As for the other side of the battlefield where Yoko was stationed, he was doing absolutely nothing. He lay sprawled across the thick branch of a tree, fast asleep, one arm hanging loosely to the side. There was no urgency, no tension around him—he had already finished his work.
On the ground below, seven figures could be seen completely entangled in dense, thorny vines. The vines wrapped tightly around their bodies, digging deep into flesh, with dark blood stains soaking into the leaves and soil beneath them. These seven had clearly been Yoko's opponents. Trapped by his thorny vines and slowly crushed as they tightened, all of them were already dead. Having dealt with them efficiently, Yoko was now resting, conserving his strength. Wake me if it gets interesting, he thought drowsily.
However, he still had one remaining task.
Just like Makima, Yoko had been assigned to deal with any Kumogakure or Kirigakure ninjas who attempted to flee the battlefield. Thanks to his ability and his natural affinity with the environment, this role suited him perfectly. His closeness to nature allowed him to sense anything moving around the trees. With the shores of the Land of Uzumaki lined by dense vegetation, any ninja attempting to land there would be detected instantly. The moment they stepped onto land, Yoko could bind and eliminate them without ever leaving his position.
As for the others who might attempt to escape by swimming away, their chances were even worse.
The entire surrounding area was nothing but open water. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run. And even if they tried, there were multiple people ready to intercept and deal with the fleeing ninjas of Kumogakure and Kirigakure. Among them, Todoroki was the most terrifying obstacle. He was perfectly suited to counter anyone trying to escape through water—whether by swimming or using water-based movement techniques.
Except for the Land of Uzumaki itself, the entire region was surrounded by sea. Escape was only possible through the water.
And Todoroki made sure that escape never happened.
After finishing his own battlefront, Todoroki began moving across different zones where the Uzumaki siblings had fought. As he went, he continuously froze the surrounding water, layer after layer of ice spreading outward. The ninjas of Kirigakure and Kumogakure who were beginning to regain consciousness found themselves trapped mid-motion, their bodies locked inside solid ice before they could even react.
For Todoroki, freezing such a vast area was not a serious problem. Yes, it consumed a large amount of chakra—but he was an Uzumaki. And not just any Uzumaki, but one among the strongest. The sheer volume of chakra he possessed was on an entirely different level.
Because of that, freezing the waters surrounding the Land of Uzumaki was nothing more than a matter of time.
Finally, by nightfall, the battle came to an end.
The sky gradually darkened as evening set in. The heavy clouds that had blanketed the sky earlier—formed during Shanks's overwhelming release of Conqueror's Haki at the start of the battle in the late morning—had long since dissipated, vanishing the moment Shanks defeated the Raikage. Now, the sky was clear, vast, and calm, with countless stars shining quietly above the battlefield, as if bearing silent witness to what had transpired.
The final battle was over.
This war had ended.
Not a single ninja from Kirigakure or Kumogakure was left alive.
The graduates of the Uzushiogakure Ninja Academy, led by Benimaru, stood scattered across the battlefield, visibly exhausted. Their fatigue was obvious—and understandable. None of them belonged to the Uzumaki clan. They did not possess the overwhelming vitality, stamina, or natural resilience of the Uzumaki bloodline. Technically speaking, all of these graduates were civilians who had been trained into shinobi.
And yet, despite that, they had performed exceptionally well.
They had fought up to—and in some cases beyond—the expectations set by both Benimaru and Shanks.
When Shanks received the complete battle report from Benimaru, a rare sense of satisfaction settled over him. He was genuinely pleased. The village of Uzushiogakure—the village he had reestablished alongside his Uzumaki siblings—was no longer strong merely because of its founders. It was beginning to grow powerful on its own.
Of course, the presence of Shanks Uzumaki and the Uzumaki siblings still elevated Uzushiogakure's overall strength to terrifying levels. Their existence alone acted as a deterrent to the world.
But Shanks understood something clearly.
He and the Uzumaki siblings were trump cards—final weapons, comparable to living atom bombs. They were not meant to be deployed for every conflict. They should never be required to step in just to deal with insignificant enemies. Their names carried weight. Their presence alone shifted the balance of power.
They could not, and should not, be dispatched to handle random Genin or even ordinary Jonin.
That responsibility belonged to the shinobi trained under them—the graduates of the Uzushiogakure Ninja Academy. These were the hands that would shape the village's future, the ones meant to stand on the front lines.
And seeing them fight, endure, and win like this…
That realization pleased Shanks—and the other Uzumaki siblings—more than anything else.
…
After the end of the war, all the Uzumaki siblings and the graduates gathered at a single location. The battlefield was quiet now, the chaos of combat replaced by an uneasy calm. Shanks stood atop a tree stump, using it as a raised platform so everyone could see him clearly.
Looking over the assembled shinobi, Shanks spoke, his voice steady and resolute.
"Today, you all fought very bravely. And with the bloodbath we carried out today, I can say this with certainty—we Uzumaki have taken our revenge on Kumogakure and Kirigakure. From this day onward, my Uzumaki brothers and sisters no longer have to live with the single goal of vengeance hanging over their lives."
His gaze moved across the Uzumaki siblings one by one.
"You can live for yourselves now. And I am truly happy to see that you are already doing that—slowly returning to your own paths, back toward a normal life."
There was a brief pause before his expression hardened slightly.
"But this normal life does not mean we will grow weaker. No. We must always remain at our peak. From time to time, we will remind the world that we Uzumaki are still the strongest. And if anyone dares to mess with us…" His voice lowered, carrying undeniable weight. "They are courting death."
All the Uzumaki siblings nodded in unison after hearing Shanks's words. The graduates, standing among them, looked up at Shanks with unmistakable pride shining in their eyes.
Shanks continued, his tone shifting as he addressed the younger shinobi directly.
"And all one hundred of you—graduates of the Uzushiogakure Ninja Academy—you have performed exceptionally well today. You have proven that you are worthy. Worthy to become the elites of Uzushiogakure. Worthy to carry its future on your shoulders."
The words hit hard.
Praise from Shanks—the Uzukage, and the strongest among the Uzumaki—meant more than any medal or reward. The graduates beamed with joy, exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Despite their injuries, smiles spread across every face, filled with pride, relief, and the quiet satisfaction of having truly earned their place.
Of course, these injuries would be treated by the medical ninjas among the graduates themselves. They had been personally trained by Erza, and their skills reflected that guidance. A few of the medical ninjas were already stationed at the Uzushiogakure hospital, where the more heavily injured would be taken for further treatment. Despite the intensity of the battle, none of the graduates had suffered life-threatening wounds. They were hurt, exhausted, and battered—but alive.
Even Shanks's own injury, the deep wound to his chest inflicted by the Third Raikage's Hell Stab, had already been completely healed by Erza. No trace of the damage remained, except for the blood stains and hole in the shirt.
After that, Shanks turned his attention toward the Uzumaki siblings.
"Guy. Benimaru," he said calmly. "The two of you will go to Kirigakure and Kumogakure and inform them that they may collect the bodies of their fallen ninjas."
The atmosphere grew solemn as he continued.
"This was a promise I made to the Third Raikage. If he managed to injure me, I would return the bodies of the ninjas of Kirigakure and Kumogakure intact. And regardless of that promise, as a respectable village, I had already intended to return them properly. This is the dignity the dead ninjas of Kirigakure and Kumogakure deserve."
Guy and Benimaru nodded immediately after hearing Shanks's words.
"Yes, Onii-sama," they replied in unison. "We will take care of it."
Their voices carried no hesitation as they acknowledged Shanks's order, fully prepared to carry it out.
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