"Ugh…"
Raizen half-kneeling on the bloodied ground, felt his body hollowed out. His normally ruddy face was pale, a cold sweat clinging to his skin, and even his feet trembled uncontrollably.
"Chakra… completely drained."
He forced himself upright, dragging his exhausted body toward Kaguya Kyōhei step by step. Between each stagger, he popped a small medicinal pill, chakra slowly seeping back into his limbs.
"Kaguya… you were the first shadow-level ninja I ever killed."
Raizen approached the shattered ice that had held the fallen patriarch, his eyes dark, calculating. With a firm knock, the ice cracked and shattered entirely, scattering fragments of frozen battlefield across the ground.
"Done."
Even shadow-level powerhouses weren't invincible here in the Warring States—Raizen felt the grim truth settle in his chest. Every life taken, every battlefield, sharpened his hunger to grow stronger.
Meanwhile, the remaining Kaguya ninjas stared at the destroyed ice tomb in shock. Their patriarch… gone. A mix of terror and rage twisted through their ranks as sanity gave way to fury.
"The patriarch is dead!" one cried. "Follow me! Kill them all!"
From the coalition lines, Tachibana-sama's eyes widened at the sight, disbelief frozen on his features. Yet the reality before him sparked an overwhelming roar of triumph. With renewed fervor, the coalition ninjas surged forward, a tide of blood and rage smashing into the Kaguya forces.
Raizen's chakra was nearly spent. Surrounded, he would be vulnerable—if not for his towering ally.
The hill-sized summoned toad lumbered forward, a blade the size of a small mountain sweeping across the enemy. Kaguya ninjas were sent flying like ragdolls, and Raizen leapt atop the creature's massive head, scanning the battlefield from his elevated perch.
"Time for Toad Battle!" he shouted.
Even injured, the toad fought with unrelenting strength, carving a path through the Kaguya ranks. Crimson sunset painted the Hefeng Gorge, each clash of blade and kunai echoing through the canyon. Exhaustion pushed every ninja to their limit, but the coalition's morale surged as Kaguya's warriors faltered.
Finally, the new Kaguya commander called for retreat. Tears and curses followed their orders as the once-proud Kaguya forces withdrew.
"Victory," Raizen muttered under his breath, watching the enemy scatter.
The cost had been high: over 300 coalition ninjas lost, more than 40 from the Amamiya Clan alone. But the death of Kaguya Kyōhei—rebellion crushed, patriarch fallen—meant the Kaguya forces were leaderless. Civil strife brewed within their ranks, buying the coalition precious time before any retaliation.
Raizen's status had shifted irrevocably. Not a commander, but undeniably the linchpin of this battle. Even Tachibana-sama regarded him with a nod of respect.
In the unforgiving Warring States, that respect might just save his life tomorrow.