The battlefield fell into a strange, deathly silence.
All Kumogakure ninjas stared dumbly at the center.
Their Raikage knelt on the ground, his right arm completely gone from the shoulder, the wound scorched black without a drop of blood flowing out.
While Uchiha Kaze still stood ten meters away with hands in his pockets, not even a wrinkle on the hem of his clothes.
"Just now... what happened?"
A KumogakureChūnin muttered, his voice sounding particularly piercing in the silence.
They only saw...
The Yondaime Raikage suddenly stood still, the lightning all over his body flickering uncertainly.
Three seconds later, the Raikage erupted with dark red lightning and assumed a charging posture.
Another two seconds passed, and his right arm... exploded.
Not attacked, not severed.
But exploded from the inside, turning into a bloody mist filling the sky, then evaporated clean by the dark red lightning.
From beginning to end, Uchiha Kaze didn't move even a bit.
"Genjutsu..."
"Big Brother... has been trapped in a genjutsu all along."
"That strike just now, he hit only an illusion, so all the power backfired on himself."
Killer B slumped on the ground, leaning against the giant rock behind him, his eyes full of shock.
As a Perfect Jinchūriki, Killer B's perception of Chakra was extremely keen.
He "saw" it.
In those short few seconds, the Chakra in the Yondaime Raikage's body first exploded frantically, then... lost the target, scurried around in the body, and finally exploded from the weakest outlet, the right arm.
This was the cruelest ending.
Not defeated by the enemy, but crushed... by his own power.
"How could it be..."
Yugito Nii had just crawled out of the pile of rubble. Hearing Killer B's words, she froze on the spot.
She looked at the black figure standing in the center of the battlefield, feeling the emotion named "despair" for the first time.
This man... exactly how strong is he?!
"Lord Raikage!"
Several KumogakureJōnin wanted to rush over, but their steps were as heavy as lead.
They dared not.
They were afraid... afraid they would also fall into that terrifying genjutsu, afraid they would die without knowing why.
And on Konoha's side...
"Is it over?"
Hyūga Hiashi put away his Gentle Fist stance, his Byakugan slowly closing.
He actually didn't see clearly what specifically happened, but the Hyūga clan's pupil technique let him vaguely perceive the abnormal flow of Chakra.
"Should be over."
Nara Shikaku walked to his side, looking at the Yondaime Raikage kneeling on the ground, a trace of complexity flashing in his eyes.
"Lord Kaze... is even more terrifying than we imagined."
Aburame Shibi pushed his sunglasses, insect swarms slowly retrieving into his body.
"Clean up the battlefield; send the wounded back first."
Inuzuka clan ninjas began to count heads, Akimichi Chōza released his Multi-Size Technique, and Yamanaka Inoichi was using sensory ninjutsu to confirm the location of the wounded.
Everyone's movements were orderly, as if this wasn't a war, but an... exercise.
Because from beginning to end, they didn't really fall into a bitter battle.
Uchiha Kaze had controlled all threats in his palm from the very start.
"Tap, tap, tap..."
Just then, Uchiha Kaze finally moved.
He walked slowly towards the Yondaime Raikage kneeling on the ground, every step on the scorched ground making a slight sound.
This sound was like a heavy hammer striking everyone's heart in the silent battlefield.
Kumogakure ninjas stared nervously at Uchiha Kaze, their bodies already trembling slightly, ready to rush up and die with their Raikage.
Konoha ninjas stopped their actions, watching their Hokage quietly.
Uchiha Kaze stopped in front of the Yondaime Raikage.
Looking down at this once insufferably arrogant Yondaime Raikage, there was no emotion in the Mangekyō Sharingan.
No arrogance of the victor, no pity for the loser.
Only... calmness.
Absolute calmness.
"Why..."
The Yondaime Raikage raised his head, his face bloodless.
His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
"Why not... kill me..."
With every word he said, blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
The injury on his right arm had spread to his whole body. Internal organs were severely damaged in the backlash just now, and the Chakra meridian system collapsed completely.
That he could still speak now was entirely due to the tenacious vitality of a Kage-level powerhouse holding on.
But his consciousness had begun to blur; he couldn't last long.
Uchiha Kaze didn't answer immediately.
He slowly squatted down, level with the Yondaime Raikage.
The distance between the two was very close, close enough that the Yondaime Raikage could clearly see the rotating patterns in those Mangekyō, and see his own wretched figure reflected deep in the pupils.
"Kill you?"
"You are no threat to me."
"A person who can't even see through my genjutsu isn't worth my effort."
Uchiha Kaze spoke softly, not as an insult, but stating a fact.
This sentence was like a knife, stabbing fiercely into the Yondaime Raikage's heart.
More painful than physical injuries.
"You exactly..."
The Yondaime Raikage just opened his mouth, but was interrupted by Kaze raising his hand.
"What you need to think about now is not what I want, but how you can keep Kumogakure from being erased by Konoha!"
"I am a person who dislikes trouble, so here's a good suggestion for you."
"While you aren't dead yet, draft a truce agreement and sign the compensation document."
"By the way, select the next Raikage while you're at it."
Uchiha Kaze said lightly.
Every word, however, weighed a thousand catties, smashing onto the Yondaime Raikage's heart.
At this moment, the Yondaime Raikage finally realized... what Uchiha Kaze wanted wasn't to kill a Raikage.
But to erase Kumogakure's will right here!
If the Raikage died in battle, he would become a hero of Kumogakure.
A hero would bring Kumogakure a target for revenge, bring a path to becoming stronger...
If he did as Uchiha Kaze said, that would definitely be breaking the backbone of Kumogakure ninjas with his own hands.
But refusing...
Don't talk about the future; perhaps in just a few days, Kumogakure would disappear completely from the ninja world.
The Uchiha Kaze in front of him wasn't some madman at all!
But a super terrifying guy!
This was an open conspiracy, so ruthless that even if he understood everything in it, he could only do as Uchiha Kaze suggested!
"It seems you have understood."
"Then... hope you make the correct choice."
Uchiha Kaze finished speaking and turned to walk towards Gaara and Naruto.
These two little guys were still too young; how could they just fall asleep in the battlefield...
"Aniki, you..."
"Temporarily, can't die yet."
"Return to village!"
Killer B also got up and walked to the Yondaime Raikage's side at this time, helping him up.
The Yondaime Raikage held onto his last breath and issued the order to retreat.
In this battle, a full thousand Kumogakure ninjas remained permanently in the Land of Fire.
At the same time, the high platform accumulated by Kumogakure over many years also collapsed with a crash in this battle.
<><><><><><>
Read Advanced Chapters on: patreon.com/Anna_N1
~Every 150 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]