Chiya's words echoed across the northern battlefield where the smoke had yet to clear, like the final judgment, carrying unquestionable authority and cold determination.
Even the air seemed to freeze because of the ultimatum. The surviving Konoha shinobi looked at the black haired, black clothed figure with both awe and fear in their eyes, emotions so strong they almost became tangible.
He simply stood there without deliberately releasing any pressure, yet he had already become the absolute center of the entire battlefield.
Everyone in Konoha whom his gaze swept across.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, Namikaze Minato...
All of them felt a chill in their hearts.
They clearly realized that after this battle, the center of power in Konoha had shifted beyond recovery.
The balance of power had completely tipped toward this young Uchiha Clan Head.
He was not the Hokage, but at this moment, his will had surpassed even the Hokage's orders.
"Three days..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath of the scorched, blood filled air before replying in a deep voice.
"Very well. We will do as you say."
"Minato, immediately arrange for our fastest Intelligence Team to deliver the news..."
"And the results of the battle, exactly as they happened, to the four great shinobi villages."
He deliberately emphasized the words exactly as they happened, meaning Chiya's godlike power and the hopeless truth that two Kage had been captured must be reported without hiding anything.
Namikaze Minato nodded solemnly.
"Understood."
He took one deep look at Chiya before instantly disappearing to personally arrange the delivery of the news that would shake the entire shinobi world.
Danzo's single eye remained hidden in the shadows while his fingers trembled slightly.
Not from fear, but from overwhelming excitement and greed.
He looked at the Third Raikage and the Tsuchikage, who were heavily guarded by Uchiha elites and covered in sealing techniques.
Then he looked toward Chiya, who acted as though he had merely completed a trivial task.
The darkness in his heart spread wildly like creeping vines.
"This... is the power that can control everything..."
"I must obtain it. I must make it mine."
He muttered quietly.
Chiya's gaze swept toward him.
A crimson light flashed.
Tsukuyomi!
Danzo's expression froze for an instant.
The next moment, all strength left his body.
His legs gave way, and he dropped to one knee.
He gasped heavily as his pupils trembled violently.
Seeing Danzo in such a miserable state, not a single person stepped forward to help him.
He looked like a dead dog.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi beside him merely closed his eyes and slowly shook his head.
"Begin the operation!"
As Hiruzen gave the order.
Konoha's war machine immediately began operating efficiently, cleaning the battlefield, securing prisoners, and treating the wounded.
However, an atmosphere unlike anything before spread throughout the camp.
It was submission to absolute power, mixed with anticipation and uneasiness toward the future.
Everyone's eyes intentionally or unintentionally focused on Uchiha Chiya standing ahead.
...
The news crossed mountains and deserts through messenger hawks and every available intelligence method, reaching Sunagakure in the Land of Wind first.
When the detailed report describing the northern battlefield.
Especially how Uchiha Chiya had used the Complete Body Susano'o to crush everything in his path, instantly kill a Jinchuriki, capture both the Tsuchikage and the Raikage, and force an army of ten thousand to surrender...
Was presented before the remaining leaders of Sunagakure, the entire meeting room fell silent like a grave.
Thump.
One elder immediately collapsed into his seat.
His face was completely pale, and his trembling fingers could no longer hold his teacup.
"A monster... Uchiha Chiya really is a true monster..."
Another elder muttered absentmindedly, his unfocused eyes seeming to see the dark crimson giant flattening Sunagakure with a single step.
"Uchiha Chiya has a good relationship with Pakura. We... We actually tried to scheme against her before? We even wanted to label Pakura as a deserter?"
The elder's dry voice was filled with lingering fear and despair.
Fear spread through them like the coldest poison, instantly invading both their hearts and bones.
Sunagakure had already become extremely weak because of war and internal conflict.
After learning about the miserable fate of the Iwagakure and Kumogakure Allied Forces, the last trace of courage to resist completely disappeared.
"Surrender! We must surrender!"
One elder who supported peace nearly screamed as he made the decision.
"Immediately send an envoy with the humblest wording and the greatest gifts to Konoha as quickly as possible!"
"Express Sunagakure's unconditional willingness to submit! Hurry! There must not be any delay!"
"Konoha must see our sincerity within three days!"
The newly appointed Kazekage, Rasa, and the rest of the elder council remained silent.
The delegation was hastily assembled.
Carrying Sunagakure's letter of surrender and valuable gifts.
They departed overnight, racing toward the Land of Fire.
Their faces were filled with fear and urgency, hoping only to reach Konoha as soon as possible and calm the anger of that Uchiha.
However, they did not know that among Sunagakure's leadership, one seemingly ordinary elder.
After the delegation departed, a strange darkness flashed through his eyes.
The information was secretly transmitted through a special method.
Deep within the desert, a figure hidden inside a puppet shell received the message.
It was none other than Sasori of the Red Sand, who had defected long ago.
"...Submit? Unconditionally? Heh... Hehehe..."
Behind the puppet, Sasori's cold and twisted laughter echoed.
"What complete garbage."
"A village like this, what value does it even have?"
"Terrified out of their minds, wagging their tails like stray dogs begging for mercy..."
He had always looked down upon Sunagakure and hated it.
Now that he learned they had chosen to kneel so easily.
A wave of rage from feeling insulted and disgraced instantly consumed him.
Following their direction, he traveled using his flying puppet.
Until he intercepted the delegation.
The mechanisms on the puppet opened.
Poison needles, flames, blades...
Countless deadly weapons poured out, all aimed at the Sunagakure delegation hurrying through the desert.
"Enemy attack!!"
"Protect the documents! Aaah!"
The screams were instantly swallowed by the desert wind and the sounds of the puppet's slaughter.
Only a short time later, every member of the delegation had become another ruined work of art in the desert.
Blood stained the yellow sand red.
The letter of surrender was consumed by flames.
The gifts lay scattered across the ground.
Sasori calmly retracted the puppet's weapons without even glancing at the corpses.
"What a boring farce. True art is eternity, not submission."
He controlled the puppet as it slowly sank beneath the sand and disappeared.
Only chaos remained behind.
Along with the blood stained response that Sunagakure was now destined to never deliver before the deadline.
Compared to Sunagakure, whose communication channels were still functioning, Kirigakure, located far away on its islands, reacted much more slowly and strangely.
When Konoha's message finally reached the conference room of Kirigakure's leadership after many difficulties, the office was filled with doubt and ridicule.
"Ridiculous!"
One Kirigakure elder sneered.
"Konoha defeated the combined armies of Iwagakure and Kumogakure at the same time? Captured the Third Raikage and the Tsuchikage alive?"
"Even lies should have limits! Uchiha Chiya?"
"An Uchiha brat possesses that kind of power?"
"This must be a rumor spread by Konoha to shake our morale!"
"Exactly."
Another official agreed.
"Even if Konoha won, it must have been a costly victory!"
"They're probably at their weakest right now. We should increase our attacks instead!"
The isolated environment, the long lasting Bloody Mist policy, and the atmosphere of suspicion that had secretly been cultivated within the village.
This was before Rin's death and before Obito lost control. The Bloody Mist Village already existed.
All of this caused Kirigakure's leadership to refuse to believe such an unbelievable report.
They preferred believing it was simply Konoha's trick.
Sitting upon the Mizukage's seat, the Third Mizukage's eyes looked somewhat empty, yet his tone subtly guided the discussion.
"Whether the report is true or false, being cautious is never wrong."
"Send another elite squad into the Land of Fire to verify the situation."
"At the same time... continue with the previous plan to launch a surprise attack on Konoha."
Another one?
That's right.
Another one!
...
At a training ground not far outside Konoha, the young Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin were carrying out their usual training.
Obito had just deflected Kakashi's attack with a kunai and loudly shouted.
"See that, Kakashi! One day I'll surpass you! Rin, did you see how awesome I was?"
Rin smiled gently.
"Mm! Obito is working really hard!"
Kakashi lazily lowered his blade and gave Obito a sidelong glance with his usual lifeless eyes.
"You're still far from it, dead last."
At that moment, a golden figure quietly appeared at the edge of the training ground.
"Kakashi, Obito, Rin."
The three of them turned around and saw their teacher, Namikaze Minato, smiling at them, although the smile seemed slightly stiffer than usual.
"Teacher Minato!"
Obito immediately ran over excitedly.
"Is there a mission? C Rank? Or B Rank?"
Minato nodded.
His voice was gentle, yet carried unquestionable urgency.
"Yes. There's an emergency infiltration and reconnaissance mission. You need to leave immediately."
"Really? That's great!"
Obito cheered.
Kakashi frowned slightly.
"Leave immediately? Why the rush? Where's the mission scroll?"
Kakashi was suspicious.
Rin also found it rather sudden.
"Teacher Minato, don't we need to return to the village and prepare first?"
"The mission is high level and must remain absolutely confidential."
'Minato' explained, his smile unchanged.
"I'll tell you the details on the way."
"Our destination is the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass. We need to investigate suspicious movements by the remaining Iwagakure forces."
"Time is short. We have to leave right now."
His words carried Minato's usual reassuring confidence.
Yet beneath the urgency that allowed no refusal, there was a faint sense of something being wrong.
However, their complete trust in their teacher and their eagerness to carry out a mission.
Especially for Obito, who longed to earn recognition.
Overcame that tiny feeling of doubt.
"Understood! We'll definitely complete the mission!"
Obito answered loudly, full of enthusiasm.
Kakashi looked at Obito and Rin before finally nodding.
Although Rin felt uneasy, she still chose to trust her teammates and Teacher Minato.
After quickly preparing their ninja tools, the three followed "Namikaze Minato" and swiftly left the training ground, disappearing into the dense forest outside the village.
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