Ōnoki's refusal to compromise was clear. Standing behind him, Kurotsuchi and Kitsuchi instantly realized what was about to happen.
A great battle was on the verge of erupting!
"Kurotsuchi, be careful," Kitsuchi muttered, his throat tight as he swallowed hard.
It was his first time meeting Senju Haruto face-to-face, but not the first time hearing about him. Every deed tied to that name had already spread across the entire shinobi world. From every angle, Haruto was an extraordinary ninja.
But deep down, Kitsuchi understood—Haruto wasn't just extraordinary.
He had unified the Land of Fire, abolished the feudal daimyō, annihilated the Land of Water, absorbed the Land of Wind, and destroyed the Akatsuki—the very organization that once collected Tailed Beasts.
Any one of these feats alone was enough to shake the world.
Yet all of them had been accomplished by one man.
To say he felt no fear would be a lie.
And yet—Kitsuchi was not someone who clung desperately to life.
Ōnoki was not only the Tsuchikage of the Land of Earth; he was also his father. A man he deeply respected.
Even if the two of them joined forces, they might still not be a match for Haruto. Even if they couldn't stand against the overwhelming momentum of the Land of Fire.
But the Land of Earth would never be surrendered or abandoned—not while they were still breathing.
If Senju Haruto wanted to unify the world and claim their homeland, then he would have to step over their corpses to do it!
"Understood," Kurotsuchi answered sharply, bracing herself for battle.
What she didn't expect, however, was that Kitsuchi's warning hadn't been about fighting cautiously.
It was something else.
"In a moment, I'll create an opening for you to retreat. When that happens, take it—leave here and return to the village."
Kitsuchi's voice was steady, firm with resolve.
As her father, he couldn't bear the thought of watching his daughter be killed before his eyes.
But he also knew that the unification of the shinobi world was inevitable. Even if Kurotsuchi made it back to the village, she couldn't change the tide of history.
And so, he gave her no missions, no responsibilities—only the order to survive.
Ōnoki's eyes flicked toward Kitsuchi, recognizing his determination. His will.
"You've made up your mind, haven't you, Kitsuchi?" The Third Tsuchikage smiled faintly, touched by his son's resolve.
Kitsuchi nodded firmly. "Yes. I've made up my mind. But… I'm still just a stubborn rock."
"No," Ōnoki shook his head without hesitation, rejecting that idea.
Perhaps once, his son had been a mere block of unyielding stone. But after years of weathering and polish, Kitsuchi had become a stone capable of sinking calmly to the bottom of the river—steadfast, immovable.
If not for what was about to happen—if Iwagakure and the Land of Earth were not about to disappear—then Kitsuchi would have made an outstanding Tsuchikage.
"…Grandfather. Father."
Kurotsuchi clenched her teeth, unwilling to accept their decision. She wanted to stay. She wanted to fight—for the village.
Even if her heart told her this was a hopeless battle.
"If only Deidara-senpai were here…"
She couldn't help but sigh quietly.
Even if Deidara had committed crimes, even if he had left the village and become a missing-nin, his strength was undeniable.
Off to the side, the Raikage Darui watched the three of them—firm in their resolve—and felt a pang of shame.
For so long, he had been a man without drive, without ambition. Even after becoming the Fifth Raikage, that hadn't really changed.
When the Three Kage Summit had begun, he had already resigned himself to despair. He was even prepared to surrender unconditionally.
But now.
Now, faced with the unbreakable will of stone, he remembered.
The Third Raikage. The Fourth Raikage.
Yes… Even when faced with the rampaging Eight-Tails, even when pursued by ten thousand enemies, they had never thought of retreating. Never chosen to compromise.
They had always pushed forward.
If the Fourth Raikage were here now, he would surely scold me mercilessly for the man I've become.
After all, I carry the title of Raikage, the name of "A."
That thought snapped something inside Darui. He rose suddenly to his feet, staring directly at Senju Haruto without the slightest trace of fear.
The abruptness of it stunned Omoi and Karui, but soon both nodded with relief.
They too would stand with their Raikage, with their village. Even if it meant death.
"Well then… are you ready?"
Ōnoki's smile widened as his body lifted into the air, floating from his chair.
It was obvious—the Third Tsuchikage was preparing to fight.
Kakashi tensed immediately. At that same moment, the conference room doors were kicked open.
The man who entered was none other than the Demon of the Mist, Momochi Zabuza—now under Haruto's command.
Since Yamato had been dispatched to oversee the Land of Wind's political, military, and economic integration, Zabuza had naturally stepped in to fill his place.
These days, Zabuza both trusted and admired Haruto deeply. The thought of a fractured shinobi world finally being unified by this man stirred his heart.
After all, the reason he had once betrayed his village, the reason he had tried to assassinate the Mizukage, was for true peace—for a world where children wouldn't have to kill each other.
How could he now allow anyone to stand in the way of that dream?
"There's no need for you two."
But Haruto dismissed both Kakashi and Zabuza's concern with a wave, refusing their help without hesitation.
Whether Tsuchikage or Raikage, in his eyes, they were nothing to fear.
"…Understood."
Kakashi and Zabuza exchanged a quick glance, surprised, but ultimately obeyed. They stepped aside, watching silently as Haruto prepared to take the stage alone.
Haruto placed one hand casually behind his back, extending only his left hand toward his opponents in a gesture of mockery.
As if to say: come at me.
For the likes of you, one hand is more than enough.
Ōnoki and Darui exchanged a quick look, their eyes communicating silent strategy.
Bang!
With a loud crash, the table in the center of the room exploded into the air.
In that instant, both the Tsuchikage and Raikage launched themselves at Senju Haruto.
Kitsuchi.
Kurotsuchi.
Omoi.
Karui.
All moved at once as well—attacking, covering, throwing themselves into the fray alongside their Kage.
"Good."
Haruto's expression didn't shift in the slightest as he watched them charge him.
Compared to what he had become, their strength was insignificant. Pathetically so.
And yet—the spirit burning in them was something even he couldn't dismiss.
To fight when victory is impossible.
To shatter like jade rather than survive as clay.
That was not foolishness.
That was true courage.
For there are some things whose value exceeds life itself.
If their roles were reversed, perhaps he would make the same choice.
"In that case… I'll play along."
With those words, Haruto pulled off his Hokage cloak and tossed it toward Kakashi.
This would be a battle of shinobi.
He would not sully it with magic.
But neither were these opponents enough to force him to show his full strength.
...
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