The sword-light flowed like liquid silver across the battlefield.
Perfect arcs flashed through the air.
The dozen Grass shinobi never even reached the ground before the Kusanagi Sword pierced through them one after another.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
Screams echoed continuously.
"Monster!"
"He's a monster!"
The remaining Grass shinobi completely broke down.
Some turned and fled.
Some collapsed to the ground.
Others desperately unleashed ninjutsu in a panic.
None of it mattered.
Sasuke withdrew the Kusanagi Sword.
Drops of blood slid from the tip of the blade.
His expression remained utterly calm.
As though the people he had just killed were not living human beings—but merely insects.
"Chibaku Tensei."
A black gravitational core appeared in the center of the village.
An overwhelming attraction force immediately began tearing apart everything nearby.
"No! Our village!"
Kusano stared in despair as his homeland was gradually destroyed.
The wooden buildings that had stood for centuries.
The monuments recording Kusagakure's history.
The places that held countless memories.
Everything shattered under the pull of gravity and flew toward the black sphere hanging in the sky.
"Stop!"
Kusano charged toward Sasuke with everything he had.
"I surrender!"
"I'll give you anything!"
"Please spare the village!"
Sasuke did not even look at him.
"It's too late."
The Kusanagi Sword flashed once more.
The blade pierced directly through Kusano's heart.
The chief of Kusagakure widened his eyes.
Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
His body slowly collapsed.
"From this day onward, Kusagakure is erased."
Sasuke sheathed his sword and turned away from the ruins.
Behind him, Chibaku Tensei continued relentlessly, swallowing the entire village.
Takigakure
Inside the secret cavern hidden behind the Great Waterfall.
Village Chief Shibuya and several elders were holding an emergency meeting.
"Kusagakure is gone."
One elder trembled as he handed over an intelligence report.
"Not a single survivor."
Shibuya accepted the report.
His expression immediately darkened.
Within a single day, both Amegakure and Kusagakure had fallen.
The speed.
The brutality.
Everything exceeded their worst expectations.
"Chief, what should we do?"
Another elder asked.
Shibuya remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.
"Prepare a surrender document."
"What?!"
"Chief!"
"Didn't you say we'd rather die than submit?"
"That was when I believed we still had a chance."
Shibuya gave a bitter smile.
"Now you've all seen the reality."
"If we continue resisting, the entire village will be buried with us."
The elders exchanged helpless glances.
Though unwilling, they understood he was right.
"But do you think Uchiha Kai will accept our surrender?"
"I don't know."
Shibuya shook his head.
"But we have to try."
"It's better than waiting to die."
Suddenly—
A tremendous roar erupted outside the cavern.
No.
It wasn't an ordinary sound.
It was the sound of the waterfall being stopped.
"What happened?"
Shibuya jumped to his feet.
A Takigakure shinobi rushed into the cavern.
"Chief!"
"The waterfall..."
"The waterfall has stopped!"
"What?!"
Everyone rushed outside.
Then they witnessed a scene they would never forget.
The gigantic waterfall, which normally plunged hundreds of meters downward, had frozen in midair.
Countless droplets hung motionless in the sky.
It looked almost unreal.
At the source of the waterfall—
A figure slowly descended.
Purple Rinnegan.
Cold expression.
And a bloodstained Kusanagi Sword still dripping crimson.
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
Shibuya cried out in shock.
Sasuke landed before the gathered crowd.
His gaze swept across them.
"People of Takigakure."
"I'll give you one opportunity."
"What opportunity?"
Shibuya forced himself to ask.
"Hand over the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki."
"Then dissolve Takigakure."
"If you do that, I'll spare your lives."
Shibuya's heart sank.
The Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, Fū, was their greatest military asset.
She was also the very foundation of Takigakure's position within the shinobi world.
"And if we refuse?"
"Then you'll share Kusagakure's fate."
Sasuke's voice remained emotionless.
"Every last one of you will die."
Shibuya looked around.
The villagers' faces were filled with terror.
These people had followed him for years.
He couldn't allow them to die because of his pride.
"I... need time to think."
"Five minutes."
Sasuke replied calmly.
He found a nearby rock and sat down.
Then he simply closed his eyes.
Shibuya and the elders immediately gathered together.
"Chief, are we really going to hand over Fū?"
"If we don't, everyone dies."
Shibuya's voice was filled with pain.
"At least this way, the villagers can live."
"But Fū..."
"I'll explain everything to her."
Shibuya clenched his fists.
"She'll understand."
Five minutes passed quickly.
Sasuke opened his eyes.
"Have you decided?"
"We... agree."
Shibuya forced the words out.
"But please promise that innocent villagers won't be harmed."
"My word is enough."
Sasuke nodded.
"Bring me the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki."
Soon, a green-haired girl was escorted over.
She looked only fifteen or sixteen years old.
This was Fū.
The Seven-Tails Jinchūriki.
"Grandpa Chief?"
Fū blinked in confusion.
"What happened?"
Shibuya looked at the girl he had watched grow up.
His heart felt as though it were being torn apart.
"Fū..."
"I'm sorry."
Fū noticed Sasuke immediately.
Her expression became wary.
"Who are you?"
"I'm the one taking you away."
Sasuke rose to his feet.
"Come with me."
"No!"
Fū stepped backward.
"Grandpa Chief, what's going on?"
Shibuya closed his eyes.
Unable to face her expression.
"Fū..."
"You have to go with him."
"For the sake of the village."
"For everyone's sake."
"What?"
Disbelief filled her eyes.
"Grandpa Chief... what are you saying?"
"I said, come with me."
Sasuke's patience ran out.
He began walking toward her.
"Don't force me."
"I won't go!"
The Seven-Tails' chakra suddenly erupted from Fū's body.
"I am a shinobi of Takigakure!"
"I will never betray my village!"
Blue chakra exploded outward.
The phantom image of the Seven-Tails, Chōmei, emerged behind her.
"Interesting."
Sasuke stopped.
"You have more backbone than the other Jinchūriki."
"In that case..."
"I'll show you what true power looks like."
The Rinnegan began rotating.
An overwhelming pressure descended upon the entire valley.
Fū's body trembled instinctively.
Yet she refused to retreat.
"Seven-Tails Transformation!"
She completely released the power of the tailed beast.
A gigantic rhinoceros beetle-like form appeared.
Massive blue wings spread across the sky.
"Scale Powder Assault!"
Countless poisonous scales poured from Chōmei's wings, covering the battlefield.
Sasuke did not even spare them a glance.
"Shinra Tensei."
A powerful repulsive force blasted outward.
Every scale was blown away.
At the same time, the massive Chōmei avatar was hurled backward dozens of meters.
"Is that all?"
Sasuke shook his head.
"Disappointing."
He vanished.
In the next instant—
He appeared directly before Chōmei.
The Kusanagi Sword pointed straight at the Seven-Tails' eye.
"Stop!"
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