The Third Kazekage felt no fear in the face of death. Instead, he looked at Yuki Seisui with high spirits.
Since death is unavoidable, I will face it calmly!
And… I truly want to see this world that Seisui spoke of, where the people of the Land of Wind can live far from the desert.
The Third Kazekage had not been elaborated on much in the original story, but now, looking at him, Seisui couldn't help but admire the man.
As the strongest Kazekage, if he hadn't had various tricks, and if the Third Kazekage had not been weighed down by the Sand ninja army, there was no way he could have killed him.
He could defeat him… but if the Third Kazekage insisted on escaping, Seisui would have been powerless.
This was a ninja with high defense, high attack, and high mobility.
"Come! Use my life to forge your Ghost name!" The Third Kazekage spread his arms midair. The iron sand wings behind him reformed and began falling toward the ground.
"Then thank you for your contribution!"
Seisui watched as the Third Kazekage plummeted. He knew the man had reached his limit.
A ninja without chakra becomes extremely weak—even walking becomes difficult.
Under Seisui's control, the Totsuka Blade in Susanoo's hand began to shine brilliantly. The once-black Susanoo started to turn transparent.
Yet the Totsuka Blade itself did not fade—it seemed to absorb most of Susanoo's chakra, becoming denser and more refined.
Seisui furrowed his brows. "Not enough!"
He wanted to give the Third Kazekage a dignified farewell while also cementing his own name in the ninja world.
Such a display could not be small.
Though Seisui still had plenty of Sage Mode chakra, it wasn't enough to cover the entire Totsuka Blade.
Squinting his eyes, Seisui clapped his hands. In an instant, the Panda Sage appeared in the cockpit.
The Panda Sage froze at the sight before him, then eyed Seisui carefully.
"You're in a major battle?"
"Yes." Seisui nodded.
"That damn brat, why didn't you call me?!" the Panda Sage shouted, clearly flustered.
"Do you know how long I thought about the words of the Sage in the clan territory? Next time, call me for a major battle!"
Hearing this, Seisui remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright. But first, I need you to lend me some Sage chakra."
Chakra can be shared between people. Sage chakra too. Especially since Seisui and the Panda Sage's powers share the same origin.
Seeing Seisui extend his hands, the Panda Sage didn't hesitate, placing his paws in Seisui's.
With his support secured, Seisui acted without hesitation.
A trickle of blood ran from his right eye, and the Totsuka Blade suddenly burned with black flames.
At the same time, Seisui fused Sage Mode, Amaterasu, Flying Raijin Slash, explosive clay, wind cutting techniques, wind pressure, and all offensive jutsu and sword techniques he knew.
"This strike… is named Shinra Bansho!"
Containing all, encompassing all, eradicating all—Shinra Bansho!
"I, Yuki Seisui, acknowledge you, Third Kazekage, as a hero of the ninja world!"
As he struck, the Third Kazekage smiled faintly, using his last ounce of chakra to spread his voice:
"To fall by someone like you… it's not a loss!"
"You call me a hero… then I call you Ghost of the Konoha!"
He laughed heartily, then shouted:
"Sand ninja! All retreat! Return to the village and choose the Fourth!"
His voice was soft, but his chakra carried it far—enough for people at the Land of Fire border, including Minato, to hear fragments.
"Susanoo… Shinra Bansho!"
The strike descended. The Third Kazekage's figure vanished in the blade's light.
But the attack was not over.
Where the blade met the ground, its immense power fully erupted. The earth shattered, and the nearby land split from the shockwave, forming a jagged canyon.
Explosions followed the blade's path, echoing through the land. Seisui's ears rang from the magnitude of it all.
The Sand ninja army, already far away, stopped in their tracks when they heard the Third Kazekage's voice.
Chiyo, stunned, knew the Third Kazekage's strength intimately. This was the strongest ninja the Sunagakure had ever produced—and now he was dead?!
The others could hardly believe it.
"This must be a joke…"
"The Kazekage… sacrificed himself?!"
"It must be Konoha's plot!"
They murmured in disbelief, uniting in accusation. Only Chiyo, who had seen and interacted with the Third Kazekage daily, knew it was real.
Ghost of the Konoha… Chiyo murmured, a flicker of resolve in her eyes. Someone like him must be stopped!
Then suddenly, a massive black slash appeared in the distance.
It wasn't aimed at them, but elsewhere.
The Sand ninja froze, watching the black blade, their eyes reflecting an illusory Mangekyo.
The blade continued its path, deafening explosions accompanying it. Where it passed, a bottomless chasm formed, the sides widened by the blast—a natural fortress.
Water mist lingered, as if the devastation had not occurred, giving the canyon an eerie, untouched feel.
Seisui watched the blade stretch endlessly, envisioning a Red Space where he suffered immensely.
"Wake up… it's your own technique," the Panda Sage weakly patted him.
This crazy Seisui had drained most of his Sage chakra.
Yet, seeing the strike's power, the Panda Sage was satisfied, if slightly annoyed.
Only now did Seisui realize—the Red Space he'd seen wasn't his battle field, but Tsukuyomi.
A chill ran through him. Simply witnessing it, the man who had personally struck the blade seemed to sink into it. Wet streaks on his face, Seisui stared at his bloodied hands in silence.
A single strike infused with every jutsu, sword skill, and ocular technique… so terrifying.
"This is power enough to pacify a chaotic world," the Panda Sage said solemnly.
"If you can control it steadily, you can shape this world as you wish."
Seisui had no strength to heed his words. He collapsed onto the nearly transparent Susanoo cockpit, closing his eyes.
Such a strike not only demanded immense power—it also consumed everything. Seisui felt utterly drained, his eyes burning.
As he lay there, Susanoo slowly dissipated, eventually vanishing, and Seisui and the Panda Sage fell from fifty meters in the air.
The Panda Sage, sensing Susanoo's disappearance, expanded to an enormous hundred-meter-tall panda.
He caught Seisui mid-fall, holding him atop his head as he carefully advanced.
The Sand ninja army, seeing the dark blade disappear, gradually recovered—but all were prostrate, visibly shaken.
The instant they saw the black blade, they had been trapped in Tsukuyomi.
Even without Seisui actively controlling it, they spent forty-eight hours in that endless Red Space, surrounded by blood and horror.
Truly terrifying… Chiyo's expression was grave. Nearby, Pakura shared the same unease.
"Grandmother Chiyo… what do we do now?"
"Return to the village, confirm the Fourth Kazekage, then avenge him!" Chiyo said through gritted teeth.
Suddenly, the ground trembled. The Sand ninja rose.
From afar, the hundred-meter Panda Sage appeared. Seisui, somewhat recovered, could barely stand on its head.
"I am the Panda Sage of the Bamboo Forest!"
The Panda Sage was about to speak further, but Seisui's voice carried across the entire Sand army.
"The Third Kazekage is dead. Surrender now!"
"Audacious!" Chiyo roared.
"You're no better!"
"The Kazekage has already crushed you!"
"Heh… if it pleases you." Seisui smiled, looking down on them all.
"Konoha must give us an explanation!" Chiyo said, her face dark.
"Explanation?" Seisui asked, tilting his head. "What explanation?"
"I am the explanation!"
"I, Yuki Seisui, act as I please. Why must I explain myself to you?"
"One black light, brilliant as ten thousand suns—what harm in purging the world?"
Damn… he's showing off again, the Panda Sage thought. He tried to interrupt, but Chiyo laughed.
"Truly… Ghost of the Konoha!"
She glared at Seisui, then addressed the others: "Let's go!"
"Go on… I am your lifelong nightmare!"
Watching them leave, Seisui did not intervene. Even if he tried, he could not.
He was too dangerous in this state. Though the Panda Sage remained, this army of thousands could easily fall here with a misstep.
After they departed, Seisui reclined again atop the Panda Sage.