War has always demanded blood, and this battle was no exception.
Even if they were used to bolster his reputation, it didn't mean there wouldn't be casualties.
Yuki Seisui knew his own strength, and both Minato and Uchiha Haru were formidable—but in a war of this scale, all they could do was protect themselves while doing their best to save those around them.
No matter how careful, some losses were inevitable—after all, most of these were just lower-rank ninja.
But since they followed him, Yuki Seisui took responsibility for them. He could only strive to minimize the death toll.
Standing at the border of the Land of Fire, Yuki Seisui faced the gathered ninjas and raised his long sword.
"Everyone! The battle ahead will be fierce. I cannot promise all of you will survive, but I will ensure most of you make it!"
"This fight is for Konoha! For peace!"
"Seisui-sama!"
"We know! Don't worry about us—just annihilate the Sand ninja!"
"Yes! Kill every last Sand ninja!"
"Seisui-sama! Victory is ours!!"
"Victory! Victory! Victory!"
Their voices, initially varied, merged into a single cry at the last moment: Victory!
A hundred voices echoed along the Land of Fire's border.
Yuki Seisui turned to Minato and Uchiha Haru:
"You each take fifty to intercept the Sand ninja vanguard. I will block their reinforcements."
"No! That's far too dangerous!" Haru immediately rejected the plan.
Minato nodded in agreement. "Yes. You'll be risking too much alone! Our job is just to stall them for a few days; you don't need to face their main force!"
Yuki Seisui chuckled lightly, lifting his gaze to the sky, then glancing at the mostly lower-rank Konoha ninja before him.
If he didn't stop the Sand reinforcements personally, more of them would die.
A typical ninja would treat this mission as expendable. But Yuki Seisui aspired to be Hokage. These were his people now, his team, and their survival was paramount.
"Minato, if you want to be Hokage, it's not just about words," Seisui said, removing his coat to reveal a black combat suit beneath.
The crowd fell silent, all eyes on him.
"To hold a position is to fulfill its responsibilities. As commander of this unit, I will bring as many back alive as possible, not recklessly sacrifice them for some mission."
"Where duty calls, I go, even if it means facing millions!"
"Minato, to become Hokage, one must bear its duties. Power and responsibility are twins; if you want the first, you must embrace the second!"
"Responsibility isn't optional—it must be acted upon, whether you want it or not!"
With that, he tossed his sword sheath into the air. The black dragon-patterned sheath glinted brilliantly in the sun, and his once-empty eyes now seemed to sparkle with life.
"Victory! This battle will be ours!"
Without hesitation, Yuki Seisui stepped across the border. Haru caught the falling sheath, staring blankly, while Minato contemplated Seisui's words in silence.
As a ninja, Minato was exceptional. But as a Hokage? He was reckless, even negligent.
A ninja only needed to be a blade. A Hokage must consider the entire village.
The Sand ninja vanguard was approaching, their main force not far behind. Their mission: stall the enemy for at least three days.
For other ninja, this would be nearly impossible, even with a hundred lower-rank fighters. In the eyes of upper-rank ninja, genin were like domesticated chickens—hardly capable of resistance. Their utility was reconnaissance, support, or minor tactical interference.
If Yuki Seisui only blocked the vanguard, none would die. But stalling for three days required bold action. He chose to charge head-on.
"I am Seisui—my duels are my way. Direct confrontation is enough."
As Seisui advanced, everyone except Haru and Minato wept. They had heard his words, and their hearts were moved.
"I can't believe my luck to see Seisui-sama in action!" one genin cried, tears streaming.
"This is the true Will of Fire!"
"We cannot let him down!"
"Kill the Sand ninja!"
As tears streaked their faces, their resolve hardened.
"Seisui-sama will triumph!"
"Victory! Victory! Victory!"
Amidst the cries, Seisui remained expressionless, crossing the border with the Sharingan in his eyes. It was time for the ninja world to witness his might.
Unlike ordinary Mangekyo Sharingan, Seisui wasn't concerned about blindness—his lineage as a distant Uzumaki allowed him to slowly restore ocular power with his unique chakra.
He walked, cutting through ambushed Sand ninja with precision. Their deaths littered his path, and when he emerged from the forest, his speed increased, charging toward the main Sand forces.
The vanguard recognized him immediately, and one familiar figure emerged, eyes blazing with hatred.
"Yuki Seisui!" Rasa shouted.
"Do you remember me from the chunin exams? This time, you die!"
Rasa lunged, sand golden spears forming around him, ignoring the surrounding jutsu.
"Pitiful insect," Seisui said, arms crossed, unbothered.
Sand spears and jutsu struck, clashing against him with metallic echoes, but he remained unscathed. Water flowed beneath him, transforming into an ice platform, lifting him above the battlefield.
"If this is all you've got, you might as well die," he said.
Rasa struggled, but it was useless. His life ended with eyes wide open, fixed on Seisui's face.
Rasa is dead!
Unwilling to die in peace.
"Heh. I've long wanted to kill you," Seisui muttered, tossing the body aside.
The Third Kazekage, enraged, launched a magnetic sand attack, furious that a Konoha genius had killed his top Sand ninja.
But Seisui remained calm, summoning two shadow clones. The attack shattered them, but Seisui pressed on, mocking the Third Kazekage's skill.
The Third Kazekage's sand formed a metal cage around Seisui, shrinking rapidly. "Explode!" he commanded.
The explosion engulfed him, but Seisui emerged, singed but alive, his Sharingan now golden with three tomoe.
His Susanoo's skeleton materialized, growing into a fully armored giant over fifty meters tall. A massive sword appeared at its waist.
The Third Kazekage staggered, terror-stricken. "Retreat! Get away from this giant!"
"Too late!" Seisui's voice rang out. Drawing the sword, he struck down with black energy, a colossal slash cutting through the Sand ninja ranks.
"Damn it!" the Third Kazekage yelled, erecting a sand iron barrier, but Seisui's attack obliterated it. Hundreds of Sand ninja perished in the wake.
"Fall back! Retreat!" he ordered, unleashing tidal waves of sand iron, yet Seisui's Susanoo ignored them entirely.
"Pitiful resistance," he mused from the cockpit atop the Susanoo, his golden eyes spinning the tomoe, blood trickling as his ocular power drained. Uzumaki chakra poured in to restore his vision.
With a triumphant grin: "Show me your best!"
And so, the stage was set for an overwhelming display of Konoha genius against the might of the Sand ninja
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