, relief washing over him as the pressure eased. "Monsters like this… one after another…"
"Hahahaha! Art is an explosion!"
Even as the words left his mouth, a white bird flew in from the horizon — Deidara standing on top, arms akimbo, laughing wildly.
With each burst of manic laughter, flames lit up the sky and explosions thundered.
"Ugh… what a pain. Don't tell me Konoha's actually going to be destroyed," Shikaku muttered under his breath.
"Don't jinx it!" Inoichi quickly retorted.
"Just kidding."
For the trio, it was only a joke. Shikaku forgot it the moment he said it — he didn't mean it seriously.
The same casual attitude was shared by Danzō, who, after escorting the daimyō to safety, went into hiding.
In their minds, Konoha was so strong that there was no way it could fall from just one or two attacks.
Much like certain officials in the Ming Dynasty — when they were greedily amassing wealth and squeezing the people dry, they thought they were just taking a little for themselves. The imperial court was so mighty; how could it possibly collapse?
In truth, the fall of a great power almost always begins from within.
Konoha, though decayed, still had enough strength left to last a while.
After all, it had once been ranked the strongest among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Even the Sand, another of the Five Great Villages, still couldn't compare to Konoha.
So even without a Hokage, leaderless, and under siege by an enhanced Sand, the Sound, Akatsuki, and two tailed beasts, they had yet to be crushed — the remaining ninja clans working together were gradually clawing the situation back under control.
And this, despite thirty clans having already been taken away.
With leaders like Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Chōza, Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi, Aburame Shibi, Inuzuka Claw and others — none of them were pushovers.
Besides, Akatsuki's ties to the Sand were only that of hired mercenaries — they weren't going to throw their lives away for them. Many were outright slacking off, especially certain individuals: an elderly missing-nin in his nineties gleefully "collecting money," and a golden-haired brat in the sky having the time of his life with aerial bomb-throwing.
If things stopped here and no further heavy blows were dealt—
"Medical Forbidden Technique — Body Revitalization!"
A massive amount of dark power poured into Shinno's body. His muscles swelled to grotesque proportions, like a living King Billy.
With a violent tug, he broke free from the Shadow Imitation.
Shikaku swallowed hard. "Looks like it's do-or-die, old friends."
"Ah, Shinno-san — so you're here."
A new voice cut in sharply. The president of the shipping company, Mr. Hattori, appeared in their view — several other daimyō behind him.
He waved at Shinno. "You had us searching everywhere for you. Come on — it's time for our first stop."
"Hahahaha! Hattori, you dare show your face to me? Perfect timing!" Brimming with confidence in his new strength, Shinno declared, "I'm no longer the man who once had to bow and scrape before you."
In other words, his ego had inflated — massively.
"It seems a mere scrap of power was enough to make you lose yourself," Naruto said flatly. "Looks like I'll have to remind you of your place."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Shinno didn't take Naruto seriously at all. "I've gained the ultimate power — I'm the ultimate lifeform now!"
So intoxicated was he with the power of Dark Chakra that he didn't notice the Zero-Tails — the very mass of negative energy he relied upon — trembling in fear at the sight of Naruto.
"Guess you'll be the first." Laughing, Shinno charged Naruto.
"Taijutsu — Strong Fist !"
It was said that with the power of Dark Chakra, Shennong could open all Eight Gates without injury. This punch was his all-out Eight Gates–open finisher.
Black energy swirled around him; he looked like a god or demon incarnate, special effects cranked to the max.
In contrast, Naruto's response was plain and unadorned — a casual slap, like swatting a fly.
"Yang Release — Partial Chakra Mode."
The instant Shinno's strike met Naruto's palm, his expression changed dramatically.
An overwhelming, one-sided crush.
He had no ability to resist. Like a cannonball, Shinno was sent hurtling away, smashing through several buildings before finally crashing into a two-story house, shattering it — and being buried beneath the rubble.
"Some 'ultimate lifeform' you are," Naruto said mercilessly.
This was supposed to be Eight Gates fully open? Even Seventh Gate Guy's effects looked flashier than this.
What terrifying strength… truly worthy of Uzumaki-san, the daimyō thought in unison.
Sasuke clenched his fist. I'm learning that move — Naruto's teaching me as soon as we get back.
Nagato: As expected of our ancestor. The Uzumaki clan's greatest power really is its body and Adamantine Sealing Chains.
"Huh? This place looks familiar…"
Naruto finally realized the building Shinno had smashed into was the one he'd been assigned to stay in.
The surrounding area was already rubble, so he hadn't recognized it at first.
I might hate this place, but it's still my house. You broke it, so you're staying to work off the debt.
"Bring him too."
The daimyō all turned their eyes — once again — to Fūka Kotarō.
You've gotta be kidding me… Kotarō's face twisted in unwillingness, but he still quietly began digging through the rubble.
He had no choice — among them, his strength was at the bottom.
"What are you going to do?" Yamanaka Inoichi, sharp-eyed, spotted the Third on Kotarō's shoulder and asked quickly, "Where are you taking Hokage-sama?"
"We? We're not planning anything," Naruto said evenly. Then, as if mentioning a trivial matter, he added, "We're simply going to erase the Sarutobi clan from existence — today."
"What?" Inoichi's face went pale. He hurried to use his secret arts — but Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan knocked him unconscious with a single glare.
Ignoring the wary Chōza, Naruto turned to Shikaku. "Nara-san, you're a smart man."
"You should understand the saying — 'A wise man submits to the circumstances.'"
"Here's a word of advice: take your friends and head to the ruins of the Uchiha compound."
"If you're too late…" Naruto mimed an explosion with his hands. "Boom."
"And Konoha will be gone."