"Hmph!"
The Third Raikage's eyes widened as the lightning around his body exploded outward, crackling so fiercely that the very air seemed to sizzle and burn.
He remembered—the A-B Combination Unit had yet to evacuate from Kumogakure.
If he had to die here, then so be it.
But before that… Uchiha Ryoma must fall.
Across the battlefield, Ryoma's lips curved slightly.
"Fire Style — Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
A roaring tide of crimson fire burst from Ryoma's mouth, engulfing everything within tens of meters. The inferno swept forward like a tsunami of flame, incinerating everything in its path.
Kumogakure shinobi caught too close were vaporized instantly; those further away were hurled through the air by the sheer force of the explosion.
Through the wall of fire, a flash of blue lightning burst forth. The Raikage landed heavily on the scorched ground, his body blackened, wounds bleeding freely.
"Uchiha…!!" the Third Raikage roared through gritted teeth.
Most of those who had perished in the flames were his own men—trusted warriors he had personally trained.
Rage twisted his face into something bestial.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode — Full Power!!"
Lightning blazed brighter than ever, enveloping the Raikage in a blinding aura. The Lightning Release Armor stimulated every cell in his body, pushing his physical power and speed to their absolute limits. Now, with his entire chakra network flooded, the light he emitted could have illuminated all of Kumogakure.
"Interesting," Ryoma murmured, narrowing his eyes. "You want to go all out?"
He raised a hand, beckoning. "Then come."
"RAAAAHHH!!"
The Raikage thundered forward. The ground beneath his feet caved in from the force of his launch. His body became a lightning spear, surging straight for Ryoma.
He raised one arm, extending a single finger charged with spinning lightning.
"Hell Stab — Four-Finger Thrust to the Heart!!"
If the Lightning Release Armor was the strongest shield, then this technique—concentrating lightning chakra into the fingertips—was the strongest spear. Even a Tailed Beast's hide could be pierced in a single strike.
The impact detonated with a deafening boom, sending dust and debris flying.
"…Got him," the Raikage muttered, unable to see through the smoke. "From the feel of it—"
His words froze on his tongue.
Through the haze, two crimson eyes glowed like twin curses, staring straight into him.
"That's all?"
Ryoma's cold voice carried a weight that made even the Raikage's breath falter.
His gaze—sharp and merciless—felt like Death itself.
"It seems I overestimated you."
The Raikage looked down. Where his Hell Stab had struck, a faint blue light shimmered—an ethereal barrier had stopped his attack.
"This is—!?"
Before he could react, an overwhelming surge of chakra erupted around Ryoma.
The ground trembled. The air itself seemed to scream.
A colossal blue phantom materialized around him—a towering warrior clad in spectral armor, wielding a blade that glimmered like moonlight.
"Let me show you what true power is," Ryoma said quietly.
"Susanoo."
With a single motion, the spectral samurai drew its blade.
A flash.
A blur.
And then—the Raikage's arm hit the ground.
If not for his instantaneous reflexes and mastery of the Body Flicker Technique, he would have been cleaved in two. Even so, pain ripped through him as he stumbled backward, clutching his bleeding stump.
"AAAHHH!"
He staggered several meters away, blood spraying from the wound. His mind reeled.
If I hadn't moved just now… I'd be dead.
"Lord Raikage!"
A squad of Kumogakure shinobi rushed to his side. Two of them pressed their palms to his wound, desperately performing medical ninjutsu. The rest took defensive positions, weapons raised against the towering Susanoo.
Ryoma looked down at them with disdain.
"So, you've accepted death," he said flatly.
The only response was the Raikage's burning glare and the killing intent of his men.
Ryoma sighed. "Then allow me to grant it."
He stepped lightly—and in an instant, he was in the air.
His hands came together in a seal.
"Boom!"
Chakra surged like an erupting volcano, spiraling into the heavens.
Behind him, another Susanoo began to form—an identical warrior, its back to the first. The twin phantoms solidified, their energy resonating in perfect sync.
Their blades vanished, replaced by mirrored gestures matching Ryoma's every move.
From below, the entire battlefield froze in awe and dread. The pressure was suffocating.
A Kumogakure jonin stammered, "Wh–what is he doing!?"
"I don't know," another answered, voice trembling. "But that chakra… it's not for show. Don't act rashly! Stay alert!"
The Third Raikage, pale and drained, rose to his feet. The battle and his injuries had consumed nearly all of his remaining life force. Overusing chakra had begun to eat away at his very body.
Still, he stepped forward, intending to rally his men—
—but the words died in his throat as the sky turned black.
"What… what's happening?"
Weapons clattered to the ground one by one.
Kunai, shuriken, swords, chains—all slipped from trembling hands.
Every shinobi stared upward, eyes wide, breath caught in their throats.
"This… this can't be real…"
High above them, Uchiha Ryoma floated amid a storm of chakra and flame—
a god of destruction descending upon Kumogakure.
The entire village of Kumogakure stood frozen beneath the sky.
Their legs trembled, their strength drained away, as though the heavens themselves had turned against them.
Above them, a colossal meteor blazed across the firmament — so vast it seemed to swallow the very sky.
"BOOM!"
Even before it struck, the air grew thick with crushing pressure.
The shockwave of its descent made every shinobi feel as though their chests were being squeezed in an invisible vice.
Not only the ordinary ninja, even the Third Raikage's expression twisted in disbelief.
This scene… it was all too familiar.
Isn't this—? The same technique that devastated Konoha once before?!
There was no mistaking it.
Only a descendant of the Uchiha could call down such annihilation.
A collective shudder rippled through Kumogakure.
Despair spread faster than fire.
"So… this is what you call true power," the Third Raikage muttered hoarsely.
The fury in his eyes faded, replaced by hollow resignation.
That meteor would not just crush him — it would erase the entire village.
Even so, he clenched his teeth and forced his body to move.
The once golden strands of his hair turned pale white under the strain, and the lightning armor crackled violently across his broken frame.
Gathering what remained of his chakra into his left hand, he bellowed:
"Hell Stab — One-Finger Thrust to the Heart!!"
The strongest form of the strongest spear.
His entire life, every battle, every scar — all of it condensed into that single finger.
This was the pinnacle of his strength… and his final moment.
The Third Raikage's yellow hair bleached completely white.
Even his beard and eyebrows lost all color as every last drop of chakra poured into his hand.
Decades of tempering his body — of grinding his muscles and bones through hellish training — had led to this.
"Even if it's a meteor," he roared, "I'll break it!"
With a deafening crack, he kicked off the ground and leapt to the top of the Raikage Tower.
He aimed his trembling finger toward the heavens, eyes burning with the last remnants of will.
The sky darkened entirely.
The meteor loomed so vast that it blotted out the sun, casting the entire village in shadow.
Even Ryoma — floating high above, cloaked in Susanoo's light — couldn't help but watch in silence as the Heavenly Obstruction Shock Star descended once more.
If it fell unchecked, Kumogakure would vanish completely.
He could sense the Raikage's burning resolve from afar. But this world was not ruled by resolve — only by power.
"Break it!!"
The Raikage screamed and thrust his finger forward.
"One-Finger Hell Stab!!"
His body convulsed as his arm shattered from the force.
Bones cracked, muscle tore — even his left side was pulverized by the recoil.
The kinetic energy was far beyond what any human body could endure.
Unless one possessed the power of the Sage of Six Paths, no mortal flesh could withstand the impact of a falling meteor.
"Lord Raikage!!"
His retainers below shouted in horror as his body was sent flying backward.
They caught him midair, medical-nin rushing in desperation — but their faces turned ashen the moment they touched him.
Every bone shattered.
Every meridian torn.
His chakra completely gone.
And his heartbeat… had stopped.
"No! Lord Raikage!"
"Please, wake up!"
"Help him!"
Their cries echoed into the sky — but time itself seemed to stop.
A heartbeat later, the meteor struck.
"BOOOOOOM!!!"
The impact consumed everything.
The Raikage Tower — gone.
The surrounding districts — erased.
The explosion's shockwave rolled outward like a living tide, shattering the very earth beneath Kumogakure.
Cracks spidered for kilometers, splitting mountains and tearing through the valley.
Buildings crumbled into dust.
Fire, stone, and ash filled the air.
Within moments, the once-mighty Village Hidden in the Clouds was nothing but smoke and ruin.
Far beyond the village, at the borders, Killer Bee and Ai turned back at the sound of the cataclysm.
A pillar of fire rose where Kumogakure once stood, the shape of a massive mushroom cloud forming in the sky.
And high above the chaos, Uchiha Ryoma floated silently — one arm wrapped around Misami, the woman trembling in his grasp — gazing down upon the ruins below.
Every shinobi, every villager… all had perished beneath the Heavenly Obstruction Shock Star.
The sheer destruction had reached even the outskirts; the falling debris alone would have killed any survivors.
Misami shivered uncontrollably as she looked at what remained of her home.
Her eyes were wide with terror.
Ryoma glanced at her — her dark skin glistening with fear and dust — and smiled faintly.
Misami's fate has already changed completely…
Will she one day give birth to a girl like Mabui?
It was an idle thought.
And yet, Ryoma couldn't help but be curious.
"Now," he said coldly. "Kneel."
"M–Master…" she whispered, trembling.
…
Three hours later, the sun had set.
Ryoma was still dissatisfied.
Misami, as it turned out, didn't count toward his "Ten Beauties of the Crystal Palace."
The system's reply echoed in his mind:
"Only female characters who appear in the original Naruto timeline are counted."
Ryoma sighed in irritation.
So many fewer choices than he'd hoped for.
Kushina… Mikoto… and maybe Tsunade next?
He frowned.
No — Tsunade's from the Senju clan… that might get complicated.
He shook his head.
Either way, it was time to return to Konoha.
If he stayed out here any longer, he risked drawing attention.
Back in Konoha, no one noticed his arrival. His power was such that he came and went without a trace.
When Ryoma finally stepped into the Uzumaki residence, Kushina was already waiting for him.
The moment he saw her, warmth stirred faintly in his chest.
Kushina was sitting quietly at the table, the food laid out long since gone cold.
She must have been waiting for hours.
"You're back?" she asked softly, her voice a mix of relief and happiness.
Ryoma nodded. After the chaos of Kumogakure — the death, the fire, the silence — coming home to her felt almost unreal.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, glancing at the cold dishes. "I came back late."
For a fleeting moment, he thought —
Perhaps next time, I should finish the Raikage faster… before dinner gets cold.
Kushina quickly shook her head.
"It's fine! I'll just go reheat the food!"
She reached for the dish, but Ryoma gently pressed her hand down.
"Not yet… don't eat this first," he said softly.
Before she could respond, Ryoma pulled the blushing Kushina into his arms—
By the next morning, a storm had already swept across the ninja world.
The news was everywhere — Uchiha Madara had appeared in Kumogakure.
The Third Raikage had just passed his title to the Fourth when it happened. Without warning, Madara appeared in the Cloud Village, cut down the Third Raikage, and left the village in ruins. The newly appointed Fourth Raikage, along with his brother Killer B, barely managed to escape with a few hundred elite shinobi.
The devastation was total.
Spies and informants from every hidden village quickly confirmed the story. Because Ryoma had intentionally spared many of the lower-ranking ninja and civilians, word spread fast — and panic followed.
"What? Uchiha Madara appeared in Kumogakure!?"
"Didn't he die decades ago!?"
"Is there any proof? Any sketches or photographs?"
"Red armor… that massive war fan… it has to be him!"
"Impossible! Was he resurrected?!"
From Sunagakure to Kirigakure, from Iwagakure to the recently rebuilt Konoha — the entire ninja world was shaken.
The Fourth Kazekage, the Third Tsuchikage, and the Fourth Mizukage were all in disbelief.
Hadn't Madara been defeated long ago by Ryoma?
How could he have returned?
Was this the ghost of the Uchiha clan, come back to haunt the living?
Even Black Zetsu, who had been secretly orchestrating Madara's resurrection, was dumbfounded.
"Uchiha Madara… resurrected? By whom?"
"This can't be right. Who interfered?"
"Impossible… could someone else have revived him?"
For the first time in centuries, Black Zetsu began to doubt his plan.
The path to reviving his "mother" now seemed more twisted than ever.
That same morning, Ryoma had finished his usual training, shared breakfast with Kushina, kissed her goodbye, and headed for the Hokage's office. He had barely taken his seat when an ANBU operative appeared before him.
"Hokage-sama, according to our intelligence, the one who appeared in Kumogakure is most likely Uchiha Madara."
"The technique used — Heavenly Barrier: Shock Star — matches his records perfectly."
"For now, our analysts don't believe this is a case of Edo Tensei (Reanimation). It doesn't bear the same chakra signature."
Ryoma nodded quietly, thinking to himself.
Of course it's not Edo Tensei… it's just me in disguise.
The ANBU continued, "Kumogakure was completely annihilated. None of the shinobi or civilians who stayed behind survived. The only remaining forces are the Fourth Raikage, Killer B, and a small group of survivors who've fled to the Land of Snow."
Ryoma's expression stayed calm. He had already expected this.
The Third Raikage had fought him to the death — proud, unyielding — seeking an honorable end. Ryoma respected that.
"Given the scale of the destruction," another ANBU reported, "the other Great Nations will surely take action. They won't sit idly by after seeing an entire village erased overnight."
Just then, the door opened.
"Lord Hokage!" called a familiar voice.
It was Minato Namikaze. He knelt before Ryoma and reported briskly,
"The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, and the Sand Village Council have unanimously agreed to send an envoy to Konoha. They wish to meet you in person, Hokage-sama!"
The entire office fell silent in surprise — then realization dawned.
Of course. After what happened to Kumogakure, the other villages would be terrified.
An entire Hidden Village — one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations — erased in a single night. No one could ignore that.
Ryoma couldn't help but let out a quiet, helpless laugh.
The leaders of Sunagakure and their council were now treating him, the hidden instigator, like a savior.
Life truly had a sense of irony.
Moments later, two more ANBU operatives entered the office.
"Hokage-sama!"
"The Fourth Mizukage requests an audience in Konoha to discuss a joint operation against whoever destroyed Kumogakure!"
"And Lord Hokage," another added quickly, "the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, has called for a Five Kage Summit within two days to discuss Uchiha Madara's supposed resurrection!"
Ryoma blinked in mild surprise.
So this really is turning into a Five Kage Summit.
He smirked slightly. "And what of the Fourth Raikage?"
"He's currently on the run," the ANBU replied. "But… there's more."
Another messenger arrived, holding a sealed scroll.
"Hokage-sama, this is a letter from the Land of Snow! The royal family there has agreed to support the reconstruction of Kumogakure. They've officially recognized the Fourth Raikage, A, and request assistance from Konoha in rebuilding the village. The Raikage himself seeks to meet with you personally!"
Ryoma leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing.
So… even the Land of Snow joins the stage now.
A faint smile crossed his lips.
The game was only beginning.
...
TN:
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