"Konoha shinobi, this is Nara Shikaku. I am issuing the final order: do not engage the Third Raikage directly. Do everything possible to wear down the Cloud Village's fighting forces. But if the Third Raikage attempts to leave, stop him at all costs—even if we all die, do not waver."
Nara Shikaku relayed his final command through Akimichi Chōza.
The Konoha shinobi fell silent.
They couldn't understand why such an order had been given—it sounded like a battle they had no chance of winning.
"Hahaha, why make it so complicated, Shikaku? First, kill the Cloud shinobi in front of us. Second, kill the Third Raikage. If he tries to escape, then keep him here and finish him off."
Senju Hideki shouted loudly.
All eyes turned toward him.
The Senju clan crest on his back shone brilliantly.
"Then let's begin. First, let's thank the Cloud Village for their generous gift. Tailed beasts are hard to kill—but Jinchūriki are much easier."
Senju Hideki's monstrous strength erupted.
With a single tear—
Blue B was instantly ripped in half.
Blood sprayed everywhere, drenching Senju Hideki and turning him into a figure soaked in crimson.
Eight-Tails: "You evil Senju… when I revive, I'll tear you apart alive!"
Blue B—dead. The Eight-Tails—temporarily dead.
"See you at the graveyard."
With that, Senju Hideki charged straight into the Cloud shinobi.
"Let's do it! Charge!"
"If we die following a Senju, our names will go into the clan records—charge!"
"Kill!"
...
The Cloud shinobi stared in disbelief.
Even with the Third Raikage leading them, the Konoha forces still dared to charge.
"Have they gone mad?"
The Third Raikage moved instantly, appearing beside Senju Hideki.
"So it was you who killed Blue B and Yoru, huh? Hell Stab—Piercing Four Fingered."
"Multiple Rock Armor."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of stone shattering echoed out.
The Third Raikage broke through six layers of rock armor before finally reaching Senju Hideki's body.
"This feeling… you've trained your body with a Secret Technique too?"
A trace of blood trickled from the corner of Senju Hideki's mouth.
"The Third Raikage? That's all you've got."
He dismissed all his defenses, discarding his armor and revealing a powerfully built body.
Scars from lightning strikes, burns, and blade wounds covered him—old injuries that spoke of countless battles.
"Earth Release Chakra Mode."
A thick, earth-yellow chakra enveloped him.
"Not bad, kid. Too bad you're not from the Cloud Village."
"The Cloud Village? Who do you think you're looking down on?"
"Smooth-tongued fool. Hell Stab—Three Fingered Assault."
"Earth Release: Layered Mountain Range."
Small mountains formed and were hurled toward the Third Raikage.
Here, Senju Hideki fought desperately to hold him back.
Elsewhere—
The Konoha shinobi, already resolved to die, became even more terrifying.
It wasn't that they feared death. What shinobi didn't face death? But they needed someone to give them the order to die. That was the nature of shinobi—tools who even needed permission to give up their lives.
"Cloud ninja, come to hell with me!"
A Konoha jonin covered in Explosive Tags grabbed two Cloud shinobi and charged straight into their ranks.
Boom!
Four dead, seven injured. Worth it.
"Shadow Bind Technique!"
A Nara shinobi suddenly used Body Flicker into the middle of a group of Cloud shinobi, binding over a dozen of them.
"Damn it, kill him!"
The unbound Cloud shinobi rushed to attack him.
But the Nara shinobi didn't even try to dodge.
He pulled out the last few Explosive Tags from his pouch.
"It's up to you."
Boom!
The Nara shinobi exploded, injuring the surrounding Cloud shinobi.
"Damn it, these lunatics! Everyone okay?"
"We're fine. That idiot didn't even judge the distance properly—just minor injuries."
"Good… looks like even the Nara clan has irrational people."
"He has always been the most rational. He did this because he trusted me."
An Akimichi shinobi swallowed a red pill.
The Akimichi clan's secret medicine—the Chili Pill—boosting chakra a hundredfold.
That shinobi was Akimichi.
"Akimichi Secret Technique: Butterfly Mode! Super Expansion Technique! Super Push Palm!"
A massive Akimichi giant with enormous wings rose from the ground.
"Damn it—this chakra, how is this possible?! Retreat!"
"Ah, damn that Nara—my legs are crippled!"
"Same here! I can't run!"
"So this was the Nara's plan…"
The Cloud shinobi looked at the massive palm descending upon them, despair in their eyes.
After crushing them, Akimichi collapsed as well.
"Let's be friends again in the next life."
With that, he breathed his last.
As for their teammate Yamanaka—he had already died early in the war protecting his comrades.
"By the name of the Kurama clan… fall into eternal despair—Endless Nightmare!"
A Kurama clan jonin unleashed all his power before being beheaded by a Cloud shinobi.
After his death, several nearby Cloud shinobi went insane, screaming and flailing wildly—only to be cut down by arriving Konoha forces.
...
Dodai, having just finished off a Konoha shinobi, looked at the mounting casualties among the Cloud forces.
Then he looked again—
At the Akimichi giants rising across the battlefield.
He couldn't understand.
Why? Why were these Konoha shinobi fighting so desperately? They could have retreated. Didn't they know that as long as the Third Raikage stood, they couldn't win? Only someone of the same level could fight him… a Kage-level opponent!
"Raikage-sama, we've been tricked! Sakumo Hatake isn't here!"
Dodai shouted, and his voice quickly reached the Third Raikage.
At that moment, the Raikage's two-finger Hell Stab had already pierced through Senju Hideki's abdomen.
"So this is Konoha's scheme? Hmph. Trivial tricks."
"Then don't leave, Third Raikage."
Blood poured from Senju Hideki's mouth as he unleashed a massive surge of chakra—grabbing the arm that had pierced through his abdomen and holding it tightly.
"Everyone—attack me!"
"Hideki!"
Yūhi Shinku shouted in panic.
"Damn it, Gan, what are you doing?!"
"Shinku, don't let the name of Senju be shamed!"
Kurama Gan ignored the punch from Yūhi Shinku.
His eyes burned as he stared at Senju Hideki.
So this was the Senju clan he had heard about. This was the clan he admired.
"Shishō… you too?"
Yūhi Shinku looked at Mitarashi Shishō, who was still holding Explosive Tags with one hand.
"Don't drag Hideki down, you bastard!"
Mitarashi Shishō threw out Explosive Tags one after another, covering the area around both the Third Raikage and Senju Hideki.
"Explosive Tag Formation!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
In an instant—countless jutsu rained down upon the two of them.
Even the most reluctant, Yūhi Shinku, unleashed a Fire Release he rarely used.