On Uzushiogakure, the battle had now entered its most intense phase.
On the eastern battlefield, Uzumaki Suikyō led all of the clan's elites as they faced the main force of the Allied Army head-on.
As a veteran Kage-level powerhouse, coupled with the Uzumaki clan's formidable sealing techniques, Suikyō's overall strength far surpassed that of ordinary Kage-tier shinobi. Because of this, the Alliance had deployed two Kage-level fighters against him—the Third Mizukage and the leader of the Land of Craftsmen.
Even with the two of them working together, they could only barely force Uzumaki Suikyō onto the defensive. This alone spoke volumes about how terrifying the old man's combat power truly was.
That said, the Third Mizukage clearly wasn't fighting at full strength.
He understood very well that this battle was merely a performance. Once the Uzumaki clan was completely wiped out and it came time to divide the spoils, that was when the real bloodshed would begin.
Because of that, he was deliberately conserving his strength.
In contrast, the leader of the Land of Craftsmen fought with everything he had. He wielded two strange weapons—blades lined with sharp protrusions—and relentlessly assaulted Uzumaki Suikyō.
The Land of Craftsmen was famous throughout the shinobi world for its master smiths. While its ninja were unremarkable in chakra reserves and ninjutsu, they consistently produced the finest weapons in the entire shinobi world.
Many nations' ninja tools were purchased from this very country.
During the Third Great Ninja War in the original timeline, most of the weapons wielded by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had originated from the Land of Craftsmen.
As for this particular leader, Uzumaki Suikyō knew him well.
His name was Yoshida Eiichi, the greatest weapon craftsman the Land of Craftsmen had ever produced.
It was said that one of his ancestors had once forged the infamous war fan for Uchiha Madara—a weapon that struck fear into countless hearts.
The pair of weapons Yoshida Eiichi wielded now were the culmination of his life's work, a masterpiece known as Lightning Blades: Kiba.
Relying on these twin swords, Yoshida Eiichi—despite being only early-stage Kage-level—possessed combat power capable of threatening even mid- to late-stage Kage-level opponents.
The reason was simple: this blade could manipulate lightning. It massively enhanced the wielder's speed, and with lightning amplification, its sharpness reached an extreme. There were even rumors that it had once split lightning itself.
What Uzumaki Suikyō didn't know was that this blade would later become even more famous—because it would eventually be counted among the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist.
As for how it would pass from the Land of Craftsmen into Kirigakure's hands, no one would ever know for certain. But if Yoshida Eiichi were to die in this purge of the Uzumaki clan, the Third Mizukage might very well take the blade for himself…
At this moment, lightning completely enveloped Yoshida Eiichi's twin swords. His speed surged dramatically, and despite his crude taijutsu, he managed to fully suppress Uzumaki Suikyō.
His eyes burned with fanaticism as he stared at Suikyō.
His research into ninja tools had long reached a bottleneck. Of the seven legendary blades he had designed, only the Kiba had been successfully forged so far.
But if he could obtain the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, that bottleneck would disappear. The Uzumaki seals were profound and esoteric—combined with his forging expertise, even the most difficult of the seven blades might be completed ahead of time.
That was precisely why the Land of Craftsmen—normally a neutral nation of artisans—had chosen to participate in this war.
And Yoshida Eiichi's fanaticism stemmed from the future he could already envision:
a future where he forged all seven blades, elevated the Land of Craftsmen, and stood at the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
While he handled the frontal assault, the Third Mizukage continued to "fish," occasionally casting techniques like Water Dragon Bullet or Great Waterfall, focusing on battlefield control rather than decisive blows.
Even so, the pressure left Uzumaki Suikyō overwhelmed.
Through his sensory perception, Suikyō already knew that the rest of his clansmen were struggling desperately on other fronts.
Most troubling of all was the Third Raikage—the shinobi known as the Second Fastest in the Shinobi World. He rampaged through the battlefield like an unstoppable force, killing Uzumaki ninja with a single hand strike wherever he passed.
Fortunately, Kushina's grandmother—Suikyō's own sister—had managed to intercept him in time.
But Suikyō knew his sister's limits all too well.
Though she was also Kage-level and shared the Uzumaki bloodline, her strength was only early Kage-tier. Facing a monster like the Third Raikage, who stood at the peak of Kage-level, she wouldn't be able to hold out for long.
As for the messenger sent to seek Arata's aid, Suikyō no longer dared to hope.
The Land of Whirlpools was far from Konoha.
He had never imagined that the enemy would launch their assault so soon after the messenger left.
Even if Arata truly intended to help, by the time he arrived, the Uzumaki clan would likely already be annihilated.
With that realization, Uzumaki Suikyō made his decision and shouted:
"All Uzumaki—fall back!"
The clan members locked in battle felt as though they'd been granted amnesty. They immediately disengaged and retreated at full speed.
Suikyō's sister was the first to break away from the Third Raikage, releasing her Adamantine Sealing Chains as a final threat—prepared to die together with him if he pursued.
The moment the chains appeared, the Third Raikage's expression changed. He immediately retreated, widening the distance.
As Raikage, he knew exactly what that technique meant. Even at peak Kage-level strength, he dared not be entangled by it.
Even if the old woman could only produce two chains, they were enough to protect her immediate vicinity. Charging in recklessly now meant risking total sealing.
Seeing his people obey his command, Uzumaki Suikyō brought his hands together in a seal.
His chakra and life force drained away at a terrifying speed. His already gray hair scattered into the wind, and his body visibly shrank—within a blink, he looked like nothing more than skin and bones, as if completely wrung dry.
Using his final breath, he roared:
"Divine — Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
This was the same supreme sealing jutsu Uzumaki Mito had used against the Monkey Sage.
But while Mito could barely activate it simply by entering Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Suikyō was far weaker. To use it, he had to pay with his life.
Even so, he could only manifest fifteen chains.
Compared to Mito's forty-plus chains, the difference was enormous.
Yet it was still enough.
When the fifteen Adamantine Chains erupted, both the Third Mizukage and Yoshida Eiichi broke out in cold sweat and retreated frantically.
Unfortunately—
Though the chains were numerous, they were slightly too slow.
Against Yoshida Eiichi, who wielded Lightning Blades: Kiba, they couldn't even graze the corner of his clothing. As for the Third Mizukage, whose strength was formidable and whose Body Flicker Technique was top-tier, he escaped the sealing range instantly.
Just as the two breathed a sigh of relief—
A streak of purple light flashed across their vision.
In the next instant, the land between them and Uzumaki Suikyō was split cleanly down the middle.