The ground beneath the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails suddenly caved in.
With the two Tailed Beasts at the center, the earth within several hundred meters seemed to come alive.
The terrain shifted and twisted violently.
Rocks tumbled, the soil surged upward, and torrents of stone spiraled into motion, forming a crushing ring that sealed the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails inside.
"Here it comes again…"
Matatabi and Gyūki exchanged a helpless glance.
At this point, neither of them even bothered to struggle. No matter what they did, they weren't Shiki's match. Rather than waste energy getting beaten down again, they simply stayed still, half-pretending to be dead.
"It's him!"
Through Matatabi's eyes, Yugito caught sight of Shiki. Her expression instantly brightened.
She had thought that after so much time apart, the memory of him might have faded.
But the moment she saw him again, the longing in her chest surged back stronger than ever. She hadn't forgotten him at all—if anything, she missed him even more.
Watching the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails subdued so effortlessly, the Third Raikage clenched his teeth in frustration.
"That monster…"
Only half a year had passed, yet the strength Shiki displayed now left him shaken.
At their level, advancing further should require years of training and effort. But the man standing before him seemed to shatter that rule entirely.
His power grew at a terrifying pace, as if it had no ceiling. Each time they met, he was on a completely different level.
A cold shiver ran down the Raikage's spine.
"The Hidden Mist was defeated yesterday. How are you already here?!"
The Land of Water wasn't close. The Third Raikage had hoped to clash properly with Konoha before Shiki could arrive. Yet here he was, impossibly fast.
Shiki looked at him like the answer should have been obvious.
"Did you forget? I can fly."
"…Right."
The Raikage grimaced. He really had forgotten.
The lion before him ruled the skies.
"And besides," Shiki added casually, glancing toward Tsunade, "when there's someone I want to see, I get there quickly."
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone on the battlefield heard it.
If not for the situation, Tsunade might have already run straight to his side.
"Someone you want to see? Could it be… me?"
Yugito, who had already reverted from her Tailed Beast form and was pinned by the stone flow, froze in surprise. From her angle, Shiki's line of sight almost overlapped with Tsunade's position. For a split second, she thought he was looking at her.
Confusion flickered in her eyes.
Shiki smiled faintly at Tsunade, then noticed Yugito staring at him with that dazed expression.
What is that cat thinking now?
The thought crossed his mind, but he didn't dwell on it.
At that moment, a massive slab of rock floated overhead. Standing atop it were Hyūga Hiashi, Uchiha Fugaku, and the others Shiki had brought with him.
"Lord Shiki's ability is truly extraordinary," Hiashi murmured.
"Incredible power," Fugaku added.
Both men immediately grasped the tactical implications. If he could manipulate stone like this, crushing enemies from the sky would be effortless.
With their arrival, Konoha's forces now outnumbered the Hidden Cloud shinobi several times over.
Shiki's gaze returned to the Third Raikage, a playful glint in his eyes.
"Well? Do you still want to continue?"
Troublesome…
The Raikage paid little attention to the others. The one person who gave him a true headache was Shiki standing before him.
His aide and A stepped to his side in an instant. Around them, the Cloud shinobi fixed their eyes on their leader. Even knowing they were outmatched, if the Third Raikage chose to fight to the death, they would follow without hesitation.
That was the spirit of the Hidden Cloud.
Watching them, Jiraiya let out a quiet sigh.
"For all their recklessness… Cloud shinobi are loyal to the core."
Tsunade snorted.
"Like we used to be in Konoha."
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Things changed after Sarutobi-sensei took office."
Jiraiya rolled his eyes.
"You two…"
He knew they had their issues with their teacher, but did they really have to say it so bluntly? Unfortunately, neither Tsunade nor Orochimaru seemed concerned about his opinion.
The unwavering loyalty of his subordinates filled the Third Raikage with pride. Precisely because of that, he couldn't allow them to die here in vain.
He swept his gaze over his men, then fixed it on Shiki.
"The Hidden Cloud… concedes defeat."
As those words fell, the Cloud shinobi who had stood so defiantly lowered their heads in silence.
They had lost.
"One more thing," the Raikage said. "The Two Jinchūriki of the Hidden Cloud?"
Defeat was defeat but if Shiki intended to take Killer B and Yugito, the Raikage was prepared to fight for them regardless.
Shiki only smiled and flicked his hand.
The stone imprisoning Killer B and Yugito shifted, carrying them forward before settling gently. With another casual gesture, the rock restraints dissolved.
"Phew…"
Seeing the Jinchūriki returned unharmed, the Third Raikage visibly relaxed. At least the outcome wouldn't be completely disastrous.
"Alright. Everyone—"
He raised a hand to signal the retreat, preparing to lead the Cloud forces away.
"Wait… you're just letting me go?"
Yugito's surprised voice cut in.
Shiki looked at her oddly.
"So… do you want me to take you with me?"
"W-what?!"
Yugito froze. She quickly realized that not only Shiki, but the Third Raikage and the surrounding Cloud shinobi were all staring at her with strange expressions.
The way it sounded, it was as if she wanted to be taken away by him.
"N-no!"
Her face flushed bright red. Even Yugito didn't have skin thick enough to withstand that misunderstanding.
As the Cloud shinobi withdrew, cheers erupted across the battlefield. This time, they were louder and more fervent than ever before.
Everyone understood what it meant.
The Third Shinobi World War was over.
"It's over! The war's over!"
"We can finally go home!"
"Long live Lord Shiki!"
"Long live the Golden Lion!"
His name echoed across the field. Every shinobi present knew that the war had ended so swiftly largely because of Shiki. He had single-handedly overturned the tide of the conflict.
"Lord Shiki! It's been a while!"
The Ino–Shika–Chō trio approached with easy smiles.
Shiki was about to greet them when a familiar figure suddenly dashed toward him. Without a word, Tsunade leapt straight into the air.
Shiki reacted instinctively, catching her as she threw herself into his arms.
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