"Order! Gather all ninja forces and move out—we face Kirigakure head-on!"
"Yes!"
Uchiha Fugaku did not hesitate. He turned sharply, hair fluttering behind him as he strode out of the command hall, already issuing follow-up orders to the clan elites.
"…Sigh."
Left behind in the conference room, only one man remained seated.
Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a long, weary breath.
If he had any choice at all… he truly did not want to participate in a war like this.
Not again.
On the opposite side of the battlefield—
The forces of Kirigakure had already assembled.
At their forefront stood the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
Behind him gathered the full might of the Hidden Mist:
the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the war-hungry Kaguya Clan, the Yuki Clan wielding Ice Release, and the Hōzuki Clan, masters of the Hydrification Technique.
This was not the era of the Blood Mist yet.
Kirigakure was still at the height of its strength—undeniably one of the most powerful great villages.
Yagura stood quietly at the front.
His body looked almost childlike—short, compact, deceptively small.
But appearances were lies.
Yagura Karatachi was not young.
He was a perfect Jinchūriki of the Three-Tails, Isobu, capable of freely wielding its power.
In raw combat ability alone, he stood firmly at the Kage tier, even among elites.
At this moment, his eyes were calm.
A sharp, oppressive killing intent radiated faintly from his body.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen standing nearby felt it immediately.
"…Do you guys feel it too?" one of them muttered.
"Yeah. Mizukage-sama feels different today."
"I thought it was just me."
The speaker swallowed.
"He was dangerous before but not like this. Today… it's like he's a drawn blade."
"Honestly," another said with a dry laugh, "it's a little terrifying."
"…But also reassuring."
Before the murmurs could spread further, a sharp voice cut through them.
"Enough."
A senior member of the Hōzuki clan—acting as the de facto leader among the Swordsmen—spoke coldly.
"This is war. Of course the Mizukage is serious."
The chatter immediately died down.
No one argued.
At this time, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had not yet been shattered by Might Duy, nor had they endured the madness of the Blood Mist era.
They were loyal.
Proud.
And absolutely devoted to Kirigakure and to Yagura.
Yagura, who had been standing with eyes half-closed, suddenly lifted his head.
His gaze locked onto the horizon.
"…They're here."
Across the field, over a thousand Konoha shinobi emerged—formation tight, chakra restrained but heavy.
At their center stood Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage.
At his side—Uchiha Fugaku.
That's… the student of Hashirama's successor, Yagura thought.
At that moment—
A faint glint flashed in his eyes.
For an instant, the reflection of three-tomoe Sharingan rotated silently.
Unnoticed by anyone else.
Yagura Karatachi… was already under Uchiha Madara's genjutsu.
His attention swept coldly over Hiruzen.
As for Fugaku—
Madara did not care.
The Uchiha clan had chosen safety over pride, submission over ambition.
From the moment Madara left Konoha, the clan had ceased to exist in his eyes.
Only he was Uchiha.
The rest were merely remnants.
"Ahem—Mizukage-sama."
Hiruzen stepped forward, raising his voice with practiced calm.
"We should at least—"
If diplomacy could resolve this, he would always choose that path.
That had always been Sarutobi Hiruzen's creed.
Unfortunately—
The Yagura standing before him was not truly Yagura.
Madara had no interest in negotiations.
He wanted to know only one thing—
How much of Hashirama's legacy does this old man still carry?
Yagura's hands moved instantly.
Seals snapped together.
"Water Release—Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"You—!"
The words barely left Hiruzen's mouth before—
ROOOOAR!
A massive water dragon surged forward, tearing across the battlefield toward him.
"Earth Release—Earth-Style Wall!"
Despite years away from the front lines, Hiruzen reacted instantly.
Layer after layer of earthen walls rose before him.
They shattered under the water dragon's impact—once, twice, three times—
But finally held.
"Lord Mizukage—!"
Hiruzen frowned deeply.
"You look young, but must you really act like one? Charging in without a word—!"
"You talk too much."
Yagura didn't slow down for a second.
This was Madara's style—clean, ruthless, decisive.
Sliding across the water's surface, Yagura closed the distance in a blur.
His weapon—a staff-like chakra weapon—came down in a violent arc.
"So reckless—!"
Hiruzen had no time to think.
"Summoning Technique!"
BANG!
A burst of smoke exploded outward.
The Monkey King Enma appeared in front of him.
"Hiruzen—what's—"
BOOM!
Yagura's strike slammed into Enma's body before he could finish.
"Get back!"
Yagura's voice was icy.
His target was clear—Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Even with his adamantine body, Enma felt the impact shake him.
"Hiruzen! What's going on?!"
"I'll explain later—Enma, transform!"
"…Tch. Fine."
Years of battle forged trust.
In a flash, Enma transformed into the Adamantine Staff.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Metal screamed as weapon met weapon.
Sparks flew with every collision.
In pure taijutsu—
Hiruzen was being pushed back.
"…Damn it."
He grimaced.
"I never heard the Fourth Mizukage was this strong."
Years behind a desk had dulled his edge.
Even with Enma's weapon quality compensating, this fight was exhausting.
My strength has fallen more than I thought…
Around them, both armies watched.
"Lord Mizukage's fighting spirit is insane today."
"He didn't even hesitate."
"Honestly… the Third Hokage doesn't look that impressive."
Anyone with eyes could see it.
Without Enma's weapon advantage, Hiruzen would already be overwhelmed.
That alone boosted morale across Kirigakure's ranks.
"Heh. Our turn."
Jūzō Biwa grinned, resting the Executioner's Blade on his shoulder.
Beside him, Fuguki Suikazan rolled his neck, Samehada twitching eagerly.
The other swordsmen laughed lowly.
The Hōzuki leader raised his arm.
"Follow the Mizukage!"
"For Kirigakure!"
"Crush them!"
The battlefield erupted.
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